Kwanjula la la!

               Let me give you a quick update on school and then I’ll continue with my exciting experience from Saturday. School has been going well. God had to change my perspective and attitude again and again – which isn’t the first time and it definitely won’t be the last. By God’s grace changes are happening. They are very slow, but they are happening. Praise God! He is working at ECLAC despite all of the obstacles (one of them being me and my human-ness) and circumstances, and I am learning and growing constantly. Every day I am reminded of what I need to change about my thoughts, attitude, and actions – especially learning to give God the complete glory and acknowledgement. I want to constantly be pointing people to Him…always. Yet I am not very good at that at all. Don’t we all struggle with that?
                My students are also teaching me a lot. I’ve had to ask for constant patience for myself and for these children. God has been providing the love I need to give to them – not only so my students receive the love of Christ, but so the other teachers will see how they need to love these children as well. Each of these kids need so much love, attention, and time to be worked with. I really need to rely fully upon God to provide for me teaching ideas and ways to connect with them. Slowly by slowly.  To God be the glory.
               

Now on to a tale of Ugandan culture!

This post will mostly be about my experience at the introduction ceremony, which happens before the actual wedding for Ugandan couples. The Baganda tribe calls it a Kwanjula. I don’t know the groom very well, but he is from my church, and I was invited to come along so I could experience more of Ugandan culture. So I became part of the entourage that escorted the groom and his gifts/dowry to be formally introduced to the bride’s parents.
                Once I found out what I needed to wear and a little about what to expect, I was beyond excited to attend this ceremony! I borrowed a gomesi (Baganda tribe traditional dress) from one of the teachers at ECLAC, and the ladies from church helped me with a necklace and the kikoy (the fabric to go under the gomesi to make the “bums” bigger). A gomesi is usually made out of fancy fabric – the shoulders are made tall and pointy, and it is tied with a wide belt around the waist. The Baganda men wear a long white tunic – much like something an Arab man would wear – and they add a suit jacket over the kanzu.  I was so mesmerized by all of the different gomesi around me worn by my dazzling friends. They were also excited to see their friend, a muzungu, wearing traditional clothes.

The group from church met at a school in Luweero (an hour outside of Kampala) in cars full of the gifts/dowry the groom has collected. The ladies and men got dressed and then we lead the caravan to the ceremony location. The groom has to pay for the ceremony and the gifts he should present to the father of the bride – this costs millions of Ugandan shillings and it takes many years to save. The ceremony lasted all day.
                Every tribe in Uganda does an introduction, but each tribe does it differently. This one was for the Baganda tribe. Here is a summary of what I understood to be happening during this 6-8 hour event (I didn’t want to look at my watch):

The groom and everyone with him have to ask permission to enter the area the ceremony is taking place. The groom was not identified or pointed out until the bride’s side greeted those with the groom. The ladies kneel as they greet in the Baganda culture and everyone danced when they were coming out to the floor. There was one spokesperson for each side: they are constantly talking back and forth in pure Luganda, and they facilitate the whole ceremony. There was also an entertainer who had many roles and guided the dancing. Once all of the greetings were over, representatives of the groom presented the “wine” (juice) to the bride’s side so it could be tasted. Then some people from each side go into the house (the groom was among them), and then eventually, the groom and his aunt come out with dancing and excitement. The aunt (the mother of the groom isn’t allowed to be there) is responsible for attending to the cultural practices and “mentoring” the couple before the wedding, so she is a very important person. The bride eventually danced out and then the groom’s side started presenting the gifts to the bride’s family. The bride had four different outfits throughout the day. After many more hours and events, the groom gave the bride an engagement ring while he was knelt before her. She then cut a cake and served us each a piece. A big meal full of fancy Ugandan food was served after the gifts were presented, and then the families thanked everyone for coming.
There was so much music and dancing and hollering and clapping and celebration! This culture-fascinated girl (me) was beyond happy!

It is difficult for the Ugandans to explain why everything happens a certain way, and I know I can’t really explain it to you well, but at least I got some taste of the traditions. And being the “token white person”, the spokesman from our side (groom’s) made me take part in the ceremony despite my complete ignorance of what was taking place. He had to guide me every step of the way ("kneel!", "no, here!", "take this", "put that here", etc.), and I didn’t like all of the attention. However, it was still a great and fun experience, and now I have many stories to tell. My favorite thing I got to do was to help the rest of the groom’s side bring in all his gifts. All of us ladies carried the baskets on our heads while dancing up to place them before the bride’s family.

By the end, I was completely overstimulated and tired of sitting, but very thankful that I had an opportunity to be a learner. If you are more interested in this, you should research it. I am sure you could find explanations that make a little more sense.
            It amazes me how diverse this world is. God was beyond creative when He created the nations, peoples, and tribes! What a privilege to be able to experience a part of the Creator's workmanship!

            P.S. I probably won’t try and blog every week – give myself more time to think and experience without thinking about sharing everything right away…if that makes sense. Thank you for praying and caring enough to read my jumbled words!

Prayers:

-Praise for an opportunity to learn more about Ugandan culture. It leaves me with more questions to ask and more conversation starters to have in my pocket.

-Continue to pray for ECLAC, the teachers, and for God to be glorified as things change.

-For more relationships with ladies. It has been difficult for me to connect with these Ugandan women – in and out of university. Pray that I will seize more opportunities to engage in conversations, hospitality, and fellowship.

-On the topic of hospitality, I haven’t been inviting anyone over because my housing situation hasn’t been “stable”. Well, now that my current house is going to be my permanent place (praise God!), pray that I will be able and willing to give my time up to have people over. It is difficult for me to constantly be around people, but God is asking me to go deeper in my relationships. Opening up my home is just one way I can do that. :-)

-Pray for interactions with the other foreigners on campus that I have met (from Norway and North Korea). Pray that I will “lean in” and use the opportunities to bring Jesus to them.

-For God to continue teaching me how to always be looking to Him and His voice. For Him to always be glorified in everything!

Highlights:

-Obviously the Kwanjula! Pretending to be a Muganda lady was fun.

-Met many of the important people at church. The assistant chaplain has a son with special needs, and she wants to spend more time with me. Praise God for an opportunity to encourage a parent!!

-When I walk into church, I know most of the people I run into. It takes me a half hour to accomplish something that should take 10 minutes because of all the conversations I have with people I have a relationship with. If that isn’t a blessing after starting a new life in a new country, I don’t know what is.

-Friday was the coldest it has been since I’ve arrived. It was nice to wear a jacket and get rained on. Many people are thanking God for the rain – even the earth.

-God continues to challenge me. It is difficult to be constantly convicted and having so many things to work on, but it also means that the Lord is shaping me into become someone who pleases Him.

-Met some professors from North Korea who lecture here at Kyambogo. I feel more comfortable talking with Ugandans, but God is giving me an opportunity to bring Him to a wider demographic.

Luganda:

                Mpola mpola (slowly slowly). This phrase is constantly reminding me to not focus on the tasks, but to focus on God first and foremost. The rest will come slowly by slowly.

Photos:

                These were taken by on my smartphone…so the quality is low. I'm glad I got some shots! 

The groom presenting the bride with a ring and an speech in Luganda. 

Allen and Rachel in their beautiful gomesi! 

Groom and his aunt dancing.

The bride's first appearance in her first gomesi.

Bride and attendant. 

Photos before the ceremony. My brother is showing off his kanzu and I am the white girl pretending to be a Muganda lady. :P

Waiting to be invited in. 

Ladies from the bride's side coming to greet us.

Before leaving for Luweero pre-gomesi. I wasn't excited for the day, can't you tell?

Some of the many gifts the groom prepared to present to the bride's family.

Every Hour

“The Gospel nurtures us slowly, whispering light into our dark places and showing up our weak spots.”  -Unknown

                There has always been something special to me about the “father figures” God has provided for me in life. I really value those men who have taught me many things about following Jesus by their actions and words…including my wonderful dad. One of the men, an elder in my church and worship leader, was brought to my mind this week because of a song he said he loved. At the time, I couldn’t connect with that song like this man did, but I wanted to really know what the words meant. Seeing the way he sang it one Sunday morning brought me to tears, and a desire to truly understand the meaning grew within me. Since first being introduced to it, I would constantly hear it on the radio, sing it in the shower, and think about it often each day. I understood the words, but did I really understand? I don’t think I could see the impact of the simple lyrics. Until now.

“Lord, I need You. Oh, I need you. Every hour I need You.”

                I have been truly blessed these two months of living in Uganda. One of the blessings is the freedom to speak my faith, to pray, and to share Christ…at school! I am so used to putting God in a neat little box, going to teach at school with thoughts of Jesus but never words, and coming home to take God out again. Being in constant communication with the Lord is not my strength – it has always been a struggle. Another blessing? Realizing how broken I am as a person; how much I really need the Lord in each moment. I need Him for wisdom with the cultural differences, patience with the students, love for everyone I encounter, creativity at school to make things work, for ways to connect with the teachers, questions to ask, safety when walking to and from school, ways to encourage and disciple those I am interacting with…..EVERYTHING. Literally.  Ideally, I need to be talking to God about everything I am doing, thinking, saying. Every day, hour, minute, second – I NEED Him. It is almost ridiculous to know I need God that much! But it is true. He is showing me how I need to depend upon Him because I cannot accomplish anything without the Lord’s power, love, patience, etc.

“Our sufficiency is from God, who has made us competent to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit.” -2 Corinthians 3:5-6

                There has been so many things I am realizing needs to change within my heart – it is almost overwhelming how much I need to change. Yet, I think Jesus is showing me all of those things because I cannot change my heart with a “quick fix”. I need Him. Once I realized that, it wasn’t as overwhelming any more. The Lord will hold me in His hand as He changes my heart. All I have to do is need Him. Run to Him. He will do the work and I need to let Him.

                I also realize that there is a need to be confident in the talents and gifts God has given me, Missy. I think it is a balance – being completely humbled by my need for Him but also keeping the confidence I have in Christ. I hope you are getting me (a phrase often used by Ugandans) or can understand me. There is so much that I am trying to put together as God gives me piece by piece.
                The father figure I mentioned knew exactly what it meant to need Jesus "every hour" in his life. I am thankful I have someone to look up to as I am figuring out how much I need my Heavenly Father.

Lord, every hour I need You.

“Those who look to Him are radiant, and their faces shall never be ashamed.” –Psalm 34:5

“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases. His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.” –Lamentations 3:22-23

               

Prayer:

-My work visa and things. I haven’t heard anything lately, but things were going slow last I checked. I might even have to leave the country and visit Kenya…Oh darn. :P

-Praise for God coming and encouraging my heart! Thank you all for your prayers and encouragements.

-Housing. My current house is turning into my permanent place, but things that need to be fixed (lights, plumbing, stove…etc.) are not getting fixed.

-My good relationships with the teachers to continue. Wisdom and guidance as I encourage them. Wisdom and love for the students.

-For all of my friends here who are struggling here. Praise that they have taken me in as family. God is good.  

Highlights:

-Had so many great moments with the teachers I work with. The relationships grow stronger each day – praise God! They take good care of me and show me love daily. Working to improve the program is tricky as I try to help in a way that is respectful of culture and of them. It is frustrating and discouraging sometimes because I am not good at being indirect – it is just different.

-RAIN! Today, it poured like I’ve never seen before. So much so many youth that are a part of Bible study couldn’t come because of it. It is raining upcountry as well, so food prices will start to go down and the number of starving people in Kampala will hopefully decrease.

-I saw two big snails in my yard. What?! So cool!

-Monday was a day off. The teachers closed school so they could re-register with the university hoping they will start to get their salary.

-Went to DAWN rehabilitation center to visit my fellow short-termer and friend. Got to see her work with the students with special needs, and I got cuddles from some of the kiddos. I never realize how much physical touch I need/give until I am in East African culture…I feel starved. It was nice to cuddle! This center provides therapy and education. There are many volunteers and staff (many from Germany) that I got to meet.

-My team leader came to do an autism training with me and the teachers at ECLAC (my school). It will give me something to refer back to as I indirectly try to make changes and explanations to the teachers.

-I continue to learn more Luganda. I love surprising people with what I know and learning from them as well. In fact, I bought my vegetables at the market this week using mostly Luganda – I don’t know the names of the veggies yet.

-Went to the Ash Wednesday service. My church back home has never done a service, so this was my first ever. The Anglican church (St. Kakumba) service I went to was similar to a service on Sunday morning, but adding communion and ashes. It was good to be reminded of the sacrifice of Jesus and of the sacrifices we must face as followers of Christ.

-The Compassion program on Saturday was the most fun it has been. I was able to take some photos and video. We did aerobics and dancing before worship. I was quickly reminded of how inadequate my American hips are. Woo! These Africans can dance. (My Kenyan friends would say I am not even trying to dance…and then laugh at me --- you know who you are!)

-Continually being shaped and molded by the Lord. It hurts sometimes to be broken and shown where I need to repent, but it is good that I am not stagnate in my faith. God is changing me every day to become more like Christ so that He can shine through me even more. And I have the best support system in the U.S. and here. Praise God!  

Luganda:

Mukama Yebazibwe (praise God)!  
It took me about three days to pronounce this phrase. Luganda is a Bantu language (like Swahili), and they are easy, but Luganda has such long words! My tongue has difficulty with the pronunciations. I wish that “praise God” in Luganda was as short as it is in Swahili (Bwana asifiwe).

Culture:

                Let’s talk more about food! A Ugandan meal consists of a “food” and a sauce. Usually it is lunch or dinner. Breakfast means chai/tea and something small to eat.

Foods:
There are so many different and diverse cultures in Uganda because of the tribes. Because of that, there is also more than one “staple” food in this country. Kampala is in the land of the Baganda tribe who’s staple food is matoke (green bananas – peeled, steamed, mashed). In the West Nile region (home to the Lugbaras), their staple food is Kalo (sorghum and millet flour boiled to a firm consistency). Other staple foods include posho (maize flour boiled – like the ugali in Kenya) and rice.

Sauces:
There are also a number of sauces - beans, soup with meat (beef or fish), liver, or groundnut (also called g-nut or peanut). Liver and fish are the most expensive.

Missy’s favorite:
Being here two months, I have already picked out my favorite traditional Ugandan meal. Drum roll! Matoke w/ groundnut sauce. This peanut sauce isn’t like the Asian sauce you might be thinking of. They grind the peanuts to small pieces, boil, and add tomatoes, onions, and salt. SO good. Matoke is almost exactly like mashed potatoes…need I explain more?

Photos:

                From Compassion program on Saturday. You are welcome! (Try to imagine the guy in the MadTV skit, “Can I have your number” saying that)

Compassion kiddos starting with aerobics. 

Auntie Grace and Uncle "toto" Richard leading stretches.

Coming from difficult lives, food, love, and Jesus on Saturdays makes a huge difference to these childr

en.

Not at all like American hips. Woo! These Africans can dance! 

Uncle Kato (sponsorship coordinator) playing a country song in the office. Best southern accent by a Ugandan I've ever heard. Imagine, his wife doesn't know his talent...

Faith (volunteer) and me. She loves to take advantage of this naive white girl.

One of the Compassion students drawing an attribute of God: Master creator and designer.

This is just from the floor in my room. It's what happens when you live next to two maram (dirt) roads in Kampala during dry season.

Identity

               Moving to another place always takes some “nesting”. I only feel settled when I have figured out my systems for cleaning, cooking, bathing, etc. in the new place. Having moved a lot even within Uganda, and hopefully moving soon one more time, I’ve been able to establish my own way for doing things at a faster speed. Being in Uganda has shown me recently that there is another shift that takes place when entering another culture. Who am I in this new place?

My identity.

                There was a time when I didn’t like myself. I didn’t want to be timid or quiet or shy, and I felt that I didn’t have many friends because of those aspects of my personality. American culture caters well for the extroverted people – praising their attributes and highlighting their talents. But what about the introverts? Most of the time they were/are not the heroes or heroines of the movies or stories. I wanted to change so that I could feel accepted.

                The love of God changed me. I eventually figured out who I really was and God coaxed me to accept that I was an introvert. He gave me confidence and continued to grow me in all of my characteristics because the Lord loves me just as I am. I left the U.S. as a teacher who was confident in her quiet leadership and in the directions God was taking her life.

                New context changes things. Why am I different in Uganda? I find myself being a little different here than back home. My confidence in my abilities and knowledge has been shaken. I feel more quiet and timid. Back to square one when I had figured out who I was? Discouraging. Frustrating. All of the above. Especially when some of my struggles with Ugandan culture seem to be because of my personality.

                I think God is trying to teach me something. Where should my identity lie? Who does He want me to be?

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” -Joshua 1:9

“For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline.” -2 Timothy 1:7

                I think, with time, the Lord will help me see who I am as a child of God no matter where I am living. He will show me what being “strong and courageous” and “not timid” looks like for Missy as she is allows God to use her. Also, who am I as an ambassador for Christ in Uganda and in the U.S.?

                As I learn to abide in Christ, I need to remember that I am loved by the Lord and that my identity should be rooted strongly in Him. Praise God that He is opening these areas in my life that keep me growing deeper in relationship with Him.

Prayer:

-I always need wisdom. Wisdom in my interactions with strangers and friends. Wisdom with the teachers and students – giving suggestions, implementing ideas, and trying to keep the focus on the needs of the students.

-The politics of Kyambogo. The teachers who are not getting paid. Reminders that God will overcome the evil of this world.

-That I would continuously be giving God all of my weaknesses – I simply cannot do anything without Him. I am nothing without Him.

-Pray against discouragement. Against looking for comfort in things other than God.

-Permanent housing…. 

Highlights: 
-Got some things accomplished at school, but nothing new is implemented. Praying that God will direct me as I try and move things along with the program. First goal is for structure and more routine.  

-There were several times last week that I got to walk home from school with people I know. Being with a friend is always helpful to keep away those strangers (mostly men) who want to talk to me. I also found another route to and from school I could take – don’t want to be too predictable.

-It rained! The rain has been a little more frequent. That means the rainy season is upon us. That means no more dust. But that also means mud and puddles.

-My watchman and one of the teachers I work with are from the northern area of Uganda by South Sudan. Both of these men don’t like to speak Luganda – their tribe has a different language (Lugbara) – so I have only been speaking English with them. Well, since my brain has gotten used to Luganda, I asked them to teach me some of their language. It is amazing how happy they become and how much more I connect with them when I use Lugbara. To be honest, it didn’t really feel right speaking to them in English…there isn’t that deeper connection. I love laughing with my watchman as I surprise him with a new Lugbara phrase and it is a great way for me to show that I appreciate his friendship.

-The same teacher (mentioned above) challenged me to see who is better at Luganda. He knows more vocabulary as he has lived in Kampala for a long time, but since he doesn’t really speak it, I am faster than him in all of my replies. At the end of my stay, we’ll have a proper showdown. Yet another motivation for me to keep learning Luganda.

-Met two cockroach friends in my house. Don’t worry. If you kick them and make them rollover on their backs, they can’t roll back over to run away.

-Met with the Special Education team for a sleepover. Good food, good conversations, good God.

-Went to a network meeting with many people who are working with children with special needs.

-Splurged and bought real butter at the supermarket. No more vegetable oil or margarine for this healthy girl!

-I am still learning lessons on what is fair payment for transportation. Got ripped off because I wasn’t paying attention. It happens.

-Got my first sunburn of the year. Shoulders and lower neck. Brilliant.

-Greeted a man in Luganda today. His response was priceless. “Bulungi… Ha! Congratulations!” I love surprising people.

Language (spelling is always questionable):

-Luganda - Tugende fenna (let us go together). I use this a lot…so do all the guys that want to escort me home…. Oy.

-Lugbara – Mi ngoni (how are you). Response is muke (fine).

Culture:

                Uganda is different than Kenya regarding tribes. Kenya has around 42 tribes with different languages, but most people can speak Swahili, English, and their tribal language. Uganda has somewhere between 30 and 50 different tribes (I have heard different numbers) with different languages. In this country, it is not expected that everyone knows Luganda (the language of the Baganda tribe), but most people do know English if they are educated. Therefore, when I greet people in Luganda, not all of them will respond in Luganda especially if they are not a Baganda.

Photos: I’ve been really bad about taking photos mostly because I left my camera charger back home. Someone from AIM is bringing it this way next week, so I’ll have more freedom to use my camera once my charger is delivered.