My first Thanksgiving away from home was almost exactly like my previous 23 Thanksgivings. Watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade (although it was from last year), football games (also from last year), movies, puzzles, napping on the couch, and eating way too much food. There were some very big differences, though. For one, I was not with my family. I love the mission team and they are my family here but without mom, dad, and brothers things seemed different. Two, the temperature was in the 90’s (ok, I am not exactly sure how hot it was but it was up there). Three, we had chicken instead of turkey (minor difference but still different). Four, I helped cook. Never before in all of my Thanksgiving experiences have I helped prepare the meal. I made green bean casserole, carrots, potatoes, and cookies. I also helped take the chicken meat off the chicken. (This is huge! Seriously, I do not like to eat meat and I really don’t like to touch it and tear it off the bone – but I did it!)

Basically, Thanksgiving was exactly the same in Uganda as it is at home. Eat and hang out with those that you care about. I did miss the cool/cold weather of Missouri and looking at all the shopping ads, for Black Friday, with my aunts.  

I hope that all of you had a wonderful, fun filled Thanksgiving with your family and friends. I missed you all! I am praying that your holiday season is blessed with time with family and friends.  

I have recently rediscovered my favorite childhood movie – Roger and Hammerstein’s’ Cinderella.  Honestly, I cannot tell you how many times I watched this particular version of Cinderella while I was a young girl, easily hundreds.  In the course of the past few weeks, I have watched it at least 3 or 4 times and am left wondering why I was so enamored 15 years ago.  It is one of the cheesiest movies ever and the acting is not good, but I am still finding myself drawn in.  What is the problem?! 

On a more serious note…

Life is full of decisions that I need to make and this exhausts me.  Knowing and trusting that God has a plan for me is the easy part; patience in waiting for Him to reveal that to me, on the other hand, is the hard part.  As most of you may already know, teaching is not my cup of tea, which has made my time in Mbale a little more stressful at times than I thought it was going to be.  I have been blessed beyond belief during my time in Uganda and there have been numerous lessons learned.  A decision has been made, sadly enough, to come back to the states at the end of this semester. 

I am so sad to be leaving behind a great community of friends, who have become like family but I believe that God is leading me on to the next thing that He has planned for me.  I ask that you please pray for me as I make the transition back into life in America.  Uganda is very different from Missouri, so I am sure that there will be some time needed for adjusting back into a life that was normal for 23 years. 

My plans for when I arrive stateside are very tentative.  I know that I want to go back to school for nursing.  I know that I want to spend time with family and friends who I have not seen for a year.  I know that I need to have a job and health insurance.  I know that I am excited that I am going to have power all of the time (depending on ice storms and whatnot).  I know that I am excited for a fast internet connection.  I also know that I am sad to leave behind a way of life that has become normal, fun, and exciting.  No longer will I be able to go to the open air market and buy vegetables, fruit, meat, and clothes all in the same place.  No longer will taking a bicycle taxi be the fastest way to get to town.  No longer will my running in the morning be so exciting for the neighborhood children.  No longer will I look out my window and see the beautiful green of God’s creation and hear the beautiful sounds of God’s creation.  Instead I will see homes and hear cars and sirens.  (Don’t get me wrong…the birds do not always sound so beautiful at 6 in the morning!) 

I thank you for partnering with me on this journey to grow in my relationship with God and to learn things about myself and His people in Uganda.  I pray that you will continue to be a part of my journey called life as I try and follow my God in what He has next for me. 

I will post more and put lots of pictures before I leave in just a few short months.  Thanks for reading, praying, and sending encouragement.  It is very much needed and even more so appreciated. 

One of the most important things that I have learned is that God loves me.  This seems simple, right?  I grew up going to church learning all of the bible stories and being told how much God loves me, so why does this seem like such an important lesson to me now?  Well, even though the lesson may be easy, it is not always easy for me to really know and feel in my heart that God loves me.  This is especially hard to remember during the difficult and frustrating times.  I think all too often I feel like I am entitled to God's love - no matter what I deserve for Him to love me unconditionally.  Unfortunately, I take God's love for me for granted and I forget just how amazing and special it really is.  
Since my arrival to Uganda, in January, I have been helping teach the children at MCC (Mbale Church of Christ).  I have enjoyed being able to interact with the kids and prepare lessons and crafts for the Sundays that I am scheduled to help.  There have been a handful of Sundays when I have felt slightly frustrated by the fact that not all of the kids who are in class can speak, or even understand, english.  This past Sunday was one of those days.  There were between 40 and 50 kids who were present for class (I don't know the exact number because they show up and leave at random).  Out of this number over half of them were under the age of 5 - meaning that the chance that they had any clue as to what I was saying was zero.  I felt like I was talking to myself and I was becoming increasingly frustrated.  I went ahead with the lesson and had them make a craft (a necklace) and then I dismissed class.  I was so frustrated for most of the day because I felt like I was being completely ineffectual as a teacher.  I kept asking myself how I was possibly teaching these kids anything when they cannot even understand my words.  
I went to community bible study in the evening and before we began worship the question "what do I want from God?" was asked.   This really got me thinking.  Do I want to be the best teacher?  Do I want to be able to speak the heart language of the kids at church?  Well, sure - but does being the "best" teacher show them God's love better?  Does my ability to speak more than just english show the kids that God has chosen to love them?  
I think that if I can honestly say I want to know God and love God and in return be known and loved by God more than anything else, then my ministry will be effective.  That maybe somehow, even though they cannot understand my words, that the kids will be able to understand my heart.  That they will be able to see God through me.  
If I can choose to love God and to let Him love me - like He wants to - then maybe the lesson is simple after all.  Maybe if I can get out of my own way and get over the idea that I am all deserving, then maybe remembering that God does love me unconditionally will stay in my heart and mind as the unbelievable, amazing fact that it is. 

Mt. Elgon, which is practically in my backyard, is a volcano.  I do not recollect being told this before I moved to Mbale.  From what I hear, it is a fairly active volcano - I am not sure what that means.  
Meat is not the "food" part of the meal.  Posho, ma-toke, beans, and rice are the staples.  If you go to a local food restaurant to eat and do not order one of these items it is considered weird.  
Time is completely irrelevant.  When someone tells you that they will be there at 11:00 on Tuesday, he may not actually show up until...?  I am experiencing this part of Ugandan culture currently.  The teacher house kitchen is infested with cockroaches.  All the cleaning and spraying that I have done has proved to be fruitless, so we are getting new cabinets.  The landlord and his carpenter came by Sunday before church to take a look at what needed to be done.  The carpenter came back on Monday to take measurements and said that he would return the following morning at 11:00 to begin work.  Today is Thursday and he still has not returned.  
Being a white person makes you the object of everyone's attention.  No matter where I go or what I am doing it is guaranteed that every singe Ugandan that passes by will stop, stare, and try and start a conversation with me.  I honestly never knew that white skin was so cool.  Why have I been trying to make my skin darker for so many years?  
"What I have is mine, what you have in also mine."  This tends to be the mentality.  What most Ugandans do not realize is that just because I am a white American does not mean that I have an unlimited amount of money.  
Just because you pay for electricity does not mean that you will have electricity.  
This is a small list of some of the differences between my American culture and the Ugandan culture that I find myself trying to live in.  I don't want you to think that I am talking badly about Uganda or Ugandans, I just want to give you a small glimpse of some of my experiences so far.  

Since it is currently summer break, I have a lot of free time.  How have I been filling that time, you may ask.  Well, I am teaching Sunday school at town church 3 times this month and helping/assisting 1 time.  Last Sunday I taught about King Joash.  The kids thought is was pretty cool that Joash became king at the age of 7.  We made crowns for our craft.  I brought stickers and glitter - it was a big hit.  I counted 46 children who were in attendance Sunday morning, so it was a little crazy but it was so much fun to be a part of teaching them about God.  
I am trying to help organize the school library.  There are a lot of little things that need to be done for the library to be in working order for school to start in September.  Reshevling books, labeling, categorizing, pulling books for classes in the fall, and so forth.  
I will be going on village visits with Heidi.  All of these visits will be associated with the rural women's ministry.  I will have the opportunity to help and teach at some of the villages - if I so desire.  
I am brushing up on my geometry.  I think that I may be teaching geometry to Lydia in the fall semester.  After not having taken a math class since 2001, I am a little rusty.  This past semester, I started out teaching a math class, but the schedule needed some adjusting and Danetta took it over.  
I am cleaning and organizing the teacher house.  Over the years there have been so many people to come in and out of this house and it has accumulated a lot of clutter.  If you know me even a little, you know that I do not do well with clutter.  Our house is fairly large so this is quite a task.  

I am praying and seeking after God.  Praying that He will show me how to use my abilities effectively.  Praying that He would continue to work on the plan He has for me - even if He does not want to let me in on it yet!  I am praying for continued support to come in.  The exchange rate for the dollar is dropping almost daily.  This makes money tighter.  When I write a check for cash I get about $60 less, in Ugandan shillings, than what comes out of the bank in the States.  Please pray with me that I would be financially wise and that more financial supporters would be raised up.  

Thank you for praying for me and encouraging me as I live so far away from all that seems "normal".