Harder than I thought!!!

Africa there are so many words that could describe it....beautiful, tough, majestic, friendly...Since arriving here at Uganda my world has been one adventure after another. It started with two days of traveling, which turned out to be fun... I watched a lot of movies and got to know the other 43 students who are also joining me on this trip. I love the group I am with there are 14 students who are considered IMME-meaning they stay at a house with in Mukono like me. Btw Mukono is the village I live in. Um after all our flying the whole group went to Rwanda. This was a difficult but exciting trip, it involved a lot driving in a small, crapped bus, but it was a fun way to see all the different parts of Rwanda. Our group stayed at 5 different places. We meet victims and killers who were invovled in the 1994 Genocide. We went to a church where 10,000 people were masacared with knifes, machetes, and raped. When we walked into the church there were piles of clothes all lined up, it was a difficult and very sad thing to see. We also saw a lot of memorials that depicted the effects that the genocide had on the children in Rwanda. The amazing thing though about this trip was that even though we witness horrible, sad, depressing things there was the most amazing amount of hope and love. We meet three people one day, two of whom were victims and the other a killer. The killer had actually killed the entire family of one of the victims, the amazing thing is that these two individulas were friends they had rode on the same bike to the church that day, they were even neighbors. Here is an amazing story I heard while in Rwanda. There was a woman and a killer, the killer took the woman's child, her only son and burnt him over a fire like a chicken and made her watch. Then a month later he came back for her husband who he lit on fire and then chopped to death all in front of her. Well after the genocide the government held Gaccaca trials. The man in this stsry told of what he did to the woman and the crimes he had commited. Well the judge looked at the lady and asked her what she would like to do with this man. Amazingly the woman replied she would like to do three things: 1. She first wantd to let him know that she forgave the man 2. She wanted to take him back to her home and love him like a mother should and 3. She wanted to hug him in the middle of the court room. So this story just made me think about forgivenss and how often I hold a grudge. I get angry at the simplest things and think that no one understand how angry I am. However these people murder other peoples family memeber and they are able to forgive and love each other. I truly witness God love and forgiveness in Rwanda and I will never forget the people and stories I heard. Ok so on to some funny things... first um there are some fun challenges involved in living in Rwanda 1. sleeping with a mosquito net ( you wake up in the middle of the night afraid for your life thinking that something has you and you can never get out) 2. Peeing a hole that is smaller than a journal (p.s. the first couple of times you end up missing the whole and completely getting yourself) 3. Being called a white person 24-7 and then being asked for money 4. Eating food that you heard earlier clucking away 5. Having to wear shoes outside (Ugadans take there dress code very seriously you must have ironed clothes and very clean shoes) 6. Taking a shower under the stars (you might lose the soap a couple of times but no worry) Oh an add on, bucket showers are amazing... seriously I really do enjoy them 7. Boys and grown men peeing off the side of the road 8. When you ask someone a question and they raise there eyebrow that means that they are saying yes 9. Learning how to sit like a lady in a skirt ( I still struggle with this) 10. Meal time is fun dinner is at 11 at night and usually consist of food that is all the same color and texture (although I have to admit the Ugandans make some amazing tea...I LOVE IT!!!) 11. Realizing that the supermarket actually has American food, it is like Christmas 12. Never needing an alarm clock because the rooster is consistant ever morning to wake you up 13. The family chicken that loves to live in the house 14. Seeing woman carry a million things on their head, with a baby strapped to their back, while dragging a cow ( It puts us girls who say we can multi-task to shame) 14. Cell-phone service on a boat in the middle of the World's deepest lake (can hear me now...good) 15. Realizing that the cross walks mean absolutely nothing.. well there are just a few glimspes of Ugdana. Even though these things may sound a bit negative the country overall is wonderful. The people hear are so freindly they are constantly trying to get to know you, help you out, and learn about america. The country is beautiful and I am so blessed to walk to school everyday and enjoy it's veiw. The children ate the sweeties, adorable things in the world (I seriously have to remember that I can not adopot them all). These first two weeks have been a rollercoster of events. While I love Uganda I find myself missing my family, friends, church, and pillow. But the days are getting easier and I am learning how to take each day a little at a time. God is showing me that I am seriously nothing without Him. I am learning to trust Him with helping me get to know my family and learn how to get to know the people and culture here. I am excited to see how the weeks play out. Thanks everyone for your prayers and I love you a bunch...