Uganda.

Bus ride to Bugembi.
Miracle Center Church with lots of singing and dancing.
Visit to Baby Jessica and mom. Making Chapatis.
Visit to old orphanage - seeing the kids and meeting the man.

(He was cordial, and let us come approach the kids. The wife and baby were back. there were new volunteers. It was like nothing had ever happened. These kids were shy, but they loved Jess and Derek. We danced and took pictures. It was obvious that these kids were worse off out here in the village than the city-kid orphans. I didn't really understand a lot of what I saw, but I loved playing with these kids. Pauline (Baby Jessica's mom) still helps out, even though they still have not been paid anything that was promised to them. There is little change to be seen. Then we left)

Visit to the slum/village and met Maria and Sarah. They are college students my age with big dreams. They even baked me a cake.

and that was my first day...

Monday: Morning with the kids and afternoon in town. We went swimming in the source of the nile. I met one of Jess' street kid friends.
Tuesday: Day in Kampala. We took the bus into town with 25 of Jessica's friend's "aunties" and went to visit his great-grandma. She is some sort of Muslim religious figure so we went to pay her respect. She is 118 years old and still served us a meal! It was an honor to be in her home.
Wednesday: Day with the kids in the orphanage. Volunteer night with goooood food and a game of Biblical Apples to Apples.
Thursday: Morning of errands in Jinja. Afternoon at Bugegali Falls - the Nile River. We went on a boat ride and went swimming in the Nile! After the others left, Jess and I made some friends and went on a hike along the river through forests, farmland, and villages. We ended up fishing, and watching kayakers, and jumping from trees into the water.
Friday: Safari day! An 8 hour journey turned into 13 with multiple battery problems. Once we got to the park, we did a drive through and saw our first lion! at night we slept in tents and were surrounded by lions warthogs and hippos in the middle of the night! I didn't sleep much...
Saturday: Our second safari drive. It was so beautiful! What an amazing opportunity to be reminded of God's beauty and creativity. Around noon we started the long drive back home. Good conversation and new friends were the result of this drive.
Sunday: Morning with the kids and a hard goodbye.

It was a packed week. I met so many incredible people and got to see a lot in a very short time. I feel so blessed to have been able to experience this. Jess Kayla Derek and Pippin were such an encouragement to me. It was neat too to see how much I have changed and grown and have my lessons become applicable in another cultural context.

I realized too that as much as I have been trained to think this way, ministry does not all look alike. God wants obedience from us. If that means entering into the world of business, it is still full time ministry. Whether its working with the poor or the rich, it is still ministry if you are acting in obedience. My desire to travel isn't necessarily a selfish desire just to see the world and avoid responsibility. I don't just want to travel. I want to encourage people in their dreams and passions. I want to pour life into other people, and I want to teach and disciple. If this comes in the forms of visiting people in different countries, or taking groups of people to experience different cultures themselves, then I want to walk into that boldly. Over and over I have repeated to God: I just want to do what you want me to do! My deepest desire is just to serve Him.

I returned to school with so much joy. God's grace enabled me to look back on Uganda and feel fulfilled. Even with only a week, it did not seem too short. I have entered into a new class now, which happens to be the best one yet. I am back with my temporary family, and I love them more than I did even weeks ago.

Even now I sit in a room surrounded by Samantha, Austin Malaina and Joe - quietly reading our assignments that are due on Monday. I can't wait to see the direction He takes us each on...

Inkwendieno. Love love love.