Africa Bound!

Blessings

2011-02-08T10:02:00.000-08:00

I have so many things that I am grateful for, but this morning in particular, I have been pondering how much I love my sister Allie.

I love that I have an older sister that I can look up to and learn from as she is experiencing and learning how to be the best mommy and wife to Henry and Garrison. And I would say that she is doing a pretty dang good job!! And the cool thing is I get to sit back and take notes on her greatness for future use :). Even though she is all the way across the states in Georgia, its wonderful that we are just a phone call away :).

If you haven't checked out her blog I would highly suggest it.
http://elevenyellowdandelions.blogspot.com

We're on our knees and are not alone.

2010-11-14T15:35:00.000-08:00

Blessed according to Webster's Dictionary is defined as divinely or supremely favored;Holy;Sanctified.

Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven,
Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and
thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.
Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called sons of God.
Blessed are htose who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Matthew 5:3-12

"The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; and give you peace." -Numbers 6:24-27

Please be praying.

2010-10-31T21:06:00.000-07:00

Today I found out that my Ugandan mom passed away due to a motor accident. I don't know the full details, but Ugandan roads are very dangerous and constanly there were accidents when I was there. The dad is now left with 4 kids to raise, the youngest only a couple months old and there is currently an American student staying with them. Please be praying for them.

Ugandan Siblings I miss you

2010-07-08T19:55:00.000-07:00

I would come home from school and my siblings would always ask me for either my camera, ipod, or laptop. :)

Reliving Africa One Day at a Time

2010-07-06T13:28:00.000-07:00

Since I have been back from Africa I get random different memories at different times of the day through conversations with people and places I go...which makes me miss being there all over again. But when it comes to applying what I have learned and not forgetting other memories I sometimes get overwhelmed trying to recall EVERYTHING. So I thought I would try to write a blog about one of my million of African pics a day. Feel free to read up on random recall of Africa experiences and events, but be aware that these blogs will probably be VERY random and probably boring most of the time so, I guess read whatever you want as I remember Africa one day at a time :p.

Picture #1

This picture is from the village that we spent one week of our 4 month stay in Uganda at. Kapchorwa (the village) was AMAZING and my favorite part of my whole stay in Africa. Things that come in mind when I think of this village: No electricity. Great hospitality. AFRICA not as Westernized. Fresh fruit. Genuine people. Lots of kids. LONG church services. Playing with all of the kids. Describing the Ocean and seafood to my Kapchorwa parents while we cooked dinner. Drinking too much milk tea. Grounding fresh coffee beans. Learning their language and greeting people with CHICKASTE YESU!! (Praise the Lord!) Walking everywhere. "A visitor is never an interruption" lived out. Morning Runs to waterfalls as little school children ran along side of me until they had to turn off to school, killing a chicken, making futbols (soccer balls) from matoke trees(green banana like plants), not getting away from drinking only one cup of milk tea :P, Feeling so at home and comfortable there, having everything about this village being an exclamation point in my journal....So much. But the picture is of my little Kapchorwa sister and her buddies that would be over at the house all the time. They LOVED the camera and LOVED to dance. As soon as the camera went up they grabbed chairs or what ever was around them and showed off their greatest moves. Below is one of the many videos taken.

SOCCER Fest!!

2010-06-05T17:56:00.000-07:00

Today was Carly's and Stevie's last day of soccer games. And emphasis on games as Carly played three games almost in a row and Stevie was super busy reffing and playing games as well. Soccer Fest is a BIG DEAL! It was so much fun watching Carly and her team play hard all the way to the end. And man is my sister aggresive! She may be the littlest one on the field, but she does work and gets in there! Their team were short players so they had to play the whole time while the other teams they played all had subs :(. They won their first game but lost the last two taking 4th place overall.

Stevie did so well reffing as well. There are so many rules and intense coaches to deal with yet he stood his ground. Ya! Thats my brother :). In one of the games, one of the coaches came on the field yelling at Stevie about a call he made, and he just responded with, "I am sorry but you have to get off the field, you aren't allowed to interfere like this." And these players were 10 year olds! Crazy intense. And STevies team won the championships taking home a medal :).

Here are some pics from the day:

And Renee is and AWESOME goal keeper with attitude and spunk of course :).

Home :)

2010-05-28T11:23:00.000-07:00

Today Carly and I were looking at the calander in my dad's office at school and realized that I have been home (In Oak Harbor) for 2 1/2 weeks! Crazy. It feels like I have been home for 3 days...

But looking back to the past, I recognize that I have been blessed with the opportunity to not only be apart of other families but also see the dynamics of how different families work- The Bothels in Stanwood while going to school in Everett, my aunts and grandma's house in Mt. Vernon, and a Ugandan family (The Bumanyes).

These experiences have all been great and God has grown me tons in different ways...

But through these experiences and being home after being gone for 4 months has also shown me that there is no family that could EVER take the place and the love that I have for my biological family.

And no scenery compares to Whidbey Island sunsets :)

The UPS and DOWNS

2010-05-10T10:16:00.001-07:00

Isn't he cute?!?!?!

Being back in America has had its both ups and downs.

Starting with the ups:

-As soon as I got off the plane in Jacksonville, Florida I was greeted by my sister and baby Henry :).

-This is my 4th day in America, and it has all consisted of chillin with my sis garrison and neph which has been awesome!

- We have been seeing soo many fun things. Going to the beach, walking the parks, drinking really good coffee, watching movies, going to the flea market, just staring into Henry's big blue eyes and making him laugh... Allie's new one with him, that got him into full on laughing last night while giving him his nightly bath was, "Who has stinky neck cheese?! Henry has stinky neck cheese!"(In a high pitched voice :P).And he has also just started to learn how to do rasberries. He was blowing big ones to my mom on the phone yesterday, and now Allie has to get a new one due to too much spit. haha jk. But she does need a new one pretty badly :P.

Such a good looking little family :)

-I got to celebrate Allie's First Mother's Day with her :D. Seeing how much Allie loves Henry only gets me praying that I can love my future kids in the way that she does with Henry.

-It has also been really nice to just simply chill and sleep off the jet lag.

- American food has tasted soo good all the time, even PB & J's. In Africa we got American food as a treat, so it feels as if I am eating treats for every meal :).

-I don't have to be extra careful of boda bodas running me over while running...
-I am taking real showers..with hot water these days
-There is so much access to SOFT toilet paper or actually toilet paper in general that I don't know what to do with.

Time for the Downs:

Uganda border coming back from our trip to Rwanda

- Like said above, eating American food has been all really good tasting but...what can I say other than that its American food. ITS NOT REAL :P. In Africa, my stomach got used to eating bread containing three ingrediants verses the kind I had for lunch today which has at least 20... (What the heck is Azodicarbonamide? I am eating that and I don't know what that is! Scary haha.) And for more information, maybe too much, it seems to be been going out the other end as soon as it goes in :P. FUN.

- It has been really hard to be present with my sis and neph as I have been so exhausted, and readjusting to American life, and missing Africa. I didn't think it would be this hard.Plus it makes me feel bad as I have such limited days here with them.

- realizing that I am out of shape after running what would usually be a normal run yet feel sore from it the next day.

-Not being able to be with my mom on Mother's Day for the fist time. :(

-Being faced with soo many more choices than in Africa causes my brain to overload.

Even baby sunglasses are still too big for Henry

Sorry to end on the downs, but really all in all as each day is going along, I feel myself readjusting more and more and I am really looking forward to going home and seeing the fam.

But for now, I still have two whole days with my sis and neph that I want to be completely present with, as I don't know when I will get to see them next.

*Thank you for all of your guys prayers during my time away and I can't wait to see you all!

A First Time For Everything :)

2010-05-09T06:09:00.000-07:00

Dear mommy,

I am soo glad that you are my mother.You r the best mom I hav EVER had and the best mother in the hole world even tho you kiss me way too much. I luv you sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo much. Happy Mothers Day mommy!

-Henry

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

Happy Mother's Day Allie!!!

Time stops...but life keeps on going...

2010-04-21T18:12:00.000-07:00

Schedule:

We leave for Rwanda in about 2 hours and adventure on a 16 hour bus ride. I am looking forward to seeing and learning more about this country as my first time learning about Rwanda was through watching the film 'Hotel Rwanda'.

We come back after 10 days, and then have a few days of debrief in Entebbe.

If the skys are clear, we will be flying out I think on the 5th of May? London, to DC where a few of us stay the night in the airport. OH BOY! Never done that before.

..and shortly after that, jet leg and all...I fly to Savannah, Georgia.

I get to meet my little nephew Henry who just turned 3 months for the first time!!! And see Allie and Garrison whom I haven't seen in quite a long while either. A whole 10 days in Georgia with my nephew, sister, and brother in law. Sounds good to me :).

I hope my readjusting to American life and food and jet leg doesn't get too much in the way of spending time with them.

After a good 10 days, I then fly back to my home. Little Oak Harbor. Or actually Sea Tac airport, where I am hoping to meet my family, ..and Jessica :)

Upon arriving home sweet home.- Oak harbor, WA. Puget Sound. The Ocean 5 min away. Mom. Dad. Lindsey. Stevie. Carly.- Home. We are celebrating lots as it will be mother's day, Lindsey's birthday, my mom's birthday, and a farewell to Lindsey as she leaves for an internship in PA. Crazy! But a lot to look forward too.

I hope all is well for everyone! I can't wait to see you all :)

Hello Goodbye

2010-04-21T15:00:00.000-07:00

It seems like it was just a few days ago that I said hello for the first time to my Ugandan host family and now today was the day that I had to say goodbye. But I pray that todays goodbye was not goodbye forever.

At the end of the journal that NCU friends filled with encouraging notes and gave to me before leaving for Africa,Bethany quotes the words of her mission's Coordinator in Spain upon her last week abroad:

"The end is always better than the begining, because something has to come to an end in order for something new to begin."
-Julie Ann Brandt

This morning we leave for Rwanda at 5am. It is 3 am right now...no sleep today. But 16 hours of sitting in a bus will allow for some good down time.

Today while holding Dorcus for the last time, I whispered to her, "Dorcus, can you promise me that you will never forget me?" and as the little parrot that she is, she whispered back in the same tone, "Yah". I was then able to leave in peace knowing that she will remember me. Yet,then again, when walking back from church one day,with her riding on my shoulders, I asked her if she would like a big piece of my grandma's apple pie and scoop vanilla ice cream when we arrived home and she gave the same answer :P. Hmm pie and Goodbyes...pretty much on the same level.

Dorcus, there is no way that I could forget you.

The last day at home in Uganda started off well as i got a morning call from my REAL American :P mom and dad. Parents voices are of course always so soothing, but there is nothing like hearing them when in a whole world away. And My mom got to speak to my Ugandan mom :). Bitter sweet day. I am excited to come home, but also love it here so much that its hard to leave...and it only feels like we are counting down the days til the semester is officially over. :(

My Ugandan parents both went off to work so it was a fun hang out day with the siblings and eat matoke for breakfast, lunch and dinner as it was the last time that I was going to eat my mama's matoke, which is sooo good and better than any matoke I have had in Uganda. Probably because its fresh.

As my REAL siblings say, "Fresh from a chickens butt" when selling our chicken eggs, I would say that my mama's matoke is literally "Fresh from the plantain trees outside outside our back door." :)

As I leave...I can only pray that I can come back :).

What are you called to do?

2010-04-15T06:02:00.002-07:00

We are faced with so many pressures to figure out what we are called to do in life. “What do you feel called to do?” we are asked. What will you do in your life? “I don’t know. I don’t know!” I always scream inside of myself. I just got out of an elective course called “Calling” as one of our last classes in Uganda :(. But it was literally one of the most eye opening to me.

I feel like this whole semester’s theme of learning for me has consisted of redefining my idea of what it means to follow God’s call in your life.

We read scriptures from Exodus 2:23; Judges 6 and 7; 1 Kings 18 and 19; Jonah 1; And Mark 2:13-17. These focused on Moses, Gideon, Elijah, and Jonah.

After reading each passage we were asked which one we identified with the most. After all responding, we were then asked how come we feel as if we could choose from the 4 main characters when there were thousands of people within each passage?

The big thing that has been revealed to me is that a lot of times we are often so quick to raise our hands to a big radical calling to go overseas and serve God full time, but if God were to call us to a season of something simple, like work at a small café for a season and faithfully love the people around us in that environment, would we still be so quick to raise our hands in obedience to this?

I honestly don’t know if I would be…Before coming to Africa, I saw myself working full time overseas and definitely wouldn’t mind living in a mud hut…but with new understanding on calling and a new definition of missions, my insight and pressure to “Find God’s call upon my life has changed.”

How hard is it really to “miss” God’s call? Jonah ran away, Moses doubted, Elijah felt too weak, Gideon needed many signs , …yet God still fulfilled his will within each of them. And personally, when faced with a season of deciding whether I was supposed to continue school or do YWAM and I chose YWAM, God still was able to turn my heart around in His direction of school…which thus led me to an awesome semester in Uganda :).

So would it be safe to say that a lot of times we are more afraid of obeying and trusting in God rather than missing His direct call for us?

We are simply called to follow God in the surrendering of our control and abandonment of self.

God’s call doesn’t ultimately focus on a calling to a certain time or place… but rather how we spend our time in between our calling to go.

The term “being called” to here or there has been tossed around so much. Yes, people are called to go places, however it leaves those who have not “felt called” to feel like less of a Christian. This then puts the pressure on Christians to “find their call” and take life in their own hands so they don’t sound dumb when asked what their calling is and can’t give a specific answer.

*Jesus calls us to love Him with all our hearts, minds, and souls, and to love our neighbors as ourselves. How am I doing this well in my everyday life?

As one of my many weaknesses has been spending a great deal of time worrying about my future, and how God was going to effectively use me, it has literally strangled me and kept me from life both in America, and at times in Africa. And currently as my major is quite broad as its Global Studies, I have no idea what I am going to do for my future…

As to worry literally means to strangle, I have realized that this is not the life that God wants of me and it must be daily surrendered so that I might not fall back into it as I so easily do. The following quote by Camp in the book called Mere Discipleship has helped me in my “efforts” to practice the surrendering of my will:

"Submit yourself to God…Life in Christ does not mean a white-knuckled determination to “do the right thing.” Very often “doing the right thing” flows neither from a love of God nor from a desire to see the will of God made manifest, but from a desire to exalt ourselves before God and humankind. “Doing the right thing” may flow more from fear than love-fear of shame, rejection, or abandonment, or fear of reprisal from the rebellious principalities and powers of the world. But prayer undercuts this desire for control of others, control of ourselves, and control of what others and God think of us." –Page 175

"In their desire for a “better country,” they did not yield to the temptation to be “effective” at all costs, to do “Whatever is necessary” to “make things come out right.” And because of such faith, “God is not ashamed to be called their God”-Hebrews 11:16 (Page 168)

As I am finishing up the semester, my prayer is that I can return to America and live this out.

Rafting and Jumping the Nile :)

2010-03-25T07:59:00.000-07:00

This past weekend most of the USP clan all headed to Jinja to raft on the Nile rapids and bungee jump into the Nile waters.

It was great! The water was like bath water, so you weren't freezing everytime you jumped or got tossed in... The clouds against the bright blue sky were unreal, the sunburns on our faces and super white legs (due to wearing skirts all semester) are just now starting to blister :P... The rapids were extreme, I got caught under the boat a couple times, and there was even complementary beer at the end!! OH BOY WHAT A DAY!

The next morning was bungee jumping! I woke up, took a look at the 144 ft jump...and debated whether or not it was worth the 55 bucks...Long story short, I jumped! It was one of the most amazing feelings I have experienced in a long time :). I wasn't really that nervous. Standing on the edge..and not being able to touch the bar above me that kept you from falling too soon kind of worked my nerves up a bit though. I kept looking down at the Nile, and the guy kept saying, ok, you can stop looking down now. haha. It went as fast as a count to three from the worker guy, and a leap out into the air with out stretched arms. Free falling went by soo fast before I hit the water and was pulled back up. When you come back up you swing over the water for a bit before some rafters below pull you down and unhook you. It makes you feel as if you are a hostage being taken into custody :P. I would definately do it again.

Before jumping you sit in this seat at the tower where they wrap a towel around both of your feet, and binding them together through wraping the rope around the towel. I was thinking...sweet, a towel and rope is what will be keeping me from dying :P.

Wahoo for being short and not able to touch the bar :P

Oh...and we didnt drink the beer for those who were wondering. :P

Walking in whose shoes?

2010-03-17T03:33:00.001-07:00

She asked me for help with her school fees. $150,000 shillings…about 75 dollars… I can’t give her money. She was crying, overwhelmed, and afraid that she wouldn’t be able to get the finances to go to school. The very thing that she had been waiting in anticipation for, as it took weeks for her test results to come in letting her know if she was accepted and what level she was eligible for. Now hearing the news that she was accepted, finances were now an issue.

When was the last time that I lost it out of hopelessness of $75.00? When have I felt helpless in a similar situation? I don’t think I really have… If I became broke, I know that I will always be able to call upon my parents or a close friend for a little help or loan. I don’t know what it’s like. I don’t know what it’s like to be faced with such responsibility as her parents were broke and struggling leaving her with no one to lean upon.

Why, when I hear an African asking for money, I only hear a needy cry? How come I only hear? How come it doesn’t lead me to compassion, but to only walk faster away from the begging with an assumption that they are only asking me because I am a ‘mzungu’ (rich white person)? How come I can’t really see? Because of the scales on my eyes I don’t see the tears behind the eyes flowing from a real broken heart… I don’t see the real reason why she was fighting them back hard… trying to remain strong.

A couple years ago I was at the place you go to get your license renewed (don’t remember the name) and I didn’t have the right amount of money for the license renewing. Long story short, I didn’t have enough gas in my car to drive all the way home, grab a dollar that I was short, and all the way back to the license place. And for just a dollar seemed ridiculous. So because of this, I decided to ask some of the people around me if they could spare me some change. At first I thought people wouldn’t mind handing off their loose change…especially it only being a dollar that I needed. However, I was wrong. Walking around the parking lot asking a few people sitting in their cars if they had a little bit of loose change to spare instantly aroused different emotions within me. The way they looked at me, and the tone of their voices as they told me no made me instantly feel looked down upon. And it didn’t help to have the ones who overheard me asking quickly roll up their windows to save themselves from this “little begger”. At that moment I so badly wanted to just explain myself. I wanted to shout out, “Hey, look I am not poor and I am usually not one to ask people like this…but this is my situation…” I wanted them to see me as an equal to them, who was just in a sticky situation. But no. I was humiliated and brought to tears when I ended up having to walk to a nearby thrift shop and ask the lady at the front desk for the dollar. If you wanted to know, I did end up getting the dollar… it just took a few seconds of crying and then fumbling over the words, “Mam, …um…this is my situation..and…can I pleeaassee borrow a dollar?” She smiled at me, got me some tissues and then compassionately handed me over the dollar. (The best dollar received in my life :)).

Being reminded of how I felt that day, I am reminded of what my friend Nester must have felt. When I was treated as “one of those beggers”, and looked upon as an object rather than Megan Hall with a real story and a real sticky situation I felt the realness of it. How did Nester feel today? The humiliation in the need to ask for help, and to talk to a counselor about not having the finances. Could she have felt the same way and I missed it? Forgive me God for looking at her as an object like the people in the cars looked down upon me. Forgive me for not really seeing her tears, feeling her pain and actually putting myself in her shoes. I have tasted what that feels like. Probably only in the smallest amount…but I remember how not fun and uncomfortable it was. And if I really am not allowed to give her any money as a USP student…How can I adequately say, “How can I be praying for you?”

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The above thoughts and events ties in pretty adequately with the material we have been reading out of our current book titled Compassion by Henri Nouwen. Although the first 3 chapters that we have read line up with the topic of having compassion and living in solidarity with others, specifically what happened reminds me of what Nouwen writes on page 29:

“When we begin to see God, the source of all our comfort and consolation, in the center of servanthood, compassion becomes much more than doing good for unfortunate people. Radical servanthood, as the encounter with the compassionate God, takes us beyond the distinctions between wealth and poverty, success and failure, fortune and bad luck.”

The label “Unfortunate people” reminded me how my first reaction to Nester asking me for money was viewing her as an object and as much as I wouldn’t want to be quick to admit it, another needy African asking a mzungu for money. In class today, I was reminded further of how white people are viewed in Africa and the reason behind Ugandans asking whites for money for school fees. Mark Bartels quoted:

“10% of school children are sponsored by some white in the states or even elsewhere, so why wouldn’t they be drawn to ask you for money? They are “magically” receiving funds from the west and only know that a stranger white person who has money is providing the funds.”

Hopefully I don’t just take what happened today, and the remembrance of how I actually felt in the same situation and leave it as an experience. Is it possible to allow it to change my perception of people not just in Uganda but with people back home as well? With this question on mind, I am also learning that compassion is living in solidarity with others, and constantly putting yourself in others shoes. Nouwen would say that you can’t have compassion without community as all of chapter 4 is dedicated to this convincing point. Through this experience, I am reminded that compassion isn’t solving ones problems, but treating others how I would want to be treated, living in solidarity with others, and being moved to hearing them out and simply being present on an equal level vs. some sort of hierarchy level of greater power than others.

Henri J. M. Nouwen. Compassion A Reflection on the Christian LIfe. (2008)

Mark Bartels in Faith and Action class. (3/15/10) Class discussion on Compassion book chapter 4.

Finally a blog!

2010-03-03T05:18:00.000-08:00

“Its Sunday and we are driving back from rural homestays. I loved this week. I wish it was longer. The people. The joy. The greetings in Kupsabin (their language)> Chikaste Yesu! (Praise God!)/ Takwenyo! (How are you?)/ Yeko (Im fine)/ Eee (yes)/Kei-tabon! (Thank you) Kai-tabon Keyoshi (thank you for cooking)J. Even the fresh cows milk tea…it bubbling over my host mom’s kitchen fire as she scoops it up with the cup and pours it back in to mix it.) It was good and soothing. The walks through the matoke trees. The long runs while dodging cows. My room. Journaling by a lantern. Laughing. Learning. My host mom and dad’s joy. Making funny faces with my host sister Karen while sitting at the table in our smoky, little kitchen while waiting for supper as she didn’t know any English as was our best way of communication. Karen falling asleep waiting for supper…Visiting the schools. The view. The round huts. The sound in the distance: Babies crying, people hoeing in the fields, birds chirping, roosters crowing, silence. No electricity. Brighter than bright stars…I pray that until God leads me back, it will all stay so vivid in my mind.”- Journal entry on the way back to Mukono.

About a couple of weeks ago, all USP students got on a bus and headed out on a 5 hour journey, up the hill of Mt. Elgon, for our week long rural home stay in Kapchorwa.

Ever since we have been back I have been wanting to write and share about my experience but every time I would go to start writing …I couldn’t. So much happened in a weeks amount of time, and so much thinking and processing on top of it has left me silent from blogging for a bit.

Where to start…

-I basically fell in love with Kapchorwa. I don’t know if it was Kapchorwa itself or the village part of it, but every aspect of Kapchorwa I loved. The people, the BEAUTIFUL view, the millions of banana trees and leaves, unrealistic trees that grew in artistically appeasing styles: Some had bright pink buds that stood out so distinctively amongst all the green that it was like food for the eyes J Other trees reminded me of the ones off of the Lion King (I miss that movie :P) and others made me want to climb as it appeared as if they grew forever as the branches disappeared into the sky as you followed them to their tops. Over looking Kapchorwa village you could see everything it felt like! Even our house at a distance :)

-The kids were even more camera hungry then the kids in Mukono, which I didn’t mind. Every time the many kids that gathered around our house saw that I had my camera out, they would grab whatever they could find at the moment, chairs, motors for grinding maize and coffee and started dancing. The videos are so hilarious.

-The eyes: Something about the eyes of the children caught my attention. They are so deep and bright and beautiful. And I will never forget their big, joyful smiles with their gap filled pearly white teeth :).

-My host dad is a headmaster of a secondary school and his name is Patrick. I will always remember our conversations each night while waiting for dinner and how his gap filling sentence always consisted of of, ”So…..In America… :P” I had a lot of fun explaining the different types of seafood that we eat, and clamming in particular. It is also believed by them that Americans are only allowed to have 2 children, so they were shocked as I went down my family line of seven :).

-My host mom is a teacher and a primary school and her name is Joy. She literally lives her name out in the way she lives: Joyful in everything she does. One night she offered me more beans, and being so full, I said no thank you...but jokenly she responded by saying, "Megan if you love me you will eat more." haha. We all laughed and agreed that she can't buy my love..and saved me from having to eat more beans :P.

-Can you guess how much my host parents make a DAY teaching?.2 dollars. How much do we make hour even off of minimal wage?

-But yet I discovered something that wasn’t hard to find during my visit. They are soo much richer than I am…Than most Americans. The way they view life, their hospitality, the way they welcome visitors so warmly, and always with tea or passion fruit juice. The joy that they have and the real laughter amongst their tight knit relations to each other in the village caused me to re-examine my life and my priorities... and I still don’t know if it’s even possible to fully unlearn my materialistic lifestyle by truly putting relationships first and live a life of simplicity.

-I really enjoyed being able to dip my feet into the village lifestyle and get a firsthand experience as to what living amongst the matoke leaves is really like. As of now I have a desire to raise my future kids in a lifestyle like this….but that’s a long long ways from now.

-Some of the cool things I got to partake in: Making coffee! (Roasting the beans and all J), Slaughtering a chicken, making a soccer ball out of banana leaves, eating chicken gizzards, standing underneath a huge waterfall, singing and yelling in a cave, being careful not to drown in all the rain at times, getting sunburned, bathing in an outdoor washroom, learning bits of their language (Kupsabin),drinking tea with visitors, drinking more tea, and then drinking some more :P, milking a cow for our tea, visiting Jonathan Beggs and his work place in Kapchorwa, eating the biggest banana I have ever seen or tasted in my life! Trying to carry a jerry can on my head, and playing with the many kids. :)

*This is long…but brief as there is soo much to share. Can’t wait to come back home and share more with stories and pictures!

Worship at Watato and Rural Homestays

2010-02-16T03:19:00.000-08:00

*Her cuteness definately makes up for her lack of diapers :P

-So I haven't blogged in a while. These past couple weeks have been crazy.

-Last friday I got to attend an all night prayer and worship time at Watato Church. So much to take in! Ugandans are soo alive when it comes to worshipping. Through dancing, praying as their lives depend on it...pacing (this is where you find a partner, hold their hand and move around the church praying for the topic is called out by the person with the microphone). I met a girl named Happy and got to pace with her :). Some of the things were questionable to me, like speaking in tounges over the microphone without an interpretation...and a lot of emotion.

-There were also a few dances that were fun towards the end that would be considered sunday school worship songs such as The saints go marching down and a Lugandan one that was almost like The Hokey Pokey...but worshiping Jesus lol. I also met a guy who was wearing a Seattle, Wa shirt! I was so stoked that I had to ask him where he got it. I thought maybe he knew someone from there...or visited there... but when I asked, he said he bought it at a shop. Seattle, Wa. shrits for sale in Uganda!! haha. But overall the worship night was a great experience...I was just more exhausted than I have ever felt in my life afterward! After sleeping a good 5 hours on sat. and Sat. night...My body still felt like a cement block on Sunday. I barely did some laundry only to immediately collapse on my bed and sleep throughout the rest of the night without dinner. By Monday I recovered and now full force throwing myself into lots of work we have this week.

-Currently I am reading "A Girl Soldier" which is sooo good. I used to have the hardest time reading books...but here thats like all we do for most of our classes. Read, discuss, and write papers on the books. I am starting to become a book reader :).

-Next week I will not be in access to any internet connection as we will be on our rural homestay trip in Kapchorwa, known as the place of a friend. I am really excited for it. The interns who have been there before said to be ready to spend a lot of time just chillin and talking with your host family. We get to pick a lot of coffee beans :) The view and scenery I guess is the most beautiful land that you could ever imagine looking at, and its very hilly with lots of creatures :).

-Some of the challenges during the homestay will be eating different kinds of foods...and a lot of it...due to a lot of visiting of friends of the family...and sometimes 8 cups of whole milk in one day! And also not being able to run...but I lay this down. Also, another thing is that one of my IMME friends, Amanda, encouraged me as she explained that she doesn't to go into the rural homestay as if it were a challenge to live simply and rural..but to really seek to get to know her family and develop relationship with them and learn their lifestlye. I am encouraged to seek to do the same.

-Its raining today :) I like it because its nice and cool. A good break from the extreme sun and rain means blessings. Many blessings today :P

-Also yesterday I attended a missions seminar taht was about Save the Mothers organization. Dr. Jean Chamberlain lives on campus and has done a lot of work through her organization that she started. Her goal is to eduacate as many people on the importance of safe labor. So many die giving birth.

*4.5 million die of births (mothers/babies) a year
when 2.5 million people die of HIV/AIDS

Check it out : savethemothers.org

I am a Muzungu Runner :)

2010-02-03T21:16:00.001-08:00

The ultimate running path.

-Running in Uganda is so different!! I thought I would blog about this love of mine to give you a small glimpse.

-When I first got to Uganda, I asked the USP staff if people run here and where would be the best place. Their response was that not a lot of Ugandans run here and they think that those who do are weird. It makes sense as they said that their reason was the fact that Ugandans don't see the point of "wasting" energy when they could use it for doing productive work.

-But they directed me to the dirt track of the schools. On my first run, 35 hot min. around the track and lots of weird stares directed me to a different location known as Prayer Mountain. This is a road that leads up to the top of a mountain where pastors and people literally get alone with God and pray. Its really beautiful and peaceful! And the top that overlooks all of Mukono town..and Lake Victoria in the distance is sooo gorgeous! ( I have millions of pics that I will bring home to share). :)

- The only thing about Prayer Mountain is that its a mountain... There are a lot of huge hills! And even running up the first one cause’s beads of salty sweat to instantly pour down your face. As one of my fellow American USPer's, Amanda, has put it, "You sweat your body weight". But the joy of reaching the top and the view!! And then the fast down hills and your face now covered in sweat resembling fly tape allows you to catch a few friends and some extra protein if you are breathing hard with an open mouth :P and if you are are lucky you get some salt on top. Maybe even in your eyes :P Mmmmm.
A glimpse of the great view!!

- I have found that the best time to run here is at 5:30pm after classes and when it is just getting cool and a beautiful sunset for the eyes :). And plus since I have to be home and 7pm every night, it give me just enough time to get back, throw on a skirt, grab my books and walk back. (Even though lately I have been thirty min. late each time :S)

-Funny comments from people while running: The kids all yell-Hi Muzungo! followed by, Bye Muzungo!! Muzungo! Muzungo! And the older people give me weird glances..I don't know what they are thinking...I figure that because I am white and running makes me doubly weird. But my Ugandan papa also told me that in Uganda, if you are walking past someone and don't say hi, acknowledging their presence they they think there is something wrong with you. Sooo with running...I pass twice as many people...so I do a lot of pausing my ipod and waving and saying hi. Its good though because their facial expression of ..I don't know what they are thinking...and weird stares...instantly changes to friendly faces of acceptances and hellos :)

-People also have said things like well done! well done! and We support you! Keep going! One person also once said, "Are you ok? How come you are in such a rush?" Lol. Also, the other day some one yelled something that sounded like hot dog! Hot dog! But I don't think that was what they were saying.

- One time I got to the top of the prayer mountain and came across a house. A man was in his garden and he stopped me. He cut down a huge chunk of his jack fruit and held it out to me as a gift. I wasn't sure how I was going to run with it....but jackfruit is SOOOOO goood and I didn't want to be rude by declining his gift..so I accepted it. He wrapped it in banana leaves and tied it up crazy well and I went running down the mountain carrying a chunk of jackfruit and dropped it off at our IMME quarters. My family enjoyed the special treat that night :). You have to try it :)

- Another funny thing. My Ugandan mama has me iron everything! Even my running clothes and pajamas. And this weekend she looked at my dusty running shoes, and told me that every weekend I need to wash them. It takes soo much work! I wanted to fight her on it by telling her that they will just get dirty again...so I would rather not..and that new looking running shoes is actaully not that cool in America...hahaha but decided that I would probably be a better thing to respect what she wanted for the long run. CRAZY! So I am running with perfectly pressed running clothes these days and brandnew looking running shoes. :D

-Also another thing I have learned. DON'T RUN IN COTTON SHORTS!! I only brought one pair of none cotton shorts... and regretting it. I get a good case of "It looks like I wet my pants." :P

- Even more on running. My Ugandan papa once told me, "Megan the one thing I like about you is that you run and exercise." I was still getting to know them so it left me thinking, aw man, thats the only thing? hahaha, I know its not, its just how he worded it. My papa also said that because he is over 40 his doctor told him that he can't have more than 6 teaspoons of sugar a day! I think teaspoons are actually tablespoons...but still...thats like how much I have in one latte! Americans are also known as the 'people of sugar' here. :P Wahooo go us!

-Last night, I had a small fight with my mama. I came home from a long 3 day weekend trip to Luweero and had planned to go running when I had got home. Usually, at home in America, this idea would be normal. I would come home throw on my running shoes, go out for an hour then be back in time for dinner and a shower. However, as I explained that this is what I was going to do...my mama declined my longing to go after three days of not. She said that weekends are family days and since I have been gone, I was going to learn how to make chappattis instead. I was suprised by my reaction to this rejection. I literally had to go in my room and have a chat with God to surrender my will and not have a bad attitude. It ended up being good. I learned how to make a Ugandan food, went to the market and enjoyed other fellowship with my family and was able to go for a wonderfully beautiful...hot morning run :)

* So thats running in Uganda :) In all its BEAUTIFUL. hot. Refreshing after sitting in classes all day...and its A LOT different which makes it FUN. Hopefully I will have more to add as time goes on.

Walking home sunset :)

PICTURES!!!

2010-01-31T01:51:00.000-08:00

Ugandan Smores!!!

ONE OUT OF MANY PICS FROM OUR PHOTO SHOOT :p

(My siblings new greatest hobbie is performing dramas and dances that they learned from sunday school when I get home from school. Of course I don't mind :)

Our weekend trip to Luweero. This is a group picture after Catholic Mass and some of the congeration. The kids were the cutest! (Look at the little guy in the brown suit posing. :)

I think three is the ultimate max that is going to load today.

I hope everything is going well for you guys in the states. :)

Also, if you have a sponsor kid...write letters! As many as you can! It means the world to them! I will write more on this later...but visiting Compassion kids this weekend and hearing and seeing how sponsor programs work, made me realize the significance of a personal letter to a child.

Uganda Update

2010-01-28T22:49:00.000-08:00

-This last Tuesday was a holiday (Presidents Day). I spent the day watching War Dance and hearing one of the Ugandan Staff’s Testimonies. Then 8 hours of sitting on the cement watching Cats and Dogs, Cat in the Hat, part of Kung Fu Panda, and some of their soap operas (their popular tv here). The reason for this extreme measure, especially since I usually can’t watch one movie without falling asleep, was getting my hair braided. Its sooo intense. I now have twice as much hair and different reactions from people :P. Some American students say that I look like a true hippy…others say that I look like a native…and my Ugandan family says that I look very smart (meaning good looking)and my little sister says that I look very beautiful :). However, I have been getting different looks and stares from the Ugandans that I don't know how to interpret yet :S. I think I like my new style, it is taking some time to get used to though.

-Last night I taught my family how to make s’mores. They loved them! But even the kids said that they were sooo sweet. Haha what kids say things are too sweet? My papa said that now he has to drink a lot of water, because the more sugar you eat the more water you must drink..

-Since yesterday, little Docus (1 year old Ugandan sister) has only wanted me to hold her, feed her and play with her J. She is terrified of her mom because she went to the salon and got her hair cut to get ready to start her teaching job on Monday. I feel bad for my mama because I can tell that she feels such rejection from her little daughter. It reminds me of the time in Mexico when my mom woke up terrified of me :P.

-This morning after having a cup of chai, I helped the house maid wash the dishes. In the middle of them, I pointed at the water and asked her what the Ugandan word was for it. She told me Amaiza (not the right spelling.) So I repeated it, and the whole family started laughing historically. My siblings were jumping up and down and repeating the way I pronounced water. I was soo clueless as they were rambling in Lugandan. My papa came out hearing the commotion and started laughing too. Apparently the word water sounds like faeces (poop) if the ending isn’t accented right. Haha, I think I will not attempt to ask for a glass of water in Lugandan at a restaurant until I practice how to say it correctly.

-I had a Ugandan pancake yesterday. They are more like fried cookies. It consists of cassava flour (green banana flour) and menvus (yellow bananas). You roll the dough out and cut it in little circles, and cook it in hot hot oil for 5 min. So many things are cooked it oil here!! It kind of tasted like fried banana bread.

- I think I am currently learning major patience still with the pace of life, and that its not about me, and how people react to me, but Christ, and bringing Him glory in every action and word of my day. Another piece of humble pie please?
-This weekend is our trip to Lluweerow. Playing with compassion kids and eating dinner with Ugandan missionaries. :)

-P.S. I have the cutest little nephew EVER!!! :)

(Caption blogging style is from the all knowing, butterfly catcher, elephant giver, Nate Ssepuya.)

*******My pictures won't load today :( ********

New Eyes and His Truths

2010-01-25T04:56:00.000-08:00

"God is sooo good! He takes our earthly views and emotions towards life trials and turns our focus towards his heavenly perspective. We only have to ask for eyes to see. I forget that I am blind without Him."- Yesterdays facebook status :P

-So my last blog was definately about my great feelings of homesickness. However, I praise God as I can say that he has completely heard my cry and has greatly changed my view on Ugandan life.

- That friday night as I got home exhausted, I took a bucket bath and waited til 9:30 pm when the food is usually ready. I didn't feel like talking and trying to communicate a lot that night... so I didn't. I just ate in silence..(as its pretty normal here anyways). I felt like going staight to bed but my Ugandan papa said that we were going to have a prayer meeting first.

-He shared Isaiah 44:1-5. Usually as we have prayer meetings they are half in Lugandan so that others in the family could completely understand as well. However...tonight it was different. He broke the 5 verses down all in English as he focused on me. The longer he continued on the more piercing were the words to my heart. And when he had me read it... I knew it was God truths tugging at my heart at that moment. Not to mention that the rest of the family fell asleep in the middle of his breaking down of scripture haha.

-" The Lord says, listen now, Israel, my servant, my chosen people, the desendents of Jacob. I am the Lord who created you; from the time you were born, I have helped you. Do not be afraid; You are my servant, my chosen people whom I love. "I will give water to the thirsty land and make streams flow on the dry ground. I will pour out my spirit on your children and my blessing on your desendents. They will thrive like well-watered greass, like willows by streams of running water, one by one, people will say, 'I am the Lord's'. They will come join the people of Israel. They will each mark the name of the Lord on their arms, and call themselvevs members of God's people." -Isaiah 44:1-5

-Since friday night, I have been craving rice and beans instead of having to force them down. :)

-This weekend a few of us got to go to Kampala, the big city here and visit Watato church. A good sermon on waiting for God to come back and reminder of what we are called to do as his people as we wait in hope. I also think God granted me a special treat of having a nice big green salad and a iced carmel latte after church while visiting with Jonathan Beggs. :)

- We also had a small dance party on the drive back to Mukono to the song, 'Im trading my sorrows' (if thats the name) :P So much fun with my Ugandan friend Nester as well!

From the right side of the table around the order goes, Nester (Awesome Ugandan friend), me, Jonathan Beggs, Paul, (aw man, I forgot her name), and American friend Jenna.

"God is sooo good! He takes our earthly views and emotions towards life trials and turns our focus towardss his heavenly perspective. We only have to ask for eyes to see. I forget that I am blind without Him."

*Weekend highlights...God opening my eyes...bought stuff to make smores with my Ugandan Fam...my siblings danced for me. They are soo crazy!! This morning, my little one year old sister Docus let me feed her for the first time and getting to wear mashed banana this morning :P... and today I am getting my hair braided :D

-Thanks sooo much for following my blog! Miss you all :)

Homesickness already?

2010-01-22T03:34:00.000-08:00

Yes, it has come already. Today as we only had one class and the rest of the day I must admit that I miss my home life. Having rice and beans and matoke for lunch and dinner two times a day for 2 weeks has now switched from a nice change and adventure to a loss of appetite, and lots of long calls lol :( . I didn't think it would be hard to give up my normal nutrition habits. I miss having different meals. Cold salads..fresh veggies and colorful meals. My body is having a hard time adjusting and it makes me feel gross. And the heat and not being able to run as often as I would like combined makes it hard as well.

Its also difficult trying to communicate differently all the time. So much effort and soo much time! Today I feel Ugandan anit-social. My flesh is screaming to just not socialize today and to stay bound to as much American life (Facebook, communicating with people back home, and blogging...or just reading and homework.) I wish I could have been there as my mom was talking Allie through her pregnancy and watch my parents expressions as we all eagerly awaited little Henry's birth. I miss home. I miss familiarity.

I apologize for writing about homesickness soo soon but I promised God that on this trip I will try to be as honest as possible about my emotions, feelings, and reactions to Ugandan life this semester, and currently, this is my status.

I am so thankful that I am here at this time though. God has already been teaching me a lot, and even through these current feelings, I am learning more about myself and feel myself growing. Lately, my greatest challenge here is not rushing everywhere. I am American, therefore I am always on the go. Africans take the time to pace...they seem to always have the time for you. They walk so leisurely that its hard to get used to...especially when I want to still fit so much in my day here. My goal for while I am here is to let go off rushing...let go of being so progamatic, and to put people first.

Class Schedule in African Time

2010-01-21T23:49:00.000-08:00

Monday:
12:00-1:00 Faith in Action
4:00-5:00 African Literature
5:30-6:30 Lugandan Lessons

Tuesday:
10:00-12:00 Health and Wholeness
12:00-1:00 Community Worship (Chapel)
4:00-5:00 Intercultural Missions Ministry Emphasis group

Wednesday:
8:30-10:30 Health and W

holeness
11:00-1:00 African Traditional Religions
2:00-3:00 Intercultural Missions Ministry Emphasis group
3:00-4:00 Faith in Action

Thursday:
11:00-12:00 African Traditional Religions
12:00-1:00 Community Worship
2:00-4:00 African Literature

Friday:
Cohort Group 2 – 11:00-1:00

*Friday to Sunday are travel days or spending time with our Ugandan families.

Luweero trip = January 29-31 (Hanging out with Compassion kids and dinners past missionaries and current missionaries)

Rural Home stay= February 19-26

March 12-13 = Jinja (Nile river and hopefully rafting!!)

March 26-27 = Rakai

April 22-March 3 = Rwanda

*Ugandan Address: Megan Hall: Uganda Study Program: Uganda Christian University : P.O. Box 4

Washing clothes and good stories

2010-01-18T03:26:00.000-08:00

Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. -1 Thessalonians 5:16

Yesterday while learning how to wash my clothes from a bucket for the first time, Charls, my "Ugandan Brother" told me a true, popular parable in Uganda about always giving thanks. I am going to attempt to write it out..

There were once was two brothers. One day as they went out to chop wood, as one brother was holding the wood and the other was chopping, the one chopping accidently chopped off his brothers finger. In pain, the brother screamed and wailed. With not much thought at all, his brother imediately responded to his poor brother, "In all things give thanks." This sent the brother at rage and divided their relationship.

Some time down the road, as the brothers were sent to go out and fetch water from the well, the brother whose finger was cut off had planned to take revenge upon his brother. So as they reached the well, the brother climbed down the ladder of the well to fetch water. As soon as he got down, the brother with the cut finger pulled the ladder out and left his brother down there.

When the brother was on his way home, leaving his brother behind, some "bad soldiers" stopped him as they were called by their master to go out and bring back a head of a young boy for a ritual. As they were about to cut off his head, one of the soldiers stopped the one with the nife and said, "Wait, our master ordered us to cut off the head of a boy who had no blemishes. We should examine him." Sure enough, they found that he was missing a finger and let him go. With this the boy then remembered what his brother had told him. "Give thanks in all circumstances". The brother ran to the well and shared what just happened and were reunited within their relationship.

And the story goes both ways. If the brother did not keep his brother in the well, and they were traveling back together, then the soldiers would have taken his brother in place of him after they found out about his finger. So in this sense, the brothers revenge was worked out for the good.

God works for the good of all those who call on Him.

I liked this story a lot! So when something happens, and it seems like the worse time to give thanks...and its makes no sense as to why or how one could give thanks in a time like this (such as an injury or death) don't forget to praise our God all the same as he knows us and has us completely. Thanks God for all of the little hard times I have already faced...and the many more to come. I accept them no matter how difficult they are as I trust you. You know how much we can handle. Amen.

Camping in Africa!

2010-01-14T21:57:00.000-08:00

Who said there is no such thing as camping in Africa ?! ...I know I did before coming here :P

This morning there was an eclipse. By looking through layered film strips we were able to see a direct ring of the sun! It looked like someone put the ring off of Lord of the Rings in the sky. Soo cool, and it only happends like once every 10 years.

My family looking at the eclipse and can you see the many little moon shadows on the building?!?

One Bubble Bath Coming Right Up!

2010-01-14T00:14:00.000-08:00

One thing that I am missing from America right now is a good long hot shower with powerful streams of water :) Showers are like my favorite thing especially after a long sweaty run. Yet, I welcome you every night small tub and cold water :P It is all an adeventure :) (However, I must be honest. I cried a little bit the 2nd time as the reality hit that I will not have a shower for four months lol.)

The way you rinse is bend over, scoop up the water with cupped hands and throw it over yourself. Being honest again, the first night I stuck my head comletely in the bucket because I wasn't getting enough of water to rinse the soap out of my hair haha.

And I still need to post the video from the last blog. I am waiting for a slot of time that I can wait for it to download.

not enough time!

2010-01-13T07:14:00.000-08:00

Today is Wed. the 13th and there is a problem... I want to blog about Africa all the time! But I hardly get a chance and the time too! So there are a pile up of events and stories that I am afraid are going to get lost if I don't write them down..but literally can't! So what do I do?!?

Since I don't have a lot of time, I am thinking that from here on out I will simply pick an event or topic and share it rather then trying to summarize everything. Above is a video (sorry its dark, or electricity went out) of my Ugandans family prayer and worship time that I get to join in.

I love it. There is no awkwardness, like who is going to pray..am I praying to long...too much..not at all....what am I going to say... I didn't pray haha but just their reverance to God puts me in awe. Charles who stays at the house as he is going to school knows the most english of the family, so as papa Joseph prayed, Charles translated for me in English. He started out with repentance as we have all fallen short. Then followed, was prayers of thanksgiving. The rain. Food. Safe journey to and from school. Good health. We finished with the worship song above-- Tunamusinza Nga Yesu - Aleluaia, Amina-- Which means, I will worship you always Jesus- hallelujah, amen-- (I think). But everything was so rich. And the way they speak their words are very genuine and ...rich.

Wed. is my busiest schedule.

8:30-10:30 is health and wholeness

11-1:00 African traditional religions

2-3 Intercultural missions ministry emphasis class

3-400 Faith in action

5-6 orientation.

phew!! I am pooped!.. Its hard doing school and sitting in class when you are in Africa. But at least we get to learn about Africa.

The video is uploading right now, but I have to walk home before it gets dark, so I don't know if it will upload in time. Sorry if its not there!

And yes on the short call and the long call. I have never heard it before, so when my host mom ask me which one I was going to take, I had no idea until she explained it. :P

Finally africa!

2010-01-10T23:57:00.000-08:00

Flying over Africa!! Entebbe is the destination!!

I am finally here and I have soo much to share its crazy! I can't even write in my journal at night with out getting overwhelmed by everthing that I saw and did. I want to write in detail about every little thing so that I don't forget and can share Africa with you guys...but its hard!

But I will try with limited time. When we got off of the plane in Entebbe at 3 am it was humid and warm. It felt like the butterfly exhibit at the Seattle Science Center.

Our first night we slept at a nun's house in Entebbe. It was hard to sleep since we were sitting all day. But we got 4 hours of sleep.

Then we got on a big bus and traveled to the school. One hour drive felt like 10 min. I took so many pictures! So much to see. Shops everywhere. Coca cola signs on pink buildings everywhere. People everywhere. Groceries carried on the head. Big bill boards. Boda Bodas ( dangerous cool motor cycles that we aren't allow to ride :( but probably for the best) Busy busy crazy roads.

We stayed at the school our first night. Then on saturday we traveled to our host families houses. Exciting day saying good bye and good luck to everyone as they got out of the vans and met their families.

So meeting my family has been the best part yet! I have a African momma jennifer, papa Joseph, a brother who is 8, Isaac; a sister who is 6, named Deborah, a little sister who is one, Docus and super cute :) Also a house maid and a couple visitors who are just staying a little bit, Charles, who I have talked the most with. And Zuraim, who is 18 that I talk a lot to too. Its fun sharing the USA with them.

For example, they thought americans abused their children and disciplined in school..and it was normal. Haha I had fun explaining what spanking was..and discipline..but not abuse.

I also went to what is called an Introduction. Its is a traditional Ugandan event that all Ugandans do prior to marriage. Itroduction is BIG and lasts all day. The one I went to started at 1 and went past 8pm. An Introduction is where the to be wife introduces the to be husband to the their family and they get approval. Lots happens. Their is a section for the wife side, the friends and visitors, and the husband's side. My papa was the girls grandfather...he said if you follow the Uganda culture thats what he would be to her..not too sure what that means but yes. They read off a list of their ancestial tribes so they knew they weren't related. The sisters of the wife came out and they were all dancing while the family had to guess which one was the one that the husband was going to merry. However, even though it was fasinating and beautiful like a wedding, it was all in Lugandan so I had papa and Charles interpret constantly to me.

I also wore a gomas :) A traditional african dress. Its soo funny to me! With the puff pointy shoulder sleeves. Tons of layers of clothes. The picture is below :) To the right is my momma Jennifer and Papa Joseph.

I have so much to share..but have to wrap it up...My momma has a HUGE garden. I showed the family our house and showed our little garden on the side and thy laughed is surprise that we would have a bigger house then garden :P. They have tons of banana trees, mango, Jack fruit, a oil tree, Avacado, and other leaves for tea...it surrounds their whole house. I eat mango, and avacado, and rice, and matoke with every meal. Honestly my system has been so blocked up though..haha. I get to use squatt potties...guess what those are :P and I get to bathe from a little bucket :P Its all an adventure !

Ok..so for next time, can you guys guess what a short call is and a long call is?! Haha good luck in guessing. Miss all of you!!

I have to go to my first class today. It is still weird getting used to the fact that we still have to go to class here :)

Why Africa?

2010-01-06T06:54:00.000-08:00

Family and I at SeaTac airport.

I am currently at the small Dulles Airport Starbucks. The time is 8:30 AM DC time and I have until 3:15 PM until I meet up with my fellow Ugandan Studies Program travelers. What do I do for 7 more hours!!!... Actually, what can I do would be the better question. If I had it my way, I would have my private body guard watch my luggage, throw on my running shoes, and take off with my other body guard runners and explore the great outdoors of DC. However, sadly, of all the things my parents helped me with, they forgot to find me body guards: P. So my options decrease to riding the baggage claim belt, walking up and down the airport with a 30 pound bag on my back, and a 50 pound suitcase trailing behind me, pick up my future husband, find some kids to play hide and seek amongst the hundreds of chairs, hop on a random flight, buy some rollerblades and skate up and down the airport, ride the little motor carts, run up the down and down the up escalators….hmm what else…

...

I think I might have a mild case of ADD or just addicted to running because after sitting since 6pm yesterday (11 ½ hours) minus the walking between connecting air flights, my body is screaming, run! Move! But I really can’t so I will have to persevere through this suffering :P.

.....

Really, the reason for this blog while I am waiting to go to Africa, is to write why I am going anyways. I am actually not exactly sure to be honest. My dream to travel to Uganda, Africa specifically started in the 8th grade. At a summer camp, the speaker called up people who felt called to the world. I felt called, and I don’t know when God said Uganda, Africa, but through watching the Invisible Children Documentary, and being drawn to further research on the LRA, I began to only see Africa.

............

To say the least, this passion grew, but actually going was put on hold as I was finishing high school and getting through the first part of Community College. Before graduating high school, I had a plan in my head to get my transfer degree, and then do YWAM in Africa. When it came time to follow through with this plan I rigorously began searching through hundreds of different YWAM bases that specifically did their outreach to Africa. However, there was another big option to weigh as well. Further school. Honestly, I hate school. I struggle through it. So it did not look appetizing to me. I had these two decisions weighing on me for awhile during my last couple of months at Everett Community College.

.......

I prayed and had many frustrating times of asking God what he wanted me to do. I would go back and forth from school…to YWAM. Making a long story a little less long… I stopped being torn by the two and just chose one, YWAM. (Who wouldn’t when the option was up against a big missions trip… your dream…traveling….or back to school?) I pushed away running scholarships, and even my parents influence to finish school. However, it was after I chose, and took a step in the YWAM direction, that God revealed to me where he really wanted me to go. As they say, God can’t drive a parked car. Once I chose YWAM, I don’t know how to explain how, but God stopped me in my tracks, clearly putting a red light up in my heart to where, if I continued through with YWAM, it wouldn’t be the step he had for me.

....

After eating a couple slices of humble pie, I can confidently say that switching to school from YWAM had to be God. I wouldn’t have chosen it on my own will. And oh geez as I am sitting in the airport upon boarding my flight to Africa, (what I intentionally wanted to do all a long) I am overwhelmed by the hand of God at work in the change of my plans. If frightens me as to how my life would be different if I didn’t listen to God’s tugging on my heart. I am sure that he would have still been with me through any decision with no doubt… but would it have worked out as well? Countless blessings have flown from switching direction from YWAM to school that I would have never dreamed of. Running xc with a fabulous new supportive team :). Great coaches. Experiencing dorm life, and Oregon and a Christian school in general. Studying Abroad in Africa for 4 months. The school basically paying for my trip. (Its cheaper to study abroad then stay a semester at NCU.) Super supportive parents :). Doing school at same time. And I am sure more then I recognize with my small human brain. And I am not even in Africa yet. :)

......

I learned a huge lesson this year from these events. When you can’t figure out what God wants you to do and you don’t feel like God is being clear in a specific direction, just go. Keep moving. Choose one of them. If it’s not his will he will put up a clear red light. Just be open to his redirecting. He knows us fully and loves us fully at the same time, which means he won’t leave us hanging :).

For I know the plans that I have for you, declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.”- Jeremiah 29:11

......
I give God all the glory to everything that has gotten to me to here. I am definitely not the brightest (not said in a putdown of self) and if it wasn’t for God I would be doing a whole different thing… struggling with how I was going to raise money for YWAM… and who knows what else. There is no way that I got here on my own is what I am saying.

.....
I am also especially thankful for my parents. I wouldn’t have been here either without their encouragement to continue school and their devotion to me and each of my siblings. Mom and dad, thank you!! Just to touch base on a few of the things they have helped me with… My dad spent hours upon hours getting this laptop that I am writing this blog on working. My mom busily helped me get paperwork in on time, shopping for the dress code there, skirts and other business like dress wear :P Lots of hugs and kisses. Tears when I left. I love you mom :). I could drown out this blog with everything they have done. They love us lots, and it’s obvious not in just the things they do.

....

Friend support. Thank you, thank you, and thank you for all your encouragement and prayers :). And Oregon friend’s who each wrote words of encouragement in a special journal. Dan, your devotional journal you set up for me and other support will carry me through even more! Thank you guys!!

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This blog is long!! I get lost in reading long blogs….so I apologize….I hope future ones aren’t so long. I am not really good at the whole blogging thing…but I have to get good, so any suggestions to writing good blogs would be much appreciated. In the mean time, prayers that I make it through my last 6 hours of waiting until a 13 hour flight would be awesome :).

Photo Blog!!

2009-12-22T17:55:00.000-08:00

Here is a few of the things we have done on break :)

Making a gingerbread house with Carly, her friend Hannah, and mom :)

Facial glue masks :) Crazy peeling it off! haha so funny I will have to make a seperate blog on it.

Downtown Coupville with sister Lindsey, grandma, and mom- Looking at the little stores.

My grandma came over and spent a couple days with us :) My grandma is such a trooper!

She broke her nose not too long ago..and yet you can't even tell now!

Classic Crime concert in Seattle :)

Carly's choir performance at Home Connection winter party. ( I loved their shoes :P)

Catching up with old friends :) Coffee, Running, Movies....

Carly's choir performance :)

Thats it for now!!

Home for the Holidays

2009-12-16T21:07:00.000-08:00

So it all started when we had a great idea of making these cookies from a blog recipe, called Ugly Cookies. They looked and sounded super good on the blog... Made of grahm crackers, carmel, chocolate and walnuts..we decided to go for it.

However, in the midst of cooking them for too long we failed.

After a quick run to the store to get more butter, and a long discussion in the dairy isle as to what the difference between salted and unsalted butter was, I finally allowed my brain to snap back into school mode and decided that salted has salt in it and unsalted doesn't... Lacey had a good laugh at me :P

And back to the cookie story... My mom (note it was just her this time) remade them while we watched and chiseled or scraped...the burnt ones off of the cookie sheet.

And the moral of this bonding time of making cookies (Since there always has to be a moral) was...

If there were never burnt cookies in life..how would you know the difference between the bad and good ones? :P

The End.

Sign your name please!!

2009-11-24T12:00:00.001-08:00

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2009-11-18T12:02:00.000-08:00

Quiting Points -
Wayne Cordeiro

"Because God chooses us to be his hands and feet, Satan wants to do all he can to destroy us. He makes us want to quit." - Wayne Cordeiro

Today Wayne Cordeiro came and spoke at our Chapel service at NCU. He spoke on our quiting points in our lives. As this was perfect timing, I was thinking about this in my life. Lately I have been struggling through as season in life of feeling super discouraged and have been allowing all the things that Satan knows gets at me tear me down, leaving me sitting. It makes me want to do nothing but the minimum and be isolated and sleep. I have been pushing through this season wondering why I am falling into this roller coaster life of emotions. Through talking to friends about feeling so down, and unloved, unworthy, and an "outcast" where ever I go at times... to seeing counselors... to considering depression pills or vitamins to level out the chemicals in my brain, I didn't know why I was feeling like this and letting myself be so tossed up in confusion.

All I knew and would scream in my head was, "I WANT OUT!". I don't know how else to explain it, but that I felt like I was fighting this big thing that in reality wasn't really there. It hurt. It sucked. It ruined me from living life and interacting with people. It was not me.

Although it has not even been a week since I started feeling done with discouragement...I honestly believe that God is healing me completely. Through my times of crying out to him in question and confusion and hurt, I am noticing his rescue daily.

He has shown me the Truth and light of the emotional trap I was falling into...

He brought to light the reality of me going to Africa in 49 days for a whole semester! If you don't know me that well, this has been my only dream that I have had since like the 7th grade. I am not one who has their life planned out to the tee with the job that I want to have, or even the future besides doing something in Africa... not that anyone really does. But I a lot of times feel more clueless than most. However, thats besides the point..The point is that Africa is the only vision that I can firmly say is from God, even though I don't know why and how he is going to use me there, and because its a vision, Satan has been destroying my confidence upon going through drawing my attention inward.

God has also been revealing to me repetively through books, people, sermons (Wayne Cordeiro) that Satan will do eveything he can do keep me from pursuing my dream...or upon going, destroying any confidence or opened eyes to a future after this Africa step. Satan desires me to do the bare minimum. He wants me to not dream on. He wants me to just go to Africa and come back unaffected....untouched by the people, and unwilling to do anything in response to my time there. He wants me to leave my heart at home and not follow it. He wants me to believe all the lies.

"The Devil is defeated but not stupid. He knows exactly where to puncture your heart, to get you and keep you down. He can't get at Jesus... So he gets to his kids." - Wayne Cordeiro

I am done falling into discouraging emotional traps of the Devil! My God is my strength and I can't let Satan take over my life any longer. Even if I fall, he is capable of picking me back up and reminding me of what he really thinks of me. I have absolutely no clue as to what I am going to be doing for God in my future. But I don't want to miss what he is calling me in today or even the next through believing Satan's lies. In reality my life is soooooo good right now! And I am sooo blessed!

Just to name a few: I am going to an amazing school right now :). I have an awesome family with awesome parents :). I have amazing friends and still being blessed with more where ever I go :). I can run where ever and when ever I want to :). I am going to Africa :). I can read my Bible and actually hear and feel God nudging at my heart :). I am going to be an aunt soon :). I have no medical problems (minus weird tail bone injuries that just make me laugh) :P And even if circumstances don't go well and are at their worst, I can still have a Godly deep joy that exceeds all of my understanding (Philippeans) :) How much better can life get on earth?!?

Thanks be to God, my hope, joy and constant savior. :)

I got mail!!!...

2009-11-09T12:42:00.000-08:00

I got a love letter from my little sister Carly in the mail yesterday!!!!!!!!!!!! :)

The End.

THERE IS HOPE FOR ETERNITY.

2009-10-26T10:27:00.000-07:00

EYES OF.... THE SAD.

THE HURTING.

THE SECRET.

THE DEEP.

THE DOUBTFUL.

THE SCARED.

THE HELPLESS.

THE INNOCENT SADNESS.

THE MISTREATED.

THE ABUSED.

THE STRONG HEARTED.

THE INNOCENT.

THE BROKEN. THE ABUSED. THE SCARED. THE UNSAFE. THE DESPERATE. THE LONELY. THE NEEDY. THE HUNGRY. THE LOST. THE WEAK. THE HURTING. THE SAD...

LOOK INTO SOMEONES EYES TODAY AND LISTEN TO WHAT THEY ARE SAYING OVER THEIR WORDS. OUR HEARTS ARE ATTATCHED TO OUR EYES. ALTHOUTH THEY DON'T SPEAK WITH A FAMILIAR VOICE OF WORDS, THEY TELL US MORE THAN WORDS COULD EVER.

TELL THEM THERE IS HOPE.

RAIN DROPS ARE FALLING ON MY HEAD.

2009-10-02T17:03:00.000-07:00

I love the rain!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It reminds me of home :) :).

Playdough.

2009-09-25T12:01:00.000-07:00

"Love the Lord your God with all your HEART mind and soul."- Matthew 22:37-40

Playdough hearts.

3 clumps of playdough.

Clump # 1= This is type is taken out of its container and left untouched. Everyone knows what happens when you leave playdough out overnight, it doesn't just sit and stay all moist, and fine, but it actually drys up completely and becomes surprisenly hard. You can't mold it, you can't play with it...its useless.

Clump #2= This type of playdough is taken out of the container yet molded and played with and held. I haven't tried it yet, but my hypothesis would be that if you were to take a ball of playdough and constantly work it, and play with it, it would take longer to dry out vs. the untouched clump of dough. However, to make myself sound even smarter....(jk) I know that our hands extract the moisture from playdough, or clay. So, sooner or later, clump #2 will end up drying out as well.

Clump #3= (Get ready this is the most exciting, joyfully explained clump of dough yet...so stop skimming this...and actually pay attention to this one.. ;)

Ok, this clump is the clump of dough..or clay that is kept in a potter's hand. A perfessional potters hand for this matter. A professional potter knows that he must keep dipping his hands in water and how often he must do it in order to keep his work from drying out and cracking.

These three clumps of playdough I saw as our hearts. There are people who have such hardened hearts from past events and circumstances that they don't let any hand whether its a persons, or God's touch them, and help them heal.

Then there are people like me who have grown up in a Christian home and setting all of their lives or they just know how to do the acts of "love" for people, and to fall into the empty motions of doing church, and worshipping God the right way. We know how to mold our own hearts into looking like God's will for us real well. Our actions are beautiful looking and admireable yet our heart is not in it, our motives are wrong. I call this the "look good heart". They know how to mold our hearts very well but because our hands draw moisture from the clay, we never the less always come back cracked, like the playdough does, and feeling useless. We come back to God over and over again admitting that we can't do it on our own. And for some reason down the line we give into the lie of believing that we are not allowed to actually care for someone, and that we don't have anything to offer.

Rob Bell, in his Nooma video titled, "Sunday" Explains this type of heart very well as he uses the analogy of bringing home his wife flowers. If he came home to his wife holding flowers and blessed her with them, and then immediately saying to her, while putting them in her hands, "I got you these flowers only because its my duty as a husband and its what we are supposed to do." The whole meaning of his gift for his wife is lost. In fact, he explains that she probably wouldn't even want them anymore because it no was out of the heart, but an empty act. So often how we do this. God wants our hearts, not our actions and sacrifices.

"Love the Lord your God with all your HEART, mind and soul."

The third heart however is a heart compeletly surrendered to God. The heart that is daily set in God's strong and skilled hands. The Potter's hand. A heart that is constantly calling out hungry for Jesus to annoint it and keep it wet. A prayer that says, God, here I am as I love on that friend who I don't get along with at all lately, God here is my heart as I come in contact with the person who makes my coffee, or the Wal-Mart employee who is ringing up my items. God, here is my heart as I pray. Not to give "flowers", but my heart in relationships. God here is my heart. I can't mold my own heart. God, mold my heart. Keep it soft and open.

I don't mean for this to be a cheesy blog about the Potter's hand and how he molds us and shapes us into how he designed us. (Even though its awesome, and so true) But I mean for this to be something that you really read, and challenge yourself to think about as you go on with your day today. What clump of dough are you during the day?

So I really pray this for us:

That we can live not as a heart that sits, and is locked away from being touched or affected by anyone or thing. Not as a heart that is being molded by ourselves, people, things, circumstances, because even though its being molded and there is heart in this, it will sooner or later dry up, it will break. It will stop being able to be molded, and come up discouraged everytime. God help us to give our hearts over to you before we even think about starting our day. Your hand annoints. Your hand molds by constantly keeping it from drying out. You allow love to flow with out our hearts growing hard or cracked. God you do annoint. God you do refresh. God you come and soften hearts. Even if we have the hardest of hardest hearts, you really do come and lavish our hard, cold hearts with such grace, love, and the beauty of your sweet presence. Amen :)

Be Still...

2009-09-16T19:03:00.000-07:00

God's comfort..

Once upon a time, there was a little baby girl and a father. The little girl would have a horribly hard time falling asleep at night. She would scream, and cry in her crib. Not being quite old enough to understand fully who her dad was, her dad would come to her room and place his hand on her head and his other on her back and whisper softly in her ear, "Im right here, everything is going to be ok...calm down now..." and would repeat his soft calming words until she relaxed and fell asleep.

After days went on of this his little girl began to understand who her father was and actually recognized his touch and soft words. She started realizing that her daddy came to her everytime she would cry out in fear. With the new knowledge of who her dad was, she soon began to not only scream and wimper in fear with no knowledge of who was to come to her, but she started calling out to her father by name... "Daddy! Daddy! Daddy!" And surely enough he came to her just as faithfully as the times before, and whispered the same words, "Its alright honey, I am right here again, there is nothing to be afraid of...I love you..." and with his hand on her head and back..she would calm down and fall soundly asleep.

Even after this stage, the daughter began to discover more and more about her father's faithfulness and developed a trust with her dad. She started to see that everytime she called out, her father was always right there, calming her down, comforting her, and helping her rest. Because of her fathers faithfulness the little girl wouldn't cry out in fear anymore, but would simply say her fathers name..."dada, daddy" and knew that he was right there and would come again and again and again.

...........................................................................................................................................................................

God's comfort is like this. The more and more you cry out...the more and more you will recognize his presence and the way he comforts you not only before you sleep..but even throughout the day whether its taking a walk, talking with a friend, having a flower stick out to you ...birds.. river..ocean...dirt even... the homeless. Don't be afraid to call out to our heavenly father. :)

He is faithful and does come to us. He runs to us and lavishes his unfailing love on us, even greater than that of any earthly father.

All you need is L-O-V-E.

2009-08-28T17:31:00.000-07:00

Hello hello hello fellow readers. I haven't written in a little while....

What to write about...

Lindsey is now officially dormed in to her new dorm. And we are officially attending the same college. YAY!!!
Times of day that I get to interact with my sister:

1. Breakfast= sometimes.
2. Lunch = most of the time.
3. Dinner= all the time.....
4. second dinner, 4th lunch, 10th breakfast...never. (maybe because those don't exist...) :P
5. When she needs a back massage...or the other way around :)
6. Passing in the hall...most of the time we pretend that we don't know each other... joking again...

Actually what really what happens within passing each other is this:

Setting: Sidewalk outside of class
People: Lindsey and Megan
mood: Love and passion and joy..
surroundings: Jealous bystanders watching the love scene. Trees. racoons. and buildings.

Act 1: Megan comes frolicking out from behind a bush just waking up from an afternoon snooze, as she is making her way to IDS 101 class. The birds are chirping, the breeze is just perfect, and butterflies are dancing around in circles around her head.

Act 2: Lindsey comes storming out of her Grief and Loss class, sad and depressed beyond any word in the world. Clouds of grey and storms of heavy rain begin to fill in all around her. The darkness began to get soo heavy in its darkness that if you were to put a piece of glass under the weight, the glass would shatter in millions of sharp cutting shards of glass just as hurtful and depressing as lost souls...blackness...greys...abyss..black holes...nightmares... death...plagues...turmoil..famine...disease...pestilence...You get the picture.

Act 3: Megan sees this deeeeeeeeep deeeeeeep depression from afar and turns her frolicking into a full out mad sprint of compassion and deep love towards her without a sway of direction in her locked eyes upon her sisters soul.

Act 4: Lindsey looks up from her state of doom and connects her greenish, brown eyes upon her best sister's.... with simply that one connection her clouds begin to be pierced by great rays of sunlight...from the sun :P... and her clouds and rain begin to fade away ..not from evaporation but only by the great mood of love and joy and compassion that the two begin to start feeling amoungst each other.

Act 5: After approximately 1 min and 20 seconds of this love...which in love language is 6 hours of slow moving joy and peace, the two sisters meet in a long embace. The tears begin to flow, all the surroundings turn from any darkness and BEACONS of light begin burst with radiance upon their heads, hearts, holy minds, and hands. (Beacons are our mascot)

Act 6: All fellow classmates/schoolmates within the premises begin to drop their jaws in jealousy of such love two sisters can have. Nothing like this sisterly love has been seen before. As the love encounter comes to an end (only because its dinner time and i am hungry) the two of them walk or frolick off to wherever..because it really doesn't matter when all you need is love...(thats from a song :P)

The end.

So...basically long story..good story..short, My sister and I are bonding quite well here at college.

Thanks for reading!!

(however, rafting trip= sister attack. Consisted of me jumping from my raft onto hers and with help... plummetting her into the icy, river water. But don't worry! because I got the same attack back at me min. later. and a big bruise on the arm from two people pulling me one direction, and outsiders pulling me the other :P)

Ok official The end.

6 am.

2009-08-21T12:48:00.000-07:00

My family is coming with Lindsey today around 5!

Plans that they don't know about...

1. Frozen yogurt with toppings and the Campus sub shop :)

2. Moving in Lindsey into her dorm room which I have already seen :)

3. Shopping?

4. Touring the campus..

5. Dinner!

6. Riding Elephants

7. random surprises...ha

(if you didn't know, 6. is not real)

Today I learned about God's rest.

“HE MAKES ME LAY DOWN IN GREEN PASTURES.”
ps. 23:2

Yesterday I was tired, going, and moving for no reason….my mind was jogging and running in so many directions…my soul was so uptight. My mind was soo gahhh. But Somewhere between all of that, I finally just stopped…layed down on my dorm floor and rested. Listened to my heart beat start beating normally and listened… and was reminded that rest is good. That God is good.

GREEN PASTURES ARE NOT NORMAL.

The shepherd himself has to come in and water it, take out the rocks…work.

Jesus on the cross. Nails driven through his hands and feet, body whipped, face spat on... He has created green pastures for us to rest in His grace :). A gift with a mighty cost not for us...but from him because he truly does love us..

My questions? Why did it have to be done this way? Why did Jesus have to die on a cross? How can I live this out as a reality over a story that I feel like I have to convince myself of? How do I live getting everything that God has truly done for me...and be thankful..?

.............................................................................................................................................

“The sheep doesn't understand how the oil that the shepherd annoints their head with repels the flies. The sheep doesn’t understand how it heals the wounds. In fact, all the sheep knows is that something happens in the presence of the shepherd. And that’s all we need to know as well.”
- Safe in the Shererd's Arms

LORD, I GIVE MYSELF TO YOU; MY GOD, I TRUST YOU.”- (Ps. 25:1-2)

I REST.

And the heat is on

2009-08-19T18:12:00.000-07:00

It is sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo hot here! Ok, not so ok that you can't walk outside without fainting, but the humidity is a lot higher here than Washington making it a nasty feeling heat. I am sitting in my dorm room pretty much dying as I am writing this.

Within the last couple of days we have done a few cool things:

We went to Honeymon State park and did a rigorous sand dune workout. Running up hills of sand work your legs a ton and makes you feel as if you have cement blocks tied to your feet.. but the good thing is that we only had to do three of up and over and back.

After we got to have fun jumping off of some small cliffs into the sand. I took some really awesome pics and videos of these however, sad and super bummer news........................... After I had my camera with me in the school van on the way back...but now I currently have no idea where its at! :( I am waiting and praying that someone found it, and turned it in.

Another highlight: Pool workouts at 6am :) I usually don't like pools at all because I look at them as big cement holes filled with water that you float around in...for fun? ha.

But doing our workout in it was actually pretty fun. We all started "water jogging" with these floaty belts that keep you up. We would go from one end of the pool to the other and then inbetween do water exercises like high knees, butt kickers, and running in place. I guess water workouts are supposed to give you the same benefits as running does, like they are equal...however, with swimming, if you don't do the water jogging right its ez to just float through the workout and not get the full effects. (Which I started doing for the first part..)

I am getting ready to head off to this church / college group with the team so I hope I like it so I can start getting plugged in with a good church.

Once again, its really weird having the whole team wanting to be involved in going to church and stuff.

Its also still sometimes a little hard connecting with another team, but it is definately getting better as I try to focus on getting to know one person at a time.

I really wish I had pictures to put up...but until I get my camera back, it will have to be postponed...

Thanks for reading about my life :)

If you have time... you should post something random in my comment box about what you have done this summer so I can hear what you have been up to as well!

New sheets are life changing :)

2009-08-15T22:39:00.000-07:00

Closet ..

Bed! Thanks to my lil sister carly and her pro sewing skills I have my whole intitials in pillows :)

My dorm room! I really like having the bed up super high. However, in order to get up and down I have to climb up on the fridge, then the microwave, and then climb the bed ladder. Its a workout in itself. I am just waiting for the night that I really have to use the bathroom... :)

Today we did our workouts and then headed back to the school...

Highlights..played signs for at least an hour tonight with the team, got to upload 4 movies on my ipod from a teammates computer...The cafeteria pretty much spoils you with good...and healthy food. Today I had a super good omelet..

Went to trader joes and bought real peanut butter and trail mix and got sheets for my bed finally :)

Still trying to learn to rest in conversations..and not always run away from them which I am soo good at.

I think thats all I am going to post tonight.

Tomorrow we leave at 6:30 am for devos down by a river.

Its soo weird running at a Christian school now! The coach talking about praying, and Bible reading, and team building. Its actually pretty cool and encouraging.

Oregon College Life: Day #1

2009-08-14T23:49:00.000-07:00

Ok, here I am, sucked into the world of blogging... :P

Yesterday my dad and I headed out from Oak Town in the morning and journeyed an 7 hour car ride. It was awesome being able to have one on one time with my dad before leaving for awhile. I had a great car ride of listening to The Monkeys, drinking coffee, talking about life and lectures of how not to get killed, and what to do if I am kidnapped... :), sleeping, reading, (There is a lot you can do when you are forced to sit in one place for hours).

When we arrived I hauled all of my stuff up to my dorm room... #229. As I began to unpack everything I started realizing how much of the stuff that I brought I don't even need. Ha.
(But mom, if you are reading this, I did forget shampoo and wash in the shower, my clothes in the dryer, and a sheet and some extra hangers. I will call you later :P) The rooms are pretty nice. I get a very springing matress thats really comfortable, a desk with drawers...a closet, and a beautiful view of a bar. I haven't gotten everything situated, but when I do I will take some pictures and post them.

Last night I went out to a taco place to say goodbye to my dad one last time. Lots of tears and very emotional... jk..not really. Sorry dad, I love you and know that I will see you lots and lots more times.

I think I am really going to enjoy having everything soo close. The Starbucks is not even a block down from the school...A cool ice cream place... a little bakery.... 7-11... Not to mention the University of Oregon.

This morning we left for some for some running trails that followed the Mackenzie River. It was super pretty and fun trails to run on. We did a 100 min run (50 in and 50 out) which added up to be about 12 miles. Afterwards we iced our legs in the river, which was way way too cold for me.However there are soo many rafters here its crazy! It makes me super pumped to go super intense rafting as its on my list of things to do along with sky diving :) So if anyone ever wants to go instense river rafting with me its only a 7 hour drive with a ready sense of adventure :)

Then after that we all piled in the vans and took off with the intention of hanging out at some cool hot springs that the coach knew about. However, when we got there, we found out that had to pay 5 bucks each and clothing was optional... Lets just say that the people that were already there took advantage of that and had us turned around heading back out to get our money back real fast. :P

After that we all ate lunch at the vans and headed over to a bridge that quite a few of the runners jumped off of. Usually I would be all for it, but I was pretty cold already and didn't feel like sitting in a van for an hour all cold without a towel. The water was soo super clear though! When you looked down from the bridge you could see directly through the water as if it was....ice? I don't know how else to explain it ha.

Ok, so, if you aren't bored yet...you probably are because I don't know how to write good blogs yet..haha but, after jumping off bridges we drove back to the school.

We all had chill time until dinner at 6:30 so I hung around campus..worked on unpacking somemore. Thought about taking a nap but decided to just get a cup of black coffee instead and go check out the little stores around campus. I got to talk to my lovely pregnant sister Allie today and hear the news that she is having a BOY! So exciting...However, I bought this really cute baby summer dress at a garage sale in hopes that she would have a girl... but oh well. I love love love to look at baby clothes, shoes, hats..anything baby so I can't wait to pick something out. Allie is going to make a great mom. :)

For dinner I had a baked potato with ketchup, cheese and sourcream and veggies. mmmmmm

Campus food: I love it! They have lots of foods I usually live off of such as bananas, apples, oranges, peanut butter and jelly, good bread, salad...

Then they have a hot food thing that I dont know what its called where you can order things to be made such as hamburgers, steak, and others..

You can basically have cereal whenever you want to...

Lots of juices and milk and CHOCOLATE MILK :)

However, there is a rumor that during the couple weeks that athletes are here before all the students, they really spice it up... as long as they keep the peanut butter and jelly thats all I care about :)

Bored yet? Blogging is a lot of work ha.

Hmmm, so after dinner I attemted to play a game of pool with a very nice girl I met named Melissa, but failed badly, so I left for my room and we lofted my bed which I am currently laying on. It feels like a cave. I can touch my ceiling, and my desk is underneath it. Its a pretty cool setting and it creates more space. I will post a picture up of it when I finish putting everything away.

The last thing that we did today as a team was got together at 8 and talked about nutrition and runners.

Our coach who is a nurtition teacher has a little different opinion on foods opposed to when I was at Everett. She says that things such as soda, and candy, and stuff like that are not all that bad..and there aren't any foods that you can't have. Just make sure everything stays at a minimum and you will be fine. I also found out that I need to consumer 523- around 600 grams of carbs a day. I don't know exactly what this looks like..but considering that I pretty dense carbohydrate snack like a bagel is about 25 grams of carbs, thats a lot of carbs for one day!!

Then after the meeting I was introduced to a game of ULTIMATE spoons. I think you guys would actually like it. Everyone sits in one room and plays spoons like you usually do, but instead of having the spoons be in the middle of the circle, they are all placed out of the room at the end of the dorm hall way. Its pretty crazy! I played a couple rounds until I was out, but as I am typing this I will every so often hear what sounds like a hurd of elephants running down the hall way. Its pretty dangerous too but a fun game.

Thats about it for today. And because its almost 11 I feel myself fading fast so I think I am going to post some pics and wrap it up and hopefully not allow the next ones be so long and drawn out. ha. Thanks for reading and keeping up with my life! If you have a blog don't forget to keep up with yours so I can keep up with your life! And if you don't...get one :)

Current thought and feelings: Still in transition mode. Pretty tired. Learning how to connect with everyone and get comfortable with new life and new state. Praying that each day becomes more and more comfortable and enjoyable. Missing friends and Washington. Also stoked for a new change. Although its hard now, I know that because its uncomfortable, its good and once more in the loop of how things work, I will not regret choosing this school.

i have more pics..just cant figure it out yet