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| Me and my Grandma at the airport the morning of September 21st! |
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| BOTH of my bags were 48 lbs! Praise God! My Grandpa was soooo smugly convinced that they were over 50 lbs, and said in the car sarcastically, "Well, unless it's just my old age. Hahahaha." Sorry Grandpa! I guess it WAS the old age after all! haha |
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| We had pretty okay food on these flights. WAYYY better than the Ethiopian airlines food! |
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| Me during my layover in the Amsterdam airport. Mom, I promise, NOBODY wanted to abduct me with my hair on top of my head like this! And it was dirty... haha |
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| It was 10:15 pm when I arrived in Uganda. I met Lexi and Pastor Sam, and it was soooo exciting. Pastor Sam took us to a guest house in Kampala to stay the night, since it would take many hours to drive to Pallisa. This is our room. I can't figure out how to make the picture go the right way. We talked and laughed for a long time, then Lexi went to shower. She came out and said, "Allison, have you ever bucket bathed before?", and I'm like, "Um, no, but I have a feeling I'm about to!" |
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| Hahahaha, you basically fill that basin with water, and crouch-kneel awkwardly on the floor and bathe. I know a lot of you are going to get a good laugh out of that mental image! It's definitely NOT as bad as I was expecting, though! |
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| Welcome to Africa!! I soon realized this is actually quite a tiny cockroach! |
That night, Lexi and I stayed up almost ALL night talking and laughing, which was SOOO fun, but we were both feeling it the next morning, especially since I hadn't slept on the plane, either! We had breakfast at the guesthouse, and soon Pastor Sam, his wife Mercy, and their two little boys came and picked us up for the drive to Pallisa. I. LOVE. THEM. Thier 18 month old, Don, slept on me most of the drive. We made several stops along the way to exchange money, buy a phone, and get other supplies that they and Lexi needed, since many things aren't available in Pallisa. Oh, Uganda is JUST like I remembered it! Beautiful, lush, and God all around. The smell of their burning trash is even comforting. That evening, we finally arrived in Pallisa! It's so peaceful, and beautiful. The walled set of 3 houses we stay in is like our own community. Sam and Mercy, their little boys, and the three teenage boys that are basically their sons are in one house, a family with two darling, sweet little children are in the other, and Lexi and I are in the another. We love to sit on the patio and talk and eat our meals, and enjoy the beauty around us. BEST OF ALLLLLL- THE CHILDREN'S HOME IS ACROSS THE STREET AND I LOVE. THE. CHILDREN. THERE. It is seriously one of the most beautiful, Godly places I've ever seen. There are 15 children there, and two live in foster moms. These foster moms are amazing women of God. They love God and the children with all their hearts. The children have Morning Glory, Afternoon Glory, and Evening Glory, where they learn about the Bible, praise God, and pray for each other. It is amazing. We get to be part of it, and usually we go for Afternoon Glory.
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| I know this pic is blurry, but I just love it. The kids are so joyful. We always dance and sing together. The girl in the pink shirt to my left is named Stella. I cannot even describe my love and admiration for this girl. She LOVES God. She is confident, joyful, and peaceful in Him. Sometimes after we are done with Afternoon Glory, she and I just sit down, and she teaches me songs and dances in her language. One day we were walking and she says, "You know, even after you go back to America, I will never forget you." I wanted to bawl my eyes out. You can be sure I will never, EVER forget you, either. |
I also get to help teach school during the day time! I will usually wake up and help walk the kids from the children's home to school at 7:20. It's soooo much fun. One girl that I LOVE, named Miriam, almost always holds my hand, and we sing and laugh. Well, one morning, she was holding my hand, and she pats our intertwined hands, and turns around and says to her friend, "Thees, eez MY Muzungu" (what they call white people here). Oooohhhh, my heart! School is an experience in itself! I'll post about it soon. For now, what you need to know, is that the Ugandan ministry Lexi is partnered with here is FOR REAL. These are real, STRONG, warriors of God, committed FULLY to the children they work with in the school, the home, and in the church.
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| This is my bathroom in Lexi's house! Power had been off most of the time, so me and the lantern are, like, bffs now. |
Sometimes I can't help but marvel at the way God has changed me over the years. After my first mission trip in 7th grade, I came home and took a good shower and put on as much nice clothing and jewelry I could find..... Now, I couldn't care less about a good shower, or all the nice jewelry and clothing in the world. The most beautiful thing is a heart for God, and I want that so much. The most beautiful jewelry in my eyes is now rolled paper beads made by the mamas at an orphanage I love. The most beautiful clothing in my eyes is now any long dress that makes me feel like an African Mamma. The most beautiful feeling is being covered in red dirt, sometimes pee, holding children, holding hands, seeing those children Love and depened on Jesus, and having peace in my heart that God has chosen this path specifically for me, and He knew of it before I was even formed.
I feel so content and so at home here. I love and miss my beautiful family, friends, and church, but we are really still together, connected in Jesus, no matter how far apart. I love you all so much, and you can't imagine how deeply my heart is touched by your prayers. If any of you have prayer needs, please put them in the comments and Lindsay and I will pray for them!
Love, Allison
