truly day by day

So, after writing my last post, I realized I completely forgot to kind of give you guys an update of what I've actually been DOING. ;)

Well, for the cross cultural, the group was in Jinja for five days (where I am now living), then in Mbale for three or four where we camped at the most beautiful place I have seen thus far in my life. Andrea describes it as the Garden of Eden and I can't think of anything much better to describe it. While there, we volunteered two days at a mobile medical clinic where my job for most of the first day was to shove de-worming pills down kids' throats. After Mbale, we drove back to Kampala to spend seven or eight days doing different things; we visited a very poor school, met with some government people, and then visited six very wealthy schools. I got very sick while in Kampala--I've been probably as bad sick before but this was definitely more painful. After Kampala we headed out to Mbarara to volunteer with Pastor Enoch's ministry for a couple of days. They gave me a bunny there...yeah, long story for another time. After that, we headed to Queen Elizabeth Game Park where I finally went on the safari I've wanted to go on since I knew what African animals were. It didn't matter that there wasn't a huge variety of animals--we did see a ton of elephants and Uganda cob. We even got to see some lions hunting a waterbuck!

Since I've been here, I've really noticed a change in an area I didn't really expect. I used to really dislike America and think we were all selfish gluttons who didn't know how to grow. Well, since being here, I've actually come to appreciate America more. Not in the way of "I'm glad I'm American so I don't have to live like they do" but in the way of "oh hey...the two are not so different after all. One is just poorer than the other." I've also realized that neither culture is better than the other; the two are just different. Just because we have in America what they don't here doesn't make us bad; it's just what we choose to do with it which defines it. I've also learned that not everybody should come to Africa. It really is not for everyone, and I've actually seen where more problems were caused because a mzungu got all gung-ho and ran for Africa because that's what someone told him to do. It really takes more thought and learning before you just decide to come here. I'll probably talk about it more some other time, but I'm running out of time for today.

Thanks so much to everyone who has been praying. I wish I could say I'm sound, but I have been sick (have I mentioned it enough times?). There have been points where I got scared and had an inward panic attack about not being able to do this. I just have to keep coaching myself with everything I've already learned; something today even was that seven weeks is really not that long of time. Living it day by day and seeking God for the ways to serve these people and not thinking about myself will cause me not only to truly live it, but also to not think so much about the ending. Keep praying, but know I'm only going to post on here once a week from here on out! I want to be as fully here as I can without leaving you all in the dust. I'm praying for you as well!