Argh! Where to start...?

Alright, I truly want to keep everyone up with the happenings here in Uganda along with the experiences I have had, but believe me when I say that this is impossible! There are so many beautiful differences with customs, foods, daily life, etc. here that explaining one aspect would take a very long time. Along with that, understand that even if I do attempt to explain the way we bathe here for instance, the image you may get in your mind is nothing compared to what it is really like, trust me. But let's start with introductions...

Arriving at the Washing D.C. airport was both exciting and terrifying at the same time. In my case, I took the red eye the night before, so I had a nine hour lay-over to fully psych myself out--did I make the right decision; what if I don't get along with anyone; is this really where God wants me to be right now or is this where I want me to be right now; what if my home-stay family kills me in my sleep, etc. (*ha ha, joke). Ultimately it only took moments to recognize the same expressions of terror and uncertainty in my fellow USP'ers (Uganda Studies Program) faces. *It's amazing how the spirit moves in moments of awkward first impressions :)

I can safely say, we all bonded and became brothers and sisters right off the bat because the differences between us have made our relationships so much deeper. We all have different gifts to offer and different experiences to draw comfort from, and the openness of being able to share this experience with everyone is such a blessing. 

Jet lag... can't say that I've really had any trouble with it which is strange given the accumulation of a twenty-six hour flight not including lay-overs. It was a beautiful thing finally landing in Entebe, Africa though--we all learned by this point to not even bother getting off the plane first. The first thought I had when I stepped off the plane was, "we're on the equator?" The weather here is not bad at all! It is actually really nice, but I'll go into more depth later. 

We made our way to the visa station and customs terrified that our various molaria medications were about to be confiscated. It turned out though that we never even went through customs...don't know how that worked out, so that's all I have to say about that. Next, we were all so exhausted and happy to finally be here that the whole freak out process of collecting our luggage was abruptly erased. We all just collapsed in a circle by the baggage claim and took turns grabbing bags with the blue USP tags on them--I did in fact get my bag.

The USP program is split into two groups: IMME (home-stays) and dorm living. So the bus was somewhat broken up into these two categories. 

Driving through Entebe on our way to Uganda was INCREDIBLE! Never have I ever been so fascinated with anything in all my life. It was roughly mid-night here and everyone was still out and about. There are so many little things going on that I still discover new things on my walk to school everyday. (The walk to school is an entirely different subject.)

The first night here the dorm students were dropped off there and the IMME students were dropped off at guest housing. This was the scene of my first introduction to mosquito nets, bathing, and toilet use. . . ha. (Again, entirely different subject.-E.D.S.) 

The following day was a blur of orientation lectures and rising pulses anticipating meeting our future 'mothers, sisters, and brothers' for the home-stays. We were sectioned off either in pairs or in singles and driven to our current homes for the next four months. I have been blessed with a beautiful roommate named Elizabeth who I have already felt connected to (E.D.S.). 

We were driven through the town, but let me tell you, it is ENTIRELY different during the day than it is at night. And from the moment we stepped out of the van we were welcomed with heartfelt smiles. In fact, for the first hour or so they would repeatedly say, "You are welcome, you are welcome." Our brothers (E.D.S.) carried our bags to our room and we followed. When we entered the house--which is SO much nicer than I anticipated--it was filled with voices singing worship and praise in perfect harmony. Ah! I still can't get over how abundantly blessed I am... okay, our Mama Robina is in a choir and they sounded beautiful. I immediately felt at home. 

Life is wonderful and I am so thankful for everyone's prayers. I have limited amounts of time where I can actually use the internet--not to mention finicky electricity-- so I hope to write more soon. 

Wasibye Otyia - Good Afternoon! :)