Hello, Africa.

So I've made it :) . I'm now on day 4 in Africa, and it's been certainly a whirlwind, but I think I'm going to love this place. God's been so faithful in answering prayers so far and He certainly is always faithful, so I have no doubt that He will continue to answer prayers.

So far, we've stayed two nights in Entebbe (where we landed), and then after some orientation drove from there through Kampala to Mukono where the Christian University is. Here, we will be staying for the majority of our time. The orientation has consisted of a scavenger hunt in the city of Mukono, where we discovered a little bit about what it feels like to be a minority (certainly not a common feeling), learned how to barter, and learned how to stay out of the way of the crazy traffic downtown—all very valuable life skills.

The four days that I’ve been here feel more like 2 weeks. Jet lag just confuses me, but I think God’s getting me through it partially just with the excitement of being in a new place.

Today was our first day of classes, so I found out my placement (finally)! For the next four months I’ll be interning at Mirembe House, which is a Crisis Pregnancy Care center in Kampala that’s affiliated with Youth for Christ. What I know so far is that I’ll mostly just be spending time with pregnant teens that live at the house. Apparently the organization is really flexible so a lot of the work will be up to my discretion, but my advisor mentioned that some things I may do include counseling services, teaching life skills, spending time studying the bible with the girls, painting nails… those are some of the things that really perked my ears up.

God nearly brought tears to my eyes just thinking about how GOOD He is and how much I don’t deserve it. Hearing about my internship, and the internships that all the other social work students have, every one seems like beautiful work that will lead to rich experiences. I’m nearly as excited to hear stories from those working with children on the street, and those working with people dying of AIDS, as I am to work at Mirembe House.

I start my internship next week, which at first disappointed me a little. I wanted to leave that very minute and meet the girls, and my supervisor (whose name, coincidentally, is Mary J). However, I think this time will be valuable for preparing my heart to face the challenges and joys of working with these teenage girls.

Prayer would be appreciated for a few things:

         -Preparation (as I said, this will take God’s strength, and a willingness to surrender on my part).

         -For continued health as the various changes in climate and atmosphere take a toll on my body.

         -For boldness and confidence in the gifts that God’s given me.

         -For more opportunities to learn from these beautiful people.

I wish I could post some pictures to help you visualize a little bit, but you’ll have to wait a little longer for those. For now, I’ll just paint a picture of the little things that make Uganda beautifully unique.

What I’m excited to get used to in the next few weeks:

1. Driving on the left side of the road (I’m not driving, don’t worry).

2. The FOOD. Yum yum yum.

3. The powerful African sun.

4. The relief that comes with the coolness of the evening

5. Skirts!

6. Sleeping under a mosquito net (in the words of my roommate, I feel like a PRINCESS!)

7. The beautiful people and their radiant smiles.

8. The plumbing… (heh.. heh.)

9. The intense green of everything, and the red orange dirt that compliments it.

10. The DELICIOUS fresh fruit

11. Monkeys

The list goes on and on and on, and I keep adding to it everyday. I know I’m in for a ride. I already have asked my first ignorant American question (do you have any… pets? HAH, Try food..), and I’ve killed my first cockroach. I’ve had my first little slice of homesickness, and although I know this is going to get more difficult when the excitement and newness wear off a bit, I cannot wait to LEARN from this people and this country. God’s beauty is so evident here in a different way than I’m used to. It makes me feel so small, and so blessed all at the same time.

I love you all, thanks again for all the prayer and support!!!

A Small note for those of you who have supported me financially—I wish I could have written thank you’s before I left, but timing was a little tricky. You are so VERY much appreciated, and you’ll receive written thank-you’s when I get back!

Alright friends, the sun has set in Uganda and tomorrow, I eat more fresh pineapple for breakfast. I’m already giggling.