Under the Gulu Sun...

         Stef left for Kampala the Monday after the wedding, so I pretty much was in charge; I had only been around for a week but Stef was confident I could handle it. I was on my own for a good two and a half days but the ladies and I managed to get a lot done which is really good considering I am no expert when it comes to screen printing. Power was somehow there somehow not and that Tuesday was my 6th day of not taking a shower and about the 10th day without water. That's life in Africa for you, but regardless of how i smelled or what machines we couldn’t use the ladies made me proud and we had a great time together. It was a really good experience having to handle things on my own, figure things out and take on the streets of Gulu without my fearless guide. I loved going solo but I love having Stef around even more. Staying here with Stef has been so awesome, I am blessed to know her and get to see her be the rock star that she is. I often find my self quiet, just observing how she interacts with the ladies, locals and just anyone  she encounters. She is completely comfortable here and it is truly amazing to see. I have learned so much by simply just watching her and having really great conversations with her. Its amazing that we spend everyday together and we still are not sick of each other!  While in Kampala Stef picked up a couple of movies and we quickly became addicted to the TV show Revenge. If you haven’t watched it yet get that on your Netflix ASAP! The rest of our week was a lot of coming home, eating dinner and watching revenge. I got to go to the market for the first time to get veggies for dinner. One of the boda (Motor bike taxis) drivers I use, and friend, Kenneth came with me. It was so fun going up and down the aisles of this outdoor market with a variety of  vegetables and people selling them. Not going to lie the market was a bit intimidating, I mean I am used to the simplicity of Trader Joe’s , and you never really know what your getting here. 

On Thursday nights my roommate hosts a girls dinner and bible study, power was not there so we enjoyed each others company and talk of God by candle light. One of the Krochet Kids interns shared about our hearts and how God wants us to have pure hearts. It was a really sweet time and it really made me think about how sometimes we do things because we are assigned to it, or because its part of our job, and how easy it is for us to forget that God  has something to show us and teach us in every situation. We have to go into everyday looking for what the Lord wants us to see, wants us to hear and wants us to do. God wants us to have pure hearts, starting everyday open and vulnerable to where he wants us. It was cool seeing this community of girls, who live in a place so different from their homes, just come together in a similar stance of surrender, everyday calling upon the Lord to get them through. I really don’t see how you can live out of your comfort zone with out God. There are just too many things tugging at my heart and my attention, and too many things I don’t understand to not turn to Him in dependence and surrender. My constant prayer is to be emptied of myself and completely filled with the Lord. I don’t want to get in the way of myself fully surrendering, fully living or fully stepping out into the Lords will. My time here has been short but I already feel it flying by; I don’t want to take anything for granted or allow myself to stay in a place of comfort. I want to take risks and step out, I want to grow and be stretched, I want to be broken, I want to be filled with Joy, I want my eyes to be fully open and my heart to be ready. 

We had breakfast with a bunch of girls on Saturday, the community here is awesome. It makes me sad that I am only here a short time, but it makes me happy for the people who are here long term, that they have people to turn to and people who understand. Stef, my new friend Ashley and I spent the afternoon looking for outfits in the market for a party this Saturday. The market is pretty much like an outdoor thrift store; we found some good finds and had a good time laughing at all the possible options. Stef and I had an appointment with a guy named Robert who was to show us some houses for rent. Who knew I would be house hunting in Africa while my roommates back home were house hunting in Costa Mesa. I love it. I love experiencing anything and everything. We found a compound that would be an amazing new work place for our ladies. Be praying that the landlord lowers the rent; this compound is gorgeous, spacious and is filled with huge trees and flowers. The next day was Sunday and we both desperately needed to sleep in. I headed to the third service at church. The third service is the Swahili service and is also the service our ladies go to. It is always so beautiful being apart of the worship and prayer, It was a great service and I got to see some of my friends as well. I finally got to see Sharif and spend some time with him. I am really excited for him to be in Gulu this summer. I ended my night having breakfast for dinner with Stef and the bits girls and then Skyping with my Dad for fathers day! I thank God everyday for blessing me with this summer in Uganda. As my first month comes to a close I am expectant and excited for what God has in store for me in July. I know my posts are long, and lack some photos but thank you for keeping up with them and  thank you for your constant prayers and support. 

Prayer request: The new compound for Remnant, for the health of all the Remnant ladies, Stef, all the ex-pats here in Gulu, for my health, stepping out, confidence and growth.

Love always,

Mary Joy

p.s. My friend and bod a driver Tony gave me the Acholi name Moon princess ( I will figure out the spelling for you), and he calls me butterfly and teaches me how to whistle in style.

A Mass Wedding...

Sorry all, and my Mom, who have been waiting for another blog post. Starting a blog is the easy part, keeping up with it is a whole other story. Fortunately I haven’t updated because I am just really enjoying life here, and loving learning more and more about development, love and just the day to day working in a developing country. 

The last update I spoke of a mass wedding. The couples began preparing the Wednesday before, separating from their spouses to enjoy a pre wedding retreat, to get prepared spiritually, physically and mentally. All of us at the Remnant compound were so excited because one of our ladies, Anna, was one of the 15 couples scheduled to get married  that Saturday. The ladies were such good sports getting their work done and doing what ever they could to support our girl. We even held an offering to collect money to help Anna with the wedding and reception expenses. Stef and I even got matching outfits made. Needless to say, we were all excited for this wedding. The morning of the wedding we called Mama Joy ( one of the pastors wife and the host of the bridal retreat) to see if we could stop by and pray with Anna before the wedding. Devastation hit us as we found out that Anna’s husband, who is in the Ugandan Army stationed in Kampala, didn’t get the time off for the wedding. Anna found out the night before and was in so much pain. We didn’t even want to go to the wedding anymore, what was the point when our main reason for going ( besides our awesome outfits that were made in ONE day) was to celebrate and support Anna? Stef had been asked to film and take photos of the wedding so we got dressed in our green and yellow tweedle dee and tweedle dum dresses and headed to where all the brides were getting ready. it was sad seeing all the brides dressed in their white gowns knowing that that was supposed to be Anna. Let me tell you, that was a sight to see. Nine women dressed in wedding gowns and glittered faces filled the small living room while the hot pink dressed bridesmaids ran around and got the adorable flower girls ready.  The enemy was against the wedding as several other couples had to miss it because one reason or another as well as one of the vans that was to be used to transport all the brides was involved in an accident. After several trips all the brides arrived at the church that was filled with people. Fabric was laid out as all the brides came out of the car and headed for the church. Inside, the church was packed, there were so so so many people and the precession into the building had to have taken at least 40 mins. As you may have already figured the wedding was long; in groups of three the couples went up to perform the ceremony. After all nine couples went up there was a full message from a pastor and then all nine couples went back up to sign their certificates, after many pictures there was yet another 20 plus min march out of the church for more pictures. The day was long, hot and did I mention long? Stef and I began our day at 11 and left after the cake was cut around 4ish, we knew that the reception would go on for another couple hours and we were ready to go. The day was beautiful and such an amazing experience, I would love to go to a full Ugandan wedding one day, but maybe one were there is only one couple. 

                                       

You are probably wondering what happened to Anna, well, Anna is a rock star. If Anna didn’t show up to the wedding no one would have blamed her, can you imagine watching nine other couples getting married when you were supposed to be doing the same? Anna was there. Not only was Anna there but as we entered the church we spotted her huge smile from the stage as she sang in part of the choir. Can you believe that? There she was heart broken and confused but still praising God and supporting her sisters that were getting married that day. Looking at Anna on that stage I saw her heart, the amazing person she is and the work God is doing in her life. What a testimony; earlier that week, Anna said that God had given her a vision off a cross and a clock, speaking to her that it wasn’t her time yet. When she got the news from her husband the vision finally made sense. God is such an amazing God,the fact that he knew his daughter would be in pain but still loves her enough to personally let her know that he is still there for her, that he has a plan for her and he has a timing for her. I kept thinking of how other brides would have reacted, and just continually thanked God for the heart he gave Anna. Anna taught me a  huge lesson that day, and showed me how important Gods timing is, how much He loves us and wants the best for us, and how sometimes you have to go through pain and continue to be patient to see His will play out in our lives. He gives us hope, He gives us peace, He allows us to live lives that demand an explanation. Even though Anna didn’t get married that day, she gave me a reason to celebrate, and I look forward to see what God has in store for her.

Only in Africa...

It is somehow amazing how different African culture is to American. There are things that happen here that don’t usually happen in America, sometimes it catches me off guard and sometimes I just shrug it off because I somehow am used to it. Things here can be very ambiguous and the most regular thing is that things are ambiguous. I am never surprised when power or water isn’t there, that dinner will take a couple hours to be prepared or have to trouble shoot one thing or another. 

The other day at church was powerful. Church services here do not look like church services in CA, for one when you leave church you are usually sweating from all the dancing. This Sunday really opened my eyes to how powerful God is and how close I feel to him when I am here. After some worship that sounded like a direct cry out to the Lord, Pastor Martin went up and was praying against witch craft and being a captive to the enemy. A women screamed and fell into me; an evil spirit was in her and had overcome her body. The same thing happened with two other ladies and the church immediately began praying and containing these ladies. My heart was pounding in my chest at the sight of these women, possessed by the enemy. All I could think was, God is bigger. This, is something that happens in Africa. There is such a strong yearning and worshiping of the lord that the enemy is constantly trying to attack. How they worship, how they pray and their dependence on God is amazing. I look at them and then look at my life and how I worship and it doesn’t compare in the slightest. That's my prayer for myself and Americans, that we learn how to worship from Africans. Church was also powerful because I got to see all my friends and it just filled my heart with joy. I love that I can see so many people and have them remember me and welcome me back to Gulu. The relationships I have built are a constant reminder that God has me here for a reason. 

The ladies coin their thang!

Working at Remnant is amazing. Everyday there is something new, some problem to overcome, some issue to be resolved and a lesson to be learned. Everyday there is also so much joy; seeing the ladies, hearing them worship and seeing them put their all into screen printing. On Monday the team of RH pastors came and got to see what we do on the ground, see the ladies screen printing and got to hear testimonies. It was a really sweet time, but also sad because we had to say goodbye to Tim and the team. This week has seemed a bit irregular, one morning some ladies were sick, another lady was preparing for her wedding and another morning was spent visiting their friends newborn baby, non the less we are mastering the screen print and really creating some legit products. I am super excited for the summer shirts to come out and for the ladies to just keep getting better and better at screen printing. 

My first Ugandan made beer!

Living here has been really great so far, trying to take it all in and learn my way around the town. Water has been off for three days now so Stef and I had to take a field trip to the 31bits house to shower. The evenings have been really nice; having dinner with new friends and simply just relaxing and watching movies. I cannot believe its already Friday tomorrow, I am excited for the weekend. On Saturday at church there is going to be a mass wedding, and by mass wedding I mean 15 couples are getting married. One of our ladies, Anna, is getting married so we are very very excited!!! Stef and I are getting matching outfits made to wear and the church has been preparing all week, its going to be such a fun experience, I cannot wait!

Pray requests: Pray for Remnant and the screen printing. Working here has made the process somehow difficult, and everyday we leave it to God to make it work. Environmental stuff along with not having and not having access to certain equipment has been a challenge, but by the grace of God we have made it work. Pray for me as I face feeling a little tired and not fully feeling like myself. Continue praying for health, and to be opened to whatever God has in store for me. Pray for Stef as she continues to be a rock star handling so many things, pray for the Remnant ladies as well as for the mass wedding.

Trying to describe how it feels to be here in Gulu would not translate well. All I can say is I am blessed and I am filled with joy. My first day at Remnant was great. Seeing the ladies, oh man, was phenomenal. We started the day with tea and cake and then got to work. This organization is so amazing, I love watching Stef just be the rock star that she is and just experiencing change happening first hand. I missed the ladies, I missed the compound and it felt so good to be there again. I am really excited for this summer to get to work with these ladies, to continue learning from the organization and Stef and just be available to everything God wants me to learn. 

After work I went to GBCC and met up Tim and the RH team. Again I cannot describe how it felt seeing all my friends, Sharif and just worshiping with all of them. It was a great evening, Steve Carter, Darren Mcwatters and Andrew Shey spoke and then we finished the night with worship. We had pizza at the Acholi Inn with the team, Sharif, George Moses, Simple and Stef; so much fun! 

Alright so I apologize this blog is not amazing and I am to consumed with being here that it is hard to update. Bear with me here, I will do my best to at least let you know I am still alive.

Being here...like I said, I cannot put anything into words. Just..joy, pure Joy.

Love always,

Mary Joy

Made it home...

Wednesday May 30th - Thursday May 31st

Arriving in Uganda was amazing! I sat in the plane next to a man named Joe, he was funny, he had a wife and three kids but of course he was telling me he liked me and that we should hang out while I was in Uganda. He was 30 something years old by the way and there was no way I was letting this man think I was interested. He told me he wouldn’t watch movies because he said watching me was better....yea six hours of that. I tried to keep busy and read or sleep, not taking up his offer to sleep on his shoulder, so I managed to avoid some awkward conversations. Joe was also a business man and tried to get me to roll his bag through security. This man, let me tell you, almost got me in trouble, thankfully I got out of there before I had to spend time behind bars in a Ugandan prison. On a lighter note, when I walked out Stefanie was there holding a sign that read “ Welcome home Mary”. Home. I love that. I was thinking about it and I really do spend more time consecutively in Uganda then I do at my home in San Diego (sorry Mom and Dad).We met our driver and I met the 31bits  staff, Emily and the newest edition Kristin. 

The rest of the day was spent running errands, getting to know each other, and eat some yummy Ugandan food. The four of us walked to this really cool cafe where they had free wifi, smoothies and played movies outside. It was just relaxing and comforting being able to handle a few last things I needed to do and was so grateful for the invention of the internet. We then headed to dinner at a Thai place right around the corner, oh how I love Ugandan food service (no sarcasm intended). Eating out here is such an enjoyable process, yes everything takes longer but I love the quality time you get to have, its not just in and out and thats it. You really get to take advantage of really just enjoying time with others and then after the long wait, enjoy good food. The next morning we were headed out to Gulu. I was so excited, Kampala is cool but my heart is definitely in Gulu. 

In Africa there is this thing called, Africa time. This is something you experience everyday, you call a boda or a driver to pick you up and you are bound to wait much longer than expected. After waiting, and loading up all our luggage we went to a factory to pick up paper for 31bits (www.31bits.com) and again we waited again. It really made it clear to me what doing business in a developing country looks like, all the while Stefanie was in the middle of her own TIA (this is Africa) moment trying to get supplies and things for Remnant. We finally started our journey up north around lunch time and finally got to Gulu late evening. The road to Gulu is long and bumpy but surrounded by beautiful views and people not to mention crossing over the Nile. 

I met my new roommate Sarah and got a little settled in my on and off living space for the next two months. It was really cool to see how ex-pats live here, and the community that has been created. Sarah has been blessed with the gift of hospitality and hosts a bible study/dinner on Thursdays and Mexican night on Fridays; I am so excited to be included in these events and see the lives of people who live here long term. 

Today is my first day of work with Remnant Uganda. Stef and I our currently skyping with Yvette, the founder of the organization, and then will head out to greet the ladies. I am so excited to be here to be used and to get a better idea of what working here or abroad looks like.

Pray requests: Good health, good attitude, Remnant Uganda, Bammer, to be open to everything God wants me to see and do.