I'm coming....home.

For the past five months I have been living in Uganda. Come November 9th I will be back in the US. My time here has flown by faster than I anticipated. How is it already time to go home? I have only written a few blog posts (sorry), there are so many things and places I still want to do and see, I still feel like I just got here. Time definitely is an odd thing. All this time has flown by but what have I learned? How have I changed? Where have I become stronger? When I look at myself do I see change? Nothing is really different besides maybe a couple extra pounds of beans, posho and a hint of I don't care. I have the same struggles the same insecurities the same prayers. The funny thing is, I am absolutely not the same person I was when I left. I have changed, I have learned and I have become stronger, I just may not see it right away.

The best way to describe how I feel right now is a variety pack of emotions. I am excited, I am happy, I am ready, but I am also sad, I am regretful, I am heart broken. Why does my heart have to live in two different continents? California seems so far away, but when I get there, Uganda will seem like an unfathomable distance. I look around and there are so many things I will miss, so many things that it pains me to not be part of my daily routine. 

One of the emotions I am feeling is fear. I am scared to go home, what will I go through? How will my “ American life” affect me? I am afraid to leave because I don’t know when I will come back. I fear all the questions, how was Africa? What did you do there?...I am afraid of how I will answer those questions, I am afraid my responses won’t give my experience justice or show how powerful and loving God is. I am afraid that the people I love wont understand, wont care, and wont give me the space, time, or care I may need. Maybe I will be fine, maybe I will just go back to life and just trust that the Lord has a plan for me, and he will send me back when its time. I shouldn’t be afraid. I have lived here, I have experienced a completely different life, and no words, pictures or stories will ever allow you to truly understand what theses past five months have meant to me. 

I started this blog as a way to let you in on my life, my life here in Uganda. I am sorry for what it has turned into, a delayed story of mere segments of my life. So much has happened and I have barely touched on any of it. My life here is more than trips, parties and things on a social calendar, and please forgive me for making it seem that way. 

Everyday as I walk to work and greet every person I walk by, I experience joy. Everyday as I greet the ladies and hug their beautiful children I experience Love. Everyday as I attempt to do a job I have no idea of what I am doing I experience growing pains, I experience stress, I experience frustration, but I also experience perseverance. Everyday as I share a home made meal with friends I experience community. Every night as I look into a star filled sky I experience beauty. Every night as I climb under my mosquito net and into my bed I experience comfort. 

 I keep finding my self saying, “ I am going to miss this” or “ life is going to be weird without that’. I have lived a completely different life here, and I am going to have to make some adjustments. There are a few things I wont miss; cockroaches, showers that aren’t easy, comfortable or warm, mosquitos...but I have lived with theses things, and they wont stop me from coming back. 

I want to continue living a life that demands explanation. I don’t want to do what is expected, but what I am called to do. If that means travel to the most broken places, so be it. If that means stay in the states and do a regular job, so be it. I just want to be used, I just want to live my life for God and have my life have a purpose. 

I don’t think I have fully faced the reality that I am leaving, but I think I am starting to feel it. My eyes tear up driving through town, or sitting with my ladies, or looking into the eyes of a beautiful stranger. I am starting to feel the pain of a heart break I don’t think I am ready for. I don’t know what it will look like when I fully feel it, and when I finally face my reality, but I find comfort in knowing that God is big and he will give me peace, bring the right people to walk me through this, and let me know that I will be okay and what I am feeling is just a tiny hint of what he felt with Jesus; true, everlasting, unconditional love.

As much as I don’t want this chapter of my life to end, I cant hide the fact that I am excited for what is to come. 

I am excited to come home and continue my Journey with Remnant Uganda. My two months turned into five and my internship turned into a partnership. I am now the Director of Logistics and Events for Remnant International and I couldn’t be more excited. The fact that I get to continue working with and for the amazing Remnant ladies , even if it is state side, makes my heart happy. The fact that I get to work along side four amazing 20 something ladies, makes me feel blessed and really excited for what is in store for Remnant. 

I am excited for the many hugs, dinners, and time spent with family and friends.I am excited for the food I haven’t been able to eat, the beaches I haven’t been able to run and the car I haven’t been able to drive. I am excited to go back to school, be apart of the Not For Sale club, go back to church, be apart of the HS ministry; join a new life group.

I am excited for the time I will have. I am so happy that I don’t have to go back to the US and hop into a million and one things, that I am able to have time to reflect, process and adjust. I am hoping to just spend time with people while doing baby sitting and small jobs here and there. I’ll get a “real” job when I am ready to go back to school, and until the, I just want to take it slow. Life is too short to rush; I trust that God will provide for me, and he already has. I am excited to move back in with the Tabers and just bless and be blessed by an amazing family.

I am excited to see my change, as I face different things in life and maybe surprise myself by how I react, how I handle it or just be able to not let it get to me. I am excited to see how differently I see the world, how I look at and treat Gods children and I am hoping that I may be able to see a little more clearly, how Jesus sees us. 

I don’t really know what is next, or when I will come back, or where my next adventure will lead me but I will be ready, ready to just GO, ready to be used, and ready to explore. Dream. Discover* 

Thank you for walking alongside me on this journey, keep posted for my next adventure...where ever that may be.

*Mark Twain

A wedding, A wedding reception, An 80's party & more...

Anna's big day...
A while back I spoke of a mass wedding that was happening at the local church. The devastating part of that wedding was one of our ladies who was supposed to get married found out the night before that her husband would not be released.  We got news that Anna's husband Simon would be released for two weeks before he was stationed in Somalia for two years; we had to make a wedding happen and we had to make it happen fast.

It was such a fun time, Brenda, Remnant Uganda's livelihood programs manager, hosted the bride and a few friends in her home throughout the whole week. The week leading up to the wedding is set apart for mentoring, counseling and getting the bride and groom ready for their big day. The wedding was truly a Remnant Uganda wedding.  Anna and her bridal party got ready at the Remnant compound and the flower girls had old Remnant headbands tied in their hair. It was so fun seeing Anna in her gown and be apart of her big day. Stef and I got to glitter her up and had a sweet moment of prayer with her before she left for the church.

It was a crazy day of course, what wedding days aren't? We first couldn't find the keys to the compound and had to saw off every lock we had, we then didn't have enough seats for the huge group of women so we had to walk the roads of Pece caring chairs we had lent Brenda for the week. Our compound was filled with many women getting their nails painted getting their hair done and getting dressed in their wedding attire. Our Remnant ladies had matching dresses made for Anna's big day, it was so special to be able to just surround her as a family.

When we arrived at the church it was already packed. It was so special that the day was all about Anna and Simon, that they didn't have to share their wedding day with any other couples. God is such a loving God, he gave Anna hope when she should have been crushed and then set aside a day that was only for her, Simon and their marriage together with the Lord. It was such a great day in Gulu, I felt like a proud mother, watching my daughter finally marry her prince charming. I fell in love with Simon that day, he was just so sweet and such a gentlemen, in stead of just saying " I do" he went off on why he is saying it. It was so precious!

The reception was right after the ceremony and we shared a meal with Anna, Simon and all that attended the wedding. It was a beautiful day.

Sean & Kelsey's Ugandan wedding reception...

A few weeks later was the Uganda wedding reception of Sean & Kelsey Galaway. I met this adorable couple my first trip in 2010. The two of them have been working and living in Uganda for the past two years and are both doing amazing work in Gulu. Sean is the country director of Krochet Kids Uganda and Kelsey works for Kwagala Project, an amazing organization that works to "improve the lives of young victims of the commercial sex trade and give them hope for the future."

They got married in the states but so much of their lives is in Uganda they couldn't possibly not celebrate with their Ugandan family. It was such a beautiful day, the reception was hosted at the Krochet Kids compound and the Krochet Kids ladies welcomed all the guest as you walked in, in matching out fits. When Sean and Kelsey arrived all the guests went crazy, they slow marched down the aisle and their joy was just leaking out of them. 

The day was filled with speeches, performances, rain, food, gifts and of course love. It was so great to see such giving and loving people be showered by the people who's lives have brought them to Uganda. 

Kelsey looked beautiful in both her wedding dress as well as her changing dress. Having a changing dress is a Ugandan tradition and she truly looked like a princess. The gift giving ceremony is also part of Uganda tradition. Groups of ladies from Krochet kids began presenting their gifts while singing. The couple ended up getting a goat, some chickens and many other wonderful gifts. 

Even though it rained it was a beautiful day, I even heard that in Africa it is a blessing for it to rain on your wedding day. After seeing such a beautiful reception I definitely want to have a reception in Uganda when I get married. How could I get married and not celebrate with my family here in Uganda? 








80's party...
The same day as the wedding reception the 31bits house ( Stefanie, Emily, Kristin & Amy) were hosting an 80's party. I may have said it before but parties in uganda are the most fun parties ever. They are simple and so much fun. We got fun 80's prom dresses from the local market, put tons and tons of hairspray in out hair and got ready to dance the night away.

The DJ showed up set up the speakers and we were ready for the guests to arrive. The turn out was great and everyone was dancing, we even planned a small flash mob to "push it", I know, pretty awesome. The party was so. much. fun. Loud music, dancing and some Niles, thats all we needed for an amazing night. Some of our Ugandan friends came and really took the dancing to the next level. When power went out we had a little back up but then we all migrated to a local club called BJ's. Everyone went al out in 80's attire and had such a fun time. The first party at the Bits house was a success!

Brian Larsh in Gulu!

On my first trip to Uganda I met Brian Larsh. Brian is such a cool guy and we have been friends every since. For the past couple months Brian had been studying in Spain at a school that focuses on starting a Non-profit and leadership. Brian came to Gulu for a short week to do research for a future organization he has been working on, he also agreed to do video and take photos for Remnant and the ROCKHARBOR Uganda ministry.

It was so fun showing Brian what living in Gulu looks like and opening his eyes to Gulu life. He was a busy guy, meeting with people, going out to different villages, and then hanging out and eating dinner with Stef and I. He spent a full day with us at Remnant and filmed footage for a event we are having October 27th (< Save the date).

It was a short but sweet trip and it was so much fun taking a quick stroll down memory lane being back in Uganda with Brian!









& then there was a 90's party...

The 80's party was such a hit, a 90's party was planned to happen a few weeks later. We went from big shiny dresses to overalls, butterfly clips, floral prints and denim. I had a few inspirations...Clueless and Left eye...

So many things happen here in Gulu, but it is my life. It doesn't feel different or out of the ordinary so I often forget that people don't live the same life. These were just a few of the highlights lately. Thanks for stopping by!

- Mary Joy

Theres something there not telling us...Zanzibar

The team came and went so fast. We had such a great time with them and they truly blessed us in so many ways. When we dropped off the team at the air port we picked up NANCY BAMS! It was so great for Stef to see her Mom after so many months. We had a quick day in Kampala and then went right back to the air port. It took a boda, a taxi a boda, a plane and a taxi and we were finally in Zanzibar, Tanzania. 

I don’t think I have ever been on a real vacation before so I wasn’t sure what I was getting in to. The first two days were spent in Stone Town. Stone Town is a small historic  town on the coast of Zanzibar. The town was so amazing. When we first arrived it was dark so we did our best to navigate through the many many alleys to get to our restaurant. We celebrated Stef’s birthday on the roof of a restaurant called the House of Spice. Zanzibar is known for their spices and let me tell you, the food was amazing, such rich flavors. 

We stayed at this cute little bed and breakfast where I am pretty sure only one other person was staying. The staff was welcoming and our beds were decorated with fresh flowers. It was no resort but having a shower that didn’t feel like a chore with hot water definitely made it feel like one. 

We spent the our first full day exploring the town. It is so different than Gulu, the city is built up and has a european feel. Beautiful doors were the entrances to many shops and homes, and the architecture was amazing. It was Ramadan while we were there so we had to be careful not to eat or drink in public. We had lunch high above the town at another rooftop cafe. The view was gorgeous, the sky was blue and you could see the ocean. That night for dinner we went to the night market. Because Zanzibar is an island and on the water their trade is fishing. Every night all the fishermen set up camp right by the water and sell their fresh catch. It felt like a convention, everyone was trying to get us to check our their product and get your business. I ended up eating octopus, lobster with spices and Mahi Mahi. It was such a fun experience, and some how risky; to be honest I was nervous I was going to go bridesmaids after eating it. For desert we had sugar cane juice, which was delicious, and mango nutella crapes. 

The next morning we took a taxi to the north beach to spend 4 days right on the water. Our room was basically a tree house, bugs and mice included, but our front yard was a little taste of home mixed with a tropical feel. I never realized how much I missed the beach until I saw it. The water was clear, turquoise and so warm. The rest of our days at Kwenda Rocks was spent lying in the sun, swimming, reading and I even got a few runs in. The first night there was a barbecue dinner, a variety show and a beach party. Stef and I had so much fun and constantly found our selves in the middle of a dance circle with our fan club of new Swedish friends surrounding us. 

Unfortunately Stef got really sick. Doctors made a “tree house” visit and treated her everything under the sun, including an iv. She was still able to enjoy us by the water and by our last day she even joined us on a boat ride on the Indian Ocean. The boat took us to another island where we did a little snorkeling. We didn’t see very many fish but we did make alot of friends with some jelly fish. They weren’t like jelly fish you first think off but they were like transparent cubes that you couldn’t see just poking you like a prick of a needle. I didn’t realize what was stinging me at first but when I did my first reaction was to laugh and my second was “ well lets get our of here”. Sure I can handle some few pricks but once they start getting fresh with me I had to say no. We spent one last night back in stone town and then headed to the airport bright and early. 

My first vacation was great. I never thought I would be vacationing in Africa of all places, but it really was amazing. I love exploring new places, trying new food and doing things that you normally wouldn’t do. I had to take advantage of this trip, who knows when the next time I will be able to travel to new African countries (except for when my sister and I hike kilamanjaro). It was also really nice to get some sort of a break, it was a great time of relaxing. I got a little home sick while I was there, and at first I wasn’t sure which home I was missing. When I got back into Uganda I felt right at home and realized I missed it. I missed knowing where was, familiar faces, knowing some of the language and just being home. 

We watched the Olymics on a huge outdoor screen at Mish Mash, slept in a bed bug infested room, took 2 big suitcases, 2 little suitcase, and 3 carry ons in the rain to a bus and finally were in route to Gulu. Vacation ended fast with a work filled weekend and an exciting week ahead of us. 

Its been a couple weeks since Zanzibar and so much has be going on, be patient with me! Sorry for the over load on pictures, there was so much to see and there is so much to share. The world is a beautiful place, I just couldn't help myself!


 Love always,
                 Mary Joy

A little taste of home...

               7am bus ride, on a 5 hour long bumpy road is the way we got to Kampala. Kampala is an interesting city, it reminds me of LA, but an LA where the smog and exhaust is on crack and the traffic is 10X worse. It has its moments though; we stayed at a lovely place which is perfectly tucked away from the craziness of the city. Stef and I ran some errands and then had a relaxing girls night. Dinner at a swanky club where you get a free cocktail as you walk in, and a movie in a theater where you get a free drink with your ticket. On Saturday we picked up the RH girls from the airport and then took Cara on a tour of where Remnant gets their shirts. The tour was amazing, seeing how it was run and how everything was done. Thanks Herbert! Dennis our Kampala Boda, he calls us “boss”, took us all around and gave Cara a true Kampala Boda experience...which is fast and in and out through traffic.Stef took us all to a great restaurant downtown where I had some AMAZING steak and grilled vegetables. The team let Stef and I sleep over so we had a huge girly slumber party and then we all went to church the next day. 

Sunday was a day of pure bliss. We went to church, which was amazing and really nice to have a little taste of church back home, and then said goodbye to the team heading up to Gulu. Cara, Stef and I had meetings the next day so we just hung out all day at this place called Mish Mash. You could totally find Mish Mash somewhere in the OC or LA, its this great place that has tons of outdoor seating,lounge beds, picnic tables, art, and good food. We spent the majority of our day their taking advantage of the free wifi, and napping on the outdoor beds in the cool breeze. On Sundays at Mish Mash they have live music; as we were just relaxing a group of African drummers came to our area and began playing. The band moved to the front the the restaurant where they was a full set up, cultural dancing and outfits included. We left Mish Mash and headed to dinner where we ate Indian food on a roof top. It was just a nice way to end the weekend, finally getting time to really unwind and enjoy good food and good company. 

 We had more meetings on Monday and then headed back to Gulu. We got to the bus park around 2 and the bus wasn’t leaving until 4, and we didn’t arrive back in Gulu until 10pm. That was an interesting experience, but it wasn’t terrible and actually highly enjoyable. 

The week following was another amazing week. Having the team here was so fun. It was a small and speciallized trip, each girl using her gifts and expertise to learn how to better empower the people of Northern Uganda.  It was fun for Stef and I to have familiar faces from home and the christmas-morning-excitement sized care packages (costco/target/Trader Joes) they brought will keep us fueled for the rest of our stay...or as long as they will last us (THANK YOU SO MUCH!!). 

The days were spent all doing our own things, Cindy and Christina would have meetings with doctors or at clinics or hospitals,Tammi would meet with school directors, teachers or headmasters while Cara was helping Remnant with business, ,marketing, design and screen printing. Having Cara in Gulu was amazing, she is a US board member for Remnant International and she truly came at the most amazing time. I don’t know why it still surprises me that Gods timing is always right on time. Screen printing troubleshooting in Africa is not easy. Not only do we not have proper and up to date equipment but we also have to factor in all the obstacles and weather issues that come along with working in Africa. Within 30 mins of Cara being within the walls of Remnant compound she already made screen printing that much easier with a tiny trick of a loosening a few screws. She continued to blow our minds with more new tricks and a beautiful new screen printing  technique. We had several  meetings just digging into Remnant. We talked about everything from seasonal colors, designing, learning how to better create and display product, marketing and how to best communicate changes and new process to our ladies. It was a really really refreshing time. We had the chance to really work on the business side of the org while simultaneously working on how to best walk alongside our ladies. Brenda our livelihoods manager was amazing as usually, educating us on all that would be helpful to know. We had such a fun time with Cara, sharing our lunch of posho and beans. Read more about cara in Remnant Uganda’s blog. 

Our nights with the team were so much fun as we shared meals and  got  caught up with the rest of the team.  We made pad thai we went out for pizza, ethiopian and indian, we shared stories about our days and stories of how God was working in each aspect of our lives. I loved having all the girls here they were such a blessing! Thank you Cindy, Christina, Cara & Tammi, you took care of us, you loved us and you blessed us in so many ways. Thank you for all the laughs, the dance parties, and just being amazing!

If you want to help support my work with Remnant Uganda and my life in Gulu, you can send money through Pay Pal using my email address Maryjsick@gmail.com ! My birthday is August 16th so if you need a good reason...there it is! Thank you

The Big News...

 

I have been in Uganda since the end of May. I feel like I have been here for a long time already but at the same time I feel like I haven’t been here long at all. Many people who come to Uganda either come for a short trip, about two weeks, or a longer one, about six months to a year. I am in this weird in between stage; two months. Two months may sound like a long time to some but it feels very short to me. Even being here only a mere month I look at the length of my stay and it doesn't feel right. I just got here, I just got settled and now I am supposed to go home and live life normally? I don’t want to live my life that way. I want to take risks, do things that demand an explanation and most importantly live a life that is in obedience to the Lord. 

Coming to Uganda this summer started off by joking about it. That seems like thats how a lot of things start for me, I joke about it and then it happens. Of course I wanted to come out here in the first place but I never thought everything would fall into place so perfectly so I could. The joke of me staying started even before I left. Stef joked about me staying until November; of course I thought about it but I had made all theses plans for when I would return in August. I would go to Hume Lake with RH High School ministry, I would go back to work at an amazing restaurant, I would move into a new apartment with really good friends, I would go back to Long Beach be a peer mentor and be involved on campus and I would attend a good friends wedding. All these things sound good and amazing but I feel like I am being called to a different season in my life. The joke of me staying continued when some friends from the US came to Uganda for an internship, and made staying in Uganda sound more enticing. I felt peace about wanting to stay and began praying about it. 

I had many obstacles that I faced while praying and thinking about this decision, but God seemed to just clear them all away. Things again started to fall in place and work out so perfectly. It was constantly being confirmed that  I was supposed to stay in Uganda. I just felt that my time here wasn’t done, that I had so much to learn and experience. I have always wanted to stay in Uganda for a longer period of time but it never worked out for me in the past. This time feels like it's my time, my season to finally live in Uganda. So here I am, I packed for two months, told everyone I was staying for two months, but feel this huge peace, confirmation and excitement about staying for six. I talked to my parents, talked to my roommates, and have asked several people to join me in prayer. Its a huge leap of faith and I will continue to live and learn how to be fully dependent on God. 

I am choosing to continue denying the comforts of the US, take another semester off of school, thus pushing my graduation date back...again, and work in a developing country...for free. I am choosing to miss out on a lot of birthdays and celebrations, decline a lot of events and not see my close friends and family. I am choosing to live a life that demands explanation, to be obedient to what I believe the Lord is calling me too, and to allow my self to take risks, grow and be challenged in many areas of my life. This choice was not my own but one that the Lord placed on my heart and has confirmed. 

I will be staying in Uganda until November, working with Remnant Uganda, learning as much as I can and simply just living life here. You may not agree with this decision and you may not understand this decision but I am asking you to continue supporting me regardless. YOLO right? But in all seriousness I am in the perfect place in my life to do something crazy like this and I am not going to turn it down because of fear, guilt or what other people may think. Again this was not my decision to make, it was placed in my heart and although I may not know what my future holds I trust the one who holds my future. 

I cannot make this journey alone and I want to invite you to join me and continue joining me on this adventure during this season in my life and my time in Gulu, Uganda. Along with tons and tons of prayers, encouragement, and words of wisdom I also ask you for support financially. I came to Uganda with the financial means for two months, saving all my tips for months and being really wise with my money. At this point I still have money saved but six months is really stretching it. Money is my biggest concern right now but I refuse to be disobedient and not trust that the Lord will provide if this is really what He wants for me. Life in Uganda is fairly cheap so I don’t need much, I am asking for $2000 to pay for rent, food, transportation, airtime/internet, and all the other random things I may need to survive.  

I have set up a pay pal account for anyone and everyone who feel called to donate, who feel obligated to donate or who I guilt trip to donate. Use my email address maryjsick@gmail.com and simply just go on to paypal.com

Plus I will be out here for my birthday, and what better gift to give than supporting my livelihood in Uganda. I love and am grateful for all the support I have received for this trip and trips in the past; I may not be the best at saying thank you but know that I am forever indebted to you and really do appreciate the support and influence in my life.

^The sweetest email from my manager after informing them I would not be returning in August as planned

Continue following my blog and seeing what is going on in Uganda. I will try to update more often; feel free to set up any Skype or FaceTime dates and don't be sky about emailing or messaging on Facebook! Thanks to technology we are closer than you think. I am only a short message away!

Just some thoughts on life...

Life here in Uganda is amazing. I love living in a place that is filled with new and interesting things. I absolutely love the culture and just how different living here is like. I love waking up in the morning knowing that I will have to fully depend on the Lord, that I will expect to do something that is out of my comfort zone, or something that just doesn’t make sense to most people. I love walking down the beautiful dirt roads and have dozens of kids call to me and wave to me. I love seeing how people live and wish I knew their story, or what it felt like to not be a stranger in this land. 

There is so much I could say about life here. It really makes me look at my “normal” life differently. There are so many things that are easily taken for granted for, and things not taken enough advantage of. Its amazing how much you can learn living in a different culture, country, continent. I do things that the people here think is silly but when they laugh I have learned to look at it as me bringing them joy. So what if I feel my tomatoes before I buy them? If you think its funny, go ahead and laugh, at least I am bringing you a little bit of happiness. 

Through this experience I have learned so much about God, who he is and how much he loves his people. I have learned about parenting and how much parents go through seeing their children get hurt, go down the wrong path, or make poor decisions. I have had my heart broken and my heart filled with joy in the same hour; I have seen the most beautiful sunrise and a night sky that is cluttered with stars; I have seen a school that is exploding with Gods will and a bar that reeks of captivity, corruption and emptiness. 

This past month my mind has been filled each day with new perspectives, words of wisdom, and Gods will. I don’t really know how to explain everything that I see and experience and I fear that it is going to become overwhelming. This has become my life and I couldn’t imagine anywhere I would rather be. My life is not easy, but its also not hard living in a place you feel called to. There are obstacles to overcome, attacks to fight, and lessons to be learned, but I am filled with a peace and a trust that can only come from the Lord.

            My past week has truly been amazing. Wednesday began with a beautiful sunrise Boda ride. That is a sight to see; the stunning African sun rising over Eucalyptus  trees, huts and simply just life waking up. The ride was a last hurrah for Ashely, one of the new friends I met here in Gulu; she was leaving to go back to the US. I learned that day that that is the best way to wake up. My day continued to be amazing. I taught a discipleship lesson to a class of awesome Primary 3 students, and then had some great meetings with the amazing Pastor Ron and Mamma Joy. The week continued in the same fashion with a delicious cheesy-pesto-sun dried tomato-pasta and podcast night and then a beautiful weekend in Kampala. 

        Everyday, is just another day to enjoy my time here, to take advantage of all that I can learn. Everyday is a chance to see what the Lord has in store and a chance for me to take risks and live a life that demands an explanation.

Stay tuned for a post about Kampala and the RH team. And don't forget, my big news is coming up!

Allow me to catch you up...

It has been a couple weeks since I last updated about my life here in Uganda. Everyday here is better than the last. I learn new things everyday and have really stopped being surprised by anything, things are no longer different but normal. We have been pretty busy here at the compound. We have had many different orders, and many deadlines. We had some friends going to the states so we were determined to get all the shirts for our summer line photo-shoot done and put on a plane with them. 

Our first financial training class. 

The week following my last blog was a crazy one. It must be that time of the year here because all of our ladies were getting sick. We literally had one lady Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. The best part was that it was somehow always the pregnant lady that came, and she can’t even do a lot of screen printing. This is Africa though, people get sick, and all we can do is love on them, pray for them and do what we can without a full healthy body. The week started off slow but Thursday and Friday were phenomenal. Most of our ladies were back, and even though they weren’t at full strength they put what they had into their work. In two days we finished and order for a really cool organization called The Recreation Project (TRP).  Read Remnant Uganda’s blog post about the amazing work of TRP. We were so proud of the ladies and they were so determined to get the order done. Their attitudes were amazing, we sang and danced and just worked together joyfully. Looking back at those two days, I could really see the growth in the ladies. It was a great end of the work week for a very fun weekend.

Friday was another successful Mexican Night. Sarah had a team in town so it was packed. I got to meet the new Krochet Kids interns, talk with friends and meet new people. 

Joel, Anna's baby

Saturday in the states Remnant’s Summer line had its debut at Fish fest. Yvette and her friends ended up selling a lot of product, so it was very very good! Saturday on my side of the world was fun. Exploring the market, walking the streets, and hanging out at the Bits house. As the night grew darker we ate Sankofa (local pizza place) and got into our overalls and flannels. One of our friends was hosting a white trash bash, I know it is a pretty great theme to have in Africa. It was a really fun night, there was a photo booth, a bon fire, and music blasting out of a couple huge speakers. Everyone dressed up and there were trucker hats for everyone. Let me tell you, the Ugandan market can be a gold mine for the best stuff! Picture a huge garage sale, with all the stuff that no one wants. The overalls were a gem. 

The weekend ended with a lazy Sunday consisting of a podcast, pad thai, baking, and chick flicks starring Rachel McAdams and a really attractive man. Sometimes you just need days like that, and weekends where you don’t do a ounce of work. It felt really good to just relax.

The following week was filled with outings everyday of the week. Goodbye dinners, birthday parties, hanging out with friends, and finally it was Friday again. The work week wasn’t as...well... it was definitely interesting. Early in the week one of the ladies was emitted into the hospital for her baby boy. Joel had pneumonia but he lit up and got so excited when he saw Stef and I and his good friend Jamesey. It was a really sweet time, Brenda, Miriam and Jane were there as well, we just sat with Anna and Joel and prayed for them. Prayer was probably the best thing we could do for them, prayers are a lot more powerful then anything else we could have brought, given, or did, We met a Doctor that spoke Kiswahili and made him see Anna right away. Stef gets really intense when it comes to the health of the ladies, but it is worth pulling the white card to make sure that our family members get treated. The rest of the week felt like it was all meetings. Meetings with landlords, brokers, and many meetings with the ladies. 

Posho & beans at my desk. We finally got the chance to organize our office, and I now have my own desk!

Development is a game filled with mystery but when it comes to the business of transformation there really aren’t step by step instructions. I have learned a lot this past week that when it comes to lives changing a lot of rules on the business side are broken, and the most important thing is and always is the lives of our beneficiaries. 

Thursday we had a meeting about a policy change. Change is never easy, there will always be a fight against change, even if the change will be beneficial. We turned to our friends and Remnant Uganda board members, Ron & Joy, for advice. These two speak so much wisdom and inspire me every time I speak with them. Through much prayer and more meetings with these two we came up with a solution that will be the most beneficial for life transformation in the lives our ladies. It is really something we are trusting in the Lord in and really allowing him to take control and show us what he has in store.

Saturday was a goodbye party for one of the IC girls. All I can say is, Ugandans really know how to dance. Some of the Invisible Children guys were there and were teaching us some sweet moves. We danced ALL night, we even danced on some tables. It was just a really fun night with friends and new friends.

Fourth of July was this past Wednesday. Such a fun night! Everyone was in their red white and blue, BBQing was happening and we had a a great feast of everything American. American holidays abroad are always so much fun, there is a huge community out here so it is always a great excuse to get together. We even had some sparklers and a huge party popper!

Stef got Maleria this week so she was in bed trying to get better. The tablets worked and she is now almost 100% back to health. The rest of our week was a lot of work and more meeting with landlords and the ladies. Sorry this post is all over the place and not very in depth. There truly has just been so much going on. I will try to break things down better, just know that I love it here and I am learning so much. 

Its a new week tomorrow and I am simply excited about what I will experience. Look forward to an exciting blog post coming up! I have some big news to share!