Monday, 19 August 2013

Reflecting on an AMAZING journey

Wow, just WOW! I am aware of how much I overuse the word amazing but I really am struggling to find any other word that fits our experience in Uganda better. It was AMAZING! We met some great people, saw some things that will change us forever and left a bit of our hearts in Uganda.

Making friends at Rukungiri Modern Primary school
We were incredibly blessed to be joining an awesome team 3 for our trip. As we were going with just 2 of us I worried how well we would fit into a large team made up of families and friends. Well that was a silly thing to worry about, Chipman was off sitting next to his mate for the trip after only knowing him for the previous 7 hour flight! Team 3 in my opinion was the best team. It really made the whole experience even more special to share it with them all. As well as making friends with the team we also met lots of people in Uganda. Wherever we went we always greeted with smiles, sometimes even song. We went out there to help but what we did was small in comparision to what the people we met are doing everyday. Meeting people with hearts equipped and prepared to serve the Ugandan people and the Lord was a great experience. What we did in 2 weeks is but a drop in the ocean compared to what these people are doing everyday!



Seeing how different people live is always an eye opening experience, whether it be looking at rich and famous people's houses on MTV's Cribs (showing my age now) to driving through towns and villages in Rukungiri. You can tell a lot from where people live. In Uganda there were big houses (although not very many) you would expect to see at home next to run down homes without running water and electricity. Shops are painted in bright advertising colours, paid for by the companies themselves, and because taxation is only due once a building is completed many unfinished homes. It was not like anything you would see here in the UK or on Cribs! Even in these sorts of living conditions where poverty screams from the streets they still had time and patience to welcome us in to share in their lives.

Rukungiri town

I knew that I always wanted to go to Africa, I knew I would enjoy my time there, I thought I would travel round many African nations before I fell in love. All it took was to land on Ugandan soil to realise that Africa is all I hoped it would be. It took 2 days to realise I would love my time there and only 2 weeks to fall head over heels in love. Uganda is a beautifully green landscaped country. It boasts people who are welcoming and greet you with a hug and a smile the first time they meet you. It has a spirit of survival and people willing to help as much as they can. Uganda has stolen my heart and I will return!

The view from our walk to prayer mountain