July 12, 2012

July 12, 2012            The past week has been full of my usual daily routine with school, AWANAS, and church with the exception of Monday.  Usually Monday's are our day of rest, but last Wednesday two new visitors, Todd and Roni, got here and so we ended up going hiking at Sipi Falls on Monday with them because Roni is only here until next Tuesday.  Last time I was here cara and I went to Sipi Falls so I knew what to expect and was excited!  I love hiking and the falls are on the top of Mount Elgon in a beautiful, cool, plush area.  As we got closer to the base of the mountain it started to look more and more overcast.  Last time we didn't get a drop of rain, but this time we were in for a very different, pleasant surprise!  As we got up to the first fall (not very far up) it started to trickle raindrops.  Well, we left that fall and continued up the mountain only to encounter the pouring rain as soon as we started up.  We were already pretty far up the mountain from where we parked, so the farther up we were hiking the colder it became.  Now believe me when I tell you at the top of that mountain the rain drops were huge and FREEZING!  At one point I'm pretty sure it was hailing.  Now I'm definitely not complaining because it made the hike so much more fun and exciting because we were trying to hike fast without slipping on the steep path in the mud.  It was hilarious watching everyone, including myself, trying to get down that mountain in the pouring rain using our walking sticks they gave us.  Long before we even got to the bottom we were literally soaked to the bone and freeeeeezing.  It was a great adventure and everyone enjoyed themselves.  I enjoyed myself a little more once I was home and showered in my sweatpants and sweatshirt under my covers, but it was worth it!      Wow, the three week point has come and I'm not sure how it got here so fast.    The days come and go so fast sometimes its hard to stop and catch my breath and remember to take advantage of every single opportunity i have here.  As i was laying in bed last night i couldnt get to sleep because i kept thinking about how im gonna say bye to everyone here.  Its amazing to me how many close relationships ive formed in the time ive been here.  I consider myself a friendly person, but at the same time at home its sometimes hard for me to get outside of my comfort zone and make friends.  Thats one of the most encouraging, genuine things about all the friends ive made here, they have no hesitations about making friends with someone theyve just met.  The biggest difference for me is that i dont feel like i have to mold to fit someone elses personality in order to be friends with them (not that i feel like i have to do this at home all the time but our culture is so much more physically and, for lack of better word, "popularity" aware and judgmental than the culture here and it's so refreshing).  Everyone here is so genuine and I can relax and just be myself.  Now if youve been reading my blog you know about Eva.  The main reason i couldnt get to sleep last night is because i kept thinking of what i would tell her when i leave.  With adults its somewhat easier because they understand the coming and going of missionaries, but with young children it's a whole different playing field.  The fact of the matter is I'm not sure when I'll be back.  How do I tell a 6-7 year old that?  How do I form this relationship with a child and become a trusting adult to her and then just leave her?  Sitting here writing about it is making me cry and i still have 3 weeks!  How in the world am i supposed to figure out how to do this?!  I'm sorry if I'm starting to sound dramatic, it just helps me to write things out in order to process them, and maybe somebody has some advice for me? That would be wonderful!  I'm not sure why it's taken me this long to realize but this is the catch 22 of mission trips, especially longer ones.  You're given the amazing opportunity to come and love a new culture and new, amazing people and then you have to leave.  I think I'm realizing this more this trip because of the consistency of being with the children everyday at the school and spending the evenings and weekends with the same staff people.  This has been my reality and life for the past 2 months and will be for the next 3 weeks.  Maybe that doesn't seem like a big amount of time but with the relationships I've made it's a HUGE amount of time.all of the relationships I've made here have also taught me so much and i haven't figured out how to thank them all for that yet either.  The lord is definitely using these relationships to help me grow and encourage me.  I was talking to Sarah the other day and realizing how far I have come personally since I've been here.  It amazes me how fast the lord has restored me (not that I'm completely restored but just how far I've come in so many different aspects of my life).  Ok, I think I've gone on long enough, so now for prayer requests and some praises!  Please continue to pray for some guidance for me and the other visitors when it comes to saying bye, even though it's a little ways away.  I know it's gonna be hard for all of us.  Also, I still need prayers for patience here please!  Also pray for becca and derek and their wedding planning, less than 3 months!Please pray for the ministry as well, they have some necessary projects coming up and definitely need help with the funding, so pray that the lord provides for them.  Please also continue to pray for Bryan and his family (our mzungu neighbors).  They've been battling different illnesses among the 7 of them and just pray that they can have a rest from all of that, but along with that comes a praise because Bryan is feeling better!  Mindy says he is still weak but healing, which is so good considering how awful he was feeling.  Lastly, my praise is that I'm feeling better also!  If you know me you know I'm a baby when it comes to being sick, so this is some stress off of me for sure.  Thank you always for your love and support and I hope you enjoyed getting caught up! Love you all!