The One With The Day I Can't Remember.

Not too much is new around here except my health is slowly retuning to me :).

The medicine is finally working and I can take in liquids! This is a major accomplishment for me!! I was so dehydrated, I even blacked out. I haven't told anyone that until now actually- I didn't want to freak anyone out. I was at home walking down the hall to grab something in my room when everything went black and I collapsed. I was also very weak and in my own little world. I am just happy to drink again!! I still can't eat, it's been 10 days now so I have been drinking more than just water to help with the energy level. I keep thinking I can, so as I am about to get a piece of bread or something easy, my stomach freaks out. I don't if it's a lack of something or my meds but I have been extra delusional lately. I have had a few major freak outs. I could swear I felt every molecule in my body. At one point, I could feel my finger nails growing and so on. I also was convinced I didn't sleep an entire night and had my eyes open, but then in the morning it quickly became evident I dreamed the entire night. Especially when I thought my dreams had been real and I referred to them and people thought I was insane. I have also been convinced there were a few earthquakes throughout the past 2 days, but then when I ask someone if they felt it they look at me as if I were crazy. And a few more random things I have done that arn't normal. Haha. I find this all very funny.

I spent most of the weekend at home due to weakness, but it wasn't bad. I do enjoy hanging out with my family! I did take a couple ventures into Mukono. It's probably a mile and a half walk there, so not too bad. The name of the village I live is Nabuti (Na-booty). Bah. I love it. It's so cute and fun!

Sunday was my birthday. At midnight, my brother and I were still up playing cards and hanging out. He disappeared, I didn't know the time nor did I remember at the time it was my birthday. He came back with a little sign he had made that said Happy Birthday. It was so cute, it looked like a 7 year old made it, but he is 19. We went to bed, woke up, and walked to church. I was so dizzy and still dehydrated. At the point I was able to drink but only a little at a time or it wouldn't stay down. When I woke up and until after church I had once again forgotten it was my birthday until my sister said Happy Birthday. We didn't really do anything. My brother taught me how to play chess and we get competitive when we play games so it was fun beating him my first time playing. Didn't much else but go into Mukono and get Sprite and played with the village kids. I taught them the chicken dance a while back and now I can't go anywhere without someone trying to get me to join in with them.

Monday came and I had more energy then the past 2 weeks and it was great. Phil, the intern, played Happy Birthday to me on his Ukulele and then later in the day came into class and played again, this time having the entire class join in. It was nice of him to do that, technically the most celebrating that was done. But they don't really celebrate birthdays here except for dumping water on you. My family didn't do this becasue I was sick :). On my walk home, I even had enough energy to dance and play with the village kids. I hadn't done this in quite a while so it was fun to get back out there.

Last night I got another visitor while I was sleeping. This time it was a cockroach. Eww. I woke up and something has on my arm, i flicked it off, but then it returned so I opened my eyes and half way freaked out. I opened my mosquito net and flicked it out. I didn't sleep the remainder of the night.

My friend Suzan just gave me a poem she wrote for my birthday. It was sweet. She is a very funny gal. She has gone with me into town a few times and helped me haggle to make sure I don't get the Muzungu price, which I appreciate. She also translates what the Boda Boda drivers (type of taxi system) are saying to me when I pass. Not all of them are appropiate but I did get offered a free ride. Well that's about all for now. I don't know if I will get on here before the end of the week, but I will try. Just as a warning, on Friday we are going West into the Bush to do our Rural Home stays for 10 days or so.

Suzan

Peace.

The One With Helicopters

It's been an interesting week so far.

This past weekend we went to Rakai, we were 14 miles from Tanzania and climbed a hill that gave us the most gorgeous view of the land! The 6 hour trip took us on roads that reminded me of Malawi and I began to miss the people God blessed me with last summer in that beautiful African country. We were out in a more rural area at the Kibaale Community Center. We stayed there and had the pleasure of touring a bit of what they do for the community. They are based out of Vancuver, Canada and have an amazing ministry! They have a school with over 800 children-- each child is fully sponsered by someone at their "partner" school and church in Canada. They also have a health care center for the community, water well projects, & numerous others I cannot remember at the moment. Their work is seriously inspiring!
[Above picture: view from top of the hill we climbed, right picture: A current village school, yes this is still in use today]

I was feeling better over the weekend and was able to eat. Our trip home made me start feeling sick again, I do get car sick so I thought that was the problem. I got back to my families house and eventually went to sleep, in the middle of the night I woke up and had to vomit. I am going to tell you more details so be ware... I couldn't throw up in the toliet becasue the house is locked at night so I swallowed. Nasty, yes! This happened a few more times until I was finally able to go outside and make it to the toliet. For the rest of the day, I threw up on the hour- most of it was just bile. Which is disgusting. One of our interns thought I should go to Kampala to the British medical clinic that is a lot better that the Mukono options. So I did. They gave me pills to stop the vomiting and wanted to do a test. I had nothing in me so I couldn't that day. They gave me the container and was told to come back with it full. On Tuesday, I started to throw up again so I was advised to go to the free clinic on campus. They tested me for malaria found out I was negative, the doctor goes "I don't know what you have so take these pills" They gave me 3 different kinds of medicine, I didn't know what they were so I just take any of them. I was able to eventually get my sample and in the midst had to throw up. Let's just say that was an awkward and disgusting experience I am trying to block from my mind. Me typing this doesn't help. Haha.
Wednesday morning Phil [the intern] and I made our way to Kampala once again. Depending on traffic, it's roughly an hour. I got in and the doctor took a urine sample and apparently I have a Urinary tract infection. Which was news to me. They also took my blood and tested that. I waited 20 minutes and got my results. I was surprised how fast they got them back. Normally everything is just the opposite in Uganda. It was definitely faster than the USA! It turns out I have a bacteria called Helicobacter pylori, but pronouced Helicopters. I keep imagining little helicopters flying around my stomach, which makes sense since it feels like my intestines are being ripped out.
They put me on a bunch of medicine, but it's hard keeping it down. Swallowing it once is not the case, but I get to swallow it about 3 times each time. I am also very dehydrated. I can't really keep much water down but I have been able to figure out that a little sip will stay so that's what I do.

In the end, God is good! I won't let this set me back and I will continue on with Him at my side!

P.S. I finally uploaded pictures into an album on facebook. There are a lot more there, so go take a look!!

The One With Blue Like Jazz

I don’t know if you have read Blue Like Jazz By Donald Miller, but I would highly recommend it if you haven’t. I haven’t read the full book yet, but the 2 random chapters I have read where quite insightful. They are actually making it into a movie; we will see how that goes.
For now, I am gonna pull some quotes that have struck me.

Ch. 2 pg. 13
“I believe that the greatest trick of the devil is not to get us into some sort of evil but rather have us wasting time. This is why the devil tries so hard to get Christians to be religious. If he can sink a man’s mind into habit, he will prevent his heart from capturing God.”

--This is so true! I had not realized it until I read this. I couldn’t even tell you how many times I have gone to church and just do the routine. Sing, greet, sit, stand, sit, stand, sit, listen and/or try not to fall asleep, repeat when necessary, etc. I recite a prayer before I eat, do I know what words I am really saying? I pray before bed. This is ridiculous, instead of focusing on God, I have fallen into this routine and don’t see Him there anymore. The devil is tricky, but I have Christ on my side so I will win. I will not let him blind me anymore.

Ch. 2 pg. 14
“If you don’t love somebody, it gets annoying when they tell you what to do or what to feel. When you love them you get pleasure from their pleasure, and it makes it easy to serve. I didn’t love God because I didn’t know God.”

--I have found that people, even for myself, have a hard time listening to God’s commands and get frustrated when Christians tell them yes to this and no to that and when they ask why? The answer is because God says this or God says that. But now it makes so much more sense to me. People have a hard time listening/following Him because they haven’t really gotten to know God and therefore haven’t fallen in love with Him. I think this is true for myself. Until the past couple of years, my relationship with Him was not real. It was ‘I believe in you’ but I never took the time to understand Him, get to know Him, or allow myself to truly love Him. I think this is something I am still working on. It doesn’t happen over night but is a process; although I am getting there. There are still days when I want to go against Him because of my free will but the more I fall in love with Him, the less I desire to do the opposite of what He says. I am not saying that I will fall madly in love with Him and never go against Him, because I am human this cannot happen. I will never fully understand what it means to fully, completely, and passionately love Him until I am in His presence because I am disconnected from Him and cannot understand Him.

Ch. 11 pg. 105
“ I don’t know if we really like pop-culture icons, follow them, buy into them because we resonate with what they believe or whether we buy into them because we think they are cool.”
“Who cares what I believe about life, I only care that I am cool.”

--It’s so easy to get caught up in modern day America where we follow people and have heroes for no reason. We want to be associated with them and we want to be the coolest person on the block. I know I struggle with this. It is so easy to fall into this trap. I want to have modern clothes, I want to fit into the stereotype of what defines cool. And when someone doesn’t fit into our definition of cool, we ridicule him or her and call them weird. We look down upon them instead of loving them and praising them for having the bravery to stand out. America tells us to be an individual and to stand out, but as soon as they do, they get mocked. Living for Christ can be scary because it makes you stand out but if you’re truly passionate about Him, you will have the strength to be apart from what society tells us is cool. Which is something I am still working on.

Ch. 11 pg. 106-107
“Satan wants us to believe in meaningless things for meaningless reasons. Can you imagine if Christians actually believed that God was trying to rescue us from the pit our own self-addiction? Can you imagine? … If we believed the right things, the true things, there wouldn’t be very many problems on earth.”

--I agree. If we understood what was truth and what were lies and instead of getting mixed up in believing falsehoods, we would have a grasp on this planet and on the wickedness of Satan and have an easier time defeating Him. But the devil is a trickster and wants to deceive you away from Christ.

Ch. 11 pg. 107
“Even our beliefs have become trend statements. We don’t even believe things because we believe them anymore. We only believe things because they are cool things to believe.”

-- I find this more true now than ever. With this past election, I would ask people why they are voting for Obama. I always got the same answer: Because it’s time for change. Well, duh! Any new president would be change. I would ask them to elaborate and they would a little but they skimmed the surface and didn’t know much else. He was the popular man to vote for and he has many followers who don’t even know much more about him than the basics. They couldn’t tell me anything about his policies and I got the feeling people got caught up in the “coolness” of his figure. I am not saying I don’t do this. I am by all means guilty of this. I went to church my whole life and believed in God and Jesus’ death because it was the thing to believe in church and in my family. It was not until I did my own soul searching did I find an actual, true belief in God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit.

Ch. 11 pg. 107
“The problem with Christian belief – I mean real Christian belief, the belief that there is a God and a devil and a heaven and a hell- is that it is not a fashionable thing to believe.”

--I cannot tell you the number of times I have run across people who think that as long as they are a “good” person then they will go to heaven. But here is my question, why should you get to go to everlasting paradise when you did not live for Jesus and still sinned. Sure, you didn’t murder anyone and you helped the poor, but what did you do for God? Why should he allow you in heaven when you didn’t obey or worship Him on earth? He doesn’t need YOU, you NEED Him. He is perfectly fine without you, but he still loves you and desires you and has mercy on you. In fact, He sent His son to die for you and all you have to do is believe in your heart and confess with your mouth and live for Him. Here is my problem, I am selfish and want to live my way. It’s not always easy living for Him, but it is worth it because in the end I will be rewarded.

Ch. 11 pg. 110
“All great Christian leaders are simple thinkers…when Jesus says feed the poor, He means you should do this directly…what I believe is not what I say I believe, what I believe is what I do.”

--I think these phrases have said it perfectly. Christianity should not be made into something elaborate or technical but is simple. Act out what you believe, show it. And do as He says without adding your own spin to it.

Ch. 11 pg. 111
“Living for something is the hard thing. Living for something extends beyond fashion, glory, or recognition. We live for what we believe.”

--I say I am a Christian and I believe in the Bible, but do I show it? Do I actually live it out? Or do I just say I believe and live a totally separate lifestyle? It is easy. There are no buts, so just do it.



I could probably quote the entire book because it is so good, well the 2 chapters I have read. I learned a lot and I pray you can look at these quotes and understand what they mean and the importance they talk about and also impact you as it did me.

The One Where I become a Witch

It is sometimes hard to get the motivation to update this. You know it would be a lot easier for you all to just come here and observe for yourself, but then what would be the point of a blog?

This place gets crazier and crazier. But it’s funny and I love it!!

So I was talking with one of my sisters the other day. I asked her when Stella, my other sister, is due to give birth. She goes “Michelle, If I didn’t know you, I would think you are a witch.” I was taken aback by this and asked why? She told me because I know so much and in this culture, if you know a lot you are presumed to be a witch. I am an observer so when I see things I will later ask about them and my sister always asks me how I know that? I just give my simple answer of “I know everything” but now she really thinks I do know everything. Now, she always goes “Michelle, You know everything, you KNOW everything!!” I find this hilarious. I mean come on people, she is due in marchish. It’s kind of obvious she is preggo. Apparently, I knew before mama though. And yes, Thea, they do know where babies come from. [I told her this story on the phone the other day and my mom asked that question, I thought it quite funny.]

The road rules here go: the biggest wins! Semis, buses, trucks, vans, cars, boda bodas (motorcycles), bikes, pedestrians, and then livestock. You seriously have to be careful, the drivers are crazy! The other day my papa was driving us somewhere and as he was turning the corner, someone was in the way and he hit them!! I was mortified! But my dad just kept going! Before your imagination gets away from you, let me first tell you he hit the passenger’s side (America’s drivers side) and of course I was sitting there. I was ready to get out and see if he was all right but nope, papa just kept driving. I did turn around and watch and he was fine. He just kept walking. No one said anything either. And papa barely noticed. In America, you would get sued!

So there are these kittens around the house and as much as I hate them, (I have realized I really don’t like cats) I like them being around because they eat things like cockroaches. In fact, I was just watching one eat a rat bigger than it! It was disgusting and I have no clue how it caught it but dang that cat has talent.

I have a 30 minute walk and there are 3 certain spots where I have gotten to know some kids. I stop and play soccer with some for about 10 minutes then another place where a bunch walk up the road with me, and the final spot where 3 little girls would walk me home, but the 3 has multiplied to 8. And when I get home, I do the chicken dance and do father Abraham in the front yard with them. Everyday more and more kids come. Yesterday there were about 20 kids. Then they all tried to come into the courtyard with me. I had to force them away. I have fun with them but they are starting to push it too far.

I thought my brother Mike lived with us but then now I don’t know. Some days he stays here and some days he doesn’t. It’s confusing me! I asked about it and was told he lives here, but then someone else told me he lives somewhere else. I don’t even know if they know!

My brother, Sister, native friend Suzan, Geoff (fellow USPer) and his brother all went to Kampala on Saturday. We went to the Ugandan version of So you think you can dance, only hip hop style. It was pretty awesome! They have some serious talent. They were all break-dancing it up! The bummer part is it was outside and blazing hot! I got dehydrated and I hadn’t eaten anything all day so we left a little early and went to a more American version restaurant and I ate a salad! It was so good! and very exciting to have veggies and something different! But it didn’t help me feel better. The entire ride home in a mutatu van that fits 15 people but they stuff as many that will fit – their public transport system where they try to sell you rides, quite funny – made things worse. I got car sick and the only thing I could think of was how miserable I was and wanted my mom and America! When we FINALLY got home, I went straight to bed and slept through church.
I wasn’t feeling fully better but well enough to where Sarah and I decided to cook dinner for the family. We went to town and the market and bought the stuff to prepare. Sarah doesn’t really know how to cook so I had to be director - which I didn’t mind ;). We made pasta. They don’t have marinara sauce here so I made up a recipe and prayed it wouldn’t taste horrible. I used tomato paste, water, freshly diced onion and garlic, oregano, salt, pepper, and something else. It was actually tasty. I defiantly impressed myself. We also made garlic bread but they don’t have ovens so I made it over the charcoal in a pan grilled cheese style. It actually tasted amazing! We also made fried apples. I had never made that before so I just kinda made that up as well. I put butter in a pan, cut them into pieces, fried them and shook them with cinnamon and sugar. They were actually quite delicious!! My family told us this is the first American meal the entire family liked and they all ate it up. I want to thank my brother Brian for making me watch food network and allowing me to observe his amazing cooking skills! I would have been clueless if it weren’t for him.

The bummer part of all this is I threw it all up! I hadn’t been feeling too well all day, but I ignored it until I could no longer. Fortunately, no one else was sick so I know it’s not food poisoning, but a lame immune system on my part. I went to school Monday but left early because I felt horrible. I came home and threw up. So I just went to bed for a while. I woke up later and threw up some more and then got nasty diarrhea, prepare for the nasty graphics I feel compelled to share with you but it was like pee coming out my butt. I have never had it this bad before. like ever, it kinda scared me. But what was I to do? So I just went some more & threw up some more and eventually went to bed. I woke the next day and decided to skip school, so I slept till 1ish. This freaked out my family. They felt I should eat, but that was the last thing I wanted to do. They tried caring for me in their weird way I guess, they kept trying to force feed me fish. Umm, no thanks. By 5pm I was feeling a lot better so I ate some bread to make them happy. But then I threw it up. I went to school yesterday, but only to 1 class because I still didn’t feel good. I didn’t wanna be a burden or have them force me to eat so I just hung out in our little room the IMME kids have.

I live with cockroaches and I thought they were attacking me the other day. It was quite funny because I started to freak out until I realized I was in my mosquito net and there were no bugs anywhere. I did have one jump on my head the previous day though so I think I was still a little freaked out by that.

The IMME students are going on another weekend trip this coming Friday. We are going to Rakai, it’s close to the border of Tanzania I think. Should have another update next week, but I do have a project due on Wednesday that I won’t start until then, but hopefully an update will come your way sooner rather than later.

I forgot to mention this 2 weeks ago, but my mama’s sister died of AIDS. And she had a friend die this week. Please pray for her as she is going this hard time.