Mulembe! (Hello!) Greetings to you from Mbale, Uganda! I have been here for a little over a week, but it feels like a lot longer. It was a long journey from Minnesota, two full days of travel and a day of driving to Mbale, but I arrived Monday evening the 20th safely.  It was a beautiful journey and gave me time to think and soak up my surroundings and the fact that I am actually here!

My time so far has been filled with adjusting and beginning time at the M:MM office. The staff have greeted me very warmly, and I am so excited to learn from them this year and become more and more involved as time goes on. Something I love that the staff does is a devotional every morning, after taking tea of course. I'm learning that every time is tea time, and have averaged 2-3 cups a day. But I have loved getting in the Word with the staff and sharing and hearing their insights. We pray as a staff every day as well, sharing praises or "testimonies" and prayer requests. One thing I didn't realize or think about until coming here is that people pray about or for rain every day here; whether they need it to come or to hold off so that they may plant their gardens. People come to God with everything each and every day, and rely on Him and trust Him to provide.

I think I could write and write about things I've done, seen or learned but will make a list of observations (some on the lighter side and some more insightful-well, I hope!)

-"Now" doesn't usually mean "now" and "soon" is very relative, depending on who you are speaking to. I've learned that I usually have more time than I think, and I'm hopeful this will give me more time to converse with those around me, and to not feel like any time is "wasted.”Because of this, we are often “chasing time”or “time is really running”

-I am coming from a very individualistic and performance based society, and this has been hard to mesh with a relational society on days when I feel like I haven't "done" anything. This is also a struggle for me, as much of my identity is wrapped up in doing things for others

-I am learning a lot about humility and grace, as I am used to doing things for myself and am at a place where I depend a lot on others. I also need to give myself and others grace as I adjust (and probably make many blunders) to the culture akround me and get more into my role at M:MM

-I need to celebrate the little victories-like learning to say, “I am glad to see you” (but need to be careful not to say it slightly different, or I will tell someone that I have urinated on them!)

-Ugandans are incredibly hard working, and there is not a lot of time set aside for rest or fun, so you enjoy those around you and soak up time and conversation with them

-Laughter should be easy. I have been surrounded by a lot of laughter, and even though I am not always sure what people are saying, I love listening to them laugh

Papa Sam making chapatti; I have enjoyed spending time cooking with him and Anne talking, laughing and singing. Sam has a“chapatti song”that he sings that means “Jesus has called me to serve Him”and says that even in making chapatti, he is serving the Lord. While this may seem like a stretch to some, I really admire this mindset and hope to think this way as well

Here I am making chapatti (I am covered in flour but you just can't see!) Not pictured: me helping to “prepare”(dissect) the chicken for dinner. They tell me that I am an African now, and that next time I will help with the slaughter. When in Africa!

This was taken at Bulago-the hometown of Ronald, who is on staff here. The last Friday of every month, the staff fasts and spends extended time in the Word and prayer, while visiting the home of one of the staff members, getting a tour and checking that all “14 points of a healthy home”(a major directive of M:MM) are in place. This place was beautiful up in the hills, and I was overcome with the glory of God and thankful to worship together