The Crazy Adventures of an American Mzungu

Life is a fact. We have life in our bones. We breath. Our hearts continue to beat. We are able to think and problem solve. We witness these things simply by existing. Along with the mechanical part of life, we also witness the emotions. We find joy in friendships. We find love amongst each other. We suffer. We cry. We laugh. We persevere. All these things mix together to produce life. So many times, the lies of this world feed into our heads, which either cause us to fight or give up all hope. I cannot list the amount of times people hear I am only 22, and proceed to point their finger at me. They say I have absolutely no qualifications, and that I am just trying to make myself look good by working for “those poor kids of Uganda.” Apart of me always listens to the accusations. They are right. I am young, and plenty more people have proper qualifications. However, I am not here to make myself look better than anyone else. I constantly fight the lies of the world. Government official...

I see him across the room, as he tries to conceal a smile. Creeping over, I peak around walls and furniture with my tickling fingers ready to pounce. The closer I get, the bigger his smile grows. He tries to sneak away, but I reach out and grab him and tickle him until we are both on the ground, laughing so hard we have tears running down our face. This, of course, starts a full on tickle war between me and three little boys, two that speak no English. I cherish these moments. I cannot express the joy that fills my heart, as I am able to be apart of bringing the hope of Christ to children, especially with the language barriers that exist. Being able to pour into a child without speaking sounds terrifying and impossible. However, I always let my mouth get in the way. I say the wrong thing, or let angry words slip my lips. Mix in a language barrier, and my words no longer pose such a threat. I am able to use the international languages, such as laughter. Tender actions and loving tou...

Walking down the streets of Uganda is an adventure in and of itself. With marriage proposals and constantly being asked out, I have come up with plenty of quick and sassy lines to throw back at them. I know most of these proposals come from my white skin and American roots, and I never take a single one of them seriously. I love joking about them and laughing at the awkward encounter later. One of my favorites happened at church. A man came up to me, and began to shake my hand. In Uganda, there is no such thing as a personal bubble. People stand awkwardly close to you. With that in mind, this guy stood too close to me as he continued to shake my hand. We introduce ourselves to each other, and he continues to shake my hand. He then asks me, “Would you be interested in a relationship?” “Uhhh.... Well.... N...” I get cut off. “WAIT!” *still shaking my hand* “Where are you from?” “America” “Oh. So you are not from Australia?” “No, sir. Born and raised in America.” Disappointm...

I recently was able to spend a week in South Africa with my best friend, where she stays and interns with Impact Africa. My heart was overjoyed to reconnect with her. I loved being able to spend that time with her because for the first time in six months, I was with someone who knows me well. Kelly is one of those people who gets me. We have spent countless nights just talking and talking. She is the copilot in all my crazy Boise stories. We simply connect. I felt so relieved to be understood on such a level once more... But Johannesburg. Johannesburg is something else! I grew up in America. Shopping centers, malls, nicely cut and properly frozen and packaged meat, and basically everything nice are normal in my life. I gave up all those things when I came to Uganda. I knew God was calling me down this path, and I had no problem letting those things go. Sure the meat was the most difficult to give up (Please enjoy this picture of the meat isle in a grocery store I went to. I got w...

I find it funny when I jump into something with no expectations, and I end up surprised at the things that happen. Most the time, it is the things that come out of my mouth. For example, “Snails are not weapons! Thanks for getting him out of my room, now please put him outside!” or “Growling is not good church manners.” The more time I spend here, the more weird situations I get myself into. Going to the market turns into fighting off date and marriage proposals, and traveling turns into “what is the weirdest thing I can buy from this taxi?” I have got pretty good! Once I was offered a Taylor Swift photo album. I would have bought it, but I have a deep conviction to never listen to her music! Day by day, I am surprised at how connected and in love with two little boys who speak no English. Recently, Redeemer House brought in two new children. Their lack of English and my lack of Luganda leave communication difficult. Yet I have fallen in love with these precious boys! Alex knows no...

My Plan (High School Edition) : When it came to actual high school, I just needed to survive. Sure, I had a good time! I had friends and enjoyed myself, but I was so different from anyone I knew. I traveled the world and never shut up about Jesus. My plans were to make the best grades I could, and prepare to attend a beauty college with the hopes of one day opening my own hair salon. This was my life, and I wanted nothing more. I remember being a Senior and suddenly having doubts over my plans. I always wanted to be a hair dresser, and I knew that was what I was SUPPOSE to do! I sat next to my good friend Kayla in class one day, and I remember turning to her and confessing my sudden urge to change my life. She always wanted to go to Arizona State and become a special education teacher. When I confessed my doubts, she shared my same feelings. We sat there and talked each other out of such ridiculous thoughts. God's Plan : I was to go to Uganda right after graduation for a month. ...

One of the biggest battles in my life has been the fear of failure. I am a perfectionist to the core, and I am always so afraid of letting people down. When something I did disappoints someone else, I feel so guilty I become so sick to my stomach, and sometimes can't get out of bed from being so sick. I have made huge strides in this battle. I use to not turn my homework in because I didn't think it was done right. Even after slaving hours on end over it! I rather get a zero than fail. Luckily I broke that in high school, but the battle still exists and I still am fighting for my life. This past week, I found myself failing this fight. I am overwhelmed with so much going on. I am planning a week trip to South Africa, and need to make sure all is placed in order before I leave. I have a team coming next week, and an adoptive family coming for their court date. We just took in two more kids, which takes more effort getting them settled along with what our board wants us to do ...