5/30/09 – KAMPALA, UGANDA

“Our vision is for every child to have a chest to rest his head and a place to call home” – The vision and mission statement of Dwelling Places

I didn’t want to journal tonight – I was going to put it off until tomorrow. I just wasn’t quite sure what to write about. While I desperately needed the refreshment in the quality of care and the ministry taking place at Dwelling Places...while I was impressed and encouraged, I could not think of any instantaneous or profound thoughts to reflect on. The experiences today were new, but they felt familiar and their ponderings old, stated. And so I was going to let today marinate and hope for something brilliant in the morning. I changed my mind.

Discovering the culture of Uganda has been new and exciting. Sometimes stressful, occasionally uncertain and often irreplaceable. Discovering the unique culture which makes up our team has been much of the same. Perhaps it isn’t quite focused on Uganda – not specifically – but it is, sort of. A group of students who are placed together not quite at random but certainly not by choice to be students, playmates, missionaries, teachers, seekers, adventurers, explorers, and family together is not quite an everyday occurrence. Being in a foreign land together brings out both the best and, occasionally, the worst in people and is a fantastic area for primitive anthropology. For the most part, I love both sides...both the best and worst. The potential for both is there, it has always been there, but it takes ample opportunity and a certain comfortability, to see both. You see pieces of the worst of people’s days when they feel safe enough to let down some of those more covered layers. I like and appreciated the fact budding friendships have given away to an honesty and camaraderie – a teamwork. We’re all for one. It’s given opportunity to have conversations which show our rougher edges. Furthermore, it gives the freedom to ask the hard questions – and have real discussion about the things we’re all seeing and experiencing without fault or fear of ridicule. Our group isn’t perfect. It isn’t all peaches and roses, but I’m impressed. We are all so different but we’ve created an alliance. The easy laughter and “after-hour” bonding is evident of it, I believe.

Although, that isn’t always enough to relieve all of the tension. It is hard to realize sometimes is easier to love dirty African children that you’ve never men than that one kid who is just hard to understand at the moment. I feel like I’ve had a lot of people interaction with my teammates in the last day or two. It has been both refreshing and overwhelming. I’ve learned a lot and made a lot of assertions. For example, I decided I really appreciate our few guys. Small in number but quality for sure. I love the hearts of service and selflessness in our group – guy and girl. Yep, with different bents, wonders, dreams, processings, and realizations...we make an interesting bunch. For sure a culture all of our own.