difficult is beautiful

"When the call of Christ sears a hole through your self-protectiveness, you go wherever He leads, whether or not you feel like you fit."  ~Beth Moore

 I have been in Uganda, a solid 2 WEEKS now! That is hard for me to believe, to be honest, because I feel as if I have been here 2 months.I have often expressed to folks that a lot of life can happen in a short amount of time and I would say that that certainly applies to the past two weeks. Thank you to everyone that has been supportive during the time leading up to Uganda, and especially now. Your prayers have been felt and I wish I could express in better words how grateful I am.

When people have asked me how life is here, I can describe it in one word. Difficult. Once missionaries are placed onto the field they go through what's called the "honeymoon phase." Basically it is the time of your journey where you are in complete cultural bliss. Everything about where you are is perfect. The sleeping arrangements are adventurous, the food exotic, and the people mysterious.  There is no set amount of time that the honey moon phase lasts because it all really depends on assignment and length thereof. For some assignments (if it is short enough) one never actually leaves this phase. And......for some reason my Pops decided that I would skip leap over this and step right into the reality of where He has me for the summer. 


On Friday, June 15, I arrived at Kireka School for Children with Disabilities. They had been expecting me so when the gate opened and we drove through, the children came running from all directions. These were the children I had been praying for, longer than I can remember, and to know that I was finally getting to meet them made it a moment that I will never forget. I had the weekend to get settled and then began working in my classroom on the following Monday. Since then, life has been....well difficult. 


My daily routine has quickly become the following:


~wake up by the crowing rooster or screaming children
~pick either a cold shower or warm bucket bath
~go to work and deal with-being slapped, peed on, bitten, children running away, children hitting other children, the language barrier, and refusal of doing work (if one didn't know better I would think they didn't like me...but that can't be it!!)
~come to apartment, boil water for the next day, and make dinner, all while listening to children run around my apartment and banging on the door. P.S. "Ne da" (no) was basically the first word I learned in Luganda
~go to bed under a mosquito net and with children slowly but surely quieting outside.
~wake up and start over

Along with this, I have already been sick and had an incident with mango worms (there will not be pictures of this posted.)

I should be frustrated though, right? I mean don't I have the right to have that "honeymoon phase?" Shouldn't I wake up each morning with The Lion King theme song playing in my head?  But the reality is, that I am finding this time more beautiful than I ever could have imagined.

I no longer go by Ashley, but rather Muzungu, momma, teacher, or madam. I don't get any privacy. And I'm already learning that there are only so many ways you can change up a skirt and shirt combo. The days are long and I don't stay clean for longer than 10 mins. But the beauty in all of this is that my Pops is teaching me of unconditional love through those that He loves with a passion. I have spent more time in worship,prayer, & conversation with Him, than I have in years. I find myself moment by moment seeking Him and asking to see my students with His eyes and heaven's to betsy does He ever. He is literally showing me what brokenness to beauty looks like. And for that I can only say, thank you Abba, that you are making me experience something far greater than I could have asked for.


For most, Kireka School, is one to be passed up because there's nothing "spectacular" about it. Many don't even know who we are. But for me, it is a place of hope. A place where the students help each other out because they are a family. A place where despite how "different" they are, they see each other as the same. A place where no matter how frustrating a student's behavior may become, in an instant they can reach for my hand and be content in sitting with me and make my heart melt.

1 Cor. 13:4-8 states

Love is patient; love is kind. Love does not envy; is not boastful; is not conceited; does not act improperly; is not selfish; is not provoked; does not keep a record of wrongs; finds no joy in unrighteousness, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things; believes all things; hopes all things; endures all things. Love never ends. 

 Honeymoon phase? pshhh who needs it, when the One true King is teaching me about this kind of love?

Fun Things:
-4 wheel riding around The Nile and surrounding villages
-learning to cook Ugandan food
-meeting lots of new faces


Prayer requests:
-quick healing
-the people of Uganda who lost family members in recent fires and the mudslide
-my students -that their teacher will remain sane during this time. :D 

Students during morning announcements

One of my students-Esther

The Nile

Uganda bound baby...part dos!

"If my life is surrendered to God, all is well. Let me not grab it back, as though it were in peril in His hand but would be safer in mine!" ~ Elisabeth Elliot

Dearest friends, I have safely made it to Uganda. After months of preparation it still seems very surreal to me that I am here. The journey to Uganda, was rough but worth it. I last ended with my time in London. So what happened after that? Please take a moment to see what my Pops did from London to Entebbe.

A couple of hours before I hopped on the last flight I allowed an elderly gentleman, from Israel, to use the UK outlet converter I had brought with me. Once he was finished using it he started to hand it back to me and proceeded to ask questions about my life. As I began to answer, a Ugandan man was walking past, overheard the conversation, and stopped to join us. For the next hour we three sat and laughed at miscommunication, discussed education, different journeys, hardships, and politics. The most important conversation we happened to have was about the Savior we three share. Please understand why this is beautiful to me. An Israelite, a converted Muslim, and a Southern Baptist all sitting, as the world is literally passing by, discussing the One true King...and it all started with an outlet converter.

Once on the plane, I had the opportunity to meet missionaries from everywhere that were headed out here to Uganda, to serve where my Pops has asked them to. It was so interesting to hear how they ended up in that spot and what each were hoping to see Him do.

Thankfully, the last leg of the journey was overnight so I was able to sleep a bit and when I woke up I watched the sunrise as we began to land in Entebbe. Once landed, it was "hit the ground running" with African culture. I grabbed my luggage and found Ricky, my cab driver, waiting for me to bring me to my host home here in Kampala. I praise my Pops for His protection during this time. Just envision Houston traffic on very small roads, with people walking everywhere, and bodas (motorcycles) swerving in and out. Oh and all of this as we are driving on the opposite side of the road. After that trip I will forever trust Ricky and his driving.

So now I am here in the main part of Kampala. Since Tuesday, I have had orientation and a bit of time to get settled. I officially go out to the school on Friday to move into my house and meet the students. This is what I am looking forward to the most!!

Fun things:
-new foods
-getting to see wild monkeys
-meeting lots of other missionaries with AIM
-learning a bit of Lugandan (they actually don't speak Swahili here)
-figuring out the money system and paying with a different currency

Prayer Requests:
-for a normal sleep pattern-I am not adjusting to the time change that well
-for my first day of work at the school
-that I would pick up more of the native language

A few pictures!!



Part of Kampala




At the AIM office



Uganda bound baby...part 1

Hello dear ones, I am hanging out in London at the airport, waiting for my next flight, which will be the final leg of getting me to Uganda, and I thought now would be a good time to include you on my traveling adventures thus far.

      The journey started in Austin, on Sunday, where my momma bear and seeester dropped me off at ABIA. They rocked out on helping me check in and they didn't shed a tear, which I am so proud of them for. I flew from Austin to Dallas which is just a tease really. That's enough time for them to throw the bag of pretzels at you and then snatch. yo. trash. up...ok maybe that's a bit dramatic! But I did opt to take a nap. From there I flew from Dallas to London and arrived in London at 9am, which was 3am Texas time. I had planned to spend the whole day in London but my Pops had other plans because the weather is absolutely dreadful and not only did it delay our landing, but it also "washed" my plans down the drain. But hey, they flip side of that, is I have been able to soak in a beautiful amount of culture already.

For now, I sit in London airport, where I'll be until 8:30pm (2:30 Texas time) and then will fly over night into Uganda, where then I will be 9 hours ahead of the great country of Texas!


A few highlights:

-I've had conversations with folks from Scotland, Germany, India, Russia, England (of course), and a woman serving in the U.S. Army, who is currently based in Turkey.
-I've been able to travel across a big ole pond. :D
-the food has been fabulous
-I haven't once gotten lost
-I purchased some items using Pounds
and...
-I am surrounded by all of these wonderful accents...which also has been the hardest part because I want to try to sound like every single person and I'm not sure how any of them would take it...so I've had to refrain.

Prayer Requests:

-I would be more patient as I wait to finish this last leg...I am really ready to be there and to see those sweet faces.
-that I would be a light to the folks that are around me now and who will be on the plane with me.
-that I would get rest and not have jet lag too badly



**I wanted to say thank you so much to everyone who has supported me to this point and who have been talking to my Pops about the journey I am on. I am blessed and so undeserving of the love He has demonstrated through each of you, but I'm sure glad He has.