God is Good

So the last two weeks have been filled with sickness (AW YUCK!)  and some amazing new things.  All I can say is God has been doing some incredible things and I am so grateful that I get to be a part of some of them.

 

In the last few weeks our class has been fundraising and deciding what to give to God’s Grace Orphanage.  As I have mentioned before, this place is in need of some major help.  For the past few months, a group of ten from our class has gone once or twice a week to play with the children or teach them in their classes.  This week our whole class came with a special surprise for the children.  We were able to provide the orphanage with mosquito nets for all of the beds, reusable diapers, toothbrushes, toothpaste, special food for the babies, salt, beans, a hundred pound bag of rice, and tons and tons of posho (Ugandan food) and other things. 

The children were very excited to receive their gifts and they thanked us for the time we have spent there over the last few months with songs and dances.  Our contributions are only a little sliver of what needs to be turned around at God’s Grace.  I truly believe that God is going to move mountains at this orphanage over the next while.  I am so thankful that our class was given the chance to build a relationship with all the children and workers at God’s Grace.  Here are some pictures from the very special day.

I have really liked the last few weeks because we have been doing ministry together as an entire class, when usually we just do things with our teams.  Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE my central team…. They are the best and I wouldn’t want to be on any other team.  This last week, we didn’t have a usual week of classes and ministry, instead we packed up and moved to Suubi (one of the Watoto Children’s Villages in Kampala) from Wednesday to Saturday.  Our class was assigned a building project of making a sidewalk by one of the new schoolhouses.  Thursday and Friday mornings were spent mixing concrete and leveling it into a new path.  The rest of our time was spent hanging out and visiting our classmates’ homes in Suubi.  Natalie and I moved into our friends’ Miriam and Winnie’s home with their five other house sisters and their mom.  I was so blessed to get to stay at their home for those few days.  They made me feel right at home with their infectiously loud and loving personalities.  Also Natalie and I were fed like queens the entire time…  I could fast for the next few days as our momma fed us heaps of the most delicious Ugandan foods.  Suubi is a very serene place on a hill in the outskirts of Kampala.  Every night, we watched the sunset at the very top of the hill with many of the girls from our class.  Every evening, we would sit around the dining table by a glowing lamp with our house family, sharing things we were thankful for in our day, praying and singing together.  I am so grateful for the opportunity to live in Suubi and get only a glimmer of what life would be like to grow up there.  Honestly, I would recommend and strongly encourage any of you to sponsor a child or mother from Watoto Childcare as those donations are raising the next generation of Ugandan leaders.  See this link to Watoto Childcare

Apologies for the lack of pictures from Suubi.  We are restrained from posting pictures of Watoto children.

God is good.  He has invited me to see and be a part of many eye-opening and amazing things here in Uganda for the past five months. He has pushed me to do things I really did not want to do.  For example, I had to speak in front of all Watoto staff, pastors, and my classmates at staff devotions at church one day.  I thought it was a joke when they initially came up with the idea and I agreed to it… Stupid me but I am so grateful I did it. 

Some of you might be wondering what I might be doing after 360, well I came into this experience with an open mindset as to what I would do once this is over.  I am officially able to spill the beans now.  Back in February, I received an email from my old mentor teacher from when I did my practicum in Munich telling me how her husband (who was then my practicum supervisor) is now a director of a school in Berlin and they were both wondering if I would like to apply for a position.  I was in utter shock when I initially got this message.  Most international schools look for teachers who have two years experience with full-time, and I have a measly four months subbing.  Also, if I got the position, I would start August 1^st of this year, meaning I would just get back to Canada in June and then quickly turn around to Germany.  My initial concerns were “Can I really handle a double culture shock?,” and “Can I really live another full year away from my family and friends with little time to spend with them in between?” I decided to go for it, if it wasn’t right for me, then it simply wouldn’t pull through as I was applying.  After much discernment, research, and interviews, I was offered and now have accepted a one year contract, teaching Grade 2, at the Berlin British School.  God is good.  Even though I will be living across the world, He has provided me with a chance to have my very own classroom, with much support and opportunities to grow in my profession with the little experience I have teaching.  God flat out handed me the job of my dreams.  It won’t be easy as I move to another foreign land far away from my family, and have the responsibility of caring for and educating my own students for a year but I am so excited to begin this new chapter of my life and am at peace about my decision.  And yes, this means my time in Canada  will be very short but I still will want to jam it pack full with visiting old friends and family.

I am entirely thankful for the life I have been given and the things I have had the chance to experience and see so far.  Oh and I forgot a song for this time.  Sorry this blog just wasn't cooperating the way I wanted it to today.... Here's one we sing at church sometimes that I love Click here (even though this version does not do it justice)

Peace and love