My First Ugandan Christmas

Let me first tell you about this little thing called warfare and bondage Satan tries to snag me with every so often....it is ugly...read on if you brave:

Satan brings up your past, your anxieties, your weaknesses and all that other crap at times he knows God will prevail...at the EXACT time God wants to be, mind you. No joke. He is so out to defeat God through brainwashing, bombarding and attacking His children. Raise your hand if you get me!

I have to say, thank you for lessons learned!! There are tools (mostly Scripture verses) that I have come to grasp tightily to with all my might to battle against the true enemy. Dang it feels awesome to know how to combat and not get crushed!! WOW! Felt some stuff going on in my head that had no room in Christ's house....praise for His Word, forgiveness (thanks Pato's family!), two wise, godly, TOTALLY different women (YAY Anna and Brecka!) who know how to advise, a brother who looks out for you (thanks Simon) and my God who will win every fight if I just let Him be in charge.

See, Laloyo has been in the shop since Tuesday. There are have been MANY problems to which, PG, the mechanic can fix but parts are far away, Christmas is here and it takes a lot of time and effort. So have been car-less since Tuesday which means no Tegot, library on standstill, huts on standstill and being home a lot...

Christmas though was supposed to be wonderful, fresh, new and exciting. Excited to experience my first Ugandan Christmas at a Ug church, with a friend's family and get some gifts in the mail....

Well, let's start with the latter...
No boxes...boo. Or a letter or card...did get one in early December from Vera and family...but that has carried me into today. Silly mail in Ug.

Now, the first, out of order, yes I know...
I got up nice and early excited to go to church. I just finished talking to my family in Chicago and was ready to head out! I researched the day before and found out times...so I thought I was set. Walking and saying Cam Karama ma Ber to everyone I passed...oh ya, feeling the Christmas spirit...then I get to church.
The doors were closed and three people were on the property...two sweepers and one guard. WHAT?! Apparently my sources, which were from the church itself!, were wrong....only 10 am service...grrrr

So I headed back home.

And then I had an amazing time of worship, studying and prayer on my front porch with my puppy (gave him and his girlfriend some rice and odii - boy did they gooble that up!cam!!). God quickly encouraged me wih Isaiah 40:31 (the verse that has "carried" me to Ug!) in the middle of my Esther study! It made me feel very loved....God knew that verse, the one that encourages me so much, the one Beth Moore placed in the study a few years ago, would be seen by my eyes, at that very moment, to encourage me in that very moment. I just laughed with joy that my God actually takes care of things like that... :)

Then got a call about Laloyo. Too much drama, not enough exciting words to expres it all except that it was supposed to be done at 2 but was told it would be done the next day, Saturday, mid-day at 4:40 when I was supposed to be at Pato's at 3pm. I was really concerned and worried about being late or even the possibility of not getting to Pato's because of the van! I then felt so lost and had no clue what I was going to do. I just wanted to run home and cry. I just wanted Christmas to go away. Then Simon arranged for me to get a boda from his friend to drive me to Lacor - late.

I had my first boda ride!! It helped A LOT knowing that the driver was a friend of Simon's...very nice guy. We talked and got dust EVERYWHERE. When we arrived at Pato's I think I looked tanner....perfect self-tanner cream but in powder form! HA! Have no clue if I wiped it all off our not...but it was all good because I arrived at Lacor.

I profusely apologized to which I received "it is ok" and a grand welcoming. I didn't feel like an outsider...just someone new to accept. From the parents to the siblings to neighbors....everyone made it so worth it. I can't even begin to express my gratitude. So it was super weird at the end of my night to have them dismiss me with gratitude and thanks for being with them. It was like it was an honor having me. WHAT?! Come on now, people...don't you know who I am? I am just a simple woman, who runs where the LORD calls her, doesn't value anything of material and just simply is simple...I am a nobody back home....but here? People think I am someone...it feels weird...mostly due to my color (the father even said it was honor to welcome to the family their first white to their home - and they don't mean that racistly at all...ok, know racistly is not a word...but it fits). It is like I am worth something better to them because I am white. I started thinking that if other races came to my country, no one would feel such an honor or privilege having them over their house like that. I don't know, it was weird. I just want people to see me....not white. Which I know THEY don't, but people do here...it is like I am not human of sorts. Weird to wrap my brain around. Maybe it has to do with the fact that the people here have been forgotten for so long due to the war that it blesses them to know the outside world (and being white represents the outside world) cares to love them so they return that love back by being honored. I don't know.
But it was still one of the sweetest times....their words were kind. Then we prayed....to have hearts like their's was beautiful to witness. Anyways, thank you to one of the greatest families I know - I truly love and appreciate your willingness to let me be part of your family time!!

So don't laugh here, but on the way home, I wore a winter jacket. Now, granted I was riding on a boda and it was like 50-60 degrees out...but I still had to laugh out loud at it. Pato's mother lent it to me...she even zipped it up and put the hood on my head! Oh did it make me laugh. A Wisconsin girl wearing a winter jacket in Uganda...

So I wanted to talk to my family last night - especially to see Noah cuz it has been a looooooooooong time (my biggest fear is that he will forget me!!!). But the timing just didn't work...and then my computer decided to freak out on me. Sigh.

Hence, a night of fixing the computer, quick naps and more fixin'.....