Uganda in my bones...

Uganda will seep into your bones, it will change you, regardless of whether you want it to or not.

It's been almost 3 months since our trip to Uganda. Three months on, I still have vivid images of what we saw there. It's like along the way I took mental images of what moved me the most. Not surprising... It was my prayer before I left, that I would go and I would be moved beyond my own emotions, that I would see it as God does. I can still hear the beautiful women from baa, singing for us in their church, this, our gift for running the cents for seeds program with them. As they sing I can still see the faces of the ones that bare the scars of the horrible atrocities that were carried out on them during the war. I only just learned of the terrible massacre that happened in that village just 5 years ago, when the LRA stormed into their homes and caused unimaginable pain and bloodshed. Peace has returned, but the scars remain. What amazes me most about these women is their grace. To an outsider, the physical scars seem the only evidence of their horrible past. There, I remember watching these women worship, I thought "they are worshipping and singing to God as if they have lived without pain"... then my heart corrected me... "they worship God as though they trust Him regardless of their plight." Ahhh perspective. They are dignified in their dress, despite their lack, they take extreme pride in their appearance. I love this about them! There is a sense of empowerment that comes from nurturing and taking good care. We are planning a trauma counselling course with these women and all the men in their village. It's called "Empower". The course will run every weekend for a month and address the issues that can haunt someone after living through or witnessing a traumatic experience- like the massacre. Sounds funny but we're going to have a tea party to raise enough money to pay the trained councillors to facilitate the course in the village. I'm still amazed at what can happen when people band together for a cause, like a tea party!? What is that?... We rock up and eat delightful treats and drink cups of tea outa' pretty cups and chat and laugh with our girlfriends. And because of this frivolity, in the name of Love, a precious soul in Uganda can be set free... tea anyone?

Eloise

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I am Strong

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Settling In...

It’s hard to believe but it has already been a whole week since I arrived in Uganda! It’s only now that I feel as though I’ve finally started to settle in and begun getting my bearings for this place back again. Sticking to tradition, I’ve done nothing half-heartedly and have literally thrown myself in headfirst and learnt a few useful lessons along the way. Below are a few I thought I would share. Lesson one: the pace of life here is not the same. On my second day in Lira I quickly learnt that as much as I would like to try, I cannot operate at the same speed or the same intensity as I do at home. In Sydney, I’m used to being busy and constantly on the go and often find myself feeling inefficient at times when I have nothing to do or no one to see. Over here however, everything is done at a sloooooowwwww and leisuuuuuurelyyyy pace and your daily activity is somewhat limited. So goodbye efficiency, hello frustration! On this particular day, the sun was beating down from about 9am s...

Love Mercy

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