Hangman

22 June 2010

At the school today, I played some Frisbee with the primary school kids. The first time I played with them, it ended well, because it was only a small crowd and no one got hurt, and the kids left their break time to go back to class (they have more than one recess, kids in America should be jealous). The second time they came for their break, right before lunch, the boys started getting aggressive over who got the Frisbee, and hurting little girls, and after two warnings, I walked away. I don’t know if the English was bad or if the little boys didn’t think I was serious, but I was.

Before lunch, a group of Senior 2 girls was let out of class early, so I taught them how to play hangman outside using my journal. It was really good English practice for them, because I noticed they misspelled a few things (“combine” was spelled c-o-m-b-a-i-n) but they enjoyed it, and hopefully learned something. Another group watched, learned, and was playing in one of the rooms as well! Who knew hangman was that fun? It definitely helped build their trust and a relationship, which is a big goal here: build trust and relationships now, so when the groups who come back in the next two summers come, they can do even more things in this community.

After having my fill of posho and beans with avocado (the avocados here are HUGE—easily twice

the size of the Haas avocados in America) I played with some primary school aged kids who did not have a uniform, which probably meant they weren’t in school, because they couldn’t afford it. Even after meeting Sarah, it still blows my mind that their school may cost as little as 36 USD (75,000 UGX) and they can’t afford it. Seeing some of the places they live—the mud huts—it makes more sense, but it is still absolutely heartbreaking.

Since I arrived in Uganda, God has been teaching me to increase my prayer life; to pray hard and expect big results. One cool story from the beginning of this trip that I forgot to mention was an answered prayer the second day of our travel. Stuart didn’t get a standard, yellow immunization form from his clinic, so we didn’t think he would be able to get into the country, and we didn’t find out until we were on our way to Dubai. When we arrived in Entebbe airport, after finally reaching the front of the long visa line, our group paid for our visas, and the man did not check for our immunizations! We still need to get it before we return to the States, but it was amazing that we prayed that day that God would grant us travel mercies and see a way for Stuart to get in. It didn’t seem like a huge deal, but it definitely could have been! Thank you, also, to those of you who prayed for travel mercies for us! God heard you. It was an encouraging start to the trip, and since then, God has been answering prayers left and right, and my prayer life has definitely increased.

2 Chronicles 7:14
“If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”

Healing of Uganda is an awesome prayer to pray. I definitely encourage you to meditate on this verse, and let God teach you something from it!

I love you guys!! Thank you for remembering us in your prayers.

PS – if you read some of the Psalms that David wrote, like Psalm 86, you’ll see that he really cries out to God. When I read it I thought, “when was the last time I cried out to God like that?” How about you?

PPS - Sarah's school has been paid for!