Here, is an update i wrote for the ACTS office, thought you might want to check it out.
Update from the “Communications Officer”
I hear that you are wondering how I am doing over here in the great and beautiful country of Uganda? Well I am writing to let you know that I am doing absolutely fantastic. Uganda is more than I ever dreamed. The landscape is breathtaking. Lush rolling green hills, patched with crops and matoke plantations. And then there are the people. They are wonderful beyond description, especially our own team (sorry for the bias). The people here are so hard working, such survivors. I am quite often embarrassed of my North American spoiled brat mentality. We are working well as a team now, and seem to be solidifying our roles in the project areas slowly, but surely.
So far I have been doing a lot of listening, watching and observing. How the Ugandans live and work, the cultural patterns. What projects are happening and how they are running. I’d say the hardest parts of living in Uganda for me, are firstly, the light in the day. How it is bright at 7am on the dot and dark at 7pm on the dot. I find myself wanting to go to sleep, or at least hide out in my tent from the mosquitoes, all too early. And then not wanting to get up until 7am when the breakfast bell goes. This if you have done the math, is way too much sleep for someone (12 hours). I am getting over it though and adjusting to the pattern, it has taken time though. The second hardest thing has been the food. CARBS CARBS CARBS!!! With the heat and humidity I already find myself a bit sluggish, add a pound of matoke and rice and beans and you can imagine my energy levels plummeting. It’s hard to find a happy medium in the eating schedule, breakfast at 7am, lunch at 1pm, chai at 5 and dinner at 7pm. If you have any suggestions, please let me know.
Mainly, I have accomplished a lot pictures and video. I had a meeting with a woman name Hilda at TASO Mbarara and she runs a memory book program from that office. It is now integrated into their system at TASO and is offered to all the clients. With the memory work and I, no books have been started as of yet. I received a book that they use at TASO in Runyankore, so that will help with communicating the idea of the project to the Ugandans and potential clients. I have been writing small backgrounds of a few of our home visit clients as well as pictures. There are so many needy people that I could find a Ugandan sponsor person or family for every person in British Columbia. I am trying to brainstorm of ideas for the sponsorship program, because I feel that it needs to start happening now. There needs to be systems implemented and better communication between Canada and Uganda. I will be soon visiting other project areas; Nyakigera, Kikigati and Bushara Island, to document all that’s going on over there.
As for me, and my heart, I am doing well. It is a lot to process, all the need and completely different lifestyle, and also finding people on the same level as me, and the ones that seemed to be are just far away. Not that I need a safety net of Christian support, but it has been hard finding my peaceful places and just having conversations with people who understand where I am at. That is in no way a put down to the rest of my group either; everyone is where they are at and that totally fine. I just have to seek God, solely and fully, because I know he hears me and understands me better than myself.
I am in Mbarara right now, at Canada House, totally unexpectedly. I was going to burn a CD of pictures and such to send here to Richard to send to Canada, but our power is broken in Rubingo and my lap top died so I hopped in the truck with Rose and Katie who are proceeding on to Nyakigera. So here I am, we are about to celebrate Jothams birthday, its tomorrow but he will be gone. So I gotta go and eat some chocolate cake, it’s a definite rarity around here. God bless you all, and thank you for your prayers. I miss you dearly, and pray that all is well with you.
Sincerely with much love,
Melanie
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