Have you ever been to Africa? Have you ever met a person born in Africa? If not, I hope one of these things might happen to you. You won't really know what it's like until you've experienced it for yourself, but I can tell you what I have experienced from the Ugandan culture. My dad and mom tell about many things in their blogs. I hope I can show you more of a teenager's perspective of life in Uganda.
Rose’s mother died, and her father remarried. Her step-mother beat her and didn’t care for her. Rose’s father brought her to Hope Children’s Home so that she could be taken care of properly. This young lady seems to bubble over with joy and giggles most of the time. If you make eye contact with her, you will be sure to receive a smile back.
Is it possible that living in Africa can seem normal or ordinary? It struck me the other day as I was driving down the road that there is very little that surprises me here now. After 6 months of living in Uganda, the only thing that really surprises me is the fact that the surroundings don’t seem at all strange any more. Sure, it still irks me when people dump their garbage bags in my drive way. It still bugs me a little bit when grown men shout “Muzungu!” (which means “white person”) at me as loud as they can for no apparent reason other than to distract me from the pot holes and ruts I’m trying to drive through. It is incredibly inconvenient when the power goes off just as I place the chicken into the stove (the chicken I’ve been saving all week for just the right day). I still have to laugh when I see a queen sized wood bed frame going down the road on the back of a motorcycle or swerve to miss the cow standing in the middle of the highway.
Before we came here, I was concerned that driving would be very difficult. Now, I can drive down any street holding a cup of hot coffee in one hand while carrying on an in depth conversation. It is truly amazing to me how we as people can adjust to new surroundings and situations. The problem with this, though, is that we can get desensitized to the surroundings, too. For instance, as we go out to visit with the kids at Hope, it’s easy to take for granted their warm smiles, their incredible sense of humor, and the big bear hugs. During the last team visit in January, I was really reminded of what an incredible privelage it is to work here with these kids. Seeing people from the states brought into the culture and environment I’ve grown “used” to was very refreshing and renewed my perspective on the work that we are doing.
If it’s possible for Africa to become “normal”, despite all the differences between this culture and our culture back home, how much easier is it to take for granted all the blessings that we have back in the “civilized” world. Perhaps there are things in your life that have become too normal or bland and you are in need of some refreshing. I suspect that if you were to bring one of our kids from Uganda to live with you for 1 week, you would be amazed to see how many incredible things there are in your world that you consider normal (like flushing toilets, microwave ovens, and the supermarkets you shop in, just to name a few). Take a step back and look at your life. Be thankful for the simple things. Be thankful for the ones that you love and the ones that love you. Be thankful that you have running water and power! Look at all the amazing “normal” things that you see around you every day.
Below is a short video clip of our very "un-ordinary", talented kids at Hope practicing for a wedding performance. Enjoy!
Brenda doesn’t know anything about her mother or her father, and isn’t sure if she has any siblings. She was abandoned on the streets, where she was found eating dirty things, and didn’t have a place to sleep or bathe. Brenda found herself a home at Hope, and is grateful to be surrounded by people who really love her.
