A Thousand Lives in Three Years

Recently, a dear friend remarked that I'm living "A thousand lives in three years." How true this statement is. From travel, to culture, to heart-aching sights, to glorious beauty, from hardships to triumphs. Yes, the sheer amount and variety of my experiences seem to exceed the expanse of three years.

And now it's time to announce my newest adventure: I'm going to Uganda. In just three days I'll board a plane with nine JIS students, my dear friend (and fearless leader Shana!), and another JIS teacher to travel to Kampala, Uganda for a 10 day service trip.

This trip has been months in the making. Inspired by Shana's work in Uganda (she founded the NGO "Come Let's Dance" and lived there for 7 years), we are going to lend service at her school, orphanage, and farm.

During the ten day trip I will work on an organic farm:

I'll help with a village medical clinic, train teachers at the school, and play with the children at the orphanage. This is Winston - he's a student at the Come Let's Dance school - I can't wait to meet him!

Part of the trip preparation has included collecting donations from our JIS school population and our church. Madi and Elise spearheaded an effort to collect toothbrushes and toothpaste. The JIS middle school alone donated over 500 toothbrushes and toothpaste (enough for the school, orphanage, and an additional entire village!)

Last Sunday the bishop and his wife brought bags and bags of school supplies and hygiene products to church. It filled the back of my car. I had only anticipated they would bring a couple ziplock bags of items, so witnessing their generosity was overwhelming. Then a few sisters, who are less economically blessed, unexpectedly brought in donations (my own personal lesson of the widow's mite). Seeing the piles of donations grow - charity in a very tangible/visible form - has been life-changing. Here is Charlotte on Sunday surrounded donated items:

I confess I feel a bit apprehensive about a few parts of the trip (though probably not as much as my mom). I'm worried about not being able to sleep (no AC - I know it's pathetic how I whine!), and I'm worried about getting sick (I'll be on Malaria meds and don't want to pick up any internal bugs). But the pros outweigh all the cons. I'm ready - ready to see hard things, ready to see beautiful people and places, ready to work hard, ready to learn and grow, and ready to be exhausted in well-doing. Hopefully, as part of my thousand lives experience, I will be changed again. More grateful. More aware. More willing to do good things even when it's hard.  

Plus - I get to travel with this amazing group of kids. They may look goofy in the picture below - but their energy and optimism is contagious. I'm sure I'll be changed by them too.

Another chapter: Uganda. Here I come!