Welcome to Uganda!

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I have made it to Uganda, Africa!!! WOOHOOO! 😊
Honestly, it just doesnt seem real that I am here, its like a very like-like dream.
So, I arrived into Entebbe airport around 3pm on Monday the 1st of August. All of the flights were smooth and they didnt feel like they were too long. From Dubai we flew to Ethiopia which was about 4 hours long and from there to Uganda was about 2 hours. It was really cool because I met a friend at the Dubai airport as we were getting the same flight. She was a little older than me, but a lovely girl from London who was also doing some volunteering for one month in Uganda, I love that the Lord just blesses me with friends everywhere I go. I was feeling kinda nervous to come here and he just provided a friend to be with me and share the flight with me and have fun with me and make it exciting. And by the time we got to Africa i was so excited!!! On my flight from Dubai I sat next to a man from Morocco and he was nice to chat to, and then from Ethiopia i had no one next to me and I also had a window seat so it was great, I could spread out a little. So the flights were wonderful and I arrived and the next step was to try and not take too long in getting a visa because the people from Empower a Child (the organisation I am with for 6 weeks) were waiting for me. Unfortunately, when it was finally my turn to get the visa i asked if I could pay with a card and they said no. stress! so I was like okay well i have some aus dollars, but the lady said they only accepted pounds, euros and american dollars, which i had none left of. So i had to go through all these doors to find an ATM on the other side, an none of them were accepting my Mastercard! Uh oh! Kinda was freaking out a little haha and finally found one that accepted it on like the other side of the building and then it wasnt letting me take out the money. I tried so many times and it kept saying a different reason every time. Finally it let me take out a little bit so i went back to the Visa desk and then realised i didnt get enough money out because I misheard what she said and was confused with the currency etc so then i had to go alllll the way back to that ATM again and get more out and it wasnt working again and then a man told me it must be network problems and eventually got a little more out and then ran back and finally got the visa and got through. By that time I had already seen he EAC people who were picking me up as i was running all around the airport and they just told me they would be sitting down and waiting til im all sorted. Then i had to try and find m bag and finally I was able to get out of there. Haha it took me over an hour to do all that and I felt so bad for the people waiting for me but they are so lovely and told me not to worry about it. So then we took a long drive to our house in Kampala. The trip out here was so exciting but also like nothing I have ever seen before. This place is so poor, and so different to Sydney. It really is hard to believe that a place like this exists on the same planet and at the same time as the western world exists. It is so different and just unbelievably poor, its still hard for me to grasp where I actually am and what is going on around me.As we drove through Entebbe and the city and got to Kampala, I saw lots of people all over the roads, some people working, some just sitting around, some with friends or family and so many people on the motorbikes (i think they are called bodas). It was so funny seeing the types of things that people carried on their motorbikes, like massive planks of wood or food or things they are selling, basically their lives were carried on the backs of these motorbikes, some with up to 4 people on the one! Crazy! The roads are all red dirt and there is lots of beautiful green trees and land and lots of farms and lots of shops and really poor houses everywhere. I feel like it is such a shock but its also not as much as I thought. Because I have seen all of this stuff on videos, documentaries, and films and seen pictures however, the thing that was hard for me to understand was that it was exactly like all those things I had seen but this time it was right up in my face and I was driving through it. Everybody who saw us just stared at me because I was a white person, some of the children's faces were just so shocked and they just stared and couldn't believe what they were seeing. A lot of people were very friendly and waved and smiled and lots of children who saw us ran after the van and waved and it was so special! I knew that I would just love it here, the kids are so cute, the cutest kids in the world i just know!! So after going down quite a bumpy red road we finally arrived to the house and were greeted by all of the other volunteers that are here at the moment. That was lovely for them to come out and greet us and they are all so awesome! All of them are Americans, except there is one Canadian and then I'm the only Aussie!
The house is kinda like a hostel, quite modern compared to what most other people live in here, there is a shower and toilet and a computer for us all to share so it is good not be totally isolated from it all.
So we got out of the car and had the chance to settle in and freshen up and then we had dinner and after that followed the night devotions and worship and I was already feeling extremely encouraged.
Kyle spoke to us after the worship and talked about our reason for being here and really challenged all of us, here we are on the first night and the Lord is just not holding back, he doesnt ease us into it, he is straight out with what he wants to say through others, so awesome. He was talking about us being here for Jesus' name sake and reminding us that are here to serve and to love the people of Kampala. He also read out a lot from the bible and one verse in particular that stood with me was,
Philippians 3:8
New International Version (NIV)

8 What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ.

I am really just being reminded of the value of knowing Christ. He is everything to me and like in this example, everything else is considered a loss in comparison to knowing the Lord - that's how amazing it is to know jesus!!!!!!

So after that we went to sleep, I was exhausted! Then the next day we went to the Victory Primary school. We did lots of playing with the kids, games, worship and also did a feeding program. As soon as we got out of the car, actually, before we even got out the kids were surrounding the van and waving at us and so excited to see us!! We got out and immediately all of us had all these kids holding our hands and jumping all over us and it was just so beautiful. I had a ball!! I love kids and these were the most beautiful children, I just cant describe how it felt to be there just having fun with them and making them laugh and being there for them. As soon as I pulled out my camera they were CRAZY! there was soo many of them just running after me and making me take photos of them and they were so close to the camera it was so funny, they were all pushing to get it in and the joy that came across their faces when they saw the photos was just so touching. The other volunteers reminded me that this is probably the only time they ever see their own reflections... wow! It was so funny cause after every photo it would be "teacher! another one!"
At one point the kids had calmed down a little and i was sitting on a bench with all these littles ones sitting all over me (i cant tell you how much i just die being with these cuties!) and to all sides of me and they were just stroking my hair and hugging me and kept touching my arms and comparing it with their arms, they were so amazed that our skin colours are so different. They were poking my freckles and my hair on my arms cause they just dont have them. It was actually really relaxing and i just felt so peaceful. One girl poked my arm and then laughed and ran off so scared and did just not know what i was. After our program we had to say goodbye and come back to the house. Then me and another new volunteer Jotina from Texas, had an orientation with Jayan and Amy the leaders of the house. After that we went to a different school and were inspecting the posters that the kids have there, as all of them are ruined and ripped and some spelt wrong so for the last couple of days we have been making new ones for them, its amazing that something so simple could mean so much to these kids.
That day I also saw some little babies sitting in the dirt on the side of the road alone with their hands out, begging for money. That image has really stuck in my brain and it just broke my heart, it really is hard to comprehend all of this.
Today we went to a children's disability hospital, which was so amazing. It is INCREDIBLE how joyful all of the kids are there, when they all have a disability or something wrong with them, it was a beautiful time and we had so much fun with them. We did games, craft, stories, worship and everything!

Basically, that's most of what we have done so far. I am really learning so much from the Lord already and just loving it here. I am feeling so blessed to be able to experience this and have this opportunity.
I have been feeling a bit sick this arfternoon, literally just slept for 4 hours after lunch and yeah not feeling the greatest so will hopefully have an early night tonight and can pray the sickness away.
Really missing everyone back home, especially my family but am very thankful for the opportunity for internet to tell you all I am safe and well (mostly.. im sure the sickness wont last very long) and really hope you have enjoyed this update.

I will leave you with a verse I read yesterday. I believe the Lord calls us to be his servants, everywhere we go.
Luke 22:26
"...the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who rules like the one who serves. For who is greater, the one who is at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who is at the table? But I am among you as one who serves."

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