Eucharisteo



My spirit has had a rough couple of weeks.  There are no words to describe the extreme, mixed range of emotions that have been swirling through my heart.  It has surely been a tough time for me in ways that very few people can understand.  But there is more to the story than my grief alone.  While I am by no means over the entire situation that has exploded in my life one week ago, I cannot look back on my experiences in Uganda without feeling an overwhelming sense of gratitude.  I am tremendously thankful for so many people and experiences that I have been able to have over the past three months.  It is through this gratitude that I am slowly finding healing and hope for whatever the future may hold.  I have created a very short list of my “thankful moments” for you to be able to experience a small tinge of the great joy I was able to find in a tiny country called Uganda.  

 













 














 




































I am thankful for:
- Jesus’ guidance to Uganda
- The coolness of rain at night
- My clients teaching me to carry a baby on my back
- Dinner conversations with Emma and Alvin (and sometimes Timothy)
- Dance parties until midnight
- Families that took me in as one of their own
- Movie marathons until early morning
- Sunshine after rainfall
- An absolutely amazing supervisor, who acted more like a role-model
- Colleagues that made work feel more like fun
- Challenging classroom discussions
- Random treats (BROWNIE CUPCAKES) throughout the semester
- A program staff that deeply cared for its students
- A dorm hall full of the best women around
- Lois’ sweet smile
- Agape Wednesday
- The Honor’s College/USP retreat
- The ability to be vulnerable in front of my clients
- Being invited into the homes of my clients
- The “Emilia effect”
- Celebrating life with friends
- Alvin’s caring spirit
- Surprise soapy showers for belated birthday wishes
- Experiencing Kampala with trusted friends
- Frozen yogurt and fun conversation
- Talking in song lyrics
- Dancing with my clients
- Aeden asking, “Are you happy?”
- Friends who express gratitude for my life
- 7:00 am sunrises and 7:00 pm sunsets
- Sweet chili sauce that made beans and rice so tasty
- Random photo-shoots
- Hilarious moments of miscommunication
- 45 minute car rides on bumpy Ugandan roads
- Wednesday morning glory at 6:15 am
- A group of friends who understands my experiences
- Quick trips to Wandegeya
- Emma’s laundry skills
- Practicing the art of presence
- Plane rides with endless movie entertainment
- Finding wholeness in broken places
- Worship on mountaintops
- Exploring the exotic terrain of Uganda
- The refreshing mist of waterfalls cooling my skin
- Standing 20 feet from massive hippos
- Showering under starry skies
- Learning the art of using latrines
- Stella’s dress making skills
- Packages filled with memories of home
- Staying up late for pillow talk
- Kato’s cakes for morning cravings
- Cool showers on sweaty days
- Enoch’s talkative personality
- Weekend retreats
- Tea time with colleagues
- Living with less as a means to gain more
- Nature’s air conditioning during the stifling heat
- Laughter amidst painful endings
- Strong hearts for the weary of spirit
- Gaining confidence
- Lynn’s sweet insights
- Family who supports me from a distance
- Friends who wipe away the tears from a broken heart
- Feisty moments with bodaboda drivers
- Meeting inspiring ex-pats who are doing it right
- A rambunctious little sister who loved to be with me
- Friends to survive “the plague” with
- Benjamin’s faithful heart
- A beautiful campus to call home
- Guest appearances on “The K Show”
- Being pinched, poked, and stroked by a sea of children
- Holding babies…so many babies
- Jesus’ presence in Uganda
- The cold, refreshing taste of soda from glass bottles in the heat of the day
- Fresh fruit from the side of the road
- People who recognized my presence and wanted to share with me in it
- Letters from a dear friend
- Lawrence’s polite demeanor
- Making a fool of myself running away from the despised Honor’s College cat
- Teaching to and learning lessons from my clients
- Being forced to think creatively and live with flexibility
- Learning how to take life less seriously and enjoy moments with those around me
- The singing voices of girls in the shower
- A woman who kept our living space so tidy
- Soap and the art of washing hands
- The impromptu nomination to participate in a debate…and winning
- Having a friend to stand up with in front of an entire church congregation as the pastor searched for our husbands
- Gaining more than field experience, but a lifetime of lessons
- Children coming into the office to greet us every three hours
- The sweet smile of a child with his two missing front teeth
- Friends with different perspectives on life
- Belonging to a community
- Sunday morning worship services
- Mealtimes filled with family members
- The women in the bag room who began to recognize me
- Jamming to the radio during in-office days
- Drivers who became friends
- Smiles and laughter shared with friends
- Living for three months in one of the most beautiful places on earth
- Jesus’ guidance through returning “home”

And nothing will ever take away my gratitude. 








xoxo,
Emilia

My trip was made more financially affordable thanks to the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship (http://www.iie.org/en/Programs/Gilman-Scholarship-Program)!

I do not own all of these photos.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

They never said it would be easy, but...

Image
...never in my wildest dreams could I have imagined that my service as a Peace Corps volunteer would begin in an almost traumatic fashion.  But, before I get to ahead of myself, let's do a small capstone of the past ten weeks. For those who are unaware of the Peace Corps structure, all those who want to become volunteers most go through a two to three month training period known as Pre-Service Training (PST).  This training consists of orientation, the development of technical skills, the study of language, as well as the time to practice implementation of gained knowledge and skills out in the community.  I spent various amounts of time - anywhere from one to four weeks at a given time - in different parts of Uganda - Mukono, Gulu, Soroti, Kampala - to do all of these activities as required by Peace Corps.  For example, while in Gulu district, I studied Acholi, the local language of my placement district, for four weeks. During our language training, we are ...
Read more

Dear Diane,

Image
We lost you about one year ago.  I remember where I was when I answered that call and trying to keep my shocked self together at the office because I couldn’t say the words out loud.  It didn’t last for long; I cried all the way to town and even more when I met up with our language group.  I was angry at myself for taking your surgery so lightly because I felt like I failed you in meeting your greatest need when you had been there for me.  Your memorial service has haunted me.  Yes, we had a…somewhat disastrous…ceremony to honor your life.  The best parts were the lighting of candles that we stuck in buckets full of sand (but blew out instantly because it was so windy outside) and the time set aside for sharing memories of you.  Everyone knew we were close.  But I didn’t know what to say.  So I stayed silent because I wasn’t sure how to share you with our cohort (or at all).  It has taken me awhile but, after one year, I feel ready ...
Read more

Life after Uganda: What USP taught me

Image
One month ago, I stepped off of a plane into the unfamiliar familiar land of America after living in Uganda for three months.   I left Uganda hopelessly heartbroken and incredibly weary as to what to do next.   While I am the biggest work in progress alive, I (slowly but surely) have been finding restoration and have gained a greater sense of who I am as well as who I would like to become.   It can be extremely difficult trying to reintegrate back into “normal” life after living a completely different type of normal for an extended period of time.   Here’s a little update on my life outside of Uganda: It was only a few days into my reintegration process that I was able to land a part-time job at fast-food restaurant.   Please do not ask me how it happened because I still do not know how I was able to get a job after only a few days back in the states.   I was instantly thrown into a situation that felt like it was way over my head, but remained surpris...
Read more