Where we were in Uganda was very lush and green, where mangos, bananas, pineapples, avocados and jack fruit grow in abundance.
I've never been to Ethiopia, but some of our team members have and said that Ethiopia is drier, browner and more desert-like. I am assuming that the drier and less lush parts of Africa (such as Ethiopia) most likely have more of a hunger issue?
That's not to say that hunger is not a problem in Uganda, we just didn't see it in the villages where we were. They also had clean water. Or I guess I should say adequately clean water by their standards (if we had drank it, it would have made us sick). Seeing children walking to the nearest well to fill water jugs was a normal sight.
I attribute much of all of this (having food, water and basic nutrition) to the impact that SOS Ministries has had on the area where we were.
I also have been asked numerous times if I saw people suffering from jiggers {the bugs that infect people's feet, that Katie talks so much about in Kisses from Katie}. We also did not see this. From what I have read, the areas in Uganda that have been most affected by jigger outbreaks are near Jinja and the areas to the east and northeast of the capital city of Kampala. Kubamitwe is in the region of Luweero and is north of Kampala. {to read about an amazing ministry in Uganda that is saving many lives from jigger outbreaks, click here}.
SOS identified for us eight needy families in the surrounding villages whom were in need of an 'open air kitchen structure' to cook their food. The homeowner was to provide four poles (trees cut from their property) for the structure. That way, they would have some pride and ownership in contributing to the project.
Our team divided into five groups with the hope that each of our groups could build two kitchen structures by day's end. Brad, Leigh, Jessica, Jason and Robert each led a group. I was personally super impressed with our women leaders, Jessica and Leigh. Their husbands should be proud.
In the village, it is customary for women to wear skirts right below the knee or longer, which is why you see the girls and women on our team wearing skirts, even when we built kitchens.
The SOS Ministry truck took each team out into the village to began working:
Most of the homes in the village are made of brick that they make themselves. The bricks are very light and not very durable. They break into many pieces upon throwing down. We also saw homes that were huts made out of wood and straw.
Here are what the roads looked like that we travelled on throughout rural Uganda. This is actually considered a good 'cleared' road.
It is not unusually to see women balancing food and what not on their head:
As we drove by children, they would wave and yell 'Mizungu' which means 'white person'.
One thing we learned about Ugandan living is that things don't always go as planned. They do not live on a schedule; hence, you do not live on a schedule. Many of our building teams got to experience this up close and personal.
My team (led by Brad) and another team (led by Robert) were dropped off at houses that were right across the road from one another. Before we could begin working, we had to meet the home owner, who would present their poles to us. Even though he had been been told we were coming, the home owner of Robert's team was not home. They finally determined he was out 'digging' (what they call gardening). Since our homeowner was home and going as planned, Robert's team joined our team.
Initially, our building was a bit slow-going. For one, the poles the home owner had cut down were determined to not be sturdy enough, so we had to walk out into the jungle and find some poles (tree trunks) that would work.
Next, we had to cut the trees down with a machete and then trim off the branches. I am saying this like I had a part in it. I know you find this hard to believe, but I was not the one they chose to use a machete or saw. No, I was just the picture taker :).
Kelly actually sawed a bit. As did Colton. We learned very quickly that these saws were about as dull as my twenty year old kitchen knives.
Some of us were proud pole holders (I even got to do this job for a bit).
This precious girl came to visit us for awhile.
By the time the truck came to get us for our lunch break back at SOS, we had our poles set up. Brad was a great leader--you could tell that he was in his element. He chose to stay back and work through lunch...
Pocho and beans, along with Ugandan tea were served...Ugandan staples I was beginning to love.
For a few days in Uganda, I was battling an allergy in my eyes that caused them to water and burn profusely. This was one of the days. Since Jen needed quite a bit of help in the kitchen that day and my outdoor work was causing this,
That was the wonderful thing about this mission trip. We did such an assortment of things each day that everyone found their niche of where they could best help out. On this particular day, kitchen work of a different variety was definitely calling my name. Kelly and Hannah also volunteered to stay behind.
So while teams continued to sweat and labor over a kitchen, we sliced, stirred and cooked within a kitchen.
We had a slight injury on the scene of one work site:
Another picture of Sophie with a machete! (???)
The home owner was so ecstatic that she literally danced a little jig in delight!
I know this day for so many was a favorite. There is something about sweating and physically working hard for someone else in need that is extremely satisfying. Not to mention the bonding with others on your team as you try to figure out the best way to tackle what you're doing.
For me, this day was looking for where God could best use me, which happened to be in the kitchen. Jen later told me that this was her favorite day of the week as she, Kelly and I shared testimonies and stories about our personal walks with the Lord. It was definitely a sweet time and a way that we could love on and befriend a missionary's wife whose fellowship with other women is few and far between.
As this day came to a close, I was reminded of how every part of the body of Christ is important. He uses all different gifts and jobs within the body to make it function best.
Whether we encourage the downcast, bake a meal, provide physical help, give advice, call a friend, share a story, or whatever we do, may we do it all--every bit of it--for the glory of God! (1 Cor. 10:31)
"14 Now the body is not made up of one part but of many. 15 If the foot should say, "Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. 16 And if the ear should say, "Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? 18 But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. 19 If they were all one part, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many parts, but one body. 21 The eye cannot say to the hand, "I don't need you!" And the head cannot say to the feet, "I don't need you!"22 On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23 and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, 24 while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has combined the members of the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it, 25 so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. 26 If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it. 27 Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it." 1 Cor. 12:14-27
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