Presence... in a new home :)

The past 2 weeks, the group had the opportunity to live with a Ugandan family!

Some specifics about my family:

-       3 generations present: my mom and dad (Jane and Hunnington), 3 of their 4 children (who have already started their own families- Betty, Joseph, and Procy), and 6 grandchildren ranging from 3 months old to 10 yrs old (Mark, also know as bambina (baby), Arnold-2, Moses-4, Vivian-6, Isaac-8, and Arthur-10).

-       Betty and Procy were just their on holiday and went back to their homes after I left.

I LOVE this family J. … well all the group loved their families- God is faithful in that.

During the weekends, when I didn’t have school, I spent the day doing practical family things: get up at 7 am, take tea, wash laundry, chat, wash dishes, play with kids, prepare lunch, eat lunch at 2-3 pm, go to the garden to pick more food (and eat sugar cane!!! J), return home, take tea, play with kids, wash dishes, bathe, help prepare dinner, eat dinner 9-10 pm, family prayers/songs, and bed. presence.

…and Sundays: church!

This experience definitely taught me more about myself:

1.     I like to keep busy.

2.     I am individualistic.

3.     I doubt.

4.     One of my favorite things is connecting with people through laughter.

The experience also taught me more about others:

1.     Presence= love whether you are talking or not.

2.     Laughter/smiles cross all cultures.

The experience also showed me more of God:

1.     God is faithful to meet physical, spiritual, and emotional needs.

2.     ….ALWAYS faithful.

3.     I can have faith because of His faithfulness.

One of my favorite memories of the homestay was simply sitting and being with my mother and sister at night in the outdoor kitchen simply watching them cook by firelight and simply being present…

In one of my classes now, we are reading Primal Vision- a book written by a white missionary in who lived in Uganda for 8 yrs and founded the seminary at the campus I am living on right now.  The key concept touched on so far is this idea of presence.  It all relates back to Jesus because in Him, God came into the world and made himself present to broken people.  Presence with others is the Gospel lived out- and its a crazy concept when you think about how back until Adam and Eve, this process of turning others back to each other, God, and even the reality of themselves has been in process... we are part of this grand plan, where past runners have  passed the baton on and are encouraging us to continue on running after the Lord together and sharing His presence!

…. And it is something very hard to do in a culture as time-oriented as America is.  I am seeing how I have valued “getting things done” and “efficiency” over relationship- simply being with another.  I am not saying efficiency is bad, because in many cases I believe it is helpful and strategic, but the goal should always be relationship even within that: presence.  i am simply learning to be :)

Last thought: even at home, it’s way more fun to do laundry, dishes, and cooking with other people- I am appreciating YOU right now mom J.

In growing faith in the God who is continually faithful!!

nicole