God Knew
Many things come into my mind when I think about a way to wrap up my experience here in Uganda in just one paragraph, but one word that comes to mind is love. It is all around me. It is in the "Good mornings" I yell out to Fortunate and Dennis after a morning run, it is in washing diapers at chores times, making necklaces in jewelry even with a language barrier that is so real, and it is even in the love I have for rice and beans that I never knew was possible. I am eternally thankful for this time. I feel like God knew what He was doing when he placed me here for this month when some things in my life are so unknown at home with college decisions. He gave me something steady, He gave me people who loved me for just me.
The love is around me when the kid's faces light up at us carrying them to nap time or reading stories at story time. Every day I have sweet baby Jacob grabbing my hand at 5:00 for story time and it fills my heart. I know it is overused to say "these kids have shaped me more than I have them" but I can't think of anything more true. Even when the days seem repetitive, a special moment touches my heart each day in the kids smiles even if it's with a simple dance party with a beat being made from the tub we keep toys in. These children are a light in my life.
A reason I signed up for this internship is that I wanted to be around the children and how I am oh so thankful for them, but it is so amazingly interesting how the women have shaped my time here heavily throughout chore time. In chore time we interns are often washing diapers, socks, wash clothes, toys or uniforms and it is FUN. The first day I did chores I was not happy at all to have to do them every day, but oh how that has changed I love chores. I never understand the Lugandan they are speaking back and forth to each other, but I do understand the laughs they share. We see the women laughing all with each other and it makes me smiles just to see them smile. Chores have also been a time for me to get to really sit and get to know the women better, so without chore time I think I would have missed many relationships that have changed my time here. Even if it is rinsing the toys while Sylvia cleans, I am happy to just be sitting with her. I never imagined chore time being an integral part of my time here, but it blessed me to be able to bond with these women in childcare even when I'm scrubbing away at dirty socks.