Africa, Cold Water, and Naked Babies

"Like jumping into really cold water."- this is how I am describing our first 24hrs in Uganda.

First you are really disorientated. "Where am I?" "What's happening?" "Was this a good idea?" It might be the jet lag but this place is really different from Colorado. First of all; there are black people here, lots of them. (I apologize to the three black people from Colorado, all of whom I know.)

Next, it's really overwhelming. The mass of people. Different smells. Language. Etiquette. Customs. The most surprising thing that I discovered quickly is that I'm on the big size here. Obviously not height so much. I outweigh most of guys I've met. It might be because I have actually never gone a full day in my life with out eating and they have.

I tempted to post of a few of the tear jerking things we've seen so far. (That's right, I started crying about 4hrs after arriving.) It's a little too early to do that so I'll tell you my favorite moment so far, it made me cry too.

Yesterday, we traveled over to the children's home- it's not called an orphanage on purpose. The bulk of the kids weren't home yet from school so we toured the grounds and met the real little babies that were there. I was told that most of the little babies are not used to older men so don't be surprised if they are timid at first. They were...so feeling rejected I went outside and watched the guys cooking dinner and left Katie to hang with the babies. (they have a thing here called "chipati" that are just like my grandmas tortillas.)

Soon all the kids arrived and the only way I describe it is like the universal studios ride that simulated a flash flood. You see a wall of water crashing toward you and you are sure the tram is going to be swept away. At the last second the water goes around you and you are untouched. Except with this flood of kids, they didn't divert and I got swept up in the flood. Little kids everywhere. It wasn't until an hour later I got my bearing and looked up from the sea of kids.

Standing there in the hallway was Katie holding one of those little babies. He was totally naked and dusty..his name was Emma. And in that frozen moment that I'll never forget, this whole crazy thing came together for me.

"I can hold babies and that might be enough."

In all our discussions and over thinking I asked Katie what she wanted to do. That was her answer. Not in this country a half a day and I was watching my baby's hope come true. And that was enough for me.

peace

john

How We Got Here.

About two years ago, our family was officially introduced to Africa when we saw the documentary about the children of Northern Uganda, Invisible Children. It tells the story about the people displaced by civil war and the children kidnapped and forced to become child soldiers in it. It truly influenced our ideas about this poverty-stricken area of the world. I started selling t-shirts and organizing small fundraisers for the Invisible Children organization. Our church, The Refuge, played a huge part in these fundraisers by helping to distribute the shirts and collecting spare change to be donated.

Through The Refuge, we met Kevin Potter. He and his family are from England and they introduced the idea of traveling to the country of Uganda. The organization Kevin is a part of is called Cherish Uganda. Cherish Uganda works towards creating a long-lasting and stable environment for both children and adults of the country. Kevin invited me to go with them on the next trip. The reality of actually traveling to Africa had never really crossed my mind. It sounded so incredibly possible, that we actually considered it. When my dad said that he wanted to go too, it seemed perfect.

However, we did consider our options carefully. We looked at the possibilities of going to South Africa, Ethiopia, Kenya, and some other countries through the organization, Mocha Club. Somehow, we were always drawn back to Uganda. Whether it was coincidence or providence, we discovered Come Let's Dance. Come Let's Dance is based out of Kampala, the capital of Uganda. It is an organization that works towards the idea of self-sustainability (in other words, helping Africans help themselves and not just a handout). The more we heard about it, the more we knew that this is where we wanted to be. Going through Come Let's Dance gave us the freedom to choose what projects and places we would be a part of. The people we have met through this organization have greatly exceeded our expectations, all of them being truly amazing people.

So, after months and months of raising money and hundreds of pounds of donations (a quick thanks to those of you who supported us in this trip and donated much-needed supplies) and constantly over thinking our expectations and plans, we're off!

We leave our family and friends in three days to the place that neither of us are completely convinced actually exists.

Please pray for our safety and travels while we're gone.

love.
katie

thank you, thank you very much.

There are many misconceptions about firefighters. Contrary to TV myth, not all firefighters are “totally hot”. As a matter of fact, I find very few of the men I work with attractive. But what this group lacks in looks, they certainly make up for in generosity.

A few months ago at work, I put out an email at work detailing what our trip was to entail and I listed a few needs such as medical supplies, children's vitamins, donations, etc. etc. I should know by now that if you ask a firefighter for a rocket on Monday, you'll end up on the moon by Wednesday….still I was surprised by the response. First people started handing me checks. Good checks too, with lots of zeros. Then people handed me cash; right out of their pockets. (Wow, you really trust me?) Next the phone calls started to stream in. “Hey, what do you still need?” “I got a bag down here full of stuff for you.” “I’m going shopping tomorrow, give me a list.”

But what has meant the most to me is the support and encouragement. Everyone jumped on board with this trip early on. There are people who are worried for me and will be losing sleep until we return. I have friends who are choosing to forgo coffee, beer, or other note worthy life giving items.....an African Trip/Lent sort of thing while we are in Uganda.

I see all this and I can only think one thing…..Amazing. Wonderful. Incredible. Unbelievable.

Last night our family was in the backyard sitting around our fake, lava rock, propane campfire. Like many conversations lately, the Africa subject came up. We talked about our motivations for going. We talked about who we’ll be when we come home. (If you haven’t noticed, Katie and I over analyze everything. By the time we set foot on the continent, we will have over thought this African adventure to the last degree.)

This was the simple conclusion I came to last night: I am blessed.

No matter what happens, nothing can change that. The prelude to this trip has reminded me of this fact. I have been blessed by the group of people I work with. I have been blessed by my friends. I have been blessed by my family. Thanks for being in one of these three groups. I hope you know that you are blessed as well. Thank you all so much for the kind words, the prayers, the generosity. You are all truly amazing.

peace,
john

we've been busy.

its been less than a year since this whole idea of AFRICA began. it's crazy to think that after all this planning, it's actually happening.
when i asked the people in uganda what i could bring that the kids need more than anything, they said toothbrushes. the administrators said theyve had to pull some teeth this past year, only because the children there do not have any access to dental care. and when i say that they pull their rotted teeth, i mean without any novocaine or professional care whatsoever; english majors will do serious dental work on toddlers.
when i heard this, it broke my heart.
in my world history class, i was presenting the documentary, invisible children to my class. i had been planning this since before we had decided to go to africa and thought it would be fitting to have the class collect toothbrushes and toothpaste for my trip. i had no idea that my class would come through as they did. i was expecting maybe 100? donations.
i ended up receiving well over 1000.
craziness.
absolute insanity.

so, thats basically the begining.
i cant wait to write the rest.

love.
-katie

and so it begins.......

Well it's twelve more days until Katie and I say our goodbyes, get on a plane, and begin this little adventure. The popular question right now is, "Are you excited?" Actually, I'm more in the state of disbelief than anything else. Awhile back someone asked me if I thought this was a good idea. I think they were referring to the idea of traveling halfway across the planet with my 16 year old daughter to hang out in African slums for almost a month. It seems to me that most good adventures don't sound like good ideas; they just sound exciting....hence the popular question.

What strikes me funny is the question that has not been asked. "Why?" No one has asked me why we are going. Maybe it's just so obvious to everyone else that it's a stupid question. And to be honest, I don't have a good answer. Perhaps there are those things in life that just seem right and maybe this trip is one of them.

"So, why are you going?"..........ok, I'll give it a shot.

I want to help people, make a difference, and not just observe from afar.
I want the chance to meet people from a different culture, a different world, almost a different planet.
I want to stand next to my daughter and watch her come face to face with "the least of these."
I want to see how all the good words in the bible stand up next to the worst of conditions this world creates.
I want to get out of the insulation of "good intentions" and risk a little of my comfortable life.
I want to be able to say I've seen it for myself, with my own eyes, with no one interpreting it for me.

I want (i need) Mercy and Grace to be real and not just ideas tattooed on my arms.

Please remember us during the month of July. We leave the 7th and come home the 31st. We'll try to write on this as often as we can.

peace,
john