Thank you for the package you sent me, I loved all of the candy and drink mixes. My little sisters are currently enjoying the heart-shaped stickers. They like to put them on the back of their hands, on their faces, and all over everyone else in the family. I wish you were able to be here for all of my exciting adventures, or at least see all of the pictures I’ve been taking. Since you can’t really see what’s going on here I thought I would write this post especially to you & explain everything in vivid detail so that you can picture it in your mind when Grandma Linda reads it to you…
This is Africa.
It’s hot- sometimes humid, sometimes dry, usually dusty, and almost always bright and sunny. It’s so bright here that I often have to cover my eyes when I talk to people outside. The dust doesn’t look like the dirt on the ground in MI; Ugandan soil is a deep shade of red. When the wind blows the streets are filled with swirling dust and scattered leaves. It really is quite beautiful.
This is Uganda.
Right now I’m standing at an elevation of over 3000ft. Hiking, running, and even walking up small hills or steps make me lose my breath… so naturally I blame my poor physical condition on the lack of oxygen in these parts. I’ve seen so many amazing sites here so far: mountains & valleys, so green and alive; lakes & waterfalls, powerful and breathtaking; and the wildlife & natural plants that grow in this country are so bountiful & bright. I really think that every flower is small miracle… they are so unique and exquisite, I wish I could bring them home for you. Sometimes when we drive by the nursery where they sell flowers & other plants I think about how I might sneak one back home to the U.S. in my suitcase. I really don’t think that they’ll let me, but I like to dream.
This is Mukono.
I live in a small city. We reside about an hour’s drive outside of the capital city. Because I live in a more populated/educated area of Uganda, most people speak at least some English and many people are fluent. I have several modes of transportation while here in Mukono: walking, Taxi, and sometimes my host father drives me to school. Did I mention that everyone drives on the left side of the road? So when Taata drives me to school I end up sitting in what I’m familiar with as “the driver’s side.” But the steering wheel is on the other side of the vehicle! It is strange… I’m still not used to the road signs that say “KEEP LEFT.” I’ve noticed that a lot of people even walk on the left side of the sidewalk.
This is Nassuti.
My host father is the Reverend of our small church in the little district of Nassuti. We have a few hundred people at our three church services every Sunday morning. The first service is in Luganda, the local language, the second service is in English, and again the third service is Luganda. The people here love to sing & dance. In church we’ll sing the same chorus over and over (up to 25 times?) and the congregation will just keep clapping their hands & singing along. It’s hard for me to enjoy the worship here because it’s so unfamiliar… I like when songs are well written & have deep meaning to them, but here everything seems so simple. It’s not bad, just different. “We will praise you Jesus with clapping today, clapping today…”
This is Home.
Our house is made with cement and drywall, it has been painted the color of steel grey, and it is relatively well kept. I have my own bedroom with a window. The window opens outward instead of up & down like my windows in America. I sleep in a bed with a foam mattress under a white, netted mosquito net. I’ve heard that some people here make wedding veils out of mosquito nets, if that helps you to picture them better. I have a small table in my room that I use to keep my chest of supplies (clothes hangers, extra blankets, ect.) and also my small things like purse and water bottle. Around the second week of the semester Mama gave me a nice plastic green chair so that I also have a place to sit and do my homework in my room. I have an outlet next to the door that works most evenings, so I can charge my cell phone and computer if I need to. I keep my suitcase at the foot of my bed along with an under-the-bed storage container that I use to keep all of my clothes. I do my laundry by hand Grandma :) It’s really interesting… we set up about 4 basins & fill them halfway with water. Starting in the first basin we wash everything individually with a bar of soap & some serious elbow grease. Mama says that I don’t have enough energy to clean things properly so she always helps me… honestly, I just don’t want to ruin my clothes. All of my things are starting to get little fuzzies on them because we rub them together so roughly. Once we wash them once in the first basin we move them down the line & wash them again, and again… My host family is super nice. They spoil me with all sorts of treats and snacks. Last night for dinner I had: watermelon, bananas, papaya, jackfruit, pasta, and cabbage salad. I really enjoyed it because there was so little starch! (Usually we ONLY eat starch…) I feel really blessed to be with such a caring group of people.
This is Me.
My name is Jessica Rachael Strom. Some people here call me Kitibwa (Chee-T-bwa), or “glory” in Luganda. I am also “Sister,” “Auntie,” “Teacher,” “Muzungu,”(white) & “Mukwano” (friend). This semester I am learning. I’m learning about myself a little bit; learning that I really like America, learning that I treasure my family and friends above most anything and I’m learning that those things are okay. But mostly I’m learning about the world and Christ’s work within it. I am being challenged to see Christ everywhere and to understand that Christ does not NEED me for his will to be done among the nations. Christ has been at work in these places from the beginning of time… the Middle East, the Buddhist temples, and the most destitute areas of the world have not been forgotten by our loving God. I’m learning that God reveals Himself in different ways to different cultures. It’s hard to condense all of this information into a single post, but I would love to talk about it more some other time… Grandma, I’m doing well here. In the beginning it was really hard to be so far away, to be so isolated and lost in a community that I really knew nothing about. I still don’t know all that much about Ugandan culture, but I’m becoming more confident everyday. & to be completely honest, the instant coffee that you and Grandma sent me has helped a lot. The little things that are familiar help me steady my feet and remind me where I come from. I might talk a little bit differently when I come home, I might act a little weird, and I might dress a little more modestly, but overall I think I will be the same women I was when I left… if a little more observant and open-minded.
I love you very much & I hope that this email finds you well. Grandma says that you’ve been enjoying her leftovers recently, I’m so jealous! :) Have a good day & tell the rest of the family that I say hello.
Always,
Jessica
