Time Is Winding Down

This trip confirms that my blogging and journaling skills are poor but oh well that’s life. I guess I feel I do enough writing in school that the last thing I want to do is write more. That’s a poor attitude especially when there's people who are genuinely interested in my experiences here. Now if I would stop trying to justify my bad habits I could tell you a bit about what been happening to me. Life is still being good to me here with no major mishaps stopping me from enjoying the wonderful Ugandan culture. A lot has happened since my last blog including trips to new parts of Uganda; I've actually been to all areas except the Northern part where they claim its to dangerous for us (not so sure about that). My relationships with my USP and Ugandan friends have deepened which will make it harder to leave. No matter how exciting it will be to see familiar faces back home I know its going to be difficult to say good bye to this place. I'm well over culture shock which took place in the first few weeks. That doesn't of course mean I know everything about this culture but I do understand it better. Also, now that I am accustomed to this culture it means I will no doubt have to face reverse culture shock, which apparently isn't to fun to deal with. I have been blessed with many new ideas and teachings here which for lack of a better word have changed my "worldview" and deepened my faith. Some of these changes may not allow me to jive with the culture I was once so comfortable with though I guess we will just have to wait and see. Time is winding down and this of course is inevitable what is important now is how use the precious time I have left while I am here.

Living Ugandan Style

Man it’s been awhile…but to begin let me first say everything is going well. Classes are stressful at times but always very educational, as classes should be. I have been back in the dorms for a little over a week since my homestay. The dorms I stay in are called honours college and I love it. It was kind of like first year all over again when I first moved in here with the new environment and people. Now it feels like home. Other exciting things that are happening include the service project I take part in once a week. It’s called off-tu missions and it’s a German run organization which helps bring Christian teachings and values to street kids of Kampala (Ugandan’s capital). We are just two weeks in and so far I know I’ve probably taken more out of it than I have given. It will probably remain this way.
Also, I’ve been getting quite involved in the UCU community. First off, there are tons of community events that go on such as worship, dedications, talent shows etc. Playing on the UCU volleyball team has also been one of my major commitments when I’m not busy with USP planned events. The more involved in the community I get the more this feels like home. I think this also partly comes from getting over the experience of culture shock.
This past thanksgiving was the first time this whole trip that I experienced a real longing for home. I knew back home my parents, siblings, grandparents, and other extended family were gathering over an amazing turkey dinner. I was eating beans and rice, actually that’s not completely true. A few good American friends along with Lynda (another Canadian) and I went to a small restaurant for chips and chicken. Sweet friends are good substitute in the absence of family. Still, its at times like this that I realize how blest I am at home.

A Home Away From Home

As a USP student I have the privilege of becoming part of a Uganda family in the neighboring town of Mukono for a short two-week period. I have only been there for six days but I love it. At home I have a Mama and a Tata, five brothers and four sisters. Martin, Daisy, Mary, Peter, Tony and Matilda are all in their early twenties, while Bosko, Just (Justine), and Joseph are in their teens or younger. I am learning a lot! Cooking, showering, cleaning, laundry, along with countless other cultural practices differ from my daily routine at home. They are proud to be hosting one of the only two Canadians on this trip and they love to ask questions about my home country.
Sometimes I feel out of place, though not because they are in any way unwelcoming. The fact is I am out of place. But the longer I stay here the more Uganda does feel like a real home. There are fewer surprises than there used to be, though I’m sure more are to come. Going home to a loving family each day is a good way to unwind from the classroom lectures. I have no doubt that even after I leave this family to go stay in Honors College (my dorm) I will visit them often.

A Rwandan Reflection

Apologies for the long delay in between blogs. Sometimes it just can’t be helped, like for example when you’re touring the amazing country of Rwanda! The main purpose of this trip was to learn as much as we could about this small East African country in the short amount of time we had there (10 days). As many would guess, much our time was spent learning and engaging the genocide that took place during the year of 1994. We visited many memorials sites, listened to genocide survivors, and spoke with many involved in the reconciliation process that continues to go on. Here in Uganda there is a noticeable difference in the faces of older people in comparison to those in Rwanda. Simply put the people of Rwanda seem more stoic in their composure, less likely to make eye contact or smile. The same cannot be said for the children of Rwanda, who are overjoyed to see a mzungu (white person). This seems a little surprising to me at times if one thinks about the history of white people in Rwanda.
At one particular memorial site called Murambi, many USP students including myself were emotional stretched to our limits. This memorial was setup in what used to be a secondary school and was place where over 50,000 people were murdered. What made this site harder to deal with was that many of the bodies had been preserved thus making the whole experience seem more real. Though it was hard I am nonetheless thankful for that experience. Another crazy experience for me happened when I was asked to preach at church in a rural part of Rwanda. Expecting a small turnout I was quite surprised to see that the pastor of this church had invited seven other churches to join on the occasion of our being there. It was amazing to see the energy these people had, our service went on for over four hours and there was never a dull moment with all the singing and dancing.
In all, Rwanda is one of the most beautiful places I have ever been. Its rolling hills and mountains make for an eye-catching landscape. What’s really cool to see is how the farms of this land go straight to the very top of these mountains. Rwanda is a very well organized country in terms of its infrastructure and laws. It is clean and the people who you greet are always very friendly. Someday it would be wonderful to revisit some of the place I had the privilege of seeing.

It begins...

Well first things first I'm no daniel brouwer when it comes to blogging. But I hope all who read this are more interested in the happenings of my life and not the quality of my writting. So to begin, Uganda is everything and more of what I expected it to be. We landed in Uganda late at night tired but very excited. The night only seemed to drag on as we waited for our baggage and went through customs. The weather has so far been less mild than I expected it to be in terms of humidity and temperture and it much more hilly here than I first expected it to be. There is so much to tell and so little time, oh and I'm tired of writting (jet lag still a factor). So don't worry I'll soon hopefully have more detailed messages and perhaps even pictures if your lucky.
Bye everyone,
Bryce