Feels like home

I'm travelling again.  I'm out of practice!  I forgot pretty much everything important... computer power cable, toilet paper, notecards... thankfully the trip has not been hindered by my extreme forgetfulness.

Since I had malaria, I haven't been traveling much.  It's been a time in Kampala of organizing life, running 2 courses in Kampala, working with the interns on their community engagement projects, etc.  It's been good.  Not traveling every week or two has some major advantages.

But now I am back on the road.  As much as the actual road part is incredibly stressful, the seeing people I love is not.

On Friday, I travelled to Mbarara, my old home, Yesu Ahuriire Community.  It'd been a while, I was last there in January.  Yesu Ahuriire Community was celebrating their 15th anniversary, so I thought it appropriate to attend.  It was a glorious time.  So many good friends were there, even people who are no longer living there came to celebrate.  So I got to see all my favorite people, and catch up with them!  I really enjoyed my time with these people in a place that used to be home.  As they dances and sang at the end of mass, I realized how comfortable I feel there.  The language is soft on my ears, I don't understand... but I can hear it better than Luganda.  The ways of celebration feel familiar, the dancing I know...It really was home.

I do miss the West, I miss the quiet and peace.  I miss the mountains and the people.  I don't miss being sick.  I guess it's a trade off.

While at the big event of Saturday, I was able to connect with the head mistress of the most prestigious girls school in Uganda, Mary Hill.  I spoke with her about using our leadership training program and she is interested!  It was a great connection for sure.

I stayed for a very brief time.  Only about 30 hours, but it was great.  The trip from Mbarara to Masaka was not great, but I made it.

As soon as I walked into the compound of Holy Trinity Community, Masaka I felt like I could breath.  Again, home.  These places have become so precious to me.  I am celebrating 2 years both at the community in Mbarara and here in Masaka... it was 2 years ago I visited them for the first time.  Now they are my close companions.

And these places are also full of my "children"... students from the DTS which I staffed in 2010-2011. 

Martin is now running a group called Kisi of singing children at Yesu Ahurrire.  He's the director!  Everytime he sees me he still calls me "Mama"... he's an orphan and I think I might be one of the closest people he's had to a mom in his life.  Josephate is now running matinance, and Bahati is still around helping with school outreaches.  Here in Masaka, Lydia is running our craft group.  She was one of the students I was responsible for mentoring one on one... and I see her regularly still!  We always make time to have "Mother Daughter" chats.  She's very artistic and really taken up the craft initiative I've started here.  Godfrey, another student, is now the leader here in Masaka!  He has grown so much in the last 2 years and it's been such a joy to be a part of his journey. 

This week is packed with meetings... good meetings.  All my people in Masaka.  NET, Fr. Michael, Vicar General Kato, Fred & Pauline Mawanda, Stellagh, Gloryia... and of course quality time at HTC.   Maybe a little time with my favourite 12 year old, Ruth!  

This afternoon was precious.  It's Sunday, so we were resting... I brought a few games with me, we all sat on mats under a tree and played Yahtzee!  They learned very fast, and loved it!  I think I am going to buy them some dice in town tomorrow, so they can keep playing after I leave.  People have been generous with me, I should be generous to others... not only with my time, but with my creativity and resources. 

I am embracing the fact that life is about the small things.  Yahtzee under a tree, and oreos after dinner.  Small things. 

The focus of this week in Masaka is Trinita Crafts.  Tuesday will be craft day! This is the craft group I helped the community to begin, which is now doing very well.  We'll take the whole day to improve and design their crafts.  We're going to start a new line of fabric (kitenga) flowers.  Today I made my dinning room into a work shop, and began making samples for them to learn from.  Tomorrow I'll pick up more scraps in town from the tailors, so we have a lot to start with.  Scissors are a bit of a problem, but I think I may have found some tonight that might work.  We'll start on Christmas cards too, so I can bring some back to the states with me later in the year! 

I love this part of life.  I love being in Masaka, with my people... my place, I really fit here.  I am at peace here.    One thing I will say for Ugandans; once you are their friends, they are very faithful companions along the way!

Seeking to transform...

Hello all... please forgive the lack of updating. Things have been busy! 

If you'd like to see some photos of life recently, click this link!  It'll take you to my most recent facebook album.

My most recent email newsletter can be read here... the theme is appreciation!   You can even read back issues of my email newsletter if you have a missed a few.

In bloggish news, life has been pretty good.  Last week we had our first "open course", meaning anyone was able to attend.  We had about 20 people, from a variety of groups. attend the 5 day program.  Overall the feed back was very positive, but the team was pretty tired!  I was very proud of 2 of our interns, Edmond and Patricia, who taught sections of the course for the first time.  Joshua also pitched in and, of course, our ever awesome Carol carried her weight in teaching.

Our course is a pretty cool experience.  People are challenged, but also empowered to actually start taking responsibility for their lives.  It's a rare thing here.  I know it sounds funny, but when living in or surrounded by poverty it's easy to give up and stop trying to make your life better. It's easier to blame your hardships, problems and situations on other people.

The course we teach is based on The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.  I don’t like the term “self help”… but I don’t really think that describes well what we do.   I think it’s more about teaching people to use what they have, and to help them to see what is possible… painting a picture of a possible future beyond what they’ve allowed themselves to imagine.

Let me take “Be Proactive” as an example.  It’s the 2^nd principle we teach, and the core point is “Who I am, and what I become in the future is my responsibility.”  Seems pretty basic right?  But when someone who has not embraced that fact actually starts to think about it, understand it, and live by it, it makes a big change.  In this lesson, and throughout the course, we talk a lot about creative thinking and give many, many exercises to help people start thinking in a new way. 

One of the challenges we face is that often people see a problem, and then only one solution.  Usually that solution is not a very positive one.  They feel “stuck”, “forced by circumstances”, or “disempowered”.  So one of the core things we teach is that for every problem or challenge we face there are “157 solutions” to that problem.  This blows people’s mind.  We take them through several real life examples, and encourage them to use our model to find these creative solutions.  It’s amazing to see what happens when someone realizes that they have a choice in their life, and that they don’t have to do anything… that there are always different creative solutions.

This is just part of what we do.  I love it.  There is nothing that is more rewarding to me than to see the “light bulb” go off in someone’s mind as they realize they can take into their own hands their development, that they have everything they need to take initiative.  Beautiful things come from this!

Me and Carol, my amazing partner in all this, in traditional wear at a Uganda wedding

Carol Teaching

My world these days

Interns:  the ones I love ooh so very much