Love

I fell in love with a country and people group. I can’t stop thinking and dreaming of Uganda. Everything I do or see reminds me of Uganda. When I sleep I dream that I’m there or traveling there. I awake early with a start, just to calculate the time difference and pray for the start of their day. I cry almost daily with such aching to be back. I don’t know what why I struggle or miss it so much. I’ve tried to ignore it. I cry out to God begging him to show me what He wants me to do. But my life is changed. I have seen life in the simplest form. It has attracted my attention and captured my heart. I long to go back. I long to live where I felt home and such joy in every step I took.

I miss having to constantly rely on God in everything. That is when I saw His power clearly. That is when I felt the most joy and peace. I miss walking in the African heat and dusty roads. I miss eating posho and beans. I miss going to the kitchen and sitting on logs to eat porridge everyday with the staff. I miss laughing with the Acholis, as I stumbled over the many greetings in the local language. I miss the children laughing and running as they played soccer. I miss the dancing and singing of praises to God. I miss the reality of how short life is. I miss collapsing in exhaustion every night. I miss the feeling of purpose every time I walked out that door. I miss the beautiful African rains as they swept across the plains. I miss the prayers and kindness of Joyce, as I lay sick in bed. I miss the bugs flying everywhere and startling me into shrieks and laughter. I miss the beautiful sunrises. I miss talking to my family in the hours when we both were awake despite the 7 hrs difference. I miss looking up at night to see the Milky Way galaxy and standing in awe of Gods creation. I miss the uncertainty each day. I miss the feeling of just being alive. I miss cooking and hoping for the best as I tried cooking with different things. I miss the bodas (motorcycles) as they zig and zagged everywhere with their massive loads. I miss jumping up and down pumping water as the locals laughed with me. I miss tasting new things like goat and fried ants. I miss learning how to communicate in another language. I miss driving over red bumpy roads for an hour just to get to the nearest grocery store. I miss meeting new people. I miss sharing about God and watching their faces light up with pure joy and understanding as the translator translated into their own language. I miss learning about a whole different way of living. I miss being covered in sweat. I miss the cold showers. I miss the feeling of love, joy and fulfillment in Jesus. I miss completely relying on Gods protection and guidance because I had nowhere else to turn. I miss my heart swelling with love with every person I met. I miss Africa. I miss my home away from home. I miss Uganda.