People keep asking me what it was about Africa that I loved so much, and when I think about it it's kind of an interesting question. What was it about Uganda that grabbed me and made me never want to leave? Well it certainly wasn't the mosquitoes, or the cold bucket showers, or the smell of burning garbage, or the life-threatening boda rides, or the lack of M&M's, or the ridiculously crowded taxis, or the way no one believes in standing in line at the supermarket, or creepy old men whistling at me, or being called "mzungu" all day every day. And yet, somehow, it was all of those things. And a lot more. It was the absolutely breathtaking beauty that we were completely surrounded by. It was the delicious chapatis and cassava fries. It was the way women would carry their babies tied onto their backs, and the way children's faces would light up when we waved to them. It was getting the boda driver to crack a smile when we both knew that he was trying to rip me off. It was the joy of getting a pedicure for $2.00 or a necklace for $0.80. It was the thrill of being somewhere so insanely different than anywhere I have ever been, and quickly becoming comfortable in that place. It was the incredible feeling of knowing that I was spending my time doing anything I could to help other people; and recognizing that they were really helping me in so many more ways than I was helping them.
All of these things made me love my summer in Uganda more than I can even tell you, but what really made Uganda so special was the people. The wonderful, wonderful people. Both those that I knew and those that I didn't. I have never felt so loved and appreciated as these people made me feel. I have also never felt so undeserving of that love and appreciation. Ugandans have the most incredible work ethic. I was continually blown away by the work that their women and small children would do that I could never dream of doing - or want to do. I have also never seen a happier group of people than I did in Uganda this summer. Most of these people have very little and work very hard, but they are still so full of joy. They don't complain, they just praise God for what they have. Americans could definitely take a lesson from these great people. I could not believe how amazing these people were, and yet we were the ones who got treated like royalty. They just have the biggest hearts and I can't stand the idea of never seeing some of them again.
So, the simple answer to the question "What was it about Uganda that you loved so much?":
Absolutely everything. But mostly the people.
This might seem cheesy, but while I was riding in the taxi on my last day in Uganda, hating every mile that took me further from Mbale and closer to the airport, this song came on my ipod. And it perfectly epitomized the way I feel about the people that I met this summer and my time spent in Uganda. Thank you "Wicked" for getting it just right.
I've heard it said,
That people come into our lives
For a reason
Bringing something we must learn.
And we are lead to those
Who help us most to grow if we let them.
And we help them in return.
Well, I don't know if I believe that's true
But I know I'm who I am today
Because I knew you.
Like a comet pulled from orbit
As it passes the sun,
Like a stream that meets a boulder
Halfway through the wood.
Who can say if I've been changed for the better
But because I knew you.
I have been changed for good.
It well may be
That we will never meet again
In this lifetime.
So, let me say before we part:
So much of me
Is made of what I learned from you.
You'll be with me
Like a handprint on my heart.
And now whatever way our stories end
I'll know you have rewritten mine
By being my friend.
Because I knew you
I have been changed....
For good.
Sometimes Uganda feels like a dream. Like it never actually happened. As soon as I got home, my whole summer and the people I met there felt worlds away. I worried that I would forget. That I would get back into normal life as a very blessed American and forget all about the experiences that I had in Africa. But I know now that that's not going to happen. Uganda left a handprint on my heart; and it's not going anywhere. I may be back to living life as usual, but Africa is never far from my mind. I know that these people and this experience came into my life for a reason, and it absolutely changed me for good.
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