A day at Amani

Hey!  I though you all might be interested in what my day looks like here at Amani, so here you go:

I wake up usually between 7 and 7:30, eat breakfast, and then go downstairs with the kids at about 8:00, where  I help clean up from breakfast and get the kids dressed and make sure everyone brushes their teeth.
At  8:30 we start preschool.  There are eight kids in the preschool class.  Me and a couple other Aunties teach preschool in the mornings.
10:00 is snack time!  All the kids go get a glass of water and a snack.  After snack time I help clean up, change diapers, and start the 2nd part of the morning.
From 10:30 until Lunch time I hang out with the toddlers.  We play games, sing songs, and play outside if it's not raining.  The preschoolers stay inside and do crafts with a couple of the other Aunties.
Around 12:15 everyone comes in and gets cleaned up for lunch.  They all sit down and one of them will say a prayer (they pray before school and before snack time too)  which usually goes something like this:  "Hands together.  Eyes closed.  De-uhr Jesus, blessa our-a Aunties, blessa our-a food, blessa our-a mommies, blessa our-a vistahs, (visitors) blessa our-a Uncle Tim...."  There a couple here that are adopting two of the kids, and since Mr. Tim is the only uncle visiting right now, the kids always pray for "Uncle Tim" or sometimes "Uncle daddy". 
After everyone is through with lunch, usually around 12:45,  I help get the kids down for a nap.
I eat lunch around 1:15 or 1:30.  After lunch I have a break until 4:00.
At 4:00 we do different things on different days...Some days I have "outings"  where I pick one of the kids and take him/her into town.  We usually hang out at a restaurant called Ozzie's, and eat Chapati or a Cinnamon roll and drink some Fanta. Other days we do outside activities, or I help with laundry. 
6:15 is dinner time.  Three days a week I help with bed time, in which case I would stay downstairs with the kids until 7:00, and help get them in bed.  If I am not helping with bed time, then at about 6:15 I go back upstairs and help the other volunteers with our dinner. 
On Saturdays the volunteers do a project, like cleaning out closets or organizing the preschool supplies.  We have off Saturday afternoon and Sunday.  I go to church with the other volunteers on Sunday morning, and we have bible study on Tuesday afternoon and Tuesday night.

Hello from Uganda!

Hi everyone!  It is Saturday so I have now been in Uganda for 2 1/2 days.  I have today off, and because of the time difference, none of my family is on facebook right now to chat with me. :(  So I decided to blog instead.  I guess I will start with a list of some of the things I have done since coming to Uganda-

1. In Uganda you drive on the left side of the road, but only when you want to.  When George and Christie picked me up from the airport,  George drove us back to Bugabo for the night.  I couldn't quite figure out why he used his blinker so much.  He said that in Uganda, you use you blinker when you are "not sure".  I am not sure what that means, exactly.
2.  When we got to Christie's house it was dark, so I didn't see much of the village,  and we went to bed soon after we got there.  Woke up the next morning to a beautiful African sunrise.
3. George drove me and Jessie the "back way"  to Jinja the next morning.  Which basically meant that half the kids we passed in the small villages had never seen a Mzungu (white person) before.  I waved to just about everyone. It was so fun to have the kids wave back and yell "Mzungu!! Mzungu!!" 
4.  Arrived at Amani about 10am on Thursday.  Helene (the volunteer coordinator)  took me and Jessie into town so that we could exchange money. 
5.  Found out Thursday afternoon that my sweet little brother had given me a stomach bug...So I spent Thursday afternoon and most of Friday in bed. 
6.  By Friday evening, after sleeping most of the day, I was feeling much better.  One of the other volunteers cooked supper, and then Helene surprised me with a Birthday cake!  :)

So...I guess that is all...I plan on writing a more in depth post in the near future...For now I just wanted to give you all a quick update.  


Much love from Africa,
Morgan

A different kind of dream

I stood in the darkness.  I could feel it moving around me, searching.  I looked around, but my eyes could not pierce the gloom.  After standing alone for what seemed like an eternity, I gradually became aware of a presence beside me.  It did not speak, but I knew it was a person.  It turned slowly to face me.  It seemed to me then to not be a single person, but rather an image, or representation, of many people. It seemed to be trying to speak, but could not form the words. Instead I could hear its thoughts; they seemed to flow from it like water.  It was waiting for something to come.  Something certain, unavoidable. It was afraid.  It did not know of Love, or Peace, or Joy. These things were absent from It's thoughts entirely.  It was devoid of all Hope.  And at that moment, I was a part of it. I felt the overwhelming terror, the certainty of what was to come.  I could no longer distinguish its thoughts from mine. Darkness.  And Despair. Those thoughts consumed me.  And then the moment was there; the end, without hope. And I was falling, falling down to a place no light could reach,  a place of death.  But then, when we were devoid of Hope, I heard a voice, calling out from above.  "The Son of Man is come to seek and to save those who are lost."  And I woke up.  It took me a moment to realize it was a dream, it had been so vivid.  And I started thinking about what it was that I saw.  I know I pray a lot for "people to be saved", to come to Christ.  For the children who are orphans.  But it was never really urgent.  It was always "those people".  The ones who seemed so far away that even though, yeah I was concerned about them, it really didn't "affect"  my life.  I couldn't see their faces.  Couldn't hear their cries, when another baby died of malnutrition, or another man died not knowing Christ's love.  But they are there.  Whether or not we choose see these people, does not change the fact that they are there.  Waiting.  So my prayer for today is:
 Lord, please break my heart for what breaks yours. Please let me see the hurting, the despair, and let your light shine shine through me into the hearts of the dying.  Not for my glory, Lord, but so that you may be glorified in everything I do.  Please use my life to glorify you, Lord. Amen. 

Questions and Answers

What first made you want to go to Africa?
Honestly I don't remember. I've always wanted to go to Africa.  The first time I remember really wanting to go to Africa was when I was about ten or eleven and I read a biography on Mary Slessor .  One of the big reasons why I picked Uganda is because of Katie Davis' blog. (The link is on my sidebar)  Katie is a 22 year old woman living in Uganda who has adopted 14 girls. Her blog is awesome. I would recommend going to the archives on her blog and reading the whole thing.

What will you be doing in Africa?
I will be staying in Jinja, Uganda, (Uganda is to the left of Kenya and below Sudan, and Jinja is in the South of Uganda on the shores of Lake Victoria) at an orphanage called Amani Baby Cottage.  Amani can house up to 60 babies ages 5 and under.  I will stay at Amani for 8 weeks, and then spend a week in Bugabo Village with my friend Christie Cotney. (The link to her blog is on my sidebar also)  I would post a link for Bugabo, but it is too small to be on the map. :)  It is a little North of Kampala, about 3 hours or so from Jinja.  I'm not sure what my duties will be at Amani, besides holding babies. :)  In Bugabo I will be helping out at the school, visiting people, and generally doing whatever Christie tell me to. :)

Do you have friends that you will know that are already over there or will you be meeting all new people?
I already know Christie and Katie online but I've never met them in person.  Another girl I've met online is Renee Bach. Her blog is really cool too.  I'm also friends on face book with a couple people who will be volunteering at Amani the same time as me.

Another question I get a lot is:
What can you take with you?
I will be able to take two large suitcases. I ordered some online and they should come in the next week or two.  There is "donate" page on the Amani website with a list of things they need.  If anyone wants to get stuff for Amani let me know so that I can make sure I still have room in my suitcases. (so far all I have is a couple cans of formula, and my clothes will not take up a lot of room, so I still have plenty of space) Also, each suitcase has to be under 50lbs so nothing too heavy. I'll have to talk to Christie to find out what kinds of things she needs. 

If you have any more questions then feel free to ask! 

I'm having trouble thinking of something to update.  Will you help me?  Please?  If you have ANY questions about my upcoming trip, please ask.  As soon as I get some comments I will answer them in a new post.  Thanks!
 OK, I will go ahead and answer one question.
Q: How much longer till I'm in Africa??!! A: 63 days!! Woo-Hoo!!

3 days, 3 necklaces, 3 winners

(Ok, so I'm a little late getting to this since the giveaway is tomorrow, but we are in TX visiting relatives and I have not had a chance to get on the internet until today.)

My friend Christie Cotney is moving to Uganda on Wednesday!!! And you know those BEATIFUL Ugandan magazine necklaces that I am always wearing and talking about?  She is selling those to support herself in Uganda.  And, Tomorrow she is giving away THREE of those necklaces! All you have to do is go to this post on her blog-  http://networkedblogs.com/b9k8O  Then share the link on your fb page or blog. You can also enter by buying a necklace or bracelet. 
And while you are at it, Christie has 107 children left that do not have sponsors.  It is only $100 to sponsor one of these kids for a whole year.  Please prayerfully consider sponsoring one of these beautiful children.  I already sponsored one a couple weeks ago, and I am soooo excited about it!! You can learn all about sponoring a child by going to this link.  http://compassinmyheart.blogspot.com/2010/11/sponsor-child-for-christmas_02.html

BTW-  92 days!!!!

Most of you who read my blog know about Katie Davis. Today her sweet family needs your prayers. Please pray for little Jane, that she will be safe and happy in her new home. Please pray for her sisters and mama. I can't imagine what it would be like to have one of my sisters taken away from me. Please pray that the Lord would bring healing to their hearts.