Mzungu Time...

So after a loooong journey, running through Heathrow airport for a 15 minute layover in my karamojong skirt and all my beads, getting funny looks from observers upon arrival in JFK with one of my three suitcases. After figuring out the machine that makes you spend $5 to borrow a cart for 10 minutes (do people steal those things or something?!) and waiting for the suitcases that weren’t coming, I gave up and walked through the doors toward the cold NY outside. There standing down the hall were my mom, dad and Cesar! I ran towards their HUGE smiles and gave them the biggest hugs I could muster. They enjoyed the Karamojong attire and, I was glad, were not too embarrassed to walk through the airport with me and my plaid/striped skirt and colorful tribal-looking beads. Each of them were also wearing some of Karamoja that had been sent for Christmas - Dad and Cesar each had beaded bangles and Mom had a necklace made of bone. Very appropriate :-) After figuring out the baggage that ended up arriving at my house before I woke up the next morning (makes transport a lot easier - losing baggage isn’t so bad!) we walked into the frigid NY air. Fortunately Cesar was there to warm my hands during the car ride... we stopped at a grocery store to pick up some things on the way to my aunt and uncle’s house on Long Island. I went inside to see what was there... the size of that place was incredible. First thing I walk into is the produce section... in front of me are piles and piles of fruits. Outside it appears to be dead winter and yet the oranges and apples are piled high, pineapples and watermelons are numerous... you can get anything you want. I never used to find this so funny, but what a strange concept! The fruits even coincided with their stereotypical colors... oranges were orange, apples were red, bananas were yellow, lemons were yellow small and smooth. (All oranges in Uganda are green unless they’re rotten... apples are nonexistent but the few I saw in the Indian supermarkets were green... bananas are a huge variety of shapes, sizes and colors... and lemons were green huge and ridiculously lumpy - if you get the yellow ones they are quite over-ripe... oops :-P) So that was the start of the surprises... there have been many more in the meantime. My first meal was at my aunt’s house... homemade chicken soup. I could easily identify EVERY piece of meat that was in it and there was hardly any starch :-D Everything was chewable and it tasted amazing. I was quite happy :-)
Since my arrival I have been enjoying a new outlook on life. I’m still in the excitement phase of all the ‘new’ (again) things around here, but I know that I see the world differently after having spent so much time in a completely different culture, seeing the immense needs of others in this world. I’m learning more and more to appreciate what I have and to seek God, asking how He wants me to serve Him and help others see His love and what He has for them. I appreciate any prayers on guidance for the future... I feel Him calling me and that’s awesome... just have to work out the details :-)
I want to thank all of you once again for the support you’ve been to me. Whether it has been financial or in prayer, I could not have done it without you. God gave me the strength to get through the tough times while I was out there and He will continue to be with me now that I’m home and determining what to do with this new outlook on life and the plans He’s laying before me. Please continue to pray - especially about vet school. I’m still waiting to hear the final decision... April 15th at the latest. It’s definitely on my mind a lot so please be praying for peace and for me to trust God in the plans He has for me. I know that they are best but of course if they don’t go the way we expect that can be hard to really get! But I’m trying my best, and praying that our plans line up in this respect!

THANKS AGAIN! I love you guys... it’s great to be back with friends and family :-) I’ll be doing some touring with pictures and stories now that I’m back. Did a family slideshow a couple days ago but I’ll have one for churches and for schools and other things so 1. please pray that those go well and that they can really tell the story of what God is doing as well as inspire people to support ministries reaching people like those of Karamoja and 2. if you (your church, etc...) would like to hear about the ministry and what it was like out there feel free to talk to me... I’d love to share with as many as I can!