Weeks 18 & 19 | Uganda

Wow friends, I have much to catch you up on. What a wonderful past 2 weeks. Mom and dad made the trek over on the 26th and left on the 6th. So its been kind of a blur, but what a wonderful wonderful time we had. Seems so crazy that I hadn't seen them for 4 months! It's still like a miracle that mom came but a joy it was. Oh my. They surprised me in Bukeka a day earlier, and brought so many things from home it was like Christmas had come a month early. A huge thank you to all you sent small gifts, hugs, cards, and food. It was so amazing and thoughtful of you all. I wish I could give hugs to you all right now.  

 We enjoyed Thanksgiving together, made lots of food, picked beans & matooke, did extreme tubing in the Nile, stayed at a river lodge, took mom and dad to central market in Jinja. So thankful they we're able to take time off and join me on the other side for a while. 

The church choir has started to learn a new English hymn to sing in church, so Haylie and I have been teaching them and they are teaching us hymns in Luganda to also sing. 

This group of people are some of the most special people I've ever had the privilege in meeting and I love serving the Lord alongside them.

The girls playing with their banana leaf dolls, and dressing them in plastic sacks. Oh to go back to the simple things. 

I think mom figured out why the support/kitchen staff at Suubi are just my favorite. These ladies are such a lively bunch and can cheer you up even when you don't know what they're saying sometimes. 

Taata Leigha was the highlight in many of the little boys days. 

Cutting down the matooke

Preparing Thanksgiving dinner. What fun it was to host in Uganda. :) We even butchered a turkey, made stuffing, and pumpkin pie. We "invited" Ronnie & Ritah's family, Hammy & her kids, the 2 pastors of Suubi and their families. What a fun afternoon we had.  

Mom used her natural skills and helped Hammy edit letters the kids are writing to their sponsors. 

And also taught Hammy how to make bread. And left several loaves and cinnamon rolls (whaaat?!?!) in the freezer for us. 

So much for diets....

 Loading up "buffy" with the beans we picked. Our poor car needs cleaned we've noticed there have been small plants sprouting between the seats. 

And then this day!! Ahh what a blast! Never in my life would've I thought I'd been living in Africa, much less raft or tube down the Nile river in class 5 rapids. Exhilarating for sure! 

We all fell off, mom decided to twice. 

 10/10 would do again

My girl Shine still needs to work on her smiles. It usually happens when the camera is not around. 

Then mom and dad and I spent their last night here at The Haven river lodge just near by and had a relaxing last day together. I think I could just sit at the river for days on end. 

What a beautiful place! 

 Then yesterday the beans we had harvested where dry and ready for the beans to be beaten out of the pods. So here, when harvesting beans you first pick the whole plant, set them out to dry for several days, then you put them in piles and beat them with a stick to shake the beans out to the bottom, discard the husks and pick up the beans. 

Its quite a task!

Spent Friday evening in the garden with the kids picking greens and matooke for the lunch on the following day while Haylie was in Jinja. They love picking their own food! 

Now its Saturday, mom and dad are still on their journey home and I have more visitors arriving this weekend! Well hopefully, their flight has already been canceled once and they are supposed to arrive a whole day later than planned. Travel safe Hannah, Kara, and Ashley! Can't wait to see you!