Hello Again Africa

Me and my Mom are finally in Uganda. We had very rough two flights to get here and I think I might have slept 3 hours within the last two days but we are here and I am so glad.

Its hard to believe you could feel anything but tranquil looking out from the plane at this view but I did. For some reason on the plane a wave on anxiety and fear came through me and I can't quite put a finger on what I was anxious or afraid of. I just felt bad. I was thinking what if I don't love it as much this time? what if the kids don't remember me? or what if I'm not actually that much use when I get there? I don't really know what all I was thinking but it hurt inside my chest and my throat and I tried to pray and sleep and just not think of anything but it wouldn't leave me. Anyways as soon as my feet hit the ground I was flooded with a peace that I cant even describe. Last year when I arrived it was very hard and to tell the truth it didn't get much easier for a while because I didn't know what to expect I was completely out of my time zone, I didn't know what I needed to do to be of any help, and any and everyone who could give me comfort were literally on the other side of the globe. This year was a completely new experience. I don't know how else to describe it except that it was a flood of peace. I remember telling my mom as we waited for our visas that I felt so much better all the pain and anxiousness I felt in my chest instantly vanished. It was like when you are so worried about something and you finally get the call or the news that its all ok and you can just exhale for the first time in a long time.

After we landed mom had her first mini Ugandan adventure: we got in the car!
Godfrey is a wonderful driver and he keeps us safe but i guess i had forgotten that America's definition of safe looks a little different. My mom told me later that she was so scared! cars drive literally bumper to bumper and never separate! and boda bodas (motorcycle taxis) weave in between and around any space that they can find. We were right in the middle of a jam! with the sun beating down and open windows my mom was greeted with exhaust fumes, honking horns, shouting drivers and a hot hot air haha.

And then we got a ticket! haha

Here the police pull anyone over just looking for a bribe and this time I think our offense was speeding?...but we were not even able to move over 10mph because we were in a jam! so that was a 30 min inconvenience on our way home! I just laugh because it was the first intro to Uganda for my mom and it was a pretty accurate one! Here you have to be so flexible because you never know what will happen and that's what I love!

When we got home the kids all ran up to me and shouted "Auntie Jess-Ka" in they're sweet familiar voices i have missed so so much!  ah... I cannot tell you how much I have longed to be with them again and it was finally here! and what a greeting it was!  They opened the door and climbed in the car with us to hug us so big! It was the best welcome I've ever received. These kiddos are my loves. I'm so excited to be back here.

Then we just hung out! I was determined not to fall asleep until night time so i could get acclimated to the 8 hour time difference. And in Ugandan time I landed at 7:30AM so it would be a long day! We played with chalk and had a blast!

I was definitely ready to be climbed on top of again!

During the kid's nap time auntie Rachel and TJ (two other volunteers) took me to the Shoprite store and we got honeydew melon flavored water! Yum! but we also had an awesome talk about the Lord along the way. It was so encouraging! It is so awesome to hear what God is doing in the hearts of the long term missionaries here. Please pray for them and their work here and for them to be blessed. I'm so excited and blessed to serve along side Rachel and Kailee this summer and Jenny and TJ for the next few weeks! They are all such awesome people.

Everything else we did that day is kind of a blur! haha I was pretty tired! My mom got a little nap and so she stayed up for the devo time with the kids where they dance and sing songs and then get a bible story afterwards. I think she enjoyed it!

Continue to pray for me and my mom that we will have energy, creativity and that we can be serve well during our time here! also for dad back in Austin. Hi dad!

And so starts our adventure...