Women's Team - Final Post - Back home, perspective gained...

I have been back home and back on mom duty and the work schedule for a week and it is still hard for me to summarize our trip to Uganda. The only thing that I can say that will come close is, I saw God every single place I looked.

I would have to say that I wish I had the strength of spirit to live every day of my life as I do on a weeklong trip to Uganda. It is a blessing to be surrounded by a team who has a common purpose, a team that goes to bed and wakes up in prayer, and a team that can laugh and cry together. I have to admit that more often then not I run around living my life in the states feeling as if I am the kid picked last for kickball. (Someone without a team) My prayers are rushed and selfish. Often my only goal in a day is to make it back to my bed as soon as possible.

How can I reconcile the life I live one week out of the year with the one that I have every other day? I can't. I hope I am never able. I can only wish that something out of the preparation and work that has gone into this one week would make a lasting change on the rest.

We prayed over Psalms 139: 13-14 for this trip. Gradually I included more and more into my reading and the knowledge that I cannot hide from God has sunk in to my stubborn human brain. I may not yet be ready to live each day as I do while "on mission." I pray that I can at least for now stop trying to hide my failings from God.

Uganda was amazing and beautiful. God is everywhere. We all feel like we were able to prepare to meet a need and to discover that the need is greater then we imagined. After some discussions this week I can say that Cornerstone will go back and continue to teach about health in Uganda;

physical, spiritual, and emotional. We will dream big and we will need your help once again.

But first before we get to that part, thank you! Thank you for praying, for giving, and for believing in us. The words seem too small because the sentiment is huge.

On behalf of the team,

Jamie Ignanga Moussirou

Women's Team - Day 6 - One last visit before flying home...

I can't believe that in one hour we will be loading up and heading out to the airport! This morning began with a surprise celebration for JANA'S BIRTHDAY! It was a fun way to start out the last morning in Uganda. Due to the long plane ride and time changes this birthday will be extra long for Jana but maybe not extra fun. 

This morning we had a short visit with Mama Catherine and Pastor Earnest. It is always a joy to visit with two people who work so diligently to take care of children who are no longer with their families. They have touched my heart and have provided an example of what it means to sacrifice yourself for others. 

Thank you so much for your love, support and prayers! Hope to see all of you soon, and please ask about the trip we can't wait to talk about it.

On behalf of the team,

Jamie

Women's Team - Day 5 - Sometimes "thank you" is too small...

Today it is hard to find words to describe something that is felt in your heart. All of the words I can think of do not seem to mean enough. Sometimes "thank you" is too small to describe a true depth of gratitude. "I love you" cannot convey the sincerity of the sentiment all of the time. I feel raw. Like I just fell off my bike and got some serious road burn all over my heart. 

We went to teach a special group of girls today. It is as if all of the information we had to give was arriving too late. It is hard to teach about puberty while watching a girl nurse her baby while sitting in a detention center. Our planed schedule of events got turned on its head but this allowed us to have more one on one time with the caregivers. This time turned out to be very valuable as we learned some of the information we had to share was new for these women as well as the girls. We were overwhelmed. We were prepared to teach, just not to discover how this place has longed and suffered for this information for so long. 

My heart was broken. I do believe that my raw heart made it easier to find joy. It was joyful to see lots of smiles, give lots of hugs and know that we showed love and encouragement to a group of girls and women who do not often receive it. I have to remind myself that God is present in this place and has made me a very small part of his plan there. We are not sure where these emotions and broken hearts will lead us but will love to tell you about it in person when we get back. 

Just one more sleep and we will be on our way home. This trip feels way too short and the work way too much. 

On behalf of the team,

Jamie

Women's Team - Day 4 - That special kind of awesome...

Today was amazing. The kind of amazing that is so amazing that it is hard to find words to describe it all. But for you, my friends, I will try. We spent the whole day in Buloba and taught a group of girls ages 12-20 about their bodies. At times it was embarrassing but mostly it was fun. Esther, one of the women who work with ARM in Buloba, said she was surprised the girls were smiling and asking questions and the teachers were laughing. We also amazed ourselves that we had enough to say to not only fill three hours but also to go over by 30 minutes. We talked about hygiene, puberty, STD's, HIV, anatomy, and how to use/care for the AFRI-Pads kits. A key point of the time was spent discussing how God made each of us to be unique, just the way we are. I can officially say that we saw our vision become a reality. Each of those girls left feeling very special! After sharing drinks and snacks all the attendees left with a prayer card and of course a pack of AFRI-Pads.

After a lunch full of local Ugandan food at Pastor Eva's we went back to have one on one time with some of the children in the sponsorship program. After that we spent some time thanking the women who serve as interpreters. Bubbles, Frisbees, and beach balls helped ease the shyness and helped relationships strengthen. It was such a joy to fill a church with laughter! The only complaint of the day- it just wasn't long enough! When we had to leave all of the kids ran out to wave goodbye!

Changing gears for a second, have you ever been given a half-gift before? Like a toy without batteries? It looks so cool and the box says it does all of these cool things- IF it just had batteries. It is exciting and disappointing all at the same time! While meeting with the AFRI-Pads staff yesterday we discovered that we were about to give a lot of girls half of a gift. One of the most important things about AFRI-Pads is that they have to be washed and dried correctly or they are not going to work very well. That is when we discovered the “panty peg”. It is a ring with clothes pins attached that you can use to hang panties (or AFRI-Pads) up on to dry. It is small, practical, and costs exactly a dollar. We also discovered that this cost was too much for most girls to have one at home. Thanks to your generous donations friends we were able to solve that problem and give a full gift today. We purchased some panty pegs to be given to the girls who needed them. Now they can properly use their gift. There will not have to be disappointment to go along with the excitement. And believe me there was lots of excitement! 

Tomorrow we will be going back to the same place we went Monday. That once dark place that made me sing out praises. We cannot wait to teach more and follow God's great plans for this team! In the meantime, enjoy some pictures from our trip.

On behalf of the team,

Jamie

Women's Team - Day 3 - What a Great Day...

Today was so good we didn't even take any pictures, except for the one you have been waiting for…  We were able to take delivery of 3 boxes from the AFRI-Pads office totaling 310 kits! Can you believe it, a grand total of 310 kits!! I can barely believe it myself. It was so great to finally meet everyone at the office and see what all of you gave so generously to buy.

Sophia one of the founders of AFRI-Pads taught us how to teach girls to use, clean, and reuse this product. Jana especially, is so excited to teach this to the young ladies in Buloba tomorrow. 

Today we also got to visit a place that is very special in my heart but is not talked about much. This will mark my third visit and I can say what was once a very dark place is now filled with light. I am overjoyed with some of the things I saw today and hope that you will sing praises to the Lord with me for transformation, and redemption. 

There are not really any more details that I can give about what we did today. You may be thinking, "Okay you have been there on the ground for three days, I keep coming to see what you are up to and it is nothing!" BUT we have been building relationships! We have enjoyed getting to know people who know Uganda better then we do. They also know what challenges women and girls face here better then we do. Why is that important? Because we didn't come all of this way to talk about what American women and girls struggle with but with what all women and girls struggle with. And we want to do it in a way that is understood. That takes research, and time, and relationships. How many of you jump at the chance to talk to a stranger from another country about your period?  

What we have planned for tomorrow is awesome! I will give you our vision: Spend three hours doing everything we can to make each young woman who comes feel special and amazing. The tricky part is to have them learn something about their body and spirit at the same time. I cannot wait to tell you all about it!

On behalf of the team,

-Jamie

Women's Team - Day 2 - More than just cake...

Over the past two days I have learned that instead of just being yummy, wedding cake is significant. I love wedding cake but rarely think about it more than, "What flavor will it be?" "What will the topper look like?" or "I wonder how much that cost…" In America cake is important but only on a superficial level. In the past two days I have been presented wedding cake three times and each time it meant something. I already discussed how the bride and groom gave us cake yesterday as a sign of respect. This morning the church was presented with a tier of the wedding cake as a gift of gratitude. We were asked to cut the cake and give a piece to each person at church as a sign of the love the bride and groom have for the members of the church. The pastor also prayed that it would be the first of many more wedding cakes shared in the church as the number of marriages increased. We were also served with cake at Pastor Eva's house after lunch. This was a way of including us in the joy she had as one of the hostesses for the wedding. So to answer my questions, the flavor was coconut, it was decorated with ribbon and flowers, and the cost was an immeasurable amount of love!

I know next time I get the chance to eat wedding cake I will not be asking myself what it costs. Instead my heart will be filled with joy and know that I am respected and important to the Bride and Groom. 

Today was a special time for Kim and Jana as they were introduced to the children they sponsor for the first time. Kim also had the chance to reconnect with some of the children her family hosted in their home from the Mwaganza children's choir. It is such an encouragement to see these relationships continue to grow between our communities despite the distance. Everywhere we go there has been a familiar face waiting to greet us! Today we also had the chance to personally invite some girl's to the conference in Buloba on Tuesday. Their faces lit up with pure joy to have something that was being given just for them and I am already anticipating the fun that we will all have!

Tommorow we will pick up the AFRI-Pads that so many of our friends helped us to buy. I am not sure if you know how many we were able to buy but let's just say that we "dreamed big." I would love to tell you a number but I would rather show you a picture tomorrow! 

I am sleepy and feel like this is overly cheerful for me so I am going to stop before I make it so sweet you can almost taste the cake!!

On behalf of the team,

Jamie

Women's Team - Day 1 - On the ground!

Not to worry about the day's silence, we safely arrived in Kampala. Exhaustion set in before words could come out last night and we all just had to sleep. 

Today we were so honored to be guests at the wedding or Godfrey and Irene. Godfrey works to coordinate all of the sponsor children in Buloba and always has a smile on his face. He was so happy to have us attend the wedding and the smile on his face was bigger then I have ever seen. The wedding I saw today was like no other wedding I have seen before. This wedding was not about the dress or flowers, food or guest list. This wedding was about God! 

The union of Godfrey and Irene was beautiful in the focus given on joining two people who loved God in the presence of God. One part of the ceremony that was particularly meaningful was the sermon. They discussed how love means caring for someone when you may not like them, agree with them, or think they are beautiful. I think that is a message important to hear not only at the beginning of your marriage but over and over when the honeymoon ends and life gets real.  The music was wonderful and it was impossible to leave and not feel uplifted. The only bad part was how homesick I got after a sermon that really hit home. 

The reception was very different for us and it felt formal and informal at the same time. The couple served honored guests cake on their knees before us. That showed love and respect in a way that was stunning. We also each had some traditional Ugandan snacks served to us in paper sacks. I loved the simplicity in that. After all of that,dancers performing a traditional dance of celebration entertained us. That was a fun way to end the evening and it was so impressive to see the wedding guests getting up to dance with the performers!

Tomorrow we are looking forward to attending Sunday services in Buloba and I cannot wait to tell you all about it. Thank you so much for your prayers and support. 

On behalf of the team,

Jamie