He Powerfully Works

His eyes were huge with a combination of shock and horror. Suddenly I burst into laughter and saw the fear melt from his eyes at this strange mzungu standing in front of him, covered head to toe in muddy water.

We had an overnight in the village a few weeks ago on land right on the Nile. I wanted to read my book next to the river and was making my way down there when a 12 year old Ugandan came to direct me to his favorite spot to sit. However, my long skirt didn't stretch as much as I thought as I leaped across a stream, only to find another one on the other side with my face. I'm sure it was quite the sight, and I'm glad there were no other bazungu to view this scrape of mine, but I did laugh! Laughter is such beautiful medicine. 

Christmas has come and gone now -- filled with Norwegian food, friends, more laughter, and no snow. It was hard to be away from family for the first time, but God has blessed me with a wonderful community here. It has been so refreshing to step back and be still before the grind starts again in January.

SO happy to go home!

"He will tend His flock like a shepherd; He will gather the lambs in His arms; He will carry them in His bosom, and gently lead those that are with young." - Isaiah 40:11

Hansel on Christmas Eve

Sandra has come home! I know I didn't tell the whole story here as it deals with a lot of the unseen corruption that we dealt with, but it was a mess. Long story short: Sandra went in on Monday and even though she wasn't in labor, she ended up having a C-section on Wednesday. Her baby boy -- Hansel -- had meconium aspiration and was near death, so we rushed him to the best hospital in Uganda in the capitol city. After two weeks on oxygen and a feeding tube, they are back in Jinja at a place called Serving His Children, run by my friend Renee. This whole situation tore me apart and left me in tears after fighting the doctors and seeing my friend suffer. Holding him in my arms on our way back from Kampala to feel his chest move up and down with his own breath brought happy tears to my eyes. I love seeing God touch His children and bring healing.

I want to tell you a story: I spend a good amount of time in a slum called Masese with people from the tribe of Karamajong. I have gotten to be good friends with many of them and love just spending time sitting under the tree sipping tea. A while back, my translator Irene told me that I need a name in Karamajong to show that I have been accepted. She asked what time of year I was born, and being in October, traditionally I would be named after the harvest.

Nalem -- harvester

She asked if I liked the name -- Katie Nalem (they pronounce Kate as Katie, with a soft "ie" (if that makes any sense?)) -- and suddenly her eyes grew large as she exclaimed, "Oh! Auntie Kate! It's perfect!" I liked the sound of it, but was confused as to why she was so excited, until she quoted Scripture at me.

"The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest." -- Luke 10:2

I am Katie Nalem. And in the impossibly hard times, I remember, "For this I toil, struggling with all HIS energy that HE powerfully works within me." Colossians 1:29

It's Him. It's all Him.

Forgotten?

I've always appreciated honesty.

Can I be honest with you?

Sometimes I hate being here. I hate waking up in a strangers house, wearing different clothes, not being able to straighten my hair. I hate that I speak differently here, even when I'm speaking English: I say things like “You look smart!” meaning you look nice, or “I just shifted” meaning I moved. I hate that even though I know I'm not forgotten, I feel like I am. In America I constantly had friends over and went to coffee and texted all day long.

Do you know the phrase, “Out of sight, out of mind”? It doesn't apply to me.

While in a pity party this week I started to realize that life continues in America for all of my friends and family. Yeah, maybe you think of me once and a while, but life was not altered by my departure. I started thinking that my life has no value if I could be dead or alive and it wouldn't matter to anyone's daily life there. Harsh thoughts, I know, but they were there.

As the tears fell I recalled a small Bible verse I had memorized as a kid. “He must increase, but I must decrease.” (John 3:30)

I strive so hard to be known and loved and to make a difference; I long to be wanted. But when I think of my life, I want it to be more. I want to be seen as one who sought to make Him known and to tell the forgotten that they are loved and to show them that HE made a difference. That's what I want.

In the midst of my struggles in being in a foreign country as a single young woman, God has increased. Life here is hard, I'm not going to pretend it's not. But it's also wonderful and filled with hope and joy. It's filled with people that I love that are loved immensely more by the Father. He goes before me and is the reason that I am living in Jinja. He is the reason, it has nothing to do with me. It has everything to do with Him.

Do you ever have these thoughts?

Struggles and Strivings

"Isn't it nice to think that tomorrow is a new day with no mistakes in it yet?"
-- Anne Shirley

Do you ever have days when you just don't like yourself?

Or weeks...or months...?

That has been my honest struggle as of late. I recount later how I shouldn't have said that remark, or I should have had better communication, how I was truly in the wrong in a situation, or any number of other things. I lay awake at night and think through them and wonder if I should just give up.

I know my faults; I'm keenly aware of them. But just in case they were to slip my mind for a moment, Satan is always there with a frying pan to smack me upside the head with a painful reminder.

Baby Isaac! Born Dec 8!

Do you ever have days when you just don't like this world?

Or weeks...or months...?

The honest truth is this: this world is corrupt. I see it in Uganda more than I do elsewhere, but it's all around. It is seen in every aspect here. The doctors who work at government hospitals will treat you for a bribe but if you question them on anything, any kindness or civility goes out the window. Government officials won't move papers alone without a nice bribe unless you know someone higher than them who can get the ball moving. Bribes and "under the table" are a part of every day life for most. When you don't want to play the system, you get burned. Along with anyone that you're connected to.

This week has had many tears.

Some days I exhale and thank God that the day is done and never has to happen again. Some days I pray that tomorrow will be different.

It was the best of times. It was the worst of times.

Sometimes, I hate Uganda. Sometimes I want to give up; the battle is too big and I'm tired of fighting. But all the time, I love my friends here. I think of them by name each night as a reminder of why I continue in this struggle daily: Irene, Chio, Abrah, Naduk, Rebekah, Jennifer, Mary... the list goes on. I love these women; I want them to see Jesus. But the battles are hard and sometimes it's worse to even begin the war. If I complain to a doctor about something or ask a question, he very well might torture my friend. They get punished for any ill feelings towards me.

When you start to care about people, their hurts become your hurts. It's not business here, it's personal.

My friend Rachel from Masese along with Kasfa

My friend's do not have voices here. It's believed that women are to be used, in every aspect of that word. They have no rights to stand up for themselves whether it be in the hospital with a corrupt doctor or with a man demanding the use of her body.

My heart breaks for these women.

I know that God sees and He knows. I know that God loves these women more than I do. I know there's nothing that I can do to charge this culture...but I can start. It takes more than one person to change traditions and society, but it takes one to start.

Kasfa, ran away from home, sad story, please pray!

Would you pray?

• God would give me wisdom where to fight in a godly manner and where to walk away
• God would give my friends freedom from their bondage the culture places on them
• God would teach me to be humble in a foreign land in regards to right and wrong
• God would give me and my friends a biblical worldview instead of America/Ugandan
• God would give me patience and love for these people, even the ones I don't like!

Tidbits and Tales

"What's the first animal you think of from Uganda?"

"Mosquitos!"

The name of our team for pictionary given on impulse by a 13 year old Ugandan that I adore!

I figured it's about time for a different look at my life here. This week was filled with it's share of hardship -- as any other week -- but a good amount of laughter as well. I think you should see this side too!

It's ridiculously warm here, so swimming is nice!

I went swimming at a local pool this week and my hair turned green. My friends in Masese said I look like I'm ready to party, but I felt much more like Anne Shirley. Sigh.

As we were meeting for Bible study in Masese, one of the girls pointed at my neck and exclaimed, "Auntie Kate! You have ringworm!" The conversation continued and they compared it to another woman that has ringworm. I was rather confused as to what they were talking about until Irene moved my tank to find it continued on the side. That pool day also brought a nice sunburn (sorry mom, I forgot sunscreen!) that caused my skin to peel. Apparently ringworm and peeling look the same -- good to note!

Trying to get in the Christmas spirit! 

When they were teaching me how to plait hair last week they kept telling me to pull harder, so one of the girls demonstrated on me. To her surprise, my hair came with her yank. "Auntie Kate! We need to bring you to the clinic!" When I showed them that I could pull out single strands without any pain, they were astonished and wanted to see it again, and again....and again.

"Auntie Kate! You have a disease!" Are you starting to see a trend here? This was said by another friend in Masese who was looking at my face. When I asked what my symptoms were she said, "You have brown spots all over your face!" Ohhhh how I've always hated my freckles.

Eating peanut butter cookies with a Christmas movie!

Today I got caught in Masese in a rain storm so we sat in Chio's room with Naduk for two hours sorting rubbish out of the nuts. Naduk hardly speaks any English and Chio knows a bit, but we spent a good amount of it pointing to objects and repeating, then laughing at the pronunciation. I once sang the word "akidadok" to a little tune and it's now one of our favorite things to do together. The word means...frog.

Naduk and I love to laugh!

During this time Naduk pointed on the ground at a cockroach and said, "Auntie Kate! You know!" I gladly shouted, "abebe!" as Chio grabbed it and threw it out of the door. Some minutes later it returned and she threw it out again. This cycled for a few more times as Naduk and I kept laughing and she said, "Abebe love Chio. Chio no love abebe." Language barriers fall in the presence of laughter!

 I love little times like these when I'm a friend. I don't have all the answers, I'm not big and powerful, and the label "missionary" scares me. But I do have Jesus living inside of me and by the grace of God, I'm being changed more like Him daily. While I do love being able to share in Bible studies, I also love letting them see the broken sinner that I am that is daily in need of forgiveness. I love being able to be their friend.