the day of the boda bodas

so today we went to our very first African church service. It was AMAZING! The worship was incredibly moving. I loved singing the words YES LORD, YES LORD, YES YES LORD! with so much singing and dancing and clapping! the passion was incredible. i was so uplifted and i could barely keep still! it was awesome. These people are seriously so precious to me. Peter came a got me and said they needed help in the nursery. i was SO excited since i haven't gotten to work with the kids much yet. i went into the little baby room and we sang a song that went "things are better already when jesus is on my side!" it was so cute. i loved hugging on them and playing with them today. they are so much fun and so sweet.

Tommy got really sick today and he has some bad virus. He has been throwing up all day and resting and he didn't get to go with us this afternoon, so keep him in your prayers. Jake started feeling bad too, so we are hoping he doesn't have it too. Pray that it doesn't spread to all of us and that Tommy and Jake start feeling better soon.

After church we came home and a a little lunch and took a quick nap. Then we decided to head back to the BLRC to meet up with Peter. It was the first time the interns took public transportation and made it to the BLRC without a Ugandan or a past intern named Dusty. I was DEFINITELY nervous about that, because the entire process takes about 50 minutes. We walk down the hill from our house, get on a van packed with strangers, and basically hope it takes you to the taxi park. You get out at the taxi park and walk for another 20 minutes through crowds of people and major traffic before finally getting to the BLRC. i am still not used to them driving of the right side of the road! I was really proud of us for making it there on our own though. 

Once we got to the BLRC, we dropped Mandy off and met up with Peter and Jemir. Jake and Jarron wanted to play soccer with some Ugandans and Hannah and i decided to tag along. we walked a lot of the way, but then it became necessary to take the boda bodas again. I was pretty excited because they are SO much fun! plus, Hannah and i shared one so it was really great to experience it together. The boys played soccer and Hannah and i watched which was fun, and then we jumped on another boda boda and headed back to the BLRC for bible study.

Once we got there, we had group bible study. We sang songs together and Seth was our leader. He is the most contagiously joyful person i have ever seen. he laughs out loud before every sentence and he smiles nonstop. He is one of my favorite people i have met. He's wonderful. We sang and had an awesome discussion about some passages in Mark and in Joshua, and i was so challenged by what they had to say. This one guy, Steve, says some really awesome stuff and i have been so blessed in hearing what he has to say. I wasn't as shy today, and i was able to make a few comments which was better than yesterday for sure. We had some great chai tea and break and then we prayed together and held hands as we sang "Bind Us Together, Lord." (its one of their favorites!). It was so amazing to me to see both of my white hands holding onto the dark brown hands of my wonderful new friends on either side of me. God's  love already binds us together in an extremely deep way. i already can't imagine leaving them. They have been such a light to me.

After bible study we hopped back on public transportation and then took bodas back to the house. we watched a movie with darla, and had some sugar G nuts, one of my favorites here :) now i am off to sleep, and getting ready for a great day tomorrow! i LOVE kampala!

For His Glory,

heidi alise