What a Week!

Hello All!

Sorry it took so long :/ It has been crazy hectic. I have been here only 5 days in Uganda, seven days since I left Augusta. Here is some of what we have been doing here at the Kwagala Baby Home (Orphanage).

All plane rides went well, but I got very little sleep. I had to sleep a lot of that first day because of the jet lag. On the three hour ride to the orphanage once I got to Uganda, the car ran out of gas along the way. The driver wanted to leave me there on the side of the road, in the dark, in the middle of nowhere, to walk 3 km to get gas. I told him absolutely not! So we waited 30 mins for someone to stop and help us. I was in deep prayer at that point (The first of many times in the past 5 days that I have had to do that)! We finally made it to the orphanage at 2:45am on Wednesday morning Uganda time and I called home and got to talk to my Daddy.

There is only one baby at the orphanage right now, but the neighborhood children come over and play. They have captured my heart almost as much as baby John has J Somewhere between Washington Dulles Airport and the Uganda airport my camera was taken out of my luggage as well as the  cd player I bought  for the baby home. It was very frustrating because I can’t take pictures or play cds for John to sleep! The camera here at the orphanage does not work. I will try and take pictures/videos with my computer camera. The fridge also is not working, and the tap water was cut off so we have to use the water tank. Children are in and out of the house all day, which sometimes gets overwhelming. I asked the housekeeper today if Emily, the missionary, lets all these kids come in the house all the time. She told me no, only one of them. So I had to make all the kids go outside on day 5 because we weren’t following rules.

I have been waking up every 2 hours or so with sweet baby John each night, but I’ve had to ask Mercy, the housekeeper, to please take him for a few nights. The stress of being at the baby home without Emily is overwhelming! I don’t know how she does it, but I can tell you that God has NOT called me to start an orphanage in Africa. Especially by myself. I cry myself to sleep every night, many times on the phone with my mom. It’s not cuz I hate it here or don’t like the kids. I love the kids! But everything together is just a little more than I can handle.

Now I serve a God who is bigger than everything I face and I know He can change my heart and equip me for what I am not capable of. There are a few verses I have read over and over:  Psalm 34:18 “The Lord is close to the broken-hearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” Psalm 8:2 “From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise…” Psalm 9:1, 9-10 “I will praise you, O Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonders…The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. Those who know your name will trust in you, for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you.” In my devotional a few things have jumped out at me as well. Charles Spurgeon once wrote, “God often takes away our comforts and our privileges in order to make us better Christians.” And my devotional, Trusting God, says “Our Lord is faithful always, whether delivered from our hard places or delivered through them.”

Now, all that being said, let me tell you what WONDERFUL things have been going on here J Every day the children sing and dance with/for me! They are precious! I have to get videos J They know “God is so Good,” “My God is so Big,” and I taught them “He’s got the Whole World in His Hands” in English! They also sing many songs in their language, Luganda, and they use the plastic echo microphone that I brought. It is so funny! My favorite part is when one of the children, Derik, takes the mic and closes his eyes, raises his hand, and walks around singing praises to God in Luganda. A few children who have really stolen my heart are Nuubu, Yusima, Asllam, Derik, Eva, and John. Nuubu loves to sing and dance, but he also is a very good reader…in English! He read the story of Peter Pan to me a few days ago. Asllam and Yusima are half-brothers and it is constant competition for them to see who can get my attention most! I am constantly hearing “Auntie ‘Cole, you see?” which means “Look!” in the best English they can give J Derik is my best dancer. He gets down! He’s got moves I don’t even think the children in America have! Eva is Emily’s daughter, adopted from Uganda. She has a sweet spirit, is very helpful around the house, and is very good at understanding English. Her and her friends will watch movies on my laptop, and what cracks me up is that they will watch about 7 movies, 3 of them being Alvin and the Chipmunks, 2 of them being Snow White, and every once in a while something else will be thrown in (all in the same sitting mind you!). Needless to say, Auntie Nicole will NOT be watching Alvin and the Chipmunks when I get back to America.

Now John. I love John. I love him more during the day when he doesn’t wake me up every two hours lol. But he does let me take a short nap with him during the day on the couch. John’s favorite time to play is from 3-5AM when Auntie Nicole is more than ready to sleep. I do however use that time to call home, shower, read my devotional, and kiss him and tell him I love him. He has the sweetest smiles. My favorite one is when he is just about to fall asleep and I think unconsciously he does it, but he gives this cheesy smile that lights up my world. It is PRECIOUS!!! He loves being tickled and bounced. The bouncy seat I brought him is his favorite. I turn on the vibration and bounce him and that’s usually how I get him asleep (after I’ve fed him, burped him, and changed his diaper). I love him more and more every day. Some nights he sleeps in the bed with me, others he sleeps in his bouncy seat. When he sleeps in bed with me I still get mosquito bites cuz I’m so close to the net. I’m just praying I don’t get Malaria. I haven’t forgotten to take my pills.

As much as I adore these kids and want to stay, I still feel part of me wanting to go home. I know God has used me while I’m here. I’ve given Mercy, the housekeeper, a little break…not much I guess. I was able to give her and Eva enough money til Emily gets back when they ran out. I was able to provide the orphanage, with YOUR help, 2 baby bouncer seats, plenty of baby clothes, baby bed sheets, blankets, pacifiers, bottles, baby plastic ware, coloring books, instruments, t-shirts, a playing mat, a nursing pillow, stuffed animals, bath products, and so much more! I provided the town with one more mazunga (white person) to say hi to in the streets, the children one more Auntie who loves on them and kisses them and hugs them, and one more person who prays for the sweet little orphans that are here and will be here soon. So please be in prayer for me. I don’t want to leave these sweet children that I love so much already! But I also don’t want to stay here crying every night from stress because I know it worries Eva. I need God’s peace that surpasses all understanding. I will keep you updated and post pictures when I get them. Until then, keep us here in Uganda in your prayers. Pray that Emily will get all the funds she needs for the orphanage AND to cover the cost of coming home and being in the hospital for 2 weeks. Pray that I will have peace, discernment, wisdom, courage, strength, and security while I have to make the decision in the next few days to stay and tough it out, hoping that when Emily gets here in the next 2 weeks it will all be ok, or whether I need to go home and serve in Augusta, GA for the rest of the summer. I don’t want to back out of something God has called me to. But I also don’t want to be so stressed out that everyone else is stressing out too. I don’t want to go home cuz “I can’t handle it” if Emily really needs me here. I don’t understand how I can be so excited to be here, and then get so stressed out that I want to come home. Going to Africa has been my dream and vision since 7^th grade. Maybe this is what God had planned for me all along (to only be here this short while), but maybe it’s the devil telling me I should just give up. So be in prayer with me. Thank you ALL for your love, prayers, and support. You mean the world to me. Will write soon!

 

With Love and African Blessings,

Nicole