Uganda: Day 3

Today was Africa. 100% Africa. Today was a 'rest day' so we decided to sleep in and try to go to the agricultural festival in town, it's here for a week so you can imagine the crowd. There were at least 100 schools trying to get into the gate at the same time that the vehicles were trying to drive down the dirt road. As we walked in I assigned buddies and had walkie talkies at the front of the line and the back and Rodgers, our fearless tour guide, tried to squeeze us into the gate. However, with the heat from the exhaust mixing with the ice cream truck screeching noise and the man who had chickens tied by their feet on his bike, I knew one thing for sure, this wouldn't last long. After standing around for 15 mins trying to get in, I told Rodgers that it was okay to go back to the guest house. I had one girl out of water, one girl on the verge of a panic attack and one girl I had to 'protect' from begin hit on by a passerby. It was time to go, we walked towards the van only feeling like we were getting more attention than the festival itself. We piled into out little van and waited for the windows to be open (this process takes awhile) as the driver turned the key, we realized that our van wouldn't crank, this only meaning we had to be pushed by multiple people downhill to get it started. We cranked it up and rolled down a little bit more only for it to turn off one more time. We finally got it cranked and headed to our guest house. I was overwhelmed, overwhelmed because of the amount of people I'd just seen in a tiny area, overwhelmed because I just put my team through a real African experience and I wasn't sure if they were ready for that. We arrived back at the house and during lunch I looked up at their smiles, still bright and ready and I knew that they were okay. I knew that they were okay with the adventure, okay with knowing that I had no control of the situation early in the day. As we finished lunch and the clean up crew cleaned the plates -- I walked around to get everyone ready for the next 'adventure'--

We headed to the pool, that was exciting. I got to see my friend that I met last year and the kids that she watches during the day. The team swam, some decided to rest and some sun bathed. We didn't stay at the pool long because we had a boat to catch at 4. Rodgers walked us to where the van is supposed to be, mind you-- I am wearing shorts because we are about to get on the boat and that allowed there. So, I walked down the road in a village in my shorts, I couldn't have felt more embarrassed. We arrived at the boat after walking down a little alley that was a small slum. Getting into the boat was another Africa moment because the weight distribution wasn't even on each side, so we had a lean going on for the first little bit. The boat took off and I knew that this was life, this was my life. Here I was on the other side of the world with a group of people who looked at me for answers. We had a long tour, our guide was nice and he let me do my favorite thing ever. 

He pulled over for us to have a baptism service. I shook as I got out of the boat to start the ceremony. We turned on 'Forever,' I prayed and TJ jumped in the water and helped me down into the waste deep, cold water. At first, I knew I was only baptizing three people, but by the end of it I had the opportunity to baptize 7 of the 12 team members. As I was standing in the water looking up at the team, who trusted me in this, looking over at my best friend who has watched me grow for the past three years-- I couldn't have felt more love. Love from Jesus. He showed me Himself in a new way today, just like He does eveytime I'm here. I am thankful for Him. I am thankful that He loves me and that He chose me to lead this team, to hear these people's stories and to watch this team become a family. 

As we headed back I knew that the hut we just had a service in front of would not be forgotten by any of us, for quite some time. Neither would the fishing village that we had seen just before. The village that broke my heart all over again. I told the team I wear sunglasses for a couple of reasons. Number 1: my eyes are sensitive. Number 2: so I can hide the random tears I have while being here. Today while walking around the fish village and holding a little girls hand I had them on because of number 2. I saw a lot today, my heart was pulled a bunch of different ways today and for all of that I am thankful.

This team is incredible. Their hearts are so pure and so raw. Today when they got baptized they each came up with such excited faces, faces that I will never forget.