First Impressions

So if you were to look at a picture of me right now it might looks pretty normal. Me, sitting on the porch listening to my Ipod, reading my Bible and journaling while drinking my french press coffee. But as I look up from my journal, I feel the humidity on my skin and see the red dirt on my sandals. Toto…I don't think we’re in Colorado anymore. I am here…in Jinja, Uganda. It has been a long wait and now I am here. I see cranes fly over my head and look across the yard at this crazy-cool bright purple and green aloe vera looking plant with Betty's chickens pecking at the ground beneth and I am content. I hear the students across the street at Magwa Primary School playing in schoolyard. I see my clothes drying on the bushes and watch Betty carry her naked 2-year-old Kymbi on her back. In the early morning I hear the Muslims praying. At night I feel the African rain on my skin...lots of African rain. I'm here...finally. In Jinja...in Uganda...in Africa. It feels normal but strange. Comfortable but also incredibly scary. Here I am called “muzungu lady.” I am “white lady”. Here I might be charged double for my vegetables because I am muzungu. But I can also make a child's day by asking "How are you?" (Which the response always is "I am fine. How are you?") On Saturday at the market I bought 5 passion fruit for 500 shillings. 25 cents. A nickel per fruit. My whole bag of veggies was 2500 shillings. $1.25....and that was way over priced. Then I rode on a piki or boda (a motorcycle) in the dark of a city I don't know and for some reason riding behind a stranger on a small-fragile looking motorcycle was less scary than going around the block with my Daddy on his motorcycle. Sorry Dad...no offense. I live with 7 amazing people...whose blogs you should go read by the way and we work with 91 women who make paper bead necklaces for a living. Their stories are incredible...their lives miracles. I have only been here 6 days but I already know I am falling in love with Uganda. Falling in love with the Suubi women. I love seeing the smiles on their faces even though their lives are far from easy. Monday, I learned to roll beads with Agnes. I held baby Adam-Christopher at Christine and Jennifer's house as I learned about their lives. Yesterday, JaJa Margret gave me a necklace just because I was there and Florence fed the 5 of us that visited her. Today I watched as Adam and Alex played futbol with the village kids and the Suubi women sat and learned English. These women already amaze me. I know the next three months are going to be challanging but life-changing.
Today Adam and I decided people are always viewing life as some far off distant event but the truth is today is your life. Life is happening right now. And right now I am here. Here in Jinja working with Suubi and I am ready.