be still and know.

Tomorrow, December 8th, marks two months at site and four months in Uganda. Tomorrow is also The Feast of the Immaculate Conception, celebrating the sinless conception of Mary, the entire reason we can refer to our Mother as "full of grace". Mary has been such a wonderful Mother to me throughout my life, as I've often called to her to remove my burdens from my own shoulders and carry them a while. It's kind of funny, because I usually call to her during boy troubles... I think that she, as the perfect woman, would probably understand exactly what I was going through and have the best advice on how to be a good gracious servant of the Lord in all kinds of situations. It's also making me think about what it means to be a woman in general, but especially in Uganda. The idea of a woman is so interesting in this country. As an American woman, I have always felt very empowered, valued, and advantaged. Women of the Western world, we have been incredibly blessed by our births into societies where woman have fought to receive the equality we deserve. The situation in Uganda confuses me. In The Philippines, I met so many women who were doing amazing things, and they gave me a beautiful image of a woman in a third world country working hard and seeing the fruits of their labor. These women were strong, and they were truly making a difference for the squatters of the Payatas area. The trip there was life changing, and I'll never forget it as a huge turning point in my own life. The women in Uganda are a different story than the ones I met last summer with the Opus Prize due diligence trip.
Women in Uganda work so hard for their families. If they aren't cooking, they're digging or washing clothes, fetching water (sometimes miles away), carrying God knows what on their heads to sell at the market, or caring for their children. These women work! In addition to the regular day to day labour in the garden and around the house, they're active members in their churches, schools, health centers, and regular jobs in town. They love their God, their children, and damn, they love to laugh. Spending some time with them reveals an extremely laid back, let's save tomorrow's troubles for tomorrow, attitude. Despite their dire and difficult situations- sick children or a poor crop yeild, they are joyful and extremely grateful for life itself. Their days are long and their lives are hard enough without an odd placement in the societal ladder. I don't think I'll ever understand all of the complexities of this culture, especially the way women are viewed and treated.
Thank God they have a woman like our Mother Mary to look after them. Thank God we had women like Susan B. Anthony looking out for us. Tomorrow, as I pray in thanksgiving for all of the women in my life, I'll also be praying for my new friends- the women of Uganda. May they always know that they are under Mary's care.
I love you, Mom, Nana, Kelsey, all of my wonderful aunts, cousins, my best friends (from Ecuador to DC/DCish to Jersey to California, back to Uganda), and all the men back home who love them!
Prayers and Blessings from Masindi,
Tori