The rainy season has absolutely come in full force this year. It rains for about one or two hours everyday very heavily. Almost everything in Masindi shuts down. Except for our school. When the rain is pounding on the corrugated metal roofs, it can almost drown out the bellows of thunder. However, you can always hear a teacher yelling their lungs out so that the students don't miss an entire hour of class just for the rains. The rain gives satisfaction to the thirsty soil, and everyone can begin to plant their crops. Also, spring wells and rain tanks will fill up making it easier for people to find water. The down side of the rainy season is the mosquitoes. They mate in standing water, and during the rainy season that is not difficult to find. Malaria kills about 320 people everyday in Uganda alone. When a student at St. Theresa gets Malaria, she can be out of school for weeks, rendering her basically incapable of passing her already difficult end of term exams. I'm trying to raise money now for mosquito nets to protect every student from Malaria. We have 900 students at St. Theresa School. A net in Uganda costs 6000 shillings. That is for a Long Lasting Insecticide-treated Net. (LLIN) Most nets that people buy are cheap and untreated. With an LLIN, the net will last around ten years, and! it will kill a mosquito that lands on it. These nets are easy to care for, will last long, and will save lives. In my project to obtain enough nets, I would also like to provide for the staff who live on the school compound with the students. There are about 30 staff members, and most of them have small children who are the most vulnerable population to die from Malaria. The need at our school is genuine and immediate. Thank you so much for your prayers and well wishes.
God Bless You All!
Mukama Akuhe Omugisa!
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Giving up giving up
I have a small piece of paper that stays in my Bible. It's a Lenten reflection from EWTN that I've picked up somewhere along the way... This is what it says:
Give up complaining- focus on gratitude.
Give up pessimism- become an optimist.
Give up harsh judgements- think kindly thoughts.
Give up worry- trust Divine Providence.
Give up discouragement- be full of hope.
Give up bitterness- turn to forgiveness.
Give up hatred- return good for evil.
Give up negativism- be positive.
Give up anger- be more patient.
Give up pettiness- become mature.
Give up gloom- enjoy the beauty that is all around you.
Give up jealousy- pray for trust.
Give up gosspiing- control your tongue.
Give up sin- turn to virtue.
Give up giving up- hang in there.
I LOVE this reflection. It basically goes through all of the things I do multiple times on a daily basis and gives me better options. How many times a day do I become discouraged when one of my students has to drop out of school and go back to the village? How often do I gossip about others? How often am I jealous of the volunteers whose sights have pools and golf courses (yes, they do exist, and yes, I visit them a lot)? How often do I pass by an unfortunate man on the road and judge that he must be an alcoholic? How often am I annoyed or angered with the little children that just won't give me five minutes to myself to read a book? I do all of these things constantly (sometimes all of them in a single day).
I do think, however, that Lent in Uganda is getting me closer to giving these things up. After reading St. Theresa of Avila's Interior Castle, I've tried to be less focused inwardly. She tells us that we should not focus on how sinful we are, but instead consider the great humility, glory, and power of God. Through this lense, we can offer praise to God for all His greatness, and consider how prideful and small we are.
I've definitely been able to focus more on gratitude here. I have a little dance that I do whenever power comes back from being out for days at a time. I'm also extremely grateful now that it is the rainy season. It's a perfect 80 degrees now as opposed to the 125 degree peak of the dry season. It's very easy for volunteers in Uganda to become cynical or pessimistic towards their work. After witnessing this attitude in too many people, I made it a personal goal of mine to always focus on the good things about being here.
All of these things are daily struggles, and they don't only exist during Lent. I'm so blessed to have come to Uganda. They are certainly an Easter people. They don't bother with the insignificant details. They care about their families; they worry about school fees and making sure their children get something to eat. Many of my concerns become fairly ridiculous when I reflect on the struggles of my friends in Uganda. May Easter be a time of rebirth for all of us!
On a lighter note, my language learning has hit a hilarious point. I'm actually learning a lot, and asking questions I've found is a great way to get answers. ;) When I greet someone, I usually say, "Oli ota?" It means, "How are you?" People either respond with, "Ndi kirungi" which means, "I am fine." Sometimes, thought, I'll find someone who becomes very excited (and usually very grateful) that I've took the time to learn the language. They'll answer happily, "Eh! Omanyire Runyoro!" ("You know Runyoro!") I would respond, "a little" by saying "enkaito". I recently discovered that "kataito" means "a little", and "enkaito" means "shoe".
God Bless You!
Mukama Akuhe Omugisa!!
Ntugonza!
-Tori
Give up complaining- focus on gratitude.
Give up pessimism- become an optimist.
Give up harsh judgements- think kindly thoughts.
Give up worry- trust Divine Providence.
Give up discouragement- be full of hope.
Give up bitterness- turn to forgiveness.
Give up hatred- return good for evil.
Give up negativism- be positive.
Give up anger- be more patient.
Give up pettiness- become mature.
Give up gloom- enjoy the beauty that is all around you.
Give up jealousy- pray for trust.
Give up gosspiing- control your tongue.
Give up sin- turn to virtue.
Give up giving up- hang in there.
I LOVE this reflection. It basically goes through all of the things I do multiple times on a daily basis and gives me better options. How many times a day do I become discouraged when one of my students has to drop out of school and go back to the village? How often do I gossip about others? How often am I jealous of the volunteers whose sights have pools and golf courses (yes, they do exist, and yes, I visit them a lot)? How often do I pass by an unfortunate man on the road and judge that he must be an alcoholic? How often am I annoyed or angered with the little children that just won't give me five minutes to myself to read a book? I do all of these things constantly (sometimes all of them in a single day).
I do think, however, that Lent in Uganda is getting me closer to giving these things up. After reading St. Theresa of Avila's Interior Castle, I've tried to be less focused inwardly. She tells us that we should not focus on how sinful we are, but instead consider the great humility, glory, and power of God. Through this lense, we can offer praise to God for all His greatness, and consider how prideful and small we are.
I've definitely been able to focus more on gratitude here. I have a little dance that I do whenever power comes back from being out for days at a time. I'm also extremely grateful now that it is the rainy season. It's a perfect 80 degrees now as opposed to the 125 degree peak of the dry season. It's very easy for volunteers in Uganda to become cynical or pessimistic towards their work. After witnessing this attitude in too many people, I made it a personal goal of mine to always focus on the good things about being here.
All of these things are daily struggles, and they don't only exist during Lent. I'm so blessed to have come to Uganda. They are certainly an Easter people. They don't bother with the insignificant details. They care about their families; they worry about school fees and making sure their children get something to eat. Many of my concerns become fairly ridiculous when I reflect on the struggles of my friends in Uganda. May Easter be a time of rebirth for all of us!
On a lighter note, my language learning has hit a hilarious point. I'm actually learning a lot, and asking questions I've found is a great way to get answers. ;) When I greet someone, I usually say, "Oli ota?" It means, "How are you?" People either respond with, "Ndi kirungi" which means, "I am fine." Sometimes, thought, I'll find someone who becomes very excited (and usually very grateful) that I've took the time to learn the language. They'll answer happily, "Eh! Omanyire Runyoro!" ("You know Runyoro!") I would respond, "a little" by saying "enkaito". I recently discovered that "kataito" means "a little", and "enkaito" means "shoe".
God Bless You!
Mukama Akuhe Omugisa!!
Ntugonza!
-Tori
Sunday, March 8, 2009
The Conquerors' Voice
Today was the first meeting of first ever St. Theresa Secondary School for Girls student newspaper. First on the agenda was to get to know all about newspapers. We learned about headlines, bylines, captions, how to write a lead, and the 5 w's and 1 h questions. After all of the boring stuff, we got to name the newspaper. Some of the suggestions included St. Theresa's International Newspaper, The Winner's Choice, The New Vision (the exact name of one of the top two newspapers in Uganda), and The Courageous Vision. The girls were stuck between The Winner's Choice and The Courageous Vision. We eventually got into a Thesaurus (one of those giant ones that takes up two laps), and looked up 'winner'. Once the girls heard the word "Conqueror", they were absolutely sold. The Conquerors' Voice will be the student run newspaper at our school. I couldn't be more proud today. They expressed their opinions, they compromised, they discussed, and they eventually came to find that when they all work together they'll find better ideas than they could have alone. Beautiful. The newspaper is made up of girls from all years of secondary school, from all walks of life, some are orphans, some have parents who work for oil companies, and some live in horrible conditions and are receiving an education out of the courageous and merciful hearts of the Sisters of St. Theresa who run the school.
The amount of students was incredibly underestimated this term. We thought we would be receiving 700 students, and we're about to round 900. Beds were scarce in the beginning, but as more school fees are coming in, we are slowly able to board every girl who wants a bed. These beds, however, are in Uganda where about three hundred and twenty people die of malaria each day. It is the number one killer in the country, and it has devastated countless families and villages.
My hope while I am here is to see that each bed at our school can be equipped with a mosquito net. I am currently organizing my application for a grant that will help us purchase 800 nets for all of the students who sleep in our dormitories. So far, my incredible mother has been slowly collecting money for us from my amazing friends and family at home including Jim and Pat Padula, Uncle Billy, Aunt Linda, my cousins Johnny and Nicole, Aunt Emma and Uncle Jack, Diane and Aunt Eileen McNellis and my faithful Nana. The grant that I'm applying for will allow even more people to help. It's called the Peace Corps Partnership Grant and it sets up an account online where people can donate money to this immediate need at our school. As soon as I hear about the details, I will be sure to post them here. Even if you cannot donate anything, know that prayers are just as important and equally needed here. God is most definitely here in Uganda, and as many of us know, when He is here, the devil is not too far behind. I've started some one on one counselling with some students, and I'll only say that some of their burdens are unfathomable.
God Bless You All, and please pray for all of us in Uganda.
Love,
Tori
The amount of students was incredibly underestimated this term. We thought we would be receiving 700 students, and we're about to round 900. Beds were scarce in the beginning, but as more school fees are coming in, we are slowly able to board every girl who wants a bed. These beds, however, are in Uganda where about three hundred and twenty people die of malaria each day. It is the number one killer in the country, and it has devastated countless families and villages.
My hope while I am here is to see that each bed at our school can be equipped with a mosquito net. I am currently organizing my application for a grant that will help us purchase 800 nets for all of the students who sleep in our dormitories. So far, my incredible mother has been slowly collecting money for us from my amazing friends and family at home including Jim and Pat Padula, Uncle Billy, Aunt Linda, my cousins Johnny and Nicole, Aunt Emma and Uncle Jack, Diane and Aunt Eileen McNellis and my faithful Nana. The grant that I'm applying for will allow even more people to help. It's called the Peace Corps Partnership Grant and it sets up an account online where people can donate money to this immediate need at our school. As soon as I hear about the details, I will be sure to post them here. Even if you cannot donate anything, know that prayers are just as important and equally needed here. God is most definitely here in Uganda, and as many of us know, when He is here, the devil is not too far behind. I've started some one on one counselling with some students, and I'll only say that some of their burdens are unfathomable.
God Bless You All, and please pray for all of us in Uganda.
Love,
Tori
Monday, February 2, 2009
A Week Late and Six-Hundred Thousand Shillings Short
As I approach the half-year mark in Uganda, I'm also beginning to actually teach my computer classes at St. Theresa's. Classes are going to be interesting since this is my first classroom experience, and it will be an especially huge struggle to teach 80 girls at a time with 20 computers. Last term, I arrived towards the end of the year and couldn't be placed on the class schedule, so I was substitute teaching and I had the lab open in the morning if any teachers wished to come by for semi-private lessons. Many teachers took advantage of this, and I think they benefitted from having my full attention. I wouldn't call myself a computer genius by any means, but all of the teachers and students here have either no experience at all or their computer knowledge is extremely limited.
I also know that the only reason that I am good at anything is because I have flat-out failed at it at one time or another. I had a professor in architecture school who always told me that I'll never learn anything by getting it exactly right, that I'll learn the most about my project and about myself if I completely make a disaster out of it, figure out what went wrong and why this particular system didn't work, and move on from there.
My first day of substitute teaching was something like a complete disaster. All of the students were yelling, no one knew how to turn on a computer let alone open a program, I still had teachers in the room from the morning lesson asking me questions about font color, and I hadn't known that I was going to teach until about five minutes before. I pretty much had a small break down, called my counterpart, Christine- the other computer teacher at school whom I will be leaving to continue all of my work after I leave in 2010- and told her that I couldn't handle it and needed help. She came, made everyone be quiet, and also made about half of the girls leave the room. Even with her help, I still managed to mess everything up pretty well. Now that I've already made a disaster of one day's work, hopefully I can end up being a successful facilitator by the end of my service.
Tomorrow is my first official day on the class schedule. I keep hoping that the power will be out so that I won't have to do anything with computers. I know I've got a good amount of failure left to do here, and I'm really okay with that. The only way I'm going to figure out how to teach 80 girls in a space the size of my family room is to completely mess it up, reconfigure what I'm doing, and move on. I've got my lesson plans ready, but no matter how prepared I am, I know it will still be a big challenge (and that's the whole reason I wanted to come to Africa in the first place!)
Please, send any prayers you can towards my students and fellow staff members.
Love & Prayers from Masindi,
Tori
I also know that the only reason that I am good at anything is because I have flat-out failed at it at one time or another. I had a professor in architecture school who always told me that I'll never learn anything by getting it exactly right, that I'll learn the most about my project and about myself if I completely make a disaster out of it, figure out what went wrong and why this particular system didn't work, and move on from there.
My first day of substitute teaching was something like a complete disaster. All of the students were yelling, no one knew how to turn on a computer let alone open a program, I still had teachers in the room from the morning lesson asking me questions about font color, and I hadn't known that I was going to teach until about five minutes before. I pretty much had a small break down, called my counterpart, Christine- the other computer teacher at school whom I will be leaving to continue all of my work after I leave in 2010- and told her that I couldn't handle it and needed help. She came, made everyone be quiet, and also made about half of the girls leave the room. Even with her help, I still managed to mess everything up pretty well. Now that I've already made a disaster of one day's work, hopefully I can end up being a successful facilitator by the end of my service.
Tomorrow is my first official day on the class schedule. I keep hoping that the power will be out so that I won't have to do anything with computers. I know I've got a good amount of failure left to do here, and I'm really okay with that. The only way I'm going to figure out how to teach 80 girls in a space the size of my family room is to completely mess it up, reconfigure what I'm doing, and move on. I've got my lesson plans ready, but no matter how prepared I am, I know it will still be a big challenge (and that's the whole reason I wanted to come to Africa in the first place!)
Please, send any prayers you can towards my students and fellow staff members.
Love & Prayers from Masindi,
Tori
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Strings, Cookies, and a Full Year in Uganda
String Theory basically** says that for everything that happens in your life, every rock you trip over, everytime you take a cab instead of driving yourself, each bite of food you take, there are an infinite amount of other ways that moment could have happened. Each "other way" is a different "string" or dimension in which another Tori made a different decision and her life continued in a different direction than mine, everytime this other Tori makes a decision, another string or dimension is entered into and so forth. That's a ton of strings.
Who cares?
There is also a theory that I read in a fortune cookie a few years ago that told me- You are always exactly where you are supposed to be. I subscribe to my fortune cookie's wisdom. I know that no matter what happens or has happened, or will happen, it's not up to me- God is the piece of paper on which the line of my life has been drawn. He is in every single moment as every single moment is in Him, and He is in the past, present, future, whatever other dimensions of time someone could think of, He is there. One Way. One Truth. One Life. One String.
Wishing something had happened another way is useless. It happened. Not only can we not change it, but it happened for a reason. I know I'm not aimlessly, hopelessly floating around Africa. I feel such a beautiful purpose here in my community, and I know that many of my fellow PC volunteers feel the same way about theirs. Christmas in Kabale was incredible, the time I spent with my friends on Lake Bunyonyi was refreshing and relaxing, and although I'm back in Masindi earlier than I had planned, I know that it wasn't ultimately my decision, and I have no regrets.
I'm praying extra hard that my 2009 (my only full year in Uganda) will be challenging, successful, and fun! My resolutions are to be Hardworking, Understanding, and Humble. Yes, I realize that my year will be confusing since my resolutions spell out "Huh"? But what new thing isn't confusing? And what's the use in my trying to figure it all out when I could be spending my time having a full Runyoro conversation with a woman in the market, or showing a globe to my neighbor and having the children in my village point to me where we are on it? I would rather make a true personal connection with a Ugandan child than waste my time worrying about which steps to take when. I would rather love than fear.
We are always exactly where we're supposed to be. May we always strive for that place to be in the Lord's love.
God Bless You all from Masindi, Webale Noeli, and Happy New Year,
Tori
**(like, super basically- string theory talks way more about black holes, subatomic particles, and quantum mechanics than I could ever hope to understand)
Who cares?
There is also a theory that I read in a fortune cookie a few years ago that told me- You are always exactly where you are supposed to be. I subscribe to my fortune cookie's wisdom. I know that no matter what happens or has happened, or will happen, it's not up to me- God is the piece of paper on which the line of my life has been drawn. He is in every single moment as every single moment is in Him, and He is in the past, present, future, whatever other dimensions of time someone could think of, He is there. One Way. One Truth. One Life. One String.
Wishing something had happened another way is useless. It happened. Not only can we not change it, but it happened for a reason. I know I'm not aimlessly, hopelessly floating around Africa. I feel such a beautiful purpose here in my community, and I know that many of my fellow PC volunteers feel the same way about theirs. Christmas in Kabale was incredible, the time I spent with my friends on Lake Bunyonyi was refreshing and relaxing, and although I'm back in Masindi earlier than I had planned, I know that it wasn't ultimately my decision, and I have no regrets.
I'm praying extra hard that my 2009 (my only full year in Uganda) will be challenging, successful, and fun! My resolutions are to be Hardworking, Understanding, and Humble. Yes, I realize that my year will be confusing since my resolutions spell out "Huh"? But what new thing isn't confusing? And what's the use in my trying to figure it all out when I could be spending my time having a full Runyoro conversation with a woman in the market, or showing a globe to my neighbor and having the children in my village point to me where we are on it? I would rather make a true personal connection with a Ugandan child than waste my time worrying about which steps to take when. I would rather love than fear.
We are always exactly where we're supposed to be. May we always strive for that place to be in the Lord's love.
God Bless You all from Masindi, Webale Noeli, and Happy New Year,
Tori
**(like, super basically- string theory talks way more about black holes, subatomic particles, and quantum mechanics than I could ever hope to understand)
Sunday, December 7, 2008
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
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
Saturday, November 8, 2008
It's 77 degrees, and I'm cold.
Strange how your body will adjust... Speaking of adjustments- I went to bed two nights ago thinking to myself that I had really started to get the hang of it here. I'm managing my money better, I'm cooking healthy meals, and I'm staying in touch with everyone I love. I woke up the next morning to a bunch of giant ants/mosquitos/unidentifiable creatures in my bedroom and my stove still firing away from dinner the night before. Yea... I'm pretty sure I won't have the hang of this for a while... Hopefully, I will learn to turn off things that could burn down my house, though.
I've been thinking about pride a lot since I've gotten to Africa, and I know it has a lot to do with the St. Francis class I took at CUA during my last semester there. Fr. Armstrong taught me so much about Francis and the lengths he would go to to humble himself for God. Francis saw that Jesus suffered so much for us, and in considering God's great humility and God's great mercy, he saw just how prideful and wretched he was. This happens to me a lot here. I consider God's majesty everyday just by seeing the sky or the hills around the school, and I'm overwhelmed. It's so humbling to see what incredible things God has given all of us and done for all of us, and it's a wonderful encouragement to do whatever I can to help his people here in Uganda.
The other volunteers here are making me so happy I chose to do the Peace Corps. The more I get to know all of them, the more I like them. I've always thought of myself as a good judge of character, but I'm learning that there are so many more layers to people than you can know by just looking at a snapshot of who they are. If it weren't for the volunteers here, then I definitely would not have made it through training. I am so grateful to all of them, and I'm so happy to know them because I know that back in the states I would have written many of them off and never have been friends with them or even given them a chance.
On Sunday, I'm going to visit another volunteer in my district after mass. I'm really excited to find some people I can relate to around here. The teachers and my neighbors are absolutely wonderful, and I know I'll become close friends with many of them, but having another volunteer who can sympathize with the daily frustrations would be invaluable.
The daily frustrations are interesting... I'm having trouble figuring out what I need to be direct about and what I need to chalk up to cultural differences. I think what I'm doing is addressing the things that continually make me uncomfortable, but letting a lot of things go, too. I'm laughing at myself way more than I ever have, and that's one of the greatest gifts I can receive from this experience. If I couldn't laugh at myself, then I could never last.
I'm really happy here, and I feel like a lot of my life has led me to this point. I'm seeing many past experiences as steps on a ladder to lead me here. Praise God for giving me this beautiful place.
I love you all and miss you so much.
Prayers & Blessings from Masindi,
Tori
I've been thinking about pride a lot since I've gotten to Africa, and I know it has a lot to do with the St. Francis class I took at CUA during my last semester there. Fr. Armstrong taught me so much about Francis and the lengths he would go to to humble himself for God. Francis saw that Jesus suffered so much for us, and in considering God's great humility and God's great mercy, he saw just how prideful and wretched he was. This happens to me a lot here. I consider God's majesty everyday just by seeing the sky or the hills around the school, and I'm overwhelmed. It's so humbling to see what incredible things God has given all of us and done for all of us, and it's a wonderful encouragement to do whatever I can to help his people here in Uganda.
The other volunteers here are making me so happy I chose to do the Peace Corps. The more I get to know all of them, the more I like them. I've always thought of myself as a good judge of character, but I'm learning that there are so many more layers to people than you can know by just looking at a snapshot of who they are. If it weren't for the volunteers here, then I definitely would not have made it through training. I am so grateful to all of them, and I'm so happy to know them because I know that back in the states I would have written many of them off and never have been friends with them or even given them a chance.
On Sunday, I'm going to visit another volunteer in my district after mass. I'm really excited to find some people I can relate to around here. The teachers and my neighbors are absolutely wonderful, and I know I'll become close friends with many of them, but having another volunteer who can sympathize with the daily frustrations would be invaluable.
The daily frustrations are interesting... I'm having trouble figuring out what I need to be direct about and what I need to chalk up to cultural differences. I think what I'm doing is addressing the things that continually make me uncomfortable, but letting a lot of things go, too. I'm laughing at myself way more than I ever have, and that's one of the greatest gifts I can receive from this experience. If I couldn't laugh at myself, then I could never last.
I'm really happy here, and I feel like a lot of my life has led me to this point. I'm seeing many past experiences as steps on a ladder to lead me here. Praise God for giving me this beautiful place.
I love you all and miss you so much.
Prayers & Blessings from Masindi,
Tori
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