Last week Sunday I went to church. I actually attempted to do my make-up and Lord knows that I DO NOT like waking up extra early just to put in the time for makeup. But, today was different. It was clear to me that God has been with me on my journey. I needed him to know that through my father passing away while I was in high school and moving because life just became difficult for my family, I was still thankful. I was there for many reasons; one being that I really didn’t want to go three months without church. I had come so far with just one parent through his will and needed to be in his presence. And... to be completely honest with you I also really wanted to see how Christians get down at church in Uganda because when you go to a Christian church you feel it (if you don’t know what “it” is then you should go) and let’s just say I felt it. The children were forever entertaining and were so happy and blessed to be there. I could see it in the way they sang (some with their eyes closed), the way they moved their feet, arms, and legs. My friend Elizabeth and I felt very welcomed and I’m not even going to lie, I almost wanted to drop dead when they asked us to introduce ourselves. I didn’t know what to say or if what I was going to say could be translated properly so I just said,
“Hi my name is Jenee and I’m from the United States”. Just repeated what Elizabeth said because I definitely made her talk first haha.
For some reason all the children laughed, I didn’t know why, but I think it was because they knew we weren’t expecting to speak, let alone stand up and do so. This experience was similar to when I went to a church in South Carolina with my mom and she made my sister Regine and I join everyone in running around the church (super embarrassing). But church does have a way of bringing people together no matter who you are or who you are with.
Overall, throughout the week it's been challenging to work in a new environment. If you’ve ever been to Africa, specifically Uganda in this case, there’s something called Ugandan time and Muzungu (or foreigner) time and it is no joke! For Muzungu time, you aim to be somewhere at the hour you’ve been told, for example, 9:00am, but if it’s Ugandan time there’s a range- you could show up anywhere between 9:00am-12:00pm. Basically, Ugandan time is the equivalent of CP time.
The adjustment to time is something I’ve had to slowly get used to but it’s definitely not the only thing that’s new to me. It’s also the concept of and use of the time that I struggle with since I am native to planning a day with many tasks or activities; whereas here I will spend a lot of the day doing one thing with no need to hurry. My usual day, much like any New Yorker, can typically be back to back nonstop until I’m home so being here has for sure encouraged me to embrace the difference. However, when it’s time for me to go to sleep, my friends are just starting their day, and I end up only getting only a few hours of sleep. Sometimes it is hard to sleep at night and I don’t get a chance to speak to my mom every day, which sucks. Sometimes it is hard knowing that my life is still moving back home and I still need to take care of my family.
I do enjoy the time here spent with the children. They have been my teachers in “baby” Luganda, so I will most likely be fluent in that instead of the actual language. I have explored different parts of Uganda and have even gotten lost a few times but there is something about being lost here that keeps you from feeling out at all. Honestly, if I were in New York City, lost in the subway with confusing directions, I would be frustrated and ready to just go back to wherever I came from. But here, I’m calm and unbothered by misdirection. The cows, goats, chickens, and roosters roam around freely as if they have a 9-5, and even the children go about their day with the work they have to do in addition to simply being a child. It’s a completely different way of living compared to America, but it is so important to reflect on what you have and others may not. Gratitude is everything. I find that it is truly pertinent to focus on loving each moment of life and giving selfless love to others to be able to find and see the happiness within ourselves.
