Soroti Rural Home Stay

My host parents, Moses and Christine, along with the baby, Michelle.

The kids!

The beautiful view at Soroti during hiking on Saturday.

This past week I lived with a Ugandan family in the village of Soroti with the Ateso people, which is about seven hours from Mukono (which is where Uganda Christian University is located). We traveled on Friday and stayed with a staff member from the university that night. On Saturday we were dropped off at each of our homes. I stayed at the home of Moses and Christine. I learned so much! I was able to see a true glimpse of what life is really like in the village.
I was able to garden and plant cassava, which is a staple food here. We cut down the plants, cut them into pieces, and planted them. I helped and learned how to cook. I milked a cow and slaughtered a chicken. I also met and talked with a lot of people in the village. I learned a lot about their culture and lifestyle throughout the week. I tried “bush” porridge, ate lots of potatoes and millet bread. I had papaya, jack-fruit, and oranges too.
I am so thankful for my host family. I could see so evidently how the body of Christ is one across cultures, societies, and lifestyles. Throughout the week I only saw one other American, she was a student who lived close. Our paths crossed, but only once for a few minutes. Overall, I had an amazing experience living in rural Uganda for a week. God’s provisions and lessons were challenging but so rewarding. During the week God continued to bring Jeremy Camp’s song Give Me Jesus, which says (in summary):
 In the morning when I rise/Give me Jesus/You can have all this world /But give me Jesus/When I am alone/Give me Jesus/You can have all this world/Just give me Jesus/When I come to die/Give me Jesus/You can have all this world /Just give me Jesus
This song is my prayer. No matter where I am in the world or in my life, I want Jesus to be the center of my entire life.
This past weekend, after we were picked up on Friday, we headed to Kapchurwa to debrief and be reunited with our group. We stayed at Sipi Fall. It was so good to be with everyone again. We had debrief on Friday night and hiked all day on Saturday. It was incredible to hike up Mount Elgon and see the beauty of nature. It reminded me how gorgeous God’s creation truly is, though I take it for granted most of the time. After being reminded of how big God really is made me turn to Job 38.