These last two weeks have been a whirlwind and have gone by really fast!
Last wednesday we had an intern farewell dinner. This is a dinner where the whole emi family get together and hangout before we leave. Then at the end they say nice things about us. It was extremely humbling, especially because these people deserved praise not me! I was an intern who did work slow and probably not very well. They were the ones doing all the important work and are the amazing people of God!
So the intern farewell dinner is what you make it, and we decided to make it a goat roast!! At the beginning of the internship we decided all chip in (the interns) and make a grill, as our legacy as interns. The grill was ready the day of the farewell dinner!! It was made from an oil drum and we had a local welder put it all together! It had legs, the drum was sliced in half with 2 grill racks inside. It was neat! ask me and i will show you a picture of it! We call it the legacy! Haha. We also purchased a goat the day before and had it walking around the office compound. The night before the roast we slaughtered the goat behind the office! I was babysitting so luckily i did not have to witness this scene. I think the boys thoroughly enjoyed it though. Some of the local staff helped the boys do it. We then put the meat on skewers with onions and peppers and grilled them at the farewell dinner. It was delicious!
This trip has been absolutely amazing and life changing! God has taught me so much! I have fallen more in love with him! He drew himself closer to me so i could feel his love like never before! He showed his love through worship, prayer people and circumstances! God is in all things!
I am so thankful that God used me to help missions in Uganda. I feel extremely blessed and unworthy.
The hardest part of this last week is knowing i would have to say goodbye. I came to this internship thinking it would be mostly about the brain(engineering and discipline) and it was more about the heart (relationships, people, and Gods love). This makes it a lot harder to say goodbye. God used these people to change my life, and to change my heart, and for that i am forever indebted to them.
I hope to do one more post about everything i learned here in Uganda once i return. My flight leaves in less than 8 hours. I cannot beieve it! Thank you all for your support and prayers, it made a huge difference in my life.
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Sipi Falls
Last weekend we went to a place called Sipi Falls. It is a series of waterfalls over a series of three ridges. It was absolutely goregous!! I felt like I was in the garden of eden, or some sort of movie paradise. The second waterfall had a cave underneath it so we were able to stand behind the waterfall then walk down and take a shower underneath part of the fall!! absoluetly beautiful. It was so lush, I could not believe that it was Africa! I always thought of Africa as a dry and plain place. I was wrong.
The trails were...interesting, if you could call them trails. We hired a guide and he weaved us through peoples yards to get to each waterfall, trekking through tons of mud! We saw lots of maize, cabbage and coffee plants, and many other local farming plants. (also a chameleon hidden in a tree!!) There was no way we would be able to get around without a guide, one wrong turn and you were dead ending into someones home.
God again just showed me his beauty. It was amazing. We woke up early and our lodge stood on the side of a hill facing the falls and we watched the sunrise over them. It was gorgeous.
The hardest thing about the whole trip was the travel. It took about 8 hours to get there by taxi. On the way we took three different taxis, the last taxi being a small white car with 2 people crammed in the front seat, 5 people in the middle and three people (erland, aaron and a lady) in the trunk! It was crazy, but a fun experience. Then on the way home we took two taxis. The second one I was crammed on a bench for 3 people with 4 people. I had a baby sleeping on my right arm a man sleeping on my left and I just plopped my head straight down on my backpack and fell asleep. Ugandans do not care much for personal space. So I slept in a taxi uganda style!
I cannot believe my time here is coming to an end. It all went so fast. I am excited to go home and see all the people i miss and love, but i am seriously going to miss all the amazing friends i met here. God has taught me so much, and our relationship has become so much more intimate and real through this experience. I am sad this chapter is closing, but excited to see what else God has in store!!!
The trails were...interesting, if you could call them trails. We hired a guide and he weaved us through peoples yards to get to each waterfall, trekking through tons of mud! We saw lots of maize, cabbage and coffee plants, and many other local farming plants. (also a chameleon hidden in a tree!!) There was no way we would be able to get around without a guide, one wrong turn and you were dead ending into someones home.
God again just showed me his beauty. It was amazing. We woke up early and our lodge stood on the side of a hill facing the falls and we watched the sunrise over them. It was gorgeous.
The hardest thing about the whole trip was the travel. It took about 8 hours to get there by taxi. On the way we took three different taxis, the last taxi being a small white car with 2 people crammed in the front seat, 5 people in the middle and three people (erland, aaron and a lady) in the trunk! It was crazy, but a fun experience. Then on the way home we took two taxis. The second one I was crammed on a bench for 3 people with 4 people. I had a baby sleeping on my right arm a man sleeping on my left and I just plopped my head straight down on my backpack and fell asleep. Ugandans do not care much for personal space. So I slept in a taxi uganda style!
I cannot believe my time here is coming to an end. It all went so fast. I am excited to go home and see all the people i miss and love, but i am seriously going to miss all the amazing friends i met here. God has taught me so much, and our relationship has become so much more intimate and real through this experience. I am sad this chapter is closing, but excited to see what else God has in store!!!
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
The Daily Grind
So we were all sitting around yesterday and we realized we tend to talk more about the weekends than what we do at work! And the whole reason we are here are for the week not the weekend. So i figured i would dedicate this blogpost to the 9 to 5 the daily grind. Update you guys on what engineering i have done and the ministries i have helped, and in turn, you have helped in three short months.
What I have worked on so far:
Structural Design
Wooden and Steel Trusses
Columns, Beams, Footings, Shear Walls
Rainwater Tank Tower
AutoCAD Detailing
Structural Templates
Rainwater Reservior
Survey plotting
Excel Worksheets
Square Footing Design
Continuous Footing Design
Rainwater Reservoir Slab Design
Allowable Rebar in a Reinf Concrete Beam/Column
Ministries
**Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF)
-They serve missionaries who travel the the unreached peoples of Uganda by flying them to remote areas of Africa.
-EMI is creating a masterplan of their airfield and surrounding property
**Child and World Agape Outreach
-There mission is to house and educate orphans and destitue children and show them the love of Christ, to help them become responsible adults
- EMI is providing a masterplan, and design of several multipurpose buildings for the Agape Education Center
**African International University
-A univeristy that educates Christian centerd leaders in Africa so they can go out and tranform God's people and the world
- EMI is creating a masterplan, the school is looking to grow immensely.
**Calvery Chapel Entebbe
-On a plot of land located on the shore of Lake Victoria where they hope to help the children and peoples of entebbe, by having schooling and a market for people to sell things at.
-EMI designed the masterplan several years ago. Now were are coming back and designing a building that will serve as classrooms for schooling of children and adults.
I have worked on something for each of these ministries. EMI East Africa has probably about a dozen more projects going on right now also.
These mission statements and what EMI is doing are not exact, but hopefully it will give you a better idea of what i have been working on all semester.
What I have worked on so far:
Structural Design
Wooden and Steel Trusses
Columns, Beams, Footings, Shear Walls
Rainwater Tank Tower
AutoCAD Detailing
Structural Templates
Rainwater Reservior
Survey plotting
Excel Worksheets
Square Footing Design
Continuous Footing Design
Rainwater Reservoir Slab Design
Allowable Rebar in a Reinf Concrete Beam/Column
Ministries
**Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF)
-They serve missionaries who travel the the unreached peoples of Uganda by flying them to remote areas of Africa.
-EMI is creating a masterplan of their airfield and surrounding property
**Child and World Agape Outreach
-There mission is to house and educate orphans and destitue children and show them the love of Christ, to help them become responsible adults
- EMI is providing a masterplan, and design of several multipurpose buildings for the Agape Education Center
**African International University
-A univeristy that educates Christian centerd leaders in Africa so they can go out and tranform God's people and the world
- EMI is creating a masterplan, the school is looking to grow immensely.
**Calvery Chapel Entebbe
-On a plot of land located on the shore of Lake Victoria where they hope to help the children and peoples of entebbe, by having schooling and a market for people to sell things at.
-EMI designed the masterplan several years ago. Now were are coming back and designing a building that will serve as classrooms for schooling of children and adults.
I have worked on something for each of these ministries. EMI East Africa has probably about a dozen more projects going on right now also.
These mission statements and what EMI is doing are not exact, but hopefully it will give you a better idea of what i have been working on all semester.
Saturday, November 19, 2011
Sabbath
So today i decided to take a Sabbath. It is definitely one of the commandments i tend to over look. What is so important about a day of rest? Seems like they were just being lazy to me. But my day of rest has been amazing and rejuvenating. It has been great, however my intentions were not completely pure. What led me to make today a Sabbath was because I am sick, I had no plans and the power was out so I could not waste the whole day watching TV. But God totally put me in that position on purpose. I have really been able to rest my body, which it really needed. and I have learned so much about him! It is amazing how much closer i feel to God after just spending a little time with him. By setting aside this day i have been able to better appreciate what God has given me, to really spend time in his word (more then 10 minutes) and enjoy things he has created (a good book, two actually The Mountain of God, and Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire). He keeps showing me time and time again the importance of prayer and i think i am finally getting through my thick skull that "do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving present your requests to God" (phil 4:6) and "be joyful always, pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is Gods will for you in Christ Jesus" (1 thess 5:16) and "call to me and i will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you did not know." (jer 33:3). It is unbelievable that God cares about what we think, but i am so thankful that he does. He is a God who cares, and loves, and forgives, and sacrificed it all so that i could be saved.
So last night we watched the first lord of the rings movie, tonight we are going to watch the second and probably tomorrow night the third. It is nice having this time to rest and enjoy a good long movie :)
So last night we watched the first lord of the rings movie, tonight we are going to watch the second and probably tomorrow night the third. It is nice having this time to rest and enjoy a good long movie :)
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Queen elizabeth (part 2!)
The second half of the trip involved traveling around Western Uganda with Steven and his family. Saturday morning we got up and ate breakfast at a local restaurant, we definitely stuck out as the only white people, and it does not seem that many are around there often. Then steven took us to different parts of Queen Elizabeth park. 9 of us squished into a car that can really handle 7 and started driving to a local fishing dock. We stopped at the fishing area and looked at the boats and fishermen. All the kids just started running up to us and holding our hands, i do not think Ugandans use the motto "do not talk to strangers". We left the fishing village and started traveling to another lake, lake edward. On the way we saw baboons, and a leopard!! Leopards are very rarely seen. Our safari guide from the day before said he has only seen 6 total in the 15 years he has been doing safaris. It was amazing, a magnificent creature. Unfortunately i only saw it for a split second before it dashed into the bushes.
When we arrived at the other lake, we were planning on swimming but quickly realized it was not really a swimming shore, and no one was swimming. So we hired some local fishermen to take us across the lake to an island where we could go swimming with more privacy. The place where we swam was really sketch, it was a swampy area surrounding us and not very deep. But it was fun, I just let Phil go in first to make sure it was safe! haha I did not want to swim next to a snake, or hippo for that matter.
We then returned to stevens house in the village for lunch. Steven's dads property was amazing. He had a lot of land covered in plants, beans, ginuts(there version of peanuts), coffee, bananas and so much more! He also had about 5 pigs, 8 goats and various other small livestock. they are almost completely self sufficent when it comes to food. Everything we ate was from their farm.
Stevens home was beautiful. His familys land was situated on the side of a mountain and you could see the Congo from their land. The congo is located across the river that is at the edge of the village.
It was difficult at times to communicate and understand the cultural differences, but it was a great experience! We stayed at Stevens until dinner just hanging out with their family. During dinner it rained so the car was unable to pick us up, so we walked down the dirt road to the place where the car could reach. We looked very silly, me in flipflops and a dress and phil with his high socks, and everyone sliding everywhere, but it was fun.
The next morning we walked to the congo border, just to say we have been there and then we had an 8 hour bus ride back to kampala!! The bus was impressively uncomfortable. the seats were just wide enough that you were squished next to the person next to you. then your knees were crammed into the seat in front of you. The taller boys could not fit their knees in the leg space, they ended up sitting in seats that had no other seats in front of it so they could fit. I am very easy when it comes to travel, and i was impressed how difficult it was to get comfortable on that bus! But it was a cheap ride back. When we returned to Kampala i rode a boda boda back to my apartment (about 30 min drive) with my duffel bag backpack and purse! a boda boda is a motorcycle. they are a type of taxi, someone drives and you just hop on the back and tell them where you want to go! It was not my first boda ride, but my first one from downtown.
This week has been relatively uneventful. I have been working on various different projects, getting experience in both AutoCAD and design.
God has been teaching me so much. I think I am getting better at keeping him involved in my everyday activity, hopefully that can continue when i return home. It is harder because America has so many more distractions, but i am so excited to see my friends and family again! miss you all and love you!
still trying to memorize Micah 7:7 :)
When we arrived at the other lake, we were planning on swimming but quickly realized it was not really a swimming shore, and no one was swimming. So we hired some local fishermen to take us across the lake to an island where we could go swimming with more privacy. The place where we swam was really sketch, it was a swampy area surrounding us and not very deep. But it was fun, I just let Phil go in first to make sure it was safe! haha I did not want to swim next to a snake, or hippo for that matter.
We then returned to stevens house in the village for lunch. Steven's dads property was amazing. He had a lot of land covered in plants, beans, ginuts(there version of peanuts), coffee, bananas and so much more! He also had about 5 pigs, 8 goats and various other small livestock. they are almost completely self sufficent when it comes to food. Everything we ate was from their farm.
Stevens home was beautiful. His familys land was situated on the side of a mountain and you could see the Congo from their land. The congo is located across the river that is at the edge of the village.
It was difficult at times to communicate and understand the cultural differences, but it was a great experience! We stayed at Stevens until dinner just hanging out with their family. During dinner it rained so the car was unable to pick us up, so we walked down the dirt road to the place where the car could reach. We looked very silly, me in flipflops and a dress and phil with his high socks, and everyone sliding everywhere, but it was fun.
The next morning we walked to the congo border, just to say we have been there and then we had an 8 hour bus ride back to kampala!! The bus was impressively uncomfortable. the seats were just wide enough that you were squished next to the person next to you. then your knees were crammed into the seat in front of you. The taller boys could not fit their knees in the leg space, they ended up sitting in seats that had no other seats in front of it so they could fit. I am very easy when it comes to travel, and i was impressed how difficult it was to get comfortable on that bus! But it was a cheap ride back. When we returned to Kampala i rode a boda boda back to my apartment (about 30 min drive) with my duffel bag backpack and purse! a boda boda is a motorcycle. they are a type of taxi, someone drives and you just hop on the back and tell them where you want to go! It was not my first boda ride, but my first one from downtown.
This week has been relatively uneventful. I have been working on various different projects, getting experience in both AutoCAD and design.
God has been teaching me so much. I think I am getting better at keeping him involved in my everyday activity, hopefully that can continue when i return home. It is harder because America has so many more distractions, but i am so excited to see my friends and family again! miss you all and love you!
still trying to memorize Micah 7:7 :)
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Queen Elizabeth! (part one)
So this weekend the interns took a 4 day trip out to Queen Elizabeth National Park. It is about an 8 hour drive out of Kampala and on the border of the Congo. We left at 6 in the morning. The drive was very relaxing, we drove out in a poptop van, and i had a whole seat to myself. On the way to Queen Elizabeth, we stopped at the equator. I stood in the North and South Hemisphere at the same time! Then we drove through another smaller national park where we saw Zebras(did not hae those at queen), and Uganda cranes (really beautiful birds). We arrived at our lodge, it was absolutely goregous and had a breathtaking view! We left shortly after we arrived to go on a game drive. We drove around the park and saw, cob, impala, warthogs, water buck, buffalos, and many birds. Then as we were leaving we saw a group of cobb just staring at this one bush, we drove over there and there was a female lion eating her prey! we were only about 20 feet away, it was crazy! That definetly made our day.
The next morning we had a delicious breakfast and then went on another game drive. This time we saw a whole herd of lions! (8, 5 females and 3 cubs). They were further away in the grass but still amazing. Then we got stuck for over an hour in a traffic jam on a muddy road where everyone was going to see the herd of lions. Then we went to another goregous lodge for lunch (and nap time). It also had an amazing view of the lake.
Then we went on a boat ride and saw lots of hippos and buffalos!
However after all that we still did not see a Elephant, and selfishly i was disappointed. How can i come back from Africa and not be able to tell Joe i saw a Elephant. We drove around looking for them with no luck. Then as we were leaving we came to an overlook and sawa 30 elephants in the valley below! it was amazing! and as we kept driving and we spotted elephants closer and closer to the road until we saw four only about 50 feet off the road.
Once we left the park and got gas we met Phil (our boss) and Steven (head of security and HR of EMI). In a town about 15 minutes away. Steven's family is from here and he owns a house in the village. In their culture, he tradition is that when you get married you also build a house in the village, that way if you ever go to visit, you have a place to stay. We stayed in a local hotel that night.
Being in the park was just overwhelming! Gods majesty was just bursting out from everywhere, each overlook was more beautiful then the next. It is truly amazing that God created all this, he is worthy of all our praise.
More to come soon, i did not want to overwhelm in one post!
The next morning we had a delicious breakfast and then went on another game drive. This time we saw a whole herd of lions! (8, 5 females and 3 cubs). They were further away in the grass but still amazing. Then we got stuck for over an hour in a traffic jam on a muddy road where everyone was going to see the herd of lions. Then we went to another goregous lodge for lunch (and nap time). It also had an amazing view of the lake.
Then we went on a boat ride and saw lots of hippos and buffalos!
However after all that we still did not see a Elephant, and selfishly i was disappointed. How can i come back from Africa and not be able to tell Joe i saw a Elephant. We drove around looking for them with no luck. Then as we were leaving we came to an overlook and sawa 30 elephants in the valley below! it was amazing! and as we kept driving and we spotted elephants closer and closer to the road until we saw four only about 50 feet off the road.
Once we left the park and got gas we met Phil (our boss) and Steven (head of security and HR of EMI). In a town about 15 minutes away. Steven's family is from here and he owns a house in the village. In their culture, he tradition is that when you get married you also build a house in the village, that way if you ever go to visit, you have a place to stay. We stayed in a local hotel that night.
Being in the park was just overwhelming! Gods majesty was just bursting out from everywhere, each overlook was more beautiful then the next. It is truly amazing that God created all this, he is worthy of all our praise.
More to come soon, i did not want to overwhelm in one post!
Monday, November 7, 2011
No Exit?
This weekend was a nice relaxing weekend, actually we have had three of those in a row! I am ready to go somewhere outside kampala again! (we are leaving for safari on thursday!).
Saturday we went to Monicas new shop! Monica is a local employee of emi who just quit her job as a house cleaner so she could further the development of her shop. We went to help her paint the shop; sea foam green. The shop is no more then 5 ft wide and 10 ft deep, we had trouble fitting all five interns in there to paint. It was a lot of fun though! We went into a new area of town we have never been before, and we do not think many Mzungu's go here on a regular basis. Sunday I went to a church just down the road, and the worship was really great! I was overwhelmed with the joy of christ in my heart! I was neat becuase it was a youth lead service that day too. Later in the day we went and played football, i had a one handed catch and a diving catch! unfortunetly my team lost :( and that was probably because of me and my lack of catching all the other times haha.
Sunday evening we went to a play called "No Exit". It was interesting... It was about three people in hell, and how they dealt with it. The twist was, there was no torture or anything, you were just stuck in a room with the same two people for eternity, a little twisted, but interesting at the same time.
Work has been going well i am learning so many things about engineering. I am so glad i am here with these amazingly patient bosses, otherwise i think i would be in trouble. Mentor time has also been incredible! I have learned so much about God and myself through her! Also I am learning a lot about the book of Ruth (that is what we are studying together).
Memory Verse of the Week: Micah 7:7
Saturday we went to Monicas new shop! Monica is a local employee of emi who just quit her job as a house cleaner so she could further the development of her shop. We went to help her paint the shop; sea foam green. The shop is no more then 5 ft wide and 10 ft deep, we had trouble fitting all five interns in there to paint. It was a lot of fun though! We went into a new area of town we have never been before, and we do not think many Mzungu's go here on a regular basis. Sunday I went to a church just down the road, and the worship was really great! I was overwhelmed with the joy of christ in my heart! I was neat becuase it was a youth lead service that day too. Later in the day we went and played football, i had a one handed catch and a diving catch! unfortunetly my team lost :( and that was probably because of me and my lack of catching all the other times haha.
Sunday evening we went to a play called "No Exit". It was interesting... It was about three people in hell, and how they dealt with it. The twist was, there was no torture or anything, you were just stuck in a room with the same two people for eternity, a little twisted, but interesting at the same time.
Work has been going well i am learning so many things about engineering. I am so glad i am here with these amazingly patient bosses, otherwise i think i would be in trouble. Mentor time has also been incredible! I have learned so much about God and myself through her! Also I am learning a lot about the book of Ruth (that is what we are studying together).
Memory Verse of the Week: Micah 7:7
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