Shaarda's Story - It's God's Story!: July 2022

July 16, 2022

We have now been back in our home in Obule, Uganda for one week - and I finally have a minute (and internet) to update you and process. Hard to know where to begin. I will let pictures describe some of it (if internet works well enough). Leaving Michigan went well all in all. It was hard to see my kids say their goodbyes. It hurts to see others hurt. I couldn't take away their pain, actually, I felt I was causing it. Luka's school gave him a goodbye party including making shirts with Luka on them. They gave powerful testimony to how much Luka meant to everyone and the leadership, realness and kindness he shared. It was very touching and he will be missed. Grace and Luka's youth group also threw a goodbye party but that wasn't enough so many of them continued to meet up until we left. Emalai was heartbroken to say goodbye to her best friend, so she called her every day till we left. Grace spent every last minute with her friends and it became very hard to let go. There is no easy way to do this.

I felt quite numb. I hope it was an answer to prayer for peace. I prayed a lot that the goodbyes would be sweet and we would receive it all. The goodbyes to our families felt serial. It wasn't a big deal really, just goodbye. Not sure why. Packing went quite well considering we had to pack up, sort or give away a house full of 7 people from the last 2 1/2 years. I was grateful the three oldest can do a lot of their own now. I don't know how to avoid it but the last two days are always stressful. So many last things. Where do we put this? Will it all fit? Did you do this? I hate stuff! Of course on top of it all several of us became sick. Really, can we handle this? Luka was down in bed shaking with fever, Makai had a cold and I felt yucky with laryngitis or something. We sent out "pray for us" text and emails in our time of need. The day we were to fly we all went to get our covid tests not knowing what the results would be. We were so thankful we were all negative for covid, and Luka no longer felt sick. Answers to prayer!

We scrambled to do the last things, said a hard goodbye to our neighbor Mary and my Mom and Achia, then loaded the vehicles to leave. The moment had finally come. We were leaving. I had said for a month, I'm just glad I don't have to leave today, but now it was finally reality. My dad was with us in one sad vehicle and Grace and Luka were in the other vehicle with her friend and her mom. It was a long, busy post forth of July trip to Chicago. Makai decided he hated it halfway there. Oh how fun is this. We weren't able to stop for supper before the airport so that was a disappointment. Grace said goodbye to her friend after we unloaded all 17 pieces of luggage, plus carry-ons, and a stroller. Her friends was so sad. Grace held it together but I know it hurt worse than ever inside. I hate this... So our emotions are all over, the airport is always stressful and we have an upset 2 year old. So not fun! The airport was packed! I mean they ran out of food - does that happen in America?!? But we made it through check in and had to say one last goodbye to my dad. Oh how many times have we done this to our dear parents? All the tears, letting go, trusting, supporting... I am so thankful my family goes with me but for our parents they have to continually let go. I get to watch Makai grow and be a part of his changing, but they have to sacrifice because of our calling. I hope they know we realize their sacrifice and some day soon will probably experience what they go through ourselves.

One last hug and wave goodbye then we walked to security to leave.

Our travels went really well all in all. Makai did great, the kids were excited to fly again, and we all slept quite well on our 13 1/2 hour flight. We arrived in Dubai at night and it was 100 degrees. I don't know how anyone can live in the middle of the desert. But it was nice to have a hotel, shower, sleep and enjoy a supper and breakfast buffet. Makai was up for two hours in the night (Michigan daytime) but we survived. Our 5 hour flight to Uganda seemed short but it took 2 1/2 before we were out of the airport. Welcome to Uganda. Makai was a basket case, we were tired, and it felt like chaos around us. Josh and I try to not get stress through everything but we have our moments and honestly the kids usually do better than I do. I am so proud of them. They certainly feel our stress and want to help in any way to keep us from being stressed. We made it to our guesthouse, which was nice praise the Lord, and our missionary friends were there to welcome us. What a blessing to not feel so lonely when you arrive! We had supper together, ran into a store and by then our family needed their beds.

The next morning was our last leg of the journey. None of us felt like traveling or flying again, but we did want to get home and settle somewhere. I was overwhelmed by city life in Uganda. So much dirt, so many people, poverty, such chaos... At that moment I hated it. It all seemed so wrong. I wanted to question why we were here but I knew God said it is time and I knew every day would feel better. We took a 12 seater MAF (Mission Aviation Fellowship) plane a short hour flight up to Soroti. All went well until we decended and Luka's and my ears plugged from pressure and hurt so bad. I was beside myself but glad it wasn't Makai. Our ears didn't unplug for days.

This was the moment we had been waiting for. The welcome home from all our friends in Obule. We didn't know how to prepare for it and there were butterflies in our stomachs. In the past we had a big welcome, but this time it was way beyond our expectations! As we approached our road we could see literally hundreds of people, banners, and hear cheering. We opened our van windows to hear singing and shouting and receive hand shakes. But that wasn't enough; they wanted us out of the van to join their parade. I am telling you there were hundreds of people - our church, neighbors, the school and Freedom in Christ teachers. It was a celebration like none other. I exited the van to be enveloped with hugs from all my friends. Then they picked me up and the parade walked down our road toward our house. Our kids were also mobbed with hugs as they got out and then picked up as the honored guests in the parade. Makai remained in the safety of the van with Josh. I can't imagine what he was thinking. We tried to capture some of this on video and with pictures but can you really capture something so amazing?! As the parade approached our house I could see a tent and loud speakers in our yard, a real African party. I was blown away! Never has this happened before. Our yard was full of people who loved us and were so happy we came back. I gave tons of hugs and tried to greet my friends my laryngitis would allow and tired to hear them with my plugged ear. It was overwhelming, incredible and humbling all at the same time. We were exhausted but we had to receive this moment, these friends that waited over two years for us to come back. We felt incredibly loved.

They had our family sit in the head chairs as the MC announced the program. Thankfully, they said many times that they knew we were tired and would keep things short - and they did. We were welcomed with songs from the school, from church, and greetings from FIC. There were leaders/co-workers from as far as an hour away there to welcome us back home. After they shared, Josh and I also said something and then food was served. After eating we were able to greet people again. It was so good to see everyone again. They were so happy we were back. God had answered their prayers. Slowly people began to leave, we unpacked our van, looked at our house (it still looked like home), and sat with leaders and friends who organized our welcome. It's good to be together again.

By the time the sun was setting we were alone as a family in our home. Wow. What a day. What a week. We were so tired. Overwhelmed by the thought of all that needed to be done to settling in. We made the beds, found fans, water, and went to sleep in our home in Obule. We made it.

It has been quite a first week here. So many emotions. We have had so much sickness that we can't really function well yet. Luka's got a really bad cold, then Makai got it, then me (again), and now Emalai too. We have all had fevers, sore throats, can't breath because of congestion... Makai has been the worst. He cannot breath at night because he is so stuffed up or has coughing fits. He is so miserable and out of sorts. On top of sick he had jet lag the first few nights. A couple hours each night he was awake. I am having all those familiar, not nice feelings of having no medical care you can trust to know what is wrong or what to do or if it got worse. I don't like it. Life is hard when so many of us are sick - and then trying to adjust. We are totally a mess.

Other than sick and jet lag, Makai is so cute here. He just acts like it is all normal. He loves people and goes up to anyone and says hi or sits by them. The whole trip he would ask, "What's that? What's this?" over and over again. The morning he woke up at our house he said, "My house. My friends." And he continues to say my friends when he sees anyone. He loves the chickens that wonder around and our neighbor's dogs. They people here say he is busy. :) The longer we are here and the few times he has seen family from Michigan, Makai seems to get more upset and out of sorts. So much for a two year old to adjust to!

The other kids are, well, doing ok. We have to remind ourselves it has only been a week. Lydia is positive and very helpful. She tends to want to keep it all together when things feel like they are falling apart. She seems to love being with the people again. Grace is struggling. She has changed and so living here is different. She is sad and missing her friends. She is bored in the village. She's a teenager now who has lived in America for two years. She's grieving. But she does like going into town, visiting neighbors and went to choir this week at church. It will take time, but yes it is different too. Luka is Luka. Flexible and good attitude, but also bored. His friends are all off at boarding school so he's lonely. Emalai seems to love it here. She has her old toys, friends, and can't wait to homeschool again. Josh and I, well we are just trying to keep ourselves and family afloat. Tired but ok.

The list of what needs to be done, restarted or fixed to live here again is long and overwhelming. It is not America. We needed new SIM cards for our phones (hours going to town getting everyone's, getting them to work), getting internet to work, our solar fridge works but not the freezer, needing to get all our groceries, clean out gutters so we can collect rain water (it hasn't rained much in what is suppose to be rainy season so pray for rain), do we still have a PO Box, the screens in our screen in porch have rusted out and terminates have got some of the wood... Soroti is the town nearest to us where we get everything and it is busier than ever. There are people everywhere, trucks and motorcycles, trash and dirt, and it all overwhelms me. I am always so glad to be home again. The good thing is the new restaurants in Soroti that have helped make my transition easier (granted you have to be ready to wait for your order). We have to relearn how we did things here like cooking (making everything you need from scratch), washing clothes (having to catch the water and reuse it), using wash water to flush toilets, putting water up to the tank everyday, heating water to have hot water... I find life is a lot of work here. I feel like I have been spoiled the last two years and became quite American. I miss ice! I just want convinces and pleasures. (I cannot find a box of Keelox in town - ok one we found the mice had found it first - we've been managing with hankies and toilet paper, but I found a Keelox from America in my purse today and almost cried when I felt how soft it was.) So every night at supper Josh had us each say one thing we are thankful for in the mist of all the transition. I loved hearing what everyone had to say. So simple, so thankful for each little, big thing.

What brings us encouragement right now is being with our friends here: going out to greet our neighbors and sitting with them or being at church with them. Our kids playing games with their kids again. Co-workers visiting us and updating us on the ministry with FIC. This is why we are here, the people. I also love quietness, the evening sunset and cooling, my windows open, hearing crickets and frogs as we go to sleep.

Ok on top of it being our first week in Uganda, our church had a leaders conference for three days at which Josh spoke at one day and my sister, brother-in-law, and family (Sliedrechts) came for the same three days. So we put settling in on pause so we could enjoy this time. Sliedrechts are in Uganda closing up their house and time here for now. This was a last time together kind of thing. :( It was so good and then so sad. Nothing is easy right now.

Wow, now I have given you the long awaited update you asked for. Not sure it does justice but that is all the time, emotional energy, physical wellness and internet capability I have right now. Thank for praying for us and we would appreciate your continued prayers. Hopefully next time I write we will be settled in - and loving it here.