Bajungu, How Are You?

The title above is how we are greeted by all of the children we pass when we walk down the street. Bajungu is what they call white people.

The goodbyes were said last Monday afternoon. I was an emotional draining day but the Lord has definitely been giving the team the strength that they need. It was cool to see the MAF plane come (it is a small 4 seat plane). We have a long grass airfield here in Bundibugyo. I should get the chance to ride in one of these planes sometime while I am here. Since Monday I have just been teaching, doing team stuff, talking with neighbors, etc.
Since I do not have a lot to right about what I have been doing I thought I would write a little about what the culture is like here. In one of Michelle’s comments she asked me if I have met any Christian people and if I could tell whether or not they were Christians. I have met many Christians at church and some neighbors that are Christians. It is not easy to tell because for one I still do not know very much Lubwisi and because of the culture. Ugandans in Bundibugyo really struggle with changing the way that they live even if it goes against what God asks us to do. As you may know polygamy is extremely common here. It is very rare that a man only has one wife. Usually if a man only has one wife that could mean that he is a Christian but not always. The churches here have lots many leaders and elders because of polygamy. You can only be an elder if you agree to only take one wife, if you take a second wife you may no longer be a leader in the church (which is a very good and necessary guideline). Also, ancestry worship is huge. Some people have small little huts behind their house where they make sacrifices to their ancestors. They do this to protect their family from being cursed by other families. Many babies and young children where beads around their wrists and waists as a form of protection. Some people will not admit that they worship their ancestors because culture is changing but they still do because they are afraid not to and its what they have been taught to do. They also believe in witch doctors here. If someone is really sick some people will take that person to a witch doctor before taking them to the hospital. I still do not understand a lot of the culture and I have a lot more to learn, so keep that in mind when you read this.
Yesterday I met with Jennifer, one of the team leaders to talk about things and to pray. We will be meeting once a week. Her and her husband Scott are the two team doctors. Jennifer works at the health and nutrition center and Scott works and both the hospital her in Nuhuka (the area of Bundibugyo where we live) and the hospital in Bundibugyo town, with the pregnant women. Jennifer was telling me how she has already lost two children this week to different illnesses. She talked about how one of the mothers was so hysterical. I could not imagine being Jennifer and having to see this every week. She told me that when some dies at the hospital the family carries the body home to burry there. I could not imagine having to walk down the street carry my dead son or daughter. I have not seen this yet but Jennifer said that I will. I do not know how I will react when I do. It sounds like even the missionaries here have gotten used to death being extremely common here. I have not had to deal with very much death in my life so coming to a culture where people you know die all the time is very eye opening.
As I continue to write each week I will continue to share with you new things I learn about the culture and people here. Please keep all of these things in your prayers. I know that the Lord is working here and he loves the people here very much even if they are not living the way that He would like them to live.
I hope you are all having a good week so far and I would love to hear how you are doing.

Love,
Kim