Day 8- "Free" day

Wow!

Well, today was supposed to be a free day.

That pretty much went out the window. Amber too decided she was going to stay at home, and (surprise) Ben and Mel weren’t exactly comfortable letting us stay there alone (today was an optional day to Kamwenge and everyone went.

Ben and Mel had lunch with the pastor from the church on Sunday and brought us along. I had my fair share of Coca-Cola (It’s so good… Nary has a day passed where I have had less than two. Most days I have three), along with some fish soup (incredible), ice cream for dessert (incredible), and grilled chicken in devil’s sauce for an entrée (awful. I figure it is a good place for everything but the food itself). And then, I went to visit my family (we couldn’t tomorrow!)

My family is a grandmother who lives with three boys, her grandchildren. I’ve read some of her letters and inquired a bit about her sponsorship, but never really took much interest in it. I figure I will now!

I had the most precious old lady you’ll ever meet. I was a bit nervous about how she would act and how I would act, but all of that went out the window as she hugged me. She really was incredible!

Obviously, we were all a bit eager to hear how she was spending her sponsorship money. It turned out she had multiple businesses.

I swear, she is absolutely brilliant.

Given the opportunity, she could be the CEO of a multi-million dollar company.

She actually does a few things. She actually takes paper from recycled envelopes and makes takeaway bags from them… like, bags for restaurants or shops. Apparently a law has been issued recently in Uganda against the use of plastic bags; I guess they believe they’re bad for the environment or something. The point is, she is a brilliant woman… The timing of it is so incredible.

She also packages nuts and corn. Like, harvests them and puts them in little bags. She gave me some as a gift, and it looked as though they were factory-sealed. Ben asked how she sealed them, and she said she used a candle. Absolutely brilliant; she drips hot wax onto the plastic to seal her packaging.

Along with all that, she knits, and she's fantastic.

I was touched, really.

She gave me nuts, and I gave her a whole crapload of presents. She freaked out and thanked me profusely at every one.

She was an amazing old woman.

And here's something remarkable:

Whatever it was that had worried me over the past few days, the anxiousness and the worry and the feeling of impending pressure,

Seemed to all go away after the fact. It bothered me no longer.

Which is odd; it seemed to me that nothing would make it go away except for some incredible epiphany. I didn't really learn anything I hadn't known before...

But it seems that it's very, very different when you visit your own family rather than watch someone else visit theirs. Which is unusual, really. I haven't really cried at any of these instances, but I did get a bit choked up during the prayer.

There was something about it... I don't know...

Maybe I didn't need to learn anything. Maybe I just needed to experience it for myself.

It is something I needed; it is just what I needed, really.

The woman requested I bring back to my family a whole heart full of love,
which I suppose is exctly what I needed.

Pictures coming soon.