I'm Just Along For the Ride

I'm here! Obviously. 

I got here safely. Thankfully. Though while I was waiting in Amsterdam, a man did beg me to go get coffee with him and talk to him. He asked if I was alone and wanted to take pictures with me. He literally begged me more than 5 times to go get coffee and sit down with him. He would NOT take a hint...even as my tone got less and less friendly. I finally told him that I was very young, he looked like he could've been in his late 40's. He was from Egypt. And he was very sneaky..he kissed me on my cheek twice. It was interesting. And a little scary. Because I kept thinking, as he was talking to me about his job and other things I couldn't understand due to his heave accent, what if he doesn't ever leave, I have 6 HOURS HERE! Other than that...

The flights went very smoothly though, that was the part I was nervous about, flying internationally by myself. When I had NO idea what I'm doing when it comes to customs and finding terminals and blah blah. Though it was surprisingly simple. I'm a pro now'a days :) 

Alright so my first couple weeks were pretty slow. I worked some at this school called Kasubi. I painted some rooms and also did some paper work organizing for Children of Promise. Which I actually enjoyed, because I love to organize. So that was simple, but they needed it done, so it was nice to be able to accomplish something for them when they needed the help.

Then on the tuesday night the 15th, I found out I was going to the islands the next morning. So I went up to my room and packed my backpack as full as I could for a six day trip to Lolwei and Buvuma Island. It was absolutely incredible. The only bad thing that happened is that my camera was destroyed by the rain, because we slept in tents. And it rained every night..like usual..because we're in our rainy season. And that was so disheartening. But it really opened my eyes. I needed to spend time enjoying in moments instead of trying so hard to capture them on film..but it was still very tough. I could've cried, but this cold-hearted, dried eyed lady wouldn't even think of that nonsense ;)

So we drove and drove and drove from about 11am to 7pm on wednesday, the 16th. And we finally got to the place where we going to camp out in this little village. The next morning we woke up and drove about 10 minutes down to the place where we got on our boat and headed on to Lolwei Island. But I kid you not..this "boat" felt more like an oversized canoe. When I say boat I mean a piece of wood with a motor tied to the back of it. We were on Lake Victoria for about..3 hours? Then when we arrived at the island of course their were a TON of children waiting for us at the shore. It was such a neat experience. We taught in some of the classes and played with the children. They love white people. So they stare at you constantly. It was funny at first, but now it's getting old. I was sick one day from being in the sun for too long without water and I had to stay in my tent and children we're surrounding me, just starting at me as I sat there with a wet wash cloth up to my head moaning and moaning my way through the sickness. 

And monday night, we were supposed to leave to go to Buvuma Island and spend the night and then go home the next day. So at about 5pm we all piled onto the boat with all of our things and started to head out. And the wind was blowing so hard the waves made you feel like you were in the middle of the ocean, It was scary at first. We pulled a tarp over the whole boat because so much water was being tossed into it, and on top of us. I remember I kept looking over the edge of the boat thinking, "i dont think the edge of the boat should be this close to the water...we are going to tip over.." It was so hard on some of the women. The lady next to me was throwing up in between her legs and the women behind me was throwing up in the bail bucket...(yes, the bail bucket, we had to have a bucket to bail water from the "floor" of the boat..even when the water was calm...)and there were women sobbing and people were praying. And at first..I was a little scared thinking, what if we really are somehow thrown into the water? We're out in the middle of this lake that is basically an ocean its so big. You could see nothing around you except water. And then, all the sudden, I had this overwhelming peace come over me and I though to myself, "I just...don't care. I have a life jacket. There is nothing I'm afraid of right now, not even death." After that I couldn't help but start laughing with this girl sitting in front of me because it was just funny. The whole thing. The tarp was slapping our faces left and right. It was just funny. There was nothing to be done but laugh. And we did, and we enjoyed ourselves as we were being tossed around Lake Victoria. So we finally turned around..back to Lolwei and when we got there we made a fire and ate a little and went to sleep. 

One more thing though..if you read anything, read this...

I have never personally experienced God's strength. And now I am experiencing it more than anything..

I told my friend Marissa that the whole time i've been here I feel like i'm on God's shoulders and he's doing all the work...and i'm just along for the ride. He has given me such an incredible strength somehow. Strength that i've never felt before in my entire life. I miss home, truly and completely. I miss my family, my precious little monster nephew and angel neice, and my Charlie, and my best friend Addie. I miss being at my house laughing with my parents, or at my brother's house waking up in the morning to my precious little nephew. I miss everything about home. But no where in me is there sadness. Nor regret. That is odd to me. It doesn't add up...for as much as I miss everyone I love..I should be full of heartache. But I feel myself being held up by a much greater strength than my own. I am at ease with everything. I know that God has called me here to grow. I would not have come here and left behind all I loved to follow an unsure calling.

 "I shall have this good at least, that until death I shall have done all that is in me to love Him." 

-Brother Lawrence

 I have bloodied my own fists trying to fight the hands who have reached to me, longing to comfort my stubborn, bitter, lost heart. I owe Him so much more than I can give Him. And still nothing I do could ever be good enough, yet He still longs for me with a passion that I could never even understand. I want to thank you for your prayers and support. You having no idea how, because of you, i'm being molded into the person i've been called to be for the rest of my life. I'm spending a year on a walk through Africa, being wooed and taught by the greatest teacher who ever walked to face of the earth. Thank you so much for making coming here possible for me. I am only a vessel. 

-Love, Alexis Victoria