Hallelujah!!

Im back!! I have to thank my parents a thousand times over for helping me with me computer problem! you guys truly are amazing :) i love you.  But in other news, i have honestly missed not writing here, i wrote what i would write about in my notebook cuz i wanted to.  lets see... like my mom said my outreach locations have been decided and we are going to Kusumu, Kenya for two weeks and then Arusha, Tanzania for six weeks! Im really excited for this except for the fact that everyone who knows Tanzania has come up to me saying "oh, you're going to get big!" awesome. can't wait for that aspect of it ....?? So, on the 22nd of October I went to me my first ( and last) Ugandan Introduction( engagement party).  It was the best culture experience ever, learning all of the customs and traditions that they have, one being the the groom gives the soon to be brides family a TON of gifts, such as fruit,butter,oil,couches,chairs,suitcases, etc. my favorite gift was the cow. Now you know what to get me when i get married :) but the major downside to this introduction was the fact that we were sitting in a tent in the heat for 6 hours!! yes, 6 hours of not understanding a word...well technically i knew 3 words. I know i have a very vast knowledge in Luganda, but even with that knowledge i was doomed! But I also came to terms with the fact that i am not going to marry a Ugandan and if i do then no introduction for me!

       I celebrated my first birthday way from home on the 12th.  It has a lot of mixed emotions and it was a rough time for me but I was surrounded by the best group of people ever.  They woke me up singing Happy Birthday to me. I was honored that they did that but I started crying ... anyways during the day i received cards and hugs from all sorts of people it was amazing! and during base intercession ( essentially a church service with everyone) they had me come up front and sit in a chair while they ALL stood up and sang to me! oh man and then they announced " if anyone considers themselves a friend of Tess please come up and pray for her" so people started swarming. i was so flattered! so they did that which was comforting beyond belief! then later that day since i was the "baby" i wasn't allowed to do my work duty (oh darn) but a tradition here is that you have to have a bucket of water dumped on you for every year that you are born ... and people just randomly came up to me dumping water on me. hmmm interesting. i was dry for only the morning haha. Also, in celebration of my birthday they threw me a "surprise" birthday party the following night. which was awesome having everyone there in a circle and then me sitting in the middle and then people would stand up saying what they liked about me and then they danced.  it was awesome i got my own cake as well :) yay!! best birthday i could have asked for for being away form home :)

       So about 2 weeks or so ago me and my two girls ( Becca and Tee) went to kampala which is 2 hours away just a girls day! and to celebrate me and Becca's birthdays!  Right when we got there we found this cafe called Cafe Javas. ohmigoodness it was a starbucks ( kinda) but i got a frappucino and a chocolate croissant and we shared some pancakes! ( you don't even realize how fabulous finding a cafe was it made our morning the best ever!! ) And that was just the morning, after that we went wandering and we found a spa... we all got pedicures which was so well deserved ( i think). soo amazing! 2 downsides to getting one done... 1. the tan lines that you were so proud of turn out to be dirt lines... i will get tan all i need is patience. and 2.  Jinja is known for red dirt and without you even knowing it your feet get stained so when they scrubbed our feet it was essentially red skin... how embarrassing! We tried finding a pizza place for lunch and we stumbled upon a "Pizza Hot" not pizza hut "pizza Hot" but we didn't end up going in. We found a restaurant that serves New York Style pizza!!! sooo amazing we were in heaven!! After our very enjoyable day we went to the taxi park to find a taxi home... we first had to find a taxi that was actually going to jinja not just saying they were and second, get the price to a good one not just a mzungu price took us a while. 

        This past monday we were told that our whole DTS was taking a trip to "the island", we had no idea what that meant.  So we left on Wednesday and returned yesterday.  So, the boat ride over was the first adventure. ( when i say boat i mean giant canoe) so it was an adventure in it of itself and then we got caught in a storm. and that is putting it lightly.  The black clouds came, then the winds then the rain that hurt when it hit you! i enjoyed it to the fullest no joke.  I was sitting next to my friend Tee and while most people were scrambling trying to find something to hide under we were discussing how awesome this is and what i great story it would be "this one time when we were traveling across Lake victoria..." and the rain kept coming down harder and harder. Then we started singing whatever song popped into our head.  And before long the whole boat was singing worship songs right along with us, it was so amazing :) and after about 20 minutes of non-stop rain it started to clear up. i was drenched but didn't mind at all.  and then we arrived at the YWAM base at around 8 at night ( dark) and the guys who work there came out to carry the girls to the ground... so i went with one of our leaders instead so i didn't have to pay.. well, it was fine until he tripped on a rock and down we go!! Mind you i was carrying EVERYTHING my camera, iPod,phone, pillow, clothes EVERYTHING but everything was good. I was already wet anyways so it was not the bad. the first thing the staff did was run to me and grab my bag to make sure my camera was ok ( Im fine guys thanks for asking).  But other than that everyone was cracking up! and it is still a joke to this day. "oh ,tess remember that time you fell...bad in the water??" awesome.  Then we got separated into different rooms, me and tee were the ONLY ones who got to share with one other person. PTL. I got to experience my first Open Air Crusade.  I had no idea what that was.  But what it is is essentially a church service in the middle of a street,town or field. wherever you want. I got to dance with little kids and pray over people who came to me with problems. it was so awesome never experience anything quite like it.  Seeing how many people got saved was so awesome to see!  My DTS had to learn this Zulu dance, which is a lot of fun to dance is so fun to do but we looked really dumb doing it haha. so that was day 1 of the crusade and then days 2 started out awesome but then we got rained out, but that was ok because i got to watch the football game that was going on in the "mud pit" the field was full of mud and puddles it was entertaining to watch.  one of the main meals there is fish and i HATE fish... i had rice. yum yum. that time went by pretty fast and then the boat ride home was rough considering i fried like none other.. my neck is soooo red. thank goodness for aloe! I did not realize how much i took for granted running water until i got back so base :)  

       I got invited to this guy Henry's wedding for this coming Saturday. I am quite excited for this not going to lie.  Hopefully it isn't 6 hours of me pretending i know what is going on :) but he is marrying a Woman from Europe so it should be more like what I'm used to. i have a dress and everything! it'll be nice! 

Well, it is nearing the time for when i leave for outreach ( two weeks) which is so crazy to think i have been here for almost 3 months! wow! and my parents come in march things just seem to be going to slow but they are really going by so fast. i need to cherish every second i have here. 

I love all of you so much!! ( Nquagalano)

Tess

p.s.the picture is tee, becca and me at the amazing cafe in Kampala!

New post from Tess' mom- personal request from Tess, I promise

Sunday, October 2, 2011

A major taDA that I figured out how to do write on Tess' blog, after losing the directions Tess spelled out to me a mere 4 hours ago. I was dropping stuff off at Goodwill while asking for a donation slip while talking with Tess while looking for something to write with.....you get the picture. Tess has been out of internet service and asked if I would write on her behalf. And, to be funny.

Hate that part of the request.

Russ, Elizabeth, Luke, Sarah and I each had the pleasure of talking with Tess after church this morning. She'd planned it that way.

Tess had white water rafted the Nile this past Saturday and was still on a high. The rapids were also apparently high and " far more scary than the class 5's in Colorado, Mom. You gotta try it when you and Dad come here." I hate being discovered yet again that I am a wuss. Tess mentioned 'only capsizing 3 times'. If anyone reading this blog thinks I'm going rafting in the Nile they're nuts. Maybe Russ...though I'd hate to be a widow at my young age.

Tess also had a holy roller type experience with her group that sent her to bed to recuperate one afternoon. I can't blame her and remember well feeling the same when people were speaking in tongues, discovering demons, doing crazy appearing stuff. Impressive to hear Tess went to her leader and talked it thru, with her leader emphasizing it is okay not to believe the same things while still believing in the same God. Cool distinction to make as an 18 (almost 19...Oct 12th) young woman in Africa.

Tess and her group will hear tomorrow where they will go for their 2 month outreach program. The choice is made for them, and possibilities are Rwanda, Kenya, a country starting with an M, and one other. Gotta get caught up on my African geography. Tess has Rwanda on her radar due to having watched the movie, Hotel Rwanda. Sarah thinks that will put their dad into cardiac arrest.

.

Tess was also excited today about her decision as to what she would like to do for the 6 months when she returns to Uganda in February, 2012. She's been thinking all along that teaching preschoolers is where she will be. "Mom, there is no such thing as an ugly African. They are all beautiful, and I love being with the kids."

Well, Tess told us today she wants to help create an abstinence program in the various schools with Africans ages 14-23. Quite different from what Tess had originally planned.

I waited to hear exactly focus of abstinence. Sure enough, Tess wants to speak on staying sexually pure for marriage. Unbelievable. Tess approached her leader, who was all excited at Tess stepping out and not waiting to see what others are doing.

Tess is eating more new foods than she ever thought possible, she sleeps in a room with 14 other girls on a top bunk under a mosquito net, and she loves playing soccer with the Africans and thinks they came out of the womb playing the sport.

So much for being funny. Our admiration for our daughter far surpasses funny, and it stays huge in our family as to what Tess is doing. Tess was pretty pleased that she's actually been gone 2 months. She is plowing thru missing home and feeling 'wayyyyy out of her comfort zone. On a daily basis.

Thanks for following along and woohooing Tess as she discovers God had mighty plans in mind when Tess murmured, " I think I want to go to Uganda" at the foot of our bed one night last May, 2011.

Love,

Tess' Mom

(Insert Creative Title Here...)

Hi again, its me!!!
lets see where to start. This past week i have had essentially the flu which was dreadful for multiple reasons the main one being i was away from home, made it so difficult to want to go it alone.  But i am feeling better, not 100% but i actually went to a lecture today which is an upgrade from just lying in bed with a blanket over my head not wanting anything to do with anyone. the Lord definitely was with me in my extreme teary phone calls home. Well that is not a very positive story so lets see what else i have in store for you guys, oh, last week we went into a small nearby village called Muga muga and preached to individual people about the word of God. I have mixed feeling on this whole thing but we won't get into that.  Oh yea so far we have already had 2 hospital trips and this is the 1st month...should this be a good or bad thing I'm confused :).  What i thought was funny is that when i was sick they wanted to rush me to the hospital ( weird) and when the others guys who actually needed to go they didn't want to take them.  It has been raining so crazy lately and randomly. Yesterday while in bed sick, it started raining and it started coming in through the windows and doors. crazy but kinda awesome i thought.  Our internet cable was stolen for the second time this past weekend.. welcome to Africa????.  Wanna know something that keeps me going during the days when i feel like quitting?? well stop reading if you don't. But i think about the time i will be coming home and the people that will be waiting for me at the airport. I know it is like a year away but it brings a smile to my face every time.  Oh, also i never knew what an awesome family i have until i have had to live without them.  And the true friends have stuck with me throughout it all. It helps me know I'm not alone through out this all.  Some people have asked me what my address is so that they can write me letters and here it is:
YWAM
Hopeland
p.o. box 739
Jinja, Uganda.

That wasn't meant to be a "hey write me letters" type of thing. butttttttt you can if you want to, the choice is yours! ( it would be very very nice of you) but the choice is still yours :) i love you all!

Uganda - Week 3

Hi everyone!
I cannot even believe that is has already been three weeks since i have arrived here, the days trick by so slow ( mainly because they are filled with lectures but you didn't hear that from me). lets start this post off with the question most everyone asks me when they talk to me " what is your daily schedule like?" sooo here goes:
mon-fri
6am-7am = quiet time ( where we find a quiet spot to pray, read the bible or just reflect on God)
7-730am = get ready for breakfast ( aka put a skirt on)
730-830am = breakfast ( tea,bananas,and rolls with gnut buyer deeeeelish)
830-930am = intercession or worship.
930-1030am = lectures ( sounds pretty fun no?)
1030-11am- break tea ( which entails tea and bread.. so thrilling :) but yet it tastes quite good)
11-1pm= back to lectures ( oh man this is when your eyes have begun to shut down..just saying.) oh and there is a mandatory 5min stretch break. ( probably just for our group.)
130-230pm= lunch ( beans and rice. we got creative with what to mix with them)
230-330pm = bible study or small group
330-530pm = work duties ( hardcore stuff right here be proud of me)
630pm= supper
whenever you finish dinner - 9pm = free time :)

so yup that is my schedule for the week and then weekends are free. but hmmm lets actually do a blog shall we. well these past few weeks have been for sure too real for me. i honestly can not get a grasp of the reality that i am actually here. i have become to accustomed to everything around me. the people are so nice ( i swear I have not met a mean African) and then just everyone here loves everyone its refreshing from America ( sorry guys). oh so a couple days ago me and two other girls (verity and Tanja) decided we wanted to go into town. little did we know that people would freak out and send us on our way with a knife and pepper spray ( this may just be me but i wouldn't know the first thing when it comes to using a knife they scare me and i don't think i would have enough time for pepper spray soo thats a fail) because girls shouldn't go into town alone let alone mzungu girls (white girls) we were fine and i got the cutest shoes!! ( i bartered to get a good price though) picture above please excuse the dirt stained feet :). but hmmm what else can i tell you?? i went to a legit African church, and me and naomi, the only white people in the city probably were famous. they hired a photographer so that they could take their picture with us...compliment or insult I'm not quite sure. but although all of this is amazing! i am not perfect, i am struggling big time emotionally just in general and i don't know how to get out of this down time. I am praying about it and it is seeming to help, but if you could keep me in your prayers as well that would be awesome :)
 Nkwagala ( i love you in Luganda)  and i love you very much sounds like "cwagalano" with the squiggly above the n.
Tess

Uganda!!!

Hello form Uganda! wow sounds kinda funky to say that to be honest. being here is most definitely like a dream. thats all i can say right now. to be honest everything seems to perfect. the people are fantastic, the food is good ( only carbs though hmmm) , the weather is fabulous, the scenery is beautiful, the sleep is pretty decent considering, my DTS group is so awesome, oh and I conquered the 'squattie potties' yippie! the only thing that isn't so great is the spiders... oh man. they are about the size of my middle finger. creepy huh?? so glad i have Jesus. i hired some of the guys here to kill them for me. wanna know what else is a bummer? my camera... well it somehow managed to not tag along with me after i got out of the cab from the airport... my bad. butttttt looks as if i MIGHT get it back. fingers crossed. oh, they gave us a plate for all of our meals that we bring to our meals and then eat and wash it and bring it back to our rooms. interesting thing to master. oh yea! i saw a monkey on the base!!!!! that is my highlight to this day. they were giving us a tour on a very fixed schedule and then we saw him and lost interest in anything else he was saying. oh well. the base borders a sugar cane plantation which is pretty awesome except that they told us that the men there are not good. they have raped muzungu women that have walked along the border of the base and plantation at early mornings and late nights. kinda creepy. but now i know where I'm NOT going at that time. but funny thing is that it is the most beautiful place to watch the sunset in the morning. right over lake victoria, so gorgeous!!  so we went there this morning... don't worry a group of us did. but any who i have a lecture that starts in about 7 minutes so i must get there before i get slapped at(clapped) for being late. awesome haha.. i have never used a watch this much in my LIFE weird right? but there is a first for everything right?? well thats a different topic for another day..i mean post...blog?? idk. but its been real.
until next time,
Tess

I'm still here!

why hello there. yea i didn't space the blog i just didn't put it first on my to-do list. whoops. but no worries i am posting right now so its better late than never. but it is currently 1 in the morning here and i am on ym computer ... alone... at one in the morning. normal right? but the internet is crazy slow lately, zoo its essentially my only time to actually get good connection. hmm this week about 40 new people came to holmsted( the place I'm staying at ) which is insane. and they are all from everyone across the globe from new zealand, ice land, italy, france,colorado, holland, wales,ireland,scotland, argentina,egypt,colorado. but if you didn't catch the little Colorado piece, there are 3 count it 3 people form Colorado including myself. i mean the deserves some kind of award right? this week after saying "i love kids" i got tied into being a nanny this weeks. i baby at this adorable kid logan for 8!!! hours each days. NBD. i want to take a nap with him every day. oh yea i started at 8 in the morning. and you see I'm up at 1 and getting up at 8 not so fun for me. but i found out that he has a tube in his ear which he can hear out of but whatever he hears is how he speaks so his speech is somewhat off. i love this kid.  but while i was babysitting i decided i would play hide and go seek so he was it and everyone ran off and i decided to hide near the building and i wound up in a patch of stinging nettles... if you don't know what that is. it is a plant that when you brush up against it, it essentially stings you and you get marks and it hurts horribly for about 10 minutes and then its done. yea that wasn't fun. i was found first too. also, today i was in the kitchen for about two hours ( after babysitting) washing and drying dishes and thennnn went into the 'legit' kitchen to make food for our high tea. (delicious!!) it got crazy in there. people were crying left and right and yelling was happening carazyyyyyy.  i have learned the new rules of UNO. now called extreme uno. never will go back to regular uno again. i have stayed up with a group of 3 others playing extreme uno til about 2 in the morning when our tea has officially lost its affect on us. its great. SO yea i leave on saturday for Uganda. wow! i cannot even fathom the idea of this actually being me that is doing this. but i take off at 945pm on saturday and I'm not sure when i arrive on sunday but yes please keep me in your prayers for safe travels. and then DTS ( discipleship training school) starts monday morning, bright and early 6am which is 4am london time which is 9pm denver time. crazy talk. i can do this! one thing i don't think i will be able to master is the "squattie potties" yup pretty much what they sound like. ( slum dog millionaire scene) its gonna be interesting. but i will get the opportunity to tone my thighs! score!!!! but yes i think it is time for me to hit the sack. until next time.
mweraba( goodbye in luganda) oh yea i just googled that don't be impressed :) I'm out.

Riots In London

Hello,
Many of you have probably heard of all the chaos in London with the riots and all that. in the past few days there have been 525 arrested in the past few days, 310 made last night. It is crazy. But do not fear I AM SAFE. there are 16,000 police officers on the streets of London, to prevent further destruction.  Looting,arson, and violence are the main things that are happening.  Stores along the streets we walked on were boarding up they windows and locking up early in anticipation of the riots to come. I just though i would bring light to the current situation around me. I am safe though as long as I stay indoors. ( no worries on that one!) I love you all!

Best Day :)

So yesterday was one of the best days I have had here. I went on a walk with my friend Lucy,Bastiaan,and Chelsea.  This walk was only supposed to be a quick walk to the reservoir for some cool pictures... but no. The walked lasted 7 hours!!! Mainly because we got lost I would say about 3 times and each time we were a mile of course, not the best but I couldn't have asked for a better group of people to be with! SOme stories throughout the day were ... we crashed a wedding...accidentally and I am being told to say that it wasn't a 'we" thing it was a 'me' thing. (not my fault I'm loud when i go near a church :) ) We told stories in a forest ( which I'm pretty sure was private) , we screamed/sang grease songs while walking down the highway!, we got poured on, we went into a pub only to be told supper wasn't being served until 630 and it was 415, the one place we found to eat at wasn't open.  So we found a playground and played there for a while which was a bunch of fun :) , we went into a store so i could get chocolate ( majorly craving this) and had some funny encounters while in there. I have noticed when in public I don't like speaking without a British accent, sooo my few words that actually sound good , i use frequently :) , We got yelled at by the guys in a car for walking in the street ( party poopers) ,we walked through TONS of crop circles!! kinda fun but kinda weird. we took the different paths and then walked around them ( this was all when we were lost). We finally found our way back after we ate. But it was now 10 pm! such a long day. We got home and then proceeded to put pictures on Facebook which took forever and a day since the internet is horribly slow. and then went to bed.
       Today, all i did today,no joke, was get up, shower, watch movies w/ becca , eat lunch , and check emails. woo sooo productive. i loved it. and later tonight i am getting my eyebrows threaded by Dina who is a worship intern from Egypt. I don't have to pay london prices can't wait ( i think). and then tomorrow I am taking a train to london to see my friend Rhian at her flat and spend a couple days with her and then enjoy holmstead for a while more.  Well that is all for now. orrr ta ta for now!

ps. the picture attached was a tombstone near the church, i though it was magnificent. so i thought i would share it with you :)

Muli Mutya

My title is 'hello" in luganda. Luganda is the common language in Uganda and i am trying to learn the language...slowly....but I'm getting there. Hmm today It has been raining non stop and I am in love. We have internet access only in the "coach house" which is a building right off the main house. But it is so lovely and lush out ( some of my british slang I've picked up).  Today is the second to last day of orientation and the second to last day that all of the british people will be here before they say their goodbyes to their families. The house will seem so empty! I preached at our "church service" yesterday which was interesting considering i HATE public speaking! and then we did all of these trust exercises blindfolded! it was so fun.  Tonight was supposed to be our bonfire but considering the rain i think we are doing the "bonfire" in the "leather room" which should be interesting. I am about to go back to my dorm to make some bracelets with becca and katie! ha fun raun activities right? I'll keep in touch. oh yea this picture is from the lou..bathroom. it is stunning :)

Day Numero Uno

So today I left the comfort of my own home to embark on this journey. There were a ton of tears and I am expecting there to be tons more.  I am trying not to dwell on the fact that I am not near my family or friends but taking each day, day by day.  Not focussing on the negative only on the things that will make me smile when I'm down. Currently I am sitting in the foyer with some of the other girls and the sons of the owner. ( They are adorable).  Tonight we have the welcome dinner ( which is a BBQ :) ) but nothing up until then. I took an hour nap ( which was heavenly).  I will be so jet lagged but I'm preparing myself for that. Ill keep you all informed!

Let's Get This Started

Hey guys,
Sooo writing a blog isn't really my thing so let's see how this goes. I leave this saturday and am scared out of my mind, but I know for a fact this is what GOD wants me to do and that couldn't make me more excited to see his plans for me.  so that's it for now...I guess :). peace.