The past couple days have been some of the best days of my entire life. I feel like I'm completely part of the family now, and I can't express in words how loved and accepted my family makes me feel. On Tuesday, Nalango, Anette, and Marion (3 of Mama's catering staff, Nalango being also a friend of mine) showed me how to peel a plantain! It was harder than it looked, but I had a ton of fun sitting and chatting with the ladies as they worked. Nalango really wants to speak in Luganda with me, so I have made it one of my goals while being here to learn enough phrases to have a short conversation with her. This will take time and dedication, but it is just one little thing I can do to show her I care. Later on Tuesday, I met my sister, Lillian, for the first time. She came home very late, so I did not get to talk to her much, but I was happy to add another member to our family, which now consists of Mama, Mark, Jonah, Joshua, Jennifer, Lillian, Anette, and various family friends.
Wednesday night was the first real time I spent with my new sister, Lillian. We spent over an hour shelling groundnuts and talking about anything and everything, and I don't know if I have ever bonded with anyone so quickly before. I instantly fell in love with my sister, and that night she became one of my closest friends here. However, that is only half the story. The other side is that my new best friend is leaving on Sunday for boarding school, along with my brothers Joshua and Mark. Then, Jonah leaves in two weeks. My emotions are racing back and forth between being excited and extremely sad. I'm excited for the relationships I've already formed with my siblings, but it's so difficult to think about all the things we could have done together and how close we could have become. You see, boarding school here is different than it is back in America. They attend classes from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. and are NEVER allowed to leave during the 3 months they are there before break. There is 1 visitation day within the 3 months when I will get to see them, but that is it. It is one of the hardest situations I've had to deal with in a long time. Especially since I leave 2 days before their school gets out and won't even get to say goodbye.
Through this all, I have decided to make the most of the situation I've been placed in. I'm going to take advantage of every moment I get to spend with my siblings in the next few days, and I'm going to be happy for them and the wonderful opportunities they are receiving. Most of all, I am going to completely trust God in his reasoning for this situation, and I am going to grow from it :) Prayers would really be appreciated, as this is definately the most testing situation I've been in so far in Africa.
And as far as making the most of these last few days, well I'm pleased to report that I've already started. Yesterday (Thursday), I took my sister to town in Mukono for some girl bonding time, and we got ice cream, went shopping, bought here some treats to take with her to school, and rented a movie and watched it late at night. It was a wonderful day, and I already feel even more connected to my beautiful and loving new sister :)
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