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| The party which my friends put on for me. |
As I write this post, I am at my parents house in the US. Yes, my almost year and a half experience in Uganda has come to a close. Many people ask "Are you home for good?" To which I respond, "I hope to go back to Uganda again sometime". I hope I am not "home for good". For this summer I will be working on the home farm. I am looking forward driving tractors and farming in the US again.
Lord willing, this fall I will begin grad school at Penn State. The Lord has been good in working out the whole grad school thing for me. I won't bore you with the details, but I have to say I am excited about the idea of going back at Penn State again. I plan to pursue my Masters in Animal Science, focusing on Dairy Nutrition.
In closing out my time in Uganda, some of my American friends had a farewell party for me. One of my friends came up with a list of questions for me. I have to note that some of the answers to my questions are answers I might have given before I went to Uganda. It is just that while in Uganda, I was able to see situations that make me answer certain questions with more Gusto. Here is the list of questions, with my answers to each question:
What is one of the lessons that you learned from living in Uganda that has impacted your life the most?
Many times, us Westerners really miss things when it comes to helping people, especially in the area of physical help. We often set up programs from a top-down approach. We think we understand people's problem and sometimes really miss what a person's problem actually is. I believe we need to be more critical in asking ourselves hard questions such as "How sustainable is my work?" "How can what I am doing be scaled up in a big way?" "Does my program allow flexibility, or is it a one size fits all?" Obviously, we can't do things perfectly, but I believe we should be constantly asking ourselves how we can help in better, more holistic ways. Most of all, things which are given free of charge are considered relief. Relief is fine if it is given in an emergency situation, but relief given when people really need development, often does more harm than good.
What have you learned about yourself?
I learned I need to have more patience in life and trust God to work out life's details, rather than worry about how life will play out.
I learned that agriculture still has a big place in my heart. Part of what makes me like or dislike an area of the world is how much and what agriculture is taking place in that particular area. It would be hard for me to do something long term which has no connection to agriculture.
What have you learned about people?
While people have a lot of similarities the world around, there are indeed many differences. In Uganda, time is almost never considered and asset. Money, on the other hand, is a lot harder to come by. While in Uganda, I tried my best to appreciate the differences between myself and others around me.
What have you learned about God?
God can work in situations that really seem hopeless.
God is perfecting people, but sometimes it is easier to see the imperfections of people rather than what God has done already in that person life.
What two things have you learned from Uganda that you want to carry over into America?
People in Uganda are very hospitable and generous to guests when guests come. They appreciate their guests.
Ugandan's do better with experiencing calamities than I do. Someone can lose a valuable possession and it doesn't seem to get them down like it does me.
These are two qualities that I have observed from Ugandan's and which I want to grow in.
What is one of the things you did that you are most thankful that you did?
Visiting friends at their homes is one thing I really am thankful that I got to do. You can't really experience a culture unless you visit a person's home. And the more you do it, the more you learn about the culture you are living in.
Is there someplace you wish you would've gone or something you wish you would've done?
I got to travel to a lot of places and do a lot of things in Uganda, However, one area of Uganda I didn't visit and wish I could've was Western Uganda. People say it is a very green area of Uganda with lots of agriculture.
How do you think you'll stay in contact with of your local friends?
Through email, Skype and Facebook.
What do you think was your biggest achievement there?
Probably the 5 curriculum outlines which I was in charge of developing. I had good help from the rest of the staff at the college in developing these programs, but I was the person heading them up.
Have you seen God on your side as God of able?
When I traveled to Uganda, I was worried about the fact that I had never been to Uganda, I wasn't going to be living with any other missionaries, and that I was committing myself to one year! God was faithful, and within a couple of weeks I didn't feel like I was at a new place. I really enjoyed my time at Pentecostal Theological College, despite the fact that I was the only American there.
