There is a team from Cornerstone Church in Auburn that is made up of 6 AHS Class of 2012 graduates and 2 adults that came to visit us! It was so cool to see familiar faces even though we are so far from home! I knew of a couple of people who were in the team but I did not have all the details until they were at our house! There were three students that I have grown up with since elementary school, the two adult leaders are family friends, and every other team member I have had in classes throughout Auburn City Schools. It was so wonderful to have that fellowship here and made home seem not so far away. The interns split into groups when the team got here to take them to different parts of the village next door. Rebecca and I took Michael Hutson and Caleb Heaton to the rock curry to help and let's just say we all got a slap of reality! We are so weak! Even Caleb, a football player, and Michael, a triathlon athlete, could not carry half as much as the Ugandan women could! Caleb said "my man card has been revoked" and it was so true! These women were carrying so much with the least bit of trouble and they would just laugh at us when we tried! But oh did we try! We worked alongside them and did our best, as they continued to laugh. We all have a new found respect for these people who work so hard for so little and do it with a smile on their faces, it is a humbling experience to say the least.
On the way to find some other people to work with we passed the bore hole where everyone gets water, they fill up these extremely large cans of water and carry them back to their huts on their heads without spilling or breaking a sweat. It is so funny how hard we Americans try to help but we end up spilling and just making a mess, no wonder they look at us as weak muzungus, that's exactly what we are!
We have tried really hard to break some of the stereotypes that are placed on white people and I think that we have by doing out best to work alongside them, trying to learn their language, and asking them to teach us. Missionaries can not come in and just think that all of their western ways are right and that the locals have no idea of what is going on, these people are extremely talented and do not need us to come in and do things for them, they need us to come in and fellowship with them, wether that is breaking rocks or just sitting and talking that is what the people really need.
As we were taking all of my friends around they realized how quickly relationships could be made and how easily it is to find something to do, these people are more then happy to teach us if we are willing to listen and learn.
It was so wonderful seeing all of my friends and it made the homesickness a little more bearable, also people commenting on my blogs and writing on my Facebook wall has helped so much. It is a great feeling knowing that people back home are still caring and praying for me.
Thank you so much for reading and thank you to the Cornerstone team for coming to visit and for bringing me much needed cold supplies, y'all are the best!
Love,
Mattie
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