Party Time!

Party #1: The Indian Party

About 100 Indians living in Soroti celebrated a successful time with their businesses by throwing a big dinner party one Friday night. Our team felt very honored to be invited, and it turned out we were the only non-Indian guests! Most of the Indians in Soroti have settled here to open or help out their families with shops in town. In fact, most "successful" shops in town, from fabric stores to grocery stores to stores that sell only batteries and sugar (yes, in that combo), are owned by Indians. The party was a bit surreal, with glamorously-dressed women and men seated on opposite sides of the large outdoor gazebo. Against the norm, the MEN were spoiling us with wonderful homecooked Indian food (a VERY nice contrast to the quite flavorless Ugandan traditional dishes). A rainstorm ended the evening early, but as we walked out past their mosque, we knew we were helping the team share a bit of Jesus with their Indian friends!

Party #2: Independence Day

The day started out as a typical Ugandan Sunday. We attended a church service that flew through, and past, the 3 hour allotted time slot. The pastor talked about how we are human-beings but we are often fooled into acting like human-doings; this really hit me. How often do I concentration so hard on what I'm DOing instead of just BEing? I'm still thinking about that one!

Later that evening, my roommate Brittany and I joined about 15 other Americans for a 4th of July celebration! We had a highly-anticipated game of volleyball (it took about 2 months worth of planning to get the net put in the yard), and as we gathered ourselves and began to dish the amazingly scrumptious food onto our plates, we began to feel raindrops.

It rained for the next hour or so, but we were happily cozy in the house and even played patriotic charades (my favorites were "Plymouth Rock" and "Lewis and Clark"). Soon it was dark (meaning it was about 7 pm) and we were ready for our s’mores…made out of graham crackers, nutella, and marshmallows. Also included were fireworks—called candles here. They were a good combination of the two and looked like a giant candle with some sparkler capabilities. The only thing missing, really, was a big lake and a long dock. :)

Party #3: World Cup Championship

Walking into Amecet (the children's home) today, I was greeted with a pleasant surprise! The entire living room was decked out in orange and blue. Balloons, streamers, banners, and a giant Dutch flag covered the ceiling and walls. I've got Dutch blood in me, and many of my Grand Rapids friends do as well, but this was the first party I've attended that was hosted by true Holland-ers! The lady that runs the children's home is from Holland, as well as two of the other volunteers here. They are extremely proud of their country and their country's place in the World Cup... so, naturally, they wanted to host the championship game with flair. My overnight shift welcomed this distraction wholeheartedly, and I had a blast watching the game while attempting to be a good hostess, feed babies, make popcorn, and keep the cheering volume down so the kiddos didn't wake up.

My World Cup Championship viewing party was extremely international this year, made up of:
-15 Ugandans
-2 Holland-ers
-6 Tongans
-1 American!

Thanks for reading and for praying!

Love, thanks, and peace,

Steph