We have officially finished our Mukono two-week homestays. For those who do not know what that is, we are placed in a family in Mukono town for two weeks where we partake in life with them. We learn about how families can function in the community. My host family was an absolute blessing (they gave me permission to talk about them). In the home typically lived my host mama, and seven to nine siblings. In the two weeks I was there, I only met three of my siblings (the rest were visiting jaja – their grandmother in the village). Actually, I had met my host mama for a few days before she left to go take college classes at a campus. Even then, she called me every night to say goodnight and that she loved me. For the two weeks my three host siblings and I spent a lot of time together hanging out. There is Judith who is 28, Jonah who is 21, and Vivian who is 19. I am going to brag on them because I love them so much. They so openly welcomed me into their family and loved me as one of their siblings. Judith has such a passion for praise and worship! I enjoyed getting to watch her sing and dance around the home. Jonah was so shy when I first met him, but he quickly opened up. He is one of the funniest people I have met, and we have so many inside jokes that brought so many laughs. Jonah and I talked so much about Western culture vs. African culture, God, and just life in general. He truly looked out for me like one of his sisters. Vivian is the sister I never had (but now do!) We have the same birthday and bonded over loving certain worship music. She is one of the most joyful people I have ever met and there’s never a time she’s not laughing or listening to worship music. We had SO many good laughs and good talks about life. I absolutely loved the simplicity of being at my host home and truly my favorite moments included cooking dinner with my siblings, or the nights when the power would go out and we would sit by a candle just talking about life. I know these are three people that I will stay close with, even when going back to the States and God knew exactly what I needed in placing me with this family. Prior to home stays, I really wanted my host family to have children, but God knew I needed people my age so much more.
As much as I absolutely loved my host family, I would be lying if I didn’t say the first week of homestays was challenging. During homestays we also had our practicums and classes. There was a lot of running around and a lot to process. There were times that I was completely exhausted. We had just started adjusting to life on campus, practicum, classes and then were put into homestays where the adjusting process started all over again. I had to really rely on God to help me get through and He absolutely did. By the second week of homestays. I was feeling much more adjusted and capable of accomplishing what I needed to. In that, my siblings were an absolute blessing because I would come home and just sit and talk with them. I didn’t have my phone much for the two weeks and was really able to be present with my host family.
This week was also my second full week of practicum and I am truly beginning to like working at the Kingdom Child Development Center. The program works with children in the sponsorship program and empowers them to become healthy, self-sustaining adults in Christ. We address the issues of poverty and are doing all community work. In terms of Western culture, “I don’t do very much” at practicum. I have done a lot of filing papers and a few home visits but in terms of Ugandan culture, I am doing exactly what I should be. Western culture is extremely focused on productivity, getting as much accomplished and being as busy as possible. The culture here is more focused on people and relationships. My supervisors drop everything they are doing to be present with clients and each other. The change of pace was difficult at first, as I had expectations going into placement from my western mind-set of productivity, but I am adjusting and truly valuing my time at placement. I am finding the joy in doing the little tasks as they are just as important. I am learning how to tolerate ambiguity, how to be flexible, patient and what social work truly looks likes. The skills I am practicing at placement will be so universal in any ministry / social work job I am in.
SO, if I could summarize what my host siblings and my practicum sight have taught me so far, it would be how to truly love ALL people, it is how to be truly hospitable, even to a stranger. They showed me how to find joy in every circumstance and how to be present with people. Lastly, they taught me that family isn’t always blood but are still treated and loved like such. They are teaching me to be a lot more like Jesus.
