Hey friends and family! I'm now in the final stages of preparation for the trip! I still have a lot of things to get done and I've been procrastinating like mad. I don't know why, I guess because my emotions about this trip have been changing every few minutes. I'm happy, then I'm nervous, I'm excited then I'm homesick already, I'm content and then I'm exhausted-- makes it hard to get motivated. I've packed all of my school supplies, snacks, and toiletries, and have yet to pack my "new" clothes and some other random stuff. I'm going to pack a little tomorrow morning after I (hopefully) can find somewhere that offers a Friday morning church service.
I had a FABULOUS going away lunch with Mom, Dad, Grandma, Grandpa, Aunt Penny and Elizabeth and Isaiah Hartwell. It was unexpected seeing all of them today, especially with a few of them coming up just for the lunch, but it was great to be surrounded by so much love and support. I was seranded (led by Grandpa...twice) to the tune of Happy Birthday but as "Happy Trip," and then some other song. It was classic Preston stuff and I loved it.
I got my phone number!!!! It is my impression that if you're calling from the U.S. you should dial:
011-256-78-360-0658
There is a chance that there should be another zero "0" before the "78," but I believe it's only needed when calling within the country. Be advised that there is a 7-hour time change from Eastern time to Kampala time, and that therefore you should not be calling me (due to my work and sleep schedule) between 5pm and 10am YOUR time. Please feel free to call between 10am and 5pm eastern time, as that should be 5pm to midnight my time and I will be home from work.
I also have my address! I don't really intend for any of you to send me anything, as I don't know when or if it would arrive, but just in case:
P.O. Box 24555
23B Acacia Ave, Kololo
Kampala, Uganda
Other than that, I leave the US tomorrow at 1pm. I'll fly to Newark, and then I'll leave there at 6pm for Brussells, to arrive at 8:30am. At 10:30am I'll leave Brussells for Entebbe, with a stop in Rwanda, and will arrive in Entebbe around 8:30pm that night. I know I will be exhausted and am not looking forward to the crazy flight and sleep schedule.
I AM looking forward to meeting up with my friends tomorrow and I feel so, so blessed that I am going through this experience with people that I know already.
I will hopefully be able to update this blog periodically, but I will probably not be able to upload photos until I get back to the states since I can't upload the software to a computer in an internet cafe. Thanks for your patience!
You guys (whomever you may be!) are great and I am thankful for your support, prayers, kind thoughts, donations, hugs and just about everything else. Thanks!! See you in KAMPALA!!!!
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Sunday, April 26, 2009
THIS WEEK!!
That's right, friends-- I am leaving for Uganda this very week! I have four and a half more days in the states and then my adventure in Africa really begins. Time has flown by, and I can't believe that it's here!
I just finished exams and left Vanderbilt yesterday. It was a CRAZY week with tests and papers and packing and moving and driving, but my junior year is finally over. Even though I've been in college for 4 years now, it's still weird that I'm finally going to graduate next year. With losing so much credit coming into Vandy, I kind of felt like I'd never really see the day when I'd be done. Turns out, 2 years later, I am 5 classes and 1 internship away. There is a light at the end of the tunnel after all! This is also a big milestone because I've now been at Vandy longer than I was at OU. Coming to Vanderbilt has still been the best decision of my life and I feel soooo blessed for all the great friends and memories I have there.
To be honest, I'm super scared about this trip. I'm trying really hard to trust God and His provision and yet this is the biggest risk I've taken since the transfer. I'm trying to put into perspective how well that risk worked out, and I know that I'm going to come back from the trip with a renewed and greater picture of what Faith is, and for that, I'm excited. Nevertheless, there is a part of me that thinks, "Seriously?! I may be the least qualified person ever to spend a month in Africa." I am such a picky eater, I have high maintenance sleep habits, I worry about everything, I am a totally homebody, I hate change and have a tendency to make awful transitions, and I will miss everyone (and miss Tyler already!). I guess there is a part of me that has just recently admitted to myself what a big deal this is for me. Maybe for someone else this would be 4 weeks away from home and whatever, get over it. But, making this decision to go pretty much goes against everything I normally want for myself: security, control, people I love surrounding me, comfort.
So...why am I going? I guess I just feel called to go. I can't explain it but I've felt for a long, long time now that I'm supposed to go. I feel it's time for me to go out and test myself, to put myself in a position where I have to trust God and His provision for my life, and do His work. I feel like I have so, so much love to give and I'm excited to have the opportunity to pour it out on people who desperately need it. I can't wait for the life-changing experiences that I know I will have, and I can't wait to share my stories with you guys and hold some little African babies and take lots of pictures and GROW.
So...I'll update again before I go with my cell phone number so that if you guys want to call me (between 10am and 3pm Eastern time!!!) you can do that.
Please pray for me, my trip, and the people over in Kampala who I will be meeting so, so soon!
I just finished exams and left Vanderbilt yesterday. It was a CRAZY week with tests and papers and packing and moving and driving, but my junior year is finally over. Even though I've been in college for 4 years now, it's still weird that I'm finally going to graduate next year. With losing so much credit coming into Vandy, I kind of felt like I'd never really see the day when I'd be done. Turns out, 2 years later, I am 5 classes and 1 internship away. There is a light at the end of the tunnel after all! This is also a big milestone because I've now been at Vandy longer than I was at OU. Coming to Vanderbilt has still been the best decision of my life and I feel soooo blessed for all the great friends and memories I have there.
To be honest, I'm super scared about this trip. I'm trying really hard to trust God and His provision and yet this is the biggest risk I've taken since the transfer. I'm trying to put into perspective how well that risk worked out, and I know that I'm going to come back from the trip with a renewed and greater picture of what Faith is, and for that, I'm excited. Nevertheless, there is a part of me that thinks, "Seriously?! I may be the least qualified person ever to spend a month in Africa." I am such a picky eater, I have high maintenance sleep habits, I worry about everything, I am a totally homebody, I hate change and have a tendency to make awful transitions, and I will miss everyone (and miss Tyler already!). I guess there is a part of me that has just recently admitted to myself what a big deal this is for me. Maybe for someone else this would be 4 weeks away from home and whatever, get over it. But, making this decision to go pretty much goes against everything I normally want for myself: security, control, people I love surrounding me, comfort.
So...why am I going? I guess I just feel called to go. I can't explain it but I've felt for a long, long time now that I'm supposed to go. I feel it's time for me to go out and test myself, to put myself in a position where I have to trust God and His provision for my life, and do His work. I feel like I have so, so much love to give and I'm excited to have the opportunity to pour it out on people who desperately need it. I can't wait for the life-changing experiences that I know I will have, and I can't wait to share my stories with you guys and hold some little African babies and take lots of pictures and GROW.
So...I'll update again before I go with my cell phone number so that if you guys want to call me (between 10am and 3pm Eastern time!!!) you can do that.
Please pray for me, my trip, and the people over in Kampala who I will be meeting so, so soon!
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Sorry for the delay!
Wow, I didn't even realize it's been almost a month since I've updated this thing! Thanks to Grandma for calling me out on my lax blog posting skills. So what's new...
Basically everything is crazy right now. I only have 12 more days at school, which is a fact I'm currently ignoring due to the overwhelming amount of school work, preparation for the trip, and packing and moving that is yet to be done. I leave for Uganda in less than 3 weeks and I can't even believe it!!
A great update is that Carolyn Audet, who was the director of the program last year, will be accompanying our group for the first 2 weeks of our trip. This is great because she is super knowledgeable about the area and is also well-versed in the cultural norms of the country.
I ate dinner at an Ethiopian restaurant 2 weeks ago and I seriously couldn't eat any of it. Apparently the food in Uganda is really different (as spoken by a man who moved to Nashville from Uganda this year), and that's lucky because I really could not survive on that stuff. I will apparently be eating lots of peanut butter in the next coming weeks!
Another exciting thing is that we're raising money to reform the music program at the school I will be working at! We're currently trying to raise $1000, which should be enough to cover the cost of new choir robes and some new instruments and music for the program. Should any of you feel led to donate to this endeavor, send me an e-mail at mallory.a.morse@vanderbilt.edu. And just in case (here's me being hopeful!), checks should be made out to "Vanderbilt University/OACS" with "Kampala Project" in the memo line. If you want to send a check (to help the children of the Kibuye Primary School continue to raise money for their tuition through music performances!), please send it to:
Mallory Morse
2301 Vanderbilt PL
VU Station B #6286
Nashville, TN 37235
So..no pressure. I hate fundraising and this is short notice, but it's for a good cause. In fact, I'll even learn some African dance while I'm there and if you donate, I'll give you a private performance upon my return to the states. (Quality of performance and authenticity of movement not guaranteed, lol).
Other than that, I'm having a great time here at the end of the school year and trying to keep my head on straight as everything gets crazy. Please be praying for me and the kids at the school if you would! Thanks! :)
Basically everything is crazy right now. I only have 12 more days at school, which is a fact I'm currently ignoring due to the overwhelming amount of school work, preparation for the trip, and packing and moving that is yet to be done. I leave for Uganda in less than 3 weeks and I can't even believe it!!
A great update is that Carolyn Audet, who was the director of the program last year, will be accompanying our group for the first 2 weeks of our trip. This is great because she is super knowledgeable about the area and is also well-versed in the cultural norms of the country.
I ate dinner at an Ethiopian restaurant 2 weeks ago and I seriously couldn't eat any of it. Apparently the food in Uganda is really different (as spoken by a man who moved to Nashville from Uganda this year), and that's lucky because I really could not survive on that stuff. I will apparently be eating lots of peanut butter in the next coming weeks!
Another exciting thing is that we're raising money to reform the music program at the school I will be working at! We're currently trying to raise $1000, which should be enough to cover the cost of new choir robes and some new instruments and music for the program. Should any of you feel led to donate to this endeavor, send me an e-mail at mallory.a.morse@vanderbilt.edu. And just in case (here's me being hopeful!), checks should be made out to "Vanderbilt University/OACS" with "Kampala Project" in the memo line. If you want to send a check (to help the children of the Kibuye Primary School continue to raise money for their tuition through music performances!), please send it to:
Mallory Morse
2301 Vanderbilt PL
VU Station B #6286
Nashville, TN 37235
So..no pressure. I hate fundraising and this is short notice, but it's for a good cause. In fact, I'll even learn some African dance while I'm there and if you donate, I'll give you a private performance upon my return to the states. (Quality of performance and authenticity of movement not guaranteed, lol).
Other than that, I'm having a great time here at the end of the school year and trying to keep my head on straight as everything gets crazy. Please be praying for me and the kids at the school if you would! Thanks! :)
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