I am trying to feed a giant white horse, the size of an elephant. But it is rearing and kicking. Bystanders are warning me to stop, telling me that it is dangerous, but i just keep trying to pet the thing. All the while a hyena-horse (like from Lord of the Rings) is running around in circles. It has a white Texas Tech logo on its forehead. We are in some sort of corral.
They have been stranger, but that one was pretty vivid. Thankfully they are not frightening, just entertaining.
We have been to Bukaleba for the past three days, John taught me a lot about my job out there. It is going to be half construction management and half owners representative. The building will be beautiful. The misistry brought in four Kenyan masons to do the stonework, the whole building is cut stone, and it is all cut by hand. I will take pictures next week.
Arise Africa is pretty incredible, the more I see of the minsitry the more impressed I am. It is a Uganda based minsitry that plants churches, schools, and orphanages. The land out at bukaleba is very fertile but largley undeveloped, so in addition to a babies home and pastors school, they are putting in sugar cane fields and goat herds to help fund the ministry. The goal is to be self sustainging. Their main office is in Jinja and I have been spending most of the day helping out with some renovations they are doing to an adjacent building. Jerome is teaching me some Lusoga slang.
God is teaching me here. A lot about missions and service. John Sauder is a pretty incredible example of humility and a servants heart. I will have to explain more about his work later.
Mukama wafo yebisibwe
Andrew
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Zombies and Yardsticks
They told me that mefloquine gives you weird dreams. They were right. So Lindsey and I were riding a bus and suddenly realized that all of the passengers were zombies. They were not very aggressive, but we still felt threatened. The only weapons we had to defend ourselves were yardsticks. I feel like what happened next is fairly self-explanitory.
Actually the weird dreams were all in Colorado Springs. So far, no weird Africa dreams. This is probably a blessing from the Lord, because things are strange and different enough as is. One of the Ugandan staff here explained to me why roosters crow three times in the morning. Once at 2, just in case you are making a long journey, once at 3:30 to remind you, and once at sunrise to wake everyone else up for the day.
Thus far we have ventured out into the city, gone to a Ugandan construction site, and visited a school in a rural community. Everything is very different. Ugandan construction practices are really different, but very very clever. Labor costs less than machinery here so everything is done by hand, from the brick making to digging a septic tank. Being a mzungu (white person) means you attract a lot of attention to yourself. In the back of my head I think that my plan was to just adjust right away and skip culture shock. Words to the wise: that is a bad plan. Things are different and uncomfortable. And they might be for a while. I read in a book that the best way to deal with it is to keep trying new things and understand why it is hard.
Church tomorrow, heading to Jinja on Tuesday. I will try to post some pictures soon. I have been taking them.
Actually the weird dreams were all in Colorado Springs. So far, no weird Africa dreams. This is probably a blessing from the Lord, because things are strange and different enough as is. One of the Ugandan staff here explained to me why roosters crow three times in the morning. Once at 2, just in case you are making a long journey, once at 3:30 to remind you, and once at sunrise to wake everyone else up for the day.
Thus far we have ventured out into the city, gone to a Ugandan construction site, and visited a school in a rural community. Everything is very different. Ugandan construction practices are really different, but very very clever. Labor costs less than machinery here so everything is done by hand, from the brick making to digging a septic tank. Being a mzungu (white person) means you attract a lot of attention to yourself. In the back of my head I think that my plan was to just adjust right away and skip culture shock. Words to the wise: that is a bad plan. Things are different and uncomfortable. And they might be for a while. I read in a book that the best way to deal with it is to keep trying new things and understand why it is hard.
Church tomorrow, heading to Jinja on Tuesday. I will try to post some pictures soon. I have been taking them.
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Colorado Springs
It has been one full week in Colorado Springs. There are about 35 interns and long term volunteers going to the various eMi offices. It has been so great to be around so many like minded people. In that same vein, so many experienced minister/engineers are here. My goal has been to keep my mouth shut and listen as much as possible.
The culture training was eye opening, and really prepared us I think for the countries we will be traveling to. Also, a big part of the week has been a strengths test, personality test, spiritual gifts test, and testimony preparation. For anyone that is curious I am an extrovert who cares about peoples feelings with vague engineering tendencies. Also I naturally gifted in the areas of Developing, Connectedness, Belief, Communication, and Positivity, according to Strengths Finder 2.0. it was such a blessing to talk about gifts and personality in the context of missions. However, the biggest blessing was hearing my team's testimonies. God has been so good in our lives.
Colorado is beautiful. Hiking is wonderful. People are awesome.
We leave for Uganda on monday. Pray for safe travel, freedom from fear, and a smooth transition to the Culture. I will be working out on a construction site about an hour from Jinja, one of the major cities. I couldn't be more nervous or excited.
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Long December
It really has been a long December. Graduation was a hoot. We heard President George W. Bush speak. More exciting than that, My parents and grandparents came in for the ceremony. It was a good if somewhat anti-climactic way to wrap up the last four and a half years of my life.
Fundraising went extremely well. If the Lord wanted to tell me that it is not his will for me to go to Uganda, he did not do it by withholding monetary blessings. So, thank you so so so much to everyone who prayed for the fundraising process and to those of you who were able to donate!
I got my yellow fever shot, and bought a plane ticket to Colorado. It would appear that everything is ready to be set in motion. Until the 11th I will be writing to people, pulling some things together for the trip, and enjoying the family!
Almost forgot, my phone turns off in early January, but I will have the same number when I get back.
Fundraising went extremely well. If the Lord wanted to tell me that it is not his will for me to go to Uganda, he did not do it by withholding monetary blessings. So, thank you so so so much to everyone who prayed for the fundraising process and to those of you who were able to donate!
I got my yellow fever shot, and bought a plane ticket to Colorado. It would appear that everything is ready to be set in motion. Until the 11th I will be writing to people, pulling some things together for the trip, and enjoying the family!
Almost forgot, my phone turns off in early January, but I will have the same number when I get back.
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Purpose
I plan to attend grad school for environmental engineering (essentially water treatment) after I get back from Uganda. This is the statement of purpose that I am sending to the department of admissions. Don't worry, I am asking other people to proofread it, so don't let the grammar turn you off.
During my sophomore year, I almost switched majors to History. Teaching history seemed like the right thing to do, so why suffer through engineering? To be honest, I was a bagel away from switching. Let me explain. I was on my way to the history building with my official form to switch, and I got really hungry. In that moment, all I could think about was the delicious blueberry bagels at Poor Yorick’s. The line for bagels was really long, and I had to run straight to class afterwards, and from there I went home for the Thanksgiving break. There was still plenty of time to talk to the history advisors. While at home I was talking to my uncle, a wise and learned man, about my decision to change majors. He asked me an excellent question. He said “Andrew, has the Lord gifted you to be an Engineer?” I was dumbfounded. The Lord has wired me in such a way that the math and science of engineering comes easily. It is just the way my mind works. His second question was even more insightful. “If you got an engineering degree, could you teach if you still wanted to?” Once again, the answer was yes. I could teach with an engineering degree, but I could never engineer with a teaching degree. So I decided to stick it out.
A few weeks later I was having lunch with a friend in the department. He was very excited about a group called Engineering Ministries International. EMI has an intern program where juniors, seniors, and recently graduated engineers move to a developing country for a summer or semester and do free design work. It sounded good, but graduation was still a long ways away. It wasn’t until my junior year that I really discovered my purpose. In the Bible, Jesus says that more will be expected from people that have received much. When I read that verse I immediately thought of my engineering career. I have been blessed with so much ability and the privilege of attending college. How could I use those gifts for myself? I decided then and there that I wanted to use my engineering degree to serve people. The second thing that popped into my mind was EMI. There are people out there doing the kind of work that I wanted to do! I applied for one of EMI’s six month internships and was accepted. In January I will travel to Uganda to work with Engineering Ministries International. EMI interns help design things like schools, churches, and clean water systems in the developing world. Eventually, I hope to do this kind of work full time.
Since finding a purpose for my life, civil engineering classes have come alive! I envision myself using the skills that I learn to help people. It isn’t enough anymore to simply make the grade. The developing world needs competent and experienced engineers to find solutions to very serious problems. I have the heart to serve, but I need the skills. By earning a Masters of Engineering from Texas A&M, I hope to become an expert in the field of Environmental Engineering. Once I have earned the degree, I will find a job in the Industry and gain experience in the field of water treatment. Equipped with knowledge and experience, I will be more effective in my efforts to serve the third world.
I also wrote a poem. I was origionally going to send it along with the SOP, but have recently thought better of it.
I would rather tell you face to face.
So you could look into my eyes,
And know that I am serious.
If you could listen, I can talk
We could sit for an hour
And I could ask you the same questions
That I have asked myself
Is all that money worth it?
How many dollars will you make?
Could you live another twenty years,
Never wondering what’s been lost?
And after eating all your money
And drinking all your health,
What will you have?
What will we have?
During my sophomore year, I almost switched majors to History. Teaching history seemed like the right thing to do, so why suffer through engineering? To be honest, I was a bagel away from switching. Let me explain. I was on my way to the history building with my official form to switch, and I got really hungry. In that moment, all I could think about was the delicious blueberry bagels at Poor Yorick’s. The line for bagels was really long, and I had to run straight to class afterwards, and from there I went home for the Thanksgiving break. There was still plenty of time to talk to the history advisors. While at home I was talking to my uncle, a wise and learned man, about my decision to change majors. He asked me an excellent question. He said “Andrew, has the Lord gifted you to be an Engineer?” I was dumbfounded. The Lord has wired me in such a way that the math and science of engineering comes easily. It is just the way my mind works. His second question was even more insightful. “If you got an engineering degree, could you teach if you still wanted to?” Once again, the answer was yes. I could teach with an engineering degree, but I could never engineer with a teaching degree. So I decided to stick it out.
A few weeks later I was having lunch with a friend in the department. He was very excited about a group called Engineering Ministries International. EMI has an intern program where juniors, seniors, and recently graduated engineers move to a developing country for a summer or semester and do free design work. It sounded good, but graduation was still a long ways away. It wasn’t until my junior year that I really discovered my purpose. In the Bible, Jesus says that more will be expected from people that have received much. When I read that verse I immediately thought of my engineering career. I have been blessed with so much ability and the privilege of attending college. How could I use those gifts for myself? I decided then and there that I wanted to use my engineering degree to serve people. The second thing that popped into my mind was EMI. There are people out there doing the kind of work that I wanted to do! I applied for one of EMI’s six month internships and was accepted. In January I will travel to Uganda to work with Engineering Ministries International. EMI interns help design things like schools, churches, and clean water systems in the developing world. Eventually, I hope to do this kind of work full time.
Since finding a purpose for my life, civil engineering classes have come alive! I envision myself using the skills that I learn to help people. It isn’t enough anymore to simply make the grade. The developing world needs competent and experienced engineers to find solutions to very serious problems. I have the heart to serve, but I need the skills. By earning a Masters of Engineering from Texas A&M, I hope to become an expert in the field of Environmental Engineering. Once I have earned the degree, I will find a job in the Industry and gain experience in the field of water treatment. Equipped with knowledge and experience, I will be more effective in my efforts to serve the third world.
I also wrote a poem. I was origionally going to send it along with the SOP, but have recently thought better of it.
I would rather tell you face to face.
So you could look into my eyes,
And know that I am serious.
If you could listen, I can talk
We could sit for an hour
And I could ask you the same questions
That I have asked myself
Is all that money worth it?
How many dollars will you make?
Could you live another twenty years,
Never wondering what’s been lost?
And after eating all your money
And drinking all your health,
What will you have?
What will we have?
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Trouble With the Present
I am very excited about working in Uganda. Most people probably consider that to be a given, but it bears repeating. Also, this fact helps explain the trouble with my current situation. The trouble is that I am not in Uganda.
A midterm rapidly approaches, there is a grad school application to complete, and there are so many people around me that mean so much to me. But I just want to get on that plane. I don't procrastinate when it comes to the trip, support letters are squared away, I already got my shots.
Why am I struggling so much when it comes to studying for this midterm? Why am I not spending time with people that I care about?
I need grace to live in the present.
A midterm rapidly approaches, there is a grad school application to complete, and there are so many people around me that mean so much to me. But I just want to get on that plane. I don't procrastinate when it comes to the trip, support letters are squared away, I already got my shots.
Why am I struggling so much when it comes to studying for this midterm? Why am I not spending time with people that I care about?
I need grace to live in the present.
Monday, October 20, 2008
Vaccinations
Just an FYI, the first modern vaccine was for Smallpox. In 1796, Dr. Edward Jenner discovered that exposure to the cowpox virus could prevent someone from contracting the much deadlier smallpox. Thanks Ed!
I went to the Brooks Army Medical Center (BAMC, pronounced Bam-See) in San Antonio on Friday to get my vaccinations and medicines for the trip. It is about a 3 hour drive, and this Friday was homecoming so we made a weekend of it. I was supposed to get 6 shots, but they only give out the yellow fever vaccine on Wednesdays, so I only got 5. Two in one arm and three in the other. One of them is a triple, three diseases for one stick in the arm. I am currently immune to Meningitis, Influenza, Tetanus, Diphtheria, Acellular Pertussis, Hepatitis A, and Typhoid. So if you were planning on giving me any of those diseases as part of a foul plot, you missed your chance. Sucka.
Did you know there is a Hepatitis E? Africa is an exposure risk.
I also have 6 months worth of medicine that will make me impervious to Malaria. The only possible side effect listed is nightmares. I am not making this up. We will see how that works out. Time to start keeping a dream journal.
So, the sum of all this is that God is so good. I heard Chris speak last night about desiring to hear from God. How badly do I want to hear from him?
I went to the Brooks Army Medical Center (BAMC, pronounced Bam-See) in San Antonio on Friday to get my vaccinations and medicines for the trip. It is about a 3 hour drive, and this Friday was homecoming so we made a weekend of it. I was supposed to get 6 shots, but they only give out the yellow fever vaccine on Wednesdays, so I only got 5. Two in one arm and three in the other. One of them is a triple, three diseases for one stick in the arm. I am currently immune to Meningitis, Influenza, Tetanus, Diphtheria, Acellular Pertussis, Hepatitis A, and Typhoid. So if you were planning on giving me any of those diseases as part of a foul plot, you missed your chance. Sucka.
Did you know there is a Hepatitis E? Africa is an exposure risk.
I also have 6 months worth of medicine that will make me impervious to Malaria. The only possible side effect listed is nightmares. I am not making this up. We will see how that works out. Time to start keeping a dream journal.
So, the sum of all this is that God is so good. I heard Chris speak last night about desiring to hear from God. How badly do I want to hear from him?
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