I can learn from those who've killed.

Wasuzotia? (Good morning and how did you sleep? in Luganda, the local language).
The proper response here would be 'Bulungi!' literally translating 'good,' provided all is well. So I'll pretend I heard your response :)

Beginning this post is certainly difficult as we just spent an intensive week walking through the streets where the Rwandan Genocide took place as well as hearing the firsthand perspectives of some of those who experienced it. And I am reminded yet again of the brokenness that exists within every man. People justified killing in the name of the Christian faith and many of the genocides took place between people who knew each other well, often within the churches themselves. I am left with the realization that love and hate are far closer than we like to admit; where there is love, hate seems to follow closely. Perhaps it is just circumstance which prevents us from killing just as they did...

And where I struggle most is that in the time Rwandans were utterly helpless, the world at large remained entirely at a distance. And I don't even mean in the midst of the war, for that they did to themselves. But what about the follow-up?

I could go on for hours of the many gory details and injustices of the occurence, but I have not the time nor the energy to walk through it all again.

However, I can tell you that today, Rwanda is surprisingly one of the safest places in the world. They are a tangible example of a country which views reconciliation as ESSENTIAL and forgiveness is taking place. Slowly, but surely. The church as an institution is a place which is slowly healing as well. But faith in the midst of it all is dumbfounding as you see women forgiving men who slaughtered their babies in their own two hands. So the church as a people group is stronger than it has been in a long time as faith in God is strong. But not void of questions.

While not every story is a story of faith, it is remarkable to see the bridges being gapped. And I am realizing that pain, regardless to what degree it is, cannot be disregarded. And it cannot be ignored. Though this sounds basic, it's incredible how brilliant that people, including myself, become at hiding it.

I made it!

For the next 4 months, Mukono, Uganda is the place I call home. It's surreal as I walk down the streets of Mukono that this is Africa; the world seems to grow smaller and smaller as the days go by.

In a nutshell, my family is wonderful and the members of it are far too numerous to count with people in and out all the time. We have laughed until our stomachs hurt and had intensive conversations about Ugandan life, history, and stereotypes they have about Americans. The stereotypes in and of themselves make for lots of laughter; though on some level, they are always true.

Here's a glimpse of what I mean when I say we're laughing until our stomachs hurt:

This is one of my many brothers, William. Ha.

Here is my mailing adress for all those to whom I've promised it:
Julie Bird, Uganda Studies Program
Uganda Christian University
P.O. Box 4
Mukono, Uganda
I love mail! And if you send me something, be assured you will receive something back :)

I also have an international cell phone which receives calls from Skype for free, but... I don't know the number yet.

We'll be in Rwanda for the next week and a half and will have no communication so I will update after that.

Africa...Here I come!!

Though it has been awhile since I last wrote, life has certainly not been on hold. Feel free to skip over the next paragraph if you'd like :)

In this time I have finished up my time with CSM, said my "see ya laters," hung out with the MKs at MK retreat, road-tripped with good friends to Alabama (shout out to Kayla, Kylie, Kayley, Breanna, Becky, and--of course--Mama West), spent some quality time with Daniel and his fam, gone camping (shout out to Daniel, Hillary, Brittany, Tanner, and Preston), seen my fav and only room-mate ever (Ah, Mary Cat), caught up with the parents, saw everyone at church (I always forget just how much people there have invested into my life), had a reunion with the senior road-trippers plus and minus a few (Catherine, Hannah, Kyle, Kevin, Patrick, Lauren and ANNIE WHO CAME HOME FROM BELGIUM!), gotten coffee with Cait and surprised Alyson with her and Les, saw Chicago at Starlight with some of the girls (Ann, Shan, Maggie, Alyssa, and Maddie), went hiking with Mags and got poison ivy :), made breakfast with lots of people from high school (too many to list!), celebrated Lesli's bday (Annie, LESLI, Ann, and Karmen), saw KADILYN!!!!!! (my cousin who's been in Thailand forever and I haven't seen for 2 1/2 years), caught up with lots of fam (saw my sis from Cali, bros, Lisa, and MATTY! He grows up too fast), worked lots at Friday's (nickel and diming it for Africa), hung out with the JONES's!!!!! (Whitney and Aubry, you have no idea how much you mean to me), baked cookies with Mel and Tiff, went to a housewarming party in Lawrence (Kaitlin, Katie, Kendall, and Clara--and so many others), and had a going away party as well as a grad party for Jess (this is way too many people to count). And there were still people I didn't get to see.

And I say all of this to say I am acutely aware in this moment of how much that each one of these individuals mean to me. The more I go away and come back, the more I realize just how significant a short amount of time is. In just a few brief moments, it is possible to reignite memories and acknowledge deep friendships which far surpass the mundaneness of life.

What a beautiful thing.

Tomorrow I leave for Kampala, Uganda in Africa to meet those who will be my family for the next several months.
And I am ecstatic.

I'll let you know I'm alive and well just as soon as I have access to internet; love you all!

Faces imprinted only in my mind

As I look over pictures both on facebook and in my camera tonight, I realize how much of an injustice that generic pictures do to life as a whole. While they certainly portray the exciting and fun-filled times full of laughter and sillines, they seem to negate the pain and struggles which exist simply as a result of being a living, breathing human.

That has certainly proven to be the case this summer. As I look at the great many faces of those in pictures from the past couple months, alot of the faces which have impacted me most deeply are missing. And it's an interesting thing. Even when looking through the pages of my journal there are an endless amount of names which are never even mentioned yet have left a lasting imprint.

And I wonder why it is that humans so readily bury the reality of what lies beneath the surface.

There is beauty in homelessness and physical illness and all that cannot be hidden; at least their struggles are obvious.

Captured Expression

One can see much about the character of a person by looking intently into the eyes and facial expression of another.

This has been demonstrated today by Joe, a man here with a group from Little Rock, Arkansas. A gifted artist, he has been drawing portraits of a plethora of people. Shortly after arriving at the Boys and Girls Club this morning, he had an endless amount of kids anticipating the opportunity to be drawn.

It was obvious that some were slightly uncomfortable with the intensive attention to each and every detail of their faces. And I found myself wondering if ANYONE had ever looked that closely at some of them. Perhaps for the first time, these kids were given complete and undivided attention.

As they sat discussions were sparked and the kids began to speak of aspirations for the future. I saw glistens of hope in the midst of a community that destines them to an endless cycle of poverty.

But it doesn't end there. Later on in the day, the group went downtown to hand out care bags in addition to engaging in conversation. Yet again, Joe began to draw those he encountered. One man, in specific, stood out to the group. And there he sat in a wheelchair lacking one leg. After approaching the man, they all quickly found there was much to talk about.

With a blend of laughter and melancholy, their vulnerablility with each other spurred the conversation on to a deeper level. Thoughts of suicide ran rampant in Glen's mind as he felt there was nothing worth living for. The immense amount of suffering he had faced became more and more obvious as conversation continued. But in the midst of it all, Glen acknowledged God at work in his life. And that's when you know that faith is genuine.

Though they could not change the past, at least they provided laughter and a listening ear for today. His friend later came over with a guitar and taught the group some basic chords. Genuine community took place right there on the street corner as they bore the burdens of one another.

A picture is undoubtedly worth a thousand words.

Joyful Giggles

It is intriguing to me that laughter can be both beautiful and tragic; yet another paradox of life.

On the one hand it can be a very cruel and pointed thing ending only in a false sense of happiness by those laughing and a sense of inadequacy in the life of the one being laughed at. But on the contrasting side, it has been scientifically proven to improve health in many regards: physically, mentally, spiritually, emotionally; the benefits are endless.

As for myself, I have experienced firsthand the healing power of laughter over the past couple of days. The group that's here from Charlotte, NC this week has shown me what it really looks like to have a good time.

It is easy to get discouraged by the endless amount of suffering in the world. And while assessing situations and promoting change are beautiful and very necessary things, the action which accomplishes those tasks may be much simpler than we realize. Laughter bridges gaps and brings people together in ways words cannot.

...Sometimes, all you need to do is laugh.

"He will yet fill your mouth with laughter and your lips with shouts of joy" (Job 8:21).

I SAW JESUS TODAY

Tears began to stream down my face as Jody and Austin's group shared of how they ran into Tom on Tuesday morning at the Salvation Army bus.

He's doing well. With a smile, he shared his story with some of the students and every last one of them were affected by it. I found out that one of the guys from my church talked to him on the street corner the other day as well and the fact they saw him in the place he swore he wouldn't return says a lot.

Though not fully well, he's out and about. And I am encouraged once again.

I doubt that Tom knows the extent of how many young people he has influenced. But still, he never fails to tell of the ways in which God is at work in his life.

I SAW JESUS TODAY. He walked into the Co-op Misison on the east side of Nashville. The moment I saw Him, I knew it was He. As He left the building with hands full of clothes and lunch for the day His smile said, "For I was hungry and you fed me; I was thirsty and you gave me drink; I was naked and you clothed me." I will never forget His face and the amazing smile that spoke to my heart.

I wish I could say I wrote that. But I can't. However, it is testimony to the fact that people are catching glimpses of God in the city.