Day 4

Hello from Uganda! It's hard to believe our trip is halfway over. Today was another amazing day. We spent our day in Buloba at the school. When we arrived, it was time for their morning break. A few of us served them porridge then we got to play with the kids. It amazes me that even though the kids don't speak very much English, we can still communicate with them. The kids are full of love and energy. Being around them is so much fun.
After their morning break, the kids went back to class and we got to teach them their next lesson. We all paired off and were given a class to teach. Maggie and I got to teach the 8-10 year olds. We taught them numbers and and how to write them. Then our class took a break and sang a song to us. When the break was over, Maggie and I sat with the children for their next lesson. The children are always ready to learn. It is evident that they love going to school and learning. They are very bright and work hard.
When their second lesson was over, the teacher asked us to play games and sing with them. So Maggie and i exhausted our knowledge of VBS, Sunday school, and elementary school songs. The kids didn't know most of the songs we sang and got a kick out of watching us dance around the room, but they caught on very fast. They soon were singing and dancing with us. Some songs, like "Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes," the kids knew, which was really cool. Once Maggie and I had run out of songs, the teacher asked the kids to sing to us. They sang all kinds of songs, mostly in Lugandan. One child would start singing and the rest would join them by singing, dancing, and playing drums on the table. We definitely had a party going. Then someone started "Joy to the World." This was really awesome because we knew the song and could praise Jesus together. They also sang a song like Little Sally Walker, but in Lugandan, and they picked a kid to dance in the front of the room. It was so much fun! I loved being able to have fun with the kids and not have the language barrier to worry about. When we were singing and dancing we all understood each other.
After our dancing sessions it was time for the kids to have lunch. While the kids were eating, we went to Pastor Eva's house to eat. She always feeds us such delicious food! When we finished lunch, we went back to the school to deliver mosquito nets to the families of children in the school. We went to a few of the nearby houses with the kids who lived there and gave the kids the nets and showed them how to hang them up. The families were so grateful and so were the kids for the mosquito nets, and we were grateful for the opportunity to see where these sweet kids lived and to meet their families. When we got back to the school, it was almost time for the children to go home. So they lined up and we gave them each a net to take home. The looks on their faces were wonderful. They were so happy to get the nets!
Today was such an amazing day. Spending time with the children is so much fun. I am so blessed to be here! Please keep us in your prayers as we finish our trip! Mukama Akuwe Omukisa (God bless you)!

Lauren Van Tuyl