Well here I am in Uganda! You could say that my travels were much smoother than my last trip to Africa, and lets be honest I did not do a thing and was very content just to follow everyone else. The only reason I had to look at my ticket was to find my seat on the plane. Anyways after being here for a couple of weeks I have already fallen in love with the children! They seriously can make any day good no matter how bad of a day that you have had. Glee seems to be very popular here, so SPOT looks like Uganda is calling your name. Sadly, when I took out my shampoo to wash my hair I found that it was in fact conditioner. Yep I brought not one but two conditioners. So my hair looks awesome. Shout out to Jonathan and Catherine: Everyone here thinks that they have already met me because apparently my face looks familiar. So thanks for that. And Jonathan thanks for not liking the mangos because my name is Auntie MANGO. So a recap of all my names here besides or instead of Brittany: Uncle Jonathan, Auntie Catherine, Auntie Mango, and Auntie NEMA…which I just understood what it means-NEVER EAT MANGOS AGAIN. On our first day off I bungi jumped over the Nile River, sorry Carmen I had too. I was terrified and there will be pictures to come of the sheer panic on my face. It was the scariest, coolest thing I have ever done.  Unfortunately, I will never do it again.

Okay now to serious stuff, The Lord has completely blown me away already and I still have two months left. The Lord is definitely stretching me and using me and I am so thankful. He has shown me what it looks like to be obedient and all the blessings that come from that. He is so good! Me and three other girls are in a family group and we were challenged to pick one word to focus on while we are here. After thinking of many words we came up with intentional. Oh yeah I have another name, MOM- that’s what my family calls me. Ha so there is another name to add to the list. It truly is the perfect word because not only are we being intentional with our relationships with one another but we are being intentional in our serving. Through sharing our lives and being vulnerable we have really gotten to know each other and understand how to better pray for one another. And through helping cook or iron we have gotten to know the hearts of the wonderful people who serve in this house everyday.  Even through being intentional to hang out with the kids in this house I have been so humbled by their sweet hearts. In hebrews 10:24-25 it says “and let us consider how to spur one another to love and good deeds, not neglecting to meet together, while encouraging one another.” I feel like this verse says so much about being intentional, and have been so challenged by it. Well until my next blog I love you all and thanks again for the prayers and support! 

Well its been a while since the last blog, i apologize! Anyways lets get to it, since you have last heard from me a lot has happened....The family got here safe and sound, and then on July 30(scotties bday, me and Jonathan did buy her an African Gift, such good siblings we are) we all headed to Iringa(Curvy roads+plus extreme heat For 8 hours does not equal a pleasant stomach)...Okay so the drive from Dar es Salaam was not that horrible...We passed through a lot of different regions, or towns or whatever you call them, and you could say thats what i thought all of Africa was, you know the huts and stuff?? So, it was not a boring drive by any means!

So, after arriving in Iringa safely, the next day i was informed i was needed to share a few words of encouragement to an orphanage.(This was like an hours notice by the way) Well we all know how me and speech making goes...my face turns red and i get really nervous, so you could say that i was not in the best of moods on that morning! But after i finished i was really grateful that i got to do that, the kids were precious and they sang for me! I had a translator and everything, i was so legit! Aside from that day we pretty much did the same thing every morning, we handed out clothes to this community.Dad reminded us of all of something, that We joined an African Mission, so we are having to adapt to how they do things. As i have said in all my other blogs, african time and efficienty is very frustrating, we just had to learn to serve wherever they need us to be....One day i got the opportunity of dusting off the kids feet and putting shoes(used shoes might i add) on their feet!(so sad but at the same time, so amazing how much joy one pair of shoes could bring to a kid, and even to me)

Waking up way before the sun comes up, sounds terrible i know!(we all know that i am not a morning person, and you could say talking and smiling is out of the question) But, seeing the African Sunrise, might have changed my whole thoughts about the morning time!(okay maybe not) But really the The African Sunrise, Yes! My life is now complete! So you are probably wondering why so early? Well to make the day even better...was this day was infact Safari Day! Ahhh please Go on a safari if you get the chance, we saw so many animals, and the best one was the family of lions! And just so everyone knows i saw the Hippos, i still love hippos! Yes i thought that i was in the Lion king! We all know that the Lennings(or the Scotts as everyone calls us here) can’t just go on a normal safari, because yes our Safari car broke down! Our driver was great though we made it to a rest area and to make things even better we got to eat rice and beans! This was the perfect day from sunrise to sunset! I mean i would have been fine with just seeing the sunrise, but we got to see all of God’s creation! On the way home we even got to see the stars!(Just saying the stars in African Win, and Americas Stars loose) After a day like that i kept asking myself, how can a person not believe there is a God!? My mom found this verse, thank you mom, its from Romans 1:19-20, Romans..Hmmm yeah pretty sure thats where God wanted me to be this summer!

“ Since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities-his eternal power and divine nature-have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.” I now look at this verse in a whole different way. Ahh i just love how God reveals himself to us everyday! And to top it all off we did all of this as a family, something that we will always remember, God is so Good! Well i know that i have left out a lot but i wanted to get one last blog posted before i come home! I can not wait to be back in bama on Tuesday!(Chick-fil-a and cheese, yes!) And again thanks for all the prayers, we could not have done this trip without it...See you soon! YAY

Well the other day i was informed that i could write what i needed to and then transfer it over to my blog....mhmmm this is a very brilliant idea!....Now instead of frantically trying to think and write under a time limit, i now can arrange my thoughts..but on the other hand maybe not!

Anyways its been a while since my last blog, Jonathan has been very good company. We have been helping register Students at The University of Dar Es Salaam for a conference that is coming up. We went to the beach last Saturday, which was very pretty! So yes i touched the Indian Ocean, I kept repeating the Indian Ocean to myself....I didnt want to forget and say the wrong ocean, because that sounds like a total me move! That would have been Horrible! So Mama Grace’s sister has been staying here for a while(and yes, i still do not know how to pronounce her name) but anyways the other day, i was zoned out(as usual) and then i heard “BRITIAN, i love you!” I started to laugh, and she was like “Why you laugh? You my daughter, and I love you!” Haha she is so funny, this house is full of Love and care! For dinner one night i opened the pot to find to what i thought was mashed potatoes, that somehow had been changed to the color of purple. Yes purple mashed potatoes?? After putting the first rather large bite into my mouth, i knew that it was NOT mashed potatoes, but in-fact yams....probably one of my least favorite foods in the whole entire world. I had a Pop-tart saved to eat, and well i was waiting for the perfect moment, but the ants took my moment away..saddest thing ever, ants and me are not on good terms!

Ahh so another story...the other day i was walking in a very crowded area, and well this man decided to stick his hand in my purse pocket!....I was robbed of my Gum! I told him that i hope he enjoyed my ACB gum!(probably a good thing that he could not understand me)

Every night we have a prayer time, and we have to sing in swahili, and well Jonathan can sing,(unlike me, who we all know cant even clap and sing at the same time) well basically he charms everyone with his Swahili singing, “So good John, Very good!” they say to him! Ahh he always beats me! So i probably was just more confusing with all my stories, because i actually had time to think about what i was writting!

The Family comes in a week, which i am VERY excited about, all together in Africa!

Although i cannot wait for everyone to be here, Jonathan reminded me that we do not need to wish this time away, because we are here for in-fact a purpose. Romans 8:5 says: “For those who live according to the Flesh, set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, set their minds on the things of the spirit.” I have had a chance to really think and apply this to my life while in Africa, so many days i think about my selfish desires and live in the flesh, when really i need to be glorifying God every single minute of the day. Psalms 34:5 says “..Those who look to him are RADIANT!” Ahh Radiance in this verse can be defined in a whole new way, what an awesome picture! So yeah basically im just trying to say God is trying to teach me to look at him instead of me!

Well today jonathan is sitting next to me, safe and sound!....God is good, oh so good! This trip has had many surprises for sure, you think you know whats coming, and then God goes and surprises you. I guess coming to Africa i did not know what really to expect....i mean there are things here, that seem the same as home. Texting teenagers everywhere you turn, a mall, nice cars, beautiful homes...and then the things that you remind you, you are in Africa. We as Americans take things for granted every single day, thank God for traffic lights, and for air conditioning...the list could go on, but just take a minute and thank God for the things that you never thank him for, because they truely are a blessing.

Since the last blog, i infact have thrown just one peice of food out the window, thats all..last time hopefully! I have found some food that i wont throw out the window, that would be the "Pankcaks"(Tortilla shells, but for me they call them pancakes) I have become more familiar with my little home here, and people can see me a mile away....Today i was walking and they go oh look at Britian lookin all African! haha...I feel like an intern for sure, typing away for Mama Grace, so that has been good! I attempted to wash my clothes.....yes attempted...i got laughed at by my family here, and lets just say they took over from there! Yeah so Mom thanks for the 3 in 1 washer and dryer sheets, they are keeping my shoes smelling great! Yes yes i know i am white, i have accepted it! Ahh scottie...you should know they call you SCOTT...haha its hilarious!(wow totally random, but your more white than me, so yeah.) Ahh i went to a baptism celebration...WOW! And yes i said "this looks like a wedding!" -yes stupid me said this outloud infront of 100's of people, but thankfully most of them spoke Swahili...so it was okay! Lets see to this celebration i wore jeans and a Tshirt, and my glasses.....yeah so just use your own judgement on how i stood out even more!

As you all have heard Africans and time, dont really work out to well, so yes i have had a lot of sitting time, and not gonna lie, i became very frustrated with God, and still am. God has fully captured my attention, because during the sitting times you have nothing else to do except talk to God, when am i ever going to get another time like this in my life?? After changing my attitude from HORRIBLE to better, i hopefully won't miss what God is trying to teach to me through this trip!

P s: Jonathan knows more Swahili than me, and everyone has let me know that too! Shocking...i think not!!!

So just so you all know it was not a C its a K!...so Karibu??? maybe oh well! Anyways since i last wrote i have done office work with mama grace, and so yes i felt accomplished, so yay for that! The food thing is killing me here, when i say im not full, it really dosen't matter at all. Lets see the other morning i ate breakfast, and then went to the office with mama, and then when we got there, there was a plate sitting for me on the desk!...So me and my quick thinking, i put this "roll" in my purse, i put the nuts in the trash can, and threw the watermelon peices out the window...and i sucked it up and drank a gulp of the tea! You know the term..."dont throw your food away because there are starving kids in Africa." Lies, it all a lie!...i have never eaten this much ever.

I did get a chance to go to the orphanage....it was much different than i had expected. First of all its hard to get to connect with kids when you dont speak the same language, so I had to work around that. At first i was frustrated, and then we started doing things that didnt involve much talking, like songs, patty cake, and card games. These kids just wanted someone to love on them, thats all! so i think i may have succeded.

There is no concept of time here, you say lets meet at 12:00 and then three hours later, you leave....its horrible, something that i need to try and grasp. Another thing i have noticed is the whole TOMS thing....you buy a pair and they send one to Africa.....thats a lie too! i have yet to see one pair of TOMS. Very dissapointing for sure, so think again before you buy a pair of Toms!

Anyways God is doing work here for sure, i just need to patient, so pray for Patience if you get a chance!

Ahh thought of one more thing:

Have you ever sat in a conversation and you had no earthly idea what was going on??? yeah that would be me like 99% of the day! i guess i have come to terms with it now...Every once in a while you will hear BRITIAN..and then i know that they are talking to me! I can honeslty say that i am getting better, i now can understand when people say how are you, im fine, whats your name, and then thank you, and bye! So i may be able to full you for a second that i can speak swahili....okay maybe not! I got called a VERY white girl yesterday. haha so yeah....pray for my swahili...we all know how spanish went...yeah not so good! so this may be more difficult than i thought!

Caribou from Dar es Salaam! Yes yes i made it....most of you probably heard about my traveling experince, but i guess you could say i am pretty much the world traveler! So i got through the aiports fine, i was pretty proud of myslef, no help needed shocking i know! I arrive in Tanzania at 10:30 at night, but of course i went to the wrong line for my Visa, so that took extra long, and then my luggage was sent to brussils....so i had to go to another line for lost luggage. Lets just say about four hours later i finally walk out to the lobby, to find no one there!...yes yes no one! So i could have started crying, and i almost did....instead i decided to be a big girl and go to an information desk i found! i said excuse me Ma'am i need to call my Dad In AMERICA! it is Urgent...and all she said was oh no!! So after much money, and very nice men at the airport, i finally talked to dad and he got to mrs grace! The men at the airport called me "Britian" and they say "You Britian, You be apart of airport security tonight, we all in this together!"
Anyways aside from this adventure, i have been finding myself shocked by the culture here. We take everyting for granted in America! i shower with a bucket, imagine how much water we could save if we did this haha! Cars do not stop for people, yes i figured this one out! And if you are not hungry, they still give you food! Lots of rice....mhmmm yeah i have been forced to not be picky! But the juice here, has to be my favorite. Today i saw these boys riding their bikes, with stacks and stacks of eggs!!!...they could have fallen and crashed! My family here is such a blessing, the kids call me sister, and they are precious. Brother daviod, and sister Goria! They are fascinated by everything of mine! And Dad calls me daughter! Yesterday i sat through a seven hour church service all in Swahil, and yes i had to stand up and introduce myself, i mean im pretty sure every noticed me! I had a very nice man translating everything for me, so that was good! How amazing it was to Praise God in a different Lauguage! My swahiii is very very bad, and when i try and say the three words i think i know, i get a laugh! Mambo?? Pao?? and Asanti??? haha! Its very intersting to sit through converstaions and not know anything they are saying at all! Today i get to visit an orphange so i am very excited about this. Theres just so much to say, but so little time....! Thank you so so so much for the prayers, they are greatly appreciated! God has already taught me so much, i cant wait to see whats instore for me next.
P.s. yes i know my spelling of these words are horrible, so please excuse me!