I finished up my role as graphic designer at the Watoto head office on May 15. My last two weeks in Uganda were spent wrapping up final projects, meeting with different staff members to get as much up-to-date info on happenings at Watoto, enjoying times with friends at some of my favorite Kampala spots, and soaking up some sun before heading to chilly winter Cape Town.
Here are a few highlights from my last days in Uganda:
Watoto Book Photo Shoots
A writer, art director, and photographer came up from South Africa to interview and photograph for a book their team are putting together to tell the story of Watoto. I was able to host our wonderful guests and play an integral part in the overall book project. It was a very busy week, but an absolutely wonderful experience. I truly enjoyed my time with Sue, Paul, and Horst and look forward to seeing the final book.
Meeting Edward’s New Baby
My co-worker and fellow Watoto designer, Edward, and his wife Faith had a little girl about a month before my departure from Uganda. A couple friends and myself visited Edward’s home and got to meet his little sweetheart, Tephila [or “Tephy”]. She has incredible parents and I know that she will grow up surrounded by God’s love.
Visit to a Living Hope Small Group
Living Hope is a Watoto ministry that restores dignity to vulnerable women, all of which are HIV positive and have been struggling to support their families. Through the program, these women now have access to ARVs [for HIV/AIDS maintenance] and job training to develop skills in sewing and bead-making. During my last week in Uganda, I visited one of the small groups led by a lady that works in the Living Hope Sewing Studio at Watoto Church Central in Kampala named Jolly. She is an absolutely beautiful woman with a huge heart. I’m so glad I was able to visit the group and can’t wait to hear more about their progress and growth in their relationships with God and each other.
Speaking to Ladies at Samaritan’s Purse Event
My friend Roxanne works for an organization called Samaritan’s Purse, a non-profit similar to Watoto that helps the less fortunate to learn skills, find jobs, and support their families. Roxanne asked me one morning if I would be interested in speaking to a group of women about the Creator God – how the creativity God has placed in each of us can be used in practical ways to enhance our quality of life as well as return the glory to Him who gave us our ability to create, since we are created in His image. I joined Roxanne and some of her co-workers for lunch at their office and setup as the ladies began to pour in. By the end of the time, there were around 70 ladies! It was such a blessing to be a part of the session and to share what God had placed on my heart for the women. It was a challenge to get through my message since it was being translated into 3 different languages! I had to choose my words carefully because I didn’t want to overwhelm the translators. One of my favorite moments of the afternoon was when one of the ladies began nursing her twin babies at the same time! [Yes, I took a photo, and No, I won’t put it up on here…]
Final Visit to Bbira Village
The Watoto girl that I sponsor is named Saphina – an absolute angel. I went to visit Saphina and her family one last time before leaving Kampala. I joined the family for lunch and then we played some card games. We had a great time. Saphina’s mom’s biological daughter showed me a few photos from year’s back. It was so fun seeing photos of Saphina when she was younger. I wanted to remember so badly that I even took pictures of the pictures! I will miss visiting Saphina, but I know we will stay in touch through letters. It’s such an amazing opportunity to see her grow up into a beautiful young lady and to encourage her to stay connected to Christ and trust Him for everything. I believe that God will use her in mighty ways in her lifetime.
The Farewell Party
I have such amazing friends that I’m really going to miss. My two closest friends in Uganda and flatmates [consequently] threw together a farewell party where friends from work and outside of work came to see me off in style… and I do mean “in style”. The décor and the finger food were fabulous – not to mention the tear-inducing speeches and recap presentation that brought back some incredible memories [and maybe just a few not-so-incredible memories]. I felt so loved and I’m thankful for great friends and for the priceless opportunity to live in Uganda for a year and join the vision of Watoto. Thankfully I get to continue working for that vision full-time back in the US!
That’s a brief recap of my last few weeks in Uganda. I hope you’ve enjoyed coming along with me on the journey of this past year and I also hope that you will continue to journey along with me as I travel across some amazing cities on my way back to the States. I’ll be traveling down to South Africa, over to Asia and Australia, and then stop through LA before getting to Atlanta by end July. Come back soon for updates from Cape Town, SA, one of the most beautiful cities in the entire world! Thanks for reading. I hope you’re encouraged and inspired to do something out of the ordinary today! No matter where you are in the world, you have the opportunity to make somebody’s day – touch somebody’s life – share love through a smile, a gift, a word. Be the person you want to meet today.
