Catch Up

So let's take a look on what I have fallen behind on. My life as a high school senior is not one to take the record books, but what I have experienced out of school is something to take the gold medal. I go through the everyday struggle of self esteem and wondering if I am making the right choice to say what is on my mind, or should I just stop and take a few moments to gather myself and my emotions. That is exactly what I did this spring break. While many high school seniors went off to the beach or an amusement park or just simply stayed in bed; I flew 18 hours across an ocean and two continents to Uganda, Africa.

Why did I do this? The answer is simple in fact. I had been planning this trip for many months, and this is one of the main reasons I have been holding off on this blog. I wanted to wait and start up again with something amazing. An experience that I can barely describe with just words. My emotions are what describes this experience. I was able to see so many new things and take part in so many new opportunities. While every other teenager in this world was off doing the most secular thing they could think of I spent my time sharing with those of Uganda a message that has changed my life. Now I know I mentioned in my first post that I was not going to fill this blog with attempts to talk to you about God, but this is a must. That is what my whole trip was about. Not an opportunity to explore, but an opportunity to share. I turned my life over to God for that short week and he did work. He spoke through me and a light was shining. I became completely in love with the people of Uganda and I learned a few things while I was there.

As a teenage girl we are surrounded by so many things. Pressures to be what our society sees as perfect, but in fact simplicity is true beauty. I learned that joy should not come from our earthly treasures, but those that God holds for us. We went a night without water and a short time without electricity and I found myself content with the situation. I didn't worry about what people thought of me and saw a dirty face and dark room as beautiful. I was asked by one of the girls on the trip how I handled what I saw while we were there. I answered with this. I know these people have an idea of what America is, but we have to think of all the distractions that would come along with a life here in America. These people have lived such a simple life and they have only known what life is there in the slums, if they were put in a new situation and new lifestyle their beliefs and ideas on how to live would be completely corrupted. This life that has so little is somewhat of a blessing for these people because they are not distracted by what the world has to say.

Of course a life with food and water is seen as important, but in their eyes a life with love is what keeps them going. The people we worked with sacrificed everything to be with us. They gave up time to be with their families and we find it so hard to love ours. They pays fees for their children to have the smallest education, but everyday we complain about waking up for school. I knew this would be hard to adjust to the real world, but that is the point. I am going to work to blend in the humility I received while in Uganda into my everyday life. I am not planning on being this perfect person because that is not what this experience was supposed to do to me. I am going to simply see things through different eyes. Eyes that don't take things for granted and eyes that see the simple things in life as a blessing and work to not wrap myself up in what this world sees as important.

I will never forget the sights and smells and people and the love Uganda had to offer, but I will try my best to be a changed person in order to benefit my life and those around me.

XOXO--Emerald