Interesting Things!

Wow, can you believe yesterday made 4 weeks of being in Uganda? Me either😮 This has been a mind blowing experience already! It's so surreal that I am living in answered prayers. So thankful that God still hears and answers prayers at the perfect time😌

When I first got here it felt like I had been here forever, even though I was just a few days in. Now looking back over the month, time is really flying☹️ I'm not going to make this post long but fun! 

I am so glad that I went on a couple of short term mission trips (especially to India) before I came to Uganda because it was definitely a smooth transition. I came with an open mind but these are just a few things that I have found interesting so far!

• The only real culture shock that I have experienced was going to the grocery store and seeing the eggs and butter sitting on the shelves next to the canned items and not in the fridge section. I was definitely hesitant to buy it at first but once I talked to the other volunteers and they told me that it was perfectly fine and just to put it in the fridge after purchase. I did and I am perfectly fine!! It makes me wonder who is right? 

• A Rolex is not a watch here but a food item. It gets foreigners every time lol It basically is an omelet with vegetables wrapped in a chapati and it tastes delicious!!

• The only chain restaurants are KFC and Pizza Hut. 

• There is a Shoprite!!!

• You have to lock the door with a key when you are inside the room. The bathroom door as well.

• Gas is called Petro here.

• The public transportation consists of taxi vans that hold about 16 passengers and boda boda's (mopeds). There are no public buses or train system!

• Ugandans eat a lot of carbs and very little vegetables but they look great!

• You have to go through metal detectors and have bags checked by security at most stores, hotels, fancy malls and even church. Which I think is not a bad idea at all!

• There are pharmacies, mobile booths to get airtime (minutes) and hair salons literally on every block! 

• There are a lot more women construction workers and police officers.

• You don't see a lot of older people (70+). I definitely noticed that and asked another volunteer about it. Come to find out the average life expectancy is 54 (which just went up). This is due to HIV/AIDS and Malaria. Makes me appreciate life so much more and all that Watoto is doing to change that by rescuing these babies early and giving them all the love and care they need.

• On a brighter note I am cooking more from scratch than I ever did before lol The first day I had to cook here I had a plain bowl of rice😂 but since then I have made French toast, banana bread pudding, honey glazed carrots, mashed potatoes, sautéed spinach/corn with tomatoes, French fries and vegetable egg fried rice!

Highlight of the week: The toddlers (about 30) successfully moved out to their permanent homes in the Children Villages over the weekend and on Monday Baby Watoto rescued 19 children from a Baby Home that was closing down. I love how God orchestrates things. It was such perfect timing! Now these new children have a place to permanently call home without being separated, know God and how much He loves them💕

Until next time! Peace and ❤️

Jasmine Jackson 

Isaiah 6:8