Watoto Chior

Well today a childerns chior from Uganda came to the church ive been going to recently! It was so cool because i could understand some of what they were saying!!! I dont think that all that they sang was Swahili but bits an pieces were either the same words from each language or just swahili.
Seeing the videos and hearing the testemonies made me miss what i know of Africa. Its amazing to me how similar, yet completly diffrent these places are. I can't wait to go back and see my friends (those who still live there) and hold the hands of the children and be completly 100% relient on God. It is so diffrent there, and pictures, videos even words can not discrib it.
If you ask me, I cant tell you just one reason why i love this place so much. I find it rather frusterating to be honest!!! I have had a few people ask me why i love it so much, but nothing i said convinced me enough to think that they were convinced that i loved it.
My reasons:
* the people- my friends- the children
*The love for GOd in this place
*the culture, sums up the first 2 i suppose
* How closly i bond with God here-

You know, some people can have a life changing momment in Mexico, on stage, in a prayer session, worshiping on hands and knees
...but for me...
its wakeing to a muslims chant, rising with the sun, eating a chipati and waiting hours for another meal, walking the trash splattered red dirt in flipflops and a long skirt, chafing to the piont that all you can do is spread your legs and keep walking, sweating breathing in ash of plastic and other hasords in the smoky, BO and car fumed air. Listing to the babbling chatter of men and women, hearing your new name WAZOONGOO, said loudly everywhere you go. Holding the hands of 5 children at once, singing silly songs and attempting yet imbarassingly failing to dance with an african rythm, sitting in the cool shad of a hut with friends that want to learn as much as they can from you, walking home to a home cooked meal, always a suprise but never a disapiontment. Falling asleep to a blareing disco, or 3, scared of the spirts that are said to walk the streets.
Where every brease is a blessing and very butterfly a reminder that this place is beautiful.
I hate that anyone would attempt to make this place look like a slum. They dont need what we have, they have so much more than we will ever be able to grasp. Yeah they live a "poor" life, but its so much richer that i can dream of having. This is why i love it there. Not because when i walk down the street i look like a celebrity, not because physically im healther and i lowered my self to them I could NEVER feel that way...
But because when i bend down and hold the hugging arms of 20 childern they share that richness with me...God pours life in to me in this broken world.
At times i wonder...why Africa God? I didnt want to go there...send me everywhere but there... But he called and i responded... if i hadent maybe there would have been a diffrent place that He'd open my heart to, but, :) He opened my heart to here.
I have so much to learn about myself, about cultures, about God. I have alot of healing also todo in my life before He'll bring me farther, but for now, Hes Keeping His promise. As i flew home last year in June i cryed for a long time, but as i looked into the clouds He held me and promised me that where ever i go i will love it,as long as my heart is open to it. And i have. My journey to Kigoma in 36 days is going to be bittersweet, but it doesnt end there.
Please pray that i will bond deeper with my friends that still remain in Kigoma(three of my closest friends will not be there though i may get to see them on my way home) But that i will also make new ones and be open still to my new group who i adore already!
Ahhh the heart of a missionary, we all are in someway!