a pictorial tour of my time in uganda

Just wanted to share a few (of the many) pictures I have from Uganda with some helpful captions ;) At the moment videos aren't uploading on my slow (and "borrowed") internet so those will have to wait I guess.


A couple of the boys getting water from the only source for the entire orphanage -- this tap.

The kids are super excited because Dan & Deb (2 of the other volunteers) bought the remaining mattresses that STAO needed so that each child could have one of their own.

These are the kids at the displacement camp we went to that literally followed Deb & I around the ENTIRE time.

The kids LOVE LOVE LOVE dancing.


This is the kids attempting to teach me how to dance and me finding out I have Mzungu (white girl) rhythm.

This is pretty much what happened every time you tried to take a picture....lots of excitement and hands in the camera :)

Asanat....love this girl...she taught me lots of Lugandan

Me with the other volunteers at the Nile: (R to L) Dan, Zech, me and then Deb in front


Cute! That's all I have to say...

Pastor Nelson and Deb doing laundry the Ugandan way


Hope you guys enjoy now that I'm officially back on the blogging train :)

uganda

As the red dirt stains on my feet begin to fade and I slowly get used to fast-paced life back in the States, I am finally finding time to process my trip and blog about it. The most common request since I have been back is "Tell me about Uganda." I have been so tempted just to answer, "Well, it is a small country in eastern Africa...." because there is no way to capture the experience in just a few sentences. The trip was nothing like I expected. Maybe I should start there. My expectations were high, as you might have guessed from my previous blogging. I wanted to be in love with every moment of the experience, to feel like I was truly connected to my passion and heart and to be absolutely enamored with Africa. Was that how I felt all of the time? No. Some of the time? Yes. In reality, living at an orphanage in Uganda for 2 weeks was a huge adjustment. Not only did I have to get used to my "toilet" being a hole in the ground and my "shower" being a bucket and a cup, I was surrounded by 70 kids almost 24-7 with very little privacy or alone time. Talk about incarnation ministry. I was homesick, I was physically sick, I had both ups and downs, discouragements and absolutely joyous moments, but all in all, God taught me so much and then commissioned me to come back and share it with all of you.

I'm going to be honest, putting the experience into words is going to be tough and I think that is why I have waited so long to do it. All in all, I came away with a sense of how truly blessed I am and how much I take that for granted at times. To see children who eat at most 2 meals a day (sometimes none depending on monetary support) be so joyous and in love with life was truly a wake up call. However, the fact that I am much more blessed monetarily than most, no all, of those people I came in contact with in Uganda was also a huge source of isolation for me. Being a "Mzungu" (white person) was not easy. Though it made me (and the other Westerners that were there to volunteer at the same time as me) very recognizable, it also made us targets not only for begging but also bitterness. While it was difficult to have so many people asking for money that you knew you couldn't help, it was even more difficult to realize the perceptions people had about us just because of the color of our skin. Even those that we grew the closest to told us that they believed that we inherently thought we were better than them and more deserving of blessings in life because of where we were from. It was nice to have a totally honest conversation like that and break down some of the misconceptions but disheartening to know that they existed in the first place.

I don't mean to dwell on the negative, just want to give a transparent picture of what I experienced. So time for some of the highlights of the trip:

• I got to float along in the NILE River and see it's source in Uganda....amazing!
• I got to learn one of my favorite songs ("I Surrender All") in Lugandan (the local language in Mafubira)
• Seeing the amazing reliance on prayer, especially in regards to healthcare, and tangibly seeing those prayers answered....For example, one of the girls at the orphanage, Eron, got VERY sick (with typhoid AND malaria) and had to be taken to the hospital...When the other kids found out, they immediately went to the church at the orphanage and began praying, even though it was probably 9 or 10pm. I don't know exactly how long they prayed because I was at the hospital but they definitely prayed without ceasing and God answered and brought Eron home safely after only a brief hospital stay.
• The AWESOME worship. Church lasted 4 hours each Sunday but it didn't feel like it because we were up dancing and singing and absolutely praising God with all that we had....and loving every minute of it!
• And last, but not least by any means -- the amazing amazing people that I met. From those with a heart to run this ministry, to all the awesome kids, to the volunteers that were there with me, God truly surrounded me with people with His heart and my experience wouldn't have been the same without them.

Lastly, I just wanted to share a few verses that God put on my heart during and upon reflecting on the trip:

"Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." James 1:27
-- This is one of STAO's mission verses and completely embodies their calling and the calling that all of us have in one way or another.

"Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom He promised to those who love Him?" James 2:5
--I was so reminded of this verse every time I went to church and saw the heart of worship of all the people around me. They couldn't have been more rich in faith and I think it is because of their complete reliance on God as provider that sometimes our STUFF gets in the way of.

Sorry this is so long. Think I'll post a whole separate blog with more pics and videos. Otherwise, if there is anything specific you want to know about the trip or the situation in Uganda, please please don't hesitate to ask because I would LOVE to share anything I know or have experienced with you. Grace and peace :)

yep....i'm still alive

just wanted you all to know that i am indeed still in existence, although you wouldn't know it from this blog. been a pretty busy life since i last posted and i think i really haven't written because i have been trying to process all that i want to say about my trip to Uganda, but a brief update on life before i more extensive blog (with pictures and everything -- i promise!):

1. i am now officially mrs. rickard -- got married on August 2 and officially changed my name yesterday .... more to come on that front

2. just got back from our honeymoon in jamaica which was amazing -- loved every minute and couldn't have asked for a more perfect time

3. i start 2nd year of med school monday (what?! where did the summer go??) so prayers are appreciated for that

well those are the big things that have happened and i promise more details about those above and Africa very very soon :)

let the adventure begin

Well guys, I'm leaving for Uganda tomorrow....eek....kinda crazy! Wish I had more time to blog about what all I'm feeling but suffice it to say that I am excited but also very nervous. I would appreciate your prayers and keep checking here because I will either be updating on my journey or definitely when I get back. God bless!

leaping...

So, I did something scary yesterday (no not skydiving -- a little different type of leap). I booked my ticket for Uganda. This was (and still is!) scary for two reasons: #1 -- it means I am actually going and #2 -- I booked the ticket only having about half as much money as I need to pay for it. It did feel a little bit like I would imagine skydiving does, jumping into the unknown....guess that's why they call it a leap of faith. The thing is, this is something I have to do. Despite my apprehension recently about this trip (mostly due to its proximity to my wedding), I realized that all of my doubts and fears were coming from ME not God. I promised God I would pursue this dream until He closed the door or told me not to -- and He hasn't. So here I am taking a huge leap, knowing that God WILL provide. My part is to pursue God's will to the best of my ability... pretty sure He can handle the rest ;). As Nelson (the pastor in charge of STAO says): "He has a thousand cattles on a thousand hills. He is going to sell one for you."

oh canada!

So as the first act of my official spring break (after working all weekend), Jamie and I decided to take a somewhat spontaneous trip to Niagara Falls. We left at midnight on Sunday night and got back Wednesday. It was one of those much needed vacations that felt longer than it really was despite the fact that we got very little sleep. It was just nice for Jamie and I to get away together and get to spend time alone without me studying. I think we both needed the break. Here's a brief synopsis of our trip:

Like I said we left around midnight Sunday night after community and drove most of the night. I started getting really sleepy around 3:30am or so and was having a hard time staying awake to help Jamie stay awake driving so we decided to stop at the next rest stop (which we didn't get to until around 4:30am) and sleep for a couple hours. [Below is our "home away from home"]

Not the best sleep I've ever gotten by any means but it sufficed for the time being and around 6:30 or 7 we set off again toward Niagara. We ended up getting there around 8:00 or 8:30 to spend the first day of our trip on the Canadian side of the falls. First stop: Starbucks (WAY more expensive in Canada ;)) Next stop: The Falls.


It was a beautiful (but cold) morning but was so nice to just be outside enjoying God's beautiful creation. After a brief hour and a half nap, we spent the rest of the day walking around Niagara Falls and going to random tourist attractions like the wax museum (tons of fun! esp. since I kept making Jamie pose for a million pictures ;))

Guess I posed for a few myself too.....

One of the most hilarious parts of the day was me posing with a replica of the world's tallest man at the World Record museum. When I sat down in his chair, people actually stopped in the street, stared and laughed...ha


That night we went out to dinner and completed our meal with some Rickard's Red beer (had to have the beer that will be my future last name), but probably my favorite part of the day was seeing the falls all lit up at night....It was beautiful.

Day 2 of our adventure was spent on the New York side of the falls. We spent most of the day walking around Niagara Falls State Park and enjoying nature. We even found a group of islands called "Three Sisters Island" that I had to get a pic with because it reminded me of my sisters :).

After our time in the park we decided to check out the Niagara Falls Aquarium which should actually be known as "the most ghetto aquarium EVER"....We had fun though being silly and quickly realized we were the ONLY people in the aquarium who didn't have kids with them...ha....guess we are just kids at heart ;)


After the aquarium we started our journey back to Morgantown with a layover in Grove City for the night.

All in all, it was an awesome (though short) trip and reminded me not only of how much fun Jamie and I have together but how much I can't wait to marry him. It was also nice to be able to spend our time in the car asking each other questions and getting to know each other even better than we already do. We also started reading "Velvet Elvis" by Rob Bell in the car (meaning I read and Jamie listened). We are only on chapter 3 but already I have to say I highly recommend it. Chapter 2 (Yoke) is awesome...check it out!

Below are a few more random pics from the trip in case you are interested :)

spring break....and Uganda

I guess it's been a long time since I blogged...guess that's what med school will do to you...but I am FINALLY on spring break. There are time when i thought the end of anatomy would never come (or that I might be repeating it next year) but once again God has been faithful to provide all that I need for His will to be accomplished. I think there are times when I wish medical school wasn't His will for me because I know how hard it is going to be and how much I already have to give up and will have to give up for it. At the same time, though, I do want whatever God wants for my life. He never promised it would be easy and actually guaranteed that living life for Him would not be the easiest way. It is just so easy for me to get jaded by the process that it takes to accomplish God's will that I forget that it will absolutely be worth it to follow the path He has for me with everything I have...and right now that path is medical school.

From the time that God called me back to school I have felt His call to do missions and I am fortunate that He has given me the opportunity to go to Uganda this summer to serve with an organization called "Salvation To All Orphans" or STAO (see my support letter below and pass it along to anyone who might be interested). There have been multiple people interested in going with me but all of them seem to have fallen through for one reason or another. I'm not sure why but it seems to be God's will that I take this journey alone. Some people may think I'm crazy for going to Africa alone and only two months before my wedding (mom perhaps ;)) but I am trusting that once again God will provide everything I need, including safety, if it be His will. Ultimately, I just want to know that I lived my life following hard after Christ instead of living with a spirit of fear.

___________________________________________________________________________________

Dear family and friends,

It is estimated that more than eight million people around the world die each year of extreme poverty. In other words, they are "simply too poor to stay alive" (Jeffrey D. Sachs "The End of Poverty: Economic Possibilites for Our Time). For me, this statistic was a startling realization of the impact that poverty has on our world. I have never personally known the fear of not having enough money or resources to survive. Like most of you reading this, I am by no means rich, but in comparison to those who make pennies a day, I live like a queen. Allow me to paint a picture of those suffering from extreme poverty, taken from the book referenced above:

"...the doctor stands up and suggests that we visit the medical ward, which lies just across the hall. 'Medical ward' is, in fact, a shocking euphamism, because in truth it is not a medical ward at all. It is the place where Malawians come to die of AIDS. There is no medicine in the medical ward. The room has a posted occupancy rate of 150 beds. There are 450 people in the ward. These 450 people are fit into a room with 150 beds by putting three people in or around each bed. In most cases, two people are lying head to toe, toe to head -- strangers sharing a death bed. Alongside or underneath the bed there is somebody on the ground, sometimes literally on the ground or sometimes on a piece of cardboard, dying beneath the bed.

The room is filled with moans. This is a dying chamber where three quarters of the people this day are in late-stage AIDS without medicines. Family members sit by the bed, swabbing dried lips and watching their loved ones die. The same doctor who is treating patients across the hall [with HIV medications that cost one dollar per day and have a nearly 100 percent success rate] is the doctor in charge of this service. He knows what could be done. He knows that each of these patients could rise from the deathbed but for the want of a dollar a day. He knows the problem is not one of infrastructure or logistics or adherence. He knows that the problem is simply that the world has seen fit to look away as hundreds of impoverished Malawians die this day as a result of their poverty."

It is precisely this need for medical intervention in the lives of those living in extreme poverty that has prompted me to embark on a medical missions trip this summer to Uganda. I will be working with an organization called Salvation to All Orphans (formerly Save the AIDS Orphans), or STAO. Their mission is to provide holistic support for those children and widows whose families have been ravaged by the AIDS virus.

This includes financial and psychsocial support, education and medical care, as well as meeting spiritual needs. In June, I will spend two weeks in Mafubira participating in mobile clinics that provide medcial care to those who are unable to make the journey to a medical facility. In addition, I will also be fortunate to spend time ministering to children who have lost their parents to AIDS. This will undoubtedly be an experience like none other I have had at this point in my life, but I feel God's call to explore this area of medicine as part of His will in calling me back to medical school. I would love for you to partner with me in this journey. My needs for this trip are two-fold: I covet your prayers and cannot make this journey without them. In addition, I ask you to prayerfully consider whether God might call you to support me financially. Each of us can play a role in the fight against the ravages of AIDS and extreme poverty. Your role may not be in traveling to Africa but YOU are an important part of the solution. If you'd like to talk to me more about this before you decide on your involvement, please contact me via phone or e-mail at (304) 237-4426 or tara.newcomb@gmail.com. My fundraising goal is $2500-$3000. Any money raised in excess of what is needed for travel and trip costs will be used to provide resources such as mosquito nets, food, sewing machines, cows or goats for the widows and orphans of Mafubira. I thank you in advance for your love and support.

In His love,

Tara