The Terranova's

friends,
After a LONG layover and a delayed flight and a dead battery in kampala rush hour we are here. I am writing this to you from Bukaya where we are with our good friend and searching for a home.

Every day so far has been pretty surreal and my heart is so full. Things in jinja are changing so rapidly and people are happy and can I tell you that we have not had to argue with ANY piki driver (motorbike taxi) in the past few days (WEIRD). : )

I don't know if it is because we are back with new eyes or if we are just too new but things are so different.

Since most people don't have email or money to call us they didn't know we were coming back - So, in the past two full days this has been our friends (and people we didnt even get to know so well) reactions: screaming, jumping, picking us up, more screaming and lots of hugging and even some crying. It has been too good for my heart. Joe and I left last year kind of out of the blue - I believe most people were confused and some a bit hurt so returning was something they never believed we would do - after all, about 85% of mzungus who enter Uganda say "I will come back" and never return. I had been regretting how we left these past six months - I didnt know why we had to do it so quickly and I knew that I was burning bridges and possibly not fostering relationships that were really good to me. but when we visited with our friends and family my heart felt such peace and I finally was able to let go of that regret. Agnes (the second tailor we hired for epoh) looked at us and said "you have REALLY loved us, with the true love of Jesus! thank you for coming back", Josephine the 4th tailor we hired said in her very broken english "I am feeling joy" Haman kept saying "oh, Jesus, I can't believe it, oh ,Jesus, I cannot believe it!" Innocence cried when she saw us...so did Charles - He hugged Joe for so long...even the little old onion man at market greeted us so warmly and remembered us and hugged Joe.

and Betty ... imagine this: coming home from school and seeing people you havent seen in a long time who are practically your family coming towards you...yep, she thought she was seeing a ghost. LOTS of screaming and jumping and hugging and hugging and mor hugging. Kymbi is so big and he is even talking so much.

Abdallah is big as well...he called us mom and dad...my heart sank.

of course, in true ugandan fashion all emotions are extreme and come hand in hand.
This is life - out in the open - sometimes things are really great and sometimes they are sad but in Uganda all emotions are seen..there is no hiding...there is no pushing it aside. Everything is so raw and in your face...it is good.

all this and we haven't even seen the suubi ladies yet.
: )


Today we will be looking at more homes and also getting to be a part of the amazima program as well as seeing the suubi ladies!

Things with tukula are interesting - we selfishly want to jump right into things so that we can start having a "normal" kind of life here but we have been realizing that we will definitely have to do more listening and a whole lot more praying. needless to say we still have a few meetings coming up with possible wholesalers and we are going to continue planning for them and of course just listen listen listen.

Joe and I are in such weird states - constantly being filled up to the brim with so much joy but also still questioning what we are doing and where God is pulling us and completely trying to trust him with everything....not gonna lie - it's so hard. And we feel inadequate or not needed a lot because everyone is expanding their organization or doing new things or talking about things I dont understand at all

again we are just going to continue to listen...and see where we end up...and seriously though it HAS only been two days.

we love and miss most of you people and are having a lot of fun and laughing A LOT. : )

now, time to go and do.
I will be joyful in God my Savior....- Habakkuk 3

-melissa