Things that Wake Me Up

I currently live on the third story of a classic old apartment building in a quiet, suburban town. One would expect peace and restful sleep on warm evenings when the open windows allow a slight breeze in. Oh, no. Having long passed the point of complaining, it has gotten to the point of absurdity. Here is what my slumber was interrupted by just last night:

Semis change gears right in front of my building
so their engines can roar at any moment during the night.

No joke. Facility workers have been repainting the exterior of our building
as early as 7am for the past four weeks.
I have been awoken on multiple occassions by talking workers
directly outside my window on the third floor!
They could see me in my "hebby gebbies"!


School children loudly enjoy their last moments of freedom
as they pass my building between 7-7:30am.

This morning, a bagpiper rehearsed at 9am for a funeral service
that let out at noon. I vaguely remember thinking "I know this song"
while hearing the bagpipe drone through my dreams.

The final kicker was as I was trying to quickly finish a paper
that was due in an hour, a car alarm went off.
I could see the car and no one succeeded in turning it off
for about ten minutes.

All of this after falling asleep at 5am...
Early to bed tonight 'cause it's almost time
to start the whole process all over again.

Challenged Wondering

I did it. I finally gave up my favorite Folgers roast for a bag of Free Trade coffee. It felt great to know that my extra $2 enabled a worker in southern Mexico get fair wages.

I don't know about you, but I have an internal list of things that I want to do. Not a shopping list, but a "I'd feel better about myself if I'd ..." Buy Free Trade Coffee was on the list. Let's say that I'm feeling pretty good because I've accomplished three of those things in the past two weeks. World Awareness. Activism. My little part. In African American Religious Music, we've been studying about Richard Allen starting an African Methodist church in the late 1700s. What courage and passion it took for him to work to gain his own freedom and then to stand against racism to preach the gospel to slaves. How many amazing leaders fought for something that was illegal at the time. They saw a social wrong and fought against it despite personal sacrifices.

And I'm challenged wondering, what's my part? How can I please God?

Let them speak for themselves

This little girl was found by social workers right before she became a child sacrifice...
Moses, the first baby to graduate from Bulrushes, is in my arms.

Pictures finally!

EditThis pre-me smiled at me. The most beautiful grin I have ever seen in my life.

Hanging out with baby Greg, Arnold and Arnold's new friend.
Greg was found by social workers in the house alone after his mother
who was a prostitute died. He's now living at Watoto.
A woman said he looks like me. I said, "I wish." I wish I looked like him-- so cute!

Ready to build this thing!

Our first day on the job with the bravest local kids who came out to see the mazungus.
These were the kids who told us the dig for sweet potatoes
but they wished they could eat chicken but it costs too much ($2).
Little did we know what God was going to teach us through them in the next week.

Where's Heather? Can you see my tuff of blonde hair in the center of the circle?
I was showing the kids photos of themselves and then teasing them about their grade reports.

Out of Love

Sometimes I think I'm crazy. This morning as I was cleaning my coffeepot in the sink, I wondered at the easy accessibility I have to water. If I go back to Uganda for an extended amount of time, I may need to tote water in the large yellow canisters too. Why would I want to leave the comfort of my American lifestyle? Oh, right. Out of love for the poor in Africa.

Enjoying

As tempting as marrying a warrior and adopting an orphanage of African children would be, I'm back in the US enjoying a seminary student's life.

Enjoying classes.
Enjoying the choirs.
Enjoying the boy...
;-)

Last week, I stopped dreaming about the children I had met in Uganda. But I still catch myself thinking about them at random times: sitting in chapel, daydreaming in my new used recliner, eating dinner... Still looking for answers from God about what I'm supposed to do about this passion for poor children.