Did I Do That?

How do I begin to sum up the past seven days? Each one was full of adventures, growth, and people dear to my heart.

Last week, some of my teammates and I travelled to Kampala and then on to Jinja, Uganda to raft the Nile river together. This is something that I've been wanting to do for a long time, and I was happy to finally have the opportunity to do so! The five of us from our team were joined by another American couple for this rafting adventure. We had a kind and very impressive guide who grew up in Jinja and said he's rafted the Nile over a thousand times and clearly still enjoys it.

We donned our rafting gear: life jackets, helmets, and wooden oars with rounded edges. We stood around on the shore listening to the many detailed and sometimes confusing instructions: If you fall out, don't swim. Don't stand. Keep your feet up. Face backward so your helmet and life jacket can absorb any blows. Hold on to the rescue kayak this way, not that way. Watch out for rocks.

Eventually we got in the raft to practice rowing together, following directions, flipping, and getting back into the raft. So far, so good. Off we went. Thirty kilometers and eight rapids, ranging from Class III to Class V.

We approached the first rapid, which was actually a small waterfall. "Row forward. Harder. Get down! Lean back!"

No problem! This was a little like the log ride found at many water parks in the States. Anticipation, the thrilling drop, and a big splash at the end. On we went.

Now, I've grown up swimming and spending plenty of time in the water, and I've never had any fear of water. It has never been an issue for me. That all changed when we flipped going down the second rapid, and I got trapped in the swirling water under the boat, unable to come up for a breath. If you've never experienced something like this, let me tell you, it's awful. It's nearly impossible to tell up from down and everything is swirling around you except the one thing you need most. Air. Eventually, I came up to find every one laughing and smiling at the thrill of being thrown out of the raft.

I tried to shake the thought of drowning from my mind as I choked up river water and then hauled myself back into the raft once it was turned upright. On we went.

The next stretch of the river was 5k of calm waters, so we alternated between rowing for a few minutes and floating and enjoying the scenery. We passed through some more rapids, and yes, we flipped again. By this time, log rides were far from my mind. I'd now compare it to being in the heavy duty cycle of a washing machine while being sprayed with a fire hose.

My highlight of the day was actually during one of the calm stretches of the river. The sun had disappeared behind dark, stormy clouds, and cool rain was falling. Our guide served us each a large portion of the sweetest, juiciest, candy-like pineapple you can imagine, so we sat in the raft floating down the Nile river eating pineapple in the rain. Incredible. At that point, we were also free to swim in the river for a bit. The water was wonderfully warm, and the rain only added to the delightful experience.

By the end of the trip, we had flipped on four out of the eight rapids, and I was thoroughly beaten, bruised, scraped, and bleeding in multiple places. I was completely mentally and physically drained yet amazed that we'd all just experienced that together!

On Wednesday, the excitement continued as we joined together with many of the other missionaries serving with Africa Inland Mission in the Central Region for our annual conference. It was a thrill to meet and learn from people living in Uganda, Rwanda, Chad, Republic of South Sudan, Democratic Republic of Congo, Central African Republic, and Tanzania. If I could summarize the overarching themes of my thoughts from conference, they might go like this:

1. It's an honor to serve with an organization that serves and loves Africa so well. Even when it seems impossibly hard.
2. I deeply appreciate the way AIM cares for their members so thoroughly. The systems, structures, and procedures they have in place for our safety and well-being are amazing.
3. I'm humbled knowing so many individuals and families who are obedient to the Lord's leading in their lives. Especially those who are going to the places where so many people are unwilling to go... 
4. I'm so thankful  to serve on a team that functions the way it does. We make unity and support for one another a priority and work hard for it. God's grace has protected and sustained it.
5. My team has become like family to me, and I love them. What a blessing to work alongside and share life with them!