Happiness.

 Happiness isn’t just what you report it’s what you choose to remember.

Happiness that I have obtained this summer goes beyond my crazy, rambling, blog posts.  Far beyond the surface level conversations I will have when I get home when I get asked about my trip and I tell a summary of the weather and my health.  Past my blogs and verbal reports my happiness will stay in the memories I have with these kids.  Memories of joy and sometimes craziness where I find myself in situations and have to remind myself that in America it’s NOT normal.  This week, happiness has come in many forms.

Happiness is Ugandan Birthday Parties:

Last night we had a typical Ugandan birthday party for Haril.  I was exhausted from painting but came home and made my 4^th cake of the week. HUZZAH.  We crammed 15 of Haril’s friends into the living room, had a Ugandan feast and ate chocolate cake!  After that we took part in the standard cup game that occurs at every birthday party I have attended here.  A game where you pass a cup full of challenges around a circle to music, when the music stops, you pick a challenge.  To sum up our game: our farm manager pranced around with his underwear on the outside of his pants.  Our craft manager pranced around in women’s clothes, muscles and all.  I did an interpretive dance to “baby got back,” Andrea did some sit ups.  Our social worker chugged soda and break danced and I set our cake on fire.  Andrea bought candles that looked like trick candles.  Turns out they are fireworks and six of them shot up 3 foot flames in my face as we sang Happy Birthday, crying from laughing so hard.  There was so much love and laughter in one room.  Ugandans can party.

Happiness is arts and crafts:

Brenda and I painted. A lot.   My paint clothes are splattered with purple, blue and tangerine and my hair and skin are painted and sun soaked (lets be real I don’t really tan very well).  As challenging as it is to paint all day in the heat, Brenda and I put ourselves in some interesting situations and listen to music and dance while painting.

Happiness is friendly competition:

Porridge chugging contests….HOT porridge chugging. More difficult than it sounds. Believe me on this one.

No shower contest… Iganga turned off the water in town in what was supposed to be a way to save power for a week.  I bathed in a bucket singing to Justin Bieber. After that I was challenged to a no shower contest against Hanna and Brenda.  While our water was turned back on, I would still like to think I won. 

Posho contest…I have yet to finish an entire plate of posho and beans this summer for lunch.  Before I leave this WILL become a contest.

Happiness is learning something new

I have NEVER. I repeat NEVER been good at Frisbee. In fact, I used to be rather afraid of Frisbees.  I would dodge them during youth group and scream because inevitably, every time I get near one, I’m the girl that gets taken out by one.  When I get invited to ultimate Frisbee games I fake sick. I really have never been good at it.  Until Musana.  Musana children know more sports than the average kid and can pick up sports equipment and know how to play.  This came in handy when I became genuinely interested in attempting to play Frisbee in an environment where I wouldn’t get laughed at too hard (minus the time I hit our cow).  After an hour or so of intense training, I’m pretty good. So, my American friends, challenge me to a game sometime.  I love learning something new. 

Happiness is kisses blown by girls in dresses

The 2 smallest girls at Musana, Sophia and Abote often set me on my way home in the evenings with kisses galore. 

Happiness is Musana Children’s Home

From several volunteers… “Its like Disney World, the happiest place on earth.” 

I’m blessed to get to spend my summer here.