I have arrived...2 weeks ago!

I arrived safely to uganda on the 28th i think...time flies. We stayed one night in the dorms and then met our host families. I have a wonderful family who i have already fallen in love with. Reverend Daniel and Mama Alice are my parents, they are young and have a 20 month old baby named Faith. And Mama Alice is PREGNANT! The baby will be born while I am here!!! My parents "adopted" a woman, who is about as old as they are, after she converted from Islam to Christianity. Also, there is a girl named Joan who is 12 who is my sister's relative. There is a boy named Sam who is in his late teens and is going to school but staying with us during the time. They are all very eager to teach me their ways of cooking, cleaning, bathing in a bucket, and learning the language. Both of my parents are teachers so I will learn tons before I come back. My church is literally in my front yard but I do walk about 45 minutes to school each way. I have 4 friends that live about 10 minutes down the hill from me so we meet and walk together. It is an interesting time, i have been proposed to numerous times and told to get into their cars which I politely reply "no thank you" to.
We left for Rwanda two days after we arrived and it was a wonderful trip. The IMME kids split from the rest of the group and did more missions related things. We heard from many speakers who were awesome and had real life application. However, a few highlights, we got an opportunity to sing, give testimony and preach in an Anglican church in Gahini, Rwanda. Afterward the pastor had us over for lunch prepared by his wife. That is one thing that is vastly different from the US. Ugandans are known for their hospitality. They welcome you in no matter where you are from. Also, the pastor told us to consider his house our house because it had been given to him by God. We had translators to help us with the church service, one was named Stephen, a 20 year old Rwandan genocide victim but full of Christ. He had been beat and left for dead and was only 6 at the time. He later found out from his 4 year old sister that his parents were killed and she was forced to watch. The amazing part to the story is the killer came to Stephen to ask for forgiveness. In amazing humility Stephen asked him to go away alone for 3 days an meditate on what had happened. When he returned Stephen offered him forgiveness because it was Christ who had done it first. WOW! such amazing humility for someone who had gone through so much.
We also visited a church where 10,000 people had fled to for a safe refuge. Unfortunately, the rebels found them starved them first then killed the rest by either machete or gun. There were piles and piles of clothes from every victim. Outside was a beautiful garden area with two mass graves. One was full of coffins which we thought seemed like a lot, then we learned there were over 30 people in each one. In the next area there were piles and piles of bones and skulls lined up. It seemed a little morbid but it gave an accurate portrail of exactly how many people were buried there.
Rwanda was very very hard to go to and to see the history of the people. But the redemption that has happened since is unbelievable. We heard numerous stories of forgiveness between killer and victims. About 4 days into being in Africa I said that there is no way I could return the same. Africa has so much to teach us as Americans about forgiveness, hospitality and practicing Christianity like the early church did. I am blown away about how wonderful these people are. The Rwandans and Ugandans have made me feel at home when I am so far away.
So far I have yet to go to class, yesterday (Monday) was a national holiday because one of the village kings died of cancer and was being buried. So we officially started today but I do not have class till 3 and its my only one! My schedule is pretty spread out which is very nice. Oh, I will have internet access often so I will be able to respond to emails in a fairly timely manner.
I hope everyone in the States are well! I really do miss you all very much, I feel very different here being so white. Sometimes it can feel very lonely and very foreign but overall I do love it! I love you all!!!