Off to Uganda!

Hi everyone – Erin Alexander here!  Yes, that’s right, I am officially wedded to Shawn D. Alexander, project manager, as well as my work in that little village tucked away in the tip of Uganda.  But it’s no surprise.  I haven’t been able to get the people of Padibe off of my mind since I met them two years ago.  The vantage point from which I enter this trip looks a lot different compared to my first go of it: Shawn and I are married, we live in a beautiful home where we (attempt) to grow crops like the Ugandans :), and we now have an education project and a sunflower press up and running! There are too many small miracles that have led to all of these developments to mention but the most notable one is the phenomenal willingness of my school district, Pewaukee Schools, to get involved with this relationship.  After meeting Tommy Oyet and Fr. Romano Ouma (Padibe parishioners that traveled to Pewaukee a year and a half ago), my principal, associate principal and superintendent were eager to get involved.  I know, right!?  It takes a special work place to willingly commit the fundraising efforts of the entire school district to this type of work.  Anyway, we brainstormed all sorts of ideas but the best we came up with was a sister school connection: each grade at Pewaukee School District would fund-raise and sponsor 13 students’ education fees.  Once we launched the idea, the kids at Pewaukee ran with it.  Their fundraisers were many, including the opening of a coffee house that runs 24/7 in the library, various crafts sales, and pj days to name a few: all together we raised $3,614 which is a feat that truly happened in the blink of an eye through the blessing of a force greater than myself.

During the last few months of school, the Pewaukee students and teachers prepared pictures, videos and letters to share with their new friends in Uganda; one of my main tasks this time around will be to bring the hundreds of letters and pictures and hugs from Pewaukee to our sponsored kids in Uganda (talk about being the bearer of good news)!  Here is a video that one of my students at Pewaukee made to show the sister school students how much we care about them.

While our sponsorship project is a wonderful beginning, I plan to meet with our (newly formed :)) education committee in Padibe to discuss various ways that we may be able to further our efforts in a way that will touch more students, more villages, more families.  Some ideas so far have been teacher partnerships and integrating problem-solving around issues in Padibe into the classrooms of Pewaukee.  BUT, as always… we shall see!  As I learned last time, God’s curriculum plan for me is often quite a bit different from my own.  The one thing I know is that, for the first time in my 30 years of life, I feel as if I’ve finally stopped struggling against the movement of divine energy and jumped right into its flowing force: while this work is challenging, I really feel like nothing could be easier.  As I let go of my fears and release my grip from the shore, a powerful current has taken over for me.  And instead of trying so darned hard to make things happen, they just do.  Things just keep working. And it just keeps making sense in a nonsensical, crazy, confusing, yet perfectly-ordered sort of way.  As I pack my recently purchased journal, travel yoga mat, and maxi-dresses (THIS girl is not making the “short dress mistake” again THIS TIME, guys… if you don’t get it, check my old posts from July 2011 :)), I know that I will come back with a whole new unbelievable story that even a best-selling author couldn’t concoct.  So, here I go.  In I dive.  Let the journey begin!