Ten years ago, Tim and I touched down for the very first time here in The Pearl of Africa. We were wide-eyed, excited, naïve, ready to learn and keen to experience all your beautiful country had to offer. After an initial 5 month volunteer stint we headed back to New Zealand promising to each other that we’d come back to live in 3 years’ time. We moved here indefinitely in January 2014 and have been here ever since. In a couple of days, we’ll be leaving to move back to New Zealand. I want, and, quite frankly, need, to process some of those feelings with you.
If I’m honest, I’d tell you that before I moved to
Uganda I thought I would be “giving up a lot”. Missionary/aid worker style. “Sacrificing”
a lot. And in some ways I was. But in most ways I wasn’t.
I thought I was giving up my lovely house in New
Zealand. Instead, you and God gave us the best house we could ever have wished
for complete with a huge yard – perfect for our growing brood of children.
Speaking of children, I thought I was giving up my chance to have children. And
yet literally weeks after arriving in country our paths intersected with the
most precious little girl who went on to become our daughter. Later on a son
followed. I thought I was giving up my dream
job and yet somehow the jobs we both have right now are the best thing ever. We
thought we were giving up a wonderful group of friends that deeply cared about us
and had known us decades. Instead, we found those relationships continued to grow albeit
across the oceans! And an equally special group of friends came into our lives
and walked side by side with us through our toughest seasons yet.
We thought we were giving up our families. And
that one, we were. For the last six years our families have patiently and
graciously waited on the sidelines watching through Facebook and Facetime and
once yearly visits to see their grandchildren and us in the same room.
I thought I was giving up shopping. And I was. But,
instead I found ways to “manage”. Working with local artisans to create
beautiful goods, getting down on my hands and knees to rummage through second
hand piles at the downtown markets, going to Dubai once a year to get my “fix” and
being a regular at expat garage sales. Best yet though was realising that
simplicity and minimalism are my new MO (modus operandi) and I don’t need that
stuff to make me happy. In saying that,
I’m really looking forward to hitting up Kmart when I’m back in NZ. Hey, I’m being
honest, right?
Of course there’s been challenging times too. The rat in my bed wrapped around Eva’s head drinking milk that had fallen onto the foam mattress. The countless snakes. The police that pull us over looking for bribes. Getting pneumonia and malaria. The power company we have on speed dial because EVERY. SINGLE. DANG. WEEK there’s an issue. The water company that constantly likes to turn off water when we have large numbers of people over for a party. The burglars that stole from us. The people that scammed us. The lies we’ve been told. Immigration dramas, roads that put your neck out they’re so bumpy and pollution levels so high its dangerous to go outside. You’ve legit driven me crazy sometimes. Often times.
But all of that is NOTHING in comparison to what you’ve given me. My
babies. My incredible friends. The grandmother to my children, (Jane, our househelper),
Opportunities to serve people in big and small ways. The best Indian (ironic, I know) food in the
world. A community of people we absolutely adore.
Uganda, (and I’m crying now), thank you. Thank you
for giving me some of the best years of my life to date. You are the reason I
became a Mother. There is nothing I can do to repay you for that. All three of
my children have danced on your soil and grown up under your sun and leant to
walk and talk on the mis-matched tiled floors of this beautiful home.
In just a few short days the time will come to put
a full stop on our time here. Our son, Maz needs to have a significant heart
operation and we know just the place to help – New Zealand. It’ll be the tenth
time I’ve moved internationally and the 11th time Tim has. We’re
ready to put down some roots for a while.
But we’ll be back to visit I promise. Tim’s here for a work visit twice next year
and I’ll be touching down again around May.
We hope to bring the kids back in a few years too. Because there’s
nowhere quite like Uganda. Nowhere.
With all our love and affection,
Tim, Helen, Hope, Eva and Maz
Tim, Helen, Hope, Eva and Maz
