Quite an African Adventure

YEah, so the picture only begins to tell of my adventures this weekend...so, I went to stay on the Ssese Islands with a group of about 11 muzungus, and it was not what we expected. We went out on saturday for a "hike"..and we didnt' know really what we were getting ourselves into, haha. So, we started out crossing the island and beginning at another point along the shore. We figured we would just find our way along the shore and make it back to our campsite...two things wrong with that...first of all, the island is too big to think that's possible...second of all, "walking along the shore" is a very ambiguous term. So, we saw a "shortcut" along the way across a part of the peninsula and began our adventure at that time. We first had to endure the freaky flies that sound exactly like a train coming from a distance and we really had to just shut our eyes and our mouths while we parade through their territory...which by the way was EVERYWHERE...then, we ran into some guys chopping wood, and asked them where the shore was, cause remember, we were merely trying to "cross the peninsula" and we couldn't find the stinkin shore...they just pointed somewhere and who knows if they even understood us.. :) But, we kept following a "path" that wasn't really a path anymore and through the woods we walked till suddenly we started feeling biting all over us...yeah, we ran into a pile of ants with FANGS...yeah, they stuck to ya...we started bleeding from their crazy bites...after we got 10 feet away from that screaming and ripping off our clothes to find them, we stumble upon and HUGE cliff, probably about 30 feet drop pretty much straight down....so...it was either go back to the ants or fall down a cliff...we debated a while and decided on the cliff...realize that this debate was interrupted many times with screams of horror as another ant was felt digging into our legs or necks....so, we ended up rappelling down the cliff with a pretty sturdy tree root...i think that was the best part actually. I slipped once but the vine was strong, :) A few of us were down and we could SEE THE SHORE...freedom, right?? yeah, right...that's where this picture comes in...we saw the shore, but not until we started heading for it did we see this aweful array of spiders. It was like a wall of them in front, to the side and all around us. Yeah, we sat crouched down, trying to figure out ways to get through it. We eventually threw some rocks to see if the webs extended to the ground...cause it's hard to see the outline of it, and one wrong move, we touch it, and suddenly, they'd be all over us...I don't even want to think what that would have been like. hmmm. we trusted the rock throwing idea though. It didn't move the webs if we threw it close to the ground...so, one by one (there were 7 of us) we ran through...basically ran through crouched down and screaming. It was so funny now that we look back on it, and we feel like calling ourselves Ssese survivors...after that it was just a matter of "following the shore" back, which means we had to climb up rocks and wade through water...the shore is not predictable. Yeah, but we all got pretty close after those episodes, and it was our first real african adventure...I wish I could show you the video's I took of everything. I got some great footage. :)

Thanks for all the comments from last time, and I agree that works are not part of salvation, but I do think we rely too heavily on grace so many times. We almost view that as a way out of things, and I am noticing that more and more often in myself. I also wanted to clarify what I meant about America giving the least. I believe it is that they give the least PERCENTAGE...not amount. But, you can correct me if I am wrong in that as well. I've also learned a lot about NGO's and how they are so corrupt, and other organizations that give merely half of what is given, so it's hard to decide what to give to. I have learned a lot about microfinance though, and that is a great way to give. It's kind of like a loan organization. For instance, an African can go there and ask for a loan to get a sewing machine..then from that she can start to make a living. She will eventually pay them back with a small interest...this keeps the dignity of the person and also helps them earn a living. Therefore, it's not just giving temporarily, but this is long terms since the person now has a way to earn money. I'm not sure of all the details on this one either, but I'm still learning. Anyways, thanks for the comments. I am absolutely being challenged here but also loving it so much. I feel so much more at home here, and I want to make the most out of my learning and my options and the friends I have become close with. Please pray for me that I will accept more challenges yet I will be at peace with how God is continuing to mold and shape me each day. Thanks so much!