Learning, learning, learning!

Our days are clicking by quickly now! In six weeks we will be saying our good byes to our Ugandan family and heading home.
We have started to reflect on what we have learned here. Don't worry I won't go into all of it because that would be a REALLY long post.
I think the thing that strikes me most is the tenderness of God as He teaches us and leads us to deeper truths and experiences.
On our first trip to Uganda in 2010, I cried most of the time that we were here. I felt overwhelmed with the poverty and the great challenges this country faces. I was, however, very thankful for people like Garry and Marilyn Skinner, who can look past all of that and see the potential. They started this organization when Uganda was in much worse shape than it is now. I don't have the ability to do that- to see the "big picture" and see what "could be", but I am thankful that there are people who can and then I can come along and do my little part to support that.
On our second trip, I was more prepared for what I would see. I had done A LOT of reading and I had asked our host Apollo A LOT of questions when we were here on our first trip. (Apollo has told me how sometimes people will say to him, "Am I asking too many questions?" He just laughs and thinks of me. He has assured me that I hold the record for asking the most questions EVER!) So I thought I was prepared for that second trip, but God took me to new places- not just different parts of Uganda, but to new depths of learning.
When we arrived this time, I quickly learned that we are EXTREMELY sheltered when we are here with a building team- which I think is a good thing! If I had seen all of this stuff on my first trip, there would not have been a second!
However, God is kind and nurturing and He gives us things as we can handle them. For example, we drove by this one corner every single working day. It was about two months into our stay before I noticed that there were 20 or 30 homeless people sleeping on that corner every morning. If I had seen them on the first morning, I would have been overwhelmed, but God opened my eyes to them when He was ready to take me to a "new level".
There is one corner where many children are begging every day. We used to hate when we had to stop at that corner and have the children come up and press their faces against the car window. Now we roll down the window and chat with the kids- we know several of them by name. Six months ago, that would not have been even in the realm of possibility!
Over the months here, we have had so many new experiences. God keeps taking us to new places and new experiences. We now look forward to these rather than fearing them.
And on that note...on Friday I get to go to one of the slum areas of Kampala. There is an Australian nurse here who used to work for Watoto and now works for another organization. I don't know exactly what all her role includes, but she makes "rounds" in one of the slums and she provides health teaching, health care, support and on Friday, I get to go with her. I can't wait! God is so good and has opened so many doors while we have been here. Watoto is a great organization, but it has been a tremendous privilege to have the opportunity to see what other groups are doing here too.
Yesterday we were out for lunch with a group of friends. We had a great discussion about paths that God has taken us on in our Christian walk and all that God has taught us along the way. However I did have to confess to the group that I feel like- the more I learn the less I know. As we learn and obey more, God reveals to us how much more there is to learn. Maybe I used to think that I knew 1% (just throwing a number out there) of what I needed to know. I have learned much while we have been here, but now I am down to knowing 0.00000001%! And I can't wait to learn even more so that I realize I know even less- what a great place to be!