Welcome to Karamoja!

Well, friends, after many, many, MANY months of being delayed, plans changing, and the unexpected situations happening, we have made it Karamoja!! It is a relief to finally be here! It feels good to know that for the foreseeable future, we can settle in and make this our home.

Getting Here

We officially moved on November 4th and brought the last of our belongings up with us with a PACKED minivan. The bumpy roads reminded us often that we were riding low. Thankfully, the Lord brought us safely to our new home without any missing van parts. We even got to see monkeys and baboons on the way! Our team in Mbale had us over for a meal and a sweet evening of fellowship the night before we left to send us off. And when we arrived in Karamoja, our team here had dinner meals set up for us so we could focus on unpacking and getting settled. What a blessing to be shown such love and care!

Settling?

I cannot tell you how many times we have packed and unpacked in the past year and a half. I do not want to see another packing list, action packer, or duffle bag for some time. The boxes (or at least all but the ones that have those random items I have yet to decide what to do with) have all been unpacked. Our home has lots of space for the kiddos to play and even has a space we can homeschool in!

Though, settling into a new place has had its challenges. In order to settle again, it feels like we are unsettling. Uganda has been our “home” for 5 months. Mbale feels more like home than Karamoja right now and yet at the same time no place feels like home. Our life back in the States has carried on without us and our lives here still feel so foreign. Our children have had so many changes that they are oozing feelings out sideways and are trying to process it all.

Life in Karamoja is so different from life in Mbale. Karamoja is much more rural. What is available at the market and small shops in town is vastly limited compared to Mbale (though it is much better than what we expected!). Fewer people speak English which complicates the process of getting to know others. It is also much quieter here compared to the hustle and bustle of the city. We live on a compound with other missionary families which provides playmates and fellowship more often. The kids get to do P.E. with other missionary kids every weekday and we do Bible studies and team lunches during the week as well! So many changes, not necessarily good or bad, just different!

We have already started to see and hear of many hardships here in Karamoja. The Karamajong people face poverty, hunger, illness, and death frequently. As we have been getting to know the mission and the locals, we have heard many testimonies of individuals who have suffered much – my heart aches for the parents who have lost children, the wives who have lost husbands, the children who have lost parents, and so on. What a weighty task to be able to walk alongside these people and share the joy and hope we have because of Christ in this place. In a world so broken with sin, we can cling to the promises of the Bible and trust the Lord and His sovereignty.

Highlights

Mbale Trip

We visited Mbale already! We needed to go back to get some visa paperwork completed for Travis and do a supply run. All Nations Presbyterian Church was also installing a new pastor and elders, and we wanted to be there to support them in this new phase in their church! The trip down was a little dicey as the rains have continued longer than expected making it muddier than usual this time of year. We only slid into one ditch and thankfully we were close to the mission and were travelling with another team member who was able to pull us out! The rest of the trip went as smoothly as travel goes here in Uganda. We enjoyed being back in Mbale and staying at a hotel with hot water and a pool! Though, the day after we got there, two of our littles came down with high fevers. The rest of the time was spent mostly in the hotel room with a visit to a clinic to get the kiddos bloodwork. Not the “vacation” we were hoping for. We thankfully were able to get the supplies that we needed, the stamp for Travis’s passport, and Travis was able to attend the church service. The children are doing better now and we are back in Karamoja where it seems that the dry season has started.

Thanksgiving

Our first major American holiday in Uganda! We celebrated Thanksgiving with our team which was a sweet time especially as we were missing family. A couple of team members butchered a goat and cooked it for our main dish (no turkeys were harmed in the making of this Thanksgiving meal!). We all pitched in to make the rest of the side dishes and desserts which looked mostly like a normal Thanksgiving! We ate together and enjoyed fellowship while the children ran around and played with their friends.

Christmas

Christmas was here before we knew it! Christmas season (and day) was full of highs and lows. It’s HARD being away from family and friends during this time of the year. It was admittedly difficult to conjure up much “Christmas Cheer” with everything being different. No real Christmas tree for the first time since we can remember for each of us, and no snow or cold (who knew it was even December?!)! To add to it all, we spent much of the weeks leading up to Christmas dealing with various illnesses (Bacterial infections, colds, etc).

And yet again, we are reminded that the Lord, who never changes, remains faithful through it all (As does the reason we celebrate Christmas in the first place). God was also gracious and provided many sweet moments amidst the struggles. We were able to purchase a fake Christmas tree and decor from a missionary family that was leaving the field which helped make the home more festive! All of Christmas Eve was spent with our team hanging out, playing games, doing crafts, and making tamales (one of our missionary family’s traditions). Some of our missionaries down in Mbale came to spend the day as well. On Christmas morning, we were able to make monkey bread (our family tradition), attend a Christmas service at Nakaale Pres. Church, and then spend the rest of the day as a family.

Care Packages

Also, we have received three precious care packages from loved ones back home (our church, our family, and camp!) which were fun surprises for the kiddos and had some needed items and other fun/sweet items! What a wonderful reminder for our hearts that we are not in this alone. Thanks to all of you who are following along, praying for us, and caring for us in various ways! We know we are loved!

Prayer Requests:

Continued health and safety

That we would get to know the team and the local community better and develop deeper relationships with them

That Travis would be able to do the numerous roles he has well

That the kiddos would adjust smoothly

For wisdom, patience, and grace as we parent

That homeschooling would be a time of fun learning and exploring the world around us

In Christ,

The Emmett’s


Praises

  • Our move to Karamoja went well!

  • Our teammates in Mbale and Karamoja
  • New friendships
  • Travis has his work permit!

Prayers

  • Continued health and safety

  • That we would get to know the team and the local community better and develop deeper relationships with them
  • That Travis would be able to do the numerous roles he has well
  • That the kiddos would adjust smoothly
  • For wisdom, patience, and grace as we parent
  • That homeschooling would be a time of fun learning and exploring the world around us