I still can't believe I'm home...
I won't even check on grades until the end of September, but I'm so curious to know how I did on the exams!
And as for the Ugandan birthday dousing... it didn't happen! Jackson was threatening to the end to do it, and I told our friend Zipporah about it. Apparently, she told Jackson that if he hurt me he'd be torturing her, so he had a change of heart. Who'd've thunk?
While I was saying good-bye to everyone, they were wishing me a happy Christmas and happy new year's. Now, I realize I won't see them during those holidays (and New Year's is exceptionally big there), and appreciate their being thorough, but isn't August a little early for that?
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Saturday, August 22, 2009
Showers at Schiphol
Three words for the showers at the Amsterdam airport: Praise the Lord.
Five words for wi-fi at the airport: Wish I'd found it sooner.
Have some more things from Uganda to post, but I'm too tired to try to write them well, so once I make friends with Comcast again they'll get posted.
Five words for wi-fi at the airport: Wish I'd found it sooner.
Have some more things from Uganda to post, but I'm too tired to try to write them well, so once I make friends with Comcast again they'll get posted.
Monday, August 17, 2009
The network....
This is Jessica's friend Heidi posting for Jessica! In her words, the Network, as well as her brain, are gone, so she may not be posting again until she does so from the USA! Please pray for her as she is tired and still has 3 exams to go. And pray that there are no complications with her flight home!!
Friday, August 14, 2009
Exams half over
Halleljuah! Wow. I've totally forgotten how tiring it is to write for almost two hours straight.
It's been interesting to see how each lecturer proctors the exams. We are supposed to be in the room 30 minutes prior to the exam to allow them time to check our identification, distribute the answer books (no more blue books!), write our registration number on each page, and read the exam questions so that when they say go, we just write. The first lecturer and the proctor went around the room checking each of our registration cards (and yes, it's mildly disconcerting to be describing the merits of Joseph's suffering and to suddenly have someone be standing over you, wanting to examine your registration card). In the second exam, the lecturer had us hold up our registration cards as proof we had them. I must say that I prefer that method, though it lacks some, uh, data validation. The third proctor didn't check our cards at all; we just signed the registration roster.
For the second exam, our MDiv (Master of Divinity) 1 class was moved into a room with the BD 2 (Bachelor of Divinity) students. They passed out the exam papers, and I had a mild panic attack because the questions weren't for us. Our class was Theory and Practice of Mission in the 21st Century. That paper was for Theory and Practice of Mission in Africa. When we answer a question on a different path than intended, we call it misfiring. What do you call it when you get the wrong paper?
Fortunately, the lecturer read the papers, realized the error, took our papers, and got the right ones. What a relief.
People are starting to ask me if I'm excited to be going home next week. Next week! Can you imagine?! And yes, I'm excited, but I know I'm going to miss my friends terribly.
It's been interesting to see how each lecturer proctors the exams. We are supposed to be in the room 30 minutes prior to the exam to allow them time to check our identification, distribute the answer books (no more blue books!), write our registration number on each page, and read the exam questions so that when they say go, we just write. The first lecturer and the proctor went around the room checking each of our registration cards (and yes, it's mildly disconcerting to be describing the merits of Joseph's suffering and to suddenly have someone be standing over you, wanting to examine your registration card). In the second exam, the lecturer had us hold up our registration cards as proof we had them. I must say that I prefer that method, though it lacks some, uh, data validation. The third proctor didn't check our cards at all; we just signed the registration roster.
For the second exam, our MDiv (Master of Divinity) 1 class was moved into a room with the BD 2 (Bachelor of Divinity) students. They passed out the exam papers, and I had a mild panic attack because the questions weren't for us. Our class was Theory and Practice of Mission in the 21st Century. That paper was for Theory and Practice of Mission in Africa. When we answer a question on a different path than intended, we call it misfiring. What do you call it when you get the wrong paper?
Fortunately, the lecturer read the papers, realized the error, took our papers, and got the right ones. What a relief.
People are starting to ask me if I'm excited to be going home next week. Next week! Can you imagine?! And yes, I'm excited, but I know I'm going to miss my friends terribly.
Sunday, August 9, 2009
Honored guest and surplices
Last week, I received an invitation to an end-of-semester party for one of the fellowships (small groups). The British influence here cracks me up: the invitation was a photocopied form, addressed to Miss Jessica Hughes, cordially inviting me to the fellowship party, signed by the president and secretary. Such formality! So I donned my Eau d'Mosquito and went.
When I arrived (African time: the invite said 7, I arrived at 7:15, the program schedule said 7:30, everyone else came at 8), I found out that I was one of the guests of honor, and was seated at the head table. They said that they wanted to include me because they enjoy my participation. I think participation is a stretch; I think I just generally just show up, though that seems to be more than enough. I am continually blessed and humbled by my friends here.
For Friday morning's chapel, I led the intercessions. This means that I was one of the ones who was vested and up front to lead the service. I was just wearing a surplice (the white vestment that the chalice bearers wear on top; makes you look like an angel). In the procession, the leader/celebrant enters last, and leads the recessional, so I was the first one in the procession. So we were lined up at the back, and as the people sitting in the back saw us, I heard murmurs of "Jess-ca looks smart!" so I guess the surplice agrees with me. : )
The service was wonderful; since it was the last student-led weekday service, Rev. Michael had asked us to be creative. Mercy, the service leader, had assigned the student body into groups by region, and asked them to prepare a two-minute chorus to present. The result was such exuberant, joyful praise... we may not have known the languages used, but wow. It was so cool. If we enjoyed it, I think God was just delighted.
Mercy ended with having the international students come up for a chorus - something I didn't know they were going to do. She led a song in Swahili that had something to do with all the nations represented. Later, my friend Henry told me that I led the intercessions well, but "your voice failed you in Swahili." I pointed out that my voice was fine, I just don't know any Swahili.
When I arrived (African time: the invite said 7, I arrived at 7:15, the program schedule said 7:30, everyone else came at 8), I found out that I was one of the guests of honor, and was seated at the head table. They said that they wanted to include me because they enjoy my participation. I think participation is a stretch; I think I just generally just show up, though that seems to be more than enough. I am continually blessed and humbled by my friends here.
For Friday morning's chapel, I led the intercessions. This means that I was one of the ones who was vested and up front to lead the service. I was just wearing a surplice (the white vestment that the chalice bearers wear on top; makes you look like an angel). In the procession, the leader/celebrant enters last, and leads the recessional, so I was the first one in the procession. So we were lined up at the back, and as the people sitting in the back saw us, I heard murmurs of "Jess-ca looks smart!" so I guess the surplice agrees with me. : )
The service was wonderful; since it was the last student-led weekday service, Rev. Michael had asked us to be creative. Mercy, the service leader, had assigned the student body into groups by region, and asked them to prepare a two-minute chorus to present. The result was such exuberant, joyful praise... we may not have known the languages used, but wow. It was so cool. If we enjoyed it, I think God was just delighted.
Mercy ended with having the international students come up for a chorus - something I didn't know they were going to do. She led a song in Swahili that had something to do with all the nations represented. Later, my friend Henry told me that I led the intercessions well, but "your voice failed you in Swahili." I pointed out that my voice was fine, I just don't know any Swahili.
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Said today that made me laugh
- "What happened to your face?" - Zipporah, about the pimple in the corner of my forehead
- (said proudly) "We thought you would read like a muzungu (white man), but you read like a Ugandan!" - Other theology students about my reading in Community Worship today; I assume this means that I read slowly and clearly, vice fast (like I would normally speak, not read)
- "Don't stretch the muzungu!" - Me, when Rachel and Barbara were using me in tug-of-war to get me to come to their groups to practice songs for tomorrow's chapel
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Brave Christian Lady
Last Thursday's Community Hour was lead by the student Guild, and as part of their program, they asked the "brave Christian ladies" to stand. Since it's so easy to see me, I figured that I had no choice but to stand (my hesitation being that I didn't know what they were doing). Not too many stood, so when they asked us 13 of us to come up on the stage, I really had no choice but go to. Let me say that this is one time that I really did not like being the most visible student on campus.
They did the same for the 13 brave Christian men, and once we were assembled, said we had to pass a test. In front of about 1,000 people. Sheesh. Turns out that the text was to read the writing on a t-shirt: it was UPSIDE DOWN, written upside down, taken from Acts 17:6. The Uganda Partners had brought a boatload of t-shirts, and these 26 were one set.
So, my reward for being a brave Christian lady was a t-shirt from the US. Oh, the irony! Since the t-shirt was bound for Africa, the sizes were all small. I gave the shirt to my brave Christian friend Paulson, who wears it proudly and is indeed turning the world upside down.
They did the same for the 13 brave Christian men, and once we were assembled, said we had to pass a test. In front of about 1,000 people. Sheesh. Turns out that the text was to read the writing on a t-shirt: it was UPSIDE DOWN, written upside down, taken from Acts 17:6. The Uganda Partners had brought a boatload of t-shirts, and these 26 were one set.
So, my reward for being a brave Christian lady was a t-shirt from the US. Oh, the irony! Since the t-shirt was bound for Africa, the sizes were all small. I gave the shirt to my brave Christian friend Paulson, who wears it proudly and is indeed turning the world upside down.
Ah, the sound of drums in the morning
Each morning, someone takes a kettle drum outside and bangs on it for a bit, calling the community to worship. Tonight in our chapel team planning meeting, I was sitting near the drum, and had the following conversation with Paul:
Paul: Tomorrow you will drum for us.
Me: Oh - Americans don't beat drums for worship (meaning, I don't know how to drum like you do).
Paul: Really? You should.
Paul: Tomorrow you will drum for us.
Me: Oh - Americans don't beat drums for worship (meaning, I don't know how to drum like you do).
Paul: Really? You should.
The truth about revision week
When I first learned of revision week, a week set aside for the students to cram the entire semester's information in our brains, I thought, Wow. What a great idea! We should do this in the States. Sure, we still have our chapel schedule, but not having lectures frees up our time, right?
In theory. The reality is that I've had 2.5 lectures, two meetings, and a visit delegation I should really attend, but I've had precious little quality study time, so my angst is great. Really. The exams are all about memorization, and bears of little brain (I feel quite Pooh-ish right now) tend to not remember details well. Especially when they don't get enough sleep.
This is just an opportunity for God to do something amazing, right?
I was also told that during the weeks for revision and exams, the faculty takes over the chapel duties so we can focus on exams. I found that touching. I still find it touching for exam week; the acting dean decided that the international, masters of theology, and bachelor of divinity year two clergy need to be the chapel team this week. My roles are small: reading at Community Worship on Thursday, and leading the intercessions (Prayers of the People) on Friday. Except that I need to write the intercessions. I got suggestions tonight, so that should be fine.
In theory. The reality is that I've had 2.5 lectures, two meetings, and a visit delegation I should really attend, but I've had precious little quality study time, so my angst is great. Really. The exams are all about memorization, and bears of little brain (I feel quite Pooh-ish right now) tend to not remember details well. Especially when they don't get enough sleep.
This is just an opportunity for God to do something amazing, right?
I was also told that during the weeks for revision and exams, the faculty takes over the chapel duties so we can focus on exams. I found that touching. I still find it touching for exam week; the acting dean decided that the international, masters of theology, and bachelor of divinity year two clergy need to be the chapel team this week. My roles are small: reading at Community Worship on Thursday, and leading the intercessions (Prayers of the People) on Friday. Except that I need to write the intercessions. I got suggestions tonight, so that should be fine.
Monday, August 3, 2009
Confirmation
We had 10 confirmands at church yesterday, which I think is pretty fabulous for a college chapel. Since it was the first Sunday of the month, we also had Holy Communion; all told, the service was 2.5 hours (vice the usual 1.75-2), so I think we did pretty well.
In the main, the church service here is similar to ours, the main difference being that we begin the service with the confession, have the readings, announcements, offering, lots of music in general, and end with the sermon.
Church is held in Nkoyoyo Hall, and if they pack us in tightly (which usually happens), about 1,000 of us can fit. This makes communion exciting, because you just go up; the ushers don't go by row like in the US. Remember that we're packed in tightly, so it's a great opportunity for fellowship. But it works.
In the main, the church service here is similar to ours, the main difference being that we begin the service with the confession, have the readings, announcements, offering, lots of music in general, and end with the sermon.
Church is held in Nkoyoyo Hall, and if they pack us in tightly (which usually happens), about 1,000 of us can fit. This makes communion exciting, because you just go up; the ushers don't go by row like in the US. Remember that we're packed in tightly, so it's a great opportunity for fellowship. But it works.
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