Time to live

One of the things that I love about being in Uganda is the pace of life and the unique and authentic relationships that happen here. There is a depth to friendships here that I seldom experience at home. Friendships that are formed here stick, even after you're gone, because of that depth.

All the girls for Kate's birthday

There's something here called "African time." It basically means that nothing every happens at the time you decide. If you say 10am, it generally means sometime between 11 and 2. While this aspect of life here often makes me want to scream, it also creates a culture of relationship. There isn't always something to run off to do. There's just more time. Time to sit and talk. Time to listen. Time to welcome people into your home and invite them to stay for lunch, and maybe even dinner too.

One of my favorite things about being back here is the time I'm getting with my dear friend Tamara and her family. I've spend hours sitting and laughing with her. I've sat on her couch and read an insane number of books to her kids. And it isn't scheduled. It just happens. Because when you live here (whether you are Ugandan or you're an American in Uganda), life takes on a slower pace and isn't so overbooked that you don't have time for the people around you. And when you stop looking at your watch or wondering if there's something better you could be doing, you will find yourself immersed in conversations and relationships that are so much deeper and richer than you could have ever imagined.

Sweet Karis

Honestly though, I don't know that life will even happen like this in the states. Not because it isn't possible, but because both parties have to take off their watches and just live a life of community... And it doesn't seem likely that many people would be willing to do that. And that makes going back to America seem like a pretty hard thing to do, because right now, this place and these people... they seem a whole lot more like home.