I am always sad when I get ready to leave Africa. The people and experiences here are amazing, but there are 4 things I will not miss: 1. THE URGE TO DO DUMB THINGS There are so many opportunities to feel like a kid and do things that are not smart, like balancing on a small log over a contaminat

It has been a few years since I have been to Uganda, and it is so nice to be back. The people are soft spoken and kind, and joy is prevalent, even though they are surrounded by poverty.   As we started the 6 hour car ride to Rukungiri, I began to pray for a safe trip. That is because traveling on th

If Wally had to sum up his day in Africa using song titles, here's what he would have to say! WALK LIKE A RWANDAN That would definitely be the theme song for today as we got a little taste of what it is like to walk down the incredibly steep hills, that even mountain goats think people are crazy t

We got to go to a traditional church service in a small village here in Rwanda and I can tell you it is very different from our services in the states. To help you understand it better I created a list of do’s and don’ts for an African church service. Don’t bring a watch. No one else has one or care

“I’m a terrible person.”   That’s been the second thing on my mind for the better part of a week now. The first thing on my mind has been all of my own problems.  #FIRSTWORLDPROBLEMS I am the best of the best when it comes to throwing pity parties. Getting a cold before the trip? I better start f

Feeling forgotten can be devastating. Their eyes pierced through me as if to reach into my soul. As I walked past these poor children, I was shocked that some of them only wore underwear and had no clothes or shoes to speak of. They watched our group of white Americans walk straight up to their neig

Who decided what poverty looks like? Who drew the line in the sand between the "have's" and the "have not's?" I'm sure there is some scientific reasoning behind it all. Something about how Poverty is generally the scarcity or the state of one who lacks a certain amount of material possessions or mon

Everywhere we go in Zambia, we gather quite a crowd.  The kids follow us and, sometimes, are chased by us. I am guilty of that one. As we walk along the dirt paths in their village, we often stop to talk to the families about their different situations and more specifically about their water needs,

Today was such a cool day and yet so frustrating to me. We went out to a drill rig to see a new well being dug. (My honey even got to help!) The really neat part is that, not only will a community get to use this, but it’s been placed right next to a school that was built in 2001. The frustrating th

Two years ago when I was here in Zambia I got really sick when some contaminated water splashed in my mouth. I was so sick I did not get to build one of the life saving biosand filters. I can tell you today, after we built 20 of them, I wish I had called in sick. The work is back breaking for people

If your house was on fire imagine the sense of relief you would have as you saw a fire truck coming around the corner. Seeing a drill rig pull into the village provides the same feeling for the people of Zambia who do not have safe water, because they know help is on the way. They know that their in

Today was such a cool day and yet so frustrating to me. We went out to a drill rig to see a new well being dug. (My honey even got to help!) The really neat part is that, not only will a community get to use this, but it’s been placed right next to a school that was built in 2001. The frustrating th

I’ve always hated the “Would you Rather” game. Usually both choices you’re given are less than desirable, and you’re stuck trying to weigh your hypothetical options. Would you rather: have purple skin or green hair? Would you rather: have a loud neighbor or a rude coworker? Would you rather: drink

We have a sign in our house that says, “Today is a Beautiful Day.” It’s simple, but it’s a good reminder for the days I stress about the things that don’t matter. Today is a gift from God. Today is a beautiful day. For one village in Zambia, today truly is a beautiful day. They just received a bran

As I travel around Zambia with Blood Water meeting these amazing families, I am struck by how much better my prayer life is. I find myself almost in a constant state of prayer. I pray about big things, little things, and things I would not think to pray about back in the U.S. So, I wondered why this