Oh, Nutella...

 After a crazy week of traveling to Kampala for meetings, going non-stop working on some new activities for Babies' Homes, experiencing the tragedy of losing a child (which due to privacy I cannot write about), and making the weary journey back to Gulu, I figured it was time to write again. 

But how on earth do you follow that last blog post?

As my momma answered, "With a light-hearted one."

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I live in Gulu, Uganda. Now, follow me, Gulu is what you would think of when you picture a stereotypical African town (no, there are no lions). Dusty red roads, markets selling fresh produce, cattle and goats roam at will, people yell across the roads to each other, and it's hot. Like thirty-five Celsius hot. (Yep, Celsius. I don't know who I am anymore.)

Electricity in Gulu is unpredictable except for one fact: it will go out, and it will go out at random. Thunderstorm? Power's out. Sunny, great weather? Power's out. Construction? Power's out. No good reason whatsoever? Power's out. 

I say it like it's terrible, but it's really not. We don't have air conditioning to begin with (we sometimes have it in a car, and honestly it makes me cold and nauseous); and except the obvious need to charge electronics and the desire for first-world conveniences, we don't actually need electricity. It is possible to do almost everything without it. 

The one really bad thing about losing power for days on end is that the water tank runs out, and without power we can't refill it. Once the water is gone, it's gone. That means no showers, no toilets, nothing. 

Last night, for example, I showered and brushed my teeth with a 1.5 liter water bottle. 

So this is where I live. It's beautiful, it's rich in its culture, it sometimes is inconvenient, but there is one other consistent thing about Gulu:

You will always find Nutella at Pari's Supermarket.

Now picture this:

Pari's Supermarket is the size of a gas station convenience store. Six aisles stretch across the one large room, floor to ceiling, offering an extremely random selection of goods.

The first aisle offers juice, alcohol and baked goods like bread, cakes (not like chocolate cake- like tea-cakes, almost), and dadies (basically fried sweet bread). On the second aisle you'll find any other food they might offer, including peanut butter and tuna. Aisle three has coffee and spices, and everything past that is housewares. 

About halfway down aisle two, you'll look to your right. On the third shelf, right above the sardines and directly to the side of the olive oil, you will see a single row of glass jars with a familiar brand name: Nutella. 

Oh, how we sing praises. 

In the States, I wasn't even a huge fan of Nutella. Sure, I would eat it now and then, but I didn't allow it to become a craving or anything.

Here, it's my go-to snack of choice. It's always at Pari's, and it's cheap. If you're not looking for it, you will miss it, but it's always there. On a rainy, no-power night, I bring out my Nook (thanks, Aunt Lane!), Nutella and a spoon and I thoroughly enjoy myself. 

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Let me update you on one other thing:

God has really been challenging me about making the most of this upcoming last (LAST?!) month in Uganda. He's leading me into a season of really seeking His heart and His will, and so I'll be giving up most of my social media for the month of October. I will update everyone via my blog from time to time, as usual, and otherwise I'll be back on Facebook in November. :) 

The days to come are bright and shiny but the days I'm in right now are treasures, too, and I don't want to miss anything. I want to smell and eat and soak everything up, even including the less-convenient days of no power. Stories are made in these moments.

Thank you everyone for your support! I am especially thankful for your prayers going into this next month, that I would be open to everything the Lord has in store. 

All my love,

<3, Robin