Expectations and Turnouts, surprising.... and enjoyable

Hey everybody. It's Raegan.
  This is my first time blogging. I wasn't sure what to blog about because my mom and Kim were blogging so much, I figured there wasn't anything left. That is why it has taken me so long to post anything. To be honest, I hadn't even read any of the blogs until today!
  New Hope isn't what I thought it would be. I knew there was a school and a church and places for the children, staff, and guests to stay, but I didn't know what it looked like or how it was designed. For some reason, I imagined it as more like an apartment complex with a chapel and a warehouse-type building as the school.
  I also never imagined I would actually go to school. I thought I would observe a little, perhaps helping out with the younger students. But I am actually going to class and getting the full experience of it, tests and all!
   I guess I didn't really know anything about New Hope or what it was going to be like. I had absolutely no clue as to what I would be doing all day. I imagined it to be more like the church planting trip, fast paced and busy, eating and going to bed late at night, and only being able to speak English with the interpreters and having to speak Lugana the rest of the time. It has been the complete opposite! The trip has been slow and I never feel rushed. I seem to have more than enough time to do whatever I need to do. The meals are very 'western' and we eat at around 6:00-6:15 (unlike the church plant when we ate at 9 or 10), and we are in bed around 9:00 every night. We are almost always speaking English, and the few times I do say something in Luganda, I get weird looks or they don't reply. They are very surprised to see that I even know oly otea (how are you). It makes it easier to communicate (for us), but I am not really improving my knowledge of the language. It is very different than my expectations and my experiences in the past. But it isn't a bad different. I have enjoyed New Hope so far and I know God has put us here for a reason, so I will continue the trip with high spirits and look to the future with confidence in God's plan, whatever it may be!

                                                                            Ekitimbwa kide eri Mukamma (glory be to God)!!!!!