I'm sitting here, freezing cold. I have jeans and socks on, and a long sleeve shirt and I'm still cold. And I bet it's only 60 degrees. These are the warmest clothes I have with me, but they're not helping. I'm in for it when I get back to AK.
Merry Christmas, from Uganda!
It feels so weird to say that...it definitely does not feel like the Holidays here. But I still love it. It was hard to be away from home, and people I love, but we also had a super amazing time here, we made spaghetti and exchanged gifts, listened to Christmas music and watched some movies. A couple friends from a couple other organizations here in Jinja came over Christmas Eve and we watched Rudolph and ate my Ugandan-ingrediant made Christmas sugar cookies with no icing, but cinamon sugar instead. They were pretty great, even if I do say so myself. haha
It's been forever since I've last written! I have been so busy and just haven't had the time or energy or right state of mind to sit down and write something out. I can hardly believe that I only have two and a half weeks left here...it's almost over, time has definitely flown. It feels like just the other day I was applying to come here, and now it's been another year. There have been instances lately, where I'm at a woman's house, and she will say to me, "You are leaving us!"...and before now that didn't really bother me...when they'd get on my tail for only staying 3 months and not one year...but now it makes me want to cry. I don't want to leave them...or their children, and the town, or this house...but at the same time, I am ready to go back to America. To Alaska.
I don't know if there's any way I can put into words (completely, though I've tried in this blog) my experiences here...or the people I've met, things I've seen, places I've been, food I've eaten, conversations I've had. It all seems to be tangled up in my mind, just a handful of a million memories that will stay with me forever, but stuff that I'll never be able to fully explain...except for in pictures, or in stories, but nothing will ever do it justice. Unless you were to come here for yourself.
I have made so many friends, Ugandan and Mzungu...I've learned new words, eaten new food, done new things...and most things I'll always remember...including the not-so-great things, like burning my leg right before my first boda ride. I have a scar to remember that by...and I don't really regret it. I'm going to miss certain women especially...like Sali and her daughters...Jacinta and her sons...Agnes and Annetti. I'm going to miss Betty and Kymbi insanely much. So many good times with them in their homes, laughing and just enjoying the other's company. Part of me is scared to leave them, because there's no way of knowing if I'll ever come back to this place...I want to, of course, but who knows?
Soon I'll be on a plane, flying over Africa, and then Europe, and then the Atlantic Ocean, and then the Continental US, and then Canada, and then I'll land in the frozen tundra that I love so stinking much. And I'll freeze to death, but I'll love it, because being cold is honestly something that I've missed while being here. The heat is nice, some of the time, just not when you take a shower in the morning and then an hour later it was completely pointless. But I'll miss that, too. I'm sure.
Rach and I went to visit Christine (one of many!)...the one with little Lucy, the other day at her home in Walukuba...we drank soda and mingled necklaces and talked with the TV going in the background...before now we didn't really know her story, but she opened up and told us all about her childhood in Gulu, and how at night they would walk to the town and sleep in the hospital on the floor, and one of many nights the Rebels came into town and were shooting up everything, so she slept under a bed that night hoping that maybe she wouldn't be killed in the chaos of it all. She was 12. Another night she was staying with her uncle (because some time before her father had been killed by the Rebels), aunt and her siblings (two of her older brothers had been taken by the rebels one night, out of their house, and she hasn't seen them since), and they came into town again, shooting at walls and houses and killing people and so she said they stayed under the bed for three hours until they were sure they were gone, and the next morning they found their neighbor, a single woman and her 2 year old daughter dead in their house...Christine says that sometimes at night she remembers these things and can't sleep. But whenever I am with her she is so happy and strong and full of life, and I can't even imagine going through half of what she has and just carrying on with life. She's beautiful. And I'm sure she's helped me more than I've helped her during my time here.
Saturday, December 26, 2009
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
"If you're the bird, whenever we pretend it's summer, then I'm the worm..."
I'm sitting on our front porch with Rachel, we just got home from walking to Madh Vani and are drinking our juice. And listening to Ingrid Michaelson. The sun's setting. And we can hear the Muslim prayers. It's amazing and almost ridiculous how normal this feels.
Being here, sometimes I forget what the States are like. It's going to be strange going home in 35 days. Home to more culture shock...
George just got here. He usually rides his bike, but he left it here this morning when he went home, because it was pooring rain all morning and the roads were flooded. With water and red mud. The red mud that has stained my feet and for the life of me, will never come off. The rain woke me up. Pounding down on the shackles of our roof and hitting the metal water tank outside my bathroom window.
Every night I have extremely vivid dreams, that make sense at the time, and seem real at the time, but come morning I can't ever remember them. According to Becca, I sleep talk every night. My poor room mates. I don't know what makes me dream so much, it's not the same at home. But maybe it's just being here, in Africa. With all the different sounds at night...
Tonight we're eating Greek Pasta Salad as one of our community dinners...Rachel's making it, but I helped out a bit and we went to the super market and Madh Vani this morning to buy everything she needed. I can hardly wait to eat it. haha
Today Rachel S., Becca and I went to visit and drop off a birthing kit for one of the women, Sara, who lives in a different part of Danida, earlier today. One of her friends was there, a woman who use to be apart of Suubi, but is now in another program called Ptech. They're pretty similar, but one has been around longer. Neither of them speaks a lick of English, but Sara's friend Jimmy was at the house, visiting from one of the islands on Lake Victoria...I guess it's about a two hour boat ride away from the shore in Masese. Anyway, he speaks really great English and has just graduated from a Bible College in Kampala...and so he translated for us and then prayed when we left. Thanking God for each of us by name...and then stating that we had come from far away, "from even Colorado and Alasa-ka". I almost cracked up in the middle of the prayer, but had to tell myself it wasn't that funny and to calm down. It didn't work. So I sat there, holding Becca and Sara's hands and laughing silently to myself. I'm a terrible person.
Later on, Rachel 1, Rachel 2 and I went to visit Caroline in Walukuba...we took bodas, and I discovered that the boda who remembered me so well a month or so ago, was my driver. It was Sam! And all this time I have passed his boda station that is so close to our house, thinking that he was familiar and I had been meaning to ask him his name because I know he has fair prices and is trustworthy and knows his way around...and so now I know.
At Caroline's she fed us bananas and pumpkin and soda and we watched really hilariously ridiculous Ugandan music videos for two hours. It was fantastic...she gave us each a necklace and bracelet when we left...she has two children, Sara and Innocent, who are 10 and 7. All the kids here are on their Summer Holiday until February 1st, and so they were at home. They were a lot of fun and Sara was rather outgoing, dancing for us. Caroline was saying how she would rather be in the village (meaning in the North)...part of me doesn't understand this, because from what I can tell it is so much better here...but at the same time, part of me does understand. Because it's their home. The only reason most of the people who are here, are here, is because of the war that went on for so long there, and so they have had to leave their homes. The places they grew up in and were so familiar with, because of something they had no control over. I'm praying that eventually the north will be back to it's original state, when it was peaceful and such a happy place to be, filled with food and dancing, so that these women and people who loved it there so much, will be able to return to where their homes really are. With their grandparents and parents and aunts and uncles and cousins and children and husbands and wives...people they love and are missing.
The suns almost completely gone now...I can hear the crickets. And I'm sitting here thinking back on the last two months I have spent here...it doesn't feel like it was that long ago I arrived at this house. My time here has gone by so quickly...but at the same time, I feel like I have lived here forever. Like this is all I've ever known. These people, this house, this place. The food. The villages. The women and their children and husbands. I know my way around. I know where to catch a boda and where not to catch a boda. I know which Supermarket has good prices and who rips you off. I cross a street without the fear of getting hit by one of the many bodas, matatus and cars that could possibly run over me and would if they could, if I was in their way...and I walk fast, and I speak a little Acholi and I can commuicate with these people. I know where to buy pirated DVD's and CD's and where I can get chipote and rollexes and casava fries on the sides of the roads. But then I wonder if I have really had any affect on these women's lives. If they will remember me when I go, or if I will just be another mzungu to them. If their children will remember me. If I'll ever be able to come back to this place...if they love me like I have grown to love them. Or if I will be forgotten. If I'm showing them Jesus' love, or if all this time I've just been this stranger showing them random kindnesses. If they know how much I longed to come here and be with them. If they know how much I'll miss them and this place once I'm home. And I can't help but think maybe I didn't make that great of an impact on their life. But then I realize...it doesn't matter. It doesn't matter if all my time here did was help one person, if all I did during my time here was brighten one child's day, that's good enough. If I showed one Ugandan the love of Jesus on this trip, then that's good enough for Him. Because that one Ugandan, is as important to Him as a whole multitude of people that maybe I didn't touch.
Being here, sometimes I forget what the States are like. It's going to be strange going home in 35 days. Home to more culture shock...
George just got here. He usually rides his bike, but he left it here this morning when he went home, because it was pooring rain all morning and the roads were flooded. With water and red mud. The red mud that has stained my feet and for the life of me, will never come off. The rain woke me up. Pounding down on the shackles of our roof and hitting the metal water tank outside my bathroom window.
Every night I have extremely vivid dreams, that make sense at the time, and seem real at the time, but come morning I can't ever remember them. According to Becca, I sleep talk every night. My poor room mates. I don't know what makes me dream so much, it's not the same at home. But maybe it's just being here, in Africa. With all the different sounds at night...
Tonight we're eating Greek Pasta Salad as one of our community dinners...Rachel's making it, but I helped out a bit and we went to the super market and Madh Vani this morning to buy everything she needed. I can hardly wait to eat it. haha
Today Rachel S., Becca and I went to visit and drop off a birthing kit for one of the women, Sara, who lives in a different part of Danida, earlier today. One of her friends was there, a woman who use to be apart of Suubi, but is now in another program called Ptech. They're pretty similar, but one has been around longer. Neither of them speaks a lick of English, but Sara's friend Jimmy was at the house, visiting from one of the islands on Lake Victoria...I guess it's about a two hour boat ride away from the shore in Masese. Anyway, he speaks really great English and has just graduated from a Bible College in Kampala...and so he translated for us and then prayed when we left. Thanking God for each of us by name...and then stating that we had come from far away, "from even Colorado and Alasa-ka". I almost cracked up in the middle of the prayer, but had to tell myself it wasn't that funny and to calm down. It didn't work. So I sat there, holding Becca and Sara's hands and laughing silently to myself. I'm a terrible person.
Later on, Rachel 1, Rachel 2 and I went to visit Caroline in Walukuba...we took bodas, and I discovered that the boda who remembered me so well a month or so ago, was my driver. It was Sam! And all this time I have passed his boda station that is so close to our house, thinking that he was familiar and I had been meaning to ask him his name because I know he has fair prices and is trustworthy and knows his way around...and so now I know.
At Caroline's she fed us bananas and pumpkin and soda and we watched really hilariously ridiculous Ugandan music videos for two hours. It was fantastic...she gave us each a necklace and bracelet when we left...she has two children, Sara and Innocent, who are 10 and 7. All the kids here are on their Summer Holiday until February 1st, and so they were at home. They were a lot of fun and Sara was rather outgoing, dancing for us. Caroline was saying how she would rather be in the village (meaning in the North)...part of me doesn't understand this, because from what I can tell it is so much better here...but at the same time, part of me does understand. Because it's their home. The only reason most of the people who are here, are here, is because of the war that went on for so long there, and so they have had to leave their homes. The places they grew up in and were so familiar with, because of something they had no control over. I'm praying that eventually the north will be back to it's original state, when it was peaceful and such a happy place to be, filled with food and dancing, so that these women and people who loved it there so much, will be able to return to where their homes really are. With their grandparents and parents and aunts and uncles and cousins and children and husbands and wives...people they love and are missing.
The suns almost completely gone now...I can hear the crickets. And I'm sitting here thinking back on the last two months I have spent here...it doesn't feel like it was that long ago I arrived at this house. My time here has gone by so quickly...but at the same time, I feel like I have lived here forever. Like this is all I've ever known. These people, this house, this place. The food. The villages. The women and their children and husbands. I know my way around. I know where to catch a boda and where not to catch a boda. I know which Supermarket has good prices and who rips you off. I cross a street without the fear of getting hit by one of the many bodas, matatus and cars that could possibly run over me and would if they could, if I was in their way...and I walk fast, and I speak a little Acholi and I can commuicate with these people. I know where to buy pirated DVD's and CD's and where I can get chipote and rollexes and casava fries on the sides of the roads. But then I wonder if I have really had any affect on these women's lives. If they will remember me when I go, or if I will just be another mzungu to them. If their children will remember me. If I'll ever be able to come back to this place...if they love me like I have grown to love them. Or if I will be forgotten. If I'm showing them Jesus' love, or if all this time I've just been this stranger showing them random kindnesses. If they know how much I longed to come here and be with them. If they know how much I'll miss them and this place once I'm home. And I can't help but think maybe I didn't make that great of an impact on their life. But then I realize...it doesn't matter. It doesn't matter if all my time here did was help one person, if all I did during my time here was brighten one child's day, that's good enough. If I showed one Ugandan the love of Jesus on this trip, then that's good enough for Him. Because that one Ugandan, is as important to Him as a whole multitude of people that maybe I didn't touch.
Saturday, December 5, 2009
It's a riot...it's a parade....it's a wedding?
So I'm sitting here. Listening to jazz music from the 30's...probably. At Flavours.
Right now I'm thinking almost all the time about how much I wish I could just live here, but also how much I wish I was home already. It's a tough decision, trying to figure out whether or not to stay longer...
There's some kind of riot going on outside right now. Well, not a riot. I have no idea what's going on, but there are men speeding around on bodas, in circles and yelling and honking and waving stuff around. And there are whistels blowing. And I'm here on my own, and all us white people are just looking around at each other. It's making me a little nervous, but not too bad. It's also making me laugh to myself. It's like a circus, and kind of super ridiculous. And people are just walking around like it's just life. Like it's normal.
Oh wait, about 200 people just walked by, I think it's a parade or something...there's a marching band. And women and children and men.
I just asked Rita (one of the waitresses here who knows me quite well) what was going on. She said there's something about a member of parliment who just came in...or got married...or something.
I love Uganda.
Right now I'm thinking almost all the time about how much I wish I could just live here, but also how much I wish I was home already. It's a tough decision, trying to figure out whether or not to stay longer...
There's some kind of riot going on outside right now. Well, not a riot. I have no idea what's going on, but there are men speeding around on bodas, in circles and yelling and honking and waving stuff around. And there are whistels blowing. And I'm here on my own, and all us white people are just looking around at each other. It's making me a little nervous, but not too bad. It's also making me laugh to myself. It's like a circus, and kind of super ridiculous. And people are just walking around like it's just life. Like it's normal.
Oh wait, about 200 people just walked by, I think it's a parade or something...there's a marching band. And women and children and men.
I just asked Rita (one of the waitresses here who knows me quite well) what was going on. She said there's something about a member of parliment who just came in...or got married...or something.
I love Uganda.
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Kampala, Kampala, Kampala!
A few days ago, Becca and I went to visit Sali. Not to pick favorites or anything but...she's one of my favorites. haha She's just wonderful. And her little girls Janelle and Charity are the sweetest things. Charity's only three months, but Janelle's 2 years old and has warmed up to me since my first visit and now just comes and sits in my lap and rubs my arm and looks up at my face every once ina while. This time she fell asleep in my lap. I could have held her all day. Not long after we had arrived, Sali's husband George came home from visiting his friend. We had never met him before, and inwardly I think we were both a little worried, 'cause it's almost like most Ugandan men and husbands have a bad rep because of how so many of the women are treated. But George was a breath of fresh air. He spoke great English, and him and Sali are both really young and fun to laugh with and talk to. He was just so in love with both his daughters and had no trouble taking care of baby Charity while Janelle was sleeping on my lap. He let Sali talk when she interrupted him. And then we all ate matoke together. I love them. And it was probably one of my most memorable visits.
Today, Kate and I visited with Jacinta. She has two little boys, that are near the same ages at Sali's daughters. Their names are O'Tim and Patrick (named after Kate's brother)...she made us matoke as well and we just hung out in her house and had a great time. She is very sweet and I love her to death. On the way to her house though, we were walking through Danida and were almost there, when this dog ran after us, growling and he nipped at Kate's ankle and almost got her, but missed by an inch. No exageration. We were kind of panicking, because we don't have our rabi's shots and also it would just suck to get attacked by some random mutt in a Ugandan village. He tried a few more times but the neighbor kids kept grabbing him away. He tried again when we left but failed...which made me happy. Not gonna lie.
Yesterday we went to Kampala to ship necklaces and run a few errands. We left at 6:45 in the morning and got there about three hours later. I just drank madh vani juice and listened to Regina Spektor the whole way...it was bliss, because of how early in the morning it was. No heat. Only the breeze from the drivers open window. We hire a driver when we go to Kampala or Entebbe, and we either take a van, or a car. But there were 5 of us yesterday (Rachel S., Becca, Rachel, Me and Monday), so we ended up taking the van. We were all super impressed and kind of in awe of how nice it was. Though later we decided, in America, it's totally ghetto.
Once we arrived, we took Rachel and Monday to one of the hospitals and dropped them off, so that Rachel could try and get this surgery for Monday's nasal polyps figured out. Still no luck I guess, after spending the entire day in two different hospitals, it almost looked like a dead end, but I guess there's still hope. You'll have to read Rach's blog. :)
We headed to one of the bigger, nicer hotels (that I can't remember the name of), because there's a FedEx inside and that's where we ship from. That didn't take long, but while we were there I needed to use the restroom, so I walked down a flight of stairs and low and behold...a REAL bathroom. Mylanta. Not four peices of canvas tied around sticks and a hole in the ground. We are very blessed to have a real bathroom at home on Magwa. But this was like one back in the States. Happy day. Also, a man from FedEx was surprised when he asked us where we were from and we said America. He said we looked Brazilian. We all three agreed it was a compliment. haha
Afterwards, Becca, Rachel and I went to this amaaazing cafe in the middle of Kampala called 1000 Cups. Again, I felt like I was at home. I had this wonderful African Spiced Tea and Coconut Bread...and then once we were finished eating (and watching CNN! Which was weird), we looked around about a million craft shops...ones that were connected to the cafe, and then about a million more across the street, until Hanza, our driver, came and picked us up in the luxurious ghetto van.
Next we went to this place called Cafe Pap, which is a great resturaunt...Rachel and I ordered American food and it was fantastic. Becca got Mexican. I really liked it there, I'm thinking we'll go back next time we're in Kampala. For sure...and then we headed to this HUGE market, and wondered down this one road until we found the place we were looking for. Which was this specific tailor shop that Herman, one of the Epoh tailors had told us about, so that we could go pick up scraps for the bags they make (sounds easy, right?)...the entire road was nothing but tailor shops. It took us about an hour, of running around and being bombarded by all these Ugandans who wanted us to buy their scraps and most of whom just didn't get what it was we were looking for. Eventually we did, but it was crazy. And we ended up in this multiple story building, which was dark and stuffy and loud and just too...real.
Rachel called and we went and picked her and Monday up on the street of this place called Uganda House, and then headed to a couple market places to pick up seed beads, pliers and colored papers. You seriously have to be on the ball when you walk around down-town Kampala. I mean, you have to be on the ball when you walk around Jinja, but Kampala's about 5 times bigger. haha You might get trampled. Or something. I definitely came this close to getting hit by a matotu...which is a van they use as a taxi here. They're everywhere, and remember I said pedestrians don't have the right of way? So when I say I almost got hit, I mean like, it touched me as it was rounding a corner, and I jumped out of the way and then the driver yelled at me and pointed his finger saying, "Hey you!". I was tempted to stick out my tounge and go, "Hey you!". But I didn't.
Once we were out of the madness of the streets and the market place and the insane matotu drivers and back in the safety of the luxurious ghetto van and our talented driver Hanza, we went to this super market. And when I say super market, I don't mean the ones that are like the little hole-in-the-wall-mom&pop-shops here...I mean it was almost like, a mall. It was in a mall. And they had Christmas trees. CHRISTMAS TREES. And they had Jiff. Like, Jiff. People, real peanutbutter! I defintely bought some.
It took us almost 5 hours to get home...we just laughed and talked and sat in traffic for hours and it was an adventure, to say the least. Yesterday was so much more intense than I probably just let on. But so much fun. So much fun.
Today, Kate and I visited with Jacinta. She has two little boys, that are near the same ages at Sali's daughters. Their names are O'Tim and Patrick (named after Kate's brother)...she made us matoke as well and we just hung out in her house and had a great time. She is very sweet and I love her to death. On the way to her house though, we were walking through Danida and were almost there, when this dog ran after us, growling and he nipped at Kate's ankle and almost got her, but missed by an inch. No exageration. We were kind of panicking, because we don't have our rabi's shots and also it would just suck to get attacked by some random mutt in a Ugandan village. He tried a few more times but the neighbor kids kept grabbing him away. He tried again when we left but failed...which made me happy. Not gonna lie.
Yesterday we went to Kampala to ship necklaces and run a few errands. We left at 6:45 in the morning and got there about three hours later. I just drank madh vani juice and listened to Regina Spektor the whole way...it was bliss, because of how early in the morning it was. No heat. Only the breeze from the drivers open window. We hire a driver when we go to Kampala or Entebbe, and we either take a van, or a car. But there were 5 of us yesterday (Rachel S., Becca, Rachel, Me and Monday), so we ended up taking the van. We were all super impressed and kind of in awe of how nice it was. Though later we decided, in America, it's totally ghetto.
Once we arrived, we took Rachel and Monday to one of the hospitals and dropped them off, so that Rachel could try and get this surgery for Monday's nasal polyps figured out. Still no luck I guess, after spending the entire day in two different hospitals, it almost looked like a dead end, but I guess there's still hope. You'll have to read Rach's blog. :)
We headed to one of the bigger, nicer hotels (that I can't remember the name of), because there's a FedEx inside and that's where we ship from. That didn't take long, but while we were there I needed to use the restroom, so I walked down a flight of stairs and low and behold...a REAL bathroom. Mylanta. Not four peices of canvas tied around sticks and a hole in the ground. We are very blessed to have a real bathroom at home on Magwa. But this was like one back in the States. Happy day. Also, a man from FedEx was surprised when he asked us where we were from and we said America. He said we looked Brazilian. We all three agreed it was a compliment. haha
Afterwards, Becca, Rachel and I went to this amaaazing cafe in the middle of Kampala called 1000 Cups. Again, I felt like I was at home. I had this wonderful African Spiced Tea and Coconut Bread...and then once we were finished eating (and watching CNN! Which was weird), we looked around about a million craft shops...ones that were connected to the cafe, and then about a million more across the street, until Hanza, our driver, came and picked us up in the luxurious ghetto van.
Next we went to this place called Cafe Pap, which is a great resturaunt...Rachel and I ordered American food and it was fantastic. Becca got Mexican. I really liked it there, I'm thinking we'll go back next time we're in Kampala. For sure...and then we headed to this HUGE market, and wondered down this one road until we found the place we were looking for. Which was this specific tailor shop that Herman, one of the Epoh tailors had told us about, so that we could go pick up scraps for the bags they make (sounds easy, right?)...the entire road was nothing but tailor shops. It took us about an hour, of running around and being bombarded by all these Ugandans who wanted us to buy their scraps and most of whom just didn't get what it was we were looking for. Eventually we did, but it was crazy. And we ended up in this multiple story building, which was dark and stuffy and loud and just too...real.
Rachel called and we went and picked her and Monday up on the street of this place called Uganda House, and then headed to a couple market places to pick up seed beads, pliers and colored papers. You seriously have to be on the ball when you walk around down-town Kampala. I mean, you have to be on the ball when you walk around Jinja, but Kampala's about 5 times bigger. haha You might get trampled. Or something. I definitely came this close to getting hit by a matotu...which is a van they use as a taxi here. They're everywhere, and remember I said pedestrians don't have the right of way? So when I say I almost got hit, I mean like, it touched me as it was rounding a corner, and I jumped out of the way and then the driver yelled at me and pointed his finger saying, "Hey you!". I was tempted to stick out my tounge and go, "Hey you!". But I didn't.
Once we were out of the madness of the streets and the market place and the insane matotu drivers and back in the safety of the luxurious ghetto van and our talented driver Hanza, we went to this super market. And when I say super market, I don't mean the ones that are like the little hole-in-the-wall-mom&pop-shops here...I mean it was almost like, a mall. It was in a mall. And they had Christmas trees. CHRISTMAS TREES. And they had Jiff. Like, Jiff. People, real peanutbutter! I defintely bought some.
It took us almost 5 hours to get home...we just laughed and talked and sat in traffic for hours and it was an adventure, to say the least. Yesterday was so much more intense than I probably just let on. But so much fun. So much fun.
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Auntie, Ciao!
Randy left for home day before last. We already miss him! He gave us all hugs, and Alex and Rachel prayed for him...and as he drove out the gate, Kymbie went, "Uncle, Ciao!"...like Randy had taught him to. Hopefully not for the last time.
Yesterday at the Suubi meeting Rachel announced that Kate only has one more to attend. She cried. I think I'm going to bawl when it's my turn. The fact that half my time here is already finished, is mind boggling. I still feel like it couldn't have possibly been a year ago that I sent in my application and had been so anxious to be here. Time really does fly, and I don't think I like it.
Last night we all watched a couple Nooma's together and then talked as our little family. We talked for almost three hours, in the living room, in a circle. Laughing. These are some of my favorite memories from this trip I think. Kate leaves in a week. And Becca and Alex will be leaving a couple weeks later...I don't really want to think about it.
Even if all eight of us are somehow different back in the States, we all have one thing in common. And that's being here, in the same house, in the same situation, in Uganda. In Africa. In this place.
And we all bring something different to the house, with our personalities. Including Betty. Including Kymbie. Including Sharon. And somehow between all of us, it balances out. And it's almost always fun. And it feels like we'll all be here forever. It feels normal. It feels like life.
But still, I know that when I go home, something amazing will be waiting, even if I don't know what it is. I have so many decisions to make and so many things to do, I just want to go home and be content with not neccesarily the fact that I'm home in Alaska (because I love it!), but the fact that I'm not in Africa anymore. The fact that I'm not with these people.
One of the Nooma's we watched last night was about living in the here and now, which we hear all the time, but I think it's something that needs to be repeated. Because it's definitely something we all forget. I catch myself all the time, talking about "last summer"...and yeah, it's okay to remember that stuff, and enjoy it. But I need to remember what's going on right now, and not what happened a year ago. And so hopefully that's how I view my time here, once I'm home. Because once I leave, I need to be living in Alaska, not Africa. Or atleast not all the time.
Yesterday at the Suubi meeting Rachel announced that Kate only has one more to attend. She cried. I think I'm going to bawl when it's my turn. The fact that half my time here is already finished, is mind boggling. I still feel like it couldn't have possibly been a year ago that I sent in my application and had been so anxious to be here. Time really does fly, and I don't think I like it.
Last night we all watched a couple Nooma's together and then talked as our little family. We talked for almost three hours, in the living room, in a circle. Laughing. These are some of my favorite memories from this trip I think. Kate leaves in a week. And Becca and Alex will be leaving a couple weeks later...I don't really want to think about it.
Even if all eight of us are somehow different back in the States, we all have one thing in common. And that's being here, in the same house, in the same situation, in Uganda. In Africa. In this place.
And we all bring something different to the house, with our personalities. Including Betty. Including Kymbie. Including Sharon. And somehow between all of us, it balances out. And it's almost always fun. And it feels like we'll all be here forever. It feels normal. It feels like life.
But still, I know that when I go home, something amazing will be waiting, even if I don't know what it is. I have so many decisions to make and so many things to do, I just want to go home and be content with not neccesarily the fact that I'm home in Alaska (because I love it!), but the fact that I'm not in Africa anymore. The fact that I'm not with these people.
One of the Nooma's we watched last night was about living in the here and now, which we hear all the time, but I think it's something that needs to be repeated. Because it's definitely something we all forget. I catch myself all the time, talking about "last summer"...and yeah, it's okay to remember that stuff, and enjoy it. But I need to remember what's going on right now, and not what happened a year ago. And so hopefully that's how I view my time here, once I'm home. Because once I leave, I need to be living in Alaska, not Africa. Or atleast not all the time.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
When the truth is, I miss you.
So here I am, sitting at Flavours, drinking iced coffee, and listening to Coldplay...sounds normal, except for the fact that I'm in Uganda.
These last few days have been...well, let me just start.
On Friday, Rachel and I went to visit one of the women in Walukuba, Christine. Her baby, Randy, peed on me, or su-su'd. And then pooped on Rachel. That was gross, but we weren't too upset, Randy is only about a month old and amazingly adorable. Christine just laughed. Love her. I love how laid back Africans are about EVERYTHING.
On Saturday morning I went to the market and then piki'd home with Becca, and on the way back to Magwa, something big and black landed on my ankle and stung me. No idea what it was but it was painful. To say the least. Obviously it wasn't poisoness, because I'm sitting here typing. haha
On Sunday we went to The Nile River Resort and as we were sitting by the pool, we saw some monkey's in a tree close by...there were a ton of them and they weren't shy and got really close...I love it there! I think it's where I'll go for my birthday. :)
Yesterday Andrew stopped by to say hello on his way home from the last day of school (it's their Summer break right now)...I ended up piercing his ear. And Alex videotaped. It was a lot of fun and he didn't flinch. haha
Later on Adam, Alex and I went to visit translator Betty at her home in Walukuba West, where we watched SWAT and drank a ton of Coke. Afterwards her son and the guys wanted to play basketball at the Mormon temple up the road...so we walked there, and ran into Andrew on the way. I decided that instead of playing with them and getting my butt kicked, I would just hang out with all the little school kids there. They kept calling Adam, "Jesus". No idea why. And then all the little school kids threw a bat in my hair. I handled it pretty well, according to Adam and Alex, which means I actually did. Go me. It took me a second to realize it had stayed in my hair and then I just kind of shook it out, even though inside I was completely disgusted. It's all good...so I told Betty about it afterward when I came home and made some Nutella and PB toast, and was sitting on the counter eating it while Betty did the dishes...she said, "Oh, it was an accident?" and I told her it wasn't. "But Auntie, why?"...I told her it was because they were little stinkers. But she didn't get it. I tried to explain, but the only way she could understand was that they were stubborn, which is their word for it here I guess you could say. There are those who are stubborn, and those who are humble. And here I am called humble, and people like Kate (whom I love!), for example, who is outgoing, are called stubborn. It's not neccesarily a bad thing, just the opposite of "humble" I guess.
Today we went over what each of us it contributing to our Thanksgiving dinner next Thursday...I am waaaaay too excited! You are a vegetarian when you live here, and that's totally okay with me since I don't really eat meat anyway, but you hardly get "real" food here. So we're all gonna go hunting around town to see what we can scrape up...one of many things I won't take for granted once I get home to the US of A, is the ability to walk in ANY store and pick up whatever it is you're looking for. And know that it's not infested with worms or who-knows-what-else. And know that you're paying the same price as the next person, no matter what color your skin is. Another thing I won't take for granted is the "luxury" of walking past every guy I see and not having to keepy my guard up, or expect them to touch me in some way. It gets really annoying here.
A little bit ago I was next door at this shop, where Angelo (a really famous artist here) works and has his "studio", which is this little courtyard in the back of the building...and I ordered this painting that is one of his recent works, and the one I had been eyeballing forever...it's gonna cost me a bit, but it's totally worth it. And it's an original, and I know even a Ugandan would pay the same. I am so excited to have it finished before I leave!
At night we have been going "Hopper Hunting"...and we just slip on some shoes, throw on a hoodie (we're so use to the climate here now, that at night we get cold) and walk down Magwa a-ways while watching the heat lightning and listening to the crickets until we reach the random street lights and run around and try to catch them and scream if they fly into our heads or land on us. Basically it's amazing good fun. And once we get home, we will let them go, or give them to Betty to fry up and eat. They're Kymbie's fave.
So I discovered that all this time I have been calling women, "Miabo" it's actually "Niabo". Go me.
Here the pedestrians don't have the right of way, so it's completely up to you not to get hit. Plus there are no traffic rules. So everytime you go to town and walk around, or trust some random guy on a boda who may or may not have any experience driving the thing, it's a risk. But I just like to call it adventurous. Mostly it doesn't even cross my mind but sometimes it freaks me out. haha
Have I mentioned I love it here?
Me and Anita at Santa's in Walukuba
These last few days have been...well, let me just start.
On Friday, Rachel and I went to visit one of the women in Walukuba, Christine. Her baby, Randy, peed on me, or su-su'd. And then pooped on Rachel. That was gross, but we weren't too upset, Randy is only about a month old and amazingly adorable. Christine just laughed. Love her. I love how laid back Africans are about EVERYTHING.
On Saturday morning I went to the market and then piki'd home with Becca, and on the way back to Magwa, something big and black landed on my ankle and stung me. No idea what it was but it was painful. To say the least. Obviously it wasn't poisoness, because I'm sitting here typing. haha
On Sunday we went to The Nile River Resort and as we were sitting by the pool, we saw some monkey's in a tree close by...there were a ton of them and they weren't shy and got really close...I love it there! I think it's where I'll go for my birthday. :)
Yesterday Andrew stopped by to say hello on his way home from the last day of school (it's their Summer break right now)...I ended up piercing his ear. And Alex videotaped. It was a lot of fun and he didn't flinch. haha
Later on Adam, Alex and I went to visit translator Betty at her home in Walukuba West, where we watched SWAT and drank a ton of Coke. Afterwards her son and the guys wanted to play basketball at the Mormon temple up the road...so we walked there, and ran into Andrew on the way. I decided that instead of playing with them and getting my butt kicked, I would just hang out with all the little school kids there. They kept calling Adam, "Jesus". No idea why. And then all the little school kids threw a bat in my hair. I handled it pretty well, according to Adam and Alex, which means I actually did. Go me. It took me a second to realize it had stayed in my hair and then I just kind of shook it out, even though inside I was completely disgusted. It's all good...so I told Betty about it afterward when I came home and made some Nutella and PB toast, and was sitting on the counter eating it while Betty did the dishes...she said, "Oh, it was an accident?" and I told her it wasn't. "But Auntie, why?"...I told her it was because they were little stinkers. But she didn't get it. I tried to explain, but the only way she could understand was that they were stubborn, which is their word for it here I guess you could say. There are those who are stubborn, and those who are humble. And here I am called humble, and people like Kate (whom I love!), for example, who is outgoing, are called stubborn. It's not neccesarily a bad thing, just the opposite of "humble" I guess.
Today we went over what each of us it contributing to our Thanksgiving dinner next Thursday...I am waaaaay too excited! You are a vegetarian when you live here, and that's totally okay with me since I don't really eat meat anyway, but you hardly get "real" food here. So we're all gonna go hunting around town to see what we can scrape up...one of many things I won't take for granted once I get home to the US of A, is the ability to walk in ANY store and pick up whatever it is you're looking for. And know that it's not infested with worms or who-knows-what-else. And know that you're paying the same price as the next person, no matter what color your skin is. Another thing I won't take for granted is the "luxury" of walking past every guy I see and not having to keepy my guard up, or expect them to touch me in some way. It gets really annoying here.
A little bit ago I was next door at this shop, where Angelo (a really famous artist here) works and has his "studio", which is this little courtyard in the back of the building...and I ordered this painting that is one of his recent works, and the one I had been eyeballing forever...it's gonna cost me a bit, but it's totally worth it. And it's an original, and I know even a Ugandan would pay the same. I am so excited to have it finished before I leave!
At night we have been going "Hopper Hunting"...and we just slip on some shoes, throw on a hoodie (we're so use to the climate here now, that at night we get cold) and walk down Magwa a-ways while watching the heat lightning and listening to the crickets until we reach the random street lights and run around and try to catch them and scream if they fly into our heads or land on us. Basically it's amazing good fun. And once we get home, we will let them go, or give them to Betty to fry up and eat. They're Kymbie's fave.
So I discovered that all this time I have been calling women, "Miabo" it's actually "Niabo". Go me.
Here the pedestrians don't have the right of way, so it's completely up to you not to get hit. Plus there are no traffic rules. So everytime you go to town and walk around, or trust some random guy on a boda who may or may not have any experience driving the thing, it's a risk. But I just like to call it adventurous. Mostly it doesn't even cross my mind but sometimes it freaks me out. haha
Have I mentioned I love it here?
Me and Anita at Santa's in Walukuba
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
I came along, I wrote a song for you, and all the things you do...
Yesterday was a pretty busy day for me...Randy took Adam and I all around town to places that are connected to our project called Epoh (the bags, not the necklaces) and showed us where we could buy the supplies that the tailors need on a regular basis...he showed us these things because he is going home this month and Rachel is going to need to help keeping up with it all. I think I got it all down. haha
On the way home I stopped at Midvani after running into Rachel on Magwa...it's this tiny little market closest to our home and I buy juice from this man there. I don't know his name, but he's really sweet and all he does all day is sell his juice in this little stand in the middle of this cramped, little, dirty market. He knows our faces...his juice is possibly the best you will ever have in your entire life. I'm going to crave it once I'm home-home. He mixes five different fruits, adds a little water and puts it in old water-bottles that he's cleaned out. He has one little refrigerator in his little blue stand, and he keeps them in the freezer. Sounds a little sketchy, yeah? Yeah. I was kind of worried when I first had some, but now I drink it all the time and I'm not dead yet. haha
We had dance yesterday, also. We meet up with the women of Suubi on Mondays at three and they do their traditional, tribal-type dancing and it's basically fantastic, let me tell you. We have drums and gourd shells that we play and whoever is leading the dance blows a whistle. Oh, so much fun.
Afterward, Becca, Alex and I went to visit Emily, one of the women from Suubi. She didn't live far from where we were dancing in Walukuba. Emily is married to a Mzungu, named Stanley, from the UK. They're older and live in this little two room house, just like everyone else. It kind of surprised me since her husband is white...but who knows! Emily is actually the daughter of a Head Chief of this tribe, that I can't remember the name of. So Stanley calls her a princess, which I guess technically she is. And she's the last one. She came from Gulu during the war. And none in her family are left because of the genocide. This is reminding me of some romance novel, the more I think about their story. It would be a good book, not gonna lie here. Anyways, he has bought her this thing called a washing machine (we all know what that is, but everyone here is amazed when I tell them I don't wash my clothes by hand back home in America)...and here that's like, as good as it gets. So she doesn't have to do all the laundry by hand. They have a television, and a DVD player...and they watch music videos from the 70's and 80's all the time, especially ABBA. and basically they are just content to be together in their little house with all the furniture cramped so close together you can barely move...I love it.
Becca and I took a boda home from Walukuba, and as I walked in the gate, Adam was heading to the boys home and asked if I wanted to go. I hadn't been in over a week so I ran in and changed and off we went. Possibly one of my favorite times there...I wore jeans instead of a skirt so that I could actually play with them and the dogs in the mud...and they were so happy, and they said, "Auntie! You play! You always sit!"...haha So we ran around playing tag in the dark with a whole bunch of little boys that were pretty much camouflaged and the dogs and they would all grab my hand and tell me which way to run and yell, "Auntie, Auntie!" and whenever I got tagged one of them would "sacrifice" himself so that I didn't have to be "it". I'm assuming it's because I'm a girl. And I'm white. haha Later on when we were all still running around some of the older boys brought out empty Jerry Cans and started playing them like drums...and the younger ones started dancing and then they told us to make a "big, big 'sarncle' (circle)" and we started playing this game that neither Adam or I could ever figure out, until we decided to go home because we were hungry for dinner and didn't really want to eat there...so the dogs walked us home in the dark, and knew exactly where we lived and once we were inside the gate, they walked back to the boys. One of the dogs is so familiar with me now, Max, the white one I love so much, that every time I come over and sit on a stool and talk with Mama Grace, he just sits at my feet and won't let the other dogs near me.
On kind of a side note...I did talk with Mama Grace last night, when I wasn't playing with the boys and she told me some of her story. Grace came from a village in the North, down here to Jinja to work at the boys home, so that should would have a steady job, and left two of her three daughters with her mother-in-law, who is now sick and cannot care for them anymore. Their names are Vicky and Brenda. And I believe they are 11 and 9....I knew she had three, so I asked where the third was and she told me that she was living with the father in Kampala. This confused me because I did not understand why Grace wasn't living with him, and then she mentioned that she was separated from him because he is an alcoholic who would cane her. He's abusive. And he has this little six year old girl named Gloria, and he beats her and does who knows what else and won't let Grace have her. She can't even visit her. And not only is Gloria living with her abusive father, but also Grace's two brothers...who are the same way I guess. This frustrated me so much, but I know there's nothing I can do about it. Grace has gone to the Police several times but every time they tell her she is crazy and sick and needs to see a doctor...because she is a woman. Basically last night I wanted to kick some Ugandan man-booty. I'm still really frustrated...but I realize that this is happening all around me, in probably most of the homes I walk by everyday, and I can't do anything...and it happens all the time in America, too.
So once we got home, we watched the Corpse Bride and made the necklaces for next month's "Flavour of The Month"...I can't say what it is, but they take awhile to make, and I think they're brilliant and I'm definitely buying an extra one. haha Later on Adam came in and asked if I wanted to try a "hopper" since I had said I wanted to try one earlier...I guess Sharon had fried him up like, four and he had eaten them. So I went out back to Betty's place with Kymbie and Adam and Sharon, and just sat and talked in the dark, and Betty fed us tea and beans and hoppers (which was my second dinner, because I had already eaten casava fries and chipote bread, I went to bed full, let me tell you)...which I didn't end up eating, 'cause I chickened out after holding it and looking at it in detail before it went into the fryer. Plus Rachel came out for a bit and said I was also eating it's poop. I'll do it eventually. For sure. We talked about how Betty misses all the volunteers that come in and out, and she would rather be away from the house when they leave, because she said to her it is like she is burying them, because she knows she will most likely never see them again. I'm going to miss Betty.
She asked how old I was for the first time last night and so I told her and she had this look of pure shock on her face and looked at Adam and goes, "She is a baby! A baby in Uganda!"...I know you guys don't know Betty, but she is super bubbly and crazy and fun. Kymbie slipped and hit his mouth on the door frame and she was holding him while he cried and she began smacking the door frame and saying, "Why do you hurt baby? I beat you!" and Kymbie smiled.
Sometimes it is hard to be here, and sometimes it's easy to be here. Sometimes I think to myself that I never want to come back to this wretched place, and other times I think of how much I want to live in this beautiful place. Uganda brings on a whole new mix of emotions and feelings...but I really do love it here. And who knows what will happen during the rest of my time here? God I'm sure has more in store than I can imagine...He's already revealed Himself in a million ways. Even if I have been blind to most of them...
Psalm 33: 11 But the Lord's plans stand firm forever, his intentions can never be shaken...
On the way home I stopped at Midvani after running into Rachel on Magwa...it's this tiny little market closest to our home and I buy juice from this man there. I don't know his name, but he's really sweet and all he does all day is sell his juice in this little stand in the middle of this cramped, little, dirty market. He knows our faces...his juice is possibly the best you will ever have in your entire life. I'm going to crave it once I'm home-home. He mixes five different fruits, adds a little water and puts it in old water-bottles that he's cleaned out. He has one little refrigerator in his little blue stand, and he keeps them in the freezer. Sounds a little sketchy, yeah? Yeah. I was kind of worried when I first had some, but now I drink it all the time and I'm not dead yet. haha
We had dance yesterday, also. We meet up with the women of Suubi on Mondays at three and they do their traditional, tribal-type dancing and it's basically fantastic, let me tell you. We have drums and gourd shells that we play and whoever is leading the dance blows a whistle. Oh, so much fun.
Afterward, Becca, Alex and I went to visit Emily, one of the women from Suubi. She didn't live far from where we were dancing in Walukuba. Emily is married to a Mzungu, named Stanley, from the UK. They're older and live in this little two room house, just like everyone else. It kind of surprised me since her husband is white...but who knows! Emily is actually the daughter of a Head Chief of this tribe, that I can't remember the name of. So Stanley calls her a princess, which I guess technically she is. And she's the last one. She came from Gulu during the war. And none in her family are left because of the genocide. This is reminding me of some romance novel, the more I think about their story. It would be a good book, not gonna lie here. Anyways, he has bought her this thing called a washing machine (we all know what that is, but everyone here is amazed when I tell them I don't wash my clothes by hand back home in America)...and here that's like, as good as it gets. So she doesn't have to do all the laundry by hand. They have a television, and a DVD player...and they watch music videos from the 70's and 80's all the time, especially ABBA. and basically they are just content to be together in their little house with all the furniture cramped so close together you can barely move...I love it.
Becca and I took a boda home from Walukuba, and as I walked in the gate, Adam was heading to the boys home and asked if I wanted to go. I hadn't been in over a week so I ran in and changed and off we went. Possibly one of my favorite times there...I wore jeans instead of a skirt so that I could actually play with them and the dogs in the mud...and they were so happy, and they said, "Auntie! You play! You always sit!"...haha So we ran around playing tag in the dark with a whole bunch of little boys that were pretty much camouflaged and the dogs and they would all grab my hand and tell me which way to run and yell, "Auntie, Auntie!" and whenever I got tagged one of them would "sacrifice" himself so that I didn't have to be "it". I'm assuming it's because I'm a girl. And I'm white. haha Later on when we were all still running around some of the older boys brought out empty Jerry Cans and started playing them like drums...and the younger ones started dancing and then they told us to make a "big, big 'sarncle' (circle)" and we started playing this game that neither Adam or I could ever figure out, until we decided to go home because we were hungry for dinner and didn't really want to eat there...so the dogs walked us home in the dark, and knew exactly where we lived and once we were inside the gate, they walked back to the boys. One of the dogs is so familiar with me now, Max, the white one I love so much, that every time I come over and sit on a stool and talk with Mama Grace, he just sits at my feet and won't let the other dogs near me.
On kind of a side note...I did talk with Mama Grace last night, when I wasn't playing with the boys and she told me some of her story. Grace came from a village in the North, down here to Jinja to work at the boys home, so that should would have a steady job, and left two of her three daughters with her mother-in-law, who is now sick and cannot care for them anymore. Their names are Vicky and Brenda. And I believe they are 11 and 9....I knew she had three, so I asked where the third was and she told me that she was living with the father in Kampala. This confused me because I did not understand why Grace wasn't living with him, and then she mentioned that she was separated from him because he is an alcoholic who would cane her. He's abusive. And he has this little six year old girl named Gloria, and he beats her and does who knows what else and won't let Grace have her. She can't even visit her. And not only is Gloria living with her abusive father, but also Grace's two brothers...who are the same way I guess. This frustrated me so much, but I know there's nothing I can do about it. Grace has gone to the Police several times but every time they tell her she is crazy and sick and needs to see a doctor...because she is a woman. Basically last night I wanted to kick some Ugandan man-booty. I'm still really frustrated...but I realize that this is happening all around me, in probably most of the homes I walk by everyday, and I can't do anything...and it happens all the time in America, too.
So once we got home, we watched the Corpse Bride and made the necklaces for next month's "Flavour of The Month"...I can't say what it is, but they take awhile to make, and I think they're brilliant and I'm definitely buying an extra one. haha Later on Adam came in and asked if I wanted to try a "hopper" since I had said I wanted to try one earlier...I guess Sharon had fried him up like, four and he had eaten them. So I went out back to Betty's place with Kymbie and Adam and Sharon, and just sat and talked in the dark, and Betty fed us tea and beans and hoppers (which was my second dinner, because I had already eaten casava fries and chipote bread, I went to bed full, let me tell you)...which I didn't end up eating, 'cause I chickened out after holding it and looking at it in detail before it went into the fryer. Plus Rachel came out for a bit and said I was also eating it's poop. I'll do it eventually. For sure. We talked about how Betty misses all the volunteers that come in and out, and she would rather be away from the house when they leave, because she said to her it is like she is burying them, because she knows she will most likely never see them again. I'm going to miss Betty.
She asked how old I was for the first time last night and so I told her and she had this look of pure shock on her face and looked at Adam and goes, "She is a baby! A baby in Uganda!"...I know you guys don't know Betty, but she is super bubbly and crazy and fun. Kymbie slipped and hit his mouth on the door frame and she was holding him while he cried and she began smacking the door frame and saying, "Why do you hurt baby? I beat you!" and Kymbie smiled.
Sometimes it is hard to be here, and sometimes it's easy to be here. Sometimes I think to myself that I never want to come back to this wretched place, and other times I think of how much I want to live in this beautiful place. Uganda brings on a whole new mix of emotions and feelings...but I really do love it here. And who knows what will happen during the rest of my time here? God I'm sure has more in store than I can imagine...He's already revealed Himself in a million ways. Even if I have been blind to most of them...
Psalm 33: 11 But the Lord's plans stand firm forever, his intentions can never be shaken...
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Psalm 33:15 He made their hearts, so He understands everything they do.
On Tuesdays and Thursdays we sometimes go to a part of Jinja called Masese, and it's on Lake Victoria, on a hillside. And we feed about 1000 street kids...rice, beans and a fruit, usually a banana or an orange (that isn't really orange, it's more like green or yellow)...it takes about three hours of sitting in the sun on a wooden bench, bent over a huge pot of beans or rice or a bin of fruit. First time I went I had to stop myself from crying. There are so many of them, and when we open the gate they flood in like no tomorrow. There are so many that are so small and I think to myself that no one in America, in their right mind, would let a child that small go out by itself. But it's what they have to do I guess. And as much as I want to smile at every one of them, I can't because we are dishing out food as fast as we can.
We walked home from Masese...it takes over an hour. Alex, me, Adam, Rachel...we get about half way and Alex decided to boda, and offers to loan me small money so I can too...but I decided to walk with Adam and Rachel. So off we go. About half an hours walk from home on Magwa. And it begins to drizzle. And then it begins to hail. And then it begins to pour. Rain. The roads are flooding. But Rachel is just laughing...and soon I was too. "Mzungu! Are you okay? Come in! Out of the rain!"...we say no to about a million of those and just keep walking, through the flooded streets. Soaking wet. Until we got home and Betty brought us towels...and Alex just laughed.
I love it here.
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We walked home from Masese...it takes over an hour. Alex, me, Adam, Rachel...we get about half way and Alex decided to boda, and offers to loan me small money so I can too...but I decided to walk with Adam and Rachel. So off we go. About half an hours walk from home on Magwa. And it begins to drizzle. And then it begins to hail. And then it begins to pour. Rain. The roads are flooding. But Rachel is just laughing...and soon I was too. "Mzungu! Are you okay? Come in! Out of the rain!"...we say no to about a million of those and just keep walking, through the flooded streets. Soaking wet. Until we got home and Betty brought us towels...and Alex just laughed.
I love it here.
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Sunday, November 1, 2009
Happy Halloween! From Uganda.
So here I am, sitting in my room, typing, listening to Frank Sinatra. And running to the bathroom every ten minutes. Oh the joys of Ugandan food...
Actually, it hasn't been that bad and this is only the second stomach problem I have had. This makes me happy...not gonna lie.
This morning we went to Bujagali Falls, we Boda'd and it took forever! I really loved it there though...on the Nile, and hiking around. I must've taken a million pictures. However, toward the end was when I started feeling sick, so I left early and let me tell you, that Boda ride was a nightmare. haha On the dirt road, in the heat with all the pot holes.
I finally got back to the house and the gate was locked, so I rang the doorbell and Alex came out, "Who goes there?"..."Emily!"..."Are you here to see the wizard?", as he peaks his face through the little hand hole that I usually would have used to open the gate..."No, I'm here to throw up."...he laughs. "Why are you alone?"..."Because I need to throw up.".."Oh! You were serious! I'm trying to find the right key!", and so Betty comes over and helps him unlock the gate. I laughed...ran inside, changed my clothes, laid down in bed and felt a little better. I'm doing okay now, I just ate some rice, which is the first thing I've eaten all day and it's seven at night.
ANYWAYS, enough about my stomach problamos! No one wants to hear about those. haha I just thought the whole gate issue was kind of hilarious, but maybe you had to be there.
Yesterday was Halloween and so we dressed up for the Suubi meeting...Kate and I wore traditional Ugandan dresses and the ladies all yelled (by this I mean like, African tribal scream haha) and made their little clicky noises when we walked into the room...it was fantastic. Rachel (Stroud) dressed as a cowgirl, and Becca was a Hippie. We handed out sweeties. And Kate and I were told that we looked very smart by atleast every woman. So funny.
On the way home we gave Christine and Jennifer a ride, and I got to hold baby Adam (the one that was named after Adam haha)...he is so cute and has gotten so big! I told Adam that he looked just like him. He didn't laugh. But I did.
We gave random village kids sweeties on the ride home. They were pretty happy. And it was pretty stinkin' cute! As usual.
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Girls Night
Last night we took Betty out on the town to go and eat and just have fun...just to say thank you for all she does I guess, and to hang out. I love her. Have I mentioned this? The other day she was in my room cleaning and I was half asleep, but I heard her come over to the bed and she just bent over, inches from my face and stared. No idea what she was doing, but I decided to scare her and so I opened my eyes and her eyes got so wide and then the both of us just burst out laughing..."Please don't report me, Auntie!"...which is her way of joking and saying, "Please don't tell on me!"...later that day she was in the kitchen and I told that when she was sleeping...and left it at that. We laughed again...
While we were eating last night, Betty was telling us about all the guys who want to marry her at school, and how they stalk her. It bothers me. Somewhere down the line, Rachel asked her to tell us about "The Miscarriages"...I guess some of the women here, when they are pregnant and cannot afford an abortion, give birth to their babies and say they have miscarriages, but they wrap them in wool and dump them in the sewar ditches or dumpsters or this man's garden...I almost started crying. And then she added that the dogs will eat them. And this morning when I was walking home from the boys home (after washing clothes for a couple hours) I looked in all the ditches.
While we were eating last night, Betty was telling us about all the guys who want to marry her at school, and how they stalk her. It bothers me. Somewhere down the line, Rachel asked her to tell us about "The Miscarriages"...I guess some of the women here, when they are pregnant and cannot afford an abortion, give birth to their babies and say they have miscarriages, but they wrap them in wool and dump them in the sewar ditches or dumpsters or this man's garden...I almost started crying. And then she added that the dogs will eat them. And this morning when I was walking home from the boys home (after washing clothes for a couple hours) I looked in all the ditches.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Oh the places you'll go...
On Sunday all of us decided we wanted to go on a boat ride on the Nile and Lake Victoria, so while Rachel, Adam and I were in town food shopping, Rachel, Becca, Alex and Kate left to go to the King Fisher Safari Resort about 9km outside of town in the van...so we had to Boda. It was basically amazing. And moritifying. Here I am, in Africa, on the back of a small motor bike, driven by a Ugandan man, driving on a huge bridge that crosses the Nile River, with all kinds of traffic, next to huge trucks and buses and cars, with my flipflops and sunglasses, getting ready to take a boat ride...kind of reminds me of Slumdog Millionaire when I'm riding through the city on a boda.
We arrived and found Kate, Becca, Rachel and Alex by the pool just chilling waiting for us to arrive...so we went and sat down and got some Fantas while we waited for them to change for the boat ride. At the resorts there are always bars, and it's funny, I can legally drink here. And also in London. I haven't though. haha
It was a little wooden boat with a straw over-hang and little wooden benches. The bottom was all paint-chipped and wet...it was fantastic. We saw some huge lizards that looked more like alligators, can't remember what they were called, some monkeys and a whole bunch of birds. Especially King Fishers...they were amazing. On the way home we saw some storks...they're practically the same size as me! I need to take pictures. They freak me out.
On Tuesday I went to visit Sali in the village of Danida. I walked the whole way, so I was a little late. Which really is never a big deal in Uganda, no one is ever punctual and they just don't worry about what time it is. I left at 1:30 and got there at 2:30 instead of 2, and one of the first things Sali said to me was, "I was beginning to worry that you were not coming!". Her English is really good. Wow, a punctual Ugandan. haha So I sat in her little one room home, with no electricity and no running water. And one window. And holes in the roof. Just like all the little houses in Danida and Walukuba. And basically everywhere. Sali has two little girls, one is two months and her name is Charity, and one is 2 years and her name is Janelle. Florence was there when I arrived, Sali was plating her hair. She wants to work at a salon, but she has to stay home and take care of the babies. That is why she is in Suubi, to sell us her necklaces. I rolled paper beads forever, and they were super amazed that I was actually capable of rolling good beads. I laughed. After awhile, Sali got up and started mixing in this pot, and from a distance it looked like rice and so I asked her what it was, "Is that rice?". "Mm, no, Posho."...which I had been told was completely disgusting. It's the inside of a corn kernel, mashed up with water and steamed. It has a funny, bland taste and is in between the consistency of mashed potatoes and jello. Yummy. So when she told me it was posho she asked, "Do you like posho?"..."I have never had."..."Oh! Kate says it does not sit well in the stomach for her, your stomachs are not use to it."...so at this I automatically assumed that she would not be serving it to me. But to my delight, she gave me a carving about the size of my freaking head. With a huge plate of beans, which I actually do enjoy eating. She gave me a fork, since I'm not use to eating with my hands...and off I went. I ate about three quarters of it until I couldn't eat anymore...I was really worried about offending Sali and Florence, who sat there and ate with me the entire time, so I couldn't even pawn some off on the dog or the kids. haha So I told them, in my sweetest voice possible, "I am sorry. I have had a big lunch and I am full, I cannot eat more."...and to my delight (for real this time!) they both said, "Oh no Auntie! Thank you for eating."...which makes me think that volunteers in the past have just turned it down completely. I apologized for wasting the food, but I think they just gave it to the dog, or mixed it back in with the leftovers.
Yesterday, Adam, Alex and I went to town, but the power has been out quite a bit, and so has the Internet, which is the whole reason we went to town. After walking back and forth all over some of Main Street, Adam ended up walking home and Alex and I went to The Source and just got on computers there, because the Internet was actually working. We finished up and walked a little bit and hopped on a couple bodas...then Alex goes, "To Magwa Primary School, for 500.", not a question, a statement..."Mm, no. 1000." Mine wanted 1500. Alex goes, "Oh no, 500 or we will foot.". We walked.
Yesterday night, Alex and I walked to the boys home and watched a movie with them...Wall-E. They had seen it before and all kept going, "Eva!". It was pretty darn cute. Adam had been there earlier by himself playing football with them and I guess they had asked where I was. I felt loved. haha Somehow I feel ridiculously comfortable there, with the concrete floors and wooden benches and bars on the windows, in a room full of little boys who are grubby from playing in the rain...just chillin', watchin' a movie...(Oh, by the way, Emma and Melanie, I wore the skirt and the dogs jumped on me...so hopefully Betty can get the stain out!) After Wall-E was over, Alex and I attempted to leave, since it was late and we assumed we were good to go since they had already served us tea, but Sara was adament about us staying and eating dinner with them, they usually eat dinner at eight or nine, but we were kind of unaware, and so we had eaten before we came. We told Sara that but she insisted, and then asked the boys and they really wanted us to stay and eat, and so out came two HUGE plates of rice and beans. Which I definitely love, but not at this moment when my stomach was full of the makeshift spaghetti Rachel and I had made. They put Narnia on and off we went, eating in the dark...after about half an hour of shovelling away, Alex somehow finished his, but I guess he is a guy, and I finished almost everything until I couldn't eat anymore or I was going to expload...and so I apologized and thanked Sara, but I could tell she was a little upset...I need to get better at finishing my food. I guess I just won't eat before I go places. haha We said goodbye to the boys, and they gave us all a million hugs and then walked us home in the dark again, dogs and all, and left at the gate. I'm going back early Saturday morning to wash their clothes with Mama Grace.
Today it's cold...for here. I'm actually wearing jeans and a long sleeved shirt, crazy, huh? It's probably 60 degrees. I'm going to die when I go back to Alaska. Yikes. Later on, Rachel, Adam and I are walking to Walukuba West to go visit darling Agnes and roll beads...we'll probably pick up some Cokes on the way, so she doesn't have to buy something for three extra people. Though I have this sinking feeling there will be posho involved.
We arrived and found Kate, Becca, Rachel and Alex by the pool just chilling waiting for us to arrive...so we went and sat down and got some Fantas while we waited for them to change for the boat ride. At the resorts there are always bars, and it's funny, I can legally drink here. And also in London. I haven't though. haha
It was a little wooden boat with a straw over-hang and little wooden benches. The bottom was all paint-chipped and wet...it was fantastic. We saw some huge lizards that looked more like alligators, can't remember what they were called, some monkeys and a whole bunch of birds. Especially King Fishers...they were amazing. On the way home we saw some storks...they're practically the same size as me! I need to take pictures. They freak me out.
On Tuesday I went to visit Sali in the village of Danida. I walked the whole way, so I was a little late. Which really is never a big deal in Uganda, no one is ever punctual and they just don't worry about what time it is. I left at 1:30 and got there at 2:30 instead of 2, and one of the first things Sali said to me was, "I was beginning to worry that you were not coming!". Her English is really good. Wow, a punctual Ugandan. haha So I sat in her little one room home, with no electricity and no running water. And one window. And holes in the roof. Just like all the little houses in Danida and Walukuba. And basically everywhere. Sali has two little girls, one is two months and her name is Charity, and one is 2 years and her name is Janelle. Florence was there when I arrived, Sali was plating her hair. She wants to work at a salon, but she has to stay home and take care of the babies. That is why she is in Suubi, to sell us her necklaces. I rolled paper beads forever, and they were super amazed that I was actually capable of rolling good beads. I laughed. After awhile, Sali got up and started mixing in this pot, and from a distance it looked like rice and so I asked her what it was, "Is that rice?". "Mm, no, Posho."...which I had been told was completely disgusting. It's the inside of a corn kernel, mashed up with water and steamed. It has a funny, bland taste and is in between the consistency of mashed potatoes and jello. Yummy. So when she told me it was posho she asked, "Do you like posho?"..."I have never had."..."Oh! Kate says it does not sit well in the stomach for her, your stomachs are not use to it."...so at this I automatically assumed that she would not be serving it to me. But to my delight, she gave me a carving about the size of my freaking head. With a huge plate of beans, which I actually do enjoy eating. She gave me a fork, since I'm not use to eating with my hands...and off I went. I ate about three quarters of it until I couldn't eat anymore...I was really worried about offending Sali and Florence, who sat there and ate with me the entire time, so I couldn't even pawn some off on the dog or the kids. haha So I told them, in my sweetest voice possible, "I am sorry. I have had a big lunch and I am full, I cannot eat more."...and to my delight (for real this time!) they both said, "Oh no Auntie! Thank you for eating."...which makes me think that volunteers in the past have just turned it down completely. I apologized for wasting the food, but I think they just gave it to the dog, or mixed it back in with the leftovers.
Yesterday, Adam, Alex and I went to town, but the power has been out quite a bit, and so has the Internet, which is the whole reason we went to town. After walking back and forth all over some of Main Street, Adam ended up walking home and Alex and I went to The Source and just got on computers there, because the Internet was actually working. We finished up and walked a little bit and hopped on a couple bodas...then Alex goes, "To Magwa Primary School, for 500.", not a question, a statement..."Mm, no. 1000." Mine wanted 1500. Alex goes, "Oh no, 500 or we will foot.". We walked.
Yesterday night, Alex and I walked to the boys home and watched a movie with them...Wall-E. They had seen it before and all kept going, "Eva!". It was pretty darn cute. Adam had been there earlier by himself playing football with them and I guess they had asked where I was. I felt loved. haha Somehow I feel ridiculously comfortable there, with the concrete floors and wooden benches and bars on the windows, in a room full of little boys who are grubby from playing in the rain...just chillin', watchin' a movie...(Oh, by the way, Emma and Melanie, I wore the skirt and the dogs jumped on me...so hopefully Betty can get the stain out!) After Wall-E was over, Alex and I attempted to leave, since it was late and we assumed we were good to go since they had already served us tea, but Sara was adament about us staying and eating dinner with them, they usually eat dinner at eight or nine, but we were kind of unaware, and so we had eaten before we came. We told Sara that but she insisted, and then asked the boys and they really wanted us to stay and eat, and so out came two HUGE plates of rice and beans. Which I definitely love, but not at this moment when my stomach was full of the makeshift spaghetti Rachel and I had made. They put Narnia on and off we went, eating in the dark...after about half an hour of shovelling away, Alex somehow finished his, but I guess he is a guy, and I finished almost everything until I couldn't eat anymore or I was going to expload...and so I apologized and thanked Sara, but I could tell she was a little upset...I need to get better at finishing my food. I guess I just won't eat before I go places. haha We said goodbye to the boys, and they gave us all a million hugs and then walked us home in the dark again, dogs and all, and left at the gate. I'm going back early Saturday morning to wash their clothes with Mama Grace.
Today it's cold...for here. I'm actually wearing jeans and a long sleeved shirt, crazy, huh? It's probably 60 degrees. I'm going to die when I go back to Alaska. Yikes. Later on, Rachel, Adam and I are walking to Walukuba West to go visit darling Agnes and roll beads...we'll probably pick up some Cokes on the way, so she doesn't have to buy something for three extra people. Though I have this sinking feeling there will be posho involved.
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Life
It's hard being here sometimes, walking along the streets. You want so badly to help just about everyone you see...but you can't, because the kids either want to take all the money you have on you, or the guys just want to marry you. Because you're white. Because you're "rich". Because they think you can take them back to the US, or the UK. Or they can get a passport.
Actually, it makes me laugh when they hit on you. They have the dumbest pick up lines, stuff that would never work in America. Like, "You look very smart!"...which is their version of pretty or nice. Or, "I love you!". As blunt as that. Or the kids just outright ask you for your money. Even the adults do sometimes. They never do anything about it, they just want to see if maybe they'll get lucky this time. Nope. The best is when they try to rip you off at the Market. Rachel and I went clothes "shopping" last week...and this one guy tried to get me to pay 20,000 shillings for a skirt. It was nice, and that's only like, ten bucks in the US. But still it was a rip off. Cause he probably only bought it for 4,000. And he only tried to charge me five times as much because I'm white. So this Ugandan lady walks up along side us, and Rachel goes, "Miabo, how much would you buy this skirt for?"..."Eeeh...maaaybe, maybe 8,000.". hahaha We laughed and said, "See Sabo!"...but he still wouldn't give in, so we moved on. Sabo means Sir and Miabo means Mam, by the way.
The other day we went to Flavours, this Internet cafe on Main Street for a movie night...plus all the beverages were half off for two hours...so we went and got on the Internet and bought something to drink and waited to see what movie would be playing. The movie nights are free and go pretty late, and usually it's all Mzungu's who show up. I ran into Sara and she gave me a hug and said Hello. I like her, she's very friendly. The movie ended up being something super lame like Bridget Jones, so Kate and I shared a boda and went home.
Sometimes I feel ridiculous, going to the village where poverty is everywhere. That's all there is. The kids have holes in their clothes...or they're just naked. There are stray dogs. Garbage everywhere. The smell not so appealing. The little shacks are run down...and I feel ridiculous, because I boda or walk home to this great little house, that is clean and has good water, and mosquito nets, and wonderful people, and I watch pirated copies of Gilmore Girls and Arrested Development on my laptop. It's almost like you forget where you are and where those kids you just played with are going to sleep.
On Friday night we went to the boys home down the road from our house. Nancy walked us there to show us. All the Ugandan kids are deathly afraid of the dogs here, so when the boys opened the gate and three dogs ran out, she tried hiding behind me. Oh poor Nancy...we told her she could go home and off she went. haha The boys were insanely sweet...they are street boys, mostly orphans. This lady Sara (a different Sara than the one I know in town) started this home for them, instead of going to America to attend a University. That amazes me.
The boys didn't call us Mzungu, they only called us Auntie and Uncle. We asked Sara why they were so well behaved and she simply answered, "I cane them."...which sounds worse than it is. It's just their version of spanking their kids, except they use a little switch. They even do it in the schools. Though sometimes it can be super harsh. Which makes me sad. But these boys were very good...they took us on a tour of their house and then turned on some music videos on this TV in the main room...the house isn't very big and there's no way they bought the TV, it was definitely donated to them. They had Beyonce and Usher and Chris Brown. This made me laugh. And they all sang along and knew them by heart and danced for us. It turned out to be a huge dancing party.
Afterwards we went out to the yard and the boys all played football and the dogs ran around and us girls just sat on a bench and talked with Sara and listened to her story. Soon after, the cook, Grace, brought us hot sweet tea and four slices of bread. It was enjoyable for a little while, but most of us ended up feeding it to the dogs. That's awful, isn't it? I know. But it's hard to eat all the food they give you, especially when it isn't so great. I have yet to be fed actual food by one of the women, except Florence who gave us those eggs last week. After we ate, and the boys ate, all the guys started tumbling and doing flips and stuff. One of the boys has a broken arm, but he can't get a cast or anything, so he just holds it there. He still played around though.
Once that was over, all the guys started challenging Adam, Randy and Alex to arm wrestling matches...which after awhile, I decided I wanted in on. One of the boys ran up to me and said, "Auntie! We go!" and so I arm wrestled him, and beat him. And then another boy ran up, and I beat him too. And another one, and I also beat him. I promise I'm not lying. I'm as amazed as you are, trust me. So I must have beaten like, ten guys. Again, I am not lying. They were freaking out, and then they all wanted to challenge me, just to see who could beat me. Later after we had handed out candy, and gotten a million hugs for it, I asked Donald, the oldest, who is probably 15, but doesn't know his age, if he wanted to arm wrestle, since he was the only one I hadn't tried to beat already. He of course said yes...so we did, and it was a tie with my right arm, because he gave up after awhile. But then he asked to switch arms and ended up beating me, because my left arm isn't my good arm. haha I'm ridiculous. He told me he would write me a song..later on that night Alex told me my ego was showing...which was probably true. haha Adam and I are planning on going back to visit all of them again sometime soon. They all walked us home in the dark, dogs and all. It was something I won't forget. Probably one of my favorite memories since being here. They gave us a ton of sugar cane at the gate and then went home, making us promise to come back and visit. The whole way home they would hold our hands. Oh, I love them also. They remind me of Zack. It makes me sad, but they are so happy, all the time.
Yesterday we met a guy named Andrew. I guess he is a friend of Rachel and Randy's, and he knows Kate, Alex and Becca. He was a lot of fun to hang out with, very smart...he's four months younger than me and is alone. He doesn't have any living family I guess. His sister died last Spring, and his grandma just died two weeks ago. Still he is a joy to be around. He was happy to hear that I was his age, because, he said, "The volunteers are always older than me...21 or 28 or 35!"...so he continued to hang out with us for most of the afternoon, until we went to the Suubi meeting in Danida at three. We dropped him off at his home in Walukuba, I am not sure who he is living with. His English is very good, so that makes it easy to talk with him. I asked him what it meant if someone told me I looked very humble, and so he tried to explain that it meant you are a calm, mostly quiet or not very talkative person. Then he told me he was just about to tell me that when I asked what it meant. I laughed. Betty tells me this almost everyday. Which is funny, because I feel like I have been somewhat outgoing since I have been here. Ugandan people can read you so easily, even if they barely know you. I kind of love it.
Yesterday at the Suubi meeting, my job was to clasp the necklaces again, and make sure the stoppers worked. This is when you ask the women if you can come to visit them, I was a little nervous because I do not know many of them. The first woman I asked was a lady named Sali (Sally), who was familiar to me, because I had seen her around whenever I had come to the villages...I can't imagine her being that much older than me...but she lives in Danida near the Suubi building and I believe she has a little baby. When I asked, her face lit up and so I am going to visit her on Tuesday. This makes me happy. Between me and Rachel asking the women, we are going to see atleast one every day this week. Except Sali I am visiting on my own, which should be nice. This way it can be one on one and I can maybe help her with some chores and what-not. On Thursday we are going to see Agnes, who, even though I know you're not suppose to have favorites, is my favorite. I'm awful, I know. She lives in Walukuba West and is so sweet. I know I have mentioned her before.
The other day, I really wanted to go to Danida and play with the village kids. So Rachel and Adam wanted to come along, too. We brought a football and some skipping ropes and cut up a bunch of the sugar cane the boys had given us (or should I say, Nancy cut it up, because we are incapable of cutting through it with a machete, but she isn't) . We each got on a boda near the house and took off down the road...Rachel's driver ended up taking her toward Main Street (which is completely off)...but once he understood they went the right way. Adam's driver followed them. And mine stopped on a street corner, just sitting there for like, ten minutes. I tried to communicate with him and ask him why we were stopped. He seemed confused. Just as I was planning on getting off and getting on another boda, he said, "I am not understanding, exactly where it is we are going.", so I said "Danida."...which I had said about a million times already. He just made a noise, still in confusion. "Past Walukuba!"...now he understands where to go. FINALLY. haha So we drive to Walukuba, and I had to point him in each direction everytime we had to make a turn. He dropped me off a ways from the road I was going to, and I got off, stuffed 700 shillings in his hand and walked away down the road. He started yelling (they usually do) for me to pay him more, "Mzungu, you add more!"...and his friend, who I think was Adam's driver and had driven up in the opposite direction and was sitting there also, was laughing, laughing, laughing. I just kept walking. It was pretty funny. I would have paid him more except he was a super lousy driver. haha
Well, this is long. I'll write more another day. The end.
Actually, it makes me laugh when they hit on you. They have the dumbest pick up lines, stuff that would never work in America. Like, "You look very smart!"...which is their version of pretty or nice. Or, "I love you!". As blunt as that. Or the kids just outright ask you for your money. Even the adults do sometimes. They never do anything about it, they just want to see if maybe they'll get lucky this time. Nope. The best is when they try to rip you off at the Market. Rachel and I went clothes "shopping" last week...and this one guy tried to get me to pay 20,000 shillings for a skirt. It was nice, and that's only like, ten bucks in the US. But still it was a rip off. Cause he probably only bought it for 4,000. And he only tried to charge me five times as much because I'm white. So this Ugandan lady walks up along side us, and Rachel goes, "Miabo, how much would you buy this skirt for?"..."Eeeh...maaaybe, maybe 8,000.". hahaha We laughed and said, "See Sabo!"...but he still wouldn't give in, so we moved on. Sabo means Sir and Miabo means Mam, by the way.
The other day we went to Flavours, this Internet cafe on Main Street for a movie night...plus all the beverages were half off for two hours...so we went and got on the Internet and bought something to drink and waited to see what movie would be playing. The movie nights are free and go pretty late, and usually it's all Mzungu's who show up. I ran into Sara and she gave me a hug and said Hello. I like her, she's very friendly. The movie ended up being something super lame like Bridget Jones, so Kate and I shared a boda and went home.
Sometimes I feel ridiculous, going to the village where poverty is everywhere. That's all there is. The kids have holes in their clothes...or they're just naked. There are stray dogs. Garbage everywhere. The smell not so appealing. The little shacks are run down...and I feel ridiculous, because I boda or walk home to this great little house, that is clean and has good water, and mosquito nets, and wonderful people, and I watch pirated copies of Gilmore Girls and Arrested Development on my laptop. It's almost like you forget where you are and where those kids you just played with are going to sleep.
On Friday night we went to the boys home down the road from our house. Nancy walked us there to show us. All the Ugandan kids are deathly afraid of the dogs here, so when the boys opened the gate and three dogs ran out, she tried hiding behind me. Oh poor Nancy...we told her she could go home and off she went. haha The boys were insanely sweet...they are street boys, mostly orphans. This lady Sara (a different Sara than the one I know in town) started this home for them, instead of going to America to attend a University. That amazes me.
The boys didn't call us Mzungu, they only called us Auntie and Uncle. We asked Sara why they were so well behaved and she simply answered, "I cane them."...which sounds worse than it is. It's just their version of spanking their kids, except they use a little switch. They even do it in the schools. Though sometimes it can be super harsh. Which makes me sad. But these boys were very good...they took us on a tour of their house and then turned on some music videos on this TV in the main room...the house isn't very big and there's no way they bought the TV, it was definitely donated to them. They had Beyonce and Usher and Chris Brown. This made me laugh. And they all sang along and knew them by heart and danced for us. It turned out to be a huge dancing party.
Afterwards we went out to the yard and the boys all played football and the dogs ran around and us girls just sat on a bench and talked with Sara and listened to her story. Soon after, the cook, Grace, brought us hot sweet tea and four slices of bread. It was enjoyable for a little while, but most of us ended up feeding it to the dogs. That's awful, isn't it? I know. But it's hard to eat all the food they give you, especially when it isn't so great. I have yet to be fed actual food by one of the women, except Florence who gave us those eggs last week. After we ate, and the boys ate, all the guys started tumbling and doing flips and stuff. One of the boys has a broken arm, but he can't get a cast or anything, so he just holds it there. He still played around though.
Once that was over, all the guys started challenging Adam, Randy and Alex to arm wrestling matches...which after awhile, I decided I wanted in on. One of the boys ran up to me and said, "Auntie! We go!" and so I arm wrestled him, and beat him. And then another boy ran up, and I beat him too. And another one, and I also beat him. I promise I'm not lying. I'm as amazed as you are, trust me. So I must have beaten like, ten guys. Again, I am not lying. They were freaking out, and then they all wanted to challenge me, just to see who could beat me. Later after we had handed out candy, and gotten a million hugs for it, I asked Donald, the oldest, who is probably 15, but doesn't know his age, if he wanted to arm wrestle, since he was the only one I hadn't tried to beat already. He of course said yes...so we did, and it was a tie with my right arm, because he gave up after awhile. But then he asked to switch arms and ended up beating me, because my left arm isn't my good arm. haha I'm ridiculous. He told me he would write me a song..later on that night Alex told me my ego was showing...which was probably true. haha Adam and I are planning on going back to visit all of them again sometime soon. They all walked us home in the dark, dogs and all. It was something I won't forget. Probably one of my favorite memories since being here. They gave us a ton of sugar cane at the gate and then went home, making us promise to come back and visit. The whole way home they would hold our hands. Oh, I love them also. They remind me of Zack. It makes me sad, but they are so happy, all the time.
Yesterday we met a guy named Andrew. I guess he is a friend of Rachel and Randy's, and he knows Kate, Alex and Becca. He was a lot of fun to hang out with, very smart...he's four months younger than me and is alone. He doesn't have any living family I guess. His sister died last Spring, and his grandma just died two weeks ago. Still he is a joy to be around. He was happy to hear that I was his age, because, he said, "The volunteers are always older than me...21 or 28 or 35!"...so he continued to hang out with us for most of the afternoon, until we went to the Suubi meeting in Danida at three. We dropped him off at his home in Walukuba, I am not sure who he is living with. His English is very good, so that makes it easy to talk with him. I asked him what it meant if someone told me I looked very humble, and so he tried to explain that it meant you are a calm, mostly quiet or not very talkative person. Then he told me he was just about to tell me that when I asked what it meant. I laughed. Betty tells me this almost everyday. Which is funny, because I feel like I have been somewhat outgoing since I have been here. Ugandan people can read you so easily, even if they barely know you. I kind of love it.
Yesterday at the Suubi meeting, my job was to clasp the necklaces again, and make sure the stoppers worked. This is when you ask the women if you can come to visit them, I was a little nervous because I do not know many of them. The first woman I asked was a lady named Sali (Sally), who was familiar to me, because I had seen her around whenever I had come to the villages...I can't imagine her being that much older than me...but she lives in Danida near the Suubi building and I believe she has a little baby. When I asked, her face lit up and so I am going to visit her on Tuesday. This makes me happy. Between me and Rachel asking the women, we are going to see atleast one every day this week. Except Sali I am visiting on my own, which should be nice. This way it can be one on one and I can maybe help her with some chores and what-not. On Thursday we are going to see Agnes, who, even though I know you're not suppose to have favorites, is my favorite. I'm awful, I know. She lives in Walukuba West and is so sweet. I know I have mentioned her before.
The other day, I really wanted to go to Danida and play with the village kids. So Rachel and Adam wanted to come along, too. We brought a football and some skipping ropes and cut up a bunch of the sugar cane the boys had given us (or should I say, Nancy cut it up, because we are incapable of cutting through it with a machete, but she isn't) . We each got on a boda near the house and took off down the road...Rachel's driver ended up taking her toward Main Street (which is completely off)...but once he understood they went the right way. Adam's driver followed them. And mine stopped on a street corner, just sitting there for like, ten minutes. I tried to communicate with him and ask him why we were stopped. He seemed confused. Just as I was planning on getting off and getting on another boda, he said, "I am not understanding, exactly where it is we are going.", so I said "Danida."...which I had said about a million times already. He just made a noise, still in confusion. "Past Walukuba!"...now he understands where to go. FINALLY. haha So we drive to Walukuba, and I had to point him in each direction everytime we had to make a turn. He dropped me off a ways from the road I was going to, and I got off, stuffed 700 shillings in his hand and walked away down the road. He started yelling (they usually do) for me to pay him more, "Mzungu, you add more!"...and his friend, who I think was Adam's driver and had driven up in the opposite direction and was sitting there also, was laughing, laughing, laughing. I just kept walking. It was pretty funny. I would have paid him more except he was a super lousy driver. haha
Well, this is long. I'll write more another day. The end.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Laundry
This morning I woke up at six to the sound of Becca's voice and some banging around in the bathroom. "Um, Oh my goodness!" and then she ran out of the bedroom into the living room and came back in with Adam, who was the only guy awake. There was a mouse in the bathtub which she spotted when she was going to take a shower. I was too tired to get up out of bed and see it, but I guess it was a, "cute little critter". Well, that cute little critter can stay out of my bathtub. We showered in the boys bathroom. And I was afraid that one would come up out of the pipes while I was peeing earlier. Oh joy.
Today everyone left the house except for Alex, Adam, Rachel and I. So we watched some episodes of Arrested Development on Alex's laptop for about an hour and have been decaling the pink breast cancer Suubi beads for most of the day. It's really slow in coming, but hopefully most of them will be done soon. There are over 1000 to complete. Yes, 1000. But with three of us doing it, it goes a little faster. Well, once Alex left, it was just Rachel, Adam and I. Adam went to shower so we could go into town, where I am now. And so I went out on the back porch where Nancy was (I love her, Adam and I were playing football with her earlier, she loves it)...washing the laundry. I asked her, "Nancy? You will teach me?" and she laughed and said, "Yes, Auntie! I will teach!" and so her and Sharon (who was home from school for lunch) taught me how to wash the clothes. I enjoyed it, but I only washed two things. A couple shirts. It makes me thankful for washing machines and dryers. They laughed at me, and I said, "Oh, I am no good!" and Sharon goes, "But Auntie, you are trying!". I love them. I held Kymbi for awhile, it was the first time he voluntarily allowed me to hold him. He had just woken up from a nap and was half naked. Meaning his bottom half. I was a little "fearful" of being peed on. haha He is too cute. I think we are headed out of the cafe soon to walk to the market, and I do not have much else to write for today, but I will another time.
Today everyone left the house except for Alex, Adam, Rachel and I. So we watched some episodes of Arrested Development on Alex's laptop for about an hour and have been decaling the pink breast cancer Suubi beads for most of the day. It's really slow in coming, but hopefully most of them will be done soon. There are over 1000 to complete. Yes, 1000. But with three of us doing it, it goes a little faster. Well, once Alex left, it was just Rachel, Adam and I. Adam went to shower so we could go into town, where I am now. And so I went out on the back porch where Nancy was (I love her, Adam and I were playing football with her earlier, she loves it)...washing the laundry. I asked her, "Nancy? You will teach me?" and she laughed and said, "Yes, Auntie! I will teach!" and so her and Sharon (who was home from school for lunch) taught me how to wash the clothes. I enjoyed it, but I only washed two things. A couple shirts. It makes me thankful for washing machines and dryers. They laughed at me, and I said, "Oh, I am no good!" and Sharon goes, "But Auntie, you are trying!". I love them. I held Kymbi for awhile, it was the first time he voluntarily allowed me to hold him. He had just woken up from a nap and was half naked. Meaning his bottom half. I was a little "fearful" of being peed on. haha He is too cute. I think we are headed out of the cafe soon to walk to the market, and I do not have much else to write for today, but I will another time.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
"Gullible?" "Yes Auntie, Gullible!"
Every morning at five o'clock, I can hear the school bell ringing to wake all the children up so that they can be to school on time, at around seven. And then the roosters start to crow, and the horns begin to beep on the cars and Bodas, and the dogs howl and the Muslims pray, rather loudly.
When Betty washes our clothes, she scrubs them, hangs them up to dry and then irons them, always. She even irons the underware. This is because of the Mango Flies...they are attracted to wet clothing and so they lay their larvae in them, and then if you wear the clothing, they become embedded in your skin, and tada! Fly Larvae hatching in your skin. Fantastic, right? Not so much. The heat from the iron kills anything. I am thankful for Betty's thoroughness. Today I taught her the word Gullible, she tried to tell Becca that she was giving Kimbi sips of wine from a small cup she was carrying around...and we both believed her. It was actually soda. She said, "Oh Aunties, you are easy to deceive!" and then laughed. Then I said, "Oh yes, we are very Gullible!". "What is Gullivle?"..."Gullible?", "Yes, Auntie!" and so I told her, "Gullible means, easy to deceive. Yes."..."Oh! Gullible!"...Oh she is lovely. And so beautiful.
On Saturday night on the way home from the market, I took my first Boda ride. I have ridden several times since then, but this was my first time. I didn't know which side to get on on, so I burnt my leg on the exhaust pipe and now have a huge mark on my left leg...it's not very pretty and I am positive it will leave a scar. haha Well, at least I can say I got it in Uganda.
On Sunday we went to The Nile River Resort and hung out at the pool. It made me feel like I was not in Africa. It was very, very nice and absolutely lovely (not to say it is not beautiful here, I always tell the Boda drivers that when they ask me what I think of Uganda. The other day one of them was asking me and Kate (we double up sometimes) what kinds of "greens" we have in America) Needless to say, I fried. I am so sunburned I want to cry when I get in the shower and put on my clothes. Ugh. Hopefully it will go away very soon and turn into a tan already. Today I smothered myself in Aloe Vera and Sunscreen. Also I got pooped on by a crane the other day. Am I not a super newb, or what?!
I've decided my favorite things to drink here at Cocacola, water and Passion Fruit Juice from Flavours (one of the internet cafes in town, which I just went to for the first time today.) The places I visit the most here are Main Street, which is probably a mile away from the house, I either walk or Boda for 500 shillings, which is close to a US quarter. And the villages of Danida and Walukuba. I am excited to visit some of the women myself, they are much more open when there are not 3 new volunteers and a few others...though today one of the women, Jaja Margaret gave Becca, Rachel and I one of her necklaces. I picked this amazingly beautiful teal one. I love it. We also visited a friends of hers, (and Becca's) Flavia and Florence. When we met them, they asked if Becca and I were sisters...we said, "Oh no!" and laughed. "We are not sisters.", "Oh! You resemble very much so!" "Our faces?", "And bodies, yes." We laughed. We really don't look that much alike, but are around the same size I guess. And our hair is similar. It's funny. "You are called what?", she asked me. I didn't understand at first and so I looked at Becca, who saved me. haha "Emily!" "Oh, is a very pretty name." I love the women here. She also gave us hard boiled eggs...I couldn't finish mine for fear I might throw it up (it was old lukewarm and also I am not a fan of eggs to begin with)...so I ate half of it and then Rachel finished the rest, because her, Adam and Becca liked them. Alex slipped his into his pocket when no one was looking. But I saw. haha I have decided I am a huge fan of Coke, it settles my stomach. The funny thing is, a hard boiled egg is not bad food at all, it is probably just all in my head.
It's funny, I feel safer walking around here than I do walking along a road in the US...everyone is ridiculously friendly. I love the children. Have I mentioned that already? I love talking to the Boda drivers, asking them how their day is and what they are called. I have met a Sam and a Henry. They all have old fashioned names here.
Rachel and Adam brought home sugarcane today while Becca and I were washing Suubi beads on the back porch...you peel off the bark with your teeth and then chew on pieces of the inside. It is good but gets stuck in your teeth, which I am not a fan of. It just tastes like sugar-water-gum. If that makes sense.
Well, this is very, very long. I will write more another day. The end.
When Betty washes our clothes, she scrubs them, hangs them up to dry and then irons them, always. She even irons the underware. This is because of the Mango Flies...they are attracted to wet clothing and so they lay their larvae in them, and then if you wear the clothing, they become embedded in your skin, and tada! Fly Larvae hatching in your skin. Fantastic, right? Not so much. The heat from the iron kills anything. I am thankful for Betty's thoroughness. Today I taught her the word Gullible, she tried to tell Becca that she was giving Kimbi sips of wine from a small cup she was carrying around...and we both believed her. It was actually soda. She said, "Oh Aunties, you are easy to deceive!" and then laughed. Then I said, "Oh yes, we are very Gullible!". "What is Gullivle?"..."Gullible?", "Yes, Auntie!" and so I told her, "Gullible means, easy to deceive. Yes."..."Oh! Gullible!"...Oh she is lovely. And so beautiful.
On Saturday night on the way home from the market, I took my first Boda ride. I have ridden several times since then, but this was my first time. I didn't know which side to get on on, so I burnt my leg on the exhaust pipe and now have a huge mark on my left leg...it's not very pretty and I am positive it will leave a scar. haha Well, at least I can say I got it in Uganda.
On Sunday we went to The Nile River Resort and hung out at the pool. It made me feel like I was not in Africa. It was very, very nice and absolutely lovely (not to say it is not beautiful here, I always tell the Boda drivers that when they ask me what I think of Uganda. The other day one of them was asking me and Kate (we double up sometimes) what kinds of "greens" we have in America) Needless to say, I fried. I am so sunburned I want to cry when I get in the shower and put on my clothes. Ugh. Hopefully it will go away very soon and turn into a tan already. Today I smothered myself in Aloe Vera and Sunscreen. Also I got pooped on by a crane the other day. Am I not a super newb, or what?!
I've decided my favorite things to drink here at Cocacola, water and Passion Fruit Juice from Flavours (one of the internet cafes in town, which I just went to for the first time today.) The places I visit the most here are Main Street, which is probably a mile away from the house, I either walk or Boda for 500 shillings, which is close to a US quarter. And the villages of Danida and Walukuba. I am excited to visit some of the women myself, they are much more open when there are not 3 new volunteers and a few others...though today one of the women, Jaja Margaret gave Becca, Rachel and I one of her necklaces. I picked this amazingly beautiful teal one. I love it. We also visited a friends of hers, (and Becca's) Flavia and Florence. When we met them, they asked if Becca and I were sisters...we said, "Oh no!" and laughed. "We are not sisters.", "Oh! You resemble very much so!" "Our faces?", "And bodies, yes." We laughed. We really don't look that much alike, but are around the same size I guess. And our hair is similar. It's funny. "You are called what?", she asked me. I didn't understand at first and so I looked at Becca, who saved me. haha "Emily!" "Oh, is a very pretty name." I love the women here. She also gave us hard boiled eggs...I couldn't finish mine for fear I might throw it up (it was old lukewarm and also I am not a fan of eggs to begin with)...so I ate half of it and then Rachel finished the rest, because her, Adam and Becca liked them. Alex slipped his into his pocket when no one was looking. But I saw. haha I have decided I am a huge fan of Coke, it settles my stomach. The funny thing is, a hard boiled egg is not bad food at all, it is probably just all in my head.
It's funny, I feel safer walking around here than I do walking along a road in the US...everyone is ridiculously friendly. I love the children. Have I mentioned that already? I love talking to the Boda drivers, asking them how their day is and what they are called. I have met a Sam and a Henry. They all have old fashioned names here.
Rachel and Adam brought home sugarcane today while Becca and I were washing Suubi beads on the back porch...you peel off the bark with your teeth and then chew on pieces of the inside. It is good but gets stuck in your teeth, which I am not a fan of. It just tastes like sugar-water-gum. If that makes sense.
Well, this is very, very long. I will write more another day. The end.
Monday, October 19, 2009
This is only the beginning...
On the way to the cafe earlier I rode a Bodaboda and I was talking to the driver and I asked him, "How are you?" "I am fine." "What is your name?" "I am called Sam.", and so I said, "Oh, Sam, yes, I am called Emily." But they usually end up calling me Emilia. So we get to the cafe and I pay him and he goes, "Oh, surely you add more!", which is the usual response, because they try to rip us off since we are Mzungas...white people. But I just go, "No, I live here, I know what is fair!, and then they usually drive away.
Today we walked to the villages of Walukuba and Danida. To visit some of the women. First we went to see Joyce (who lives in Danida), but she had to leave to go see her sister who is sick...though sadly sometimes that is an excuse so that we will not stay, because in Uganda it is considered rude for them not to offer their guests some kind of refreshment, usually a soda, like Coke or Fanta or Mirinda (which is a Ugandan soda, kind of like Fanta)...or food. And if they cannot afford it they try to get out of having visitors. Which is understandable, even though we really don't need anything from them. It's just their custom I guess. Also, when they greet you or are sitting with you, they always have to be lower or at the same level as you, so if you are in a chair, they are one the floor. So we left her house in Danida and walked all the way back to Walukuba West to vist one of the women, Agnes. Who is amazingly sweet and small, even for being Ugandan. Everytime we walk, all the little kids we pass wave at us and yell, "Mzungu, Bye!", because they do not say Hi, all they know to say is Bye. And they yell, "Muzungu, how are you!" and the reply is always, "I am fine, how are you?" in kind of a singsongy voice and then they go, "I am fine! How are you?" and then it just keeps going in a circle unless you stop. It is what they are taught to say to us. They are so cute! It's like we are celebrities. The kids love us especially. Usually the adults just stare at us...When we were walking from Danida to Walukuba the kids would run up to us and some of them would hold Adam's hand. They love Adam here. A Mzungu guy is as good as it gets. Except for when the Boda guys hit on you and say things like, "You look very Smart today!" or, "You are just my size!". haha One little boy ran up and grabbed my hand and walked down the road with me until he knew he was too far from his mother, and so he let go. But the entire time he looked at all the other kids and people along the road and while talking in his language, either Atrolli or Lugandan or Swahili, I didn't know. And he was smiling and every once ina while I would hear, "Mzungu"...he was just so proud to be holding the hand of a "Mazungu Lady!". That's what I am called here. Or Auntie. Or Auntie Emilia. So cute.
While we were at Agnes', we sat on the side of her "house" on the ground on a little mat and helped her roll paper beads, which she taught us to do. She is so sweet. I will definitely go visit her again. It's hard to see all the women and make sure that they are all visited, because there are over 90 of them...so you have to make time to see them and ask them when you can visit when they come to the Suubi meetings every Saturday and they sell us their necklaces. The worst is when you have to tell them we cannot buy the necklace because there is something wrong with it. Ugh. This one lady, Obama, put up such a fight because most of her necklaces where way too short. It got kind of funny after awhile.
After we spent time with Agnes, we walked down the road to Christine's house (there are quite a few Christine's, this is the one who has a reputation for being drunk all the time.) She was definitely drunk. But it made us laugh, because she was still very kind and offered us sodas. We sat in her little "house" which is a shack, separted in half by a few sheets hanging up, with a bed on one side and a few chairs and a mat on the other. And then the bike sits inside the door which makes it even smaller. We sat on the chairs and Kate (one of the other volunteers, who was taking us around) almost sat down until she realized there was a tiny baby there. His name was Christopher, and he was almost two months old. I could tell he was having breathing problems, so once Rachel let me hold him, I tilted him up and patted his back for awhile and he seemed to breath a bit better. It made me happy. Well, the baby was the grandchild of Christine, and she decided that she was going to name him after Adam...so I guess now his name is Adam Christopher...but I don't know if she even remembers. Plus the babies mother was sitting right there, her name was Jennifer, and she is a Suubi woman too...but she really didn't get any say in the matter. Wow.
It always smells awful here, there is trash everywhere, there are no new buildings, they are all run down. Everyone smells like BO...but my nose is almost use to it. I can ride on the back of a BodaBoda and not even smell the driver now. So that's better. There is a lady in town who is friends with Rachel and Randy (Stroud) and her name is Sara, she speaks really great english and is fun to stop by and see if I am at the cafe or whatever...she has a little girl named Diana. So adorable. I stopped by earlier this evening and bought a little change purse from her to carry my shillings around in, because I don't like carrying my wallet with all my cards and all that jazz inside of it. So it's perty nifty.
All the volunteers are amazing. There's Becca, who shares a room with Rachel and me...she's fantastic, she's 21, from CO and engaged to her Love, Scott. So much fun and really sweet and cute. And then her cousin Alex, who is 20 and pretty nice, funny. I am made fun of by the boys a lot. haha I think it's cause I'm the baby here, I'm always made fun of for being the baby. Then Kate, who is in her early 20's I think and is a news reporter from CO...and then Rachel and Randy Stroud...who are fantastic. I really love our house, it's wonderful.
Me and Adam have been playing soccer a bit...or football. Adam was playing football with Kimbi (who is the son of Betty, our house lady)...he's like two, and he just laughs and says, "Auntie" or "Uncle!" haha He was calling Adam, Uncle Iya...I think he just couldn't say Adam. And his little friend Moses who comes over, he's probably four and doesn't say anything. Just smiles a little crooked smile. So adorable and loves playing Football. Kimbi like never wears clothes. Just always runs around half naked. Stinking adorable. Betty's younger half sister and I think neice are living with her (and us). Their names are Nancy and Sharon. Nancy is here straight from the North and doesn't speak a lick of English, actually only a little bit, and then Sharon speaks pretty well. She goes to the school across the street called Magwa Primary...I love her. She is very quiet and calls me "Auntie"...this morning I woke up early, as usual, and walked into the kitchen and she was waiting by the back window for someone to give her the gate key so she could get out and go to school and she goes, "I am so sorry to disturb you Auntie, but, the gate key?"...Oh I love her.
It is amazing here and I still feel like I never want to leave...though I suppose it may be because I have only been here for less than a week. I already miss good meat. While we live here we are basically vegetarians because the meat is not safe. Wow, this is long. The end.
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Today we walked to the villages of Walukuba and Danida. To visit some of the women. First we went to see Joyce (who lives in Danida), but she had to leave to go see her sister who is sick...though sadly sometimes that is an excuse so that we will not stay, because in Uganda it is considered rude for them not to offer their guests some kind of refreshment, usually a soda, like Coke or Fanta or Mirinda (which is a Ugandan soda, kind of like Fanta)...or food. And if they cannot afford it they try to get out of having visitors. Which is understandable, even though we really don't need anything from them. It's just their custom I guess. Also, when they greet you or are sitting with you, they always have to be lower or at the same level as you, so if you are in a chair, they are one the floor. So we left her house in Danida and walked all the way back to Walukuba West to vist one of the women, Agnes. Who is amazingly sweet and small, even for being Ugandan. Everytime we walk, all the little kids we pass wave at us and yell, "Mzungu, Bye!", because they do not say Hi, all they know to say is Bye. And they yell, "Muzungu, how are you!" and the reply is always, "I am fine, how are you?" in kind of a singsongy voice and then they go, "I am fine! How are you?" and then it just keeps going in a circle unless you stop. It is what they are taught to say to us. They are so cute! It's like we are celebrities. The kids love us especially. Usually the adults just stare at us...When we were walking from Danida to Walukuba the kids would run up to us and some of them would hold Adam's hand. They love Adam here. A Mzungu guy is as good as it gets. Except for when the Boda guys hit on you and say things like, "You look very Smart today!" or, "You are just my size!". haha One little boy ran up and grabbed my hand and walked down the road with me until he knew he was too far from his mother, and so he let go. But the entire time he looked at all the other kids and people along the road and while talking in his language, either Atrolli or Lugandan or Swahili, I didn't know. And he was smiling and every once ina while I would hear, "Mzungu"...he was just so proud to be holding the hand of a "Mazungu Lady!". That's what I am called here. Or Auntie. Or Auntie Emilia. So cute.
While we were at Agnes', we sat on the side of her "house" on the ground on a little mat and helped her roll paper beads, which she taught us to do. She is so sweet. I will definitely go visit her again. It's hard to see all the women and make sure that they are all visited, because there are over 90 of them...so you have to make time to see them and ask them when you can visit when they come to the Suubi meetings every Saturday and they sell us their necklaces. The worst is when you have to tell them we cannot buy the necklace because there is something wrong with it. Ugh. This one lady, Obama, put up such a fight because most of her necklaces where way too short. It got kind of funny after awhile.
After we spent time with Agnes, we walked down the road to Christine's house (there are quite a few Christine's, this is the one who has a reputation for being drunk all the time.) She was definitely drunk. But it made us laugh, because she was still very kind and offered us sodas. We sat in her little "house" which is a shack, separted in half by a few sheets hanging up, with a bed on one side and a few chairs and a mat on the other. And then the bike sits inside the door which makes it even smaller. We sat on the chairs and Kate (one of the other volunteers, who was taking us around) almost sat down until she realized there was a tiny baby there. His name was Christopher, and he was almost two months old. I could tell he was having breathing problems, so once Rachel let me hold him, I tilted him up and patted his back for awhile and he seemed to breath a bit better. It made me happy. Well, the baby was the grandchild of Christine, and she decided that she was going to name him after Adam...so I guess now his name is Adam Christopher...but I don't know if she even remembers. Plus the babies mother was sitting right there, her name was Jennifer, and she is a Suubi woman too...but she really didn't get any say in the matter. Wow.
It always smells awful here, there is trash everywhere, there are no new buildings, they are all run down. Everyone smells like BO...but my nose is almost use to it. I can ride on the back of a BodaBoda and not even smell the driver now. So that's better. There is a lady in town who is friends with Rachel and Randy (Stroud) and her name is Sara, she speaks really great english and is fun to stop by and see if I am at the cafe or whatever...she has a little girl named Diana. So adorable. I stopped by earlier this evening and bought a little change purse from her to carry my shillings around in, because I don't like carrying my wallet with all my cards and all that jazz inside of it. So it's perty nifty.
All the volunteers are amazing. There's Becca, who shares a room with Rachel and me...she's fantastic, she's 21, from CO and engaged to her Love, Scott. So much fun and really sweet and cute. And then her cousin Alex, who is 20 and pretty nice, funny. I am made fun of by the boys a lot. haha I think it's cause I'm the baby here, I'm always made fun of for being the baby. Then Kate, who is in her early 20's I think and is a news reporter from CO...and then Rachel and Randy Stroud...who are fantastic. I really love our house, it's wonderful.
Me and Adam have been playing soccer a bit...or football. Adam was playing football with Kimbi (who is the son of Betty, our house lady)...he's like two, and he just laughs and says, "Auntie" or "Uncle!" haha He was calling Adam, Uncle Iya...I think he just couldn't say Adam. And his little friend Moses who comes over, he's probably four and doesn't say anything. Just smiles a little crooked smile. So adorable and loves playing Football. Kimbi like never wears clothes. Just always runs around half naked. Stinking adorable. Betty's younger half sister and I think neice are living with her (and us). Their names are Nancy and Sharon. Nancy is here straight from the North and doesn't speak a lick of English, actually only a little bit, and then Sharon speaks pretty well. She goes to the school across the street called Magwa Primary...I love her. She is very quiet and calls me "Auntie"...this morning I woke up early, as usual, and walked into the kitchen and she was waiting by the back window for someone to give her the gate key so she could get out and go to school and she goes, "I am so sorry to disturb you Auntie, but, the gate key?"...Oh I love her.
It is amazing here and I still feel like I never want to leave...though I suppose it may be because I have only been here for less than a week. I already miss good meat. While we live here we are basically vegetarians because the meat is not safe. Wow, this is long. The end.
}
Friday, October 16, 2009
Here I am called Auntie, Here I am called Mzungu
I'm finally here! In Uganda! After a crazy, intense and exhausting 48 hours of travelling half way across the world! A beautiful nightmare is what I would call it. Flying from Anchorage, to Seattle, to Denver where I met up with Adam and Rachel, to London where we left the airport and ran around the city on the Underground and seeing Big Ben, Parlament, The Eye and then Buckingham Palace from accross the River, to finally arriving in Entebbe! As we were landing, we could see all around...we saw Lake Victoria and the rain forests, the tea fields and the sugar fields...my first impression of Uganda was that it was insanely beautiful, and it made me so happy to finally be here I almost started crying on the plane. I'm sure that the fact I was incredibley exhausted had something to do with that too, though. When we stepped off the plane and were walking to the airport bus, my second impression was that the air here smells like sweat and meat and wet grass. Kind of what I expected, almost. It was super gross but again, super beautiful at the same time. After Rachel, Adam and I found our luggage, we used the bathroom and then headed outside where we met Rachel and Randy Stroud, who are amazing and who are kind of what you would call the directors at The House over here in Uganda. We loaded into this old van and started the long drive "home"...after driving in an insanely hot, sweaty, bumpy, smelly van ride for three hours, through Entebbe and Kampala, we finally arrived in Jinja, our home for the next three months. There aren't really any traffic laws here, every once in a while there will be a speed limit of 50 KPM or so, but that's about it. The traffic in Kampala is completely ridiculous and crazy! But somehow I loved it. All the buildings here are run down and old, a lot of them are made from scrap peices of wood or metal...there were mounds of bricks drying along the road, there were bikes and pikis or bodabodas (motorbikes) everywhere, tea and sugar fields, rain forests, bright pink buildings, billboards and Coke signs, Mirinda (Ugandan Soda) signs, vans full of people, garbage and stray dogs along the street, and the Ugandan Police walking around with their guns and directing traffic. It was marvelous and overwhelming and fantastic. If tour buses would stop along the road, locals would run up to the windows and attempt to sell bottled water, and bananas, plantains or meat on a stick...also newspapers and some kind of cards. Once we got to the house, Randy and Rachel helped us bring our stuff into the house, where we moved into our new rooms. My bed is in the girls room, at the end of the hallway...it's the middle of a triple bunkbed. We have a bunch of shelves and a bathroom, with a shower where you have the hold the shower head yourself, and the hot water isn't really hot. I love it. Our room is rather large with white walls, a red tile floor and two windows. There are mosquito nets on all the beds. I share it with Rachel and a girl named Becca, who is also amazing. Kate is another volunteer here and she stays in the room next to ours and then the guys are down the hall...Adam and then Alex, another volunteer. They're all fantastic. Rachel and Randy took us out for lunch, at a place called Two Friends. They have mainly Indian food, and it was all really good. All I ate was rice and a Coke though because I wasn't all that hungry. We came home and showered, unpacked everything, and then played Catch Phrase for awhile. It was all I could do to keep my eyes open so I headed to bed at about 4pm and slept until 5am when I woke up to pouring rain, thunder and lightening, which stopped after about an hour. Then the roosters started crowing, the dogs started barking and howling, the cars started beeping their horns, I could hear music and people and children. We live directly across from a school called Magwa Primary, where Betty's (the lady who cleans for us and does our laundry and other miscellaneous things and is basically the sweetest most lovely lady you will ever meet) younger sister goes to school. Betty has a little boy named Kimbi, he's adorable and runs around half naked. Betty has two chickens that were given to her as a gift and they run around the yard...there's a tree with a tire swing that's broken right now though. I drank some peppermint tea and ate some scones this morning and later today we are headed around town where Randy is going to show us everything, where to exchange money, get on the internet at the cafe, eat, buy food and get our cell phones. This afternoon there is a Suubi Meeting with the women, to buy their necklaces...I'm so excited! So this is where I will end my post...it's gotten rather long and even though I'm sure it was a lot for you to take in and read, what I have written is not even half of what I have already experienced here. It's all very overwhelming, but simple at the same time, and will take a lot to get use to. I am completely in love with this place though...right now I feel like I will never want to leave. Even if it is dirty and busy, it's also lovely and fantastic and the people are basically wonderful. Even if they stare at you for being white! ;) I will try to post pictures next time...with love, Emily
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Goodbye Alaska, Hello Africa!
I leave tomorrow morning! I can hardly believe it. I'm completely packed and basically all ready to go...though I wish I could skip the whole travelling-for-48-hours thing. And just be there. But, I suppose it will feel even more worth it once I finally arrive in that amazing place. Touch down.
Thursday, October 8, 2009
And here...we...go!
I'm off to Uganda in less than a week now! Can you believe it? I sure can't! It feels like just yesterday I was sitting in my room, writing my first blog entry about how I had an entire year to go before I left for Africa, and wondering if I was even going to be accepted into the Suubi program through Light Gives Heat. It really is amazing how time flies! I've already graduated, gone to work at camp all summer, and taken my little side trip to Seattle! I can hardly wait to leave for my trip, but at the same time it is a little bitter sweet. I'm getting to go to a place I've only seen pictures of, a place I've dreamed of since I was twelve...and at the same time I am leaving the ones I love and all things familiar for three months. I know it's going to be utterly fantastic in every sense of the word, but also at times difficult. But I am so blessed to be able to go, and I just know that the people who's lives I will somehow seem to be touching, will move my heart so much more than I will even begin to move theirs...I can hardly wait. Have I mentioned that already? :)
Monday, September 14, 2009
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Moccassins. Scarf. Coffee. Jason Mraz.
That four word title sums up my day perfectly. They are the words that would first come to mind if asked to describe my day. It's Autumn here now, a little bit early for the rest of the world. But I love it. This is by far my favorite time of year and in my book it couldn't be shorter...that's the only downside, it doesn't last long here. I can't get enough of the smell in the air, somehow it's different. And the perfect breeze, not too hot, not too cold...the colored leaves. They are finally their true colors (not to sound cliche or anything)...the purples, golds, reds and oranges that color the mountain sides...as if they were a page in a coloring book that a small child colored all over with, using every shade in their 24-pack of Crayola Crayons. I spent my day doing childcare at the church, and browsing Borders in town while drinking a "Large Hazelnut Toffee Mocha" from Seattle's Best and listening to my freshly-purchased Jason Mraz CD, "We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things." on the drive home in my little orange car. How fantastic. Not an every day occurence, though sometimes I wish it were. Anyways, none of this really matters in the long run, except for the fact that it describes the day that wouldn't be "special" at all, except for the fact that today means, 34 more until I leave for Uganda. This my friends, is very happy. Yes indeed.
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
The beauty of God's creation...through my eyes.
'Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?" And I said, "Here am I. Send me!" ' Isaiah 6:8...36 days.
Well here I am, writing! It's been awhile, I know...I think I'll tend to write a lot more in my posts and probably more often once I am in Uganda. Only 36 days to go! I am so very anxious! I am definitely ready to go, and I am incredibly excited to see what God has for the women of Suubi and also for Rachel and Adam and I as we go on this great adventure!
On another note...I went into town the other day and did a bunch of photography. Here are a few of my favorites!
...Who's to say
What's impossible
Well they forgot
This world keeps spinning
And with each new day
I can feel a change in everything
And as the surface breaks reflections fade
But in some ways they remain the same
And as my mind begins to spread its wings
There's no stopping curiosity
I want to turn the whole thing upside down
I'll find the things they say just can't be found
I'll share this love I find with everyone
We'll sing and dance to Mother Nature's songs
I don't want this feeling to go away...
Upside Down by Jack Johnson
Well here I am, writing! It's been awhile, I know...I think I'll tend to write a lot more in my posts and probably more often once I am in Uganda. Only 36 days to go! I am so very anxious! I am definitely ready to go, and I am incredibly excited to see what God has for the women of Suubi and also for Rachel and Adam and I as we go on this great adventure!
On another note...I went into town the other day and did a bunch of photography. Here are a few of my favorites!
...Who's to say
What's impossible
Well they forgot
This world keeps spinning
And with each new day
I can feel a change in everything
And as the surface breaks reflections fade
But in some ways they remain the same
And as my mind begins to spread its wings
There's no stopping curiosity
I want to turn the whole thing upside down
I'll find the things they say just can't be found
I'll share this love I find with everyone
We'll sing and dance to Mother Nature's songs
I don't want this feeling to go away...
Upside Down by Jack Johnson
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Ephesians 3:16-19 I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.
I don't know how much I can elaborate on this passage...it just seems to say it all and when I stumbled across it while reading my Bible the other night it was a huge encouragement...
I don't know how much I can elaborate on this passage...it just seems to say it all and when I stumbled across it while reading my Bible the other night it was a huge encouragement...
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Spring/Summer Support Letter '09
Dear Friends and Family,
It’s been a while since my last letter, so here I am, writing once again. These last few months have been super busy, full of stress with school, work and Africa preparation…but everything has worked out great, and God has taught me so much through it all!
I am writing this letter to inform you a little more about my trip to Uganda. I recently reserved my flight and will be leaving Alaska in October! I can hardly wait…and everything is beginning to feel real now. It is crazy how fast this year is going by…the fact that it’s already May absolutely amazes me, and October will be here before I know it!
While I am in Uganda, I will be living at a Volunteer House in Jinja, a small town located at the source of the Nile River and on the shores of Lake Victoria. I will be working with some of the women there, who have been effected by the war in Northern Uganda. I will be working with them through a group called Suubi. This group has been put together specifically for these women, by the organization I am going through (Light Gives Heat). The name Suubi means “Hope” in the native language, Lugandan. I will be teaching some English, and helping these women with their businesses, which consist of rolling paper beads and making necklaces to sell at the local market as a source of income for their families. Most of the women in Suubi have been widowed from the war and have several children. Most, if not all, live in a very poverty-stricken area, in a small community not far from where I will be living. I will also have the opportunity to work in an orphanage located in Jinja, called Amani Baby Cottage. I have several other opportunities to help God’s children, in the local hospital and in surrounding neighborhoods and towns as well.
As much as I have been thinking of Uganda, I tend to forget all that comes before it! I have my Graduation, and after that it’s off to Victory again. I probably haven’t informed all of you that I have decided to go back to the Bible Camp where I counseled last Summer. After a lot of prayer, some frustration, and even a few tears, I finally decided to go back. Ministry and missions are where my heart is at, so I couldn’t pass up another opportunity like this. I will be cutting it a little close financially with my trip to Uganda, but as of right now I am sure I will have just enough and I am putting my trust in God. I have faith that He will provide, and that this is what I am suppose to be doing. As I will be quitting my job, I am not sure how some of you will view this decision, but I hope that it doesn’t have any effect on your support of my going to Uganda.
On another note, quite a few of you have asked if I will be keeping a blog while I am over in Uganda…and the answer is, yes, I will. I have already started one, but haven’t written all that much. However, if you have any interest in reading it right now, the web address is: www.lovelettie.blogspot.com
Thank you all so much for your prayer support, and also to those who have donated toward my trip! I truly appreciate it, and no words can describe how thankful I am! This will probably be my last letter until I return home from Victory, and am preparing to leave for Uganda. I pray the Lord blesses your Summer!
With Love in Christ’s Name, Emily
“Now Faith is being sure of what we hope for, and certain of what we do not see.” Hebrews 11:1
My Prayer Requests for this year-
~ While I am at Victory, that God would give me strength and patience, and that the Lord would do amazing things in the hearts of the campers, and the staff as well.
~Also that He would prepare me for my trip to Africa during this time.
~That while traveling to Uganda with Rachel and Adam, we would be safe, stay healthy, make our flights and not lose our luggage.
~While I am in Uganda, that the Lord would use me to serve Him and His people. That I would continue to grow in my relationship with Him, and that I will stay healthy. Please also pray for safety, not just for myself, but for Rachel, Adam and the other volunteers as well. Thank you!
It’s been a while since my last letter, so here I am, writing once again. These last few months have been super busy, full of stress with school, work and Africa preparation…but everything has worked out great, and God has taught me so much through it all!
I am writing this letter to inform you a little more about my trip to Uganda. I recently reserved my flight and will be leaving Alaska in October! I can hardly wait…and everything is beginning to feel real now. It is crazy how fast this year is going by…the fact that it’s already May absolutely amazes me, and October will be here before I know it!
While I am in Uganda, I will be living at a Volunteer House in Jinja, a small town located at the source of the Nile River and on the shores of Lake Victoria. I will be working with some of the women there, who have been effected by the war in Northern Uganda. I will be working with them through a group called Suubi. This group has been put together specifically for these women, by the organization I am going through (Light Gives Heat). The name Suubi means “Hope” in the native language, Lugandan. I will be teaching some English, and helping these women with their businesses, which consist of rolling paper beads and making necklaces to sell at the local market as a source of income for their families. Most of the women in Suubi have been widowed from the war and have several children. Most, if not all, live in a very poverty-stricken area, in a small community not far from where I will be living. I will also have the opportunity to work in an orphanage located in Jinja, called Amani Baby Cottage. I have several other opportunities to help God’s children, in the local hospital and in surrounding neighborhoods and towns as well.
As much as I have been thinking of Uganda, I tend to forget all that comes before it! I have my Graduation, and after that it’s off to Victory again. I probably haven’t informed all of you that I have decided to go back to the Bible Camp where I counseled last Summer. After a lot of prayer, some frustration, and even a few tears, I finally decided to go back. Ministry and missions are where my heart is at, so I couldn’t pass up another opportunity like this. I will be cutting it a little close financially with my trip to Uganda, but as of right now I am sure I will have just enough and I am putting my trust in God. I have faith that He will provide, and that this is what I am suppose to be doing. As I will be quitting my job, I am not sure how some of you will view this decision, but I hope that it doesn’t have any effect on your support of my going to Uganda.
On another note, quite a few of you have asked if I will be keeping a blog while I am over in Uganda…and the answer is, yes, I will. I have already started one, but haven’t written all that much. However, if you have any interest in reading it right now, the web address is: www.lovelettie.blogspot.com
Thank you all so much for your prayer support, and also to those who have donated toward my trip! I truly appreciate it, and no words can describe how thankful I am! This will probably be my last letter until I return home from Victory, and am preparing to leave for Uganda. I pray the Lord blesses your Summer!
With Love in Christ’s Name, Emily
“Now Faith is being sure of what we hope for, and certain of what we do not see.” Hebrews 11:1
My Prayer Requests for this year-
~ While I am at Victory, that God would give me strength and patience, and that the Lord would do amazing things in the hearts of the campers, and the staff as well.
~Also that He would prepare me for my trip to Africa during this time.
~That while traveling to Uganda with Rachel and Adam, we would be safe, stay healthy, make our flights and not lose our luggage.
~While I am in Uganda, that the Lord would use me to serve Him and His people. That I would continue to grow in my relationship with Him, and that I will stay healthy. Please also pray for safety, not just for myself, but for Rachel, Adam and the other volunteers as well. Thank you!
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Stuff Christians Like
Oh gosh, so I don't know if any of you read the blog "Stuff Christians Like"...but it's amazing, and if you don't, then you should. HA! There's a link for it toward the bottom of this page. Anyways, I was reading this post with my friend Emily Allen on Saturday morning, and it was just so fantastic, I had to put it up here. So you should read it!
Remix #256 Mission Trip Fundraising Letters (And why I should write your next one)
Remix #256 Mission Trip Fundraising Letters (And why I should write your next one)
Friday, March 20, 2009
Through Painted Deserts
I haven't written in a rather long time! I guess recently, going to Uganda in October is becoming more and more of a reality! My excitement is definitely increasing by the day, and I think about it even more (as if that was possible in the first place!)...
I'm on the verge of purchasing my plane ticket...Light Gives Heat has been updating and redoing a few things...and I have noticed how much of a blessing sending in my application last Fall was! They have changed their policy so that, if I had sent in my application earlier this year, I would not have been able to go with their organization. I feel very blessed to have everything work out so well thus far! God is good!
Right now I am reading one of Don Miller's books..."Through Painted Deserts". I haven't gotten very far yet, but it is basically amazing! What really struck me, or what really got through to me, was the author's note. It was positively lovely and all about just living your life, and not worrying so much about everything in the long run...well, to an extent....you can't have these days back. We are never coming back to them. This last few minutes of typing, is never going to be returned to me. I felt as if I could definitely relate...or it was as if he was speaking to me, as an individual, rather than to an audience. After I thought about it, I suppose it made me realize that I am not alone in my wonderings and thoughts and feelings and desire of greater, bigger things...and travel, and the wantings to do things and go places and explore this place the Lord has brought me into.
"We read books to know we are not alone." -C.S. Lewis
Once More, Lettie
I'm on the verge of purchasing my plane ticket...Light Gives Heat has been updating and redoing a few things...and I have noticed how much of a blessing sending in my application last Fall was! They have changed their policy so that, if I had sent in my application earlier this year, I would not have been able to go with their organization. I feel very blessed to have everything work out so well thus far! God is good!
Right now I am reading one of Don Miller's books..."Through Painted Deserts". I haven't gotten very far yet, but it is basically amazing! What really struck me, or what really got through to me, was the author's note. It was positively lovely and all about just living your life, and not worrying so much about everything in the long run...well, to an extent....you can't have these days back. We are never coming back to them. This last few minutes of typing, is never going to be returned to me. I felt as if I could definitely relate...or it was as if he was speaking to me, as an individual, rather than to an audience. After I thought about it, I suppose it made me realize that I am not alone in my wonderings and thoughts and feelings and desire of greater, bigger things...and travel, and the wantings to do things and go places and explore this place the Lord has brought me into.
"We read books to know we are not alone." -C.S. Lewis
Once More, Lettie
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Ecclesiastes 4:12
Last Sunday morning my Pastor spoke about how all Christians are connected, their hearts and souls and dreams and thoughts and feelings and their fellowship, no matter how different. And he talked about how We all need each other. From the moment a new Christian accepts Jesus as His Savior, He is connected with, and able to share with all other Christians, even if they are half way around the world. And here is a verse he used:
Ecclesiastes 4:12
By yourself you're unprotected.
With a friend you can face the worst.
Can you round up a third?
A three-stranded rope isn't easily snapped.
This verse hit close to my heart, because I am going to Africa with two other friends, Adam and Rachel...there are three of us. And this is an amazing adventure we are going on together! I loved it. And I love how God uses the most random things to remind us of His love. Anyways, just kind of a thought or two. Until next time- EmilyChristel
Ecclesiastes 4:12
By yourself you're unprotected.
With a friend you can face the worst.
Can you round up a third?
A three-stranded rope isn't easily snapped.
This verse hit close to my heart, because I am going to Africa with two other friends, Adam and Rachel...there are three of us. And this is an amazing adventure we are going on together! I loved it. And I love how God uses the most random things to remind us of His love. Anyways, just kind of a thought or two. Until next time- EmilyChristel
Monday, January 26, 2009
By Your Side
Dear Lord Jesus, You are amazing. Why do I fear? Why am I afraid when I know you are with me always?
Here is a song that I love, when I first heard it, it brought me to tears...
Why are you striving these days
Why are you trying to earn grace
Why are you crying
Let me lift up your face
Just don't turn away
Here is a song that I love, when I first heard it, it brought me to tears...
Why are you striving these days
Why are you trying to earn grace
Why are you crying
Let me lift up your face
Just don't turn away
Why are you looking for love
Why are you still searching as if I'm not enough
To where will you go child
Tell me where will you run
To where will you run
And I'll be by your side
Wherever you fall
In the dead of night
Whenever you call
And please don't fight
These hands that are holding you
My hands are holding you
Look at these hands and my side
They swallowed the grave on that night
When I drank the world's sin
So I could carry you in
And give you life
I want to give you life
Cause I, I love you
I want you to know
That I, I love you
I'll never let you go
By Your Side - Tenth Avenue North
Why are you still searching as if I'm not enough
To where will you go child
Tell me where will you run
To where will you run
And I'll be by your side
Wherever you fall
In the dead of night
Whenever you call
And please don't fight
These hands that are holding you
My hands are holding you
Look at these hands and my side
They swallowed the grave on that night
When I drank the world's sin
So I could carry you in
And give you life
I want to give you life
Cause I, I love you
I want you to know
That I, I love you
I'll never let you go
By Your Side - Tenth Avenue North
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Winter '09 Support Letter
Winter 2009
Dear, Dear Friends and Family!
I am writing to you as I prepare to make my long journey to Jinja, Uganda in October of this year…I am so very excited! This is something I have longed to do, and have felt called to do, since I was twelve years old. When I was younger, I can remember thinking, “Only six more years…”…and it seemed so far off, too far off! But here I am, months before I get to embark on this incredible adventure, to serve our Lord in a land that has been in my dreams since I was that young girl (I still am, I realize)…but not quite as young. I have never been very patient (when it came to anticipating something big!), but I have made it this far.
Thankfully, I am able to graduate a year early, in May…which also means Africa a year early. While contemplating what to do with my life after I graduated from high school, I realized, college did not feel right, just yet…and so I decided to do what my heart had been telling me to do for years…and I am so happy to say that everything is coming along smoothly! I sent in my application to the organization I am going through, Light Gives Heat; Project Suubi (The word “Hope” in Lugandan, Uganda’s Native language, though I hear most everyone speaks English, which will be a total blessing, not having much of a language barrier!) in October of 2008, and was accepted right away! Praise God! And then a few weeks ago I proceeded to mail in my Passport application, so that is on its way (I am praying!). All that is left is for me to buy my plane ticket and complete a few miniscule details and tasks…and some not so small. The more I think about it, the more they keep piling up, but hopefully everything will work out in time.
I have no greater desire than to go over to this place, located right on Lake Victoria, the source of the Nile (also right on the Equator, mercy!)…and care and love on and give some kind of hope to these amazing people God calls His children! They are so broken and scarred, and I just know they will teach me so much in the three months I am over there…I feel as though, instead of me bringing them hope, they will bring me hope. I am just praying that the Lord does amazing things during my time over there, as well as before and afterwards!
I would like to thank all of you for your support in prayer! I would not be able to do this without you! I thank the Lord that He blessed me with the most amazing people in life…and I pray that He continues to bless each of you, as well as your families. I also pray that He reveals Himself to you, in incredible ways this year. So, thank you for your prayers! They mean so much!
Thank you also for your support financially. I am not planning on sending out financial support letters…thankfully the Lord blessed me with a part time job this last Fall, so I am able to finish up High School and also earn money for my trip to Uganda. However, if you feel led to support me financially in even the smallest way, it would be greatly appreciated! Please pray about it before you take the action to donate money towards my trip…if you feel lead to, then you can e-mail me at: ... And if you decide you would like to offer some financial help while I am away, you can reach my parents by e-mail at: ... They will be able to work things out with you from there!
Again, thank you so very much! I am praying for you, and will be sending another letter out sometime in the near future, with a little bit more information.
With Love in Christ, Emily Christel
“If people cannot see what God is doing, they stumble all over themselves; but when they attend to what He reveals, they are most blessed.” Proverbs 29:18 The Message
Dear, Dear Friends and Family!
I am writing to you as I prepare to make my long journey to Jinja, Uganda in October of this year…I am so very excited! This is something I have longed to do, and have felt called to do, since I was twelve years old. When I was younger, I can remember thinking, “Only six more years…”…and it seemed so far off, too far off! But here I am, months before I get to embark on this incredible adventure, to serve our Lord in a land that has been in my dreams since I was that young girl (I still am, I realize)…but not quite as young. I have never been very patient (when it came to anticipating something big!), but I have made it this far.
Thankfully, I am able to graduate a year early, in May…which also means Africa a year early. While contemplating what to do with my life after I graduated from high school, I realized, college did not feel right, just yet…and so I decided to do what my heart had been telling me to do for years…and I am so happy to say that everything is coming along smoothly! I sent in my application to the organization I am going through, Light Gives Heat; Project Suubi (The word “Hope” in Lugandan, Uganda’s Native language, though I hear most everyone speaks English, which will be a total blessing, not having much of a language barrier!) in October of 2008, and was accepted right away! Praise God! And then a few weeks ago I proceeded to mail in my Passport application, so that is on its way (I am praying!). All that is left is for me to buy my plane ticket and complete a few miniscule details and tasks…and some not so small. The more I think about it, the more they keep piling up, but hopefully everything will work out in time.
I have no greater desire than to go over to this place, located right on Lake Victoria, the source of the Nile (also right on the Equator, mercy!)…and care and love on and give some kind of hope to these amazing people God calls His children! They are so broken and scarred, and I just know they will teach me so much in the three months I am over there…I feel as though, instead of me bringing them hope, they will bring me hope. I am just praying that the Lord does amazing things during my time over there, as well as before and afterwards!
I would like to thank all of you for your support in prayer! I would not be able to do this without you! I thank the Lord that He blessed me with the most amazing people in life…and I pray that He continues to bless each of you, as well as your families. I also pray that He reveals Himself to you, in incredible ways this year. So, thank you for your prayers! They mean so much!
Thank you also for your support financially. I am not planning on sending out financial support letters…thankfully the Lord blessed me with a part time job this last Fall, so I am able to finish up High School and also earn money for my trip to Uganda. However, if you feel led to support me financially in even the smallest way, it would be greatly appreciated! Please pray about it before you take the action to donate money towards my trip…if you feel lead to, then you can e-mail me at: ... And if you decide you would like to offer some financial help while I am away, you can reach my parents by e-mail at: ... They will be able to work things out with you from there!
Again, thank you so very much! I am praying for you, and will be sending another letter out sometime in the near future, with a little bit more information.
With Love in Christ, Emily Christel
“If people cannot see what God is doing, they stumble all over themselves; but when they attend to what He reveals, they are most blessed.” Proverbs 29:18 The Message
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