I think I am slowly losing my ability to stay up past the hour of 11 pm and function properly the next day. When I think about the fact that last semester it was a very rare occasion if I got to bed before one in the morning, I wonder how I did it. It is now ten minutes to eleven and I am really fighting sleep. Once the sun goes down, it is not long until you call it a day.
With Friday right around the corner, and even more strangely the month of March coming on Saturday, I truly wonder, 'Where has time gone?' The reality that I will be going home in a little more than 2 months is rather startling, given the fact that I have no clue where the first 2 months went.
Training with the office cleaning staff has been going so much better, I am just amazed. Today, the translator did not show up, so the training was difficult at times because my Lugandan is practically non-existent, but it was one of the best sessions yet. I did know the word for "plastic bag" and people were very impressed. I was pretty proud of myself.
This evening, I went to the family group that I have been associated with and ended up leading the family devotions. I was the only adult there and I was just a little bit intimidated. I don't know why I was, because I have dealt with that age of children before. When it was time for me to start, the only thing I could say was "well, the pressure is on." Sometimes I find myself being so muzungu, I would like to have the ability to rewind and start again. After I gave up trying to explain what I meant by "the pressure is on," I started devotions.
After devotions, the children and I ate posho (I don't know the exact spelling of this one, but posho is maize flour that is prepared in a way so that it resembles mashed potatoes, but oh my it doesn't taste like mashed potatoes. It tastes like nothing) and beans. I tried my best to be Ugandan so I ate with my hands and surprisingly, I have improved since my traditional meal. But I have to say that the fork is one of greatest inventions of all time.
My eyes are still open and it is now almost eleven thirty, I think my ability to stay up is there but slowly diminishing. Since it took me 40 minutes to write this measly little blog, my brain function at late hours is still being evaluated.
Monday February 25th
I knew that this weekend was too good to be true. On Sunday, I was able to go to
After all the shopping was completed, Ann and I went The American Club. Oh my, it was amazing. We got to go swimming and I don’t how they do it, but the sun there actually felt good, rather that it’s usual sweltering hotness. I tried getting my radiantly white legs a little tan, but alas. Since I wear skirts all the time, I shouldn’t be so vain about how blinding my legs really are. After a hot shower in the pool changing room, I thought the day could not get any better. Well, let me tell you, it did. I was going to be very disappointed if this club that calls itself The “American” Club did not have ice cream, but good old
This morning came and snapped me back from the la la land of sun bathing, hot showers and cold ice cream. A lot of emails needed replies and questions needed to be answered. I was assigned to develop an office cleaning schedule and train the staff at the administration building. I think I set my expectations a little too high. First of all, the training was to start right after the lunch break. Well, the training didn’t start until 3:00 and this only gave me 45 minutes to go through the cleaning schedule, explain the expectations, and answer any questions they had because I had to fill in as a small group leader at the secondary school bible study. The language barrier has proven to be a definite obstacle. I had to speak to the ladies through a translator, so everything takes twice as long. So, tomorrow I will hopefully spend the first 3 hours of work thoroughly going through the cleaning schedule again and doing more demonstrations of what is expected. I came home very frustrated and distraught, but
Tonight while I was helping prepare supper, Ann came running into the house and said that the neighbor’s animals were out in the field right by our house. The reason for her excitement was that one of the animals was a sheep (it kind of looks like a sheep/goat cross, but I think one of the reasons they look so different is because the tails of these “sheep” haven’t been docked) and it had just given birth to twin lambs that morning. So the two lambs and the mom were just prancing (well the lambs were doing more wobbling than prancing) around right by our house and Ann wanted a picture. So I went with her and we ran after this poor little goat-looking sheep and its two babies, while the long-horned cattle and donkeys looked on. Ann was the real “cowgirl” and picked up one of the lambs and got her picture. Ann then gave the lamb to me and I got my picture with the brand new lamb.
Before I left for
Friday February 22nd
What a week! I am so thankful that tomorrow is Saturday.
With the team gone, I thought that this week would be a little more quiet, but was I wrong.
I was planning on going to Kampala on Thursday to do shopping for some of the staff at New Hope. I had to go in on Wednesday instead because of a slight medical emergency. The emergency did not involve me, but since I was going in to do shopping, the person came in with me to get checked out. Let me tell you, I have a new attitude of gratitude for the medical care in America. The technology, sanitation procedures, and just utter convenience of the health care in the U.S. is amazing compared to what was in Kampala. After stopping at 1 grocery story, and spending 7 hours in 3 clinics, I was finally able to head back to Kasana. Not all of the shopping got done, but the medical emergency turned out to be okay in the end, and personally, that is all that mattered.
We left Kampala at around 7:00 pm and I hope I never have to leave Kampala that late ever again. The sun sets at around 7:30 pm, so leaving at this time only gave us a mere 30 minutes of good sunlight to make our way through the chaos. I am so surprised that I have fingernails left, because I was so nervous while the driver was playing chicken with everyone on the road. The roads are so bad that everyone is constantly swerving in and out to avoid the potholes and at night, it is absolute madness. Praise God that we made it back safely, because multiple times I wasn't too sure how the game of chicken would end up. I was wondering today why my muscles are strangely sore, but I figured it out...my body was tensed up for the entire ride home from Kampala. Traveling definitely is the most dangerous aspect of my job here...unless you upset a hippo...
Thursday and today were filled with much to be done for the upcoming teams and visitors. The emails piled up, due to the interruption of the internet system here.
Now, I am going to try to answer some of the questions that people have posted:
There was a question about the Ugandans' attitude toward me.
-Ugandans are very friendly and very sensitive. If you don't greet them in the morning, they might think that you are mad at them. So, greeting is a must. I am a little too American though. If I have a question for someone, I want to get in and out and not bother them, but I really should greet them all properly before I ask anything. One Ugandan said to me that I get things done very quickly. I don't think of myself as Flash, but everything is done at a much slower pace compared to in America. But mostly, they just think that I am a crazy muzungu.
There was a question about the baby house:
-The baby house currently takes care of 10 babies and there are two ladies who work there full time. They take care of the babies and the manager (who is our neighbor) likes for the full time ladies to get the weekends off. That is why I was able to have "a baby for a day." They usually like people to pick a baby up on Saturday afternoon and bring the baby back on Sunday around 6 pm. This gives the full time staff a time to relax and regain sanity.
Well, all my muffins are finished so I am going to call it a day. Have a Great weekend everyone and if you remember, say an extra prayer for me on Sunday as I am going to Kampala yet again.
With the team gone, I thought that this week would be a little more quiet, but was I wrong.
I was planning on going to Kampala on Thursday to do shopping for some of the staff at New Hope. I had to go in on Wednesday instead because of a slight medical emergency. The emergency did not involve me, but since I was going in to do shopping, the person came in with me to get checked out. Let me tell you, I have a new attitude of gratitude for the medical care in America. The technology, sanitation procedures, and just utter convenience of the health care in the U.S. is amazing compared to what was in Kampala. After stopping at 1 grocery story, and spending 7 hours in 3 clinics, I was finally able to head back to Kasana. Not all of the shopping got done, but the medical emergency turned out to be okay in the end, and personally, that is all that mattered.
We left Kampala at around 7:00 pm and I hope I never have to leave Kampala that late ever again. The sun sets at around 7:30 pm, so leaving at this time only gave us a mere 30 minutes of good sunlight to make our way through the chaos. I am so surprised that I have fingernails left, because I was so nervous while the driver was playing chicken with everyone on the road. The roads are so bad that everyone is constantly swerving in and out to avoid the potholes and at night, it is absolute madness. Praise God that we made it back safely, because multiple times I wasn't too sure how the game of chicken would end up. I was wondering today why my muscles are strangely sore, but I figured it out...my body was tensed up for the entire ride home from Kampala. Traveling definitely is the most dangerous aspect of my job here...unless you upset a hippo...
Thursday and today were filled with much to be done for the upcoming teams and visitors. The emails piled up, due to the interruption of the internet system here.
Now, I am going to try to answer some of the questions that people have posted:
There was a question about the Ugandans' attitude toward me.
-Ugandans are very friendly and very sensitive. If you don't greet them in the morning, they might think that you are mad at them. So, greeting is a must. I am a little too American though. If I have a question for someone, I want to get in and out and not bother them, but I really should greet them all properly before I ask anything. One Ugandan said to me that I get things done very quickly. I don't think of myself as Flash, but everything is done at a much slower pace compared to in America. But mostly, they just think that I am a crazy muzungu.
There was a question about the baby house:
-The baby house currently takes care of 10 babies and there are two ladies who work there full time. They take care of the babies and the manager (who is our neighbor) likes for the full time ladies to get the weekends off. That is why I was able to have "a baby for a day." They usually like people to pick a baby up on Saturday afternoon and bring the baby back on Sunday around 6 pm. This gives the full time staff a time to relax and regain sanity.
Well, all my muffins are finished so I am going to call it a day. Have a Great weekend everyone and if you remember, say an extra prayer for me on Sunday as I am going to Kampala yet again.
Tuesday February 19th
I wrote this blog two nights ago and just when I tried to post it, the network shut down. I ask God for patience, and He gives me internet. So, here I am, back by popular demand.
Well, I have survived hosting my first ever safari. It was absolutely amazing. With only a few mishaps, everyone made it back safe, very tired, but very capable to change a flat tire when needed...I will explain.
We all left Kasana at 5 am in order to catch the ferry across the Nile at 12 noon. If we didn't get on that ferry, we would have missed our boat ride down the Nile. 4 hours into our trip everything had gone so smoothly, I was amazed. We were about an hour away from the River Nile when we got a flat tire. So, we were changing a flat tire in the middle of the African bush. The tire change went remarkably quick and we made it on the 11 am ferry, which put us ahead of schedule, so everything worked out well.
Everyone got checked into the hotel and everything looked good. We had lunch and were getting ready for our 2 pm boat ride down the Nile. Well, at 1:55 our driver still wasn't there to take us down to the boat. The Nile really wasn't that far from our hotel (probably about 400 yards) but we were not advised to just walk down there because the hippos and elephants are very free-roaming. I wasn't really concerned about the elephants, but the hippos, well that's another story. Every year, more people are killed by hippos in Africa than by any other animal (that was the last statistic I have heard). Thankfully, our driver showed up and raced us down to the boat dock just in time to wait. I don't know why the hotel staff told us that we needed to be on time for everything when everyone is on "Ugandan" time. So, once again we waited. Our wait was entertained by elephants that were remarkably close to us and a little scare from a hippo.
The boat ride down the Nile was absolutely amazing. We saw so many animals, including wart hogs, crocodiles, and plenty of hippos. How can a creature that looks like you could cuddle it be a killing machine? The boat ride went as far as Murchison Falls and came back. I was a little disappointed that we weren't able go get closer to the falls, but it was still impressive.
Now I can say that I have spent Valentine's Day on the Nile. Sometimes, I just had to stop and think, 'I am in Africa and I am on the River Nile.' I was in a place that I have only read about and have always wanted to be, but the fact that I was there and I am in Africa still seems a little surreal. I guess that it is the "Small town girl" in me.
The next morning came quietly and very early. Somehow I knew that it was going to be anything but quiet. The game drive was so much fun. We saw African buffalo, giraffes, baboons, elephants, Jackson's hartebeests, orbis, the Ugandan kob, (which is the official animal of Uganda...i think that's what our guide told us), the Defassa waterbuck, a few other types of monkeys, and lions (everyone said they saw them, but I could not see them, they were so far away and must have been looking in the wrong spot, so I'll just say that the mounds of dirt were lions).
Sadly, the game drive ended and we had to get on the ferry to cross the Nile, so that we would start to make our way home. While we were waiting for the ferry to come, we were just checking out the hippos that were in the water just below us. Katie (the other host) and I decided to get a better picture of the hippo, so we walked closer. I'll just say that the hippo made it known that he really didn't want us that close and kind of gave us a run for our money. He got out of the water and that was all that I saw because I turned and ran, as did Katie. The hippo didn't make it completely out of the water, but was just wanting to show us who was boss. I have learned my lesson about how those "cuddly looking animals" really aren't so cuddly.
On our way out of the park, we drove to the top of Murchison Falls. What a sight to behold! To see that much water go through something so narrow is incredible. I can try to describe it but my explanation would just not do justice.
After exiting the park, we had to stop in a town called Masindi to change tire number 2. This stop was welcomed, as the gas station has restrooms (western style even) and snacks (including ice cream, so Betsy you can have some). An hour later, we were back on the road to drive the last 4 hours back to Kasana.
40 minutes out of Masindi, tire number 3 needed to be changed. This tire was a blow out and thankfully our driver had repaired the spare tire back at a gas station near our hotel. 45 minutes later, we were back on the road and by the grace of God made it back to Kasana without anymore flat tires.
Hosting my first safari was definitely a learning experience. This was the first safari that Katie or I had ever been on, but we made it and the team really had a good time.
The team left Saturday morning at 4:30 and it really was sad to see them go. It is crazy how one can get so attached to 16 complete strangers in the course of two short weeks.
Thank you all for your question in your comments. I will be posting the answers to them in my next blog.
All in all, my first safari was an experience that was truly unforgettable. For Christmas, I didn't get a hippo like I wanted, but I did get one for Valentine's Day.
Tuesday February 12th
Well, no bat attacks this week so far. It has been pretty low key in animal kingdom.
It is so hard to think that one month ago today, I said good bye to my family and left for this foreign land. This foreign land has become so much "my home" now. My mom is probably not too happy to hear me say that. Who knows, maybe some day I will call this my home for longer than 4 months. I never know where God is going to take me.
On Thursday, Katie (a staff member who has been here for the past 7 months) and I will be hosting the team on Safari. I am so excited to have this amazing opportunity. I just can't believe that I am going to be hosting people from all over the U.S. on Safari in Africa.
We got our refrigerator today and wow, it is beautiful. It is not hooked up to the gas yet, but just the thought of ice cubes makes me smile. If only the Schwan's man could deliver to Uganda, then life would be complete.
With this week not having any monumental animal encounters, I just don't know what to write about. If there is anything that anyone would like me to write about, feel free to comment about it.
It is so hard to think that one month ago today, I said good bye to my family and left for this foreign land. This foreign land has become so much "my home" now. My mom is probably not too happy to hear me say that. Who knows, maybe some day I will call this my home for longer than 4 months. I never know where God is going to take me.
On Thursday, Katie (a staff member who has been here for the past 7 months) and I will be hosting the team on Safari. I am so excited to have this amazing opportunity. I just can't believe that I am going to be hosting people from all over the U.S. on Safari in Africa.
We got our refrigerator today and wow, it is beautiful. It is not hooked up to the gas yet, but just the thought of ice cubes makes me smile. If only the Schwan's man could deliver to Uganda, then life would be complete.
With this week not having any monumental animal encounters, I just don't know what to write about. If there is anything that anyone would like me to write about, feel free to comment about it.
Sunday February 10th
It has been a while since my last entry partly because I have been busy and also my internet connection has been a little sketchy (This is Africa after all)
Currently, one of the team members is sitting right next to me and giggling about everything I am saying. Britton, who is 5, is having a laugh attack and just can't stop. He came with his mom and sister. I am amazed how well these two kids have adjusted to Ugandan life.
Before church this morning, one of the team members (Joanna) and I went next door to the baby house and got to take a baby for the day. Joanna had Hope, a 3 month old little girl and I had Lillian who is 6 months. They were so good and we had a lot of fun today.
The past week has been quite eventful. On Tuesday we finally got electricity. Wednesday night, Ann (my roommate who is a nurse) got attacked by a lizard, well not exactly attacked, but he jumped on her neck, scaring her half to death and we still don't know where he ended up. Thursday morning I was greeted at 6:30 am by a bat trying to attack me. This was an actual attack. Whenever I tried to get out of the bathroom, it would fly right towards my head. I finally managed to escape without being touched, thankfully because I was bright enough (I wouldn't really call this a very intelligent thing) to grab a towel and throw it over my head while running out of the bathroom. It was the only thing I could think of to save myself from being touched by that hideous creature, because I knew if I would have been touched by it, I would have been on the 1st jet home. (You can ask my mom about that one) So in the end, brave Joanna and Ann took a broom and swatted him out of the bathroom and out of our house without being touched. Meanwhile, I had found a thicker more substantial quilt to cover myself with. Little did everyone know, I was shooing the bat out of the house with the waving of the quilt. I like to think I am brave.
I think that was the end of animal kingdom here. By the way, the snake from the picture I posted earlier has been identified as a baby python. It was only about 4 feet long or so. But we have a much bigger one living in the tree behind our house.
Today, we got word that we will be getting a refrigerator on Tuesday! We are so excited, we can hardly stand it. For the past month, we have been at the mercy of our next door neighbor to house all of our refrigerated/frozen goods. It is going to be so good to finally have this appliance I used to just take for granted.
Yesterday afternoon, Joanna and I decided to be brave souls and go to Kiwoko market on boda bodas. A boda boda is like a moped and is a very common mode of transportation here. The procedure for hitching a ride on one of these things is to stand on the side of the road and wait for one to come. When you see that it is empty, you motion for the driver to stop and ask him if he is going to wherever. Well, we started walking to Kiwoko and got half way there before an empty boda boda came along. We were really hoping that we both could ride together and thankfully we could. Joanna was wearing a longer skirt, so she had to straddle the seat and I rode it properly, side saddle. We made it to Kiwoko safe and sound and got the things that we needed to buy. There were so many people there, it was crazy.
The ride back was much easier to catch because the boda boda drivers were just waiting to take people back to wherever. We jumped on and off we went. With a little scare at the end of our journey, we made it home unharmed. It was really fun and I would definitely do it again.
This week is going to be very busy again as the team is finishing up projects and going on Safari on the 14th and 15th. The team has been doing so well, I am very impressed. I only hope every team will be this productive and flexible.
Now that I realize how much I have written, I can say that I am officially over my writer's block.
Currently, one of the team members is sitting right next to me and giggling about everything I am saying. Britton, who is 5, is having a laugh attack and just can't stop. He came with his mom and sister. I am amazed how well these two kids have adjusted to Ugandan life.
Before church this morning, one of the team members (Joanna) and I went next door to the baby house and got to take a baby for the day. Joanna had Hope, a 3 month old little girl and I had Lillian who is 6 months. They were so good and we had a lot of fun today.
The past week has been quite eventful. On Tuesday we finally got electricity. Wednesday night, Ann (my roommate who is a nurse) got attacked by a lizard, well not exactly attacked, but he jumped on her neck, scaring her half to death and we still don't know where he ended up. Thursday morning I was greeted at 6:30 am by a bat trying to attack me. This was an actual attack. Whenever I tried to get out of the bathroom, it would fly right towards my head. I finally managed to escape without being touched, thankfully because I was bright enough (I wouldn't really call this a very intelligent thing) to grab a towel and throw it over my head while running out of the bathroom. It was the only thing I could think of to save myself from being touched by that hideous creature, because I knew if I would have been touched by it, I would have been on the 1st jet home. (You can ask my mom about that one) So in the end, brave Joanna and Ann took a broom and swatted him out of the bathroom and out of our house without being touched. Meanwhile, I had found a thicker more substantial quilt to cover myself with. Little did everyone know, I was shooing the bat out of the house with the waving of the quilt. I like to think I am brave.
I think that was the end of animal kingdom here. By the way, the snake from the picture I posted earlier has been identified as a baby python. It was only about 4 feet long or so. But we have a much bigger one living in the tree behind our house.
Today, we got word that we will be getting a refrigerator on Tuesday! We are so excited, we can hardly stand it. For the past month, we have been at the mercy of our next door neighbor to house all of our refrigerated/frozen goods. It is going to be so good to finally have this appliance I used to just take for granted.
Yesterday afternoon, Joanna and I decided to be brave souls and go to Kiwoko market on boda bodas. A boda boda is like a moped and is a very common mode of transportation here. The procedure for hitching a ride on one of these things is to stand on the side of the road and wait for one to come. When you see that it is empty, you motion for the driver to stop and ask him if he is going to wherever. Well, we started walking to Kiwoko and got half way there before an empty boda boda came along. We were really hoping that we both could ride together and thankfully we could. Joanna was wearing a longer skirt, so she had to straddle the seat and I rode it properly, side saddle. We made it to Kiwoko safe and sound and got the things that we needed to buy. There were so many people there, it was crazy.
The ride back was much easier to catch because the boda boda drivers were just waiting to take people back to wherever. We jumped on and off we went. With a little scare at the end of our journey, we made it home unharmed. It was really fun and I would definitely do it again.
This week is going to be very busy again as the team is finishing up projects and going on Safari on the 14th and 15th. The team has been doing so well, I am very impressed. I only hope every team will be this productive and flexible.
Now that I realize how much I have written, I can say that I am officially over my writer's block.
Wednesday February 6th
Power at last! This afternoon we had our solar batteries installed and now it is official: we have electricity. It is amazing how much I appreciate it now that I have it. So currently I am typing this blog at 9:30 in the evening while my computer is charging and a lamp (instead of a candle) is lighting the living room.
Some of the team members went to family groups. One of the team members went with me to the family group that I have been involved with and she really enjoyed it. The kids were so happy to see some new faces
I am having a bit of a writer's block (I don't consider myself much of a writer, but oh well), so I am going to sign out for tonight.
Some of the team members went to family groups. One of the team members went with me to the family group that I have been involved with and she really enjoyed it. The kids were so happy to see some new faces
I am having a bit of a writer's block (I don't consider myself much of a writer, but oh well), so I am going to sign out for tonight.
Tuesday February 5th
The past few days have been so hot here, but I'm sure those of you back in the states feel little or no sympathy for me. Well, all I can say is that I wish for a bit of the cold every once in a while. The cold showers don't even feel remotely brisk anymore.
Monday morning, Gary, the driver, and I left Kasana at 5 am to pick up the team in Entebbe. We had to drive through Kampala to get to Entebbe, so as always, Kampala was fast and furious. The plane arrived in good time and all the luggage was found. Even though all the luggage made it through the transporting, not everything in the luggage did. So after the proper paperwork was filled out, we left the airport to go eat, and go craft shopping before making our way to Kasana.
After a long and tiring day, we all made it safely there. It was really fun to see the looks on everyone's faces as we were driving through all the insane traffic and through the beautiful countryside. That was me only 3 weeks ago. But it really feels as if I have been here for much longer.
This morning was filled with a lot of activities for the jet-lagged team to embrace. At 8 am, there was a receiving ceremony for the new children at Kasana. All the new kids (I think there were 67 in all) came up to the front and the staff parents prayed for them individually. To see all the children who have lost so much and being welcomed into such a loving home was really amazing. It made me stop and realize why I am here.
After the ceremony, they had orientation, followed by a quick tour of Kasana and then it was off to work. The day just flew by and now it is time for me to say good night.
Thank you again for all of your thoughts, prayers and messages. I really appreciate them all. It is time for bed, and thankfully the temperature has dropped to 80.
Monday morning, Gary, the driver, and I left Kasana at 5 am to pick up the team in Entebbe. We had to drive through Kampala to get to Entebbe, so as always, Kampala was fast and furious. The plane arrived in good time and all the luggage was found. Even though all the luggage made it through the transporting, not everything in the luggage did. So after the proper paperwork was filled out, we left the airport to go eat, and go craft shopping before making our way to Kasana.
After a long and tiring day, we all made it safely there. It was really fun to see the looks on everyone's faces as we were driving through all the insane traffic and through the beautiful countryside. That was me only 3 weeks ago. But it really feels as if I have been here for much longer.
This morning was filled with a lot of activities for the jet-lagged team to embrace. At 8 am, there was a receiving ceremony for the new children at Kasana. All the new kids (I think there were 67 in all) came up to the front and the staff parents prayed for them individually. To see all the children who have lost so much and being welcomed into such a loving home was really amazing. It made me stop and realize why I am here.
After the ceremony, they had orientation, followed by a quick tour of Kasana and then it was off to work. The day just flew by and now it is time for me to say good night.
Thank you again for all of your thoughts, prayers and messages. I really appreciate them all. It is time for bed, and thankfully the temperature has dropped to 80.
Friday February 1st
It was 90+ today, and tonight it has cooled to a nice 78 degrees.
I can't believe that it is Friday night already. This week has gone by so fast, but thank goodness the weekend lies ahead of me. Nancy and I have been really busy getting ready for the team that is coming on Monday The original plan was to have the men on the team stay in tents, while keeping the women in some on-site housing that was available. But with the early rains we have been getting, the fear of malaria made us consider Plan B. The team will be staying with some staff, some on-site housing, and everywhere else in between. A lot of planning and preparation goes into all of this, so I am definitely learning a lot. 5 a.m. Monday morning, Gary Wood and I are will be going to Kampala to pick up the team in Entebbe. I am excited for the team to come, but not excited about the 5 a.m. departure. But the team will probably be more tired than I.
On Wednesday, something happened that will be forever engrained in my memory. I started out the day by helping a lady in the child sponsorship program photograph the new children that are coming in. My job was to write a quick description of what they were wearing so if the pictures came back out of order, we would have a pretty good clue about who was who. All the children were lining up by Jill, the lady who works in child sponsorship, and I. Jill had told me on the way down to the assembly of kids, that for many for the children, we will be the first muzungu (white people) that they will have ever seen. As the children were lining up beside us, a little girl reached over and touched my forearm. She did it again, and this time her face lit up and I think she realized that I WAS real. She grabbed my hand and just held it tightly, but the whole time she just kept looking at my white hand next to her dark hand. I wish I had my camera with me so that I could have taken a picture of it. She then took her handkerchief and started rubbing my hand as if to get the “white” off of it. As much as she tried, I was still white. Some other kids would come up to me and just touch my skin to see if I was real or not. It was definitely one of those experiences that one never forgets.
Tomorrow, I will be working with one of the investment year students in the afternoon. For those of you who are not familiar with the investment year program, it is designed to help the students who have finished S4 (which is kind of like 10th grade in the American system) develop and learn some skills that might spark some interest about what they want to do with their future while teaching them money management and other things. I will be teaching the student basic baking and also he wanted to try out some photography. I am really looking forward to it.
Nancy is going to Kampala tomorrow to get our long awaited solar batteries. Hopefully by Sunday or Monday night we will be fully charged and I can write this blog by lamplight instead of candlelight. What can I way, our house is never lacking in ambiance.
I can't believe that it is Friday night already. This week has gone by so fast, but thank goodness the weekend lies ahead of me. Nancy and I have been really busy getting ready for the team that is coming on Monday The original plan was to have the men on the team stay in tents, while keeping the women in some on-site housing that was available. But with the early rains we have been getting, the fear of malaria made us consider Plan B. The team will be staying with some staff, some on-site housing, and everywhere else in between. A lot of planning and preparation goes into all of this, so I am definitely learning a lot. 5 a.m. Monday morning, Gary Wood and I are will be going to Kampala to pick up the team in Entebbe. I am excited for the team to come, but not excited about the 5 a.m. departure. But the team will probably be more tired than I.
On Wednesday, something happened that will be forever engrained in my memory. I started out the day by helping a lady in the child sponsorship program photograph the new children that are coming in. My job was to write a quick description of what they were wearing so if the pictures came back out of order, we would have a pretty good clue about who was who. All the children were lining up by Jill, the lady who works in child sponsorship, and I. Jill had told me on the way down to the assembly of kids, that for many for the children, we will be the first muzungu (white people) that they will have ever seen. As the children were lining up beside us, a little girl reached over and touched my forearm. She did it again, and this time her face lit up and I think she realized that I WAS real. She grabbed my hand and just held it tightly, but the whole time she just kept looking at my white hand next to her dark hand. I wish I had my camera with me so that I could have taken a picture of it. She then took her handkerchief and started rubbing my hand as if to get the “white” off of it. As much as she tried, I was still white. Some other kids would come up to me and just touch my skin to see if I was real or not. It was definitely one of those experiences that one never forgets.
Tomorrow, I will be working with one of the investment year students in the afternoon. For those of you who are not familiar with the investment year program, it is designed to help the students who have finished S4 (which is kind of like 10th grade in the American system) develop and learn some skills that might spark some interest about what they want to do with their future while teaching them money management and other things. I will be teaching the student basic baking and also he wanted to try out some photography. I am really looking forward to it.
Nancy is going to Kampala tomorrow to get our long awaited solar batteries. Hopefully by Sunday or Monday night we will be fully charged and I can write this blog by lamplight instead of candlelight. What can I way, our house is never lacking in ambiance.
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