Airport and Home

After an amazing weekend, it was time to go. Ivan picked us up at 5 am to head to the airport. I was so thankful that i was flying with Brooke and Kristin because i don't think i could have made it on my own. As we pulled out of our driveway the final time, my eyes welled up with tears. It is so hard to leave behind somewhere that you love so much. The people that i met, both Muzungu and Ugandan, were incredible and the thought of leaving them behind was heartbreaking. When we arrived at the airport, we had to get out of the van and it was checked for bombs as well as we were wanded with a hand held metal detector. We waited with another man who was not allowed to enter. Ivan said that they were not allowing any Somali's into the airport and apparently he was one. When we got up to the airport we got all of our things out of the van and went through another security check point. It was comforting to have so much security, but nerve wracking at the same time to NEED that much. The final view of African and breath of African air was met by an amazing sunrise. It was surreal to have the sun rise as i felt like the sun was setting on my time there. The three of us flew to London together. It was VERY exciting to have good food and each other. We were all nervous to fly but didn't really want to talk about it. Being together was comforting. In London we literally had 2 minutes to say goodbye to Kristin before her plane left and we had to be in another terminal. It was probably better that it was quick because we didn't have time to think about it. Brooke and i flew to Boston. We were picked up by my brothers friend Missy. She took us to an amazing hotel room that my brother had gotten for us. It was awesome. She was SO fun and it was awesome to land on American soil and get a huge hug. :) The hotel bed was seriously like sleeping on a cloud. BUT that was nothing compared to the showers. FIRST there was hot water... that didn't run out. AND to top it off, the water actually went down the drain. AMAZING..
Our flights were at 6 so thank goodness for Missy being awesome, she took us back to the airport in the morning. We got some dunkin' donuts for the first time and went to our gates. They were next to each other which was awesome. At 5:30 our planes started boarding. I hugged Brooke goodbye and walked toward my plane. It was when i was finally completely by myself that reality hit. As i sat in my seat ready to fly to Chicago i turned on my ipod to hear the song by George Straight called I saw God today.. Ironic that it came on first. Listening to the lyrics made me cry my eyes out...

"I've been to church
I've read the book
I know He's here, but I don't look
near as often as I should
Yeah, I know I should
His fingerprints are everywhere
I'd just slow down to stop and stare
opened my eyes and man I swear
I saw God today"

As i was finally going home, everything hit me and i really started to think about the fact that it very well could have been us who were the American casualties in Kampala. I don't know why we weren't or what the plan is for me but i know that there must be a reason. I am truly blessed and thankful to be alive and for this experience.

When i landed in Chicago i knew that Christy would be at the gate, and i would probably cry again. I had talked to her about meeting me because i plugged in my cell phone and managed to blow up the battery in Uganda. Since she works at the airport, and has a pass she was going to meet me so i could call my mom and tell her i landed. What i didn't know, was that my Aunt Mary had hooked my parents up with boarding passes so that they could meet me at the gate as well. She works for American, which is the airline i flew. She's the best!!!! When i came off the plane, i saw them all standing there and i just ran over and hugged them for what probably seemed like forever to anyone watching. I definitely had a moment, thats for sure. The first place i wanted to go, even before i got my bags, was to see my Aunt and tell her thank you! Next stop... Red Apple for some PANCAKES!!!

Jinja

Saturday morning we got up and got in the van's to head to Jinja. Jinja is about 2 hours away and it is where you can see the mouth of the Nile River. It is beautiful. If you wonder why Uganda is called the Pearl of Africa, take a drive to Jinja, and you'll understand. When we got there, there were several ya hoo's who decided to bungee jump. I was not one of them. I have never wanted to do it, so i wasn't really going to jump on that bandwagon. I was thankful i made that choice whenever they came back and said that they used a towel and a strap. TIA people. NO WAY would i have jumped off a cliff .. with a strap, a towel, and a prayer...Here are the bungee jumpers... who are clearly braver then me!!! AND here are some of the watchers! HA
We took a boat ride through Lake Victoria and into the Nile. It was awesome. When we reached the point where they meet, we were able to get out on an island. It was so fun because there is a rock path that is shallow so you can go out and stand on the monument. We were a hot mess trying to get out there. Brooke pushed me in... but she swears she didn't. You take a little look see at the picture and you'll notice... she did. HA

After the boat ride, and the Nile, we went to Bujagali Falls. The falls are beautiful. We were able to sit and relax. It was amazing and much needed. It was an awesome way to end our time in Uganda. It was great to be out of the city where we didn't have to think about being in crowded areas or wonder if there was going to be another bombing. It was green, and beautiful.

Final Friday Night - Dance Party!

The final weekend began with a bang! Although maybe given the circumstances that made it our final weekend, that isn't a great choice of words. HA. Anywhoo... (PS it is only funny now that i am home safely)
It was Beth's 18th birthday and there were a lot of MST's leaving Sunday and Monday so we started the weekend off right. There were crepes and toppings to celebrate Beth's birthday followed by a rockin' dance party. We had a million cameras going off the whole time taking pictures with each other. It was so weird to think that we were going to be leaving, and that we would never ALL be in the same place again. I didn't go to Uganda looking for friends. I went because i really felt called to go there. I never knew how blessed i could be, to meet the people i did, and make the friends who i left with. Here are some pictures of them.

Here is me and Caron. The little sister i never had... she's a keeper and I WILL be visiting her either at home in England so i can meet her Mum, OR at Cardiff where she's going to school in the fall. WHICH i am very proud of it is a very hard school... way to go kid! Here are pretty much all the girls that i lived with... there are still several missing from this picture and all of the guys too.Here is Jayan, Me, and Sheila. The best Ugandan family i know!Here is me, Jayan, and Brooke. Here is the sorry crew. Woolateing.. it's what you do in Uganda when you like something. It resembles an Indian call.
Here is me and Lauren... with my roommate Kristin being crazy in the background. She's hilarious and i Love these two! Lauren will be in Chicago in October to run the Chicago 1/2 marathon so i will be cheering her on! :) Here is me and Kristin, my room mate from Orlando... looking far from the creepy picture above. We'll be hanging out in February.. in Disney! WOOHOOHere is me and Ashley. I will see her in California stat since i have never been! Me and Kristen "Stick"This is me and Felix. He is in charge of the sponsorship program, and is who took me to shop with my sponsor child. He is the most kindhearted man ever, and does amazing things for kids in Uganda.
Here is a picture of me and Loran... aka TEXASAND lets be serious... how could we end a night in Uganda without a little Sorry!!!!

Shopping with Gloria and Tracy

After being here and meeting some of the Ugandans who have been sponsored it was really weighing on my heart to sponsor a child. Benon and Collin both said that they would probably be dead had they not been sponsored, and they were being serious. They are two of the most amazing men on this team. They have had such and impact on me and their talking about the difference $30 a month can make is unmeasurable.Seriously the most amazing moment of my time here in Africa was meeting my sponsor child and taking her shopping. My sponsor child's name is Gloria and she is 11. She loves to sing and man can she sing! I met her the first week i was here at Victory Primary school, where she was leading Praise and Worship. I remembered her and she stood out because of that voice. Whenever i was in the office with Felix picking out a child i saw her picture and KNEW she was meant for me. After talking with my mom and dad they decided to sponsor as well. Their sponsor child is Tracy and she is 9. When they got to the house, i seriously fell in love. They were SO excited they couldn't even stand themselves. I don't know if any of us could get a bigger smile the whole day. We went shopping all day and out to lunch. We were able to buy them new shoes, backpacks, 2 dresses each, shirts and skirts, underwear, and new socks. Every place we went and bought something, they hugged me and said "thank you" or "God Bless you". Shopping in a market in Uganda is probably the scariest thing ever and i was SO thankful to have Felix and Francis there to do the shopping and me just do the paying. We literally were in some back alley with about a million vendors crammed in like sardines yelling and grabbing at you "Muzungu.. come to my shop", or "white sister.. come in". It was NOT something i would like to do again anytime soon however it was awesome to see the girls pick out dresses and skirts and shirts. I was so thankful that Ashley was there too with her sponsor kids Joan and Ester. I wouldn't have liked being the only one there, even though it was totally fine since i was with Felix and Francis, it was definitely better to be there with a friend too!

After we shopped we went to Santo's for some lunch. We got Pizza, Chips, Ice cream, and Sodas. Neither of my girls had ever had pizza before so that was just crazy to me. Gloria loved the pizza, but Tracy wasn't as big of a fan. She only wanted to order Ice cream and chips so that is what she ate. I really wanted her to eat a healthy meal because i know that up until i started sponsoring her she may not have had good food to eat. BUT then i decided that my money can go to food for her when i am not here, and while i am here we are having fun and eating whatever she wants. SO if that means Ice Cream for lunch... that works for me!

When we finished shopping we came back to Ntinda to have a fashion show. These little girls definitely knew what to do when the camera came out. Their inner diva came flying out! HA. The girls tried on ALL of their new clothes and we took pictures that i will send to them in their first letter. They had so much fun and everyone at the house was making a big deal about them. We filmed videos for me to bring home as well. Gloria singing and Tracy saying hello and thanking my parents for choosing her.We had so much fun together. I am so thankful that i was able to meet them while i was here. Who knows, maybe Gloria will be the next top Nurse, and Tracy the next best Attorney like they dream of being now. They are amazing girls and i can not wait to watch them grow up and see their dreams come true and know that maybe i have helped shape the future through sponsoring them.

Final Week -

This week has been very bittersweet. It wasn't supposed to be my last week but since it is, i am trying to soak up everything that i can. Tuesday we went to primary and secondary schools. I was leading praise and worship and sharing for the first time. It took me 4 weeks to become comfortable talking about anything, but the topic was perfect so i did it, and it was SO fun. Our theme this week is "Running the Race" I talked about when you run a race you have to be prepared by wearing the right shoes, and drinking water, and practicing. I compared it to how you have to be doing the right things in life because life is a race. It was fine but i clearly like the singing better. Jonah was the leader, he plays guitar and we just rocked out. The kids get so excited and sing so loud. After the Primary school we went to a secondary school. I don't have as much fun at those as i do with the little ones. I got to spend the day with Sheila, which was awesome because she is one of my favorite Ugandans, and was her birthday. What a great day. Here we are... She's so stinkin' cute! I am truly going to miss her so much! We spent a lot of time together at the secondary school because they served lunch and it had g-nut sauce on it. WHICH meant i couldn't be in the room. SO we just sat outside and talked for a long time. It was really a highlight for me to get to hear her point of view on things and perspectives. She is amazing. WHICH funny enough.. she is Jayan's sister, who is my other favorite. Jayan took us on Safari. They have an incredible family.

Wednesday we went to Katalemwa. I was the coordinator, which is basically like the MC. It was my job to introduce everyone and make sure that it ran smoothly. It was a little hard for me because my number 1 concern while being there was to find Secola.. my baby from the babies home. I coordinated, and then when it was time for the craft, i got Benon to take me to ask where she was. He is awesome and was able to get the director to take me to her. When we got close i heard a baby crying and i just knew it was her. It is so weird that i thought that but i just knew because she has captured my heart. When i got in the room, she was in a stander. It was breaking my heart because she was crying so hard, and i know it hurts, but at the same time it was awesome to see because i know it is something that she needs. I love that she is at Katalemwa because there she will get the physical and occupational therapy she needs, but i would rather bring her home with me and take her to get top notch services from all of my friends at school!!! When we left i took Ivan to see her so that he could check up on her once i am gone. I got to hold her for a minute and give her some lovin'. I hugged her, gave her some kisses and cried the whole way home. I am working with Felix to get her on the list to get a sponsor because i want to make sure that she is taken care of. I am hoping to get her into the new program my friend Loran started called Angels in Need, which is a program for kids like Secola and Bogare' who have disabilities. If i could, i would bring her home.

Thrusdays we go to the babies home. I got to go to Sanyu for the first time. It is a very well funded orphanage in comparison to Nsambya (the other home we go to). I loved it. I spent the whole day with Caron, which is always awesome. BUT to top it off, Sanyu is where the littlest babies are. I got to hold a set of twin boys. They are so tiny. Rumor has it, that they were 3 months premature and they are HIV positive. They are so tiny it is just not even funny. I could hold both of them at the same time no problem. It was so sad to me to hear that they were HIV positive. Here is a picture of me and Caron holding them.

Thrusdays we also go to Remand home. It is a juvenile home for boys who are awaiting trials. Some of them are innocent, and others are there because they have committed a crime. We go there every week to hang out with them. It was so fun because i was on praise and worship with Kaylee, Liz, Sheila, Jonah, and Collin. This is me and Collin. He dressed up for the occasion as you can see, in a very similar outfit to the boys. It brings a new meaning to the statement inmates running the prison. I'm just sayin'
Collin is one of my favorites. He is hilarious. We have a really great time, especially when a drum and tambourine are involved. We know how to rock.. HA. Remand home is an amazing place because the boys there are so interesting to talk to and listen to their stories. I am always amazed at their faith in God, even though they are in Prison. It is awesome to go there. I also enjoy Remand home because we bring a whole sound system so when sing it is with 2-3 guitars, a keyboard, and drums. It is awesome.
It is hard to believe that it was my last time there.

My City of Ruins ...

I woke up to the news that there had been bombings in Kampala in the night. We had heard them go off, but we thought that it was just noises of celebration from the world cup match. I liked it a lot better when that was my assumption. As the day went on we were given more and more news of the tragedy that took place. It is so surreal. It was scary to know that it had happened and the original news we got was that the bombs took place about 20 and 45 minutes away from our part of the city. As a result of the bombing, the internet wires were damaged and we were unable to get news. Who knew that i would have liked my life better when i didn't know the news... We had a meeting and were told that we were safe and that as long as we stayed away from crowded areas, we had nothing to worry about.

As the internet came in spotty, and we were able to read more about what was going on. Many of my Ugandan team mates lost friends in the bombings. We learned that a 3rd bomb was found and that it did not detonate when/where it was supposed to. The speculation is that it was intended for a pub in Ntinda, which is the neighborhood of the city where i live. We were also informed that the pub was in the shopping center where Quality grocery store is.. directly below where we were watching the game. It is truly only God who knows why our team was spared in this tragedy and other young adults doing the same thing we are doing were lost. I wasn't going to post this until i was home... because i didn't want my family to read it and become more concerned then they already are. BUT ... Brooke already posted it AND i KNOW my mom reads her blog. HA.

SO.. needless to say when we learned that information and as we learned of the reasoning behind the attacks, we made the decision that it was in our best interest to come home early. Next week in Kampala is the African Union Summit. The African Union is responsible for putting the people in Somalia fighting for peace that Somalia is mad about, and there have been more attacks promised. We felt that it would be best to not be in Kampala when all of the important leaders of Africa are here too.

It is very hard to see my trip end early, and the way that it is ending. However i have had such an amazing experience, met awesome people, and have been forever changed. I know that things happen for a reason and that while i love it here and do not want to have to leave, it is what has to be done. I appreciate all of the prayers and support from all of you. Words can not express the gratitude and love i have in my heart for you. Please continue to keep me and my friends here in your thoughts and prayers as i finish up my last few days and make my way home.

All American Sunday

Today was definitely an all American Summer. We started the day at church, which was totally awesome today because it is the night of the world cup finals. They brought in a dance troop who performed to the world cup song. They wore traditional African gear and were amazing dancers. It was so fun. They were so good, and everyone loved it so much that they did it twice. Absolutely the highlight of church for me. Loved it. When we got back we had lunch and several of us headed to the Nob View hotel to enjoy some pool time. The water was so cold that it hurt, but at the same time i haven't been able to cool off since i've been here and sadly it felt like a great shower, since i haven't had a good one of those either. HA. You know you're a dirty birdy though whenever you spend time in the pool.. you get out.. and you're still dirty. TIA people. TIA..

After enjoying some pool time we stopped at Quality on the way home to get some ice cream. It wasn't Oberwies by any means, but it was great! When we got home we all just hung around the house and enjoyed each others company. We were all getting excited to watch the world cup finals so people were getting snacks and resting. I didn't have to buy snacks because Trisha sent me with some Lifesaver gummies.. WHICH my room mates TOTALLY appreciated.

Some of us were going back to church to watch the game on the big screen, and others of us (including me) decided that going to Quality and the Cafe to enjoy the game, some African Coffee, and be able to walk home if the game was boring or we got tired. There were probably about half and half who decided to do each, but it worked out well for me because most of the people i would have wanted to be with were at the Cafe' so it was so fun!













At night we headed to the cafe' for the game. I got an African coffee.. because i love it.. and a muffin/cupcake thing. Caron kept calling it a fairy cake because apparently that is what they are called in England. I was very glad that England came even though she was making fun of me because i stink at pouring the coffee out of the little pot so she always pours it for me. HA. (PS- IT is the pot that is the problem... not an operator error thank you very much, i know that is what you are all thinking. The top doesn't work right and i usually spill it) She definitly has more experience with pouring tea/coffee. ;)


We all had so much fun, we sat and ate (a lot) of chips, maize, pastry's, tea and coffee. There were some Spain fans and some Netherlands fans so there was a lot of laughing and joking going on. Especially because Brooke and I were for opposing teams. It is a good thing we have a friendly rivalry though. HAHA. Wilson (our director) came and watched the game with us which was awesome. We were more excited about the car that he came in, because that meant that we got a ride home and didn't have to walk. When i got back to the house i called home. I knew my cousin would be at my house and i wanted to talk to her. It was an awesome way to end my day :)

Goat Delivery

Friday morning we woke up a little later. Well.. we were supposed to be able to sleep in.. but when you put 26 girls in a room when one's up the rest are quick to follow. NOT fun for this kid.. who is NOT a morning person. I was however, looking forward to today because it was the day we got to go see everyone else's goat shed, and deliver the goats. It was really fun to get to see all of the families. My favorite was delivering the goats to Bogare's house. He was clearly the Empower a Child team favorite. The best part though, was watching Caron get the goat out of the woods. She just lead her out like it was something she does everyday. Looking like little Bo peep. Justin on the other hand.. had a rough go with his Goat. Delivering my goat was awesome. We built a goat shed for a little boy named Issac. He is an orphan. His father died and his mother remarried leaving him with a step-father. Typically in Africa, when a child is orphaned, and left with a step parent, they are kicked out and sent to find their biological family. In our case though, the step-father kept him, so he was very lucky. I had a great time building the goat shed, but i was not really impressed with the step-father. Douglas made it very clear when presenting the goats, that they were to help with raising money for Issac to go to school, not for any other family members. It is sad to me that he had to make it clear that it was to be that way. I guess that it isn't uncommon for there to be corruption and poor treatment of kids. I was very excited to be the one to give him the goat. He did not really seem very thrilled to receive it though. Maybe because he is a teenager, and was not looking forward to having to care for his new friends. All i know is that we had a great time building his goat shed and really bonded as a team.








After the goat presentations we ate lunch, loaded the vans, and hit the road for our hour plus ride home. In Uganda apparently they do not have a rules of the road book that you must read prior to getting your drivers license. Here.. pretty much anything goes. There are no stop lights. I mean lets be serious.. there are no stop signs either. There are men dressed in white who are supposed to direct traffic. There are no lane lines, and the pot holes make Chicago look like you're driving on a cloud. If someone in front of you isn't fast enough.. you take them on the right. OR the left.. whatever floats your boat. If you want to pass.. feel free. Want to drive into oncoming traffic and block them while you avoid waiting in traffic thats cool too. It is NUTS! This is a picture of us driving home. It doesn't really do it justice so i am working on a better picture of what i am talking about but notice that there are cars and boda bodas (motorcycles) all over. AND where there aren't potholes and the road is flat, picture a speed bump about every 10 feet. NOT an exaggeration! Notice that the car is coming directly at us.. that is because we were passing... on the right.In order to keep my mind off the road. I helped Brooke take out her braids. It was quite a task on a bumpy road but she is a champ and said it didn't hurt. I would like to note that i would have been in tears... guaranteed. She had so many braids it took the whole car ride, and then some to take them out. It was awesome when they were out because her hair was amazing. And by amazing i mean 1980 called and wanted its hair back... We were cracking up! All in all it was an amazing week at the village.
Sadly she would not postpone her shower to work this hairdo for a while... However we had a great laugh and moved on.