today is awesome. just wanted to blog about it. i feel happiness radiating (though, i had a better word earlier, expanding, growing...anyways). i left margarets house and felt soooo happy! i'm feeling SO loved by these women here. these awesome suubi women, and the EPOH staff (who is women and men).
this morning, i checked out "children of grace" (google it if you want) and met a few awesome people who work with them. basically, this org. is the middle ground for children sponsorship for schooling. there are about 700 kids they are currently sponsoring. and all of the kids parents (one, or both) have died from AIDS. i took them also to EPOH and they loved LGH's ideas, necklaces, etc. (so, good job morgan and dave).
then i took elizabeth out to "tea" which ended up being pop. i'm taking all the EPOH staff out to chat with them and get to know them, do a quesionaire, and to help them with their budgeting. i've been feeling a lack of purpose here sometimes, with the natural ups and downs. she said (and gave the the validation i needed), that she loved that i'm spending my time with EPOH, that after i leave, they will always remember me, and that this is showing my love. i looooved this. this "fixed" all my unsure feelings i've been having lately (along with, good friends and fam's encouragement. ha).
then i went to the teachers meeting where the teachers hand out the paper or whatnot to their group members (suubi is broken up into say, "teams" and each team has their lead/teacher. the teacher hands out papers, does other beading projects sometimes/necklaces, and also helps her "group"). so i went to emily's. i love emily. liz and i did a visit to her and her husand and they are lovely. we just sat for a while (EVERYTHING is slow here, i'm learning to relax a lil more, though i'm sitting there like...when is everyone going to come...what are we going to do-this was my first thursday meeting like this i went to- etc. etc.) i just laughed and chatted with the women. they are crazy! and SO JOYFUL!!! and natalia gave me a green necklace she made. then showed me her home and her shop! she has a shop! she gave me bisquits and wanted to have me eat too (ha, i had just eaten lunch). they are so hospitable.
next...i walked over to margarets (emily showed me) to help her learn how to cut paper with her new (and quite amazing) paper cutter. basically, the women go to the market and buy their paper. then they have to decide what kind of paper to make it into (box or triangle shapes). then they take it to a paper cutter person and pay them to cut it. so margaret wanted to do it herself AND to earn a lil extra money by making this part of a job. so yesterday, i learned from amber how to cut paper properly in order to be able to help here. there i quite an art with this. so, i helped her to learn to cut the paper into long triangle strips. emily helped too. then, it started POURING rain. i wanted to go into town and use the internet and get a few things before my friend from kenya comes in this evening (luke is coming again with other people on the way to rwanda! whoo!), so i was kinda bummed, but figured, i'd get to just hang out with her for a while. so margaret and i made necklaces (the white and black ones) with a few kids who were neighbors. it was awesome, the kids were so cute sitting on the floor making their own paper beads. a few boys, and a few girls all just hangin out with us while the rain filled the muddy streets. when it stopped raining, she insisted that i eat before i go. i said, "us mzungu's eat early, dinner will be ready at home" but she said NO! ha. the kids went and got me food (money she could have used other places, she wanted to use on me, her guest) and it just happened to be my favorite!!! chapati and cabbage mixed with a lil skuma! yumm. see...they are so loving!
i left, and got a great boda man! he was nice, and not argumentative or crazy. we chatted about america and the day and how it was wonderful for both of us!!!
i'm so thankful for today. as some of you know, i'm kinda up and down a lot here. everything is not great all the time, but everything is not hard and difficult all the time either. but...today...all ups i'd have to say. so i wanted to blog about it. the good stuff! :)
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
40,000/= a week in Jinja, Uganda
$20 a week (40,000-50,000/= shillings) in Jinja, Uganda…
I’m going to start blogging about how far $20 USD goes in Jinja, Uganda. But before I begin, please keep in mind the economic set-up of Uganda/Africa vs. the USA. Although most Ugandan’s live off of much ‘less’ money we live off of, the cost of food, rent, etc. is much cheaper here. This is one large reason that when “mzungu’s” (English speaking people from Europe, Australia, the US, etc. who are usually white) look extremely rich, and could most likely, “magically help anyone” with our connections and money. It seems, to me, that the percentages of money spent in the states on food, etc, vs. here in eastern Africa, is not SO far off from another (though, we in the states seem to spend money on more ‘unnecessary’ items in general). When I am in Africa, I can eat out or buy as many avocados or pineapples as I want. Ha. In the states, I almost NEVER go out to eat because it’s so expensive, and avocados and fresh fruit are so expensive to me. An avocado here, is about 5-10 cents. In the states, for a good big avocado, it’s probably between $1-$3. Clothes are also cheaper here, along with most other items (except imported items, they are more similar to the prices you’d buy them in the ‘western world’). But don’t get me wrong, the majority of people here do not live in conditions like we of the west live in, with our material items and luxuries (such as each family member having their own bedrooms, running AND hot water, flushing toilets, etc). But again, not everyone here does NOT have those luxuries. Just as anywhere else, there is the lower, middle, and upper classes.
$20 in Uganda can buy…
-20 boda/motorcycle rides. If each ride is about 5-10 minutes (equivalent to about 10-40 minutes of walking), it is usually 1,000/=. This is how people get around if they must travel far distances, or if you’re in a hurry or just don’t want to “foot.” Many people do just walk because they can add up for sure.
-135 chapati’s (kind of like tortillas. Made with flour and water and oil and salt. Delicious. People make ‘em and sell them all around town).
-200 carrots, eggplants, and other veggie
-10-20 shirts
Two weeks ago, Liz and I wanted to buy food and bring it to people who are staying at the hospital. We went to the Children’s Hospital, ready to go with only 20,000/= ($10 worth) of chapatti, bananas, bread, and popcorn. WE were loaded down and had to take a boda because we would be tired of walking. ☺ We wanted to take food to the hospital because hospitals in Uganda do not provide blankets, food, medications (you must go get it from a pharmacy). When we got to the hospital, we asked around for someone that could direct us, maybe show us the hospital and let us know who could use the food the most. When we found the management, they said that we must FIRST go to Jinja Main Hospital (down the street) and get permission to be here and pass out food. We relucticantly jumped on a boda and found the administration at Jinja Main. The lady told us that we CANNOT pass out food at the hospital. If we want to bring clothes, etc. we can, but not food. We did not get an ‘understandable’ answer as to why we could not bring food to people who, cannot get food from the hospital. She said that if we want to volunteer here, we must write a letter.
So we left the hospital a little disappointed and went to talk to a friend I’ve made who seems to know the ins and outs of Jinja. He suggested we take the food to CRO, a local place that provides food for street kids. We got to the compound and it was increadible. All the people working there were so kind and nice. They gave us a tour and told us about how the organization works. We gave them the food to pass out at 1p (we had to go before lunch), and I said I would come back to hang out and hopefully teach. They were happy about that!
Basically how CRO works is that the “street kids” can come here to get food, take school classes (they have a classroom and a little library), wash their clothes, shower, etc. They cannot spend the night here, but they can start to get ‘direction’ from this place. I like it because, I don’t like how mzungu’s give out food, or especially money to “needy street kids” when they ask. I think there is much problem in that. People come to expect handouts from all mzungu’s and, you can never REALLY be sure of where the food, or especially money, is going. Many times, it goes to their parents, or to a person who “runs” the streets (like in SlumdogMillionaire). Luckily, “word on the street” is that there isn’t a collector man who runs the streets right now.
The second half of the $20 for the week, went to a “bonding project” that I put on for EPOH since sewing machines from the EPOH building were stolen, and some of our workers were thinking that others were involved in the robbery. A lot of mistrust and suspection going on
I bought a sheet and paint and paintbrushes. We talked about what it means to “trust” someone, and what it means to have god relationship with others. Then we brainstormed ideas of what we want to have in our EPOH work environment (such as, trust, love, relationship) and what we do not want (arguments, lying, hate). They traced their hands and filled the handprint in with paint. The painted hands formed a big circle. Inside the circle, we wrote the words of what they want ‘inside’ EPOH, and outside the circle they wrote words describing what was unwanted at EPOH. The word “EPOH” is backwards for HOPE. So we, and they, hope that they can move past distrust (or, dishonesty and potential employees stealing), to the future and a better future relationship.
The money from last week is also going towards the EPOH employees. I’m going to meet with each tailor, or tailor assistant and take them for tea for about 2 hours. (I have started with the meetings, they are going well so far, yet of course there are many other complicated factors that go into this that I had not anticipated.) I decided this would be nice since the Suubi women get to have people visit their homes, and we do a lot more with Suubi. I meet with each person and go over and questionnaire and a budget for them. I also get a chance to talk with them and hear about their lives. Today was the first meeting, it went well!
I'm adding to this post ALSO pictures (if I can get 'em to load) of my "class" with EPOH this week. They wanted to learn how to cook an "American dish," so with our resources at EPOH, I decided PB & J would be a good "dish." They LOVED it, and thought it was "sooo sweet!" A few of them even wrote down the "recipe" on a piece of paper. We talked about the difference between g-nuts and peanuts (g-nut sauce, a little darker and a little bit of a different taste) and I explained/showed them how to make their own sandwich. Then, they all made their PB & J sandwiches. It was fun!
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
DiScOvErY
it's been a lil while. figured it's about 'time.'
i'm in jinja uganda now.
it's hotter here, more humid, town, bodas (like motorcycles you ride everywhere when you don't walk) better looking men here than in kenya (in general), more kind people (minus getting punched the other day randomly by a possibly 'not all there' man in the matatu stage), less 'give me' comments (though, there are still more than i like), less harassment, weird bargaining (i'm not on my game, or they're not on their game. i 'walk away', and they let me. no sale. still don't have this down in jinja. too many mzungu's here that they are able to keep their silly mzungu prices), still getting tired of not knowing whether items (such as a matatu ride, a pineapple, etc) REALLY costs as much as they tell me-or if they just see my skin and decide to charge/try to charge more (makes me feel like my guard is up too much that i'm getting taken advantage of, or makes me feel stupid. boo), beautiful (green! the nile is nearby, and so is the lake...though...i need to go enjoy BOTH more), still poverty for sure and social issues-but seems a lil less obvi to me currently what i 'should' do here besides suubi stuff, miss my friends and fam from home still, more mzungu places here to eat/cyber, people friendly still and take care of each other.
i'm learning to bead (more, i've LEARNED!!!). i just bought my varnish today (which was quite an accomplishment finding the store...going place to place.) so i'll finish my necklaces, or bracelets hopefully tonight while watching mama mia! (my first movie to watch here! i'm not huge on movies, but mama mia! is just calling my name...and movies are cheap here so...gonna go make that purchase!). the women are great. they've shown me how to roll the beads, and all the steps (liz and i are making a how to video, etc). during meetings, i'll roll with the women and some will grab my strips and roll for me. so that's fun bc all i make will also have a part of some of the women in them!
i feel this place is so different than what i imagined and what was described to me. it's strange how imagination, others comments, and expectations (no matter how hard we try to not have expectations) can manifest in your head and be so far from how you 'feel' it is somewhere.
GOD is beautiful. went to sipi falls this weekend and looooved attempting to NOT slide down a path that was mud, to get close to the strong waterfall. this was one of my best moments in africa. ha. or at least best GOD moments. we were getting misted so much from this waterfall and it was somewhat cold with all the water soaking us and dripping off our faces, hair, and clothes. but i laughed, SO hard and joyfully, and felt like a child, so pure and carefree in spirit. loved it because, i feel weighed down sometimes here (which is good, i think it causes stretching. and it's gotta be that way i think bc...this is different and i am learning).
what else...i'm still trying to find my place here. i'm going to the suubi meetings almost every day (we do an english meeting, necklace making meeting, teachers meeting, and buying meeting. M, T, W, F.) i met a man who owns a cyber who is directing me to a AIDS clinic or group or something where a lot of the kids are orphaned bc of AIDS or have AIDS. somehow this group is missionary or christian or something. we'll see. i tried to find it today, but had no luck. maybe i'm blind. so i'll try again hopefully later this week. also, as life works out, i've spent almost all my 'extra/GOD money' i had before the trip. i want to go to the hospital and bring manzazi and bananas to the kids or whoever there and maybe help get some prescriptions. so, i remembered joanna saying something about extra money at the house for this is volunteers want to go...so I DO!!! i'm going to hopefully start going. i'll have to assess. this all sounds great, but who knows what it really is or what will actually happen. my plans...nope.
my friends from KENYA are coming this week. they come in on the 21st...i'll meet them in kampala (liz is leaving on the 20th...so i'll go down with her...side note...liz is AWESOME. we clicked from the first hour we were together. we are almost the same person, i didn't know what i'd think if i met myself, but it's good. ha. we have learned a lot from each other and our conversations. anyways...moving on...). then we will TRY to go to ssisy island (oops, i forgot what it's called. get sipi and this sissy islands place mixed. hope thats right). anyways, it looks gorgeous. but, apparantly the boat going there is broke...so again, we'll see what ends up happening. i'm sure an adventure nonetheless, including probably 5x the amount of travel time than what would 'actually' be needed. i'm excited though! then they'll come to jinja for a few days. about a week total with them. so another lil 'trip' on my ultimately full 'africa trip.'
i'm learning a lot about other people, and probably myself. figured i'd have more of an idea of what i want to do with my life (or at least...start of a 'career') and where i want to live, etc. but i don't. i'm more...something than before (the word 'unsure' doesn't fit, the word 'lost' doesn't seem to fit either). but...i'm excited for my next 'step' when i go home...to live with the parents. i'd love to get a holiday job. you know...a job that you could have had in high school before you graduated before the economy and before a college diploma. anyways, planning on getting a job somewhere in gj for a while when i get home. we'll see when it comes. but as far as the potential of grad school and a 'career'...not sure if this is what my life will look like bc i don't see as much fun adventure and carefreeness in all of that. i know that's a non responsible answer, but that's my answer for now.
i want to be invisible sometimes here. i've never wanted that before (except for once when i read this book where this kid could turn invisible, i wanted to get to do that too for fun). i love the friendlieness here, and the friends i've met and everyone that surrounds me. i don't want to 'get away' from them, more i feel like i want to be completely alone. not sure if this is just another step in my discovering my 'aloneness' or what. i want to go to a cabin somewhere for 1 or 2 weeks and paint, or do whatever. maybe some walks. reading. and have no one else around. i've NEVER felt this way before, so this is good maybe. so maybe when i get home...i'll try to do this. it gets tiring even just going for a walk to be alone for 30 minutes to just 'be' and not to get to do that (happened lots in maasailand). it's the best bc it's amazing people are so friendly and interested, but everything is a double edged sword (is that the right phrase. i'm always bad at phrases. "when in rome..."). as i was driving yesterday i was imagining jesus. thinking of how he loved, etc. and thought, he wanted alone time too. he needed to be 'refreshed' by GOD. this is why he would go away alone to nature. i feel this is me right now. i got 'refreshed' this weekend in sipi falls and want MORE!!! so i can love more and go and do more. it's hard when living in a town with people bc it's so easy to just go go go (go go go is here different. it's like...go.......go.....go......) ha.
i'm reading "eat, pray, love" and it's wonderfully written. if you want a fun book, read this. i'm reading it at the perfect time i think and my friend alison is reading it, so i get to learn about the authors travels, learn about me (i'm similar to her a lil i think), and feel CONNECTED to alison. so, it's awesome. let me know if you read it and like it! oh, and i think 'my word' is DISCOVER.
i've written enough. time to go start and EPOH meeting.
hope as summer winds down, you are able to catch a little more relaxation and fun!
i'm in jinja uganda now.
it's hotter here, more humid, town, bodas (like motorcycles you ride everywhere when you don't walk) better looking men here than in kenya (in general), more kind people (minus getting punched the other day randomly by a possibly 'not all there' man in the matatu stage), less 'give me' comments (though, there are still more than i like), less harassment, weird bargaining (i'm not on my game, or they're not on their game. i 'walk away', and they let me. no sale. still don't have this down in jinja. too many mzungu's here that they are able to keep their silly mzungu prices), still getting tired of not knowing whether items (such as a matatu ride, a pineapple, etc) REALLY costs as much as they tell me-or if they just see my skin and decide to charge/try to charge more (makes me feel like my guard is up too much that i'm getting taken advantage of, or makes me feel stupid. boo), beautiful (green! the nile is nearby, and so is the lake...though...i need to go enjoy BOTH more), still poverty for sure and social issues-but seems a lil less obvi to me currently what i 'should' do here besides suubi stuff, miss my friends and fam from home still, more mzungu places here to eat/cyber, people friendly still and take care of each other.
i'm learning to bead (more, i've LEARNED!!!). i just bought my varnish today (which was quite an accomplishment finding the store...going place to place.) so i'll finish my necklaces, or bracelets hopefully tonight while watching mama mia! (my first movie to watch here! i'm not huge on movies, but mama mia! is just calling my name...and movies are cheap here so...gonna go make that purchase!). the women are great. they've shown me how to roll the beads, and all the steps (liz and i are making a how to video, etc). during meetings, i'll roll with the women and some will grab my strips and roll for me. so that's fun bc all i make will also have a part of some of the women in them!
i feel this place is so different than what i imagined and what was described to me. it's strange how imagination, others comments, and expectations (no matter how hard we try to not have expectations) can manifest in your head and be so far from how you 'feel' it is somewhere.
GOD is beautiful. went to sipi falls this weekend and looooved attempting to NOT slide down a path that was mud, to get close to the strong waterfall. this was one of my best moments in africa. ha. or at least best GOD moments. we were getting misted so much from this waterfall and it was somewhat cold with all the water soaking us and dripping off our faces, hair, and clothes. but i laughed, SO hard and joyfully, and felt like a child, so pure and carefree in spirit. loved it because, i feel weighed down sometimes here (which is good, i think it causes stretching. and it's gotta be that way i think bc...this is different and i am learning).
what else...i'm still trying to find my place here. i'm going to the suubi meetings almost every day (we do an english meeting, necklace making meeting, teachers meeting, and buying meeting. M, T, W, F.) i met a man who owns a cyber who is directing me to a AIDS clinic or group or something where a lot of the kids are orphaned bc of AIDS or have AIDS. somehow this group is missionary or christian or something. we'll see. i tried to find it today, but had no luck. maybe i'm blind. so i'll try again hopefully later this week. also, as life works out, i've spent almost all my 'extra/GOD money' i had before the trip. i want to go to the hospital and bring manzazi and bananas to the kids or whoever there and maybe help get some prescriptions. so, i remembered joanna saying something about extra money at the house for this is volunteers want to go...so I DO!!! i'm going to hopefully start going. i'll have to assess. this all sounds great, but who knows what it really is or what will actually happen. my plans...nope.
my friends from KENYA are coming this week. they come in on the 21st...i'll meet them in kampala (liz is leaving on the 20th...so i'll go down with her...side note...liz is AWESOME. we clicked from the first hour we were together. we are almost the same person, i didn't know what i'd think if i met myself, but it's good. ha. we have learned a lot from each other and our conversations. anyways...moving on...). then we will TRY to go to ssisy island (oops, i forgot what it's called. get sipi and this sissy islands place mixed. hope thats right). anyways, it looks gorgeous. but, apparantly the boat going there is broke...so again, we'll see what ends up happening. i'm sure an adventure nonetheless, including probably 5x the amount of travel time than what would 'actually' be needed. i'm excited though! then they'll come to jinja for a few days. about a week total with them. so another lil 'trip' on my ultimately full 'africa trip.'
i'm learning a lot about other people, and probably myself. figured i'd have more of an idea of what i want to do with my life (or at least...start of a 'career') and where i want to live, etc. but i don't. i'm more...something than before (the word 'unsure' doesn't fit, the word 'lost' doesn't seem to fit either). but...i'm excited for my next 'step' when i go home...to live with the parents. i'd love to get a holiday job. you know...a job that you could have had in high school before you graduated before the economy and before a college diploma. anyways, planning on getting a job somewhere in gj for a while when i get home. we'll see when it comes. but as far as the potential of grad school and a 'career'...not sure if this is what my life will look like bc i don't see as much fun adventure and carefreeness in all of that. i know that's a non responsible answer, but that's my answer for now.
i want to be invisible sometimes here. i've never wanted that before (except for once when i read this book where this kid could turn invisible, i wanted to get to do that too for fun). i love the friendlieness here, and the friends i've met and everyone that surrounds me. i don't want to 'get away' from them, more i feel like i want to be completely alone. not sure if this is just another step in my discovering my 'aloneness' or what. i want to go to a cabin somewhere for 1 or 2 weeks and paint, or do whatever. maybe some walks. reading. and have no one else around. i've NEVER felt this way before, so this is good maybe. so maybe when i get home...i'll try to do this. it gets tiring even just going for a walk to be alone for 30 minutes to just 'be' and not to get to do that (happened lots in maasailand). it's the best bc it's amazing people are so friendly and interested, but everything is a double edged sword (is that the right phrase. i'm always bad at phrases. "when in rome..."). as i was driving yesterday i was imagining jesus. thinking of how he loved, etc. and thought, he wanted alone time too. he needed to be 'refreshed' by GOD. this is why he would go away alone to nature. i feel this is me right now. i got 'refreshed' this weekend in sipi falls and want MORE!!! so i can love more and go and do more. it's hard when living in a town with people bc it's so easy to just go go go (go go go is here different. it's like...go.......go.....go......) ha.
i'm reading "eat, pray, love" and it's wonderfully written. if you want a fun book, read this. i'm reading it at the perfect time i think and my friend alison is reading it, so i get to learn about the authors travels, learn about me (i'm similar to her a lil i think), and feel CONNECTED to alison. so, it's awesome. let me know if you read it and like it! oh, and i think 'my word' is DISCOVER.
i've written enough. time to go start and EPOH meeting.
hope as summer winds down, you are able to catch a little more relaxation and fun!
Saturday, July 17, 2010
maasailand
saikeri...
i feel like i'm camping. we cook on a geko (like a charcoal fire) and at night, you can't use the outhouses (squatters) so, like camping. ha. there are SO many stars, life is relaxed, you don't shower much (just get dirty again, and sometimes, no water or have to wait for borehole to reopen or walk to get water), red/brown dirt everywhere, and my room has a sheet type thing for a window so at night, it gets cold...again, like camping. only not.
i have a maasai name: naserian. beatrice, my host mama, named me the night i got in. everyone gets a maasai name, and it's basically what you're called the whole time. she has never called me anything but my maasai name, and we all use each others maasai name. i live with nailante (becky, from australia) and she's great. we just had new volunteers come in the other day...a mother and a child (7 years) from australia as well. no one has had kids in this program so...it was a surprise. but they're doing great. and all the people in town are going crazy bc they have never seen a mzungu white kid before. there are more volunteers at the house right by us (we are all on the same compound) at maggies.
we live in "normal" like homes. most of the maasai live in manatas which are made of clay and sticks. they are awesome. some people have other buildings not manata style by their homes they use as well, but cook and sleep in the manata. nailante and i went to mama nailante's house the other day for chai and to chat. it was fun to talk to her (she told us about maasai people, and about how there are lions here in the area-there usually aren't-and then men are eating lots of goat and plan to hunt them that night. they didn't kill them yet, but, cool to hear about it).
i work at the primary school. teaching is difficult, but i'm getting better at this (45 kids and different disciplanary system, etc). i was encouraged the other day bc the math teacher said i was doing a good job (for some reason, he kept coming into the class to watch, thought that was a bad sign, ha), and a kid in my science class said "can you come in and teach us science during our free hour?" cute...so i did. i asked them what they wanted to learn about...we ended up talking about schools/kids in CO/USA.
i only teach a few hours a day, then mark their papers (i hate marking) then read, relax, walk, jog/yoga some days, eat, eat, eat, talk, and go to the market in town (if you blink while driving through town, you'd miss town). the women make beautiful beaded necklaces, bracelets, and belts. everyone wears them in maasai. i decided the other day, i will make them too. ha. so i went to town and bought lots of beads (the small ones) and medal and found plastic and started working. a girl who was at our house grabbed it to start showing me how (since i was just trying to figure it out on my own). i realized i was missing a tool. so i walked back to market and bought one. we went to beatrices shop and i started working there. maggie taught me more, and everyone in the shop was asking what i was doing...when we were leaving town, we went to see mama nailante and she was super impressed with my work. so were the other women. one women even helped me shave off the plastic (i'll just have to show you). the women were excited and so encouraging. i liked it.
matatu truck rides to town...i'll write on here what i put in my lil notebook. but before that...i felt i was to fall off last week. i was worried hitting a bump or a curve would fly me off. then i realized, i'd definately get grabbed and saved before harmed. which was a cool though because it felt like i'd feel safe doing a 'trust fall' with a group of people i do not know (i was alone in town at the end and took a truck back. i knew the driver but no one else. i sat in the bed of the truck). but i think that describes how stuff is here. if someone is to fall off the truck, everyone would make sure you didn't so you would be OK. this morning coming to town (Ngong, about 1 hour away, 24 km) i had my laso on (a thin blanket everyone wears. on truck rides, you put it over your face and upper body to keep the dirt from your face so much) the women by me would fix mine when it would get messed up (and i couldn't move to do it). it was sweet. i like it here. i like the people...A LOT!!!
7/10/10
i think one of my favorite/least favorite things about maasailand is the same. the truck rides. we pack into a small nissan truck equvalent to our blue toyota. there is first a spare tire in the middle of the bed, then benches on both sides and by the cab. i got here to the truck a about 4:30 p, but we didn't leave till maybe 6 or 7p. people start piling in the truck, all the stuff they bought from town then they themselves get in. the first people that pile in sit on the benches with the big bags of rice or whatever are put over the spare tire, or along the other free spaces on the truck bed, along with all other big purchases from the day. all is necessary stuff. next, people start getting creative. there is stuff tied to the cabs hood (a table, bags, boxes). you sart to sit on the rice bags. now, your arm to arm with the people sitting on the bench in front of you. i am on a burlap bag on the tire and on who know what else. once you think it is impossible to fit another person in, another two climb uin with boxes, bags, etc. and people start to resituate. there are literally 21 people in the bed of this truck (today, 7/17, we had 27 people in the truck bed. miseralbe! ha). the sun has set and i am writing on a mans elbow. everyone piles in and coveres their upper bodies with a laso or shukra (thin blankets) putting it at least over their head and shoulders. some leave a hole for their faces, some cover up completely so all you see is a blanket lump swaying back and forth. one lady is covering her head with her new wash basin. every now and again a cell phone goes off and someone starts trying to manuver around to grab it and answer it. people by you have to resituate to give you room to find your phone with a look of pain on their faces (not because they are annoyed, but because their bodies are so squished together). lots of people carry 'em in a lil carrying pouch around a string on their neck. you pop up and down another time. you push (using your arm) your leg to move it when it starts to go numb. ha. people talk in kimaasai-besides smiles, facial expressions, tones, and hand movements, i have no clue what is going on. i have an itch...suffer through. the man by me-well, in front of me and on me-is completely resting his arms, crossed, on my knees. "oop. mzingu" i hear my 'calling' (NOT name, ha). a girl who was sitting behind me on the bag has no more bag to sit on and she is not comfortable. we resituate again (thus forcing others to painfully resituate). no i am ok. a man by me is in a baby blue and white shukra. young or older, i can't tell but he is handsome. beaded bracelets on, maasai clothing made of red and plad. good smile and can tell he is good. a kid here sounds like he is throwing up (first kid i've seen take the truck into town). talked with man who speaks english. very nice, very interested in the US, CO, and me. told of uganda project and time there. he said, the women here make nice necklaces, and maybe i could sell those too in the US (like light give heat does). i feel selling stuff from here to the US is a good idea. i'm scared to start something, but feel, it would be good. beautiful stars. cool wind. crazy to think that i'm in africa. :)
ok...another long one. nailante and i are going to go to this shopping center one matatu drive away (15 min) to get mzungu burritos and shop at this huge grocery store called nakumat.
hope your summer is awesome!
i feel like i'm camping. we cook on a geko (like a charcoal fire) and at night, you can't use the outhouses (squatters) so, like camping. ha. there are SO many stars, life is relaxed, you don't shower much (just get dirty again, and sometimes, no water or have to wait for borehole to reopen or walk to get water), red/brown dirt everywhere, and my room has a sheet type thing for a window so at night, it gets cold...again, like camping. only not.
i have a maasai name: naserian. beatrice, my host mama, named me the night i got in. everyone gets a maasai name, and it's basically what you're called the whole time. she has never called me anything but my maasai name, and we all use each others maasai name. i live with nailante (becky, from australia) and she's great. we just had new volunteers come in the other day...a mother and a child (7 years) from australia as well. no one has had kids in this program so...it was a surprise. but they're doing great. and all the people in town are going crazy bc they have never seen a mzungu white kid before. there are more volunteers at the house right by us (we are all on the same compound) at maggies.
we live in "normal" like homes. most of the maasai live in manatas which are made of clay and sticks. they are awesome. some people have other buildings not manata style by their homes they use as well, but cook and sleep in the manata. nailante and i went to mama nailante's house the other day for chai and to chat. it was fun to talk to her (she told us about maasai people, and about how there are lions here in the area-there usually aren't-and then men are eating lots of goat and plan to hunt them that night. they didn't kill them yet, but, cool to hear about it).
i work at the primary school. teaching is difficult, but i'm getting better at this (45 kids and different disciplanary system, etc). i was encouraged the other day bc the math teacher said i was doing a good job (for some reason, he kept coming into the class to watch, thought that was a bad sign, ha), and a kid in my science class said "can you come in and teach us science during our free hour?" cute...so i did. i asked them what they wanted to learn about...we ended up talking about schools/kids in CO/USA.
i only teach a few hours a day, then mark their papers (i hate marking) then read, relax, walk, jog/yoga some days, eat, eat, eat, talk, and go to the market in town (if you blink while driving through town, you'd miss town). the women make beautiful beaded necklaces, bracelets, and belts. everyone wears them in maasai. i decided the other day, i will make them too. ha. so i went to town and bought lots of beads (the small ones) and medal and found plastic and started working. a girl who was at our house grabbed it to start showing me how (since i was just trying to figure it out on my own). i realized i was missing a tool. so i walked back to market and bought one. we went to beatrices shop and i started working there. maggie taught me more, and everyone in the shop was asking what i was doing...when we were leaving town, we went to see mama nailante and she was super impressed with my work. so were the other women. one women even helped me shave off the plastic (i'll just have to show you). the women were excited and so encouraging. i liked it.
matatu truck rides to town...i'll write on here what i put in my lil notebook. but before that...i felt i was to fall off last week. i was worried hitting a bump or a curve would fly me off. then i realized, i'd definately get grabbed and saved before harmed. which was a cool though because it felt like i'd feel safe doing a 'trust fall' with a group of people i do not know (i was alone in town at the end and took a truck back. i knew the driver but no one else. i sat in the bed of the truck). but i think that describes how stuff is here. if someone is to fall off the truck, everyone would make sure you didn't so you would be OK. this morning coming to town (Ngong, about 1 hour away, 24 km) i had my laso on (a thin blanket everyone wears. on truck rides, you put it over your face and upper body to keep the dirt from your face so much) the women by me would fix mine when it would get messed up (and i couldn't move to do it). it was sweet. i like it here. i like the people...A LOT!!!
7/10/10
i think one of my favorite/least favorite things about maasailand is the same. the truck rides. we pack into a small nissan truck equvalent to our blue toyota. there is first a spare tire in the middle of the bed, then benches on both sides and by the cab. i got here to the truck a about 4:30 p, but we didn't leave till maybe 6 or 7p. people start piling in the truck, all the stuff they bought from town then they themselves get in. the first people that pile in sit on the benches with the big bags of rice or whatever are put over the spare tire, or along the other free spaces on the truck bed, along with all other big purchases from the day. all is necessary stuff. next, people start getting creative. there is stuff tied to the cabs hood (a table, bags, boxes). you sart to sit on the rice bags. now, your arm to arm with the people sitting on the bench in front of you. i am on a burlap bag on the tire and on who know what else. once you think it is impossible to fit another person in, another two climb uin with boxes, bags, etc. and people start to resituate. there are literally 21 people in the bed of this truck (today, 7/17, we had 27 people in the truck bed. miseralbe! ha). the sun has set and i am writing on a mans elbow. everyone piles in and coveres their upper bodies with a laso or shukra (thin blankets) putting it at least over their head and shoulders. some leave a hole for their faces, some cover up completely so all you see is a blanket lump swaying back and forth. one lady is covering her head with her new wash basin. every now and again a cell phone goes off and someone starts trying to manuver around to grab it and answer it. people by you have to resituate to give you room to find your phone with a look of pain on their faces (not because they are annoyed, but because their bodies are so squished together). lots of people carry 'em in a lil carrying pouch around a string on their neck. you pop up and down another time. you push (using your arm) your leg to move it when it starts to go numb. ha. people talk in kimaasai-besides smiles, facial expressions, tones, and hand movements, i have no clue what is going on. i have an itch...suffer through. the man by me-well, in front of me and on me-is completely resting his arms, crossed, on my knees. "oop. mzingu" i hear my 'calling' (NOT name, ha). a girl who was sitting behind me on the bag has no more bag to sit on and she is not comfortable. we resituate again (thus forcing others to painfully resituate). no i am ok. a man by me is in a baby blue and white shukra. young or older, i can't tell but he is handsome. beaded bracelets on, maasai clothing made of red and plad. good smile and can tell he is good. a kid here sounds like he is throwing up (first kid i've seen take the truck into town). talked with man who speaks english. very nice, very interested in the US, CO, and me. told of uganda project and time there. he said, the women here make nice necklaces, and maybe i could sell those too in the US (like light give heat does). i feel selling stuff from here to the US is a good idea. i'm scared to start something, but feel, it would be good. beautiful stars. cool wind. crazy to think that i'm in africa. :)
ok...another long one. nailante and i are going to go to this shopping center one matatu drive away (15 min) to get mzungu burritos and shop at this huge grocery store called nakumat.
hope your summer is awesome!
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
"I bless the rains down in Africa"
test matatu ride the other day. this song came on (matatus are the mode of transportation. basically, they try to squeeze as many people as possible on a 14-15 person big white van. usually, there are about 18-21 full sized adults on it and sometimes kids. it's CRAZY and jam packed. like sardines. and when you're lucky, you'll get a matatu that plays music. it's usually really cheesey love songs, or they're african dance music, also fun.) anyways, the song came on and the three of us girls started singing and had so much fun. people were laughing at us. silly wazungus. it even rained that day (among most days. it usually rains a while in the afternoons).
life has been so great here. for the most part. ha. we decided to switch to do hospital work since the clinic/mobile clinic we were at didn't seem to need us and we were just doing the same thing. pastor antone (who i live with at the orphanage) set us up with the general hospital here in nakuru town.
it's been such a great experience working there so far. i've gotten to sit in on HIV counseling for people who have just found out they are positive. they go to 3 sessions before they get to have their fully supply of ARV's (anti retroviral therapy) bc the meds are free. they want to make sure people will take them and that they know about why they need to take the meds, and what HIV is, etc. it's good i think. they also do counseling (i think 5 sessions) for people who stopped taking meds and stopped coming to the dr. (you come back at least every 3 months to get more meds and maybe get blood work...CD4 counts, make sure there are no opportunistic infections, etc). in teh 5 sessions, you just learn more and you basically prove you will take them. i think this is good since you don't want a ton of wasted meds since it is in demand and sometimes i'm guessing, short supply. i went to the youth testing buidling and sat in and watched an amazing girl, faith, do counseling and i performed the actualy HIV test. my frist person was positive. a male who travels for work (and whose wife left him). i looked over after just a min or two and though "ah shit"...my first positve i have done. but, i think she knew. he wasn't so shocked. so i did a confirmatory test (positive again).
i've also gotten to do rounds with some of the nurses. ward 13 was the worst for me. this is the ward where the sickest of the sick come. i went in and after a few moments, i could just FEEL the sickness and overall-hopelessness. i felt i could cry if i allowed myself to (of course, i didn't...since i'm "dead inside." ha) the CCC/HIV nurses would see their patients (all mixed with people with pneumonia, malaria, etc). there was one girl, age unknown (they guessed 16-18) who didn't have any family. who was "all alone in the world." and they were trying to figure out what they'd do with her once she gets to go "home." this made me so sad. she needs healthy food SO badly, and love. pastor antone is in the process of starting an HIV orphanage up (hopefully in the next 2 years...i wanna help him to. side note) and i thought i would love her to go there. buuut...it's still far away. and there are SO many people that need a place to live.
another day...scott (a guy from canada we met!) said he was going to surgery. we met him there in the "theatre" (surgery ward). we put on scrubbs (which, made us look like we were prisioners...orange and baggy). basically, we met the dr.s very non-chalantly and there were surgeries already started. there is 3 rooms, all separated by a lil hallway. we could go back and forth as we pleased watching surgeries. SO crazy. i wantched hemmorage surgeries and a c-secion. the c-section was increadible. i learned a lot and was SO moved when the baby was born. again, i could have cried if i allowed myself. the baby was so perfect and for a moment, the woman in me made me want to hold and love the baby, and thought for a second about having my own. the used steirle equipment, but the carts here are all rusted and the buildings are not so lovely.
i went to the hospital the other day (a different one than i work with) bc i was sick. i got antibiotics and a few other things. it looked more like one in the states.
yesterday we went to an IDP camp (internally displaced people) and brought them de-worming medications (they were $.07 ea). the people live here bc after the 2007 elections, they were pushed out of their homes and/or their homes were burned and destroyed. most of these people were kakuyos (sp...there are 42 tribes here. most live together but the kakuyos were one of the main people fought in the post-election issues). ann, antones wife, is kakuyo. we walked around and prayed for a sick man and for a lady who lost her 40 year old son. i farthered my dislike for people giving out candy to kids randomly (ask me more about this later if you want, mostly just farthers the idea that wazungus-white people-give out candy, and the kids never stop with "give me sweet one..." and, is bad for them and unneeded) and actually processed through some of my picture taking ideas. like, how there's such a fine line between taking pictures of kids or people's "homes" bc you want to get a good pic/are materializing them, or taking pics of people bc you love them, or bc you want to share the memory with other people. i processed through deeper, but i won't get into it here. we walked through and instead of playing with the kids with everyone else, bre and i talked with this volunteer there (there are 2 volunteers, 6,500 people) about IDP camp issues. like...people make those awesome paper necklaces, but they're all the same, and there's no one to sell them to. or, how the camp is run by the same few people who somewhat corrupt it. etc. etc. peeling layers, and layers, and layers off the onion. and...it actually hit me really hard and i teared for a moment. no one noticed. but man...i was SO angry, and confused, and i felt like i need answers, but there is no answer. there are too many issues. even if you figure one out...each problem is effected by SO many other things that...it seems nearly impossible. but, earlier in the day (and again at night when i went to talk to ann and antone with bre), ann said..."it's ok/good, most things start small, and they grow." so...i have some ideas. from ann/antone, and from last week. we'll see how things play out.
i got baptized again sunday by pastor antone at his church he's been volunteering/working at. it's a lil walk from the orphanage. you go up a nice lil hill that overloks the nearby slum and can also see lake nakuru. you walk through the slum (not too bad of one) and end up at a gate leading to the church. i got baptized in a hole lined with plastic. the kids filled the water up with buckets that morning (it was so sweet, later that night, samuel and thomas said they loved it and that they each helped with a bucket to fill it up. bah!). it was a quick baptism somewhat in the middle of church service. before we went outside, pastor had me come up and say why i wanted to get baptized. then after we had bread (crackers) and wine (juice) since it was a special day. it was cool to have the kids there and to have pastor do the baptism.
as far as who i'm living with...(volunteers)
BRE (from canada) first impression, wasn't sure how we would get along. but she's AMAZING and such a blessing to have her here. we have so many good talks and giggle basically all the time. we have the same heart sometimes which is fun to share that with someone.
TONI (from england) she cracks me up SO much. her cute accent and the random things she says. like nicker crackers (underware). or...grace steals chipotes from other kids and puts them in her suit case "bless her..."
RYAN (from NY) the only boy. he's the planner in a way and sleeps like he's dead and/or sleeping beauty.
RAFIELLA (from mexico/cali) she joined us earlier this week. she is very easy going and easy to talk to.
i'm gonna add THOMAS here, though he's one of the kids (age 16). he takes care of us and always heats up our hot water for our bucket showers for us. he's taller than me and has the best heart. he used to steal and be known as the boy that steals in his old community. but i'd trust him with ANYTHING. he kinda helps run the show and takes care of everything (like us, getting milk every night, teaching us things, taking care of joy-the baby, etc.)
there are like, a million mosquitos (pronounced...mos-qwe-toes) here. there's literally 100-200 in the bathroom stall we bucket shower in.
community here is cool. people support each other through money and prayer and whatever they need. everyone helps take care of each other and kids.
this was SUPER long. thanks for reading.
life has been so great here. for the most part. ha. we decided to switch to do hospital work since the clinic/mobile clinic we were at didn't seem to need us and we were just doing the same thing. pastor antone (who i live with at the orphanage) set us up with the general hospital here in nakuru town.
it's been such a great experience working there so far. i've gotten to sit in on HIV counseling for people who have just found out they are positive. they go to 3 sessions before they get to have their fully supply of ARV's (anti retroviral therapy) bc the meds are free. they want to make sure people will take them and that they know about why they need to take the meds, and what HIV is, etc. it's good i think. they also do counseling (i think 5 sessions) for people who stopped taking meds and stopped coming to the dr. (you come back at least every 3 months to get more meds and maybe get blood work...CD4 counts, make sure there are no opportunistic infections, etc). in teh 5 sessions, you just learn more and you basically prove you will take them. i think this is good since you don't want a ton of wasted meds since it is in demand and sometimes i'm guessing, short supply. i went to the youth testing buidling and sat in and watched an amazing girl, faith, do counseling and i performed the actualy HIV test. my frist person was positive. a male who travels for work (and whose wife left him). i looked over after just a min or two and though "ah shit"...my first positve i have done. but, i think she knew. he wasn't so shocked. so i did a confirmatory test (positive again).
i've also gotten to do rounds with some of the nurses. ward 13 was the worst for me. this is the ward where the sickest of the sick come. i went in and after a few moments, i could just FEEL the sickness and overall-hopelessness. i felt i could cry if i allowed myself to (of course, i didn't...since i'm "dead inside." ha) the CCC/HIV nurses would see their patients (all mixed with people with pneumonia, malaria, etc). there was one girl, age unknown (they guessed 16-18) who didn't have any family. who was "all alone in the world." and they were trying to figure out what they'd do with her once she gets to go "home." this made me so sad. she needs healthy food SO badly, and love. pastor antone is in the process of starting an HIV orphanage up (hopefully in the next 2 years...i wanna help him to. side note) and i thought i would love her to go there. buuut...it's still far away. and there are SO many people that need a place to live.
another day...scott (a guy from canada we met!) said he was going to surgery. we met him there in the "theatre" (surgery ward). we put on scrubbs (which, made us look like we were prisioners...orange and baggy). basically, we met the dr.s very non-chalantly and there were surgeries already started. there is 3 rooms, all separated by a lil hallway. we could go back and forth as we pleased watching surgeries. SO crazy. i wantched hemmorage surgeries and a c-secion. the c-section was increadible. i learned a lot and was SO moved when the baby was born. again, i could have cried if i allowed myself. the baby was so perfect and for a moment, the woman in me made me want to hold and love the baby, and thought for a second about having my own. the used steirle equipment, but the carts here are all rusted and the buildings are not so lovely.
i went to the hospital the other day (a different one than i work with) bc i was sick. i got antibiotics and a few other things. it looked more like one in the states.
yesterday we went to an IDP camp (internally displaced people) and brought them de-worming medications (they were $.07 ea). the people live here bc after the 2007 elections, they were pushed out of their homes and/or their homes were burned and destroyed. most of these people were kakuyos (sp...there are 42 tribes here. most live together but the kakuyos were one of the main people fought in the post-election issues). ann, antones wife, is kakuyo. we walked around and prayed for a sick man and for a lady who lost her 40 year old son. i farthered my dislike for people giving out candy to kids randomly (ask me more about this later if you want, mostly just farthers the idea that wazungus-white people-give out candy, and the kids never stop with "give me sweet one..." and, is bad for them and unneeded) and actually processed through some of my picture taking ideas. like, how there's such a fine line between taking pictures of kids or people's "homes" bc you want to get a good pic/are materializing them, or taking pics of people bc you love them, or bc you want to share the memory with other people. i processed through deeper, but i won't get into it here. we walked through and instead of playing with the kids with everyone else, bre and i talked with this volunteer there (there are 2 volunteers, 6,500 people) about IDP camp issues. like...people make those awesome paper necklaces, but they're all the same, and there's no one to sell them to. or, how the camp is run by the same few people who somewhat corrupt it. etc. etc. peeling layers, and layers, and layers off the onion. and...it actually hit me really hard and i teared for a moment. no one noticed. but man...i was SO angry, and confused, and i felt like i need answers, but there is no answer. there are too many issues. even if you figure one out...each problem is effected by SO many other things that...it seems nearly impossible. but, earlier in the day (and again at night when i went to talk to ann and antone with bre), ann said..."it's ok/good, most things start small, and they grow." so...i have some ideas. from ann/antone, and from last week. we'll see how things play out.
i got baptized again sunday by pastor antone at his church he's been volunteering/working at. it's a lil walk from the orphanage. you go up a nice lil hill that overloks the nearby slum and can also see lake nakuru. you walk through the slum (not too bad of one) and end up at a gate leading to the church. i got baptized in a hole lined with plastic. the kids filled the water up with buckets that morning (it was so sweet, later that night, samuel and thomas said they loved it and that they each helped with a bucket to fill it up. bah!). it was a quick baptism somewhat in the middle of church service. before we went outside, pastor had me come up and say why i wanted to get baptized. then after we had bread (crackers) and wine (juice) since it was a special day. it was cool to have the kids there and to have pastor do the baptism.
as far as who i'm living with...(volunteers)
BRE (from canada) first impression, wasn't sure how we would get along. but she's AMAZING and such a blessing to have her here. we have so many good talks and giggle basically all the time. we have the same heart sometimes which is fun to share that with someone.
TONI (from england) she cracks me up SO much. her cute accent and the random things she says. like nicker crackers (underware). or...grace steals chipotes from other kids and puts them in her suit case "bless her..."
RYAN (from NY) the only boy. he's the planner in a way and sleeps like he's dead and/or sleeping beauty.
RAFIELLA (from mexico/cali) she joined us earlier this week. she is very easy going and easy to talk to.
i'm gonna add THOMAS here, though he's one of the kids (age 16). he takes care of us and always heats up our hot water for our bucket showers for us. he's taller than me and has the best heart. he used to steal and be known as the boy that steals in his old community. but i'd trust him with ANYTHING. he kinda helps run the show and takes care of everything (like us, getting milk every night, teaching us things, taking care of joy-the baby, etc.)
there are like, a million mosquitos (pronounced...mos-qwe-toes) here. there's literally 100-200 in the bathroom stall we bucket shower in.
community here is cool. people support each other through money and prayer and whatever they need. everyone helps take care of each other and kids.
this was SUPER long. thanks for reading.
Saturday, June 5, 2010
jambo (hello)
so...i'm in kenya! it's been quite the adventure!
so...starting with my flight from BA (british airways) being cancelled from the strike from london to cairo (i was rerouted though and it was ok)...but they exchanged (somehow) my tickets in eastern africa for the ticket to cairo. so at 10p in cairo for my flight at 1220a, i was surpised to find that they couldn't find my ticket because it had become unvalid. i worked for an hour there trying to get it figured out (adding to the fun bc my parents are in spain, it was a holiday-memorial day, and BA didn't answer bc of the strike, though it was about 2p in the states). i bought another ticket for a ton of money, and am trying to get it figured out still to get my money back from BA's mistake. i've spent hours so far trying to get it fixed because i don't have a flight to uganda now either. so...interesting stuff. apparantly it's almost impossible for a mistake like this to happen since BA cannot use kenyan airways flights (who i few from cairo with, and who i'm supposed to fly to uganda with)...but, it did happen.
besides that, and being really sick my 2nd day in kenya, stuff is awesome. i love it here. when we were flying into nairobi, i fell in love for real! kinda like the first time i saw the ship at night in nassau, i just loved it!!! i also feel GOD a lot here. i feel HIM a lil differently that usual, but it is increadible. i feel HIM in guiding me, and i can see him in people and children here SO MUCH! there is a lot of joy here, and i think for those people, it is rooted in GOD. even this person (david) i have made friends with the past 45 minutes in this internet cafe! (he works through campus crucade and is from here in kenya and he just has it in his eyes. it's cool).
so...cairo was good! brenna showed me around and i had so much fun! we went to the pyramids, saw the spinx (sp?), went to garbage city (prob my fav thing we did, along with the faluka ride), shopped, went to downtown cairo, ate egyptian food (i did!), and took a faluka (a sailboat looking thing) on the nile for sunset. the stahls (the family brenna lives with) brought amazing picnic food. i left, and the non existant ticket thing happened in cairo but...i made two friends with other travelers! one from sudan (our plane stopped off there). i ended up getting to sit near him on the plane! i landed in nairobi (after no sleep on my redeye flight) and got picked up by oliver! we are good friends now! (we stayed at his house my first night in kenya before we traveled to my placement. he is a driver for IVHQ and we are silly together!) then we did training (a long time of training with no break for lunch till 3p. but apparantly that's when we'll eat lunch here). i met a lot of awesome kenyans who work for fadili and lots of amazing people volunteering from all over the world. most being from the states, canada, and ireland. there were 50 volunteers at this training which is the most they've ever had. on the 15th at another training they will have even more.
my origional placement was to do homevisits to women who have hiv, and who do beadwork. this is what i'm going to be doing in uganda, so i asked if i could switch. ryan (a guy i sat near who was also signed up for hiv work) was going to work at a prevention clinic in nakuru so i asked to switch to that and live with cathy (also going to live in nakuru). so, they let me! thankfully! and...on the 2nd we drove about 3 hours to get here to nakuru! it's a big city, not as big as nairobi, and we live a lil outside of the city. we have to take a matatu (a white van that squeezes a ton of people in and used as a bus) for 20 shillings (about 25 cents) to get to town. um...best part. i live in an ORPHANAGE!!! most placements people live with a host family and a few other volunteers. i live with 3 volunteers (ryan from new york, toni from england, and bre from canada), pastor antone, his wife ann, and their almost 2 year old joy, and 49 beautiful kids ages 7-16. how sweet is that? and not at all what i imagined or expected, but so much better! our house is so warm and inviting and bright. there are 2 boys rooms on our end of the house and our room, along with a room for other workers there. then on the other end of the house are 2 girls rooms and pastor anotone's room. i loooove it there. we live right outside a reserve park and it is green and beautiful. lost of mosquito's though.
we walk through a field to get to the main road to walk to work (east) or to get a matatu to town (west). i only have been to work one day (since i was sick for training) but it's on the grounds of a girls orphanage/school. there is a clinic there people all around come to. we have one building where we have an hiv room, a wound dressing room, a doctor consult room, etc. they are limited on supplies and materials for patients, but they are doing well. it's very different though! i'll tell more about it later once i know more! we also drove 37 kilometers away up into a smaller town (i want to live there, it's called subukia) where we brought vacinations to give to babies in a small clinic. no alcohol suabes used before the shot, and no bandaid, and they just gave the shot in the same room everyone else was in. i did the book keepings which is in a HUGE book used for the government. people paid 10 shillings (13.5 cents) for shots. crazy right! i really like the women i will be working alongside! one reminds me of whoopie goldberg on sister act!!! :)
well, i could go on a lot more, but, this will be it for now. i know this is a lot. ha. hope you are doing well!
so...starting with my flight from BA (british airways) being cancelled from the strike from london to cairo (i was rerouted though and it was ok)...but they exchanged (somehow) my tickets in eastern africa for the ticket to cairo. so at 10p in cairo for my flight at 1220a, i was surpised to find that they couldn't find my ticket because it had become unvalid. i worked for an hour there trying to get it figured out (adding to the fun bc my parents are in spain, it was a holiday-memorial day, and BA didn't answer bc of the strike, though it was about 2p in the states). i bought another ticket for a ton of money, and am trying to get it figured out still to get my money back from BA's mistake. i've spent hours so far trying to get it fixed because i don't have a flight to uganda now either. so...interesting stuff. apparantly it's almost impossible for a mistake like this to happen since BA cannot use kenyan airways flights (who i few from cairo with, and who i'm supposed to fly to uganda with)...but, it did happen.
besides that, and being really sick my 2nd day in kenya, stuff is awesome. i love it here. when we were flying into nairobi, i fell in love for real! kinda like the first time i saw the ship at night in nassau, i just loved it!!! i also feel GOD a lot here. i feel HIM a lil differently that usual, but it is increadible. i feel HIM in guiding me, and i can see him in people and children here SO MUCH! there is a lot of joy here, and i think for those people, it is rooted in GOD. even this person (david) i have made friends with the past 45 minutes in this internet cafe! (he works through campus crucade and is from here in kenya and he just has it in his eyes. it's cool).
so...cairo was good! brenna showed me around and i had so much fun! we went to the pyramids, saw the spinx (sp?), went to garbage city (prob my fav thing we did, along with the faluka ride), shopped, went to downtown cairo, ate egyptian food (i did!), and took a faluka (a sailboat looking thing) on the nile for sunset. the stahls (the family brenna lives with) brought amazing picnic food. i left, and the non existant ticket thing happened in cairo but...i made two friends with other travelers! one from sudan (our plane stopped off there). i ended up getting to sit near him on the plane! i landed in nairobi (after no sleep on my redeye flight) and got picked up by oliver! we are good friends now! (we stayed at his house my first night in kenya before we traveled to my placement. he is a driver for IVHQ and we are silly together!) then we did training (a long time of training with no break for lunch till 3p. but apparantly that's when we'll eat lunch here). i met a lot of awesome kenyans who work for fadili and lots of amazing people volunteering from all over the world. most being from the states, canada, and ireland. there were 50 volunteers at this training which is the most they've ever had. on the 15th at another training they will have even more.
my origional placement was to do homevisits to women who have hiv, and who do beadwork. this is what i'm going to be doing in uganda, so i asked if i could switch. ryan (a guy i sat near who was also signed up for hiv work) was going to work at a prevention clinic in nakuru so i asked to switch to that and live with cathy (also going to live in nakuru). so, they let me! thankfully! and...on the 2nd we drove about 3 hours to get here to nakuru! it's a big city, not as big as nairobi, and we live a lil outside of the city. we have to take a matatu (a white van that squeezes a ton of people in and used as a bus) for 20 shillings (about 25 cents) to get to town. um...best part. i live in an ORPHANAGE!!! most placements people live with a host family and a few other volunteers. i live with 3 volunteers (ryan from new york, toni from england, and bre from canada), pastor antone, his wife ann, and their almost 2 year old joy, and 49 beautiful kids ages 7-16. how sweet is that? and not at all what i imagined or expected, but so much better! our house is so warm and inviting and bright. there are 2 boys rooms on our end of the house and our room, along with a room for other workers there. then on the other end of the house are 2 girls rooms and pastor anotone's room. i loooove it there. we live right outside a reserve park and it is green and beautiful. lost of mosquito's though.
we walk through a field to get to the main road to walk to work (east) or to get a matatu to town (west). i only have been to work one day (since i was sick for training) but it's on the grounds of a girls orphanage/school. there is a clinic there people all around come to. we have one building where we have an hiv room, a wound dressing room, a doctor consult room, etc. they are limited on supplies and materials for patients, but they are doing well. it's very different though! i'll tell more about it later once i know more! we also drove 37 kilometers away up into a smaller town (i want to live there, it's called subukia) where we brought vacinations to give to babies in a small clinic. no alcohol suabes used before the shot, and no bandaid, and they just gave the shot in the same room everyone else was in. i did the book keepings which is in a HUGE book used for the government. people paid 10 shillings (13.5 cents) for shots. crazy right! i really like the women i will be working alongside! one reminds me of whoopie goldberg on sister act!!! :)
well, i could go on a lot more, but, this will be it for now. i know this is a lot. ha. hope you are doing well!
Friday, May 21, 2010
connected through love lettters from the kids...just a few
so...these are letters written by elementary or middle schoolers. i've been going into classrooms the past few weeks and teaching a short lesson on africa and what i will be doing there. then i asked the kids to imagine that they are writing to someone in africa. what would they want to tell them about life here? we brainstormed ideas of what could be in the letters and then i asked them to write a letter and draw a picture. i'll take these down with me to africa and give them to people there. then, hopefully i can have people write a letter and draw a picture in africa and bring it back to show or give the kids here in colorado. i think this is a fun and awesome way for us all to be "connected through love." plus...it was so fun and i loved what they wrote and drew!
Dear friend,
My name is ***. I am 13 years old. I live in a house with my mom, my dad, my little brother, my cat, and my dog. My cat's name is Bananas. He does not like me! My dog's name is Murphy. He is a very strange case, that one.
I like to go to the movies at the theater and act in plays. I also like singing.
In school, my favorite subject is writing. It is very fun and educational.
After school, I like hanging out with my friends. We have sleepovers where we watch Barbie and speak in accents. We also wear footsie pajamas and scare the pizza guy with exfoliating masks.
5-14-10
Dear friend,
I'v been hearing about you, now its your turn to hear about me. But first I have 1 question what is your name? Mine is ***, you can call me *** for short. I'm 9 years old right now, I'm going to be ten soon, well I'm going to tern ten on June 14th. Have you ever seen snow its so cool, its wite and puffy. It's like a cloud but its on the ground. It's also really cold. I have so much to tell you about. But thats all I have time for right now. Bie!
Dear friend,
My name is ***, and I'm 10 years old. What's your name, and your age? My school is Wingate Elementary. It got it's name from the red rock formation outside. It's called the Colorado National Monument.
I live in Grand Junction, Colorado, in the U.S.A. Western Colorado is a desert just like part s of Africa. But we don't have cool animals like you see almost every day are caged up in a "zoo" so we can learn ab out them.
Dear friend,
My name is *** and I am in the USA and Im is 3 grade. Do you play football? If you dont I will tell you. You hick the ball if you run it you run tord's your tuchdown. If you throw it you throw it to your team mat and he run's tord the tuchdown like you ran tord the tuchdown. If you kick it you put your foot on the Ball and kick.
Dear friend,
Hi my name is *** I'm a 10 year old third grader in the U.S. A. How is Africa. Have you been to the Victoria Falls? If you have do you think you can tell me about it. I think it would be cool to know about them.
Dear friend
My name is *** what is your name? my favorit hobbey is playing football how we play football is you need a ball you need players and a field. there is two team captions and they get to pick players then they do rock, paper, sissors to see who kicks and who trys to make a tuchdown and the team captain chossis the plays.
Dear friend,
My name is ***, what's your's. I live in a house with my dad, my older sister, my cat, and my dog. I am 13 years old. I can draw really good, what is your talent because I think everyone has one. I hope that you write back.
P.S. I hope you enjoyed this.
Dear friend,
How are you? I hope that you're good. I'm supposed to tell you about my life in America, so I'll start out with my education. I am 12 years old and in the 7th grade. I am lucky to be learning math, literacy, geography, science, and music! I get to do many hobbies like hiking and skiing! You might not have heard of skiing before, but I don't have enough time to explain it (you should ask Carina.) I have to go now.
Dear student,
I would like to tell you about life in my town in America. It can get really hot here in the summer, but it can also get really cold. It can even snow! Snow is white, wet, cold and fun. To a point that is. This winter it snowed all the way into May! It usually doesn't and after a while all that white fluffy beauty turns into a dirty, icy annoyance. It's finally stopped and started to get warm for summer when I'll be wishing for snow because of the heat.
What sorts of things do you like to play with? I have many toys , but sometimes the most fun is a plain old stick.
I hope you live in a nice place and a good home.
Dear friend
hi my name is *** but I want to meet you in real life. But do you like hsharks? because I like sharks. I want to be a mereanbyolagest. A mareanbyolagest is a person who goes under water and studies sea life like sharks and fish and dolphens and whales.
SOOOO cute, good, insightful, and loving hunh!!! This was so fun! There are so many good letters but I wanted to post a hand full because, they are just worth sharing! I love what kids say!
Dear friend,
My name is ***. I am 13 years old. I live in a house with my mom, my dad, my little brother, my cat, and my dog. My cat's name is Bananas. He does not like me! My dog's name is Murphy. He is a very strange case, that one.
I like to go to the movies at the theater and act in plays. I also like singing.
In school, my favorite subject is writing. It is very fun and educational.
After school, I like hanging out with my friends. We have sleepovers where we watch Barbie and speak in accents. We also wear footsie pajamas and scare the pizza guy with exfoliating masks.
5-14-10
Dear friend,
I'v been hearing about you, now its your turn to hear about me. But first I have 1 question what is your name? Mine is ***, you can call me *** for short. I'm 9 years old right now, I'm going to be ten soon, well I'm going to tern ten on June 14th. Have you ever seen snow its so cool, its wite and puffy. It's like a cloud but its on the ground. It's also really cold. I have so much to tell you about. But thats all I have time for right now. Bie!
Dear friend,
My name is ***, and I'm 10 years old. What's your name, and your age? My school is Wingate Elementary. It got it's name from the red rock formation outside. It's called the Colorado National Monument.
I live in Grand Junction, Colorado, in the U.S.A. Western Colorado is a desert just like part s of Africa. But we don't have cool animals like you see almost every day are caged up in a "zoo" so we can learn ab out them.
Dear friend,
My name is *** and I am in the USA and Im is 3 grade. Do you play football? If you dont I will tell you. You hick the ball if you run it you run tord's your tuchdown. If you throw it you throw it to your team mat and he run's tord the tuchdown like you ran tord the tuchdown. If you kick it you put your foot on the Ball and kick.
Dear friend,
Hi my name is *** I'm a 10 year old third grader in the U.S. A. How is Africa. Have you been to the Victoria Falls? If you have do you think you can tell me about it. I think it would be cool to know about them.
Dear friend
My name is *** what is your name? my favorit hobbey is playing football how we play football is you need a ball you need players and a field. there is two team captions and they get to pick players then they do rock, paper, sissors to see who kicks and who trys to make a tuchdown and the team captain chossis the plays.
Dear friend,
My name is ***, what's your's. I live in a house with my dad, my older sister, my cat, and my dog. I am 13 years old. I can draw really good, what is your talent because I think everyone has one. I hope that you write back.
P.S. I hope you enjoyed this.
Dear friend,
How are you? I hope that you're good. I'm supposed to tell you about my life in America, so I'll start out with my education. I am 12 years old and in the 7th grade. I am lucky to be learning math, literacy, geography, science, and music! I get to do many hobbies like hiking and skiing! You might not have heard of skiing before, but I don't have enough time to explain it (you should ask Carina.) I have to go now.
Dear student,
I would like to tell you about life in my town in America. It can get really hot here in the summer, but it can also get really cold. It can even snow! Snow is white, wet, cold and fun. To a point that is. This winter it snowed all the way into May! It usually doesn't and after a while all that white fluffy beauty turns into a dirty, icy annoyance. It's finally stopped and started to get warm for summer when I'll be wishing for snow because of the heat.
What sorts of things do you like to play with? I have many toys , but sometimes the most fun is a plain old stick.
I hope you live in a nice place and a good home.
Dear friend
hi my name is *** but I want to meet you in real life. But do you like hsharks? because I like sharks. I want to be a mereanbyolagest. A mareanbyolagest is a person who goes under water and studies sea life like sharks and fish and dolphens and whales.
SOOOO cute, good, insightful, and loving hunh!!! This was so fun! There are so many good letters but I wanted to post a hand full because, they are just worth sharing! I love what kids say!
just a few points why i'm passionate about it...
This stuff resonates in me as my truth as why I’m so excited and passionate about this stuff. Some Bible verses I really like that apply to my trip, and quotes from a book I just read (that my awesome neighbors in Fort Collins gave me, which ended up being so impactful).
James 1:27 Pure and undefiled religion is taking care of orphans and windows in distress and keeping oneself unpolluted by the world.
“We can do no great things, only small things with great love.” Mother Theresa
“…All men live, not by reason of any care they have for themselves but by the love for them that is in other people…it’s by love for others that they really live.” –Tuesdays With Morrie
I’m pretty sure I wrote this after reading The Power of Serving Others (thanks Megan) last summer while still waiting for the right time to go to Africa. My purpose: Starting with what I have now (the little training I have, the little money, the little knowledge) opening my hands and my heart to give what I can right at this moment with the most resources and love I can muster. (Not waiting for money, or a facility, or more education, or more people. But by making the first step and possibly helping answer someone’s prayer through where I am led by God and going.
From Scared by Tom Davis (from Mitch and Cristy) Page 79: (In Swaziland. Pastor Walter talking about how he was teaching at church, and after a child had died while “sleeping” in the back because of starvation.) “It was a wake-up call for me. God’s goodness didn’t just happen because I talked about it. I realized that I had to act. So I started to pray, ‘God, send me people who have the ability and the finances to help us.’ And you know what God said to me? He said, ‘Walter, what’s in your pocket? Start giving to these children out of what you have, and I will take care of the rest. And that’s exactly what has happened. There were many nights when my own children went hungry because other children in our community would die without something to eat. Maybe my kids were a bit skinnier because of that, but we kept other children alive.”
Here are just a few other passages or lines from this book that I liked:
Pastor Walter talked about Jesus’ church – where everyone shared with everyone else. Not only food, but homes, money, everything.
Tagoze, you are God’s answer. You can only say yes to His plans for your life, and you don’t always know how He is working. You have to trust.
In this place, Stu, God has a way of bringing people down to the essence of who they are.
Brother, you are God’s vessel. You, my brother, are the hands and feet of Christ, the hope of Christ to the people.
She said that it tells us sorrow is a part of life, but our tears can leave us with clearer sight, if we look to God.
Matthew 16:23-25 But He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me; for you are not setting your mind on God’s interests, but man’s.” Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for Me will find it.”
Proverbs 3:5-6. Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own insight. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.
Job 33: 4 & 6. “The Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life…Behold, I belong to God like you: I too have been formed out of the clay.”
James 1:27 Pure and undefiled religion is taking care of orphans and windows in distress and keeping oneself unpolluted by the world.
“We can do no great things, only small things with great love.” Mother Theresa
“…All men live, not by reason of any care they have for themselves but by the love for them that is in other people…it’s by love for others that they really live.” –Tuesdays With Morrie
I’m pretty sure I wrote this after reading The Power of Serving Others (thanks Megan) last summer while still waiting for the right time to go to Africa. My purpose: Starting with what I have now (the little training I have, the little money, the little knowledge) opening my hands and my heart to give what I can right at this moment with the most resources and love I can muster. (Not waiting for money, or a facility, or more education, or more people. But by making the first step and possibly helping answer someone’s prayer through where I am led by God and going.
From Scared by Tom Davis (from Mitch and Cristy) Page 79: (In Swaziland. Pastor Walter talking about how he was teaching at church, and after a child had died while “sleeping” in the back because of starvation.) “It was a wake-up call for me. God’s goodness didn’t just happen because I talked about it. I realized that I had to act. So I started to pray, ‘God, send me people who have the ability and the finances to help us.’ And you know what God said to me? He said, ‘Walter, what’s in your pocket? Start giving to these children out of what you have, and I will take care of the rest. And that’s exactly what has happened. There were many nights when my own children went hungry because other children in our community would die without something to eat. Maybe my kids were a bit skinnier because of that, but we kept other children alive.”
Here are just a few other passages or lines from this book that I liked:
Pastor Walter talked about Jesus’ church – where everyone shared with everyone else. Not only food, but homes, money, everything.
Tagoze, you are God’s answer. You can only say yes to His plans for your life, and you don’t always know how He is working. You have to trust.
In this place, Stu, God has a way of bringing people down to the essence of who they are.
Brother, you are God’s vessel. You, my brother, are the hands and feet of Christ, the hope of Christ to the people.
She said that it tells us sorrow is a part of life, but our tears can leave us with clearer sight, if we look to God.
Matthew 16:23-25 But He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me; for you are not setting your mind on God’s interests, but man’s.” Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for Me will find it.”
Proverbs 3:5-6. Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own insight. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.
Job 33: 4 & 6. “The Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life…Behold, I belong to God like you: I too have been formed out of the clay.”
ok, so i think i'm going to africa...what?!!!
Friday 5.21.10
I’m about to leave. Less than one week I will be in Africa! It’s crazy and exciting to imagine. All I really need to do now is pack (ha). I’ve been having so much fun spending time with friends and family before I go, and doing a little journaling and other prep.
Today, I just finished up teaching a short lesson in a few classrooms. I wanted to do the whole “Connected Through Love” thing focusing on classrooms right now. I had the kids point out Kenya and Uganda on a map, and told them a little information about what I am doing. We talked about possible differences from our culture to their culture, brainstormed ideas of topics we could write about in a letter. The kids imagined writing a letter to someone in Africa, what they would want that person to know about about their life here. Some of the kids talked about food, animals, friends, their rooms, class, etc. Then they drew pictures. So, once I give those letters with pictures to people I meet in Africa, we will all be a little more connected. And I know that the people I give the letters to will learn and feel so loved and special that someone in Colorado made it for them!
Classrooms that are involved are: Mrs. Campbell’s kindergarten class (Dunn Elementary, Fort Collins), Mrs. Clark’s 2nd grade class and Mrs. King’s 4th grade class (Wingate Elementary), Mrs. Hanson’s National Junior Honors Society group of 7th and 8th graders (East Middle), Mrs. Ralston’s 3rd grade class and Miss Wagstrom’s 4th grade class (Orchard Avenue), and Mrs. Pitton’s 3rd grade class (Pear Park). Thank you SO much for letting me do this and to the kids who put their personalities into their pictures and writing.
In my Africa-prep, I feel SO loved and supported. I was nervous about the planning, the money, the timing, etc. and everything has worked out MORE THAN perfectly. I’ve prayed about it and trusted GOD/life with all of this, and I am so happy about how everything has fallen into place and worked out (though of course, a lot of it is not how I planned or expected it to go)! Thank you for your love and support. I cannot describe how special this makes me feel and I am SO blessed to have such amazing people in my life. It makes me happy! So THANK YOU!!!!!
I leave Wednesday and I’ll spend a few days in Cairo (cheaper to fly through there, and I’ve always wanted to go!) before heading to Nairobi, Kenya for training and then placement. All of June I will be doing HIV/AIDS work, and hopefully other work as well! I have no clue what to expect or how things will go so I’m just trying not to have expectations and am ‘planning’ on just going with however things happen (organized, disorganized, don’t know where I’m living, etc.) So, this’ll be an adventure!
I’m about to leave. Less than one week I will be in Africa! It’s crazy and exciting to imagine. All I really need to do now is pack (ha). I’ve been having so much fun spending time with friends and family before I go, and doing a little journaling and other prep.
Today, I just finished up teaching a short lesson in a few classrooms. I wanted to do the whole “Connected Through Love” thing focusing on classrooms right now. I had the kids point out Kenya and Uganda on a map, and told them a little information about what I am doing. We talked about possible differences from our culture to their culture, brainstormed ideas of topics we could write about in a letter. The kids imagined writing a letter to someone in Africa, what they would want that person to know about about their life here. Some of the kids talked about food, animals, friends, their rooms, class, etc. Then they drew pictures. So, once I give those letters with pictures to people I meet in Africa, we will all be a little more connected. And I know that the people I give the letters to will learn and feel so loved and special that someone in Colorado made it for them!
Classrooms that are involved are: Mrs. Campbell’s kindergarten class (Dunn Elementary, Fort Collins), Mrs. Clark’s 2nd grade class and Mrs. King’s 4th grade class (Wingate Elementary), Mrs. Hanson’s National Junior Honors Society group of 7th and 8th graders (East Middle), Mrs. Ralston’s 3rd grade class and Miss Wagstrom’s 4th grade class (Orchard Avenue), and Mrs. Pitton’s 3rd grade class (Pear Park). Thank you SO much for letting me do this and to the kids who put their personalities into their pictures and writing.
In my Africa-prep, I feel SO loved and supported. I was nervous about the planning, the money, the timing, etc. and everything has worked out MORE THAN perfectly. I’ve prayed about it and trusted GOD/life with all of this, and I am so happy about how everything has fallen into place and worked out (though of course, a lot of it is not how I planned or expected it to go)! Thank you for your love and support. I cannot describe how special this makes me feel and I am SO blessed to have such amazing people in my life. It makes me happy! So THANK YOU!!!!!
I leave Wednesday and I’ll spend a few days in Cairo (cheaper to fly through there, and I’ve always wanted to go!) before heading to Nairobi, Kenya for training and then placement. All of June I will be doing HIV/AIDS work, and hopefully other work as well! I have no clue what to expect or how things will go so I’m just trying not to have expectations and am ‘planning’ on just going with however things happen (organized, disorganized, don’t know where I’m living, etc.) So, this’ll be an adventure!
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Pre-Africa
A little more than two months away from flying out of DIA to AFRICA!!!
How did I get here? Past the stages of just thinking about going to Africa, to actually booking plane ticket and setting up dates to volunteer with organizations.
It all started back when I was about a sophomore in high school. I was at my grandpa's house in Las Cruces, NM and went out to his front yard late at night to talk on the phone to a good friend (Amanda). It was a lovely night, somewhat overcast but I could still see the stars. When I got off the phone, I layed in the grass for a while and began to pray. Every now and again when I pray, I feel like God throws me some random idea or direction. I can't quite describe it, but this night was basically the first time I knew that Africa was going to be part of my future. As time passed, I became excited about the idea of going to Africa, and as most of you know, working in Africa is definitely something I talk about passionately from time to time. It just feels right.
I've looked up programs within the past six years and had seriously considered going a a few times before. I even had internship approved to go down and work with Light Gives Heat, but I pulled back because something did not feel right about going at that time.
How did I get here? Past the stages of just thinking about going to Africa, to actually booking plane ticket and setting up dates to volunteer with organizations.
It all started back when I was about a sophomore in high school. I was at my grandpa's house in Las Cruces, NM and went out to his front yard late at night to talk on the phone to a good friend (Amanda). It was a lovely night, somewhat overcast but I could still see the stars. When I got off the phone, I layed in the grass for a while and began to pray. Every now and again when I pray, I feel like God throws me some random idea or direction. I can't quite describe it, but this night was basically the first time I knew that Africa was going to be part of my future. As time passed, I became excited about the idea of going to Africa, and as most of you know, working in Africa is definitely something I talk about passionately from time to time. It just feels right.
I've looked up programs within the past six years and had seriously considered going a a few times before. I even had internship approved to go down and work with Light Gives Heat, but I pulled back because something did not feel right about going at that time.
Recently, a friend asked me if I wanted to go to
I'll be leaving the end of May. I'm flying through
Then, for all of July, I'll be teaching primary school in a Maasai village. I'm super excited about living with the Maasai people for a while because so far of what I've learned, they are an indigenous African group with a strong cultural and ethnic traditions. (Side note, I've read that the majority of their diets comes from meat, milk, and animal blood.)
August and September I will be in
So, I'll try to blog as often as I can, and hopefully with time I'll get better at this! :) Thanks for supporting me with my
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