So it's been five months since I last posted on this blog. I don't know if anyone will read this... but I just wanted to express some things I've been learning recently.
Some of life's most important journeys are taken on the inside. In seeking to know our creator, we learn more about ourselves.
I had a lot of time to reflect this past summer, working in the field 40 hours a week. And now the busy-ness of life has come upon me and my reflection time is more limited.
It has been good to be back at school, but difficult at the same time.
I don't even have time to write much at this moment, but for anyone who's reading this: Even though I've returned from Eastern Africa, my journey is far from over.
God is challenging me in new ways, and I find my time spent with Him to be rich beyond measure. If only I could somehow manage to spend more time with Him...
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Thursday, April 30, 2009
looking forward to long flights?
This was my last week here in East Africa, and it has been a great week, but incredibly bittersweet. I have said good-bye to so many people, first in Kigali and now in Kampala. We had a few debriefing sessions at the beginning of the week, which were difficult for me. It is hard to know what I’ve learned and how I’ve changed. A new reality is going to set in when I arrive back in the States. I’m scared of being bombarded by a consumer oriented, individualistic society. I think I will welcome the dependability of services, such as electricity and running water, but I fear that I may become bored by the constancy after awhile. I enjoyed washing dishes by candle-light last night. I will miss pay-as-you-go cell phones and public transportation. Speaking of transportation, I was amused today by the quiet mirth on the matatu (taxi) when there was no conductor. Because of his missing partner, the driver had to turn off the engine, run around the vehicle, and open the door at every stop. He eventually appointed a young rider to open the door, after she was able to figure out how to work the broken handle.
Will I return here someday? I honestly don’t know. But, I do know that I will always carry a small piece of East Africa within me. My experiences here have been woven into the fabric of my being, and burned upon my heart.
For those of you who will soon welcome me back into my “home” community, I ask for patience and understanding. I want to share with you what I have learned, so feel free to ask me questions. I know that I will struggle with reverse culture shock, but I look forward to being back in Lancaster County. It is hard to believe that next week at this time I will be with my family, and I am incredibly excited. I’m not looking forward to our long journey home, but I look forward to seeing those precious faces that will greet me when I get off of the plane.
Until we meet again,
Roanna
Will I return here someday? I honestly don’t know. But, I do know that I will always carry a small piece of East Africa within me. My experiences here have been woven into the fabric of my being, and burned upon my heart.
For those of you who will soon welcome me back into my “home” community, I ask for patience and understanding. I want to share with you what I have learned, so feel free to ask me questions. I know that I will struggle with reverse culture shock, but I look forward to being back in Lancaster County. It is hard to believe that next week at this time I will be with my family, and I am incredibly excited. I’m not looking forward to our long journey home, but I look forward to seeing those precious faces that will greet me when I get off of the plane.
Until we meet again,
Roanna
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Goodbye Kigali!
Friends, sorry that it’s been a little longer than normal since I’ve written! We had a wonderful Easter here, complete with a ham, green beans, and potatoes dinner.
Monday morning the girls spent time doing laundry and washing shoes outside our rooms at the convent. Our friend monkey stopped by to grace us with his presence, and even caught a bird and ate it in front of us, in addition to the banana that we fed him. In the afternoon we departed for Rulindo, a district in the northern province of Rwanda. The mountainous beauty of this district was incredible. Our cars just kept winding up, up, up twisty dirt back roads until we came to Tumba College of Technology, nestled on the peak of the mountain. This two year old college was incredibly welcoming to us. We spent our mornings researching in rural sectors, our afternoons typing up data, and our evenings socializing among ourselves and with the students there. Wednesday evening we were able to join a group of students for worship, and they graciously translated from Kinyarwanda to English for us, so that we were able to really engage in worship. I enjoyed that immensely. That same night we were bombarded by thousands, perhaps millions, of termites that flooded the campus. I pulled my scarf tightly around my ears, making sure that the edges didn’t protrude too far around my face which would have trapped the insects and made them flap their wings against my nose and eyes. The best night by far was Thursday night, when we had a cultural exchange with the Rwandan students. They performed traditional Rwandan dance for us, and we sang songs and taught them line dancing. We even did “The Catch-All” skit with no preparation! It was a pretty big hit. But the best was the line dancing, with Sophie as our awesome instructor. We played some group games and just hung out until late in the evening.
Friday morning we came back to Kigali and spent the weekend writing up our reports from the research we did in Rulindo, as well as making trips to the market and to church. There have been rainstorms every afternoon, which makes the dirt roads quite slick. We went to a coffee shop for awhile, and did a few more sessions of aerobics. On Saturday afternoon we went to a soccer game of the team from Tumba College verses a Kigali Technical college team. It was really great to see a few of our friends again.
At 5:00 on Friday morning I will be leaving my life here in Kigali. I will miss waking up to the singing of the nuns and our fresh hot milk. I will miss the lizards that crawl all around our room and the cows that graze in the backyard. I will miss walking past the stadium everyday and hearing echoes of the concerts going on inside. I will miss the delicious grocery store lunches of Masaka vanilla yogurt, peanuts and chapatti. I will miss teaching English to the sewing students at PHARP. I will miss sitting right here on the Jackson’s porch, enjoying the cool evening air as I play games and check email overlooking the bright lights of Remera.
A little over a week, and then I will embark on the long flights home. I will try to write one last update in Kampala, but who knows how the internet will be there!
Grace and peace to all of you.
Monday morning the girls spent time doing laundry and washing shoes outside our rooms at the convent. Our friend monkey stopped by to grace us with his presence, and even caught a bird and ate it in front of us, in addition to the banana that we fed him. In the afternoon we departed for Rulindo, a district in the northern province of Rwanda. The mountainous beauty of this district was incredible. Our cars just kept winding up, up, up twisty dirt back roads until we came to Tumba College of Technology, nestled on the peak of the mountain. This two year old college was incredibly welcoming to us. We spent our mornings researching in rural sectors, our afternoons typing up data, and our evenings socializing among ourselves and with the students there. Wednesday evening we were able to join a group of students for worship, and they graciously translated from Kinyarwanda to English for us, so that we were able to really engage in worship. I enjoyed that immensely. That same night we were bombarded by thousands, perhaps millions, of termites that flooded the campus. I pulled my scarf tightly around my ears, making sure that the edges didn’t protrude too far around my face which would have trapped the insects and made them flap their wings against my nose and eyes. The best night by far was Thursday night, when we had a cultural exchange with the Rwandan students. They performed traditional Rwandan dance for us, and we sang songs and taught them line dancing. We even did “The Catch-All” skit with no preparation! It was a pretty big hit. But the best was the line dancing, with Sophie as our awesome instructor. We played some group games and just hung out until late in the evening.
Friday morning we came back to Kigali and spent the weekend writing up our reports from the research we did in Rulindo, as well as making trips to the market and to church. There have been rainstorms every afternoon, which makes the dirt roads quite slick. We went to a coffee shop for awhile, and did a few more sessions of aerobics. On Saturday afternoon we went to a soccer game of the team from Tumba College verses a Kigali Technical college team. It was really great to see a few of our friends again.
At 5:00 on Friday morning I will be leaving my life here in Kigali. I will miss waking up to the singing of the nuns and our fresh hot milk. I will miss the lizards that crawl all around our room and the cows that graze in the backyard. I will miss walking past the stadium everyday and hearing echoes of the concerts going on inside. I will miss the delicious grocery store lunches of Masaka vanilla yogurt, peanuts and chapatti. I will miss teaching English to the sewing students at PHARP. I will miss sitting right here on the Jackson’s porch, enjoying the cool evening air as I play games and check email overlooking the bright lights of Remera.
A little over a week, and then I will embark on the long flights home. I will try to write one last update in Kampala, but who knows how the internet will be there!
Grace and peace to all of you.
Monday, April 13, 2009
Saturday, April 11, 2009
He is Risen
There is a future for Rwanda. This past week was the 15th anniversary of the genocide. Despite the sadness, I caught glimpses of hope in various places. A brilliant sunflower nestled in the knee-high grass of a front yard, a double rainbow arching over the well-kept houses in Kigali, the smile on the face of a young woman as she proudly announces that she sewed the dress she is wearing.
I have continued to be energized by teaching English to the girls at PHARP. They have really enjoyed singing “Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes”, as well as learning different foods and market terms.
Speed scrabble has continued to monopolize the time that I am not spending on schoolwork. It is really quite an addicting game. I almost spelled “quixotic” one round, but didn’t have quite enough time!
April 7 was the day of remembrance, and there was a large gathering at Amahoro Stadium from noon to midnight. We went around 10:30 pm, and weren’t able to get in because it was full, but we heard some of the beautiful songs, and talked to a few people.
Today was an amazing day! I woke up at 4:30 to go on a SAFARI at Akagera National Park. It was a really neat experience. A lot of driving while sitting on top of a landcruiser with our hair flying in the wind. We saw hippos (and heard them snort), and got within 30 feet of a family of 4 beautiful giraffes. I never realized what majestic and gorgeous creatures they are. We also saw baboons, impala, and wart hogs. It was a gorgeous day, and I am exhausted at the moment.
I’m excited for an Easter Service at the Anglican church tomorrow, so I better go to bed so that I can wake up in time!
I have continued to be energized by teaching English to the girls at PHARP. They have really enjoyed singing “Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes”, as well as learning different foods and market terms.
Speed scrabble has continued to monopolize the time that I am not spending on schoolwork. It is really quite an addicting game. I almost spelled “quixotic” one round, but didn’t have quite enough time!
April 7 was the day of remembrance, and there was a large gathering at Amahoro Stadium from noon to midnight. We went around 10:30 pm, and weren’t able to get in because it was full, but we heard some of the beautiful songs, and talked to a few people.
Today was an amazing day! I woke up at 4:30 to go on a SAFARI at Akagera National Park. It was a really neat experience. A lot of driving while sitting on top of a landcruiser with our hair flying in the wind. We saw hippos (and heard them snort), and got within 30 feet of a family of 4 beautiful giraffes. I never realized what majestic and gorgeous creatures they are. We also saw baboons, impala, and wart hogs. It was a gorgeous day, and I am exhausted at the moment.
I’m excited for an Easter Service at the Anglican church tomorrow, so I better go to bed so that I can wake up in time!
Sunday, April 5, 2009
Lake Kivu
It is incredible how quickly the weeks fly by here in Kigali. This past Monday Kristen, Suzy, and I began teaching English to a group of 20-25 young women at a sewing class. “What do you wear?” “I wear a black skirt” is repeated over and over as we try to instill basic phrases and words in these apt minds. They are so eager to learn and work very hard, despite our clumsy attempts at teaching.
Classes have continued to be thought-provoking and stretching. I am currently part of a group researching the impact that Education had on the carrying out of the Genocide. We also formed groups to prepare for our community research that we will be doing the week after this one. There is never a lack of schoolwork.
Thursday morning’s class was especially helpful to me. The guest speaker, a pastor at the Anglican church where I have been attending, spoke to our group. His faith in God, despite the atrocities that he personally witnessed and escaped from, was incredible. I have found it hard to understand why some people escaped, and others didn’t. He believes that he was saved because God has plans specifically for him. Therefore, he takes this as a personal responsibility to live rightly and be a positive influence in his community.
He even mentioned a question that I have been dealing with for a couple of years. “Why was I born into an affluent society, with a wonderful family to provide for me?” His response: I have a social responsibility to use what I have been given wisely. This is basically the conclusion that I had come to on my own, but for some reason it was just really good to hear it from his mouth.
On Friday after lunch we left for Lake Kivu. It was absolutely gorgeous. We went for a swim Friday night, and hung out talking on the dock for awhile. Saturday morning we swam again, then took a boat ride out to Napoleon’s Island (so named because it is shaped like his hat). This is also the home of hundreds of bats. We clapped loudly and they flew from their resting places in the trees. We climbed up the mountain and watched a hawk swoop at the bats in an attempt at getting his lunch. It was a gorgeous view- and we could see across the lake to the Democratic Republic of Congo. I even got to taste my very first guava, and jump from a tree into the beautifully clear water.
After a delicious lunch of African buffet, 8 of us went out on water skis. It was wonderful- and made me think of all the great memories I have of being out on the lake with my family. In the evening I played two new games- “In the manner of the adverb”, and “Speed Scrabble”. I also played a game of Settlers, which was fantastic even when a crazy thunderstorm came up and started blowing our cards around.
We went to church with Pastor Anastase (one of our professors) this morning, and were serenaded by another downpour of rain. The singing was beautiful, as always, and the service lasted less than the 3 hours that I expected. Anastase did a great job of translating the message, which was about using what is in our hands to serve God.
Our ride home was rather uneventful, except for the smelly bus. Also, I learned that “macadam” is a term known only to people from Lancaster County. Who would guess that the rest of the world has to survive only by using “asphalt” and “pavement”?
I’m preparing myself for a full week of projects and presentations. Pray for a positive attitude!
Classes have continued to be thought-provoking and stretching. I am currently part of a group researching the impact that Education had on the carrying out of the Genocide. We also formed groups to prepare for our community research that we will be doing the week after this one. There is never a lack of schoolwork.
Thursday morning’s class was especially helpful to me. The guest speaker, a pastor at the Anglican church where I have been attending, spoke to our group. His faith in God, despite the atrocities that he personally witnessed and escaped from, was incredible. I have found it hard to understand why some people escaped, and others didn’t. He believes that he was saved because God has plans specifically for him. Therefore, he takes this as a personal responsibility to live rightly and be a positive influence in his community.
He even mentioned a question that I have been dealing with for a couple of years. “Why was I born into an affluent society, with a wonderful family to provide for me?” His response: I have a social responsibility to use what I have been given wisely. This is basically the conclusion that I had come to on my own, but for some reason it was just really good to hear it from his mouth.
On Friday after lunch we left for Lake Kivu. It was absolutely gorgeous. We went for a swim Friday night, and hung out talking on the dock for awhile. Saturday morning we swam again, then took a boat ride out to Napoleon’s Island (so named because it is shaped like his hat). This is also the home of hundreds of bats. We clapped loudly and they flew from their resting places in the trees. We climbed up the mountain and watched a hawk swoop at the bats in an attempt at getting his lunch. It was a gorgeous view- and we could see across the lake to the Democratic Republic of Congo. I even got to taste my very first guava, and jump from a tree into the beautifully clear water.
After a delicious lunch of African buffet, 8 of us went out on water skis. It was wonderful- and made me think of all the great memories I have of being out on the lake with my family. In the evening I played two new games- “In the manner of the adverb”, and “Speed Scrabble”. I also played a game of Settlers, which was fantastic even when a crazy thunderstorm came up and started blowing our cards around.
We went to church with Pastor Anastase (one of our professors) this morning, and were serenaded by another downpour of rain. The singing was beautiful, as always, and the service lasted less than the 3 hours that I expected. Anastase did a great job of translating the message, which was about using what is in our hands to serve God.
Our ride home was rather uneventful, except for the smelly bus. Also, I learned that “macadam” is a term known only to people from Lancaster County. Who would guess that the rest of the world has to survive only by using “asphalt” and “pavement”?
I’m preparing myself for a full week of projects and presentations. Pray for a positive attitude!
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Beauty... and bonding.
I just wanted to share that there is more to the complex reality of life in Rwanda than the difficult events of the past.
We are often woken up in the morning by the singing of the nuns at the convent- beautiful voices, but not always the most welcome at 6:30 in the morning! Oh well.
This past weekend has been very relaxing, and we had some good group bonding time. On Friday afternoon we had a T-shirt competition. Most of our group went to Kimironko Market to dig through the piles of American thrift store rejects- finding some pretty hilarious T-shirts. Mindie won and was awarded a jar of nutella which she graciously shared with the rest of us girls.
We played some group games in the evening, and then the girls had a sleepover in the Jackson’s living room- thanks Dwight and Brenda for putting up with our crazy ideas!
Saturday afternoon we went to a World Cup Qualifier football (soccer) game of Rwanda vs. Algeria. We went super early to get good seats, and then had to face a sudden hailstorm, huddled under an umbrella. It was quite hilarious, really! The game itself wasn’t the most incredible one that I’ve seen, but it was still a great experience. The sun came out after the rain and hail subsided, and caused us to squint hard in order to keep up with the action.
This morning I attended St. Stevens Anglican church, and once again enjoyed the service. It is wonderful to join a community of believers half way around the world.
I ought to do some more reading for classes, so I best be going now.
It is hard to believe that I have just slightly over a month left here in East Africa. There is a lot that has to happen yet, and I know that it will go so fast…
We are often woken up in the morning by the singing of the nuns at the convent- beautiful voices, but not always the most welcome at 6:30 in the morning! Oh well.
This past weekend has been very relaxing, and we had some good group bonding time. On Friday afternoon we had a T-shirt competition. Most of our group went to Kimironko Market to dig through the piles of American thrift store rejects- finding some pretty hilarious T-shirts. Mindie won and was awarded a jar of nutella which she graciously shared with the rest of us girls.
We played some group games in the evening, and then the girls had a sleepover in the Jackson’s living room- thanks Dwight and Brenda for putting up with our crazy ideas!
Saturday afternoon we went to a World Cup Qualifier football (soccer) game of Rwanda vs. Algeria. We went super early to get good seats, and then had to face a sudden hailstorm, huddled under an umbrella. It was quite hilarious, really! The game itself wasn’t the most incredible one that I’ve seen, but it was still a great experience. The sun came out after the rain and hail subsided, and caused us to squint hard in order to keep up with the action.
This morning I attended St. Stevens Anglican church, and once again enjoyed the service. It is wonderful to join a community of believers half way around the world.
I ought to do some more reading for classes, so I best be going now.
It is hard to believe that I have just slightly over a month left here in East Africa. There is a lot that has to happen yet, and I know that it will go so fast…
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Reflections…
We sat on the bus in silence today, pondering what we had just seen. As I had climbed the steep stairway of the mass grave, I was overwhelmed and deeply moved by the raw facts of death. In the dusty, dank chamber femurs and other human bones were stacked on top of each other like so many cords of firewood. Row after row of skulls, some with gaping holes due to the forceful blows of the murderers, lined the walls. This atrocity occurred only 15 years ago, on April 14, 1994. It is estimated that 10,000 people were killed here, when they had fled for protection inside the Roman Catholic Church. I feel strange discussing this in such a public place, but the caretaker of the genocide memorial in Nyamata encouraged us to tell people what happened here.
Why did this happen? It is difficult to boil something this horrific down into a simple statement. I found a concise explanation in the book, “Promises Not Kept: Poverty and the Betrayal of Third World Development” by John Isbister.
“The tragedy in tiny Rwanda was staggering. Rwanda is a former Belgian colony populated by two ethnic groups, the Hutus and the Tutsis. The Belgians did nothing to reconcile the two groups. They initially favored the Tutsis, then switched their allegiance to the more numerous Hutus before independence. A civil war between 1959 and 1963 led to the massacre of one hundred thousand Tutsis, the forced exile of two hundred thousand Tutsis to Uganda, and the establishment of a Hutu-dominated state. Tutsi resistance, under a military organization called the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF), continued from that time until 1994. By early 1994, negotiations seemed to have produced a tentative agreement under which the two groups would share power and the Tutsis living outside the country would be allowed to return.”
“In the spring of 1994, however, following the death of president Habyarimana in an airplane crash, extremist Hutus led their people in an orgy of violence against both Tutsis and moderate Hutus. The exact number of dead will never be known, but the estimates range from five hundred thousand to 1 million, mostly Tutsis, who were slaughtered over a ten-week period by their previous friends and neighbors. It was not a military operation but a frenzy of civilian violence, fueled by the Hutu-controlled radio, which urged more killing” (130).
We have been studying the Rwandan Genocide in our Issues of Peacebuilding Course. There is so much more than these two short paragraphs can hope to convey. At times I am overcome by incredible feelings of sorrow and grief at the fallen state of humankind. But there is reason for hope. Peace and reconciliation clubs are formed in schools, and people are encouraged to talk about their experiences in order to facilitate healing. I’m sure that I will continue to learn more about how the government and the people are seeking to restore their country.
The Rwandans are such beautiful people, and there are only a few outward signs of the recent tragedy that they experienced. There are bullet holes in the parliament building, and signs on the street saying something about Genocide. They are written in Kinyarwanda, but I believe that most of them are genocide-prevention study centers. These issues are not something you can talk openly about with people in the streets, but it is amazing how much you can sense that their lives have been formed by these events.
I feel powerless to help. But I am forced to recognize the depravity of my own heart, and I want to love those around me more fully. God, help us all as we learn to treat those around us with dignity and respect.
Why did this happen? It is difficult to boil something this horrific down into a simple statement. I found a concise explanation in the book, “Promises Not Kept: Poverty and the Betrayal of Third World Development” by John Isbister.
“The tragedy in tiny Rwanda was staggering. Rwanda is a former Belgian colony populated by two ethnic groups, the Hutus and the Tutsis. The Belgians did nothing to reconcile the two groups. They initially favored the Tutsis, then switched their allegiance to the more numerous Hutus before independence. A civil war between 1959 and 1963 led to the massacre of one hundred thousand Tutsis, the forced exile of two hundred thousand Tutsis to Uganda, and the establishment of a Hutu-dominated state. Tutsi resistance, under a military organization called the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF), continued from that time until 1994. By early 1994, negotiations seemed to have produced a tentative agreement under which the two groups would share power and the Tutsis living outside the country would be allowed to return.”
“In the spring of 1994, however, following the death of president Habyarimana in an airplane crash, extremist Hutus led their people in an orgy of violence against both Tutsis and moderate Hutus. The exact number of dead will never be known, but the estimates range from five hundred thousand to 1 million, mostly Tutsis, who were slaughtered over a ten-week period by their previous friends and neighbors. It was not a military operation but a frenzy of civilian violence, fueled by the Hutu-controlled radio, which urged more killing” (130).
We have been studying the Rwandan Genocide in our Issues of Peacebuilding Course. There is so much more than these two short paragraphs can hope to convey. At times I am overcome by incredible feelings of sorrow and grief at the fallen state of humankind. But there is reason for hope. Peace and reconciliation clubs are formed in schools, and people are encouraged to talk about their experiences in order to facilitate healing. I’m sure that I will continue to learn more about how the government and the people are seeking to restore their country.
The Rwandans are such beautiful people, and there are only a few outward signs of the recent tragedy that they experienced. There are bullet holes in the parliament building, and signs on the street saying something about Genocide. They are written in Kinyarwanda, but I believe that most of them are genocide-prevention study centers. These issues are not something you can talk openly about with people in the streets, but it is amazing how much you can sense that their lives have been formed by these events.
I feel powerless to help. But I am forced to recognize the depravity of my own heart, and I want to love those around me more fully. God, help us all as we learn to treat those around us with dignity and respect.
Friday, March 20, 2009
New Culture #3
Now I am writing from the Switzerland of Africa: Rwanda. It is such a beautiful country, with green rolling hills and it really does remind me of Switzerland. It’s too bad that they don’t produce chocolate here! Oh well!
I arrived here last Saturday, after an 11 hour bus ride. We are staying at Centre Cristus, a Catholic retreat center. We took a few days to become accustomed to Kigali and rest before a couple day trip. We went to Nyungwe Rainforest and enjoyed a 6 hour hike up and down mountains. It was so gorgeous, and a great way to stretch my legs out after a tempo run the other day with some of the guys (without a warm-up!). I was very impressed by the whole eco-tourism establishment, and enjoyed seeing Rwenzori turacoes. My experienced was definitely enhanced by the excitement of Erik and Molly Lindquist. Erik is a biology professor at Messiah who is helping to set up a GoEd program in the Andes. They were here for the week to see how the program is run here in East Africa. It was great to have a little connection to home, and I received a very sweet care package from my darling roommate Sarah (Thanks for that, Sarah- but there’s more to the story, which you will find out about in a few days…)
Then we stayed overnight in Butare, a fantastic little college town. We had two good games of Settlers of Catan, but sadly I did not win either time! Oh well. It was fun nevertheless.
I am enjoying the semester so much. It is hard to believe that it is going by so fast. Pray that I can constantly be present here, and engage in the culture. I am looking forward to continuing to attend the Anglican Church that I went to last week. I long for some consistency in my church experience! Classes start for real this Monday.
I tried to upload some photos, but it was taking too long- sorry about that!
I arrived here last Saturday, after an 11 hour bus ride. We are staying at Centre Cristus, a Catholic retreat center. We took a few days to become accustomed to Kigali and rest before a couple day trip. We went to Nyungwe Rainforest and enjoyed a 6 hour hike up and down mountains. It was so gorgeous, and a great way to stretch my legs out after a tempo run the other day with some of the guys (without a warm-up!). I was very impressed by the whole eco-tourism establishment, and enjoyed seeing Rwenzori turacoes. My experienced was definitely enhanced by the excitement of Erik and Molly Lindquist. Erik is a biology professor at Messiah who is helping to set up a GoEd program in the Andes. They were here for the week to see how the program is run here in East Africa. It was great to have a little connection to home, and I received a very sweet care package from my darling roommate Sarah (Thanks for that, Sarah- but there’s more to the story, which you will find out about in a few days…)
Then we stayed overnight in Butare, a fantastic little college town. We had two good games of Settlers of Catan, but sadly I did not win either time! Oh well. It was fun nevertheless.
I am enjoying the semester so much. It is hard to believe that it is going by so fast. Pray that I can constantly be present here, and engage in the culture. I am looking forward to continuing to attend the Anglican Church that I went to last week. I long for some consistency in my church experience! Classes start for real this Monday.
I tried to upload some photos, but it was taking too long- sorry about that!
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Ethiopia in Review
So it has been two weeks since I last posted, and I am currently in an Ethiopian Airlines 757 traveling from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia to Entebbe, Uganda. This must be the most comfortable flight of my life: I have three seats all to myself. I curled up for awhile in an attempt to sleep, but then we were served lunch and I decided that I’d like to type up this blog so that I can hopefully post it when I get back to the guesthouse. I had a rather short night last night, probably because of the massive amounts of caffeine that I ingested yesterday as well as anticipation over returning to Kampala today. So, Ethiopians love coffee. And although I had only had one or two cups in my life before 3 weeks ago, I drank between 1-3 cups every day. I mean, you have to engage the culture, right? So here’s the story from yesterday: We went out for breakfast and I had a macchiato (one part coffee, five parts milk), then at lunch I had milk with coffee (steaming hot with a spoonful of sugar, this is probably a 9:1 milk to coffee ratio). During the afternoon the 4 of us girls walked around Addis for awhile and stopped at…. a coffee shop where I had another macchiato. When we got back to the Norwegian Missionary guesthouse where we were staying, we sat outside awhile chatting, and became slightly chilled. So Suzy made some VERY strong black tea, and I drank that to warm myself up. An hour or so later Tesfa (our driver) and Aweke came to pick us up for a cultural evening. This consisted of one last delicious meal of njera with various vegetables and shiro, excellent Ethiopian dancing, and of course: a coffee ceremony, where I ingested my last cup of the day.
But life here isn’t all about the coffee. After my last post, Tessa, Eli, and I spent one more week in Sasiga. We continued to develop relationships with the staff, and came to greatly appreciate their love for the communities and their commitment to Christ. Tessa and I spent a good “girls night” with Banchayo, Chuche, Tigist, and Zabiba when they braided our hair. We looked truly “abesha” (Ethiopian) with our new style. Okay, well, Tessa looked a little more authentic than I did, but the maintenance free style was a plus either way. On Saturday we met up with Suzy and Kristen and went past Bareeda to a gorgeous waterfall. We got to ride with Adani, their driver, which was the ride of a lifetime. He was pushing 100 km/hr (60 mph) on dirt roads that are slightly more dilapidated than the farm lane at my house that goes from the chickenhouse to Rt. 283. And he keeps the windows shut so as not to let dust in the car- I was thankful that I was able to keep my lunch down because of the lack of ventilation!
Sunday we attended a church service, which was conducted in Afan Oroomo. Beautiful singing, bright purple and green choir robes, adorable children who were crowded next to us on the backless wooden benches. The weekend was pretty quiet around our compound because several of the staff were in Nekempt for business. Monday morning we walked to Madajala with Dawit, and informally talked to a few farmers on the way. During the afternoon our sheep “Dinner” met his fate at the hands of Eli and a knife. In the evening we celebrated Eli’s birthday with a bonfire, devotions, singing, a meal, and of course: coffee. But this wasn’t just any coffee, it was “forenge” coffee because it was “prepared” by Tessa and I. In reality, we only stirred the beans a bit as they were roasting, ground the beans, and poured as we were instructed by Zabiba. She is the one who provided all of the expertise.
Much to our dismay, “Dinner Number 2” showed up at the compound on Tuesday. Thankfully we didn’t have to eat him as well, but he did occupy the extra shower stall at night so Tessa and I were serenaded with the sweet smell of manure and the bleating of a tired animal as we tried to clean ourselves. We did a few more community visits and education talks on Tuesday and Wednesday. We had a staff debriefing and goodbye on Wednesday night. It was sad to leave these people with whom we have spent two wonderful weeks.
Thursday morning Aweke came with Kristen and Suzy, and we left Sasiga bright and early for an all day journey to Ambo, punctuated by stops for tomatoes, berries, roasted corn, charcoal, macchiatos, etc. We stayed overnight in a fantastic hotel, and were able to scrub more of the dirt off of our bodies. I discovered that I actually DO have a tan from my chacos sandals: it wasn’t just dirt caked around the straps. Friday we drove, on much smoother roads thankfully, to Zeway. We stopped briefly at the FH office there, then checked into our hotel. That hotel wasn’t quite as nice as the previous one, and we only had water sporadically. But we managed to stay half clean. We had an orientation on Saturday and visited a market. We attended church on Sunday, and relaxed for a good part of the day. Monday we made some home visits, which were quite incredible. All of the children that we visited are in FH’s CDP- Child Development Program. I was saddened by some of the living situations, but encouraged by others. We visited a child-headed household (a boy of around 13 who lives by himself), a Muslim family, an ill grandmother who cares for her young granddaughter, and two single mother households. One of the fathers died from tuberculosis, and another died in a drunken brawl. One home was perhaps 7 by 7 feet- barely large enough to hold the bed and pile of dishes necessary for the family of three children and a mother. The doorway was only 4 feet tall as well, so we had to duck to make it inside. We were quite a sight, all 8 or so of us crammed into the tiny hut.
Tuesday morning we drove to Addis, where we spent time meeting staff at the head office. Since then we have gone shopping, continued enjoying coffee, and just hanging out and debriefing at the guesthouse.
Practicum has been an incredible experience, and it is hard to believe that Part 2 of the GoEd experience has come to a close. I have learned so much and I am still processing it. I’m not looking forward to writing my practicum paper, but I know that it will be helpful to me to think through things.
Oh my, this plane is nearly ready to land, so I must bring this update to a close. I ask that you continue to pray for an open mind and sensitive heart, that I can be compassionate and loving to all around me. I especially ask for prayer for direction in my life. God has been teaching me a lot of new things, and I want to learn so much more.
But life here isn’t all about the coffee. After my last post, Tessa, Eli, and I spent one more week in Sasiga. We continued to develop relationships with the staff, and came to greatly appreciate their love for the communities and their commitment to Christ. Tessa and I spent a good “girls night” with Banchayo, Chuche, Tigist, and Zabiba when they braided our hair. We looked truly “abesha” (Ethiopian) with our new style. Okay, well, Tessa looked a little more authentic than I did, but the maintenance free style was a plus either way. On Saturday we met up with Suzy and Kristen and went past Bareeda to a gorgeous waterfall. We got to ride with Adani, their driver, which was the ride of a lifetime. He was pushing 100 km/hr (60 mph) on dirt roads that are slightly more dilapidated than the farm lane at my house that goes from the chickenhouse to Rt. 283. And he keeps the windows shut so as not to let dust in the car- I was thankful that I was able to keep my lunch down because of the lack of ventilation!
Sunday we attended a church service, which was conducted in Afan Oroomo. Beautiful singing, bright purple and green choir robes, adorable children who were crowded next to us on the backless wooden benches. The weekend was pretty quiet around our compound because several of the staff were in Nekempt for business. Monday morning we walked to Madajala with Dawit, and informally talked to a few farmers on the way. During the afternoon our sheep “Dinner” met his fate at the hands of Eli and a knife. In the evening we celebrated Eli’s birthday with a bonfire, devotions, singing, a meal, and of course: coffee. But this wasn’t just any coffee, it was “forenge” coffee because it was “prepared” by Tessa and I. In reality, we only stirred the beans a bit as they were roasting, ground the beans, and poured as we were instructed by Zabiba. She is the one who provided all of the expertise.
Much to our dismay, “Dinner Number 2” showed up at the compound on Tuesday. Thankfully we didn’t have to eat him as well, but he did occupy the extra shower stall at night so Tessa and I were serenaded with the sweet smell of manure and the bleating of a tired animal as we tried to clean ourselves. We did a few more community visits and education talks on Tuesday and Wednesday. We had a staff debriefing and goodbye on Wednesday night. It was sad to leave these people with whom we have spent two wonderful weeks.
Thursday morning Aweke came with Kristen and Suzy, and we left Sasiga bright and early for an all day journey to Ambo, punctuated by stops for tomatoes, berries, roasted corn, charcoal, macchiatos, etc. We stayed overnight in a fantastic hotel, and were able to scrub more of the dirt off of our bodies. I discovered that I actually DO have a tan from my chacos sandals: it wasn’t just dirt caked around the straps. Friday we drove, on much smoother roads thankfully, to Zeway. We stopped briefly at the FH office there, then checked into our hotel. That hotel wasn’t quite as nice as the previous one, and we only had water sporadically. But we managed to stay half clean. We had an orientation on Saturday and visited a market. We attended church on Sunday, and relaxed for a good part of the day. Monday we made some home visits, which were quite incredible. All of the children that we visited are in FH’s CDP- Child Development Program. I was saddened by some of the living situations, but encouraged by others. We visited a child-headed household (a boy of around 13 who lives by himself), a Muslim family, an ill grandmother who cares for her young granddaughter, and two single mother households. One of the fathers died from tuberculosis, and another died in a drunken brawl. One home was perhaps 7 by 7 feet- barely large enough to hold the bed and pile of dishes necessary for the family of three children and a mother. The doorway was only 4 feet tall as well, so we had to duck to make it inside. We were quite a sight, all 8 or so of us crammed into the tiny hut.
Tuesday morning we drove to Addis, where we spent time meeting staff at the head office. Since then we have gone shopping, continued enjoying coffee, and just hanging out and debriefing at the guesthouse.
Practicum has been an incredible experience, and it is hard to believe that Part 2 of the GoEd experience has come to a close. I have learned so much and I am still processing it. I’m not looking forward to writing my practicum paper, but I know that it will be helpful to me to think through things.
Oh my, this plane is nearly ready to land, so I must bring this update to a close. I ask that you continue to pray for an open mind and sensitive heart, that I can be compassionate and loving to all around me. I especially ask for prayer for direction in my life. God has been teaching me a lot of new things, and I want to learn so much more.
Thursday, February 26, 2009
19/6/2001
Yes, it is the nineteenth day of the sixth month in the year 2001 according to the Ethiopian calendar. I am officially living in the past.
I have spent slightly over a week in Ethiopia, and I am in love. I have transitioned from being a “muzungu” (foreigner in Uganda) to a “forenge” (foreigner in Ethiopia). I was one in a group of twenty, now I am one in a group of three. I was living in a bustling metropolis, now I am living in a compound that is surrounded by villages of mud huts. I was using matatu (public taxis) to get around, now I ride in a peptobismol pink Land Cruiser (the color is by request of the Japanese donor: he wanted it to stand out). I was eating rolex (chipati and egg on the street) and Americanized food cooked by Grace, now I eat spaghetti for breakfast and ngera with sauce for the other two meals, cooked by Banchayo. I used to wake up at 7:30 to eat breakfast and get to class on time. Now I wake up at 6:45, wash my face, and enjoy devotions with the rest of the Sasiga FHI staff for an hour. Breakfast follows at 8:30. I used to sleep on the top bunk, now I sleep on a mattress on the floor. I used to get dirty, now I get covered in red dirt. I used to utilize a larger variety in my wardrobe, now I wish I only had 4 shirts and 2 skirts here with me. I used to write in large font in my journal, now I am writing as small as I can because I have nearly filled it and there is no chance of buying a new one for at least a week.
Oh friends, I wish that you could be here beside me for a moment to experience what I am experiencing. Like Grace Kibuye told us, “Ethiopia is practicum all on its own”. From the moment we got off the plane on Monday, February 16, we knew that. The security guards tried to confiscate Eli’s video camera because it was “professional”. After some convincing, they let him keep it. Aweke Solomon met us at the airport and took us to a fantastic little lodge for the night. Hot showers were a plus!!!
On Tuesday we embarked on what turned out to be an 11 hour trek west from Addis Ababa. We learned one thing about Aweke: He loves coffee. And after spending more time with him here at Sasiga, we learned that he likes mangoes as well. Even though they’re still slightly green because the season is not yet upon us. On Wednesday we took Suzy and Kristen to Belo, where there is an FH compound about 25 kilometers away. We forged through a few large creeks on the way there. We haven’t seen them since, but are hoping to give them a phone call tonight.
Eli, Tessa and I have traveled together for a majority of the past week, visiting farms, water points, and giving health presentations. It has been frustrating to have such a great language barrier, but thankfully we have several good translators. I have given 2 short biology presentations to grade 8 students, an education and adolescence talk to a group of approximately 100 middle school girls, explained the US education system to teachers, instructed a group of community women in nutrition, and made various other “speeches” at goodbye parties and other community functions.
In the past week I have: attended an informal wedding, gone to market, milked a cow, attempted to spin cotton on a drop spindle (which I literally DROPPED on the ground- I felt so sorry that I soiled the dear grandmother’s pristinely white thread), conducted innumerable interviews, learned a few Amharic and Oromo words, read a Karen Kingsbury novel, as well as “Mountains beyond Mountains” by Tracy Kidder (an incredibly inspiring true story about a doctor who commits everything he has to serving the poor), finished “Mere Christianity”, walked 30 minutes to a farm only to sprain my ankle and ride back to the compound on a dirtbike driven by Desta, eaten countless mangoes and slices of papaya, started to crave ngera, attended a large Christian conference where I was prophesied over, talked for hours with Tessa and Eli, as well as Dawide (the ag officer), Matthews ( the amazing Project Manager), and Mazgebo (the social worker), climbed a small rocky mountain, sucked honey from the comb, conducted several home visits of children who are sponsored through FH, and countless other activities.
Everyday experiences include: enjoying coffee every day after lunch (we wait while the ceremony is performed- consisting of roasting the beans, then grinding them and brewing the thick black drink), gulping burning hot tea at public gatherings so that the cup can be washed and used by someone else, fording streams to get anywhere, walking with the company of twenty to fifty children, blowing my nose and ending up with a tissue full of black dirt, watching clumps of people walk with umbrellas, parking the car under a mango tree, observing children as young as 5 years old herding goats, hearing the rhythmic thumping of donkeys trotting by with a wooden carrier on their back full of water jugs, washing my clothes on a concrete slab, watching out for “friends”- the large black spiders that freak Tessa out, sleeping under my “princess tent” style mosquito net, showering with toads and grasshoppers, and so many other little things that I have forgotten to mention.
Sorry to have so many lists of activities with little explanation, but I have limited time on the computer and I don’t want to bore you with too many details.
I love you all and I am having the experience of a lifetime. Pray that I can continue to connect with the local community despite our language barrier. The pink car got in a little accident today, so we will be confined more closely to this village of Angar Central- perhaps this is for the best. May God continue to work in all of us to mold us more closely to His heart as we learn to love the people whom he has placed beside us.
I have spent slightly over a week in Ethiopia, and I am in love. I have transitioned from being a “muzungu” (foreigner in Uganda) to a “forenge” (foreigner in Ethiopia). I was one in a group of twenty, now I am one in a group of three. I was living in a bustling metropolis, now I am living in a compound that is surrounded by villages of mud huts. I was using matatu (public taxis) to get around, now I ride in a peptobismol pink Land Cruiser (the color is by request of the Japanese donor: he wanted it to stand out). I was eating rolex (chipati and egg on the street) and Americanized food cooked by Grace, now I eat spaghetti for breakfast and ngera with sauce for the other two meals, cooked by Banchayo. I used to wake up at 7:30 to eat breakfast and get to class on time. Now I wake up at 6:45, wash my face, and enjoy devotions with the rest of the Sasiga FHI staff for an hour. Breakfast follows at 8:30. I used to sleep on the top bunk, now I sleep on a mattress on the floor. I used to get dirty, now I get covered in red dirt. I used to utilize a larger variety in my wardrobe, now I wish I only had 4 shirts and 2 skirts here with me. I used to write in large font in my journal, now I am writing as small as I can because I have nearly filled it and there is no chance of buying a new one for at least a week.
Oh friends, I wish that you could be here beside me for a moment to experience what I am experiencing. Like Grace Kibuye told us, “Ethiopia is practicum all on its own”. From the moment we got off the plane on Monday, February 16, we knew that. The security guards tried to confiscate Eli’s video camera because it was “professional”. After some convincing, they let him keep it. Aweke Solomon met us at the airport and took us to a fantastic little lodge for the night. Hot showers were a plus!!!
On Tuesday we embarked on what turned out to be an 11 hour trek west from Addis Ababa. We learned one thing about Aweke: He loves coffee. And after spending more time with him here at Sasiga, we learned that he likes mangoes as well. Even though they’re still slightly green because the season is not yet upon us. On Wednesday we took Suzy and Kristen to Belo, where there is an FH compound about 25 kilometers away. We forged through a few large creeks on the way there. We haven’t seen them since, but are hoping to give them a phone call tonight.
Eli, Tessa and I have traveled together for a majority of the past week, visiting farms, water points, and giving health presentations. It has been frustrating to have such a great language barrier, but thankfully we have several good translators. I have given 2 short biology presentations to grade 8 students, an education and adolescence talk to a group of approximately 100 middle school girls, explained the US education system to teachers, instructed a group of community women in nutrition, and made various other “speeches” at goodbye parties and other community functions.
In the past week I have: attended an informal wedding, gone to market, milked a cow, attempted to spin cotton on a drop spindle (which I literally DROPPED on the ground- I felt so sorry that I soiled the dear grandmother’s pristinely white thread), conducted innumerable interviews, learned a few Amharic and Oromo words, read a Karen Kingsbury novel, as well as “Mountains beyond Mountains” by Tracy Kidder (an incredibly inspiring true story about a doctor who commits everything he has to serving the poor), finished “Mere Christianity”, walked 30 minutes to a farm only to sprain my ankle and ride back to the compound on a dirtbike driven by Desta, eaten countless mangoes and slices of papaya, started to crave ngera, attended a large Christian conference where I was prophesied over, talked for hours with Tessa and Eli, as well as Dawide (the ag officer), Matthews ( the amazing Project Manager), and Mazgebo (the social worker), climbed a small rocky mountain, sucked honey from the comb, conducted several home visits of children who are sponsored through FH, and countless other activities.
Everyday experiences include: enjoying coffee every day after lunch (we wait while the ceremony is performed- consisting of roasting the beans, then grinding them and brewing the thick black drink), gulping burning hot tea at public gatherings so that the cup can be washed and used by someone else, fording streams to get anywhere, walking with the company of twenty to fifty children, blowing my nose and ending up with a tissue full of black dirt, watching clumps of people walk with umbrellas, parking the car under a mango tree, observing children as young as 5 years old herding goats, hearing the rhythmic thumping of donkeys trotting by with a wooden carrier on their back full of water jugs, washing my clothes on a concrete slab, watching out for “friends”- the large black spiders that freak Tessa out, sleeping under my “princess tent” style mosquito net, showering with toads and grasshoppers, and so many other little things that I have forgotten to mention.
Sorry to have so many lists of activities with little explanation, but I have limited time on the computer and I don’t want to bore you with too many details.
I love you all and I am having the experience of a lifetime. Pray that I can continue to connect with the local community despite our language barrier. The pink car got in a little accident today, so we will be confined more closely to this village of Angar Central- perhaps this is for the best. May God continue to work in all of us to mold us more closely to His heart as we learn to love the people whom he has placed beside us.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Reflection on Stage 1 of the journey
It is so hard to believe that I have spent slightly over four weeks here in this beautiful city and am ready to move on to stage 2 of the GoEd experience: Practicum. I will be going to Ethiopia with Kristen, Tessa, Suzy, and Eli. As of now, I still don’t know what city or village I will be in. But I look forward to experiencing a totally new culture and group of people.
The past few days have been harder for me emotionally, as I have been away from home for over a month and am missing my dear family and friends.
How strange it is to be away from all that is comfortable, yet surrounded by people who genuinely care about me. I want to be there, I want to be here. I want to run around the kitchen and cook with my mommy, yet I delight in teaching new recipes to Grace, who cooks for us here in Uganda. I love the sights and sounds and smells and tastes of Kampala, yet at times I am overwhelmed by the crowded streets and the passersby calling out "Muzungu"- the Lugandan word for foreigner. I crave silence, I crave company. I have so many emotions, yet I am numb.
I enjoy the novels we are reading for African literature, but despise answering the questions, and reading the never-ending list of articles. I was surprised when the overpowering odor of gasoline filled our classroom on Monday morning and we had to evacuate the building, continuing our class on a concrete slab and then in our bus. Dr. Mpagi has no idea how many notes were passed during that class period . Our afternoon literature class was held here at the guest house, and I watched out the window in awe as a beautiful thunderstorm filled the western sky.
My feet are constantly encrusted with dirt from wearing sandals all the time, and scrubbing them in the shower doesn't seem to do much good. My hair loves the warm and humid weather and the curls bounce happily as I go through the day. My shoulders are peeling for the first time that I remember. I am energized by the runs I enjoy with Suzy and Jenny, but sore from our ab workouts. We haven't played football (soccer) or Ultimate Frisbee for a few days, and I miss playing. I will greatly miss the large group when we are split up for practicum.
I am excited to move to Ethiopia next week, but also scared because it will be a change. This guesthouse has become a home. The living room is covered in papers and books and computers, the bedrooms piled with the stuff of living. The jars of peanut butter and Nutella disappear at an extraordinary rate as we feed our cravings for comfort food. We each have our own little idiosyncrasies and we have been learning attitudes of humility, service, and love.
Our Monday evening worship services continue to be times of encouragement and honesty as we sing choruses, pray and reflect on our lives together. We have some amazing talent in our group and our singing is breathtakingly beautiful at times.
This past weekend a few girls and I went to a campground for a weekend retreat. We stayed in a darling little banda (cabin) and hiked around on various trails, observing the monkeys and other unfamiliar sights, sounds, and smells of the Mabira Forest.
Yesterday afternoon I went to the slums with Kristen, Ryan, and Jenny. I don’t really know what I was expecting, but I definitely wasn’t expecting what I saw. When we arrived, our friend Jess was treating a boy who had been burnt this past weekend. He was very drunk and fell into a pot of scalding oil. We watched the young boys getting high on random substances that they sniff. What touched me the most is WHY these children are living in the slums. Many of them have run away from their families because of abuse or simply being fed up with being required to do housework. This lack of familial love seems to me to be the definition of true poverty.
May I never take for granted the wealth of relationships. Thanks to all of you who love me and pray for me!
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Mirembe (Peace)
Just to give you a quick view into the English that we encounter every day here in Kampala. Sometimes I feel at a disadvantage as a native speaker. Truly, if this land is not for sale, how can you buy it? And who would WANT to buy it if it's "at your own risk"?!?! There are other random signs as well, such as "Peaceful Butchery" which highlights a ramshackle stand that has carcasses of beef hanging from the front. What, if anything, is tranquil about such a scene?
Here's a snap of Jenny and I while we were at Ssezzibwe Falls for a field trip last week. It was really fun to hike around on the rocks, and enjoy the muddy waterfall. We'll get to hike around some more together since we're joining Suzy, Kristen, and Tessa for a weekend camping/hiking trip to Mabira Forest.
Just last night we received our practicum assignments. I will be going to Ethiopia on February 16th! Suzy, Kristen, Tessa, Eli, and I will all be going together, but I think we will be split in two groups once we get there.
I have been busy with lots of reading homework this week, but its been a good week as well.
Our group study on Wednesday nights has been talking about the issue of poverty. For us, this trip is to see physical poverty in East Africa, but it's also a time for us to realize the spiritual poverty that is so apparent in our own lives and in the lives of our North American neighbors.
Paz y Amor a todos.
Monday, February 2, 2009
Adventure!
What an exhilarating, once-in-a-lifetime weekend! This past weekend we went white water rafting on the Nile River. It was a beautiful experience. I was in a raft with Joy, Jess L, Mindie, Jenny, Kristen, a Frenchman (Pierre), an Irishman (Steven), and an Englishman guide (Clarkey). We had a lot of fun together, as well as some interesting conversations about worldviews and beliefs. I also did my very first backflips off the raft into the water. It was a lot easier than I expected. There were some funny misunderstandings due to strong accents- it turns out that what Mindie thought was the “man falls” was actually the “main” falls, and the “bullflies” were in fact “butterflies”. We had some incredible class 5 rapids, and one was a legitimate waterfall! Our team didn’t flip until the very last rapid, called “The Bad Place”, where flipping is inevitable. I was underwater, being tossed around like a ragdoll for several seconds until I resurfaced and grabbed my bearings. What a thrill! I loved the entire day- there were some tense moments, but many relaxing and enjoyable ones as well.
When we got back to the Adrift camp we took hot showers ( heated by an outdoor wood stove), then bought some charcoal and worked hard to get hot coals without any lighter fluid. We roasted sausages and baked potatoes- they were delicious since we were so hungry! We were able to share some extras with our friends from the rafting company. After watching a video recapping the day 12 of us girls (Danielle was home sick with a nasty virus) piled into the lodge for a good night’s sleep on a rickety tower of bunks. I would’ve slept well except for my incredibly sunburnt knees! Yesterday morning several of our group bungee jumped, which was super fun to watch. I would’ve loved to do that, but I had already spent enough money on the rafting!
It was a good team bonding experience! It was, however, hard to reconcile the fact that I had spent more money on one day of fun than the many Africans doing laundry and bathing along the banks of the Nile would see in a year.
Today we went back to classes. For lunch today I had some good “Rolex”- fried egg wrapped in a chapati. After the afternoon class Tessa and I did a bit of exploring in near the taxi park and bought some fabric to have some African dresses made for us.
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