he had white hair and kind eyes that looked as if there were permanent tears threatening to fall.
she had a very serious, unblemished face that could be described as expressionless. but then she smiled. her face instantly went from stoic to one of the most vibrant i have ever seen. there were hundreds of wrinkles on her face with each grin - no doubt from decades of smiling and laughing.
they spoke in thick australian accents and not for the first time since being here, i was extremely aware of my flat and nasal way of speaking. after introducing herself and asking why i am in a freezing cold guesthouse on the outskirts of lukasa, she said, 'you look and sound awful.' i laughed and said i felt equally as awful.
she led me to the dimly lit dining room where her husband was sitting and the first thing i noticed were the well worn bibles with yellowed pages sitting open on the table in front of each of them. they said they were catholic and here to do the LORD's work and they were ministering to the prisoners of zambia. w.o.w. disabled children are easy after hearing some of their stories.
they offered me a seat and within minutes their hands were on me and they were speaking in tongues and oil was being drawn in a cross shape on my forehead. my mennonite half was screaming prayers of safety and truth and my i-don't-know-what-kind-of-christian-i-want-to-be-yet half was calming myself down and telling me that it was normal.
after the prayer i knew i had a decision to make. i could either walk away from the two and thank them for their prayer or have a conversation with them. i was exhausted and wanted the stiff bed waiting for me more than anything. instead of being polite and normal, i asked, 'if you don't mind me asking a personal question...do most catholics speak in tongues?'
the second the words were out of my mouth i regretted them, knowing the conversation much longer than my brain and body had the capacity for. but as we talked for the next 2 HOURS(!!) my fever completely vanished and i was immersed in a conversation i couldn't have been happier with.
we covered everything - sex, parents, marriage, dating, definitely religion, prison ministry...you name it, we talked about it.
they gave me references they felt were applied to me - ephesians 2:8-20, hosea 11, and john 4 (in spirit and in truth).
the last one is what struck me the hardest. she said she could tell that i approached my faith intellectually and she said it's too much in my head. she said that i needed to have faith in the spirit to speak truth to me - that it was separate from my soul and something that GOD instilled within us. i never thought about it like that.
they said a final prayer over me before i went to bed and spoke different prophecies into my life that were pretty spot on.
that was all on monday night and i think the only reason i rested well was because of their prayers that night.
since then, i have a fever that is escalating and a pretty awful case of something flu-like. i'm a little scared to be sick in africa because i have no idea what it could be. please pray for me. i went to the doctors at the hospital and got antibiotics yesterday, but i'm just getting worse. i'll get some tests tomorrow if i'm still not feeling better. oh, i took a malaria one - it was negative.
love you all and miss you!!
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Monday, July 27, 2009
zambia...
sitting in zambia, at our hospital. got here yesterday.
it's freezing here - like, fingers numb as i'm typing this. the guest house (not the hospital's) that i'm staying in til wednesday has no heat. but lots of blankets, which is good.
they also don't have a shower - just a bath. i don't really trust filling up a bathtub in africa cuz who really knows how long it's been or what could potentially be in there. i don't really trust baths anywhere though, to be honest. even if i take one at home, i always finish with a shower. seriously, it's like, here...let's fill this thing with water and soap, and then i'll sit in it for a while till all the dirt is off of my body and floating in the water i'm still sitting in. a shower is necessary. all this to say - you don't want details about how i'm getting clean these days. and don't get me started on washing my hair. i think i broke my neck trying to last night. at least i'm not sweating during the days though!
sorry for the lack of photos. i think i will do a mass posting later this week. the photos are going to be from all over the place, but at least they will be up.
i will be here for two weeks. my phone isn't working, so looks like i will settle for email, :). not that i use my phone that often anyway, ha. i miss you all dearly - please pray that i won't get any sicker. and that i don't have malaria. i'm really achy and i cough every 37 seconds. thanks.
it's freezing here - like, fingers numb as i'm typing this. the guest house (not the hospital's) that i'm staying in til wednesday has no heat. but lots of blankets, which is good.
they also don't have a shower - just a bath. i don't really trust filling up a bathtub in africa cuz who really knows how long it's been or what could potentially be in there. i don't really trust baths anywhere though, to be honest. even if i take one at home, i always finish with a shower. seriously, it's like, here...let's fill this thing with water and soap, and then i'll sit in it for a while till all the dirt is off of my body and floating in the water i'm still sitting in. a shower is necessary. all this to say - you don't want details about how i'm getting clean these days. and don't get me started on washing my hair. i think i broke my neck trying to last night. at least i'm not sweating during the days though!
sorry for the lack of photos. i think i will do a mass posting later this week. the photos are going to be from all over the place, but at least they will be up.
i will be here for two weeks. my phone isn't working, so looks like i will settle for email, :). not that i use my phone that often anyway, ha. i miss you all dearly - please pray that i won't get any sicker. and that i don't have malaria. i'm really achy and i cough every 37 seconds. thanks.
Monday, July 13, 2009
refreshed.
back in kampala. i feel like i have so many words, so many things to say after 9 days. in some ways it felt like i was gone for a month. i had a fantastic time and usually it feels fast but i think all the transportation and change of location makes it that way. for those of you who are skimming, skip the next paragraph, it is just gonna be a description of everywhere i went (mostly for patsy, haha).
i left for our hospital in mbale on friday and took a public bus, an old charter. it was a 3 hour trip. i stayed there until monday morning in the guest house with the LOVELY julie (an american that has been at the hospital for over 5 months...easily top 5 favorite people i've met so far - she flies home today, boo). we had a huge cookout on the fourth (after a gorgeous day poolside) at derek's house - he is the executive director of the hospital, also american and wonderful. we had real cake, real cookies, sodas, potato salad, and he bbq'd lots of meat. i can't tell you how stuffed i was - i think it was the first time i was uncomfortably full since i have been here. fat and happy would be the best way to describe my fourth of july.
then sunday i went to my first full-out ugandan church. it was great. the pastor taught in english then there was a translator. i loved it. backless benches and all, :).
monday i left with a go-team to go to gulu. we packed about 15 ppl into a huge cruiser with tons of luggage and supplies and drove about 9 hours north. looooong journey, but i finished a whole book and listened to some great tunes. i separated myself from the go team (7 americans, 1 uk-er) and told myself that i didn't feel like connecting this week, i would just take pics and keep to myself...how stupid, haha. we got to gulu and found our hotel had been double booked. then we packed 8 of us plus a driver into a less than new SUV and drove across town to another hotel. from there we waited about 4 hours to go meet the mommas and babies. we got to the place where they were staying after midnight and just greeted them and gave them some mats to sleep on. not mattresses, mats. they couldn't have been more grateful. oh to have some perspective. i picked up poopy babies and sat in the dirt. at that point, it's just exhausting and you either dive in or you are miserable. the LORD was unbelievably gracious to me and handed me an attitude of sheer contentment that night. it was nothing less than divine intervention because on my own, i was grumpy, tired, hungry, and missing the luxuries of the guest house. i bonded with a couple kids and knew i would have a great time the next two days playing and photographing this group of people. we got to bed around 2:00 a.m. and i slept like a rock for 5 hours.
tuesday was good. margarine sandwiches and hard-boiled eggs for breakfast with tea, of course. we went back to the church where the mommas/babies were sleeping to start the day around 8:00. we spent the day there and the go-team did everything from play with babies and teaching them games to washing dishes and doing food prep for lunch and dinner. i was so impressed all week with the work ethic of this team and of the spiritual leaders from CURE. tuesday was the day before the medical team from CURE got there so it was strictly for teaching the Word and for praying with the mommas. CURE's mission is not only to help children with life threatening disabilities but to bring the gospel into the lives of each family that comes into contact with the organization. we travelled with two members of CURE's spiritual team and 4 pastors. there were sermons and worship all day long on tuesday. you could hear the mommas praising from a mile away. lots of screaming, even more dancing, and plenty of smiles. it was the best part of the day. i've never seen people in such distress be so happy. outside the church, it felt like the whole village had sent their children to come and play with the mzungus. soccer games, frisbee, singing - you name it, the girls on the go team were willing to do it. all this going on and i felt a little helpless cuz all i did was document it. i hope what i got was as useful to CURE as the work this team did.
the med team came on wednesday and we took two bus loads of mommas and babies to the local hospital for them to be examined. some were new patients, but mostly they were check-ups for kids who had been to mbale and had shunts put in (most of the patients had hydrocephalus or brain tumors). there were about 50 patients seen, i think (one of the dr.'s had malaria and stuck it out all day...ugandans are crazy, in the best way possible). i interviewed a couple of the mommas who spoke english and again just photographed while in awe of the work ethic and willingness of the go-team. by this time i had realized that the LORD sent this team specifically to minister to me, haha. not really, but that's what it felt like. their positivity and energy was contagious and i felt like i was being 'fed' by someone for the first time since i've been here. it was a pretty selfish week. anyway, the gulu clinic ended and our bus was broken so we waited for two hours then got on the road to lira. 2 and a half hours later, we got to the chapel where there were even more mommas and babies. it was after 10:00 p.m. and i was again exhausted. more divine intervention for me and i was ready to greet them. little did i know how excited that would make them. i walked into the small chapel were they were all laying or sitting and i kid you not, i felt like i was a celebrity. they were cheering and yelling and clapping. talk about a pick-me-up!!! then i met nelson. my heart melted. nelson is 9 and has hydrocephalus. he comes up to about my belly button and his head is bigger than a basketball - that's after a shunt which means it used to be even bigger. he always wears the HUGEST smile and talks non-stop. photos to come. dinner that night was some french fries at the hotel. this hotel was hilarious by the way - the comforter was METALLIC gold and the only tv station they got was gangsta rap music videos with loooots of almost naked girls...the whole experience made me laugh and feel little bit scandalous.
woke up around 7 on thursday and went to another regional hospital for the lira clinic. same deal as the day before with new mommas and babies and more interviews and more amazement of the go-team. super impressed with them and the med team for seeing a ridiculous amount of patients in a short time and being completely attentive to each one, greeting the babies with hugs and such. went 'home' to mbale that night with the med team - a hilarious group of ugandan men who laughed the whole 6 hours. i loved every second of it. they talked about the poverty of uganda, why the LORD lets bad things happen to His people, how great american pretzels are (i have them some), and how much they love jesus. i didn't even need my ipod. i was fully entertained. spent all night relaxing and facebooking - life is so good sometimes. stayed up late with julie and derek rehashing the week and laughing - they are so great and no, i won't stop saying that.
fell asleep to 3 men and a little lady that night and woke up friday feeling ready to hang out at the hospital. saw some babies, got an interview, played a little football, had a goodbye tea for julie, and then ate a dawat - an indian restaurant in town and was once again, uncomfortably full and loving it.
slept great and woke up at 6 sat. morning to meet the go-team and travel to jinja. jinja is unreal. we stayed at a resort right on lake victoria with a pool and our own little huts and stone showers. me and 3 girls took bodas into town (BEST PART OF THE TRIP) and rode around like a motorcycle gang all day. we went to two different restaurants and ate incredible food. i had some great south african wine with a BACON and avocado pita sandwich and then a proper brownie for dessert. we got back and stayed up late talking. saturday was probably my best day in uganda yet - i am so blessed to be given opportunities like that and i still can't believe how much better i feel after it.
got back yesterday and immediately went for a run to work out more than 24 hours of traveling within the past week. so good for my legs and even better for my heart. stopped in at sam and abby's (my boss and his wife) to say hi and came home and relaxed all night. life is good.
this was probably the best week i've had in uganda and definitely the hardest. i was slammed with feelings of inadequacy and discomfort on all fronts. as a photographer (especially as a less than mediocre videographer), as a believer, in my personal life with friendships at home, and as a self-proclaimed people lover. i felt disappointed with myself the majority of the time and spent most of my thoughts on comparisons to others and finding myself coming up short. i say that not for compliments and not even for encouragement. i say it because i am FINALLY beginning to get some answers or at least insights to my questions about GOD's grace and plan for who He wants me to be. in the last 9 days, He gave me people to look up to, people to emulate, people to push me and challenge my patience and beliefs, and people to disappoint me. there is a lesson to learn from each and every person i met or spoke with this week. i've never had so many different perspectives, cultures, emotions, and love be demonstrated in my life and around me in such a short time period. i find myself being much less articulate that i want to be, but as you can tell, there is a lot to process and even more that i wish i could talk to all of you about.
if you read every word of this post, you deserve some type of award...i know, you have a free place to stay if you wanna come and visit, redeemable any time in the next 7 months, :). if you read half of it, i give you a virtual high five. if you read the first and last paragraphs, you obviously don't love me and have no right to be on this page. KIIIIIDDDDDING, :).
but seriously, sorry for the rambling - i love you all and miss you every single day. pray for these feelings of contentment and actual fulfillment to stick around. it's easy to feel this way with american food in my stomach and a week full of consistent and genuine interaction with other people behind me. thank you for caring and thank you even more for the prayers i know you will offer up.
i left for our hospital in mbale on friday and took a public bus, an old charter. it was a 3 hour trip. i stayed there until monday morning in the guest house with the LOVELY julie (an american that has been at the hospital for over 5 months...easily top 5 favorite people i've met so far - she flies home today, boo). we had a huge cookout on the fourth (after a gorgeous day poolside) at derek's house - he is the executive director of the hospital, also american and wonderful. we had real cake, real cookies, sodas, potato salad, and he bbq'd lots of meat. i can't tell you how stuffed i was - i think it was the first time i was uncomfortably full since i have been here. fat and happy would be the best way to describe my fourth of july.
then sunday i went to my first full-out ugandan church. it was great. the pastor taught in english then there was a translator. i loved it. backless benches and all, :).
monday i left with a go-team to go to gulu. we packed about 15 ppl into a huge cruiser with tons of luggage and supplies and drove about 9 hours north. looooong journey, but i finished a whole book and listened to some great tunes. i separated myself from the go team (7 americans, 1 uk-er) and told myself that i didn't feel like connecting this week, i would just take pics and keep to myself...how stupid, haha. we got to gulu and found our hotel had been double booked. then we packed 8 of us plus a driver into a less than new SUV and drove across town to another hotel. from there we waited about 4 hours to go meet the mommas and babies. we got to the place where they were staying after midnight and just greeted them and gave them some mats to sleep on. not mattresses, mats. they couldn't have been more grateful. oh to have some perspective. i picked up poopy babies and sat in the dirt. at that point, it's just exhausting and you either dive in or you are miserable. the LORD was unbelievably gracious to me and handed me an attitude of sheer contentment that night. it was nothing less than divine intervention because on my own, i was grumpy, tired, hungry, and missing the luxuries of the guest house. i bonded with a couple kids and knew i would have a great time the next two days playing and photographing this group of people. we got to bed around 2:00 a.m. and i slept like a rock for 5 hours.
tuesday was good. margarine sandwiches and hard-boiled eggs for breakfast with tea, of course. we went back to the church where the mommas/babies were sleeping to start the day around 8:00. we spent the day there and the go-team did everything from play with babies and teaching them games to washing dishes and doing food prep for lunch and dinner. i was so impressed all week with the work ethic of this team and of the spiritual leaders from CURE. tuesday was the day before the medical team from CURE got there so it was strictly for teaching the Word and for praying with the mommas. CURE's mission is not only to help children with life threatening disabilities but to bring the gospel into the lives of each family that comes into contact with the organization. we travelled with two members of CURE's spiritual team and 4 pastors. there were sermons and worship all day long on tuesday. you could hear the mommas praising from a mile away. lots of screaming, even more dancing, and plenty of smiles. it was the best part of the day. i've never seen people in such distress be so happy. outside the church, it felt like the whole village had sent their children to come and play with the mzungus. soccer games, frisbee, singing - you name it, the girls on the go team were willing to do it. all this going on and i felt a little helpless cuz all i did was document it. i hope what i got was as useful to CURE as the work this team did.
the med team came on wednesday and we took two bus loads of mommas and babies to the local hospital for them to be examined. some were new patients, but mostly they were check-ups for kids who had been to mbale and had shunts put in (most of the patients had hydrocephalus or brain tumors). there were about 50 patients seen, i think (one of the dr.'s had malaria and stuck it out all day...ugandans are crazy, in the best way possible). i interviewed a couple of the mommas who spoke english and again just photographed while in awe of the work ethic and willingness of the go-team. by this time i had realized that the LORD sent this team specifically to minister to me, haha. not really, but that's what it felt like. their positivity and energy was contagious and i felt like i was being 'fed' by someone for the first time since i've been here. it was a pretty selfish week. anyway, the gulu clinic ended and our bus was broken so we waited for two hours then got on the road to lira. 2 and a half hours later, we got to the chapel where there were even more mommas and babies. it was after 10:00 p.m. and i was again exhausted. more divine intervention for me and i was ready to greet them. little did i know how excited that would make them. i walked into the small chapel were they were all laying or sitting and i kid you not, i felt like i was a celebrity. they were cheering and yelling and clapping. talk about a pick-me-up!!! then i met nelson. my heart melted. nelson is 9 and has hydrocephalus. he comes up to about my belly button and his head is bigger than a basketball - that's after a shunt which means it used to be even bigger. he always wears the HUGEST smile and talks non-stop. photos to come. dinner that night was some french fries at the hotel. this hotel was hilarious by the way - the comforter was METALLIC gold and the only tv station they got was gangsta rap music videos with loooots of almost naked girls...the whole experience made me laugh and feel little bit scandalous.
woke up around 7 on thursday and went to another regional hospital for the lira clinic. same deal as the day before with new mommas and babies and more interviews and more amazement of the go-team. super impressed with them and the med team for seeing a ridiculous amount of patients in a short time and being completely attentive to each one, greeting the babies with hugs and such. went 'home' to mbale that night with the med team - a hilarious group of ugandan men who laughed the whole 6 hours. i loved every second of it. they talked about the poverty of uganda, why the LORD lets bad things happen to His people, how great american pretzels are (i have them some), and how much they love jesus. i didn't even need my ipod. i was fully entertained. spent all night relaxing and facebooking - life is so good sometimes. stayed up late with julie and derek rehashing the week and laughing - they are so great and no, i won't stop saying that.
fell asleep to 3 men and a little lady that night and woke up friday feeling ready to hang out at the hospital. saw some babies, got an interview, played a little football, had a goodbye tea for julie, and then ate a dawat - an indian restaurant in town and was once again, uncomfortably full and loving it.
slept great and woke up at 6 sat. morning to meet the go-team and travel to jinja. jinja is unreal. we stayed at a resort right on lake victoria with a pool and our own little huts and stone showers. me and 3 girls took bodas into town (BEST PART OF THE TRIP) and rode around like a motorcycle gang all day. we went to two different restaurants and ate incredible food. i had some great south african wine with a BACON and avocado pita sandwich and then a proper brownie for dessert. we got back and stayed up late talking. saturday was probably my best day in uganda yet - i am so blessed to be given opportunities like that and i still can't believe how much better i feel after it.
got back yesterday and immediately went for a run to work out more than 24 hours of traveling within the past week. so good for my legs and even better for my heart. stopped in at sam and abby's (my boss and his wife) to say hi and came home and relaxed all night. life is good.
this was probably the best week i've had in uganda and definitely the hardest. i was slammed with feelings of inadequacy and discomfort on all fronts. as a photographer (especially as a less than mediocre videographer), as a believer, in my personal life with friendships at home, and as a self-proclaimed people lover. i felt disappointed with myself the majority of the time and spent most of my thoughts on comparisons to others and finding myself coming up short. i say that not for compliments and not even for encouragement. i say it because i am FINALLY beginning to get some answers or at least insights to my questions about GOD's grace and plan for who He wants me to be. in the last 9 days, He gave me people to look up to, people to emulate, people to push me and challenge my patience and beliefs, and people to disappoint me. there is a lesson to learn from each and every person i met or spoke with this week. i've never had so many different perspectives, cultures, emotions, and love be demonstrated in my life and around me in such a short time period. i find myself being much less articulate that i want to be, but as you can tell, there is a lot to process and even more that i wish i could talk to all of you about.
if you read every word of this post, you deserve some type of award...i know, you have a free place to stay if you wanna come and visit, redeemable any time in the next 7 months, :). if you read half of it, i give you a virtual high five. if you read the first and last paragraphs, you obviously don't love me and have no right to be on this page. KIIIIIDDDDDING, :).
but seriously, sorry for the rambling - i love you all and miss you every single day. pray for these feelings of contentment and actual fulfillment to stick around. it's easy to feel this way with american food in my stomach and a week full of consistent and genuine interaction with other people behind me. thank you for caring and thank you even more for the prayers i know you will offer up.
Thursday, July 9, 2009
gulu + lira = w.o.w.
so, i am exhausted. just got back from what felt like the longest week ever.
i went with a 'go-team' from the states to gulu and lira in northern uganda to help with two mobile clinics. basically the medical team from CURE travels to different locations that are really far from our hospital in mbale so mothers and the babies can get check-ups without the travel. this clinic was different though because CURE provided a place to stay for all the patients and families as well as all the food. the go-team is two guys and five girls and their leader and they worked soooo hard all week helping with food prep and cleanup for 50 mommas and babies. and 10 staff. i just photographed them and i'm tired, i can't imagine how they feel.
it took 10 hours to get from mbale to gulu on monday in a huge bus that managed to hit every pothole on the way, :). but we got there safely and then waited until midnight to eat and went to meet the mommas and babies around 1 a.m. crazy. ugandans are crazy. every night we ate super late and everyone was fine with it. i was impressed to say the least.
there is so much i could say about both towns and the amount of work that goes into these clinics, but i'm just too tired. will edit and post pics sometime within the next week. i miss you all!
i went with a 'go-team' from the states to gulu and lira in northern uganda to help with two mobile clinics. basically the medical team from CURE travels to different locations that are really far from our hospital in mbale so mothers and the babies can get check-ups without the travel. this clinic was different though because CURE provided a place to stay for all the patients and families as well as all the food. the go-team is two guys and five girls and their leader and they worked soooo hard all week helping with food prep and cleanup for 50 mommas and babies. and 10 staff. i just photographed them and i'm tired, i can't imagine how they feel.
it took 10 hours to get from mbale to gulu on monday in a huge bus that managed to hit every pothole on the way, :). but we got there safely and then waited until midnight to eat and went to meet the mommas and babies around 1 a.m. crazy. ugandans are crazy. every night we ate super late and everyone was fine with it. i was impressed to say the least.
there is so much i could say about both towns and the amount of work that goes into these clinics, but i'm just too tired. will edit and post pics sometime within the next week. i miss you all!
Thursday, July 2, 2009
running in uganda.
i feel like the LORD has really given me the gift of time while being here. at home, it's so easy to be busy. there is work, classes, sports, family, friends from home/high school/college...the list goes on and on. i hardly ever had time to myself. here, it feels like that is all there is! it's not always easy to look at this as the blessing it is, but i'm trying. i have hours every night to myself. reading, cooking, watching movies/tv seasons on dvd, the possibilities are endless, :).
one of the most rewarding things has been that i get to go to bed before 11 almost every night. i am getting 8 hours of sleep every night for the first time since elementary school! who knew the effect it could have on my life?! i feel healthier, i'm not yawning at my desk, i have energy, i'm happier, and most importantly, i have plenty of time to wake up in the morning and run! i have NO excuse not to now. at home, there are a thousand reasons not to. here, i got nothin. after season ended in december, i decided to give my old body a break after 15 years of soccer. the break turned into something more permanent and i never really got back into the habit. until now.
each morning, i've been getting up a little before 7 and going for a 30-40 minute jog. jog, not run, because there are waaaay too many hills and i am still waaaay too out of shape to be actually running, :). running in uganda is MUCH different than running in pa. especially morgantown, pa. at home, i will rarely pass runners and there aren't many cars to share the road with. here, i'm constantly dodging children, crazy motorcycles (boda-bodas), huge taxis which are actually 15 passenger vans, and speed bumps every 50 yards. there is so much action. and it's impossible to run at all without attracting attention.
well, i should say, be WHITE and not attract attention. some kids run next to me shouting 'mzungu, mzungu!' some point at my headphones or the ipod in my hand and scrunch their eyebrows, not understanding what that thing is. some duck behind their mothers when i wave to them. some just look up and see me and say way too loudly, "good morning madame, how are you?!" it feels so great to have a small child so excited simply to be greeted by you. mind you, it's absolutely exhausting to smile and wave every 10 feet as you run up a gargantuan hill.
the bodas still think there is a chance i need a ride even though i'm clearly in running clothes, with running shoes on, out of breath, sweating, and listening to an ipod. they all offer me rides when i run past them and taxis beep at me, always stopping to see if i want to get on. maybe i just look that exhausted like i can't move another step, i dunno. i even had a woman try to sell me some produce the one day. this is where it differs most. in america, you don't mess with a runner. they are on a mission, they are exercising. leave them alone. here, people don't operate that way. they multitask. i should be able to run AND greet every person i see. if i want to stop for produce, why not? i don't think there is a right and a wrong, just a difference.
tomorrow, i leave at 5:00 a.m. to go to mbale. i'm so excited to celebrate the 4th of july with an american couple there, derek and julie. they were rafting with us last weekend and they are great. apparently, julie is making some real cookies, which i haven't had in 6 weeks. it's going to be fabulous, :). i will be gone for 9 days, but should have internet each night. keep me posted on things going on at home, i miss you all so much!
one of the most rewarding things has been that i get to go to bed before 11 almost every night. i am getting 8 hours of sleep every night for the first time since elementary school! who knew the effect it could have on my life?! i feel healthier, i'm not yawning at my desk, i have energy, i'm happier, and most importantly, i have plenty of time to wake up in the morning and run! i have NO excuse not to now. at home, there are a thousand reasons not to. here, i got nothin. after season ended in december, i decided to give my old body a break after 15 years of soccer. the break turned into something more permanent and i never really got back into the habit. until now.
each morning, i've been getting up a little before 7 and going for a 30-40 minute jog. jog, not run, because there are waaaay too many hills and i am still waaaay too out of shape to be actually running, :). running in uganda is MUCH different than running in pa. especially morgantown, pa. at home, i will rarely pass runners and there aren't many cars to share the road with. here, i'm constantly dodging children, crazy motorcycles (boda-bodas), huge taxis which are actually 15 passenger vans, and speed bumps every 50 yards. there is so much action. and it's impossible to run at all without attracting attention.
well, i should say, be WHITE and not attract attention. some kids run next to me shouting 'mzungu, mzungu!' some point at my headphones or the ipod in my hand and scrunch their eyebrows, not understanding what that thing is. some duck behind their mothers when i wave to them. some just look up and see me and say way too loudly, "good morning madame, how are you?!" it feels so great to have a small child so excited simply to be greeted by you. mind you, it's absolutely exhausting to smile and wave every 10 feet as you run up a gargantuan hill.
the bodas still think there is a chance i need a ride even though i'm clearly in running clothes, with running shoes on, out of breath, sweating, and listening to an ipod. they all offer me rides when i run past them and taxis beep at me, always stopping to see if i want to get on. maybe i just look that exhausted like i can't move another step, i dunno. i even had a woman try to sell me some produce the one day. this is where it differs most. in america, you don't mess with a runner. they are on a mission, they are exercising. leave them alone. here, people don't operate that way. they multitask. i should be able to run AND greet every person i see. if i want to stop for produce, why not? i don't think there is a right and a wrong, just a difference.
tomorrow, i leave at 5:00 a.m. to go to mbale. i'm so excited to celebrate the 4th of july with an american couple there, derek and julie. they were rafting with us last weekend and they are great. apparently, julie is making some real cookies, which i haven't had in 6 weeks. it's going to be fabulous, :). i will be gone for 9 days, but should have internet each night. keep me posted on things going on at home, i miss you all so much!
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