This is our last blog from Africa! We cannot believe we have been gone for about 17 days and that the trip we have been planning for and talking about for so long has come to an end. Its a bitter sweet end, but we are confident that we made the most of it. We are all full of memories that are worth more than any marterial possession could hope to be worth. We have made friends that will remain in out hearts forever. We have touched hearts and our hearts have been touched. We hope we changed lives, but know that our lives have been changed. We have all grown and we have found a team bond that is very unique. It is sad to have to say goodbye, but we know God has new advenchas in store for each and everyone of us and we are all excited to see our much missed friends and family. Right now we are finishing packing up and heading out to the airport. We have 36 hours of traveling ahead of us. Pray for us, please. lol No, the journey over here wasnt too bad so this shouldn't be either. We love and miss you all and will see you very soon!!!
PS!!! Very Big PS lol DAVE ALSO BUNGEE JUMPED YESTERDAY!! I dont think his name got mentioned in the last blog!! Not only did he jump off a 145ft high ledge but, he was the last to jump so by the time he was up it was dark. Extra props Dave!! :D
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Monday, June 29, 2009
The Nile...
So first of all i want to start out by saying.. Today has been the best day we've had in a long time, but for some, the worst. it's had its highs, and its lows.
We started out by waking up and having an amazing breakfast, in the words of Gianna, poached and cooked bananas were the favorite on the menu, after breakfast we headed outside where we met the bus full of people also waiting to travel to Jinja for the amazing adventCHA we had in store for us. Once we arrived at the river two hours later, we strapped on our helmets [which made us feel "special"] and locked and loaded our life vests. Layered on tons of sunscreen, and we were off. Going down the rapids was indescribable. A mix between adrenaline and a huge rush of excitement, and water constantly smacking us in the face. it was awesome!
Most of our group went on what was called the "wild" side and a few other members went on the "mild" side. The mild ride was originally named the chicken boat, but was later renamed the M&M boat, which stood for manly and macho. All was chipper and good until the very last rapid. This certain rapid is called, "The Bad Place" and it's exactly what it says it is. We were tossed and turned under the water, and a few of us had near death exerpiences. But all in all, i think most of us were in agreement, it was so well worth it.
OH and i forgot to mention a very small detail before we took off on our rapid journey.
Gianna, Leah, Kayla, Vicki, Rick, Eric, Levi, and Susanna all decided that it would be an even better ending to such a great day at the river, if we bungee jumped over the Nile. So at the end of our trip, that's exactly what we did.
Leah, who was calm and peaceful going in, loved every minute of it.
Kayla.. had fun. [from what she briefly said]
Gianna screamed out of excitement the entire way down.
Vicki almost peed her pants, but faced her fear.
Rick... actually chickened out. He never jumped.
Eric had another fun time bungee jumping, he still loves it.
Levi made a strange grunting noise the entire way down, but in the end loved it as well.
And Susanna, going in was calm and ready, but took a few tries for her to actually leave the ledge.
At the end of the day we're all burnt out, and even though we wore layers of sunscreen, we all seemed to have been a victim of the suns rays. Our last day in Africa was definitely one to remember. Tomorrow we go shopping, so if you want anything specific, let us know before it's too late, and then leave on an extremely long plane ride. We're all ready to come home, but it's bittersweet at the same time. We loved our time here and will miss Africa deeply.
We cant wait to see all of you when we geet home!! Love you!
We started out by waking up and having an amazing breakfast, in the words of Gianna, poached and cooked bananas were the favorite on the menu, after breakfast we headed outside where we met the bus full of people also waiting to travel to Jinja for the amazing adventCHA we had in store for us. Once we arrived at the river two hours later, we strapped on our helmets [which made us feel "special"] and locked and loaded our life vests. Layered on tons of sunscreen, and we were off. Going down the rapids was indescribable. A mix between adrenaline and a huge rush of excitement, and water constantly smacking us in the face. it was awesome!
Most of our group went on what was called the "wild" side and a few other members went on the "mild" side. The mild ride was originally named the chicken boat, but was later renamed the M&M boat, which stood for manly and macho. All was chipper and good until the very last rapid. This certain rapid is called, "The Bad Place" and it's exactly what it says it is. We were tossed and turned under the water, and a few of us had near death exerpiences. But all in all, i think most of us were in agreement, it was so well worth it.
OH and i forgot to mention a very small detail before we took off on our rapid journey.
Gianna, Leah, Kayla, Vicki, Rick, Eric, Levi, and Susanna all decided that it would be an even better ending to such a great day at the river, if we bungee jumped over the Nile. So at the end of our trip, that's exactly what we did.
Leah, who was calm and peaceful going in, loved every minute of it.
Kayla.. had fun. [from what she briefly said]
Gianna screamed out of excitement the entire way down.
Vicki almost peed her pants, but faced her fear.
Rick... actually chickened out. He never jumped.
Eric had another fun time bungee jumping, he still loves it.
Levi made a strange grunting noise the entire way down, but in the end loved it as well.
And Susanna, going in was calm and ready, but took a few tries for her to actually leave the ledge.
At the end of the day we're all burnt out, and even though we wore layers of sunscreen, we all seemed to have been a victim of the suns rays. Our last day in Africa was definitely one to remember. Tomorrow we go shopping, so if you want anything specific, let us know before it's too late, and then leave on an extremely long plane ride. We're all ready to come home, but it's bittersweet at the same time. We loved our time here and will miss Africa deeply.
We cant wait to see all of you when we geet home!! Love you!
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Kampala
Hey Everyone!!
Today was just another travel day so not much to blog. We are all excited for tomorrow! :D Rafting down the Nile!!! We also might go bungee jumping and zip lining! Give you all the deets tomorrow!
Love you!! And miss you!!!!
SEE YOU SOON :D
Today was just another travel day so not much to blog. We are all excited for tomorrow! :D Rafting down the Nile!!! We also might go bungee jumping and zip lining! Give you all the deets tomorrow!
Love you!! And miss you!!!!
SEE YOU SOON :D
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Queen Elizabeth National Park
Ok so after the longest drive in the history of mankind (ok maybe a tiny exaggeration) and after using the two most digusting 'restrooms' in the universe (no exaggeration at all) we arrived at paradise: the Mweya Safari Lodge in Queen Elizabeth National Park. Hot and Sticky, we were greeted with ice cold passion fruit juice and cold towels for our faces. Then we were lead to the bathroom: porcalin seats, flushers, tile floors and quilted toilet paper...heaven on earth. You should have seen the excitment on our faces. Once we got settled in our rooms we went down to dinner. It was delicious and it came with entertainment! There were dancers doing more native and cultural dances. This danceing reminded us more of hula dnacing with really fast shaking hips and not as much stomping. One of the girls tried to get Gordon to dance and at one point Rick showed off a few of his dance moves...hilarious. We were all tired from a long day of traveling so soon after dinner we were all off to bed. Oh! We almost forgot t Rick, Levi and Eric saw a hippo and her calf last night before going to bed and we saw a baboon chasing a boda boda on our way here!! Gotta love Africa!!
Today was such an adventure, however we now accent many of our words so its more like advencha!!!!!! lol We got up before the sun at 6AM and took off on our safari. Before we even got out side the hotel gate we saw a family of elephants...Vicki almost had a heart attack she was so excited...and a hippo. We saw tons of cape buffalo, hyenas, water bucks, gazelles, and birds. It was so much fun. Then right as we were getting tired and ready to head back to the lodge we saw it. We saw a lion!!! It was the most amazing and thrilling experience ever! It was no more than 10 yards away. Just the thought that it could kill us in one leap if it wanted to sent chills up and down everyones spine...lol. After we saw the lion we headed back to the lodge for lunch, delicious again, and then we all relaxed until 4:30 when we headed out for our boat ride. On the boat ride we saw a bunch of hippos and an elephant. It was so much fun. Seeing these animals in the wild is an experience we all so greatfull to have had. We just finished dinner now and are chilling at the hotel. There are tons of bugs lol like we are practically breathing them in, but theres good music and cold passion juice so its all good.
Tomorrow we are leaving the park for Kampala and river rafting down the nile!! We are very excited =D
Love you and miss you all very much! Can't wait to see everyone! :D ttyl
Today was such an adventure, however we now accent many of our words so its more like advencha!!!!!! lol We got up before the sun at 6AM and took off on our safari. Before we even got out side the hotel gate we saw a family of elephants...Vicki almost had a heart attack she was so excited...and a hippo. We saw tons of cape buffalo, hyenas, water bucks, gazelles, and birds. It was so much fun. Then right as we were getting tired and ready to head back to the lodge we saw it. We saw a lion!!! It was the most amazing and thrilling experience ever! It was no more than 10 yards away. Just the thought that it could kill us in one leap if it wanted to sent chills up and down everyones spine...lol. After we saw the lion we headed back to the lodge for lunch, delicious again, and then we all relaxed until 4:30 when we headed out for our boat ride. On the boat ride we saw a bunch of hippos and an elephant. It was so much fun. Seeing these animals in the wild is an experience we all so greatfull to have had. We just finished dinner now and are chilling at the hotel. There are tons of bugs lol like we are practically breathing them in, but theres good music and cold passion juice so its all good.
Tomorrow we are leaving the park for Kampala and river rafting down the nile!! We are very excited =D
Love you and miss you all very much! Can't wait to see everyone! :D ttyl
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Good Bye Kabale
We are leaving the White Horse this morning to go to Queen Elizabeth National Park. We are going to miss all out new friends here in Kabale, but we are ready for a new adventure.
Yesterday was a chill day. We slept in and went to the Edirisa for the last time. At 5PM we went to the school for a very emotional good bye ceremony. They danced and sang for us again. It will never cease to amaze us. Joab gave all of us good bye gifts. The girls got school sweaters and woven baskets. The guys got Ugandan colored ties and shields. After the ceremony, we went to the White Horse for a dinner with the school teachers. The dinner was an appreciation for all the hard work that the teachers do at Kabale Trinity College. Everyone who came really enjoyed the food & fellowship.
So we've packed up and we're preparing for a 7-hour drive to Queen Elizabeth. We will blog from the safari lodge if possible. We miss you all and we can't wait to see you again!
Yesterday was a chill day. We slept in and went to the Edirisa for the last time. At 5PM we went to the school for a very emotional good bye ceremony. They danced and sang for us again. It will never cease to amaze us. Joab gave all of us good bye gifts. The girls got school sweaters and woven baskets. The guys got Ugandan colored ties and shields. After the ceremony, we went to the White Horse for a dinner with the school teachers. The dinner was an appreciation for all the hard work that the teachers do at Kabale Trinity College. Everyone who came really enjoyed the food & fellowship.
So we've packed up and we're preparing for a 7-hour drive to Queen Elizabeth. We will blog from the safari lodge if possible. We miss you all and we can't wait to see you again!
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Can you believe it blogging two days in a row!!! :D
Yesterday we got a late start. We got sleep in til 8:30, went to Edirisa for breakfast/lunch and got to connect to home alittle. Vicki and Kayla had a giant somosa, Leah had a honey and banana 'pancake', Cami had pizza and loved it, Gianna had a veggie omelette that was alright. Everyone got a pineapple juice and we are all in love with it!!....Cami wonders how they juice the pineapples, but thats for another time....The guys had a successful day at the farm and are glad that it works! Praise Jesus!! The girls, Hellen, Mouda and Rick went to the African craft store and loaded up on souvenirs and gifts. :D Hellen was overwhelmed wiht all of her new gifts. Afterwards we went to the African market. That was an interesting experience. The market was hectic: people everywhere and food all over. They call peanuts, geenuts and they are also alot smaller than ours. We all thought that was funny. While Vicki was taking pictures some man asked if he could someday see the pictures in magazine. He was very upset when we told him they were just to show our family. lol Leah ran into some technical difficulties with her skirt,but the Ugandans were happy to help her out. OMG We forgot to tell you...On our way to the market a bus full of muzungus threw a piece of paper at us. They shouted to read it. This is what is said: Hello Ladies! I never expected to find such beauty in Africa. Oasis guys. We also got a phone number! We all got a good laugh! Back to the market...We picked up a years supply of food for Hellen's family and we brought it back to the village. They were extremely thankful. We also played soccer and jump rope with her little cousins.
We should fill you in alittle on how we got around yesterday...a van. It was a very hot van that was suppose to fit 7, but had at least 9 in it at all times. It was sweltering (the vocab word of the day) to say the least.
Last night was a chill night. Some of the girls and Dave went back to the Edirisa for more pineapple juice. Darin, Rick, Eric, Levi, and Gordon went to Jenny's, Mouda's sister for tea. Cami and Kayla stayed back at the White Horse and watched Madagascar. Towards the endof the evening all the guys played pool and the girls made music videos that will forever stay in Africa. ;D
Today we are probably going back to the orphanage and possibly the school. Tonight is the sponsored kids' dinner.
Well hate to run, but we have to go!! TTYL
LOVE YOU ALL AND MISS YOU LOTS!!!!
Dont forget to comment! :D
We should fill you in alittle on how we got around yesterday...a van. It was a very hot van that was suppose to fit 7, but had at least 9 in it at all times. It was sweltering (the vocab word of the day) to say the least.
Last night was a chill night. Some of the girls and Dave went back to the Edirisa for more pineapple juice. Darin, Rick, Eric, Levi, and Gordon went to Jenny's, Mouda's sister for tea. Cami and Kayla stayed back at the White Horse and watched Madagascar. Towards the endof the evening all the guys played pool and the girls made music videos that will forever stay in Africa. ;D
Today we are probably going back to the orphanage and possibly the school. Tonight is the sponsored kids' dinner.
Well hate to run, but we have to go!! TTYL
LOVE YOU ALL AND MISS YOU LOTS!!!!
Dont forget to comment! :D
Monday, June 22, 2009
Praise the Lord!
Yay! We are celebrating that the internet works here at the White Horse! It's been a few days since we've blogged, due to spotty internet connection, so it's time to fill you in! (-:
Last night Gianna had pineapple juice...yummy! How come they don't have that in the states?!
Sunday was a looong day! But in Africa, long days are still amazing! We got up around 6AM to have breakfast in time for Joab to pick us up at 8:30 for church. Any meal at the White Horse, as we have learned, takes at least an hour. Breakfast consists of pineapple, bananas, watermelon, guava, cereal, eggs, and tea or coffee. After breakfast we were off to KTC's Sunday service. Rick was on cloud nine--this time for real! He said he had been waiting for this day for two years! As soon as we got to the school, we could see why. The students singing in praise caused the church to pulse like a speaker with the bass and volume turned all the way up. It was incredible and inspiring. The school band led us down the middle aisle of the crowded church and we took seats in the front. The school was so full that the students overflowed outside. It was a very long service, but it seemed to go by fairly fast. They did several presentations and songs, and then Gordon preached. He preached on keeping your hands open instead of gripping worldly possessions. The students then did a skit on forgiveness that was very entertaining, and then they took the offering. After the offering, they did a dance of thanksgiving, praise, and worship. The praise & worship is unlike anything we have experienced in Modesto. Their dances include a lot of stomping (a tradition in Uganda) that literally makes the floor shake. Their exuberance shines from their faces as they sing and praise the Lord! It was amazing and humbling to watch.
The service ended around 1PM and we had lunch with the KTC teachers afterward in order to "build fellowship." This was our first true African meal! It was sweet potatoes, boiled bananas, roasted bananas, pork, beef (aka goat), and fresh fruits--all served from big buckets. It wasn't bad, just bland. The only problem with the meat is that no one is very sure what part of the animal they are eating...in which case it is better not to ask! Eric & Levi did suffer from stomachaches for the rest of the day...they debated whether to just throw up and get it over with, or man it out. They ended up being men. (-: When lunch ended, we all loaded up in the van (sooner said than done) and took off for Lake Bunyonyi. The beauty of the drive & the lake itself is very hard to describe. We could say that the lake is a natural-made crater, over 6500 ft. deep, and one of the deepest lakes in Africa. But that doesn't come close to the breaktaking view we had! Once we got to the lake, looked around and took pictures, there wasn't much to do. We fantasized about owning one of the little islands that dot the lake, and boating all the time! After soaking up as much as we could, we loaded up & returned to the White Horse to clean up for dinner at Joab's. We were all a little leery of dinner, thinking it would be a repeat of lunch, but we were happy that it was delicious! Connie served chapatis, chicken, potatoes, rice, and vegetables. It was all very good. Leah and Vicki's new favorite food is chapatis! After the meal, Rick presented gifts to Joab and his family. Connie loved her new parka that Claudine gave her. Rick & Darin also presented a laptop to Mouda, who was speechless. Finally it was time to go home & catch some zzzzzz's!
Monday: It was work day at the farm. Rick wanted to leave for the farm at 7AM, but T.I.A. This is Africa! We didn't get to the farm (after a 45 min drive) until 11:30. Some of the men had to get supplies before leaving, so we girls and Levi got to sleep in! (-: At the farm, we finished laying and gluing the pipe. We had to repair multiple leaks, cracks, & breaks. We made couplings for the pipe by heating the ends over a fire and fashioning bell ends! TIA! It was a long, hard day of working, but it felt good to see the tangible results of our labor. At the end of the day, the water tanks were filling, everything was working great. Never again will Grace have to walk down that 1/2-mile hill for water! Now she and her family, that live on the farm, have a faucet at the top of the hill. We stayed at the farm all day and then came back to the White Horse to have dinner and crash. On the way home, we made all the guys tell their "stories," how they met their wives, dating, proposals, any marriage advice, etc. Loren got pretty teary, he's quite the romantic! Lucky Kristen! (-: We all want our future husbands to build us forts! We are all fortified with great advice and high expectations, so guys, watch out! You have a lot to live up to! (-; The guys are going back to the farm today to finish putting in 5 risers and repair a few leaks. Then they will be back hopefully around noon, and we will spend the afternoon in town. The girls & Rick are going to the Edirisa & (hopefully) the orphanage this morning. It should be another fun day in Uganda!
-From Cami: hello to everybody! Hi Leigh & Kali, I've been thinking about you...hope you can struggle along without me! (-; Hi Mom, Brett, Jordan, Chris, Grace, Estee, & Chloe! Hi Grandma & Grandpa & all my friends reading this blog!
-From Gianna: Miss you Mor and Pappy! Thanks for the texts! Love you guys!
-From Leah: Hi mom & Sarah. Hope you're having fun at the cabin! Hey friends, I miss you guys! We have a lot to do when we get home. Hey Chels, whoaaaaaaaaaaaaa! Miss you!
-From Vicki: Mom, I hope you had a good flight. Tell momma I said hello. Dad, I love you and I hope to talk to you soon. David, I hope you're having a good time at camp. Love on all those kids! Beefcake, your rings are still around my neck. I wear them every day. I'm still trying to figure out what to get you. Sissy, I miss you sooooooooooo much! I pray for you every day. Jake, I know you won't read this until Wednesday but I miss you and I'm praying for your trip. Sean, I'm still working on that video. (-: I miss you and I look forward to seeing you soon! I love all of you and miss you all!
-From Kayla: Mom and Sarah, I miss you and love you. Sarah, I hope you had fun this weekend and I hope you hit a home run for me! Trevor, hope you and harry are having fun! I love you and miss you. Clive & Jean, hope you're not missing me too much! Hope the house isn't too quiet without me! I love and miss you all and I can't wait to see everybody again!
All the guys say hello to everybody too! They love & miss everyone.
Random:
Levi is called Nascar, because he gets out of the back seat of the bus by climbing out the window.
Loren didn't kiss his wife until they were married (think about it). (-;
Loren and Gordon are keeping everybody in stiches. Laughter is good medicine, right?
Darin is a cradle-robber! As a matter of fact, so were Eric & Gordon!
Dave taught Gianna and Vicki how to make couplings...he is the brains behind our innovation!
On our next trip, we've decided to throw out deoderant instead of candy. Apparently that technology has not made it here yet! (-:
We told scary stories last night over dinner.
Everyone has been having bizarre dreams due to our malaria medication. Cami murdered somebody in her dreams and (in a dream) Gianna's boyfriend cheated on her!
Carbonated drinks come in glass bottles, not cans.
We have our first-day-back menu planned to the T, from breakfast to snacks to dinner (and beyond)! So watch out, friends and family! Gordon is continually bringing up Jamba Juice! We have decided he is just one big kid!
We will blog again when the internet works. In the meantime, we love you all & miss you all! We also miss American food! Keep commenting, we love it!
Last night Gianna had pineapple juice...yummy! How come they don't have that in the states?!
Sunday was a looong day! But in Africa, long days are still amazing! We got up around 6AM to have breakfast in time for Joab to pick us up at 8:30 for church. Any meal at the White Horse, as we have learned, takes at least an hour. Breakfast consists of pineapple, bananas, watermelon, guava, cereal, eggs, and tea or coffee. After breakfast we were off to KTC's Sunday service. Rick was on cloud nine--this time for real! He said he had been waiting for this day for two years! As soon as we got to the school, we could see why. The students singing in praise caused the church to pulse like a speaker with the bass and volume turned all the way up. It was incredible and inspiring. The school band led us down the middle aisle of the crowded church and we took seats in the front. The school was so full that the students overflowed outside. It was a very long service, but it seemed to go by fairly fast. They did several presentations and songs, and then Gordon preached. He preached on keeping your hands open instead of gripping worldly possessions. The students then did a skit on forgiveness that was very entertaining, and then they took the offering. After the offering, they did a dance of thanksgiving, praise, and worship. The praise & worship is unlike anything we have experienced in Modesto. Their dances include a lot of stomping (a tradition in Uganda) that literally makes the floor shake. Their exuberance shines from their faces as they sing and praise the Lord! It was amazing and humbling to watch.
The service ended around 1PM and we had lunch with the KTC teachers afterward in order to "build fellowship." This was our first true African meal! It was sweet potatoes, boiled bananas, roasted bananas, pork, beef (aka goat), and fresh fruits--all served from big buckets. It wasn't bad, just bland. The only problem with the meat is that no one is very sure what part of the animal they are eating...in which case it is better not to ask! Eric & Levi did suffer from stomachaches for the rest of the day...they debated whether to just throw up and get it over with, or man it out. They ended up being men. (-: When lunch ended, we all loaded up in the van (sooner said than done) and took off for Lake Bunyonyi. The beauty of the drive & the lake itself is very hard to describe. We could say that the lake is a natural-made crater, over 6500 ft. deep, and one of the deepest lakes in Africa. But that doesn't come close to the breaktaking view we had! Once we got to the lake, looked around and took pictures, there wasn't much to do. We fantasized about owning one of the little islands that dot the lake, and boating all the time! After soaking up as much as we could, we loaded up & returned to the White Horse to clean up for dinner at Joab's. We were all a little leery of dinner, thinking it would be a repeat of lunch, but we were happy that it was delicious! Connie served chapatis, chicken, potatoes, rice, and vegetables. It was all very good. Leah and Vicki's new favorite food is chapatis! After the meal, Rick presented gifts to Joab and his family. Connie loved her new parka that Claudine gave her. Rick & Darin also presented a laptop to Mouda, who was speechless. Finally it was time to go home & catch some zzzzzz's!
Monday: It was work day at the farm. Rick wanted to leave for the farm at 7AM, but T.I.A. This is Africa! We didn't get to the farm (after a 45 min drive) until 11:30. Some of the men had to get supplies before leaving, so we girls and Levi got to sleep in! (-: At the farm, we finished laying and gluing the pipe. We had to repair multiple leaks, cracks, & breaks. We made couplings for the pipe by heating the ends over a fire and fashioning bell ends! TIA! It was a long, hard day of working, but it felt good to see the tangible results of our labor. At the end of the day, the water tanks were filling, everything was working great. Never again will Grace have to walk down that 1/2-mile hill for water! Now she and her family, that live on the farm, have a faucet at the top of the hill. We stayed at the farm all day and then came back to the White Horse to have dinner and crash. On the way home, we made all the guys tell their "stories," how they met their wives, dating, proposals, any marriage advice, etc. Loren got pretty teary, he's quite the romantic! Lucky Kristen! (-: We all want our future husbands to build us forts! We are all fortified with great advice and high expectations, so guys, watch out! You have a lot to live up to! (-; The guys are going back to the farm today to finish putting in 5 risers and repair a few leaks. Then they will be back hopefully around noon, and we will spend the afternoon in town. The girls & Rick are going to the Edirisa & (hopefully) the orphanage this morning. It should be another fun day in Uganda!
-From Cami: hello to everybody! Hi Leigh & Kali, I've been thinking about you...hope you can struggle along without me! (-; Hi Mom, Brett, Jordan, Chris, Grace, Estee, & Chloe! Hi Grandma & Grandpa & all my friends reading this blog!
-From Gianna: Miss you Mor and Pappy! Thanks for the texts! Love you guys!
-From Leah: Hi mom & Sarah. Hope you're having fun at the cabin! Hey friends, I miss you guys! We have a lot to do when we get home. Hey Chels, whoaaaaaaaaaaaaa! Miss you!
-From Vicki: Mom, I hope you had a good flight. Tell momma I said hello. Dad, I love you and I hope to talk to you soon. David, I hope you're having a good time at camp. Love on all those kids! Beefcake, your rings are still around my neck. I wear them every day. I'm still trying to figure out what to get you. Sissy, I miss you sooooooooooo much! I pray for you every day. Jake, I know you won't read this until Wednesday but I miss you and I'm praying for your trip. Sean, I'm still working on that video. (-: I miss you and I look forward to seeing you soon! I love all of you and miss you all!
-From Kayla: Mom and Sarah, I miss you and love you. Sarah, I hope you had fun this weekend and I hope you hit a home run for me! Trevor, hope you and harry are having fun! I love you and miss you. Clive & Jean, hope you're not missing me too much! Hope the house isn't too quiet without me! I love and miss you all and I can't wait to see everybody again!
All the guys say hello to everybody too! They love & miss everyone.
Random:
Levi is called Nascar, because he gets out of the back seat of the bus by climbing out the window.
Loren didn't kiss his wife until they were married (think about it). (-;
Loren and Gordon are keeping everybody in stiches. Laughter is good medicine, right?
Darin is a cradle-robber! As a matter of fact, so were Eric & Gordon!
Dave taught Gianna and Vicki how to make couplings...he is the brains behind our innovation!
On our next trip, we've decided to throw out deoderant instead of candy. Apparently that technology has not made it here yet! (-:
We told scary stories last night over dinner.
Everyone has been having bizarre dreams due to our malaria medication. Cami murdered somebody in her dreams and (in a dream) Gianna's boyfriend cheated on her!
Carbonated drinks come in glass bottles, not cans.
We have our first-day-back menu planned to the T, from breakfast to snacks to dinner (and beyond)! So watch out, friends and family! Gordon is continually bringing up Jamba Juice! We have decided he is just one big kid!
We will blog again when the internet works. In the meantime, we love you all & miss you all! We also miss American food! Keep commenting, we love it!
Saturday, June 20, 2009
Well today is Saturday. Our internet has not been cooperating. We gave up trying to connect to the wireless internet at the Hostel but are now having some success at the internet cafe on their computers. This is truly making us appreciate our high speed internet at home.
Shout outs from Cami> Rachel, Levi is great, hes an amazing boda boda driver. He gave a lady a ride up a steep hill saving her 2 hours of walking time. Paula, Gordon wants to say thank you for the posts and also to say he praying for you too.
Shout outs from Leah and Kayla> Mom and Sarah we miss you and love you. Sarah do good playing softball this weekend. from Kay> Trev I miss you and love you. Clive and Jean I miss you. From Leah> U.S i miss you guys! and all my friends :) i gots lots of things to telllll you all!
Shout outs from Gianna> Mom,Dad, Juls, Will and Tess I miss you all so much! love you lots! Will hope you had fun at football camp! Im so jealous you got to hang out with Chevy!! Tony i miss you so much!! i no its annoying i cant text back but keep sending the texts i love getting them! Frank and Gayle Cap THomas and KATE!! Thanks for the prayers adn text luv u guys!! Alexa, Claire and Tyler i hope your reading this miss u guys!! ttyl
Shout out from Vicki> Mom and dad and david, i love you all and hope youre not dying without me! Sissy.. i loovveee you and miss you sooo stinkin much. i have so much to tell you. Beefcake, oh man, youre going to love it here! i miss you and your rings are safe and sound always hangin around my neck, the kids love to play with them! EVERYONE at Calvary, i miss you guys, i wish i could be two places at once. Wednesday i kept you all in my prayers! Sean, i couldnt get a video because of the internet, but maybe next week i can get some connection. i miss you guys all so much, loveee you!!
So lets get back to what we have been doing!! Thursday the men, except Rick, went to the farm to get some preliminary work done. Us girls, and RIck, had a great time doing the Lords work. We met up wiht helen, the ktc student that Rick Sponsors. We pulled her out of school and took her and Mouda, the computer teacher Rick and darin sponsor, to the Jesus Saves store. Rick bought groceries for Helens family that will last them for a while. Rick was on cloud nine. Helen who was previously the quietest student in the whole school, was all grins. We took the groceries to Helens village and presented them to her grandparents. They were amazed and grateful.
We spent the rest of the day riding in the bed of a small pick up truck. I think Rick hit the pot holes on purpose though. Everyone in town knows us as the crazy mzunga girls who wave and say hello to everyone. Rick stopped counting hellos at 225 and that was just our first drive.
We had lunch at the White Horse with Helen and Mouda. Then we met up with the guys adn watched a movie with at the girls dormitory. We watched Surfs Up and they laughed nonstop!!
Now on to Friday...We spent the whole day at the farm, AKA 2000 foot hill, installing the irrigation system. Talk about a work out!! The farm had already been trenched so we had to lay out the pipe and glued it together. We met the family that lives and takes care of the farm. The kids are adorable. We had so much fun with them. Hopefully their stomachs dont hurt too bad from all the candy we gave them. We completed one line of pipe and started up the system for the first time around 6.30. It was amazing! Unfortunately, one pipe busted. Monday we will be returning to fix it. We were very exhausted after that day, but the feeling of accomplishment out weighed our exhaustion.
Today we rented boda bodas, keeping up with our crazy mzunja reputation! The scenery was indescribable. Pictures cant capture the beauty of Uganda. FYI Boda Bodas are dirt bikes and motorcyles...>D
We are now headed back to Helens house to drop off her bed! We love and miss you all so much!! Keep up with the comments...we love hearing from home! Until next time....whenever we can get a connection! lol
PS sry about any typos and bad punctuation the keys DONT work!!
LOVE YOU ALL!!
Shout outs from Cami> Rachel, Levi is great, hes an amazing boda boda driver. He gave a lady a ride up a steep hill saving her 2 hours of walking time. Paula, Gordon wants to say thank you for the posts and also to say he praying for you too.
Shout outs from Leah and Kayla> Mom and Sarah we miss you and love you. Sarah do good playing softball this weekend. from Kay> Trev I miss you and love you. Clive and Jean I miss you. From Leah> U.S i miss you guys! and all my friends :) i gots lots of things to telllll you all!
Shout outs from Gianna> Mom,Dad, Juls, Will and Tess I miss you all so much! love you lots! Will hope you had fun at football camp! Im so jealous you got to hang out with Chevy!! Tony i miss you so much!! i no its annoying i cant text back but keep sending the texts i love getting them! Frank and Gayle Cap THomas and KATE!! Thanks for the prayers adn text luv u guys!! Alexa, Claire and Tyler i hope your reading this miss u guys!! ttyl
Shout out from Vicki> Mom and dad and david, i love you all and hope youre not dying without me! Sissy.. i loovveee you and miss you sooo stinkin much. i have so much to tell you. Beefcake, oh man, youre going to love it here! i miss you and your rings are safe and sound always hangin around my neck, the kids love to play with them! EVERYONE at Calvary, i miss you guys, i wish i could be two places at once. Wednesday i kept you all in my prayers! Sean, i couldnt get a video because of the internet, but maybe next week i can get some connection. i miss you guys all so much, loveee you!!
So lets get back to what we have been doing!! Thursday the men, except Rick, went to the farm to get some preliminary work done. Us girls, and RIck, had a great time doing the Lords work. We met up wiht helen, the ktc student that Rick Sponsors. We pulled her out of school and took her and Mouda, the computer teacher Rick and darin sponsor, to the Jesus Saves store. Rick bought groceries for Helens family that will last them for a while. Rick was on cloud nine. Helen who was previously the quietest student in the whole school, was all grins. We took the groceries to Helens village and presented them to her grandparents. They were amazed and grateful.
We spent the rest of the day riding in the bed of a small pick up truck. I think Rick hit the pot holes on purpose though. Everyone in town knows us as the crazy mzunga girls who wave and say hello to everyone. Rick stopped counting hellos at 225 and that was just our first drive.
We had lunch at the White Horse with Helen and Mouda. Then we met up with the guys adn watched a movie with at the girls dormitory. We watched Surfs Up and they laughed nonstop!!
Now on to Friday...We spent the whole day at the farm, AKA 2000 foot hill, installing the irrigation system. Talk about a work out!! The farm had already been trenched so we had to lay out the pipe and glued it together. We met the family that lives and takes care of the farm. The kids are adorable. We had so much fun with them. Hopefully their stomachs dont hurt too bad from all the candy we gave them. We completed one line of pipe and started up the system for the first time around 6.30. It was amazing! Unfortunately, one pipe busted. Monday we will be returning to fix it. We were very exhausted after that day, but the feeling of accomplishment out weighed our exhaustion.
Today we rented boda bodas, keeping up with our crazy mzunja reputation! The scenery was indescribable. Pictures cant capture the beauty of Uganda. FYI Boda Bodas are dirt bikes and motorcyles...>D
We are now headed back to Helens house to drop off her bed! We love and miss you all so much!! Keep up with the comments...we love hearing from home! Until next time....whenever we can get a connection! lol
PS sry about any typos and bad punctuation the keys DONT work!!
LOVE YOU ALL!!
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
First full day!
We finally made it! After three long days of travel, we're all glad to finally be here. We all got our luggage safely, except for Rick, but we got a call that said his bag was found, he's now waiting for it while living off of Loren's closet.
Yesterday, when we arrived Joab took us to The Flamingo restaurant, a very nice Chinese restaurant, after that we visited the Kigali memorial center which commemorates the victims of the 1994 genocide. It was a big eye opener for all of us and a sobering moment as well.
Once we crossed the Rwanda border into Uganda, i think that's when we realized that we had actually made it! We're all seeing how poor this country is and are living off near to nothing, it makes all of us realize how much we have. Today we went to Joab's house and unloaded the crate which also arrived safely, which was an answer to prayer. The only thing missing were 4 shoes, all different sizes, so whoever took them is out of luck! We met up with Susanna who's been doing great, but was getting homesick until she saw us! :] Leah and Vicki decided to roam around and saw two small children and got permission to venture outside Joab's walls. Everyone soon joined and handed out candy to all the children and parents. Seeing all of the people gave us the real feeling of Africa and its people. Leah and Vicki's quote of the day is, "We will be seeing Africa through our camera lense." Then we visitied the Kabale Trinity College, which is technically highschool for us at home, and around 2:30 we all got a little jet lag.
While at the school we were warmly welcomed by the praise and worship group (The Gish band)and the dance team. They did an "i love you" dance and a traditional Ugandan dance which involved alot of jumping and stomping. The reason the Ugandans developed the stomping and jumping was because it prepares themfor the hills and climbing them.
Gianna and Cami sampled the Poshu and thought it was fine, but wouldn't want it everyday, all day. During most of the students classes us girls walked around and talked to all of the students who weren't in class. We learned how to say tons of different words in the Ugandan language, Richiga. Such as, dog, tall, how are you, i'm fine, arm, nose, teeth, and so on... Tomorrow we're planning on going to the college first and then to the orphanage while Dave and Gordon are waking up at 6 to travel to Kampala to pick up pipes. The rest of the guys are going to do some preliminary work at the farm.
Randoms:
-Cami, Vicki, Kayla, and Darin played 31 in the middle of the aisle in the airplane on our way to Africa, before we got in trouble and was asked to go back to our seats.
-Rick got three seats to himself and got 6 hours of sleep.
-Gianna yet again fell asleep before we even took off.
-She also tried to sleep on Eric's shoulder.
-Vicki kept telling Kayla she saw elephants, she lied, everytime, but Kayla fell for it!
-Kayla was sandwiched between two sleeping beauties on the plane. Aka Vicki and Leah.
-None of our video screens worked... 9 hours of complete bordum!
-Eric asked if the chicken was actually real chicken and the attendent said, "Maybe!"
-Today we've learned there is no such thing as personal space.. or personal questions.
-Vicki and Leah realized how fascinating cameras were.
-When the students do the welcome clap, you're supposed to bow, which Rick forgot to mention.
-They don't understand the word "boyfriend."
-We were asked if we knew Akon, because he's from Uganda.
-Kayla was told that one of the boys at the school wanted an American girlfriend. Wink wink.
-The dorm rooms are crowded, to say the least. The bunk beds are three high.
-Kayla opened the tea bag and nearly put it in her tea before she realized it wasn't sugar.
And lastly we miss EVERYONE very much.
We're currently on dial up and is rare to even get connection, so we'll do our best to keep everyone updated. But we may not be able to, espacially not with pictures. But we've gotten LOTS :]
We love you all, but we're going to sleep! Goodnight. :]
Yesterday, when we arrived Joab took us to The Flamingo restaurant, a very nice Chinese restaurant, after that we visited the Kigali memorial center which commemorates the victims of the 1994 genocide. It was a big eye opener for all of us and a sobering moment as well.
Once we crossed the Rwanda border into Uganda, i think that's when we realized that we had actually made it! We're all seeing how poor this country is and are living off near to nothing, it makes all of us realize how much we have. Today we went to Joab's house and unloaded the crate which also arrived safely, which was an answer to prayer. The only thing missing were 4 shoes, all different sizes, so whoever took them is out of luck! We met up with Susanna who's been doing great, but was getting homesick until she saw us! :] Leah and Vicki decided to roam around and saw two small children and got permission to venture outside Joab's walls. Everyone soon joined and handed out candy to all the children and parents. Seeing all of the people gave us the real feeling of Africa and its people. Leah and Vicki's quote of the day is, "We will be seeing Africa through our camera lense." Then we visitied the Kabale Trinity College, which is technically highschool for us at home, and around 2:30 we all got a little jet lag.
While at the school we were warmly welcomed by the praise and worship group (The Gish band)and the dance team. They did an "i love you" dance and a traditional Ugandan dance which involved alot of jumping and stomping. The reason the Ugandans developed the stomping and jumping was because it prepares themfor the hills and climbing them.
Gianna and Cami sampled the Poshu and thought it was fine, but wouldn't want it everyday, all day. During most of the students classes us girls walked around and talked to all of the students who weren't in class. We learned how to say tons of different words in the Ugandan language, Richiga. Such as, dog, tall, how are you, i'm fine, arm, nose, teeth, and so on... Tomorrow we're planning on going to the college first and then to the orphanage while Dave and Gordon are waking up at 6 to travel to Kampala to pick up pipes. The rest of the guys are going to do some preliminary work at the farm.
Randoms:
-Cami, Vicki, Kayla, and Darin played 31 in the middle of the aisle in the airplane on our way to Africa, before we got in trouble and was asked to go back to our seats.
-Rick got three seats to himself and got 6 hours of sleep.
-Gianna yet again fell asleep before we even took off.
-She also tried to sleep on Eric's shoulder.
-Vicki kept telling Kayla she saw elephants, she lied, everytime, but Kayla fell for it!
-Kayla was sandwiched between two sleeping beauties on the plane. Aka Vicki and Leah.
-None of our video screens worked... 9 hours of complete bordum!
-Eric asked if the chicken was actually real chicken and the attendent said, "Maybe!"
-Today we've learned there is no such thing as personal space.. or personal questions.
-Vicki and Leah realized how fascinating cameras were.
-When the students do the welcome clap, you're supposed to bow, which Rick forgot to mention.
-They don't understand the word "boyfriend."
-We were asked if we knew Akon, because he's from Uganda.
-Kayla was told that one of the boys at the school wanted an American girlfriend. Wink wink.
-The dorm rooms are crowded, to say the least. The bunk beds are three high.
-Kayla opened the tea bag and nearly put it in her tea before she realized it wasn't sugar.
And lastly we miss EVERYONE very much.
We're currently on dial up and is rare to even get connection, so we'll do our best to keep everyone updated. But we may not be able to, espacially not with pictures. But we've gotten LOTS :]
We love you all, but we're going to sleep! Goodnight. :]
Monday, June 15, 2009
Hello from..
All the girls going to Africa! Currently, we're residing in London, England at a starbucks. :] We're so glad that even overseas we have a little taste of home. So far our trip has consisted of... -Crying mothers as we depart on our long journey -Dificulties checking in -Lost bag scare, we found it :]
-Gianna fell asleep the moment we stepped on the plain.
-Vicki has yet to let go of her camera [that's for you mom]
-"Support the struggling models!" They apparently can't afford much clothing.
-Kayla found her bread!
-Kayla took pictures of the Audi's we saw.. Just for Trevor.
-Leah is now formally known as "Mushroom top"... the hair.
-An extremely long 11 hour plane ride -Sick travel guide -Nasty hair/faces -Groossss airplane food
-Rick and Darin claims that Loren was crying for Emi in his sleep, which Loren denies.
-Loren was also accused of cuddling with Darin, who also can't sit still.
-Loren has also been named WalGreens.. He's loaded with medicine. :]
-We met up with Dave who's been here 8 hours prior to joining us who showed us the layout of where to go.
-Kayla is obsessed with the new money she has.. They have crowns.
-Leah asked the starbucks man where France was.. i think she was hitting on him.
-There was a ton of turbulence.
-Taking Ambien that knocked us all out for at least 5 hours. -Funny accents -Getting yelled at by security for taking pictures -Ate at Garfunkels Restaurant haha -it's raining as we type.. -Trying to figure out the currency -And now we wait at starbucks for another 5 hours for our next 11 hour flight to AFRRIICCAAA. it's been a great day :] -Kayla doesn't feel good, what's new?
-Leah feels just fine.
-Vicki's tummy hurts.
-Gianna's sneeze won't come out.
-Eric and Leah walked down the walking escalator backwards..
Please keep us in your prayers...
Everyone says hello to their families.
Saturday, June 13, 2009
I suppose blogging is like falling downhill. Once you get started, it's hard to stop! Also, looking at pictures is the same way. I just sat down and started looking through all of my Uganda 07 pictures. I loved this picture of Vian with kids at a Ugandan primary school. Vian was the leader of the RRD's (Redeemed Radical Destinants) when we went in 2007. We traveled with the RRDs, presenting the gospel at schools around the area. At this school, the children were younger, so we played games with them instead of performing our skits. The children were like sponges, soaking up every little bit of attention they received.
Less than a day to go! And no, I promise not to blog again before we leave! (-:
Cami
Thursday, June 11, 2009
So close, yet so far away...
Yes, we are so close! Only three days to go until we board our first flight for the other side of the world! I'm getting very distracted by the upcoming trip...it makes it hard to concentrate on the here & now. In another sense, we are so far away. I was trying to remember yesterday what life was like in Uganda. It's so different, so far away, so surreal, that it seems like a dream. When we're over there, our whole life here will just seem like a dream! (Or at least it did to me...)
Our crate is now safe in the hands of Joab, and I can think of no where safer. After some haggling over prices during customs, it's finally where it should be!
We're also welcoming an eleventh-hour member, Dave Wolf. We're excited to have him on board! Dave is the twelfth member of our team. I haven't talked to him, but I am sure he is very busy with last-minute preparations!
This weekend we have our send-off dinner Saturday night at Galletto's (which will be so much fun!), then a commissioning service at Brethren Community Fellowship on Sunday.
I will try to post every other day (or so) while we're in Uganda. Susanna (who has been over there for 2-3 weeks) has had trouble with internet connection, so it may be a little sketchy. We will all do our best to keep you updated. Thank you for your continued prayers!
Cami
Our crate is now safe in the hands of Joab, and I can think of no where safer. After some haggling over prices during customs, it's finally where it should be!
We're also welcoming an eleventh-hour member, Dave Wolf. We're excited to have him on board! Dave is the twelfth member of our team. I haven't talked to him, but I am sure he is very busy with last-minute preparations!
This weekend we have our send-off dinner Saturday night at Galletto's (which will be so much fun!), then a commissioning service at Brethren Community Fellowship on Sunday.
I will try to post every other day (or so) while we're in Uganda. Susanna (who has been over there for 2-3 weeks) has had trouble with internet connection, so it may be a little sketchy. We will all do our best to keep you updated. Thank you for your continued prayers!
Cami
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
24 days to go...
Gordon shared Habakkuk 1:5 with me yesterday, and it bears repeating: "Look among the nations, and see: wonder and be astounded. For I am doing a work in your days that you would not believe if told." Wow! Can you imagine the Lord telling us that? It makes me want to raise my hand like a little child and beg, "Pick me! Pick me!" What an honor to be used by God to accomplish his incredible work in this world. On this Uganda trip, I want to believe the great things that God wants to work through us. If I could know, how much would it truly blow my mind? In a way, I'm overwhelmed to think that any part of God's plan hinges on me. I feel so inadequate! Of course, that's the part where I remember that it's not MY strength that allows me to follow God's call...it's HIS supernatural power!
Our crate arrived safely in Entebbe, Uganda (the capital city). Thank the Lord! Please pray it gets to KTC with all the contents in it!
I happened to ask someone last week, "How has been the day?" This is an expression my dad and I picked up when we were in Uganda, as this was the way Joab and others greeted us. It's kind of like, "Hey, how's it going today?" As soon as I said it, I was struck by the idea that soon, I will be surrounded by my friends in Uganda! Pretty soon, "How has been the day?" will be normal! We are on day #24 (if my math is correct), counting down to our departure. Please remember to keep us in your prayers!
Our crate arrived safely in Entebbe, Uganda (the capital city). Thank the Lord! Please pray it gets to KTC with all the contents in it!
I happened to ask someone last week, "How has been the day?" This is an expression my dad and I picked up when we were in Uganda, as this was the way Joab and others greeted us. It's kind of like, "Hey, how's it going today?" As soon as I said it, I was struck by the idea that soon, I will be surrounded by my friends in Uganda! Pretty soon, "How has been the day?" will be normal! We are on day #24 (if my math is correct), counting down to our departure. Please remember to keep us in your prayers!
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Habari!
I don't know why I didn't post this sooner! This is the picture of our team (now incomplete due to the addition of our 11th member, Loren Thompson). Starting at the top, the team members are Gordon Rumble, Eric Layman, Levi Heinrich, Darin Denlinger (my pops!), Rick Gray, Gianna Gallo, Vicki Nyberg, myself, Leah Layman, and Kayla Layman. Hopefully we will have a final picture soon with Loren included.
Rick reminded me yesterday that we only have 4 more Sundays until we leave. We're starting to talk about things like lunch on Sunday before we leave...which makes the idea of leaving even more real! If the upcoming four weeks go by as quickly as the last four weeks, it will seem like next Monday when we leave!
We shipped our crate full of irrigation supplies yesterday. According to Rick, it weighed over 1,000 pounds and cost several thousand to ship air mail. We are just hoping that a Christian unpacks it on the other end...because theft is not uncommon. Please pray that nothing "disappears" from the crate by the time we get there!
Please pray that God will work in each team members' hearts and prepare us to serve Him mightily in Uganda, Africa!
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Some pictures of trips past...
The first is me with Dr. Esther. Esther is Chris's daughter; Chris is the school headmaster, basically second in command to Joab. We call her "Dr. Esther" because that's how she refers to herself. I gave her candy and balloons, but she still wouldn't smile for me! Mutahi (an RRD member) finally got her to smile for me though...
The picture of the building is...drum roll please...Edward N. Gish Memorial Chapel! On our first trip in 2005ish, we were helping complete the building. On my last trip, in 2007, I got to see the finished chapel for the first time. And not only the chapel! Schoolrooms are already going up around the chapel. On the 2nd trip, we helped paint one of the schoolrooms, but that's an entirely different story...
The last picture is (from the left) Shine, Rachel, and Susanna (dear Susanna, I hope I spelled your name right...I always get it wrong! My apologies in advance). Shine was a member of the Redeemed Radical Destinants (RRDs) from KTC that joined us on our 2007 trip to travel to the surrounding schools and evangelize. We did a lot of traveling with the RRDs, and we got to know the group of 15ish better than anyone else on the trip. I am looking forward to seeing many of the RRDs on our next trip, if they haven't graduated yet.
You'll have to pardon me for saying this again, but...it's hard to believe there's only 38 days to go! We've got a new team member signed up: Loren Thompson. Loren is a Flight Trauma Nurse (I believe I got that right) but he was able to clear his workload so we will have an 11th teammate!
The fundraising dinner that we put on April 29th went so well! Many thanks to everyone who served, participated, planned, and, most of all, gave. We raised almost the whole amount for the irrigation system that we are planning to install at KTC's farm. Praise the Lord!
Rick is bothering me at this moment about some crate we're shipping to Uganda, and also team shirts I'm going to pick up...which reminds me of the team meeting this Friday, when my visa package is due...who knew going to Africa could require so much prep?? I guess I forgot about all the groundwork that goes on before we leave. Please pray all the irrigation system prep work is completed correctly and on time for our due date: June 14!
Friday, April 24, 2009
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
59 days!
Thoughts from Cami...
We are leaving for Uganda in 59 days!! It's so hard to believe. Everything keeps reminding me of Uganda (I've been there twice). Early one morning last week, I stopped to listen to the birds chirping away in the trees. They were actually pretty loud. It reminds me of mornings at the White Horse, with the birds trilling away at full blast long before it's time to get up (but here we don't hear any prayers from a nearby mosque at an unearthly hour of the morning).
The White Horse is the hotel where we have stayed on the past two trips and where we are going to stay on this trip. The White Horse is a fun place. Each little "cabin" is separate from the others. They all have tall, steep roofs that look to me like little steeples. The White Horse is one of the nicest places to stay in town--the walls are decorated with pictures of visiting dignitaries. But life there still has its...moments. Electricity will go out every so often, for a period of 5 or 10 minutes. And if you all head back to the showers at once, be sure to be the first one in. You might run out of hot water. The staff at the White Horse are some of the nicest people, so eager to please. When we are there, we make friends with the staff. One of my most memorable incidents of the White Horse was when we were having dinner in the large eating area. The roof, of course, is high and steep, and it looks to be thatched. We were eating when suddenly I saw a large brown object fall from the ceiling onto one of the (empty) tables, sit still for a moment, and then scurry away. A rat! I gasped somewhat loudly but then didn't say anything, because I was afraid to offend the staff. Naturally, my group wanted to know what the deal was (heart attack, choking, epilepsy, etc) so I just pointed at the little brown creature. The staff's reaction? Laughter, and something in the vein of "you haven't seen that before?". Now, don't get me wrong. Animals don't just fall out of the ceiling all of the time. But when they do...!
Another thing that reminds me of Uganda is my left arm. I got immunized yesterday. I only had one shot (others were less fortunate), a typhoid shot. I'm still a little sore, perhaps because I'm babying it? (-: At any rate, I can't do much before I feel the protest from my left shoulder. It is then that I think..."I'm doing this because I'm going to Uganda!!" And nothing short of traveling to the other side of the world would make me get a shot.
We are leaving for Uganda in 59 days!! It's so hard to believe. Everything keeps reminding me of Uganda (I've been there twice). Early one morning last week, I stopped to listen to the birds chirping away in the trees. They were actually pretty loud. It reminds me of mornings at the White Horse, with the birds trilling away at full blast long before it's time to get up (but here we don't hear any prayers from a nearby mosque at an unearthly hour of the morning).
The White Horse is the hotel where we have stayed on the past two trips and where we are going to stay on this trip. The White Horse is a fun place. Each little "cabin" is separate from the others. They all have tall, steep roofs that look to me like little steeples. The White Horse is one of the nicest places to stay in town--the walls are decorated with pictures of visiting dignitaries. But life there still has its...moments. Electricity will go out every so often, for a period of 5 or 10 minutes. And if you all head back to the showers at once, be sure to be the first one in. You might run out of hot water. The staff at the White Horse are some of the nicest people, so eager to please. When we are there, we make friends with the staff. One of my most memorable incidents of the White Horse was when we were having dinner in the large eating area. The roof, of course, is high and steep, and it looks to be thatched. We were eating when suddenly I saw a large brown object fall from the ceiling onto one of the (empty) tables, sit still for a moment, and then scurry away. A rat! I gasped somewhat loudly but then didn't say anything, because I was afraid to offend the staff. Naturally, my group wanted to know what the deal was (heart attack, choking, epilepsy, etc) so I just pointed at the little brown creature. The staff's reaction? Laughter, and something in the vein of "you haven't seen that before?". Now, don't get me wrong. Animals don't just fall out of the ceiling all of the time. But when they do...!
Another thing that reminds me of Uganda is my left arm. I got immunized yesterday. I only had one shot (others were less fortunate), a typhoid shot. I'm still a little sore, perhaps because I'm babying it? (-: At any rate, I can't do much before I feel the protest from my left shoulder. It is then that I think..."I'm doing this because I'm going to Uganda!!" And nothing short of traveling to the other side of the world would make me get a shot.
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Uganda or bust!
We are going to Uganda!! We are involved in a whirlwind of preparations for our trip, which is coming up in only 66 days! The team members for this trip are:
Cami Denlinger
Darin Denlinger
Gianna Gallo
Rick Gray
Levi Heinrich
Eric Layman
Kayla Layman
Leah Layman
Vicki Nyberg
Gordon Rumble
We are traveling through Plant a Seed Foundation, to a school called Kabale Trinity College in Kabale, Uganda. Kabale Trinity College (KTC) is a Christian school that is committed to furthering the gospel and offering a higher education to students ages 13 to 20. Our trip is from June 14, to July 1, 2009. (If you would like to find out more about Plant A Seed Foundation, visit plantaseed.org to see what great things they are involved in).
Our focus on this trip is called “Project: Irrigation.” The school enrolls approximately 1500 students, and 800 of those are housed at the school, as orphans or boarders. The school maintains a farm that enables them to offset the cost of feeding so many students by raising some of the food they need at the school. This farm has no irrigation system and, during the dry season, the water has to be carried by hand to the field. On this trip, our goal is to raise enough money to install an irrigation pump and system to help sustain the farm. An irrigation system will also allow for crop diversification, which will help vary the student diet. As it is, the students at KTC receive three meals a day of poshu & chapatis: cornmeal, beans, & tortillas. I have personally had a chance to taste this meal and I can say that variety would be welcome!
This trip also gives us the opportunity to visit orphanages in the area and spend time with the children there. We will spend time with the children, ranging in age from two to seven, and help point them toward Christ. We will also be spending a lot of time with the students at KTC. We will be building strong relationships with students and also learning about life in Uganda.
Every one of us is incredibly excited to have this special opportunity to travel halfway around the world and see life through a different set of glasses. Please pray for us as we travel to Uganda.
Cami Denlinger
Darin Denlinger
Gianna Gallo
Rick Gray
Levi Heinrich
Eric Layman
Kayla Layman
Leah Layman
Vicki Nyberg
Gordon Rumble
We are traveling through Plant a Seed Foundation, to a school called Kabale Trinity College in Kabale, Uganda. Kabale Trinity College (KTC) is a Christian school that is committed to furthering the gospel and offering a higher education to students ages 13 to 20. Our trip is from June 14, to July 1, 2009. (If you would like to find out more about Plant A Seed Foundation, visit plantaseed.org to see what great things they are involved in).
Our focus on this trip is called “Project: Irrigation.” The school enrolls approximately 1500 students, and 800 of those are housed at the school, as orphans or boarders. The school maintains a farm that enables them to offset the cost of feeding so many students by raising some of the food they need at the school. This farm has no irrigation system and, during the dry season, the water has to be carried by hand to the field. On this trip, our goal is to raise enough money to install an irrigation pump and system to help sustain the farm. An irrigation system will also allow for crop diversification, which will help vary the student diet. As it is, the students at KTC receive three meals a day of poshu & chapatis: cornmeal, beans, & tortillas. I have personally had a chance to taste this meal and I can say that variety would be welcome!
This trip also gives us the opportunity to visit orphanages in the area and spend time with the children there. We will spend time with the children, ranging in age from two to seven, and help point them toward Christ. We will also be spending a lot of time with the students at KTC. We will be building strong relationships with students and also learning about life in Uganda.
Every one of us is incredibly excited to have this special opportunity to travel halfway around the world and see life through a different set of glasses. Please pray for us as we travel to Uganda.
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