Rafting the Nile

Jenny, Amanda and I decided to raft the Nile River. Timothy, a Ugandan guy we had met assured us that it was entirely safe, and that he would go with us, his 11th time going. While rafting the Nile, we went down 8 rapids, 2 level 5 ones. It was one of the scariest things I've ever done, to be real honest:) We only flipped once, however when you get flipped, you sorta get this feeling you're going to drown... I felt myself being pulled down, and followed the guides advice, "don't try to swim, if you try to swim, you might swim the wrong way and hurt yourself"... anyways, i was pulled down in a circular motion, and then up for a very tiny breath, and then down again, three times, until popping to the surface and seeing everyone all over the place... after which the guide lunged me back into the boat.. we also went down a waterfall, which was exciting:) we were the only group to make it! and went through parts where the guide claimed there were crocodiles... i still don't know for sure whether or not there were crocodiles, but it is the nile afterall... it was crazy, and fun, and i don't think i'll ever do it again, but it sure makes a good story! the picture above is bugalugi falls, one of the rapids we went over

People I've met

I met a pastor the other day, of the gospel church I went to the first Sunday I was here. He talked with me about his experience during Idi Amin's reign. He talked about how he had been pastor of this church since the 70s and was still having church every Sunday during that time. During that time, he was taken to the police station where he was severely beaten for his faith, interrogated about who else was involved in the church, and continued to be beaten because he refused to deny Christ. I could see scars on his face and neck from the beatings. That same day I talked with another guy who was about 40 who was in college the day the church was attacked. The church is right next to the college, and he was playing football when dozens of Amin's soldiers ran in with guns shooting, attacking the walls, screaming at people, shooting people and beating people. He talked about at the age of 20, seeing all of it from only a couple hundred feet away. Another story that sticks in my brain is from another guy who used to be a chaperone with the ACC, and is our "tour guide" while we're here. He was talking with me, and as we passed by this place, he said "that's where the police took me in." I asked him why he was taken in and he said he had asked the cop the same question, and that he didn't really have a reason but was just taking him in. This was a few years after Amin went out of power. At the police station, he was questioned, and the cop there kept saying "you're lucky I can't beat you, because if I was still allowed to, I would be." The cop was no longer allowed to beat him, lucky Abraham. The police and army still have a lot of power patrolling here, even today, as we drove over a bridge in Jinge, there were four men with huge guns and one carrying a huge thing of ammo just patrolling, this is pretty standard, we see them all over town. My friend Amanda walked out of a private bathroom and there was a guard with a gun standing outside...

Orphanage visit

On the way back from Jinje, we stopped at an orphanage where they keep newborns and toddlers, some affected with AIDs, and some not. It’s amazing to see how nice these orphanages seem, and how much the missionaries can make something as nice as possible with literally no resources to work with. The walls were painted with noah’s ark paintings, and it was very clean and organized, these people really sacrifice their lives for these kids. They had a little over 50 kids there, with pictures from kids who had just arrived, kids who had been adopted, and then kids who had passed away while being there. One little boy wanted to be held, so I held him, and afterwards, realized he had a very dirty diaper, so I smelled like it the rest of the day, I think I still do… hmmm…a little tiny glimpse into what these women who are taking care of them face daily. Afterwards, we enjoyed Mexican food, something I was really excited about, because it was a break from rice, beans and fish or chicken, what we’ve eaten nearly every meal…

Jinje- "Poo poo island"

On Tuesday, our team of chaperones went for a little retreat to Jinje. Jinje is a beautiful tourist town. While there, we got to see the source of the Nile, which is quite beautiful, and you can see where the water is naturally still, and then somehow naturally just starts flowing. We also passed “poo poo island” as the tour guide called it. On this Island, the birds eat 2 kg of fish a day and poop every 15 minutes. So the whole island is of course, covered in poo. I also got to see a giant spider, when while I was concentrating hard on the spider, one of the other chaperones decided to take her hand from behind and “claw” me which made me erupt in a rather blood curdling scream.(I also slept talked about it that night,,, haha) While in town, I also heard Psalm 98A, a song I sing at my home church, on a CD being sung in Ugandan… hmmm… We stayed in these really nice tents, although a little funny because the shower and toilet were right out there in the open, but our tent was right on the edge of a cliff that overlooked the Nile River, and several hills of tea plants, it was really amazing and beautiful! The Nile is quite a strong river, and tomorrow I will be rafting it, a little scared about thatJ but it should be fun! And it’s crazy, because you will frequently see a little man without a shirt or life jacket out there in a kayak, standing up fishing…

Saturdays

This afternoon, i spent with my new kids. saturdays are more of a day off for the kids, with rehersal in the morning, and then drum practice in the afternoon and play time. i came out, and there were about four boys banging jembes, with an older guy giving them pointers on how to perfect thier drumming skills. i was amazed, even from being in a drumline in high school, these boys were really good at what they were doing. they would drum out complicated beats, while the little girls would come over and do african dances around them. these little girls can dance too. it is obvious that even at 7 years old, these are blacks, becuase they can shake thier "cabinas" quite well. some of them like to say "auntie, let me teach you how" and i laugh, because teaching a white girl to dance, particularly this one could be quite a large challenge. to the left, are several kids grouped around, shining shoes. in africa, keeping

your shoes clean is extremely important. so they carefully polish thier black sunday shoes in preparation for church tommorrow. tommorrow, they will be performing thier first performance as a choir in a church here:) i'm excited! inside, you can find a couple kids ironing clothes, which also is important because otherwise bugs can get in clothes quickly. so africans iron everything. it is in a way quite humbling to see the care these children take to learn things well, to take care of what they have and guard it:) Americans generally do not take these things so seriously, however, tonight, we will be having dinner and presentations, a special treat for the kids

The Slums

I have had the opportunity to see one of the slums in Kampala, as we entered the slum, my heart began to ache. I began to see people sitting around everywhere, many of which were little children, smiling, waving and wishing to get attention from me. There were also teenagers and adults, who generally eyed me, wondering why i was there, and looking ashamed that i was there. we approached the home of one of the past choir children, which was a small hut with dirt floors and cement walls. when arriving in the house, i was shocked to see an old woman laying on the floor, wincing in pain, as her daughter struggled to help her. Abraham, an African chaperone explained to us that she was very sick with AIDS. we talked with the family for a few minutes, and at the end, the grandmother asked me to hold my hand, and in the Ugandan tongue, said "God bless you." after that i walked out, grateful i had sunglasses to cover up my tears. we began to walk around the slum, many people staring at us. i had to watch my feet because of the open sewers, but the thing that was the most shocking was the children. toothless, snotty-nosed children from all over ran up to me, giving me hugs, smiling and holding my hand. it hit me on a new level that these kids had no future but this, no education, no job, or means of even leaving the slum...ever. one girl looked directly at me, a sad look on her face, and i could have taken her out and adopted her right there. these people need help, it gave me a new sense of purpose in what i am doing with my life right now. God has called me to this ministry, and i'm seeing how my work, while i can't help everyone, will help some people, and will make a difference to them

auntie- new mommy

Makendye, the school where my choir, choir 30 are training for tour, is located in a suburb of Kampala. The first thing that I noticed upon meeting these children is thier exceptional behavior. These kids line up, are quite, well bahaved, do chores frequently, and every time I walk in, I am greeted with a big, toothy grin, smiling eyes, and a "welcome auntie". I know this seemingly "angelic" behavior only comes from having people taking care of them who discipline them. I've been thinking a lot about this, because i'm learning, quite quickly some of the nooks and crannies that children play to avoid discipline, yet i'm learning how i will be in doing this in the future with these kids. they truly are amazing children, i love them all a lot, but this is something that I'm going to be learning quickly, is how to parent them.