Endings and New Beginnings

Random Updates and Ramblings.....

• Well, one sad thing is that first wave ended so Josh, Jan and Jennilyn left this week. We definitely miss them and it's weird to have less people at the house. 

• Went to St. Stephens on Monday and Tuesday and helped teach Sex Education. Ha ha it went a lot better than expected actually. I love the kids at the school, they are so sweet. The children at Namatala and Bunabeyoka are adorable of course, but with teenagers it's awesome to be able to really get to know them and establish a friendship. The girls are so sweet. At the school we are also starting a student union so the things we are teaching are sustainable. The teachers have already picked the leaders and had a first meeting. We don't want to be involved too much because we want the mission and purpose of the club to be from the students, but it's going to be great!

• On Thursday I went with the beading team to Child of Hope. This project is so great and I loved being able to go. There is a group of mothers who are learning to make necklaces that we will eventually help them sell on a website. These women are hilariously funny and full of life. They have had incredibly hard lives and I am so humbled by the way they live. They are the strongest women I have ever met and I love spending time with them. 

• Friday I was able to go back to the trade show in the afternoon and get a lot of awesome souvenirs that I can't wait to show everyone when I get home. Then we went to Namatala to teach sanitation classes at different locations throughout the slum. We have been teaching sanitation and health classes for a few weeks now because we are going to eventually install water filters throughout the slum and we want the people in the community to know what to do with the water (bath regularly, brush their teeth, wash their hands) This week at the end of class we were able to tell them that they were getting a water filter in their community. It was touching to see how happy and grateful they were. 

• I legitimately love every person on my team. We all work well together and things are going great. We love to watch chick flicks (minus Ryan), experiment with deserts on the stovetop (we do not have an oven...), do P90X with bricks, go to eat at Chat N Chino's, ride in sketchy taxi's,    bargain with boda boda drivers to get reasonable prices when they try to rip us off, and go to the grocery store to get American comfort foods. I love my life. My time is halfway over and I am trying to make the most out of every moment I have left. Sometimes, when watching a beautiful sunset, playing with children (every African child is beautiful by the way. I have yet to meet one that is anything less) looking out the window of a taxi, on a Boda Boda, or while at the Namatala slum I get those "Wow..I actually live in Africa"moments. My time is halfway over and I am trying to make the most out of every day. 

• I went with Kelsey to get her hair braided today, and I got the sides of my hair braided. Pictures to come. And tonight, we are going to the "Miss Mbale" pageant. I have never been to a beauty pageant in the US, let alone in Africa so this should be interesting. I'm sure it'll be an experience and I'll be sure to take pictures.