Europe!

So after someone cut a fibre-optic cord in Jinja... I finally have internet again. Yes, I know it has only been about 4 days but it felt like forever...

So much has been going on here but for right now everyone is wanting to know what my secret destination is...

Europe!!

After talking to my mom and deciding what would be best for my time away from home... We decided to make some changes... Instead of being in Jinja until July 7... I will be leaving June 7 to meet mom in London. We will be spending 10 days travelling around Europe doing the whole Scotland, London, Paris etc thing! I think it is a well deserved vacation after spending 2 full months chasing after 60 babies!

That also means I will be home slightly earlier than planned too. June 19 instead of July 7.

That just means I can start working sooner at the new clinic =)

I will update more about Africa when I have time.

Right now, the internet is cutting in and out and I have 5 hungry babies that would like bottles.

Love to all!

Jinja Childrens Hospital

Hello Hello Hello!

So now it is Monday and I had a very eventful day to begin my week. Sunday we went to church and I brought along one of my favorite little girls... "M"... She is about 2 years old and probably the most goregous girl you have ever seen. I dressed her up in a little green polka-dot dress and carried her to Church with my purse filled of diapers, toys, kool-aide and cookies. She ended up falling asleep on me and was only awake in time to enjoy her treats while I held her. Everyone kept asking if she was mine and many people commented on how I am a "good mommy"... It made me feel good to hear the appreciation of other people for looking after a little girl for a couple hours... And lastnight, we had a volunteer appreciation dinner and a quick meeting about some changes taking place around Amani when it comes to the volunteer schedule. I am now in charge of recording all 59 kids weights. Every Monday - I have a list of kids that I am to go find, undress, weigh, redress and record their weights. This is excellent for me to remember their names and spend some 1 on 1 time with each child. Anyways... I was supposed to begin that this morning but when I went to Mama Lois she asked if I could come to the Childrens Hospital for their HIV Clinic for the morning instead. I eagerly agreed and she added "But have a large breakfast as we will be there for a few hours." I thought... Pfft... 2 maybe 3 hours... Taking 5 kids to the doctor... No problems.

So we pull up to the Hospital and it is literally undescribable. Maybe 3 or 4 buildings side by side that you could hardly call sterile and clean. People are lined up outside and are laying on mats in the grass... I would say about 15 families. We go inside and in maybe a 20 foot room, there are about 200 people sitting on a total of 6 benches. Little boys were peeing on the main wall as we walked in and pigeons are flying inside the open room from beam to beam. Men, Women, Children are all waiting to be called into a room no bigger than a small bedroom. Once we finally got inside and sat around for nearly an hour and a half, our group is called into the "office". Here, there are 3 women dressed in green skirts with the little white hats (the nurses) - routinely discussing patient histories, undressing the younger children, weighing them and then sitting them on a stool to have blood drawn - sharps being put in a cardboard box with "Sharps Container" written in Sharpie Marker on the outside... In this little room, including the 5 Adults from Amani and the 5 Children... We counted 22 people. Packed in like sardines, working and buzzing about effortlessly.

I was starting to get really hot and sweaty (more so than usual being in Africa...) so I took my little girl and sat outside on one of the straw mats we had bought to protect ourselves from the ground while waiting. I watched little chilren running around with open IV lines in their hands, one child being carried around with a tube inserted in his skull, babies with safeway-esque bags wrapped around their bottoms as diapers and women openly breastfeeding their children in the Jinja Childrens Hospital waiting room. We ended up being there from 1015 in the morning until 230 in the afternoon. I had to go with one of the other men we were with and buy the children some juice boxes to rehydrate them after such a long day. Mama Lois says this is nothing new and was laughing at my shock and awe. We even walked around and found syringes that had clearly been used for blood collection scattered around the ground outside the hospital. NOTHING like home. This afternoon was spent sitting in our big front yard having tricycle races and snuggle time. I managed to get some sun and enjoy the hot weather. It was a very eventful day and I was so lucky to experience the every day life of an African.

On a side note... Breastfeeding here is so common and not a private thing at all. It is very common for women to feed this way until their kids are 3 years of age. I heard it being called "The African Sippy Cup" today too. Hahahaha....

I will update again in a couple days with more stories and adventures. I miss everyone so much at home and I am enjoying all the "Hey whats up" emails.

Kwagala Nyo

xo*

Cockroaches and Guacamole!

So it is Saturday and we just finished cleaning the babies beds! We had to go through all the cribs and in between the poles, cockroaches decide to make their homes. It hasn't been done for a while so it was quite the eventful morning! We sprayed all the beds down the bug killer and after our lungs were filled with it and we were done dry heaving (ok, once I was done dry heaving...) we noticed how the room was literally crawling with inch long cockroaches. BLAH! They were dropping from the cribs onto us so it made the terrible experience that much more fun with screams and laughter. We are supposed to do this every other weekend and really, with 10 volunteers... it only takes about an hour to an hour and a half. Not that bad and it makes you feel pretty good knowing you are helping the babies sleep better without bugs all through their beds.

Now, we are chilling out in our room waiting for the other girls to get back from the town with our Chipati (spelling?) and we are going to have the rest of our fresh guacamole with homemade chips. Last night, Sarah made us dinner and it was beyond amazing... Quesidillas and Chips and fresh Guacamole! It was Mexican night in Africa! I ate so much and it was nice to have a good meal. After our meal, we are going to the pool for a bit and having a relaxing afternoon in the sun... Yes mom, Sunscreen... Got it! Tomorrow is church and then I have some laundry to do... Hurray!

As you can probably tell... I am having a better time. I was pretty upset and homesick but I am starting to realize that nothing in life is going to be easy or handed down to me on a silver platter. I appreciate all the words of encouragement and thoughts of appreciation. Especially Grandpa... Reading all of his responses and making me stop and think really is needed and I always LOVE hearing from him. I actually look forward to seeing what he has to say so everyone should read his comments... He is a smart cookie and I just love him. (Ps... Grandma and Grandpa... I found you both some pretty cool souvenirs from here. As soon as I saw them... I knew it was for you!! AND how weird is it that its me getting to bring you guys back something cool from one of my trips? =)) I am slso starting to feel better. My face is still swollen and my jaw is sore but I have started some antibiotics so hopefully it is just a sinus infection and I will be fine. I am going on day 5 of my headache though. But, it's managable and I will be fine!

Anyways, I may have a change of plans in my trip but nothing is for sure yet. I am fairly excited at the remote possibility of what may happen but I will keep everyone in the loop and tell you my secret destination if all goes as planned... *Cross your fingers and toes* =)

Have a wonderful weekend and I will post more soon.

Kwagala Nyo!

xo*

PS... I finally got pictures on Facebook... It is a private album so either add me as a friend or send me a message and I will add you to my list of people allowed to view it!

Cranky Day

I wrote this blog and started it on the basis of being completely honest through my trip about my time here... And right now I am feeling so crappy.

I finally had my first crying phone call home tonight. I feel so bad because I called mom at work and compltetely broke down after talking to dad right before. I am homesick, I am heartsick and I am just plain sick. I knew coming into this, it was going to be hard and I was prepared for what I thought "hard" meant. When I am with my kids, playing, dancing and laughing - nothing else matters. But behind the kids... Nothing feels right - right now. I know this will pass and I know I will get better ... but right now... I want to be upset with everything I am feeling.

I am heartsick because seeing the local kids rummage through the dumpster for food on a daily basis upsets me. Seeing my kids bloated tummies as a sign of malnutrition doesn't seem real, the constant reminder of how good home is makes me feel spoiled and ungrateful and hearing some of the heartbreaking stories about the mamas and their family life really can be a shocking reminder of what life is truly like here.

I don't want to sound like a complainer or even come off as ungrateful for my opportunities here but as I lay in bed right now... I have had a stomach ache for nearly a week, my left side of my jaw is swollen and really sore, my head is pounding and I haven't had a... decent bathroom visit... in I don't know how long.

Yes, I am sick and yes, I feel like a truck has hit me (or maybe a car... right dad? =)) I am still so happy I am able to be here.

I don't know if I will honestly be able to last 3 entire months of this but I am going to stick it out and I am going to do my best. I know there is no place like home and I hope each and every person reading this realizes just how lucky you truly are to have proper food in your tummy, a solid roof over your head and clothes you can change every day and get rid of when they have a tear or become slightly worn.

Things will get better and I know tomorrow is a new day so here is hoping...

xo*

A couple of pictures!

So I ended up moving rooms and now this is my permanent spot for the next 2 months and 2 weeks. I have managed to upload some more pictures because we finally have the internet fixed at ABC... I will post more when I can but remember, I can't post pictures of the actual babies faces for confidentiality reasons. =)

Persecution And Making My Own Faith

So it is Sunday afternoon and I just finished another wonderful meal courtesy of Mama Cook. With all these wonderful meals... I am sure to come back home either heavier than what I am or just the same! I think all my "bulking up" before I came was pointless because everything here is pretty much the same. I have become familiar though, in asking if a certain food item is "African Good" or "Home Good"... Unfortunately, it's been alot of Africa Good.

Rewind to Saturday.... I said I was going for a walk and I did. I found myself wondering down Kisinja Road (which is the road we live on) by myself. And yes, Grandpa... To wonder around Jinja alone DURING THE DAY is completely ok. Being a female though, I did find my trek alone slightly awkward as I recieved many hoots and hollars, kisses blown in my direction, winks and "Hey Girl..." comments. The people here are very vocal and that is ok... I don't think they would ever touch me or grab me or whatever without my permission... It is just different having them be so forward! I couldn't get as close to the water as I had hoped because it looked like alot of fisheries were taking place so I kept my distance and ended up coming straight back to the compound after only being gone for about 45 minutes.

Saturday afternoon, I went for lunch with one of the ladies to Ozzies and we went shopping around. We ended up going to the grocery store only to get caught in a major rain storm so by the time we got back to Amani, Tracey and I were soaking wet and all the mamas had a good laugh at us. It was pretty funny though. On the way home, we ended up walking and no one offered us a ride yet on the way into town... we couldn't get the Boda drivers to leave us alone! Too funny!

Saturday night we ended up having the power out nearly the entire night so it was another good time for reflection. I'm learning alot about myself and I am seeing who I want to be.

Sunday morning we went to church with Danyne and Siouxanne and Danyne's girls. I think I found the church I want to attend while I am here. There was lots of music and it was really upbeat and more.... young... I suppose would be the word. It seemed like Pastor Terry was speaking right to me when he was talking about persecution and following Jesus despite social norms. He was talking about when he was younger and he drank and did drugs and partied and was always the life of any gathering. He decided to give all that up to follow Jesus and claims he is much happier with his life despite the constant teasing he first recieved. He was saying that all his "friends" kept asking why he thought he was better than them and if he thought he was going to keep up his new lifestyle. He replied to his friends... "I'm not better than you... I'm just better off now"....

Now, don't get me wrong... I honestly do not think I could ever fully give up my Lethbridge Lifestyle and I know my friends are not the type to shun me for trying to do better... And I know I will never be a Nun or anything... But maybe getting home and finding a church I love and forgetting my binge drinking and constant partying isn't such a bad thing? I don't ever feel like I have done wrong or that I am headed down the wrong path but I do feel like something is missing. And seeing the faith these people have in Jesus and in themselves when they literally have nothing... it brings hope. I have "Faith" written in Kanji on my ankle but really, what faith do I have right now? I will openly and proudly say that I have prayed every single night that I have been here. I have been trying to understand some of the "Jesus Crazy" people's point of views. It is all a learning experience for me and it is nothing that I thought it would be.

Needless to say, Church was an excellent thing today. We came home, had some beans and rice and now I am writing my thoughts and feelings for everyone to see.

A new week starts tomorrow and I am determined to learn more about Africa and its people.

Nwagala Nyo

(I Love You So Much)

xo*

My 2nd Weekend in Africa!

So my second weekend in Africa has started. It is hard to believe I have been here for a week already. Every day seems new and exciting still and I am constantly trying to find a "better way" to do things. We have to use bottled water to brush our teeth and of course the laundry is all done by hand. I am so used to flipping a switch or just pulling a handle and having things done for me but everything around here is genuinely hard work. There is no easy way.

Yesterday, I was not feeling very well. My tummy was sore and nausous and I had a headache that came and went. I think part of the problem is I am alone this weekend so I have had plenty of time to think about home and what I am missing out on. I ended up eatting Friday's meal (fried fish, rice, sweet potatoes and spinach) which was VERY good and spent most of my day in bed. Lastnight I plugged in a movie but the quality of the movies here are terrible so I listened to the voices for noise while eatting Raman Noodles and reading in bed. It was really nice to relax and listen to the birds and crickets for once. I mean, how often does anyone really just sit with their doors wide open to listen to the silence anymore? I enjoy the tranquility of Africa. There is no drama, no problems and no huge issues that people are constantly being faced with. I can honestly say I don't miss going to the bars and partying. There are so many other things I could be doing on a Friday and Saturday night here that not being out and about doesn't faze me. Who knows though... Maybe all my quiet time will send me stir crazy and I will be able to enjoy the luxuries of my life even more?!?

Anyways, This morning (Saturday) I got up and had a wonderful half hour conversation on the volunteer cell phone with my family. I got to talk to John and Carol and Dom and Dani and Nick and Tegan and Mom and Dad. It was super nice as well because it is John and Carol's 25th Wedding Anniversary and we all surprised them with a trip to Vegas that they had no idea about! So even though I wasn't physically there to see the look of shock on their faces, I had mom tell me all about it and I felt like I was there. After our chat, I did my laundry (does it ever end??) and that in itself is a process.... You fill up a big bucket with warm water, add 3 handfuls of your wash soap and mix it around. You stick your tshirts, tanks and pants all in and swish it around with your hands. One by one, you take your clothes out and wring out the soapy water as best you can. Then you take the clothes and put it in another bucket filled with colder plain water and rinse all the soap out. Finally you wring out the clothes as best you can and hang them all on the clothes line on our veranda as best you can. I think I had maybe 6 tops and 4 pairs of pants plus 8 pairs of undies and a couple bras... It took me about 45 minutes to do this. Hopefully by tonight and if not maybe Sunday afternoon all my stuff will be dry so I can fold it and put it back on my clothes rack.

Once I am done with this post, I am going to walk down the road and try to find the River. Lake Victoria/Source of the Nile is about 2 blocks infront of our compound and I want to go get pictures. This afternoon I plan on going into town and shopping for some of my favorite people back home =) Tonight... I'm thinking is another Raman Noodle in bed night. Perhaps I will steal a toddler and have a sleepover with them too. Who knows!?

Have a fantastic weekend everyone and I will be sure to update what I found and saw at the River!

God Bless!

xo*

My First "Ah-Ha!" Moment!

You know how you can always make choices in life? Something as simple as choosing between toast or cereal in the morning or something about what to do in your day. We are constantly making decisions based on how we feel in that moment. While I was hanging laundry I had an "ah-ha!" moment.

Yesterday morning I got up and got ready knowing full well that in the afternoon I would be assigned to Laundry. That means in the afternoon I would be taking all the diapers, liners, clothing, bedding, sheets, blankets and towels off of the clothing lines, folding them and putting them away. But when I got to Mama Lois in the morning asking her where she wanted me and she asked me to be on laundry for the morning as well, I immediatly went into a huff because that would mean 8 hours of laundry for me.

Anyone that knows me knows I don't like doing laundry even the Canadian way... so for me, this was a big deal. Of course, I didn't make a scene and I quietly started hanging all the wet items on the line and was grumbling to myself about what a joke this was and that I didn't come 13000 miles to hang peoples laundry. Yes, I was having a temper tantrum inside. About half an hour into it, I realized I had made myself decently cranky and that it was over laundry. I am so used to taking my clothes into the laundry room, throwing them into the washer and waiting 45 mins... and these women are working their butts off every day to make sure 60 children have clean diapers and clothing. Yes, I realized I was being lazy and greedy and I made the choice to make myself cranky.

It is the least I could do to help make things easier for everyone if it means I spend 1 day a week doing Laundry. Really, it isn't that bad. Sometimes, I forget how easy and good I have it back in Canada and I sometimes get caught up in the "me, me, me" without looking around and realizing some of these women have worn the same tshirt for the last 5 days.

Hanging laundry, listening to my Ipod and thanking God for my wonderful life... Really isn't so bad afterall.

On a more happier note, I had my first African rainstorm! WOW! It was coming down fast and furious so naturally.... We all went outside and went mudsliding and rolling down the grassy hills. SO MUCH FUN!

Some people have been waiting for pictures and trust me, I am trying. The internet here is sooooo slow and for me to upload the pictures, I need time. It doesn't help that we have to go into town for internet right now too. So please, be patient and I will get pictures up as soon as I can.

Today the girls are all leaving for the Safari Adventure and I am waiting until the end of my trip to go so that means I get to stay home with Tracey and have a quiet weekend to myself! Yay! I plan on playing with my kids and going to Church and sleeping in. Great Weekend!

xo*

Another entry....

My first day actually working went really well. I was up by 6:30 and out at Baby B's room by 8:00. Let me tell you, I have never been so tired by 7:00PM before. We really only work from 8 til 1 and then 4 til 730 but between those times, there is so much to do. The laundry is rediculous and with 58 kids running around you can only imagine how many diapers we go through. Ahhh... The diapers.... I have no problems with the Su-Su (pee) ones. I can changed 10 screaming toddlers no problems... The Ka-Ka (poop) diapers on the other hand, well.... The mamas were laughing at me as I stood outside of the room dry heaving over 1 dirty diaper. =) I am not gonna lie, my goal is to avoid the ka-ka as best as possible. As the day goes on, you ar constantly shouting out the kids names and trying to get them to sit and listen or just stop hitting eachother. Best form of birth control ever!!!! Send any teenaged girl to Africa for a week. They will change their minds FOR SURE!!! Don't get me wrong - nothing is better than waking up and going outside to hear 10 little kids screaming "Aunty Aunty"with their arms wide open all wanting hugs from you... but the diapers and constant crying is alot to handle. My patience is being put to the test for sure. =)

I love every moment here though. Today, as we were dressing our little kids, a family dropped off 2 week old newborn twin girls. We got to name them and I was the first to hold one of them while giving her a bottle. THEY ARE SO TINY AND CUTE. It makes my heart melt just thinking about it.

We are at Flavours Cafe right now getting something to eat and checking out emails and then its back to the compound to set up the African version of a Slip and Slide. Holy man, I cannot wait.

and FYI, I haven't been sick yet either. No problems and nothing too exciting other than I am learning more and more about myself every day. I am very fortunate and I am enjoying my time here. It was worth the stress of getting here and I love it.

xo*

Day 3.

My second full day here. Right now, I am sitting with the other people from the compound and eating a chicken and bacon sandwich in one of the cafes. The food hasn't upset my tummy yet but it definately doesn't taste like home. Right now, I could go for one of mom's egg salad sandwiches.

We went to church this morning and on the way there, we saw a snake. Holy cow, I nearly peed my pants! I grabbed onto Kelseys arm and she laughed so hard at me. I am such a baby. Once we got to the church it was everything I thought it would be. So simple yet so beautiful. Everyone was so nice and as we got started.... A GIANT GECKO came crawling across the wall. We all laughed and it was nice to see some of the local wildlife!

Lastnight we went to Danyne's husbands restaurant for pizza. It was delish. I have been meeting so many people and it is great to make connections with people from all over the world.

We are all without internet right now. We have had to go to cafes and it seems like we will be without internet for a while. Much life mexico... Everything is done in "African Time". This is tough for me as you all know I am very set on times and being there when it is supposed to happen.

I think this post is a little all over the place but that is seriously how I am feeling. I really want to talk to some people home but because we are really only on the internet at like, 3AM your time... It has been tough. I can do this though.

Thank you all for following me and giving me the encouraging words. I need to hear this once in a while. Thank you. Thank you.

xo*

So I didn't get much sleep lastnight. Being from a totally different time zone really can get to you. I finally crashed after I talked to dad lastnight via Skype. I still cannot believe he got hit by a car and looked the way he did. So scary!

I thought sleeping under a mosquito net was completely different from what I am used too. Not only that but the fan doesnt really get to you so it makes it extra hot and sweaty. I woke up again at 5:30am and wanted to use the internet but it has been down ever since lastnight. I am actually writing this in a little cafe with 2 of the other girls.

Here is a picture of my bed and my new little set up....

This morning, we went into town and changed some of my money into Ugandan Shillings. I was super excited when I realized that here, technically I am a millionaire. My 780$USD was turned into something like 1,456,000 Ugandan Shillings. The first and last time I can actually say I am rich! Haha

We ended up getting me some groceries as well. I spent 25$USD (roughly) on some pretty simple things. My diet is going to be fairly bland the next couple months but I lucked out and managed to find some ranch so I can mix that with rice. So good. I also got some pasta and yogurt and pringles. Back at the Amani Cottage, we drink water out of a large filtered container. It holds about 15 litres of water and with that, we mix in about a capful of bleach. It runs through the filter and we can then use that for brushing out teeth, drinking and cooking. Mmm.. Bleach! =)

For the ride back to the Cottage, I got to experience the Boda Boda. I won't even explain how it works just for the sake of my parents hearts. Let's just say... It was different.

I am so super happy I have gotten all this time to get adjusted to my new life. I did end up helping out yesterday a little bit but I know the real fun will begin on Monday.

I know I have had time to update this thing lots but in time, I am sure I will be a busy bee with my babies! Oh Lordy... They are SO cute.

Tonight, we are making dinner and hanging out. Tomorrow morning is church and I am pretty excited to see what the African Church is like. If it is anything like Uganda, it will be beautiful and very friendly.

I have also learnt the adoption process for Canadians and it really isn't that hard. =)

I will update soon and I hope everything is well with everyone.

Until Next Time...

xo*

Day 1

So after 2 really long flights and an 8 hour layover in London, I have finally reached my destination. I gotta admit, I was very close to saying nevermind and turning around. I was so homesick in London and I was especially overwhelmed when I handed my boarding pass to the nice lady when I was getting on the London to Entebbe flight. Poor lady - I was crying hysterically and she didn't know what was wrong. I haven't slept a wink since I left. Actually, I lied... I had a 45 minute nap once I got to the cottage today. I couldn't sleep on the flights and it was too overwhelming to even consider it. I am SO glad I didn't.

Getting off the plane in Entebbe, I have never experienced the humidity that is here. I feel sticky all the time and cold showers are a blessing. To be completely honest, if you turn on your TV and go to the World Vision Commercials... That is truly, honestly how it is. All the towns run into eachother and it is all situated in the jungle. The homes are made of whatever they can find and are haphazardly put up everywhere. The cows, goats and kids run around free while the women are carrying sticks and laundry and baskets and water on their heads. The men are making bricks on the edge of the streets and it is all very real how poor this country is.

Getting to the baby cottage was amazing. William was laughing at me the entire car ride here because I was freaking out.... Basically.... Try going down Senic Drive on the wrong side. All of the oncoming traffic are flying towards you as you weave and dodge the vehicles, pedestrians and boda bodas(motorcycles). There are no rules.

The kids here are sooooo cute. JUST like the pictures... Speaking of... We aren't allowed to post pictures of the kids anymore out of respect for their potential familes and their futures. It makes sense... I mean, I wouldn't want my picture posted all over the world from when I was an orphan... Right?

I haven't eaten much since being here. I chose to nap and play with the kids instead. Tomorrow, we are going into town and I get to buy my groceries and switch my money.

We have already had numerous power outtages and I saw a gecko on the wall within 5 mins of me walking into my room.

I will tell you more about the orphanage itself when my brain isn't fried. Right now, I need sleep.

Until Next Time...

xo*

=)

Oh MY GOODNESS!

I am leaving for Africa in 4 SLEEPS! The next time I write, I will be somewhat settled and hopefully getting into the swing of things! My bags are packed and ready to go. I have had a terrible sleep for the past 2 nights as well... I'm sure it's because of the nerves as well as the excitement.

I have so much I could go on about right now and I'm not even there yet. I'm starting to feel overwhelmed but I know it's just the anticipation of getting there. So...

THANKYOUTHANKYOUTHANKYOUTHANKYOUTHANKYOU!!!!

xo*