July 18 - In London Now

How strange - Uganda in the morning and London at night. It has been a long day. I apologize for not add to the blog more often, but the internet in Ugand is slow at best and most days - not available. If you think a phone modem is slow - you should see a connection by satellite phone. So - I am at my hotel in London with lightning fast interent - and what a joy it is. Unfortunately, the computer here won't let me download any pictures, so words will have to do for now. So much has happened since my last blog. Many of you who read this may be on my e-mail list - so it might be repeating what I told you there, but here goes.
Again, the last week has been incredible. Saturday was the big celebration at the secondary school to dedicate their new science lab. Much to our surprise - we were some of the honored guests, along with the Minister of Economic Devlopment from the office of the President of Uganda. The Bishop was also there and what an amazing man he was. There was a mass filled with dancing, singing, special meals, exhibits by the students and families of the students everywhere. We had such a great time. There were many special speeches, the Bishops being the best. He talked to the girls and told them they could be anything they wanted and encouraged them to do well, The girls were all so excited. We came to the primary school yesterday and just played with the girls with their new balls, jump ropes, and puzzles. It was so much fun. The Sisters prepared a meal for us that was like being at home - fried chicken, mashed potatoes, and GUACAMOLE!! Jesus - one of the teachers from CA. had shown them how to make it - so they surprised us with a giant bowl with a Sacred Heart on top made of tomatoes - it was pretty funny. We also got to see the faculty housing - very small - but a beautiful view. We also got to see inside the dorm rooms of the little girls - there are 14 bunkbeds in a room - with barely a walk through. Each child keeps their suitcase at the end of their bed. That is the only place for their posessions. The hope now is to raise enough money to build a new Academic building and free up the classrooms for more dormitory space. It is hardest on the older girls as they are taller, take up more space, etc. My Christmas presents this year will be given to the school in honor of people I love. These girls deserve a better place to sleep and larger classrooms. It is amazing, however, how much they enjoy what they have. They showed us their rooms with such pride!!!
Our farewell days at both schools were heartbreaking and joyful at the same time. At the Primary School - they had a wonderful program where the students gave us dolls and jumpropes and balls that they had made from dried banana leaves. They sang and danced for us as well. The teachers gave us purses or hats and the Sisters gave us plagues made from special bark paper. It was amazing. We had reflection time with both the Primary and Secondary teachers at 2 different times and we were amazed at the impact we had. They were so excited that we were able to help their teachers understand Sacred Heart education better (we had inservices with both). The teachers told the Sisters that they were amazed how we just jumped right in and helped and accepted them as peers and didn't try and tell them what to teach. Apparently they have had visitors a little different from us. I guess we impressed them by washing dishes, moving furniture - whatever needed to be done - we did it. It wasn't work for us, we were just showing our appreciation. Anyway - it was very sad to leave each school especially the seconday school that had been our home for 2 weeks. We grew to love the Sisters like family. They gave each of us girls specials shawls and the 2 men were given African shirts.
Many of the students gave us their e-mails and were sad to see us go.
We spent the next few days being tourists and traveled to Kampala to a craft area to buy presents and such, and then on to Jinja to stay at a convent for 2 nights. Again the Sisters welcomed us like family. We visited falls at the Nile and took a boat ride, then the next day we went to the source of the Nile and took another boat ride. The falls were powerful, beautiful and hypnotizing!! We watched kayakers and rafters go down them and yelled victory along with them as they made it through without tipping over.
Our last night took us through Kampala to our bed and breakfast - run by a different order of nuns. Over dinner we talked about this wonderful trip and Sister Irene said it achieved more than she had ever hoped and dreamed it would be. We are all so proud to be the pilot group and now she is making us her Advisory Committee for further trips. Who knows... maybe I'll get to return. Isn't that a lovely thought?
Thanks to everyone for your thoughts and prayers and keep checking back for pictures, once I get home.
Grace and Peace,
Ruth

More in Uganda

It is Wednesday here in Uganda and the time is going by too fast. The group I am with are all wonderful people. We are getting along so well, are having wonderful reflections at night and laugh all the time. One of the highlights so far was the Conge with the Primary School. We Americans were responsible for leading some of the games. We started out with the Hokey Pokey with Primary 1. Everyone else watched. It was hilarious to watch the girls open up and start laughing and even act a little crazy. They especially loved "putting their backside in!!" Then every grade wanted to play it, so we repeated the game at least 6 times. Other games we played: Duck Duck Goose - that was quite an adventure, Knots, London Bridges, and anything else we could think of. The kids had a blast. I was being chased around the circle when my feet slowed down and my body kept going!! I fell and ended up with my feet in the air!! Good thing I had bike shorts on under my skirt!! We all had a good laugh. My rt. knee is scraped - just like it always was in grade school!! The weather has been beautiful and remarkably cool. It did rain one night - a slow, nice rain which was wonderful for the plants and water collection tanks. This is the dry season here, so the rain was welcome. We, of course, had just washed clothes and they were on the line drying. Took an extra day - but they dried and smelled so nice with the rain rinse. We have been eating all kinds of interesting foods. Matoke - which is type of banana is served at every meal. Usually it is all squished together and wrapped in banana leaves and then steamed. It is very good and served at every meal. We also have avocados, bananas, pineapples served at almost every meal as well and they are fresh and absolutely delicious. The Sisters at the Seconday School where we are staying grow most of these foods, so they are really tasty. Cabbage is another vegetable as well as carrots. Last night Sister Mary fixed us a "traditional" meal last night. She wrapped potatoes, carrots, and chicken and spices in banana leaves and then tied it up in a bundler and steamed it. We each has our own bundle along with pumpkin, casavi(like a potato) and cooked creens. My goodness - we were in heaven!! There are also usually beans served at meals, but as most of my friends know, I don't eat beans. We drink bottled water most of the time - but they have had bottles of different sodas for us as well.
The girls: how amazing they are. The little ones love to laugh and run and when you come into their rooms - they all say "Welcome - Visitas" it is so cute. Their work is on the walls and they have such amazing handwriting. The teachers have been so welcoming and we have learned alot from each other through some inservices and discussions we have had together. The older girls in the Secondary School love to talk with us on all sorts of subjects. They loved to see the pictures of our school and children that I brought. They tell us of theie "visions" or dreams of what they want for the future. What hope they have and that is the Africa that we have seen - a hopeful one. Yes, there is poverty, but poverty is a state of exisistence, not a state of being. Some of the girls have terrible things in their past - many are orphans, but they have such dignity and pride and work so hard. They are responsible for helping with cooking, cleaning, washing their clothes and studying long hours. It is amazing!! The Seconday School is preparing for a special celebration on Sat. to dedicate their new Science Building and the new Water Tanks and Solar Energy System. There will be lots of dignitaries, dancing and singing. The girls in the choir have been practicing singing every night until 11:00 - so when we return to our little house - we hear their lovely voices as we sit and read before we go to bed.
My project has been to work with Michael from St. Charles to add all the software on the computers. We have also been working with their computer teacher, Richard. We have had to do a lot of robbing one computer to add to another, but we are now almost done installing the software. We have been working on about 13 computers and we have over 15 different software titles to install. We never know when the power will go out, so it has been a challenge. We have been blessed and have power all day today and yesterday, so we have gotten a lot done.
Each morning - we wake up and eat breakfast and then take the school bus to the Primary School. That journey is quite an adventure as it is VERY bumpy - the entire way. The countryside is beautiful, however, so the trip goes pretty quickly. On one trip to Lake Nagugabo for a teacher inservice was quite an adventure as well. We had monkeys coming into our open air building and stealing bananas. It was a beautiful lake and the weather a cool breeze. The monkey were very cute. On the trip home - the bus broke down so we had to wait about an hour for some taxi vans to pick us up. It was actually fun, though, as we go to talk to the teachers more and do a bit of exploring. Meg, Barbara and I wandered up a path and found ourselves in the middle of a tea plantation - beautiful.
So- each day is a new adventure from not knowing if your shower will be warm or freezing cold, to what place we will go next. Today we go "downtown" to visit Miss Josephine who is a lady who creates her own artistic shawls to earn her money. It should be very interesting. I better end this message now - it is so long. I have been trying to add pictures to this blog, but the internet is very slow, so I have been unsuccessful. I will keep trying. Keep me in your prayers as I will keep you in mine. I miss everyone and when I hear these girls laugh and play - I think of all the girls in our school. Mweraba!!!

Here In Uganda at Last

I am finally able to add to my blog. Many of you have received my e-mails, but I wanted to update this site. I don't know if I will be able to add pictures and I have 5 min. until I go to a meeting. What a joyous experience this has been. Uganda is beautiful and the people are so welcoming. The girls in the primary school are so sweet and shy and want to hold your hand. The girls from the Secondary school are intelligent, proud, friendly and want to talk about everythihg. I am not giving them nearly as much as they are giving me. The weather is cool and today is particularly beautiful. We have been to Lake Nabugabo and saw monkeys. The lake was beautiful. We travel from school to school by bus and the ride is very bumpy. I will try to write more later. Love from Africa, Ruth