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!!!