tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10419070781039075952024-03-05T09:14:30.169-08:00Adventures in EngineeringBrittanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16037368111487088356noreply@blogger.comBlogger79125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1041907078103907595.post-52885606225488405882013-07-13T08:06:00.000-07:002013-07-13T08:06:50.585-07:00Brittany's Bowling Birthday Bash<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqLHf1tBwh5l2lnjnHOoWvB3cJ3f7tJHlrRH4ewxIbumpZCnh_PsBJavd3vemrdAZUqckglY_00AxgzOejoGwgSLhs3HYXqryNvb-sUXxSQviuLErmQ7esUi9cqEdQQYYXV53VO044KM9u/s1600/IMG_5239.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqLHf1tBwh5l2lnjnHOoWvB3cJ3f7tJHlrRH4ewxIbumpZCnh_PsBJavd3vemrdAZUqckglY_00AxgzOejoGwgSLhs3HYXqryNvb-sUXxSQviuLErmQ7esUi9cqEdQQYYXV53VO044KM9u/s200/IMG_5239.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bowling with Emily & Sam</td></tr>
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I had an awesome birthday yesterday. It started with opening a package of treats
that a friend had sent over all the way from the US. I also got email and phone greetings from
family. For breakfast, I ate some
pumpkin cake made by a friend (dessert #1).
By the time I went to work, I already felt very loved.</div>
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After morning worship and prayer at the office, we had some
excellent cake made by our Ugandan cook (dessert #2). And Seattle sent me a birthday present of a nice cool drizzle. Then I got to go to the US Embassy for a
security meeting! I’ve actually been
wanting to see inside the US Embassy ever since I got here, but I never had a
reason before. It definitely felt and
looked like we were in the US. We even
noticed that employees were keeping to the right as they walked down the stairs
(as opposed to the left, per Ugandan/British convention). And they served wonderful chocolate croissants
(dessert #3)!</div>
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For lunch, I got the “special plate” (a ceramic plate with a
bison on it) and a free soda (both are an EMI tradition), and Rose had made a
fantastic birthday cake with chocolate frosting and pecans for all the July
birthdays (dessert #4)! In the
afternoon, I got a card from my office, and Sarah passed around some yummy lemon
bars she had made (dessert #5 … and #6). And I found out that Uganda gave me a birthday present of approving my work permit for another 3 years!!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Enjoying Pizza at New York Kitchen</td></tr>
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Immediately after work, I took off with 12 friends for my
birthday party. We had great pizza at
New York Kitchen, then went to AlleyGators for bowling! I’d certainly never been bowling in Africa
before, so it was quite the experiment, but we all had a great time and were
actually pretty impressed with their official-looking 6 lanes. No shoes, but socks worked just fine. And they even interrupted the adjacent dance
floor music to play Happy Birthday and For He’s a Jolly Good Fellow! Haha!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Having fun at the AlleyGators bowling alley!</td></tr>
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For the finale, we went to “Uganda’s only revolving
restaurant” for dessert! I’d also never
been there before and always wondered what it was like. Well, (I just looked it up) it actually
revolves at half the rate of the restaurant in the Space Needle, but since the
whole thing was pretty small (you know, smaller radius and all), it felt like
we were “bookin’ it” around the circle; plus add to that the back-and-forth
motion of uneven movement, and we all thought we might be a little sick at
first, like we were on an airplane or boat.
But I think we either got used to it or forgot about it after a while,
and we enjoyed the view of the city lights (we were a whopping 13 stories
high!). We even got to confirm our
suspicions that a drive-in movie theater is being installed on the roof of the
parking garage next door. They had a
live piano player, which was actually pretty nice, and he even played Happy
Birthday with everyone singing along, once we rotated to his section. I think everyone was a little under-whelmed
by the desserts, but it was fun nonetheless.
(I couldn’t really complain, since it WAS dessert #7.) I also received several presents throughout
the day, plus many Facebook greetings waiting for me online.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhij3nLJ8M_WesogNiycMLcnpSt7SuYV6UEmn4hi-t9zchY1ctbsYKcX7a01A2uSIiD-VTOn05x0fVVp_h79UpHbhdV58p_SrKKf8rOEy4By9GSG9d0V-EkBBAPE0MFl0B8GetWFmMOdLbh/s1600/IMG_5244.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhij3nLJ8M_WesogNiycMLcnpSt7SuYV6UEmn4hi-t9zchY1ctbsYKcX7a01A2uSIiD-VTOn05x0fVVp_h79UpHbhdV58p_SrKKf8rOEy4By9GSG9d0V-EkBBAPE0MFl0B8GetWFmMOdLbh/s200/IMG_5244.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
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It was such a great birthday! (I didn’t even feel too frustrated when I got
home and found that I had no running water.)
I feel so blessed to have great friends here, a job I love, a city I can
explore, plus loving friends and family “back home.” Thanks to all who participated in my fabulous
day or sent birthday wishes!</div>
Brittanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16037368111487088356noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1041907078103907595.post-88192645702348256652012-07-15T08:15:00.000-07:002012-07-15T08:15:48.608-07:00Parties, Friends, and a Cat named Chloe<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Baby Chloe Trying Kitty Grass</td></tr>
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[Warning: This entry is long and sappy, but I needed
to write it.]</div>
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Chloe is the feisty, but sweet and friendly, calico cat that
my mom rescued from the streets of Kampala over a year ago and then came to
live with me in my apartment. Two weeks
ago – coinciding with my mom’s visit so that she could help with any follow-up
care – we took Chloe to a vet to be spayed.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYajjsFYh2SlrDVrXcSmjvL3GJZ0Xhb0YSGIAdKPpWQghAs2fhiMT2EcWaDjSwENwBHDIIs2H1sq2ugLrJQRFBTdiX_vKq3rtIhN_TTAoO7fpL5Zed14Mqp7Q6WBPqMvrFmZ3ItyeKRmpS/s1600/IMG_3565.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYajjsFYh2SlrDVrXcSmjvL3GJZ0Xhb0YSGIAdKPpWQghAs2fhiMT2EcWaDjSwENwBHDIIs2H1sq2ugLrJQRFBTdiX_vKq3rtIhN_TTAoO7fpL5Zed14Mqp7Q6WBPqMvrFmZ3ItyeKRmpS/s320/IMG_3565.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Interns Enjoying the Kid-Free Slide during the Downpour</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwpKtM463w2KTlBMISa96S4a4nbbLg1Ix_oZNwhPnpLzuYq1lSFFvbqorPS1ZMxoQsruq4wB1HJHX4i4vhUvE6I5LcSz8xbZhj8J50_uXpneCP-M4b7YJuO5ATn16xq20_XZUprVLDQW-O/s1600/IMG_3572.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwpKtM463w2KTlBMISa96S4a4nbbLg1Ix_oZNwhPnpLzuYq1lSFFvbqorPS1ZMxoQsruq4wB1HJHX4i4vhUvE6I5LcSz8xbZhj8J50_uXpneCP-M4b7YJuO5ATn16xq20_XZUprVLDQW-O/s320/IMG_3572.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cold Kids Trying to Stay Warm</td></tr>
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Later that day, we had a memorable EMI Family Fun Day. It was like an office summer picnic, complete
with a potluck, burgers & dogs on the grill, a volleyball court, and a
giant inflatable water slide for the kids (and some adults). We thought we were located safely under the
roof of a large porch at the nearby international school, but just as we were
getting ready to eat, it started pouring…and I mean pouring! The 10-foot-wide porch proved inadequate, so
we all ran further inside to an open-air dining room. Everyone was bundled up, wrapping any and all
towels we could find around the cold, wet kids.
The rain was so heavy on the metal roof that you had to yell to someone
one foot away in order for them to hear you.
It was definitely the largest downpour we’ve had here all year. It was quite impressive! After the rain stopped, the kids ran out to
the soccer fields and played around in what was now one giant wading pool. While the adults may have been somewhat
miserable, some said it was the best day of their kids’ lives! </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Happy Kids in the Flooded Field</td></tr>
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Chloe stayed at the vets for 4 days because they said she
was recovering somewhat slowly. We
brought her home on Wednesday morning, and she was miserable, filthy, weak, and
in pain. She just sat in her little bed
and didn’t move much for several days. My
mom helped me clean her up and force-feed her milk, and finally she started
drinking water voluntarily after a couple days.
I was definitely glad my mom was there to help.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chatting around the Grill with Friends</td></tr>
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Meanwhile, the 4<sup>th</sup> of July came and went (we don’t
get it off work), but the Americans were determined to celebrate on the
weekend. The following Saturday, my
friend Rose held a cook-out at her place (which we’ve deemed the “party house” since
she actually has a yard). Once again we
had burgers & dogs on the grill, and this time we added homemade French fries,
ice cream sandwiches (from homemade cookies) and a red, white, and blue
cake! Around dark, we headed over to the
American Recreation Association where the US Embassy was putting on a 4<sup>th</sup>
of July celebration. We didn’t want to
pay to go inside, so we just sat outside across the street and watched the
fireworks. The fireworks show was short
but included some impressive bursts – and hey, the point is: we got to see
fireworks! We headed back to Rose’s
place to make S’mores and watch Harry and the Hendersons projected on her wall,
outside by the campfire. It was a really
fun evening! And I was so thankful for a
community of friends to celebrate with.</div>
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That night, Chloe ate some food voluntarily for the first
time, and after that she seemed to start getting a little better. She even started greeting us at the door
again when we came home. Unfortunately,
my mom left for the US the following Tuesday morning, and I left Chloe home by
herself all day long, so she started bothering her wound. I found the Elizabethan collar (those plastic
cone-shaped things for animals) that I had brought over from the US and put it
on her. Well, the next couple of days
were a series of visits from another vet and shots and treatments, and Chloe
taking off her collar again and making the wound worse, and I began to get more
and more anxious about her and how to make the best decisions about her
wellbeing. (It’s not really like in the US
where I would just take her to our animal clinic and trust that they would do
what was best for her.) </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3C7vnDjduJq70Pb5iIWm1d8kal4TvEir77SBG30D2QGxzLIKcj8XyIxbmM2rPcgcDZcFilcKgaBS1sOjYNXa6Plhca4MRJvIOm4XSHKItwH2quq8mzq3aSfhlmuK4TbJpiBUTe3Nz99i3/s1600/IMG_3004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3C7vnDjduJq70Pb5iIWm1d8kal4TvEir77SBG30D2QGxzLIKcj8XyIxbmM2rPcgcDZcFilcKgaBS1sOjYNXa6Plhca4MRJvIOm4XSHKItwH2quq8mzq3aSfhlmuK4TbJpiBUTe3Nz99i3/s320/IMG_3004.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chloe and Pooh, April 2011</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVlnZABJze5tyOuQ2ZJ_DyJcOwU_DZhFqRaD8y795j1N1DsBSqMkxvON1iV5a9wsfU9t6e1SCv1W-3eEBnQvHUQ5ga32Mz6lq9829YIjKygq5eATBSvFle83u5hvSlVHfFRVDF4pwAPdnW/s1600/IMG_2934.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVlnZABJze5tyOuQ2ZJ_DyJcOwU_DZhFqRaD8y795j1N1DsBSqMkxvON1iV5a9wsfU9t6e1SCv1W-3eEBnQvHUQ5ga32Mz6lq9829YIjKygq5eATBSvFle83u5hvSlVHfFRVDF4pwAPdnW/s320/IMG_2934.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chloe and Pooh Reunite, July 2011</td></tr>
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By the time my birthday rolled around on Thursday, she was
still in a lot of pain and seemed to be getting worse. I was anxious and stressed most of the day,
but tried to trust that God would help us get through this. And I felt blessed by a delicious Mississippi
Mud birthday cake and an amazing handmade pop-up birthday card from my office. I was supposed to go to Bible Study that
night, where we were going to have a birthday party for me. Unfortunately I got home to discover that
Chloe had removed her collar again and taken out all of her stitches, completely
undoing all previous healing. I finally
broke down crying because I was so overwhelmed with worry and not knowing what
to do. Sarah & Carey, who had
arrived to pick me up, kindly came in to support me and help me figure out what
to do. Finally the vet was able to come,
and Sarah & Carey helped me hold Chloe down while he re-tied one of her stitches. He said that the outer stitches would have to
wait. I was very grateful to have Sarah
& Carey there, and Rose, who came to join us later. We chatted and ate ice cream and cake. While it was not exactly the ideal birthday,
I very blessed by the gift of my 3 supportive friends.</div>
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Chloe was miserable that night, and I stayed home from work
on Friday to make sure she didn’t remove her collar again. Again, I was anxious all day as I continued
to worry about what would happen to my cat and how to make the best decisions
for her welfare. That afternoon (yes,
Friday the 13<sup>th</sup>), I called her original vet and told her what had
happened. She decided to come over, and
when she saw the wound, she said she needed stitches immediately. We once again went to work turning my kitchen
counter into a surgery table. (Fortunately,
Sarah & Carey were there again to help, because we were doing a pizza and
movie night at my house.) The vet gave
Chloe anesthesia, which I think was good because we definitely could not have
held her down while she sewed her up. By
the end of all the stitching, I was about to pass out, but I felt hopeful that
perhaps Chloe could start healing again and eventually recover.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkRrJMAIQkJElLI5BgubqGV8RnIz6XrlpkLzuMdrG8k7n9a8aBfBiDn_kyM8_8qirRTXpvOPewM4AwjZTmomvmtnY1FfoR6zO3MTNS8Ch2otP-y6O7dduAktLRbfKIJL7029_0uL90YWxK/s1600/IMG_3234.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkRrJMAIQkJElLI5BgubqGV8RnIz6XrlpkLzuMdrG8k7n9a8aBfBiDn_kyM8_8qirRTXpvOPewM4AwjZTmomvmtnY1FfoR6zO3MTNS8Ch2otP-y6O7dduAktLRbfKIJL7029_0uL90YWxK/s320/IMG_3234.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chloe Appreciating my Mom's Craft Purchases</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Chloe was still under the effects of the anesthesia when the
vet left, so I put her on the floor on a towel with another towel on top of her
to keep her warm, as the vet had instructed.
About halfway through Sixteen Candles, I checked on her and she seemed
non-responsive and I couldn’t really tell if she was breathing or had a heart
beat. We decided to just wait, since
there was nothing else to do, and see if she eventually woke up. By the end of the movie, I could tell that
she definitely wasn’t breathing and was completely unresponsive. I really couldn’t believe it, but I
eventually accepted that she was gone. I
think her weak body just couldn’t handle the anesthesia and the trauma, but
whatever it was, it was at least a somewhat peaceful way to go. I was once again very thankful that my 3
friends were there with me. We chatted
for a little while longer, and they left with my assurances that I would be
okay.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipTzZ5I4fUytv6ZqvnwWxhgx4qXsUFcUt6mdfchRZX3Hw6xTPKp-XHuW0QZXeN9z2tP0wc_ow_p8rKYbCOUtxUz274G5sIETTkS88-4xhuA-mBczvcxdRHZ5Xq6MkReydFgS1IkfWeE_Gz/s1600/IMG_3800.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipTzZ5I4fUytv6ZqvnwWxhgx4qXsUFcUt6mdfchRZX3Hw6xTPKp-XHuW0QZXeN9z2tP0wc_ow_p8rKYbCOUtxUz274G5sIETTkS88-4xhuA-mBczvcxdRHZ5Xq6MkReydFgS1IkfWeE_Gz/s320/IMG_3800.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chloe Became a Wiz at Climbing my Doors</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’m definitely sad about it, but I’m not as devastated as I
could be. I think the whole time I’ve
had her, I’ve known that if I lost her, I would be okay, that I could move on. My life here is not about her – she was just
an added bonus. I just hated seeing her
suffer. Spaying a cat is supposed to be
a fairly routine procedure that they will heal from, but this one went terribly
wrong. As soon as I realized she was
gone, I actually felt a weight lifted. I
no longer had to worry about how much pain she was in or how long it would take
her to recover. I knew that she was a
last at peace. And I just have to trust
that God decided to take her at the right time – for her and for me.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’ll miss her, but I’ll be okay. I am thankful for the 15 months that I had
with her. Although she could be a pest,
she was also affectionate and a good companion.
I’ll miss having her greet me at the door. I’ll miss having her crawl onto my lap while
I’m reading a book or working on my laptop.
I’ll miss seeing her chase flies around the room or scale the grates on
my doors to try to get to the geckos on the ceiling. I’ll miss having her greet all of my visitors
at the door and rub against their legs. I’ll
miss seeing her curled up and content on the couch. I may even miss her stealing my food while I’m
trying to cook or wrapping herself around my ankles and then biting them while
I’m washing dishes.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_TRo-lEGhGXCMXJyx1uIgyL8GZkSrcwVFSStqTKhBC6nJl3Gpj3FSu7eRwPbOEOMKBkm9ploatnGbwOfGQK0fRx-x7rybrk0hiHvpUjh5DZ1uu5hTXk16-jvFTqoeb1sGz4XKtZ6TwzW1/s1600/IMG_4118.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_TRo-lEGhGXCMXJyx1uIgyL8GZkSrcwVFSStqTKhBC6nJl3Gpj3FSu7eRwPbOEOMKBkm9ploatnGbwOfGQK0fRx-x7rybrk0hiHvpUjh5DZ1uu5hTXk16-jvFTqoeb1sGz4XKtZ6TwzW1/s320/IMG_4118.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Contented Kitty, May 2012</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I am thankful that she was released from her pain and
suffering. And the more I think about
it, I think perhaps God was releasing me as well – from the responsibility of
caring for her, to be free to make more flexible decisions with my life here. I never intended to have a cat in
Uganda. I think perhaps she was a little
angel who God sent down to comfort me and provide companionship at a time when
I was living on my own for the first time and still trying to build community,
as I was for a while the only single (non-intern) in our office. But now I have been blessed with a supportive
community and many wonderful friends here.
So perhaps her work here was done, and God took her home. Now she can help keep Heaven free from bats
and cockroaches. =)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjat9p8nxLxUPTwEt6sNqImr6Tvj9GQgRRjv0CGxFCbJackiPcsjEcji1QcBTnxNTVhdmXukV2atvjoEbvI5M64HBm8mYVPnXkbZEp09g6mQ3jkiwcbXAsayLZ5flm5ZXZk69TlWfbdGxJj/s1600/IMG_4224.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjat9p8nxLxUPTwEt6sNqImr6Tvj9GQgRRjv0CGxFCbJackiPcsjEcji1QcBTnxNTVhdmXukV2atvjoEbvI5M64HBm8mYVPnXkbZEp09g6mQ3jkiwcbXAsayLZ5flm5ZXZk69TlWfbdGxJj/s320/IMG_4224.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wonderful Friends to Celebrate my Birthday with Me!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Yesterday I collected all her things to throw away or give
away, which felt cleansing. Today I start
a new life here – one without a cat. Last
night I went out to dinner with EMI friends for a truly wonderful birthday celebration
– yet another reminder of how God has blessed me with community here. And I don’t have to worry about my sweet
little Chloe anymore.</div>Brittanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16037368111487088356noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1041907078103907595.post-55425278001899323772012-04-13T09:46:00.000-07:002012-04-13T09:46:55.320-07:00I'm Famous!<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
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We interrupt this regularly-scheduled DRC blog post to
update you on other aspects of my life, like the fact that … I’m famous!<span> </span>=)</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNVW9RUQq2gcBhi3VqRHbJ4QzgemFUrBcnWaqXvWK6n8MQvSZHSKpm48iRPr31BYvW-0Nxbggd34qvIFLqQYmuXm_afpgVju6eFv6_8ARzYKurWSyy7k7AR6D85PBWG780HEQJoLhWXpHu/s1600/IMG_2677.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNVW9RUQq2gcBhi3VqRHbJ4QzgemFUrBcnWaqXvWK6n8MQvSZHSKpm48iRPr31BYvW-0Nxbggd34qvIFLqQYmuXm_afpgVju6eFv6_8ARzYKurWSyy7k7AR6D85PBWG780HEQJoLhWXpHu/s320/IMG_2677.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The colorful hallway (the sign is in the background)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUCmmqRuy7F_YEEC1q2r3PrDBwRGMxoen9Ni2oFDCemY6tR4MLavhFWE612MnpYFQXQP2PzHBXAh8xe-wTgMTUmo1rdYl7s7dDnt5is2pUNtezaPvm2NJdnlaYV0AhtY8Hr9EF1lU7zqZ-/s1600/IMG_2674.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="176" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUCmmqRuy7F_YEEC1q2r3PrDBwRGMxoen9Ni2oFDCemY6tR4MLavhFWE612MnpYFQXQP2PzHBXAh8xe-wTgMTUmo1rdYl7s7dDnt5is2pUNtezaPvm2NJdnlaYV0AhtY8Hr9EF1lU7zqZ-/s320/IMG_2674.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">No, not the cute Batman kid. I'm the one in blue.</td></tr>
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A couple weeks ago, I was in the midst of fabric shopping
with some friends in downtown Kampala, standing in a hallway/breezeway between
a bunch of small shops where I have probably done most of my fabric shopping
over the last 2 years.<span> </span>As I’m standing
there, waiting for Katherine & Lise to finish at a nearby shop, Carey
glances up and makes a casual comment about the irony of a sign over a nearby
fabric shop that is depicting only mzungus (White people).<span> </span>I look up at the sign, and for a split second
one of the pictures strikes me as oddly familiar.<span> </span>I suddenly suck in a huge breath of air, and
incoherently start exclaiming “That’s us!<span>
</span>That’s us!”<span> </span>I’m so excited that I
can’t even stop to explain to confused Carey what I’m talking about.<span> </span>“Oh my gosh, that’s me!<span> </span>I can’t believe it!<span> </span>I need your camera!<span> </span>Get out your camera!”<span> </span>She slowly realizes that I’m blabbering about
the fact that _I_ am on the sign that she was referring to!<span> </span>I couldn’t believe it.<span> </span>A very familiar picture of me, Rachel, and
Megan (two fellow EMI interns from 2010) wearing traditional Ugandan dresses is
manufactured proudly into the sign above the “Jesus J & J” shop, which
sells fabric for that type of dress.<span>
</span>(And no, of course that is not the shop where we bought the fabric for
the dresses, but I’ve long since realized that there’s no expectation of “truth
in advertising” here.)<span> </span>We wore these
dresses for a Ugandan co-worker’s wedding (see my old <a href="http://bcinafrica.blogspot.com/2010/05/gomesi-photos.html" target="_blank">blog post</a>).<span>
</span>I can only assume they got this photo from one of our blogs.<span> </span>I bet they never thought I’d actually still
live in Kampala and eventually see that sign.<span>
</span>It kind of makes me wonder about all the photos of people I see on
various signs.<span> </span>How many of them actually
know how their photos are being used?<span></span><span> </span>The funny thing is that it’s a fabric isle
I’ve been to many times before, and I still wouldn’t have noticed if Carey
hadn’t said something about it.<span> </span>I wonder
how long it’s been up there….</div>
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<br /></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pointing out the sign that made me famous</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We ended up standing in that hallway for quite a while
because first I had to explain it to Carey, then I had to explain it again to
Katherine & Lise, and finally I came back again to show it to a friend we ran
into (actually one of the staff from The Congo Initiative who happened to be in
town).<span> </span>The longer we were there
exclaiming and pointing at the sign, the more people around us caught on to
what the commotion was about.<span> </span>Most of
the ladies in the surrounding shops were pretty amused by it.<span> </span>I tried to explain it to the ladies working
in the “Jesus J & J” shop, but they seemed very UN-amused and keep avoiding
eye contact.<span> </span>I’m guessing they were
worried that I would get mad at them for using my picture.<span> </span>But I was so shocked and excited that I
wasn’t mad at all!</div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidnvaVH3MRK5luvBdSeaeGFMqYSmvZZrfKaV2vRkQYRplR7s0xqnVkmWavmKCLCiyQ9xZ6URXB_wDAtktcdsmBpcjPCJmf58w9b4THtMvbBvxkcgbLXZe773IfnXTEUAqlIm6stvU-8U5B/s1600/IMG_8388.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidnvaVH3MRK5luvBdSeaeGFMqYSmvZZrfKaV2vRkQYRplR7s0xqnVkmWavmKCLCiyQ9xZ6URXB_wDAtktcdsmBpcjPCJmf58w9b4THtMvbBvxkcgbLXZe773IfnXTEUAqlIm6stvU-8U5B/s320/IMG_8388.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfp75X01pjknctGOpsyRjkhv16cuEqTA0hvH52754oIRf-IV8Y4HFX3MHcstPhK3sItbu3Y40tuDPUjvkELifFiQvGRHsyQU0zD23Avp59Skw9O0XDlCAOlgggQFUV-cX3eA-SonEfQDRv/s1600/SKMBT_C22012041319280.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfp75X01pjknctGOpsyRjkhv16cuEqTA0hvH52754oIRf-IV8Y4HFX3MHcstPhK3sItbu3Y40tuDPUjvkELifFiQvGRHsyQU0zD23Avp59Skw9O0XDlCAOlgggQFUV-cX3eA-SonEfQDRv/s320/SKMBT_C22012041319280.jpg" width="241" /></a>Whenever people from out of town visit me in Seattle, or
whenever I’m back home and want to do something Seattle-y, I go to Pike Place
Market.<span> </span>Yep, that famous outdoor/indoor
food and craft market where they throw fish and the first ever Starbucks Coffee
shop is located.<span> </span>It’s possibly my
favorite place in Seattle.<span> </span>Mouth-watering
produce, fun crafts, curious shops, specialty food items (like chocolate
linguine), seasonal flowers, almost every ethnic food imaginable, live
musicians and balloon animal makers, great people-watching, and only a few
steps away from the waterfront!<span> </span>Anyways,
whenever I visit, I MUST go find my tile on the floor.<span> </span>Yep, it’s MY tile.<span> </span>It even has my name on it!<span> </span>[Grr, I KNOW I have a picture of it
somewhere, but I can’t find it! You know, it's one of those things where you help support the Market by paying for your name to be put on a tile.]<span> </span>I’ve
seen it dozens of times, but it’s my tradition to go and find it every time I’m
at Pike Place Market.<span> </span>(Yes, sadly, I
still have to FIND it every time, although I am getting faster at it.)<span> </span>Well, the “I can’t believe I’m on a sign in
downtown Kampala” episode made me think of that, because I now have a place
where I MUST take anyone who visits me in Uganda.<span> </span>Anyone want to come see it?<span> </span>=D</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>Brittanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16037368111487088356noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1041907078103907595.post-88759449098337030842012-04-07T08:30:00.000-07:002012-04-07T08:30:57.796-07:00DRC #2: The Congo Initiative<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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Well, I didn’t mean it to take this long, but here is
installment #2 about my DRC trip in February:</div>
<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjsf3AnHCmcoRKXN-FyvVYNz_HCXUXHpM9WK59l01Osc8ovt5GJmqa_QWV_xbr-Q4gKHKzSnaybNBkB3sgx7U5oRtGIITHLciIbOE8FFS1yhrs8MZUSdrYFhJ_snMqRKs_h8RbY2bU77zG/s1600/DSC_0065.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="151" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjsf3AnHCmcoRKXN-FyvVYNz_HCXUXHpM9WK59l01Osc8ovt5GJmqa_QWV_xbr-Q4gKHKzSnaybNBkB3sgx7U5oRtGIITHLciIbOE8FFS1yhrs8MZUSdrYFhJ_snMqRKs_h8RbY2bU77zG/s200/DSC_0065.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
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On Tuesday, February 14, we got started on our work with the
Congo Initiative (CI).<span> </span>We started out
with a big meeting between our team and many of the leadership of CI/UCBC.<span> </span>The overarching NGO is The Congo Initiative,
but their main emphasis right now is UCBC, which stands for a French version of
Christian Bilingual University of Congo (so I’ll probably use UCBC and CI
somewhat interchangeably).<span> </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8pW3UzAxtHRtQj6lV_ES1qt62G2-FngWYaiiNhYzrshRECex-IaByx2DOiLcg5hk6g_f5XQTShy3kM9Uesq4udRgL0b57Go8cDPlAetO-jouZgopjonpZp9_zMeE_MnM9bsk0MBvhVQUX/s1600/IMG_2622.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8pW3UzAxtHRtQj6lV_ES1qt62G2-FngWYaiiNhYzrshRECex-IaByx2DOiLcg5hk6g_f5XQTShy3kM9Uesq4udRgL0b57Go8cDPlAetO-jouZgopjonpZp9_zMeE_MnM9bsk0MBvhVQUX/s200/IMG_2622.JPG" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dr. David Kasali</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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The Congo Initiative is really like this BRIGHT LIGHT OF HOPE in Eastern
Congo.<span> </span>Dr. David Kasali and his wife
Kaswera, have an amazing heart for their country, and the vision to match.<span> </span>Dr. Kasali is from Beni (where CI is located),
but was educated in Kenya and the US (including a PhD).<span> </span>He held prominent positions at universities
and church organizations for many years and led a relatively privileged
life.<span> </span>(Looking back, he says he realizes
that he was letting God have every part of him except his wallet).<span> </span>After two of his siblings were killed in the war in Eastern DRC, he says he finally let God have all of him, and he and
his family decided to move back to Beni in 2001, even though the war continued
around them.</div>
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<br /></div>
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To back up a bit, the DRC has been in turmoil since the
1800s.<span> </span>King Leopold II of Belgium
started the colonization of the DRC when he acquired the land has his private
property in 1885.<span> </span>(In the past it has
been known as the Belgian Congo and later Zaire).<span> </span>According to my more-scholarly friends who
have read a book about it (“Leopold’s Ghost”), he raised funds from around the
world for humanitarian initiatives in the region.<span> </span>Unfortunately, he misused the funds and basically
raped the land of its resources while ignoring, or simply using/oppressing, its
people.<span> </span>When the Belgian Congo received
independence in 1960 (about the same time as all the other East African nations),
Belgium pulled out and left the new country with very few educated or trained
leaders, resulting in what is still considered a “failed state.”<span> </span>Mobutu, the Congolese leader who ruled Zaire
in the 1970s, 80s, and 90s, continued Leopold’s waste and selfish personal use
of the country’s resources.<span> </span>It’s all
especially sad, since the DRC actually is one of the most resource-rich
countries in Africa.<span> </span>The Congo River
alone, which flows through much of the country, has more hydro-electric power potential
than all the rivers and lakes in the US combined!<span> </span>And yet, the DRC is currently the lowest (187<sup>th</sup>
out of 187 countries) on the United Nations’ <a href="http://hdr.undp.org/en/statistics/hdi/">Human Development Index</a> and listed last (81<sup>st</sup>
out of 81) according to the <a href="http://www.ifpri.org/publication/2011-global-hunger-index">Global Hunger Index</a> on the list of countries
considered to have a serious, alarming, or extremely alarming hunger situation.
<span> </span><span></span>(According to the GHI, almost 70% of DRC’s
population is undernourished, compared to 10% of China’s and 20% of India’s.)</div>
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<br /></div>
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The Kasalis returned to Beni understanding the need to
rebuild the nation after decades of corrupt governance and in the midst of a
civil war that has sometimes been referred to as “Africa’s World War.”<span> </span>They desired to give the Congolese people
hope and a determination to invest in and change their nation.<span> </span>In 2002, the Kasalis decided to gather about
a dozen Congolese church leaders for a weekend “retreat” to ask three
questions: 1) What is happening in the DRC?<span>
</span>(What is the problem ... and how can people be so evil?) <span></span>2) Where
is the church? <span> </span>What impact has it made? <span> </span>3) What should we do about it?<span> </span></div>
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These leaders prayed and talked and brainstormed and
categorized their ideas and in the end came up with six areas of focus – six
ways that Christians should “be the church” in a hurting nation.<span> </span>The Congo Initiative was formed to address
these six areas, or “centers:” </div>
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1-UCBC (the need for a university)</div>
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2-The Center for CI-UCBC Development and Partnership</div>
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3-The Center for Church Renewal and Global Mission (training
church leaders)</div>
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4-The Center for Community and Family Renewal (women’s rehab,
child development, health, family counseling, etc.)</div>
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5-The Center for Professional Development and Vocational
Training </div>
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6-The Center for Creative Arts</div>
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<br /></div>
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The Congo Initiative has a unique relationship with its US
board.<span> </span>After coming up with the six
areas of focus, Dr. Kasali went back to his contacts in the US and asked them
to help flesh out the Congolese’s ideas.<span>
</span>He then took those plans back to the Congolese to make sure they were
headed in the right direction.<span> </span>The plan
went back and forth between the US and Congolese teams until it was further
developed.<span> </span>CI now has a US board (in
addition to a Congolese Board), which helps to raise funds and acts as
consultants to the Congolese CI leaders.<span>
</span>Unlike many organizations where are birthed in the West and then look
for local leaders to help lead them, CI was started and initiated by Congolese,
and US partners were brought in at the request of the Congolese as
consultants.<span> </span>A pretty exciting model!</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDR-NF6_Vw52v0kI7TNlMLdI1TON3RzwsoYTnmRUhU8Y1R_kLMru23NK65k-3tV8WOvXanSnXWNfDURBeaj0Hs2kGvEEKk-bsbBJKtUw8UibljT7uVC-3jykzskppg_hs8eNVaUzJ2ht0F/s1600/DSCN6104.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDR-NF6_Vw52v0kI7TNlMLdI1TON3RzwsoYTnmRUhU8Y1R_kLMru23NK65k-3tV8WOvXanSnXWNfDURBeaj0Hs2kGvEEKk-bsbBJKtUw8UibljT7uVC-3jykzskppg_hs8eNVaUzJ2ht0F/s320/DSCN6104.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">EMI checking out the property with Dr. Kasali</td></tr>
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Dr. Kasali shared that the Congolese are often wary of NGOs,
as they are seen as outsiders and not a part of the people.<span> </span>CI decided to focus its initial efforts on
the university in order to gain credibility with the local community.<span> </span>They have a vision for the CI campus to feel
like a village, where people are welcomed into it and feel like they’re a part
of it.<span> </span>In 2006, CI was given 85 acres at
a very low price, and in 2007, UCBC was opened. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A UCBC class in session</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1kGwTZeLv9VAv_kAUmuqWeRSUjuxGnqvrldIzIzagDeucRG27tHJ1LYuArpHIvwwcVyj9EY2Lu4iOuMdOwYgW9Q2qPPnWCvHiY2rcYWDVDxYeJ3L12b6SsBlldxt0qzFFh0VmqOnuOUBi/s1600/IMG_8522.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1kGwTZeLv9VAv_kAUmuqWeRSUjuxGnqvrldIzIzagDeucRG27tHJ1LYuArpHIvwwcVyj9EY2Lu4iOuMdOwYgW9Q2qPPnWCvHiY2rcYWDVDxYeJ3L12b6SsBlldxt0qzFFh0VmqOnuOUBi/s320/IMG_8522.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The new Community Center under construction</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhccKKNajAKuMMZjpiY-5SCeh5vOWJLdaVv0okyxCQ33j6hhLiCVYhHjTG6rMe62SY0bi7JNPtwGCyfaq1fLVkltMPEtqxeZF0KPbt36vLBZVQQIHK1tv0GsoBsJxPorsU-eCKcnMCtNI0h/s1600/IMG_2649.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhccKKNajAKuMMZjpiY-5SCeh5vOWJLdaVv0okyxCQ33j6hhLiCVYhHjTG6rMe62SY0bi7JNPtwGCyfaq1fLVkltMPEtqxeZF0KPbt36vLBZVQQIHK1tv0GsoBsJxPorsU-eCKcnMCtNI0h/s320/IMG_2649.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It will contain an auditorium that seats 3,000!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizUcZaga2ZCXs9ax_o6urpnsJ33jULZ7PInCFUyM__UDjaOvljTQkMWXBHx_LZq1nkfne6RthHdpXrP0ExeYIvYVGcwVm_b-lLdycuh-eZtoUY9k-FppjRGd9dbjGgdf5y2kW0XgyIIzPD/s1600/IMG_3845.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizUcZaga2ZCXs9ax_o6urpnsJ33jULZ7PInCFUyM__UDjaOvljTQkMWXBHx_LZq1nkfne6RthHdpXrP0ExeYIvYVGcwVm_b-lLdycuh-eZtoUY9k-FppjRGd9dbjGgdf5y2kW0XgyIIzPD/s320/IMG_3845.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Using every possible space - even unfinished ones!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
UCBC currently has several hundred students enrolled and is
utilizing one existing building plus parts of a very large community
center, which is still under construction.<span>
</span>UCBC currently has four degree programs: Applied Sciences, Communications,
Economics, and Theology.<span> </span>Dr. Kasali
shared that the Congolese culture is very community-oriented except in the area
of education, which has become very competitive and individualistic.<span> </span>UCBC has a strong focus in community learning
and believes in raising up leaders who do not consider themselves better than or
separate from the less-educated members of their communities.<span> </span>One way they address this is by requiring every
student to participate in two hours of manual labor (grounds keeping,
construction, etc.) per week.<span> </span>They also
hold service days in the community, where even the professors and university
president (Dr. Kasali) are out on the streets picking up trash, etc.<span> </span>As part of the communications program,
students are already running a radio station on campus.<span> </span>[An interesting side note: Ben Affleck (yes,
that Ben Affleck) has a heart for the eastern DRC, so he formed a foundation to
help.<span> </span>He actually wanted to name it the
Congo Initiative, but he couldn’t because this one already existed, so his
organization is called the Eastern Congo Initiative.<span> </span>But they have friendly relations, as Ben, his
mom, and some others have visited CI, and his foundation has helped to fund the
radio station and other parts of the communications program.]</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2nKnlsV3GXOUnXBkUVJnojwzDR0pknWhDRtFvpM7QyW5oa3pQzsj-A6FlCfX9FDsldZoFV1f1CmgrEvUsowt1FptDabQeSO78FIoIscrkqcOlbA5dt9YrwUWoU9Bx4H1Sluj3NGRWCphE/s1600/IMG_3851.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2nKnlsV3GXOUnXBkUVJnojwzDR0pknWhDRtFvpM7QyW5oa3pQzsj-A6FlCfX9FDsldZoFV1f1CmgrEvUsowt1FptDabQeSO78FIoIscrkqcOlbA5dt9YrwUWoU9Bx4H1Sluj3NGRWCphE/s320/IMG_3851.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The UCBC Radio Station</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
CI’s vision for their 85-acre campus is to accommodate 3,000
university students, dormitory housing for half of them, some staff &
faculty housing, a childcare center to allow mothers in particular to be able
to attend classes, a primary & secondary school to demonstrate quality education
techniques, vocational training spaces, and the necessary spaces to run the
other five centers of CI.<span> </span>It was such a
great experience to get to work on this project and get to know the people at
UCBC.<span> </span>They are all such wonderful
people, and I was especially struck by all of the educated, capable,
intelligent Congolese who were giving of their talents and time to be part of
this vision for an improved DRC.<span> </span>It is
very exciting that this whole thing was started and is still run by local
Congolese.<span> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
One of the US Board members, Mary, was there while we were
there – she was our wonderful, helpful, and gracious host.<span> </span>I also really appreciated meeting the two American women who live there full-time, Bethany and Chelsie.<span> </span>There are such beautiful, humble people, who
I look forward to seeing again, since they occasionally come in to Kampala
(their nearest major city).<span> </span>It really
made me appreciate all the conveniences we have here in Kampala when I realized
these women have to drive for 10 hours just to get here so they can get some
chocolate.<span> </span>=)<span> </span>There are NO grocery stores in Beni, which
pretty much means nothing imported.<span> </span>The
only place to shop for food is at the outdoor local market.<span> </span>Now, I’m happy to shop in the local market for
produce, but I still go to the grocery store weekly for things like yogurt,
milk, butter, cheese, bread, apples, pasta, powdered sugar, cat litter, meat,
olive oil, flour, toilet paper, etc.<span>
</span>Since there is NO electrical grid in Beni, everyone runs off of
generators.<span> </span>Petrol (gasoline) is
extremely expensive, so these ladies get three hours of power per night at
their house (fortunately they can use their computers and internet during the
day at the university).<span> </span>Three hours of
power per day = no way you can have a fridge.<span>
</span>Yikes!<span> </span>And they don’t have an
oven at their house.<span> </span>No baking?<span> </span>That’s when I realized I have NO cause to
complain about the few conveniences we’re missing in Kampala!<span> </span>Major props to these ladies for their
willingness to give up Western conveniences to help support this awesome
university!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiej2weE2NGueJ2M0DifsJbblIX8optdDKJX5FOWFfsykWBF9opFHaLFeIwE5aR89UdCv6pvUJdj-mDRaVDl_un9Yjb7Zw1lehR2BNRMRCmeDZ0CW6ei6IjzI15cgB6vo62AAl6XLbTBYZ/s1600/IMG_3965-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="171" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiej2weE2NGueJ2M0DifsJbblIX8optdDKJX5FOWFfsykWBF9opFHaLFeIwE5aR89UdCv6pvUJdj-mDRaVDl_un9Yjb7Zw1lehR2BNRMRCmeDZ0CW6ei6IjzI15cgB6vo62AAl6XLbTBYZ/s400/IMG_3965-001.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The ladies of our trip: Chelsie (CI), Eileen (eMi Volunteer), Mary (CI-USA), me, Lise (eMi Intern), Bethany (CI)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>Brittanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16037368111487088356noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1041907078103907595.post-69560538644720940752012-03-11T06:36:00.000-07:002012-03-11T06:36:07.149-07:00DRC #1: Border Crossing<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I intend to write several blogs about my EMI project trip in
the DRC (Democratic Republic of Congo), but to summarize, it was a wonderful week.<span> </span>As I’ve been telling many people, “Great
ministry.<span> </span>Great team. Amazing trip.”</div>
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<br /></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDjDgNwUUHSKikF8T_ylO6EadSGkYMfMpRfb0_os54PyCwINMGTZzan1TIo088OxfIWQw11BlnQ1ZasTmGBmlbN1O_y_mVwIniQomGOioQYh3g7qIOxooxNW2fGKkDUaTAmsSZMVomqO3D/s1600/DSCN6030.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDjDgNwUUHSKikF8T_ylO6EadSGkYMfMpRfb0_os54PyCwINMGTZzan1TIo088OxfIWQw11BlnQ1ZasTmGBmlbN1O_y_mVwIniQomGOioQYh3g7qIOxooxNW2fGKkDUaTAmsSZMVomqO3D/s200/DSCN6030.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lise & I in the front seat looking sleepy</td></tr>
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We all met up at the EMI office at 5am on Monday February 13
to load up a large safari van.<span> </span>Our team
of 10 took up all 10 of the passenger seats, including a middle seat in the
front, squished between the driver and passenger.<span> </span>This is where I sat, sandwiched between our
friendly driver, Bharuku, and Lise – architectural intern, my mentee, and my
roommate for the trip – while trying to keep my knee from getting in the way of
the gear shift.<span> </span>This seat was obviously
not designed for long-distance travel, as it had very limited padding and zero
lumbar support.<span> </span>Pat was gracious enough
to lend me his inflatable back pillow, which made a huge difference.<span> </span>This one seat’s back also didn’t come up high
enough to rest your head on, so sleeping was out of the question (although I
think I may have actually dozed off a bit because I was so tired).<span> </span>I figured Lise & I would rather cuddle in
the front seat than most other people on our team, and we weren’t suffering
from jet lag like our volunteers were.<span>
</span>=)<span> </span>Lise was also kind enough to
trade off with me part-way through the trip.<span>
</span>Thanks to Bob & Eileen, the married couple, who took the front seat
on the way back.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Robert, Erland, and Pat bright-eyed at the beginning of the trip</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA9bMaJ89MovQrrpUrPAqc6aeQU_YuczR-r003mHK8LYxHdvEy0OJmKfEWDkJI65PbaG4iPqKuhGsOKiSmXBpwAMXnUjvtPh5znl2teDmEaMkyj150D1bviON-A4-WEE1gcX3cUFrtmtph/s1600/DSCN6029-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA9bMaJ89MovQrrpUrPAqc6aeQU_YuczR-r003mHK8LYxHdvEy0OJmKfEWDkJI65PbaG4iPqKuhGsOKiSmXBpwAMXnUjvtPh5znl2teDmEaMkyj150D1bviON-A4-WEE1gcX3cUFrtmtph/s320/DSCN6029-1.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And in the middle of the trip... (honestly not a posed photo!)</td></tr>
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<br />
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One of our volunteers from the US, Tim, did not get his
suitcase before we left Kampala, so Pat loaned him some clothes and we made a
quick shopping stop part-way through our drive for some essentials.<span> </span>Other than that and a couple bathroom breaks,
it was straight on through to the Congo border (about 9 hours).<span> </span>We were all very thankful to our volunteers
who brought lots of snacks to pass around the van.<span> </span>A 2-pound bag of Twizzlers “makes mouths
happy!”</div>
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<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsEQpbJHXzFoGW8V9eg5dn6rbCm9GOjLBVh4O-qdEofYuY4dvnPXGrFDejmPRoZnNNlXPOt9OzhQvdQEfRN6Cf5IC6jnIj8vhVQZkX-e3YhMkxg31UzX_IhwvvVb1IMsAl8D0JU80z2XPo/s1600/DSC_0007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsEQpbJHXzFoGW8V9eg5dn6rbCm9GOjLBVh4O-qdEofYuY4dvnPXGrFDejmPRoZnNNlXPOt9OzhQvdQEfRN6Cf5IC6jnIj8vhVQZkX-e3YhMkxg31UzX_IhwvvVb1IMsAl8D0JU80z2XPo/s320/DSC_0007.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ugandan Border</td></tr>
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The border crossing is right next to an amazing snow-covered
mountain range that juts out of the land and creates part of the border between
Uganda and Congo.<span> </span>Unfortunately, it’s
almost always blocked by clouds and haze, so we only got to see enough to grasp
how impressive it must be when it’s clear.<span>
</span>We spent about 2 hours at the border – it didn’t seem to take a long
time, there were just several stops to make.<span>
</span>First, we all got out and greeted the two Congo Initiative
representatives who had come to meet us.<span>
</span>Then we unloaded all of our things out of our van into their van and
sedan, which would take us on to Beni, where the ministry was located.<span> </span>While we were repacking the vans, everyone’s
passports had to first be taken to Ugandan police office #1 and then Ugandan
police office #2 (no idea why there were 2).<span>
</span>I went into office #2 as the team representative and told the police
officer the profession of each person on the team as she wrote by hand all of
the passport information for each person.<span>
</span>(Three different offices had to write by hand the information about each
of 10 passports…and that was just for the Ugandan side!)<span> </span>This “office” was actually a very small room
built out of scrap boards sitting on the dirt, barely tall enough to stand up
in, with two tables and a bench crammed inside, and the walls of which were
plastered with various calendars advertising guest houses, displaying pictures
of East African presidents and safari animals, and declaring how Gaddafi was
wronged and inhumanely murdered (complete with graphic photos). <span> </span>[On a side note, on the drive, we saw a huge billboard
in a field displaying two photos of the Ugandan president with Gaddafi.] </div>
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<br /></div>
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Next we walked past the security gate into a strange border
“town” inside of “no-man’s land.”<span> </span>It was
technically still Uganda, but you could tell that it had all been built up
based solely on the import/export between Uganda and DRC.<span> </span>(I think almost everything was going from
Uganda into DRC.)<span> </span>We walked past a few
sedans that were being filled to the brink – both in the trunk and in the back
seat – with soda and beer bottles.<span> </span>I
guess you can fit more bottles into a car if you take them out of the cases!<span> </span>At this point, we headed to the actual Ugandan
immigration office. <span> </span>(Why that one stop
wasn’t sufficient beats me … the airports don’t seem to have a problem with it.)<span> </span>Here they checked for everyone’s tourist
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We then piled back into the cars and drove for about 1-2 km
until we got to the DRC border patrol.<span> </span>A
small river with a little bridge marked the official border.<span> </span>As soon as we crossed to the DRC, you could
immediately tell that less money was spent on infrastructure.<span> </span>Immediately the paved road became a black mud
road (I assume the black soil was due to being in a volcanic region).<span> </span>It had been raining, so everything looked
especially muddy and dismal.<span> </span>Our van
reached a final gate, which we passed and then kept on driving.<span> </span>Mary, an American on the US board of the Congo
Initiative (CI), was in the van with us and asked our driver if we were
supposed to stop.<span> </span>He didn’t think we
were supposed to, and we were starting to get puzzled about why we didn’t have
to stop at DRC Immigration, which we had heard might take a while.<span> </span>We were starting to think we were super lucky
until a couple border patrol cops on motorcycles pulled us over and yelled at
us for trying to run the border!<span> </span>=D<span> </span>haha, whoops!<span>
</span>They asked for our passports, which we didn’t even have with us because
they were in the other car with three of our volunteers and another CI rep.<span> </span>We drove back to the immigration office and
waded across the black mud, grateful for another bathroom stop while we
waited.<span> </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWni25RPUSeWKvTvj6vVStgtuqLIfkOA5L1lIbxkWDIFM51dEm_o8lqleOLkKR6FOLMQnP4UZBYhhTiNW5DGW_lmQI9nmmI1IMnvu4QE3fBgKzVt-nYB4FRclQRnN7fFV1uHJDypaxENBf/s1600/DSC_0010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWni25RPUSeWKvTvj6vVStgtuqLIfkOA5L1lIbxkWDIFM51dEm_o8lqleOLkKR6FOLMQnP4UZBYhhTiNW5DGW_lmQI9nmmI1IMnvu4QE3fBgKzVt-nYB4FRclQRnN7fFV1uHJDypaxENBf/s320/DSC_0010.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">DRC Immigration Office</td></tr>
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They asked for two representatives of the group, so I went
in with Lise, who – what a blessing – speaks an amazing amount of French!<span> </span>[The eastern DRC primarily speaks French
& Swahili, the latter of which I was happy to practice while I was
there.]<span> </span>The officials started to tell
stubborn me and slightly-nervous Lise that she and Erland (our civil
engineering intern) did not have valid visas and would have to return to
Uganda.<span> </span>Now, I DID know this was coming,
but I didn’t think to warn Lise before they started telling her all of this in
French.<span> </span>I think she was worried for a
bit that they actually might not let her in.<span>
</span>The problem was that we all had to get Congolese visas in our passports
ahead of time, and for the five of us living in Uganda, we got them from the
Congolese Embassy in Kampala.<span>
</span>Apparently, although the Embassy in Kampala has no problem taking our
money and issuing us visas, the DRC border folks insist that the visa needs to
be from the Embassy in your home country.<span>
</span>Well, we didn’t know this until it was too late, so we just prayed and
knew that it might take a while, but they’d eventually let us in.<span> </span>Pat, Robert, and I were fine because we have
work permits in Uganda, but Lise & Erland don’t, so we had to explain that
they ARE residents, but when you are a resident for less than 5 months, Uganda
doesn’t require you to get a work permit.<span>
</span>This is true, but I don’t think the border guys really cared about my
argument.<span> </span>Like most immigration
officials, we needed to let them assert their authority for a while, ask
forgiveness and mercy for a while, wait a while, and then we were given the
green light.</div>
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<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSrib3I_5hwbl7iKoLqBw65tR-hvaGxH4dtJKBtrA0579BIPXJkqgl4t_FKGeuJHTLLxLCFuHfMDDvntc44Idberefs-yuztCeIFWVWABPAKeRg86-EQeSqFFghvh5NSdtrU2MX-faKwvs/s1600/DSC_0013.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSrib3I_5hwbl7iKoLqBw65tR-hvaGxH4dtJKBtrA0579BIPXJkqgl4t_FKGeuJHTLLxLCFuHfMDDvntc44Idberefs-yuztCeIFWVWABPAKeRg86-EQeSqFFghvh5NSdtrU2MX-faKwvs/s320/DSC_0013.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">DRC Road</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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After all of that, now came the intense part!<span> </span>The DRC apparently has VERY FEW paved
roads.<span> </span>The country itself is almost 1/3
the size of the continental US, and various reports indicate that it has only
50-500 km of paved roads in the whole country.<span>
</span>So this somewhat-main road leading from the Ugandan border to a paved
road linking the major Eastern towns was NOT paved.<span> </span>It was a rather wide and somewhat-well-maintained
“thoroughfare” but extremely bumpy nonetheless.<span>
</span>The bumpiness was added to the fact that most drivers take it at what
feels like break-neck speed in order for the 50-mile trip to “only” take 2-2.5
hours.<span> </span>This combined for a crazy ride
that was most-often compared to rally car racing.<span> </span>I also did know this was coming, so I had
taken half a Dramamine, and I steadfastly stared at the road ahead of me, but I
was still feeling somewhat nauseous by the end. <span> </span>(I took a full Dramamine and opted for the
sedan on the way back.)<span> </span>There were also
a couple of harrowing bridge crossings, one that involved a slight skid and a
quick flash of death through some of our minds.<span>
</span>=)<span> </span>Lise’s fingers became numb
about halfway through the trip and she finally “tossed her cookies,” as my
friend Janet would say, when we were just 5 minutes from the guest house.<span> </span>=(<span> </span>But
we all finally made it safe and sound (well, sound-ish).<span> </span>We were very thankful for God’s protection on
many dangerous roads!</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpHBgmJeLj4aP8LfGANQsvHZ-68Unf6t4WRdc1JPQu-MZP-5znfMJjHKwNQ1lttVD1eniIzq887gyxM9CHH9Zbha8pC5eVvmwY-TSH0IwojwdlW9J6aKXvWMoFBMgbgcThv5YzcNDSynbS/s1600/IMG_3400.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpHBgmJeLj4aP8LfGANQsvHZ-68Unf6t4WRdc1JPQu-MZP-5znfMJjHKwNQ1lttVD1eniIzq887gyxM9CHH9Zbha8pC5eVvmwY-TSH0IwojwdlW9J6aKXvWMoFBMgbgcThv5YzcNDSynbS/s320/IMG_3400.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kids gathering as we stopped along the road</td></tr>
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Along the road, when we were blessed with an occasional
slowing down or stopping, we noticed that we were surrounded by beautiful,
lush, green jungle.<span> </span>It is quite a
beautiful country.<span> </span>Uganda is known for
being green, but eastern DRC made Uganda seem brown in comparison.<span> </span>We arrived at the end of the dry season, so I
would expect everything to be dried but, but everything still seemed very
green.<span> </span>I would have thought it was the
middle of rainy season!<span> </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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[On a separate note, I had the flu and stayed home all last
weekend.<span> </span>It wasn’t too bad; I just felt
crummy and tired.<span> </span>I’m actually quite
impressed that this is the first time I’ve really been very sick since moving
to Uganda two years ago!<span> </span>My cat kept me
company, and several friends graciously offered to bring me anything I needed.<span> </span>I’m thankful for a supportive community!]</div>Brittanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16037368111487088356noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1041907078103907595.post-10703844151431073172012-02-12T12:02:00.000-08:002012-02-12T12:02:01.082-08:00DRC<br />
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Well, at this point, I’m only going to get 4.5 hours of
sleep, so I’ll make this very brief. I’m
leaving early tomorrow morning for an EMI project trip in eastern DRC
(Democratic Republic of Congo). We’re
designing sustainable electrical, water, and wastewater systems for a 100-acre
campus that houses a university and other ministry centers. (The campus is off-grid and needs a plan to serve
a campus of what may become 2000-3000 people!)
The ministry is the Congo Initiative, which was started by several
Congolese community and church leaders who came together several years ago to
ask how the church could be working to help improve the future of the DRC. Their plan: a university and other training
centers to help raise up and train future indigenous leaders to make a
difference! Please pray for safety as we
drive 12 hours to reach our site and will be in a relatively unstable region
once we get there. The whole team of 10
just got together today for the first time, and I’m really excited for this
project and the great team that God has brought together!</div>Brittanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16037368111487088356noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1041907078103907595.post-35239125062599116612012-02-04T08:47:00.000-08:002012-02-04T08:47:09.295-08:00The PFLOGHD Blog<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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(Blog title courtesy of my friend Kate … if you say it right,
“PFLOGHD Blog” sort of rhymes.)</div>
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<br /></div>
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<i>“Oh!<span> </span>I need to order pizza tomorrow!” I exclaimed
to Heather as we were volunteering together on Wednesday afternoon.</i></div>
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<i>“Why?” she asked, a
little startled at my sudden, excited outburst.</i></div>
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<i>“It’s Groundhogs Day!!”
I replied, figuring that explained the whole matter.</i></div>
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<i>“So…?<span> </span>What does that have to do with pizza?”</i></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0hp50rwwIDOAON5XDwh7e9qOGxELpDNcBgWeBkI7L6ATf_-oK5rJ601gEC5MiTJtDTqa4Ve62kmmU3ae54WSccnQ4V5aDMBCdFjnNDjNrebF4dUl9FdCVTgnp41LIH5hZ9zipJMyAP0u8/s1600/PFLOGHD+Society+Mascot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0hp50rwwIDOAON5XDwh7e9qOGxELpDNcBgWeBkI7L6ATf_-oK5rJ601gEC5MiTJtDTqa4Ve62kmmU3ae54WSccnQ4V5aDMBCdFjnNDjNrebF4dUl9FdCVTgnp41LIH5hZ9zipJMyAP0u8/s200/PFLOGHD+Society+Mascot.jpg" width="193" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">PFLOGHD Society Mascot</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Well, it has EVERYTHING to do with pizza … at least to me,
my dad, and a dozen or so other people.
See, my dad started his own personal tradition way back when to eat
pizza for lunch on Groundhog Day </span><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<![endif]--><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">(which
I always incorrectly call “Groundhogs Day”).<span></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> He</span> decided
it was such a great tradition that he formed the “Pizza For Lunch On GroundHog
Day Society,” aka the PFLOGHD Society.<span>
</span>This is a great society to join.<span>
</span>All you have to do to be a member: eat pizza on Groundhog Day*.<span> </span>Over the years, my dad and I have each
celebrated this <span style="font-family: inherit;">holiday with various friends and at different work places, such
that some of these people will occasionally let us know th</span>at they still eat
pizza on Groundhog Day. =)</div>
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<br /></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmEVw6OS6MWCYTQt0u7JRzx2fd3qKYOZFzHF9ZflXw4n9YrJVMhuhYspnWO9E3ufG1RmNbZ0U9XVUMjXbNR0MJa-RQ8NJH8FQeFhosC6QZ2zmvX_Liak1pPk2qZMY5wdfnIopyK6BUFvAv/s1600/PFLOGHD-Uganda+2012.JPG" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="174" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmEVw6OS6MWCYTQt0u7JRzx2fd3qKYOZFzHF9ZflXw4n9YrJVMhuhYspnWO9E3ufG1RmNbZ0U9XVUMjXbNR0MJa-RQ8NJH8FQeFhosC6QZ2zmvX_Liak1pPk2qZMY5wdfnIopyK6BUFvAv/s200/PFLOGHD-Uganda+2012.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ugandan Pizza</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUtLnshyCkb8BLGezCqAstO8SeHVTCaerXxsbcCQWxrwTGD8QHG7JMEzl2-r81mZorWdN6kFbOqOZigKxRfWyPkGaqNnZBhKwrKEG5EW6zKQV1S4bWIeNa3wS4A0WdJYoTNl_AcqlWc3ue/s1600/PFLOGHD-2012+Small+Group.JPG" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="222" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUtLnshyCkb8BLGezCqAstO8SeHVTCaerXxsbcCQWxrwTGD8QHG7JMEzl2-r81mZorWdN6kFbOqOZigKxRfWyPkGaqNnZBhKwrKEG5EW6zKQV1S4bWIeNa3wS4A0WdJYoTNl_AcqlWc3ue/s320/PFLOGHD-2012+Small+Group.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some of My Small Group Enjoying Pizza</td></tr>
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I had Bible Study on Thursday night, so I decided to celebrate the
holiday by ordering pizza for everyone for dinner.<span> </span>Yes, fortunately you can still order pizza
here.<span> </span>They’ll even deliver, although I
decided to go pick it up this time (using a motorcycle taxi) since I didn’t
want to try to explain where my Bible Study was located (they don’t really use
addresses here).<span> </span>We didn’t technically
have pizza for lunch, but in my defense, it was lunch time in the US!<span> </span>Everyone in my Bible Study was very happy to
hear about and participate in the tradition.<span>
</span>It’s a great tradition to invite others into.<span> </span>You, too, could join us next Feb 2 by eating
pizza!<span> </span>In fact, I even heard that the
interns happened to make their own pizza for dinner on Thursday as well!<span> </span>Coincidence?<span>
</span>I think not…. Somewhere deep down inside, they must have felt the subconscious
draw to join the society....</div>
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*For those of you not familiar with Groundhog Day, it is a
peculiar little unofficial holiday celebrated in the US on Feb 2.<span> </span>Tradition says that when a groundhog comes
out of his burrow on Feb 2, if he sees his shadow, he gets scared and runs
back inside, and there will be 6 more weeks of winter.<span> </span>If he doesn’t see his shadow, then spring
will come early.<span> </span>According to Wikipedia,
it began as a Pennsylvania German custom in the 18<sup>th</sup> century, with its
origins in “ancient European weather lore.” <span> </span>There is a groundhog in Punxsutawney,
Pennsylvania named Punxsutawney Phil.<span> </span>Since
1886, large Groundhog Day celebrations have taken place here, with Phil generally
regarded as the official Groundhog Day groundhog.<span> </span>A groundhog is apparently a type of marmot,
the same thing as a woodchuck, and basically a giant, fat squirrel with no tail
… not to be confused with the rock hyrax, whose closest relatives are the
elephant and manatee … go figure.</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi79l2I25eRmGqhnoInZ-HN1IV8dUx72bO5dEmT9DIHGFelo1lB1S82d83WgUEF8b0pDaNxI6mXKgY_6beriaAW_PBGiWctl_Xdq_MaHUTFmiflue5ihtnCF43x0Izt-_L2mRpGLT-9VOwZ/s1600/Groundhog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="132" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi79l2I25eRmGqhnoInZ-HN1IV8dUx72bO5dEmT9DIHGFelo1lB1S82d83WgUEF8b0pDaNxI6mXKgY_6beriaAW_PBGiWctl_Xdq_MaHUTFmiflue5ihtnCF43x0Izt-_L2mRpGLT-9VOwZ/s200/Groundhog.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Groundhog</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5-sD3owLMw-xhqbbLrSRx96AF3a0r6aT0y3ymOqnnhXaxLWHkJWplVirKy3q1ig36G4e9Wl_ep9Sz_s23YpMdZIN0b8W5GsydCsysMqQKXWAc26XIMfBk3iaDIMUASQS-Vkdf5u_eUlqP/s1600/Rock+Hyrax.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5-sD3owLMw-xhqbbLrSRx96AF3a0r6aT0y3ymOqnnhXaxLWHkJWplVirKy3q1ig36G4e9Wl_ep9Sz_s23YpMdZIN0b8W5GsydCsysMqQKXWAc26XIMfBk3iaDIMUASQS-Vkdf5u_eUlqP/s1600/Rock+Hyrax.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rock Hyrax</td></tr>
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<br /></div>Brittanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16037368111487088356noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1041907078103907595.post-42487055459397011422012-01-25T10:05:00.001-08:002012-01-25T10:05:54.250-08:00Parrot SightingI'm so embarrased that it's been 3 months since my last post! How
did that happen? Almost every weekend I tell myself I'm going to write a
great post, and then I run out of time or simply don't feel like doing
it. Honestly I think part of it is feeling this pressure to produce
something substantive, high quality, and entertaining. Well, in order
to get myself posting again, I've been telling myself that I just need
to write short entries about anything whatsoever that comes to mind.
So, since I was thinking about it, and since I happened to be online
(looking up the equivalent of dry to canned beans), here goes:<br />
<br />
I saw a parrot today. <br />
<br />
Yep,
that's it. Actually, I saw two! I had heard mention of the occasional
parrot sighting around here (I think they're African Grey Parrots), but
wasn't sure I really bought it, or at least I assumed I'd never see
them. Well, this morning, there was some sort of pounding/tapping
outside my apartment. I ignored it for a while, since those types of
unidentified noises are fairly common around here. But it continued, so
I went in search of noise, partially out of curiosity and partially out
of concern that my cat may be destroying something in my apartment. I
found my cat sitting on my guest room window sill, staring intently up
and to the side. I followed her gaze and saw that there was some sort
of bird sitting on the gutter of the roof overhang above my window.
This is also a very normal occurrence, but for some reason I kept
looking, and then I realized that I was looking at the face of a parrot
leaning over the side of the gutter! The rear end that was sticking out
about a foot away obviously could not have come from the same bird, so I
realized that there were two. Eventually both stuck their faces out
over the edge, providing me with a very nice (albeit leaning over,
angled, obstructed by screen and bars) view of two parrot heads! It was
so neat! I would have taken a picture if I thought there was any way
that that was possible. I watched for a little bit while my cat
continued her "I can take them!" stance, then went back to getting ready
for work. The end.Brittanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16037368111487088356noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1041907078103907595.post-19236648720966105782011-10-30T07:13:00.000-07:002011-10-30T07:13:33.724-07:00Tenant Meeting<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
I attended my first tenants’ meeting on Saturday.<span> </span>Our landlady called a meeting, requesting a
representative from each of the 13 units in my compound.<span> </span>I was looking forward to this chance to not
only meet some more of my neighbors but also to meet my landlady for the first
time.<span> </span>I’m the only North American in my
compound, but there is one Indian family and what I think is an Italian father
and son, and I believe that several African countries are represented.<span> </span>It was quite an interesting snapshot of local
culture, particularly the time aspect:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The meeting was set for 9am.<span>
</span>Being Uganda, I knew it wouldn’t start on time, so I casually started to
head out of my apartment at 9:05.<span>
</span>(Ha!)<span> </span>Fortunately, I was smart
enough to first look out my windows to see if anyone else had gathered.<span> </span>There was the house manager standing by a
stack of chairs.<span> </span>No one else was around
and the chairs hadn’t even been unstacked yet, so I figured I should wait
longer.<span> </span>Around 9:20, I started feeling
guilty for purposefully being late, so I decided to head down in case my
appearance would magically initiate the gathering.<span> </span>Or I thought I could at least help to unstack
the chairs.<span> </span>Just as I headed down, the
house manager set out the chairs in a semi-circle in the shade, so I just
chatted with her for a few minutes.<span> </span>It
was pretty obvious that no one else would be there for a while, and she went
off to talk to someone, so I decided to go back to my apartment to kill some
more time.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I completed random chores around my apartment until about
9:45, by which time 2 other women had gathered.<span>
</span>I figured it was a good opportunity to get to know my neighbors a little
better, so I headed down.<span> </span>It was funny
how people kept telling me “You know, Ugandans don’t know how to keep time” in
an apologetic way.<span> </span>But it was nice to
get to know a couple of my neighbors a little better.<span> </span>It turns out that the single woman across the
hall from me is actually an electrical engineer, so I told her about EMI and
that we’re always looking for volunteers for our design projects.<span> </span>Another lady told me about how she had been
cheated out of more than $100 by some respectable-looking people who had
offered her a ride!<span> </span>After chatting for
quite a while, and having no one else show up, I finally decided to go back to
my apartment to do my dishes, in the hopes that at least the landlady herself
might show up by the time I was done.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The landlady finally arrived to her 9am meeting around
10:15, and by the time I got downstairs, almost everyone had arrived.<span> </span>We started the meeting a little before 10:30,
but it was nice and succinct and so was over by 11:15.<span> </span>It was a good chance to voice our concerns
about the apartment (particularly the night guards who often sleep while on
duty).<span> </span>I also got to recommend the
plumber that EMI uses since the plumbers the landlady had been using didn’t
seem to be doing a very good job.<span> </span>It’s
always nice to be able to refer dependable people to more work opportunities.<span> </span>There were also various concerns voiced about
no lightening rod on the 3-story building, too many flies and cockroaches
(fortunately they don’t make it up to my 3<sup>rd</sup> floor much), noisy
neighbors, security gates that don’t close/open well, and the need for more
laundry clothes lines (as well as the reminder/appeal to return any clothes
that you take off the communal line and later realize are not yours).<span> </span>It was pretty fun to realize that I’m part of
such a community.<span> </span>I haven’t gotten to
know my neighbors as quickly as I had hoped, but I do feel like it’s coming
“slowly by slowly,” as they say here.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The rest of my Saturday was spent having a relaxed, scenic lunch
with a few friends, getting pedicures together, a mad dash through the
on-coming afternoon downpour, banana bread baking, dinner, and watching a Batman
DVD.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In other news, I found out Friday that my work permit had
been approved!<span> </span>I am so thankful.<span> </span>For those who didn’t know, I applied back in
January, it was denied in July, I appealed in September, and 9 months later it
has finally come through!<span> </span>It’ll be
another 2 weeks or so until I actually get it in my passport, but at least I
know that it’s been approved! </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
On Tuesday, the EMI women took Paula out for her birthday,
since her husband was out of the country on a project trip (note the beautiful background scenery):</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXeHdpYF49KZL-BLEiXCXiHCyMV0kqSFywAEcQgj0LXUfNmq1vV2R1nyzVgPG6EH2Ckl_R4JsLIT1DKQl_KF7Va1nlAsFefyI8aHPQYbKzRQrzL6hNOga70aaG_dN9LTVfCvEeZt0YjB7K/s1600/DSC01771.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXeHdpYF49KZL-BLEiXCXiHCyMV0kqSFywAEcQgj0LXUfNmq1vV2R1nyzVgPG6EH2Ckl_R4JsLIT1DKQl_KF7Va1nlAsFefyI8aHPQYbKzRQrzL6hNOga70aaG_dN9LTVfCvEeZt0YjB7K/s400/DSC01771.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>Brittanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16037368111487088356noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1041907078103907595.post-50931293735588939532011-10-13T10:59:00.000-07:002011-10-13T10:59:23.291-07:00Let me out!<span style="font-family: inherit;">Last Monday morning I had quite the unexpected adventure. I got stuck in my bathroom for an hour and a half! Thankfully Sarah, a new EMI staff member, is staying with me while she finds a place of her own. I’m so thankful that she was home – otherwise, who knows how long I would have been stuck in there!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyGR2q04seGEnRb3Ey3QipocrPpDzeNLLuVhGU751jEaStK1Bzz9ipSOKF4N5DHkNW1JPVjwYuv0gGhveUcrrAkY_PJI06EtwD2oYQ02grutXar375ox8itV84zPqcZ4teLYjE4FJ6dIkp/s1600/Handle+Parts.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyGR2q04seGEnRb3Ey3QipocrPpDzeNLLuVhGU751jEaStK1Bzz9ipSOKF4N5DHkNW1JPVjwYuv0gGhveUcrrAkY_PJI06EtwD2oYQ02grutXar375ox8itV84zPqcZ4teLYjE4FJ6dIkp/s200/Handle+Parts.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bathroom door handle, after my escape</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I never had any problems with the door handle before, but all of a sudden the mechanism that causes the “tongue” on the side of the door to pull in when you turn the door handle stopped working. I could turn the handle just fine, but it had no effect on that tongue (I’m sure it has a better name) that holds the door closed. At first I thought Sarah could free me by turning the handle on the outside. When that didn’t work, I suggested the credit card trick (she tried to manually open it with a butter knife), but the door jam configuration wouldn’t allow that. So she slid the butter knife under the door to me, and I tried to push the tongue in with the butter knife, but it wouldn’t budge. Next Sarah tried to unscrew the outside of the door handle, but that didn’t reveal much of its inner workings. Unfortunately the door was so low to the ground that all we could slide underneath was the butter knife. It was a good thing I had a handy-dandy Leatherman-type device, of which we used several tools in the attempt at my freedom.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">FORTUNATELY, all of the interior doors in my apartment have this large, screened opening above them which is meant to facilitate circulation throughout the apartment. So Sarah climbed up on my handy-dandy step ladder, cut away the corner off the screen, and handed me the utility tool. I then removed the door handle from my side of the door, revealing an equal amount of unhelpfulness, except that I now had a peep hole to the outside world. At this point, the whole thing was getting pretty ridiculous. Sarah’s next suggestion was to try to remove the pin from the door hinges. Unfortunately, the pin seemed to have a cap at both the top AND the bottom. I still haven’t figured out exactly how they work, but we figured you should be able to pry one or both of the heads off in order to free the pin. Unfortunately, I couldn’t get them to budge with either a flat-head screw driver or a paring knife. It was at this point that I finally started calling for help. I called Maggie, my next door neighbor and our office “granny,” to see if she knew of anyone who might know how Ugandan hinges worked. I called my landlady, asking if she could get in touch with her carpenter to find out how the hinges worked. I called Robert, another EMI friend, who I knew had removed a door in his house to see if HE knew how these hinges worked. Unfortunately, no one seemed to know what I was talking about (I guess they are unusual even here), but there were several promises to pursue help. Meanwhile, I allowed Sarah to go get ready for work while I tried my best to pry the heads off the hinge pins. </span><br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBRMZlMnx62pX6acta1GkB1_mfVZzEoodPFkBUmvEKSW4V-BLGpx7_8W0Nm61GLZw-qtMtuHI0vvhWkGEVWcmWnapH-4ZhHyIlUH3mfzBK-i_mQEkhMF_XkVi82fX5vSoZyudMVJNwIGmJ/s1600/Post-Handle.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBRMZlMnx62pX6acta1GkB1_mfVZzEoodPFkBUmvEKSW4V-BLGpx7_8W0Nm61GLZw-qtMtuHI0vvhWkGEVWcmWnapH-4ZhHyIlUH3mfzBK-i_mQEkhMF_XkVi82fX5vSoZyudMVJNwIGmJ/s200/Post-Handle.JPG" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bathroom door, after escape</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">It was around this time that I started thinking about those people on TV who are kidnapped and then dig their way out with their fingernails. And here I had a utility tool, a paring knife, and a small framing hammer – surely I could escape! Then I started to consider whether I could crawl out the bathroom window (my apartment is on the 3rd floor) and somehow leap over to my back balcony which is only a couple feet from the window. After entertaining this thought for a few minutes, I realized that would be impossible since there are wrought-iron security bars welded onto all my windows – duh! We did entertain the idea of me somehow getting up to, through, and then down again from the opening over the door, but there was still the fact that the bathroom door would need to be opened at some point. If there was no other way to get the door open, then we might as well go at it with a sledge hammer or machete or something. (I later pondered whether I would have been able to kick my way through the door if no one else had been home….it’s only made of thin particle board, so I think I could have done it if needed.) =) </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrH9tijeabZdaIVCW9GwEoMXzlO7pfNEJh8D1z5GXk1oUBmbBpyC0q5B8CKmEavcGODhs0P_GQ5lsolpSfSh_ii9DkAxFYtjzfHK_N-CdYlRnOflqTPCEG5vBtg6__k7Y4ilBRD_eU6UCE/s1600/Door+Jam.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrH9tijeabZdaIVCW9GwEoMXzlO7pfNEJh8D1z5GXk1oUBmbBpyC0q5B8CKmEavcGODhs0P_GQ5lsolpSfSh_ii9DkAxFYtjzfHK_N-CdYlRnOflqTPCEG5vBtg6__k7Y4ilBRD_eU6UCE/s200/Door+Jam.JPG" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Door jam, carved hole, broken metal</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Finally help arrived in the form of Stephen, the head of security at EMI. Everyone’s first instinct was to try to pick the lock. I had to assure different people several times that I had a key on the inside with me and that the door was not locked. Stephen came up with the idea of cutting the hinges off with a saw (destroying the hinges, but saving the door), so he went back to EMI to get the saw. Robert returned with Stephen per my request, in case he was able to offer any help, but by the time they had returned, my landlady and a carpenter of some sort had arrived. They tried wiggling and forcing the door for a while, but after they realized that would not work, the man climbed the step ladder, punched out the screen, and then crawled through the opening over the door, feet first – quite an awkward, yet rather impressive feat considering he had nothing to step onto on the other side. He tried the butter knife (with more vigor than I had) for a while and then the saw, but at the end of the day, the only solution was to chip away a hole in the door jam to free the “tongue” and allow the door to be forced open from the outside, twisting the thin piece of metal holding the tongue in place. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV9-ZUZPejAsUGkqVJuZruLK2QTE0QajR7SDQgSDbEbpBz7s-JSqYoVeXtz3JQUKWl46jRahxAcABOaYubuofJY3ei_c8MCETF-csFLoq0kIehlMN3WW_-kp3JLJv80DXWZLqmSivTPevU/s1600/Rescuers1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV9-ZUZPejAsUGkqVJuZruLK2QTE0QajR7SDQgSDbEbpBz7s-JSqYoVeXtz3JQUKWl46jRahxAcABOaYubuofJY3ei_c8MCETF-csFLoq0kIehlMN3WW_-kp3JLJv80DXWZLqmSivTPevU/s320/Rescuers1.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some of my rescuers; Note the emergency egress over the door</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I was very grateful for all of my rescuers – all 5 of them. =) By the time I got out, I had been stuck for 1.5 hours! Understandably, Sarah and I were allowed to come into work late that morning. I never felt too anxious about being stuck in the bathroom since I knew I would eventually get out somehow, even if it was by breaking down the door, and because I knew that at least people knew where I was and were working on getting me out. I began to wonder how long it would have been before someone would have come to check on me if I had been by myself. Work starts at 8:30, so I’m sure someone would have called me by 9 to see where I was. But since I didn’t have my phone, would they have thought my battery had died or I was busy doing some volunteer activity in the community? How worried would they have to get before someone actually came over to my apartment to knock on my door? Fortunately, I think they could have heard me yell if they did come to my door. I also wondered if anyone would have heard me or thought anything of it if I had yelled for help out my bathroom window. Since I got stuck at 7am, I’m sure I would have been there for several more hours if I had been home alone. I feel like it was an answer to an unanticipated prayer that Sarah had NOT yet found an apartment of her own and was there to facilitate my rescue. =) Interestingly, the very next day she DID find a place to live, although she still hasn’t been able to move into it yet.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Now, I wonder if I should take my cell phone into the bathroom with me whenever I’m home by myself….</span>Brittanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16037368111487088356noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1041907078103907595.post-13450250963118701302011-09-10T08:26:00.000-07:002011-09-10T08:26:30.550-07:00Building Relationships through ReadingI continue to visit to my friend's small shop most Saturdays in order to read books to the local kids. Last year, an EMI intern did this every Saturday around the same time, so he developed quite a following of kids who would expect him. This year, I've been doing it much more informally and sporadically, so I usually just read to my friend's kids, Jordan & Janet, and perhaps 2-4 others who gather around. Today, I arrived around 4:30, and Jordan & Janet were taking a nap, and no other kids were hanging around the shop, so I thought I'd just be leaving right away. But their auntie decided to wake up the kids, so I read a few books to them. Before I knew it, I was surrounded by a small mob of 2-8-year-olds. It's the biggest crowd of kids I've read to since the formal Saturday readings of last year ended. It was fun, although a bit chaotic. Jordan, who's in 2nd grade, even read them a book! <br />
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I feel bad for the kids because most of them can't understand what I'm reading most of the time anyway, so they lose focus quickly. But they did seem to enjoy the occasion - maybe it was just the novelty of hanging out with a "mzungu." They definitely enjoy the more-interactive or rhythmic books. I found a book of babies dressed up as different insects - they thought that was pretty funny. Then I was sure to end with what has probably become their favorite: a Veggie Tales book, throughout which I attempt to do all the funny voices of the different characters. The book ends with "Toodle-doo!" so as we departed, we all waved goodbye saying "toodle-doo" over and over. =) The large crowd and general enthusiasm from the kids was a good encouragement. At first, I didn't really feel like going today, but I'm really glad I did. It was a good reminder of how, even though it takes more energy for me (spreadsheets come a lot more naturally), I do really enjoy building relationships here.Brittanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16037368111487088356noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1041907078103907595.post-12994848088436094882011-08-02T14:51:00.000-07:002011-08-02T14:51:32.241-07:00ZANZIBAR!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiNYBVIs3F9f9kOVnOa-tqa6jXWnuysXtbaa-B6OHIMsJaOG7SS6q0Yex0jtR9F5iAc7MAqgZE4dBdpVyiozSjcdCMSamGbNh1pO-CssuOmX79KVnHNS1b8eFoAU8yNMbUPqETsSuSt-WI/s1600/Lipstick+Fruit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg9RTxTZ0-UQ7vfZ62NwinOxnxOKyUWRiMWBtBN392cSFdz9Ts9H_iJRjBSbdG2r23A9TIo_GQ6ldddEIW4UxIIwRn8v4V32UOXNEI8XD9TZJJlywSWQL23TxLyKEesPwVRVU31pV6yJfm/s1600/IMG_3220.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg9RTxTZ0-UQ7vfZ62NwinOxnxOKyUWRiMWBtBN392cSFdz9Ts9H_iJRjBSbdG2r23A9TIo_GQ6ldddEIW4UxIIwRn8v4V32UOXNEI8XD9TZJJlywSWQL23TxLyKEesPwVRVU31pV6yJfm/s200/IMG_3220.JPG" width="200" /></a>My mom visited me for 2.5 weeks in July. To celebrate my big 3-0, we went to Zanzibar! If you are like me, you may have heard of it, and may even have a vague impression of tropical beaches, but you have no idea where it is. Apparently it’s an island (or group of islands, really) off the coast of Tanzania. Like most of East Africa, it was once a British colony, but interestingly, was ruled simultaneously by Sultans from Oman. It has a very complex mix of cultures from East Africa, the Middle East, and India. It is now a part of Tanzania and is known for its former spice trade and slave trade and its current architecture and beautiful white sand beaches.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3XHlBdiePcnpf-uxEyycgIPQ4-pIgbXXmtCt8deDSNsqoJW896WEiF6lqBdrnSCrrwYxNBFhlwdnj_r7tAr2u_xITZsnsCeDIIh9yyOXGJeeQumsVHIDExpivshnKf3MPYjzjvXD4PMcX/s1600/IMG_3131-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="149" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3XHlBdiePcnpf-uxEyycgIPQ4-pIgbXXmtCt8deDSNsqoJW896WEiF6lqBdrnSCrrwYxNBFhlwdnj_r7tAr2u_xITZsnsCeDIIh9yyOXGJeeQumsVHIDExpivshnKf3MPYjzjvXD4PMcX/s200/IMG_3131-1.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Evelyne and I</td></tr>
</tbody></table><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3XHlBdiePcnpf-uxEyycgIPQ4-pIgbXXmtCt8deDSNsqoJW896WEiF6lqBdrnSCrrwYxNBFhlwdnj_r7tAr2u_xITZsnsCeDIIh9yyOXGJeeQumsVHIDExpivshnKf3MPYjzjvXD4PMcX/s1600/IMG_3131-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3XHlBdiePcnpf-uxEyycgIPQ4-pIgbXXmtCt8deDSNsqoJW896WEiF6lqBdrnSCrrwYxNBFhlwdnj_r7tAr2u_xITZsnsCeDIIh9yyOXGJeeQumsVHIDExpivshnKf3MPYjzjvXD4PMcX/s1600/IMG_3131-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a>On the way to Zanzibar (we flew), we arranged for an 8 hour layover in Nairobi so that we could get out into the city and visit with a friend of ours. Our 8 hour layover turned into almost 10, but we eventually made it with no mishaps to Zanzibar. Fortunately our hotel was only about 10 minutes from the small airport, as we were pretty tired by the time we got in. <br />
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My mom and I aren’t really the “stay in an exclusive resort and sit on the beach all day” type people, so we stayed in “Stone Town” or Old Zanzibar Town at a cute “boutique hotel” which had only 9 rooms. It was like a large old 4-story house divided into big rooms and outfitted with Zanzibar-ian crafts and antiques.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJjc56u_phIoGpnQPSVrZe3e5iP2sS65CWueFdFkPoEInuZngxrBXMkhYUI8oU9f3ZWPRXLDyvwxtpKbFIfrlQMEansk-EcQsX_T6xnJJ4eS94DFwdIfAVEhv2OgRvrjg5MqDSqeQCuQnd/s1600/IMG_3250.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJjc56u_phIoGpnQPSVrZe3e5iP2sS65CWueFdFkPoEInuZngxrBXMkhYUI8oU9f3ZWPRXLDyvwxtpKbFIfrlQMEansk-EcQsX_T6xnJJ4eS94DFwdIfAVEhv2OgRvrjg5MqDSqeQCuQnd/s200/IMG_3250.JPG" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Traditional lamps in our hotel</td></tr>
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<div style="text-align: left;"></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyvFOs5JTeIyNOCMLiV_gEGMT2PFbc1zk-NMS4JAy6dxIBXT9HrSMSnhX3QSpxQ5tq_rIBCtxbHxtRXxqbWwMXLOE-Xtg1cW6VIOVeo17dnHXnly1HJBYr8HE7DLQU53WHsK1s-PeaC3un/s1600/IMG_3235.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyvFOs5JTeIyNOCMLiV_gEGMT2PFbc1zk-NMS4JAy6dxIBXT9HrSMSnhX3QSpxQ5tq_rIBCtxbHxtRXxqbWwMXLOE-Xtg1cW6VIOVeo17dnHXnly1HJBYr8HE7DLQU53WHsK1s-PeaC3un/s320/IMG_3235.JPG" width="320" /></a>The first day, we explored Stone Town and shopped for gifts to bring back. It was interesting that while there were some similarities to Uganda, Zanzibar definitely has that island-type feel. Stone Town is kind of like triangle, bordered on 2 sides by water. It was wonderful to walk along the harbor (the swimming beaches are not at Stone Town) and feel the strong sea breeze (for which we were very grateful, considering the heat). The architecture of Stone Town is famous, especially the carved wooden doors.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3fNGhTyx0m-QtEq3VUIYEPI7RHOJ9d3-axb1kTqGjvvafZ1Nk6X1jTMKh48SB2r-NniM4OMj8bHen1_0mLWewrT3QB6xzAuK77CheornZuAtp2bmJi87SVCnmILbvC4p2az67G8XnhSPZ/s1600/IMG_3144.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3fNGhTyx0m-QtEq3VUIYEPI7RHOJ9d3-axb1kTqGjvvafZ1Nk6X1jTMKh48SB2r-NniM4OMj8bHen1_0mLWewrT3QB6xzAuK77CheornZuAtp2bmJi87SVCnmILbvC4p2az67G8XnhSPZ/s320/IMG_3144.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix4A8CSxax6z4pZXk235vGv3t7meJNODN5OHUzvoY69bftXL0AoqWS89daL1kzjFqwmiz-XncE93g_rRHMXXOdBdxIgooSqU0frXghVSAhkuw3Ru80WoHzMSUKEnZt69zCzApJjUIyKYyZ/s1600/IMG_3147.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix4A8CSxax6z4pZXk235vGv3t7meJNODN5OHUzvoY69bftXL0AoqWS89daL1kzjFqwmiz-XncE93g_rRHMXXOdBdxIgooSqU0frXghVSAhkuw3Ru80WoHzMSUKEnZt69zCzApJjUIyKYyZ/s320/IMG_3147.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpHoDhjPuzV7AP2sqIEHjEBSTSfYAdbzsbJ14arBZw2XiHi-2P6RxFeQOt6jawTfhG6k8MqHxMkmwjz8RpkPOl4IsVDps39nj7CassNfvhdZd-dpqXgbWgZfFBylra149SVBhp_K7hjm2P/s1600/IMG_3229-B%2526W.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpHoDhjPuzV7AP2sqIEHjEBSTSfYAdbzsbJ14arBZw2XiHi-2P6RxFeQOt6jawTfhG6k8MqHxMkmwjz8RpkPOl4IsVDps39nj7CassNfvhdZd-dpqXgbWgZfFBylra149SVBhp_K7hjm2P/s320/IMG_3229-B%2526W.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqnFPHkxzRnKKyXDlnQIHxu4z_922QZ4txj9FNNVSAOh9BU7hWrWBXlSHPI1F7XhTz8wDNqR4u6Vk_EkXXwUTEWblpqS449SdzROdvUhtz6H3Swc-BfKs4latOTiQHAchd5MTechMW2RKK/s1600/IMG_3167-B%2526W.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqnFPHkxzRnKKyXDlnQIHxu4z_922QZ4txj9FNNVSAOh9BU7hWrWBXlSHPI1F7XhTz8wDNqR4u6Vk_EkXXwUTEWblpqS449SdzROdvUhtz6H3Swc-BfKs4latOTiQHAchd5MTechMW2RKK/s320/IMG_3167-B%2526W.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSiiYqV4-SVKOH2jhEIoKjYrj2OZwtErla209O2LgJoclzCbocIuXyPhyphenhyphenpGUTu4dyqPCg4jjq9Nch-06z3ct-cZ-ejMETV8jjcCoOCxtNlGCOcczajnom22O7yBlZIGCJZHY84Hhno9J5O/s1600/IMG_3227.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSiiYqV4-SVKOH2jhEIoKjYrj2OZwtErla209O2LgJoclzCbocIuXyPhyphenhyphenpGUTu4dyqPCg4jjq9Nch-06z3ct-cZ-ejMETV8jjcCoOCxtNlGCOcczajnom22O7yBlZIGCJZHY84Hhno9J5O/s320/IMG_3227.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzyiuZG-xzizL-hcrdoJKb8md-zsRv9ZNOpES1FqInAYOlL-or9gUwo7JH1R91vKpeV6r4Q4fBhEpRawp_nQMgRh3NL5YsCyX2PvEc8Lnv50HNU0-PIZKGpI4bDqhW9CoABTJWQHcbkUNS/s1600/Zanzibar+-+Famous+Door.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzyiuZG-xzizL-hcrdoJKb8md-zsRv9ZNOpES1FqInAYOlL-or9gUwo7JH1R91vKpeV6r4Q4fBhEpRawp_nQMgRh3NL5YsCyX2PvEc8Lnv50HNU0-PIZKGpI4bDqhW9CoABTJWQHcbkUNS/s320/Zanzibar+-+Famous+Door.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Famous street view found in many paintings</td></tr>
</tbody></table>The narrow streets zigzag around buildings, with barely enough room to fit a car. The buildings seem to have tumbled out of a box of Legos so that each building, although touching it, doesn’t line up with the next, and narrow corridors, sometime too narrow for a human, appear unexpectedly between buildings. In the evening, we ventured out to the local market, where the street was lined with tables selling fresh dates (I stocked up!) and fresh bread, in addition to tarps on the ground filled with fruits, vegetables, and random household items. It was exciting to see items (like dates) that aren’t easily available/affordable in Uganda. I even bought a small bunch of grapes (my first time in East Africa) because they were so cheap!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7V8BjOZESYWWU7O73CeeIsSDYuFVetxT1mmsdGVPKeR5KlJQCQ8m2xywYmlaUQ-ly_ivW3jvStLJkkLdEIqeo8NS9nc7CDHT7rdC1lt_-LPlSBE18_Szh57H-2fHPWxkJzU6a-U9F05Fk/s1600/IMG_3178.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7V8BjOZESYWWU7O73CeeIsSDYuFVetxT1mmsdGVPKeR5KlJQCQ8m2xywYmlaUQ-ly_ivW3jvStLJkkLdEIqeo8NS9nc7CDHT7rdC1lt_-LPlSBE18_Szh57H-2fHPWxkJzU6a-U9F05Fk/s200/IMG_3178.JPG" width="200" /></a>Each night, a night food market appears in a small park by the water. Locals set up small tables, charcoal "grills", and lanterns and sell meat, fruit, and other local foods to a lively, international crowd. Something called a "Zanzibar pizza" has become very popular. It's kind of like a flat crepe with fillings, either savory or sweet - the definite favorite being Nutella and banana, topped with caramel and chocolate drizzles.<br />
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<span id="goog_1875250468"></span><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizF8UwuVFL4qo2YnbgFfkSzK9a9ZONzSm9-JBqE7ajqBnolhEao9AS_XbccQ8QVJ0_33gFFe_WSi9_X4wFbDhF0LdHi8QR_jRtDjZiXgg5Bz2bKJpj14WwKuvMNaoUUqg1jGYPyssu0SRF/s1600/Nutmeg+Fruit.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="149" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizF8UwuVFL4qo2YnbgFfkSzK9a9ZONzSm9-JBqE7ajqBnolhEao9AS_XbccQ8QVJ0_33gFFe_WSi9_X4wFbDhF0LdHi8QR_jRtDjZiXgg5Bz2bKJpj14WwKuvMNaoUUqg1jGYPyssu0SRF/s200/Nutmeg+Fruit.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nutmeg & Mace</td></tr>
</tbody></table>On the second morning, we took a “spice tour.” We had a walking tour around a working spice (and fruit) farm. We learned about breadfruit (which apparently only tastes good if you cook it, but then it’s very filling) and kapok (a cotton-like substance that grows in pods on a tree) and saw how nutmeg, turmeric, vanilla beans, cardamom pods, cloves, lemongrass, peppercorns, star fruits, lychees, and various other interesting spices and plants grow. Many of the spices on Zanzibar were actually brought there from India, Indonesia, and other places, but some are indigenous (I think cloves are). <br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN1I4vRsXFN4C6gKs4kvBcDyycq9q9ypUUd-IUOG6QLWEADWWxz8nOOpZ68_BPCyTmGhX2D6qtFD6o5YKLSTFM1fXeQxlYoQ8OSllsViy1A6Ja6_ULNfSTeLnSOKofwpX8DHYVxZaEkFJg/s1600/IMG_3192.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN1I4vRsXFN4C6gKs4kvBcDyycq9q9ypUUd-IUOG6QLWEADWWxz8nOOpZ68_BPCyTmGhX2D6qtFD6o5YKLSTFM1fXeQxlYoQ8OSllsViy1A6Ja6_ULNfSTeLnSOKofwpX8DHYVxZaEkFJg/s200/IMG_3192.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Peppercorns</td></tr>
</tbody></table>We then were treated to a filling taste-test of various local fruits and teas. Our guides were very friendly and entertaining, and it was a very informative and interesting time. Did you know that mace is a red lace that surrounds the large nutmeg seed inside a fruit that you don’t eat? And white pepper comes from regular peppercorns that are peeled before they are dried? And turmeric is a root much like ginger? And there’s a fruit/seed pod that is called the “lipstick plant” because it can be rubbed into a bright red paste? It was also interesting to learn that the growing and sale/export of cloves is regulated by the government, as some of the proceeds are still required to be given to the government. It’s almost like the government still kind of “owns” all cloves on the island. <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiNYBVIs3F9f9kOVnOa-tqa6jXWnuysXtbaa-B6OHIMsJaOG7SS6q0Yex0jtR9F5iAc7MAqgZE4dBdpVyiozSjcdCMSamGbNh1pO-CssuOmX79KVnHNS1b8eFoAU8yNMbUPqETsSuSt-WI/s1600/Lipstick+Fruit.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiNYBVIs3F9f9kOVnOa-tqa6jXWnuysXtbaa-B6OHIMsJaOG7SS6q0Yex0jtR9F5iAc7MAqgZE4dBdpVyiozSjcdCMSamGbNh1pO-CssuOmX79KVnHNS1b8eFoAU8yNMbUPqETsSuSt-WI/s200/Lipstick+Fruit.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Lipstick Plant"</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOdgWE_cVZH3ZNsPax0ooFSx1KWhKgyB3gta_WweJkasAWKDRW5IFuIRD24WL9gLRn87ZPBb9AEUNFhWUqZ2yOIiOHnvOOAsNDvaxIKiqPVDRfhJPS5MEKov5TRVEt3XkRLTC5hFNY8IYB/s1600/IMG_3194.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOdgWE_cVZH3ZNsPax0ooFSx1KWhKgyB3gta_WweJkasAWKDRW5IFuIRD24WL9gLRn87ZPBb9AEUNFhWUqZ2yOIiOHnvOOAsNDvaxIKiqPVDRfhJPS5MEKov5TRVEt3XkRLTC5hFNY8IYB/s200/IMG_3194.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vanilla Beans</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDdFeeDlLwy4PP90sScQ3hwMExNlMAmq7LfySLxXknF4yGXX7XbBWYokgGPZxY8laPRFnR4IEPjmDoBGiNH1SaCaQqnwtTh9VXMXtXNbMQegOnr2ywG8ZarGs1bJeHEfk-y26cK95PUixe/s1600/IMG_3203.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDdFeeDlLwy4PP90sScQ3hwMExNlMAmq7LfySLxXknF4yGXX7XbBWYokgGPZxY8laPRFnR4IEPjmDoBGiNH1SaCaQqnwtTh9VXMXtXNbMQegOnr2ywG8ZarGs1bJeHEfk-y26cK95PUixe/s200/IMG_3203.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fresh Cloves</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg9RTxTZ0-UQ7vfZ62NwinOxnxOKyUWRiMWBtBN392cSFdz9Ts9H_iJRjBSbdG2r23A9TIo_GQ6ldddEIW4UxIIwRn8v4V32UOXNEI8XD9TZJJlywSWQL23TxLyKEesPwVRVU31pV6yJfm/s1600/IMG_3220.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLBsoQk8Kq7inPQfwXVlUXgMtJfds3GhvQBW7quH_Ukee7J9GH1nRBoTBjbqy0TpVn9OQEy_hi-0nLBahFENnMyQnSCdyBSkXOlcBjOTZRby_glq0NTCjVp6jdVfdeCHpYYlBayila_3s6/s1600/IMG_3089.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLBsoQk8Kq7inPQfwXVlUXgMtJfds3GhvQBW7quH_Ukee7J9GH1nRBoTBjbqy0TpVn9OQEy_hi-0nLBahFENnMyQnSCdyBSkXOlcBjOTZRby_glq0NTCjVp6jdVfdeCHpYYlBayila_3s6/s320/IMG_3089.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mom & I feeding the tortoises</td></tr>
</tbody></table>On the third day, we took a small boat ride out to Changuu or “Prison Island.” It is a small island just off the coast of Stone Town that housed what was intended to be a prison but only ever functioned as a medical quarantine facility for boats of slaves or other travelers as they made their way into East Africa. The historical ruins are still there, and the island is now home to a small resort and a tortoise wildlife refuge. Unfortunately the seas were very choppy every morning, so by the end of the 30-minute boat ride, I repeating to myself “don’t throw up, don’t throw up” despite having taken a Dramamine. It was fun to see the tortoises and feed them (trying not to get your fingers bitten off by their strong mouth), some of whom were over 150 years old! <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdSPlp5iEHQlOl8r4WuViP6Sbl55xvt7EnZ_wS3dXXSM70VsluoCmJhoMGb3rzvSyA5oK3bI8lAMvUDV8-1FaWXrNCXeTffd6kpcoDhyce7zSMkBF4dHsLjUREAaUZSWeMzSKQK_kan6Qt/s1600/IMG_3148.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdSPlp5iEHQlOl8r4WuViP6Sbl55xvt7EnZ_wS3dXXSM70VsluoCmJhoMGb3rzvSyA5oK3bI8lAMvUDV8-1FaWXrNCXeTffd6kpcoDhyce7zSMkBF4dHsLjUREAaUZSWeMzSKQK_kan6Qt/s320/IMG_3148.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mom wading on the soft, white-sand beach</td></tr>
</tbody></table>The resort’s restaurant was closed for renovation, so there wasn’t really any place to hang out, since I wasn’t particularly eager to get back on the boat right away. We were told that the island had amazing beaches and had planned to spend the day swimming and snorkeling. Well, we found out that the snorkeling was actually a ways out from the island, so we would have to do it by jumping off the boat. We decided that didn’t sound so fun, especially since we would also be thrown around by the choppy waves. The beach was beautiful but only about 20 feet long. The only place to swim was around the anchored boats, and we didn’t really feel like being the only ones swimming in the 20-foot “harbor.” So we just spent a little while walking around the (small) beautiful white sand beach and looking and various shells, rocks, and pieces of coral that lined the water.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjetrFHjWISwXvRTbfUlEiTey2K-eigdzXSvRcgtYtTb9WbR2AEzwgrEpouK7NysSxhqFw3pAmZvR-MvvOOwtZJtXVdghHwV9Lw2maX5V5yXy_L_UE_vzVF0pJCZuZWmRAi-bJW4Qj-Uzz3/s1600/IMG_3198.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjetrFHjWISwXvRTbfUlEiTey2K-eigdzXSvRcgtYtTb9WbR2AEzwgrEpouK7NysSxhqFw3pAmZvR-MvvOOwtZJtXVdghHwV9Lw2maX5V5yXy_L_UE_vzVF0pJCZuZWmRAi-bJW4Qj-Uzz3/s320/IMG_3198.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The amazing beaches on the east side of the island</td></tr>
</tbody></table>For my birthday, our 4th day in Zanzibar, we went to the other side of the island (the northeast, which supposedly has the best beaches) to spend part of the day on the beach. We went to a resort which allowed us in for free, provided we ate at the restaurant. The white sand beach, and especially the light turquoise of the water, was beautiful! We swam in the Indian Ocean for a while, although the day was a little overcast and windy, so the cool water wasn’t quite as refreshing as we expected. =) Then, after swimming in the ocean, we swam in the pool (well, you know, you don’t have to battle the waves or worry about stepping on coral), then we sat on lounge chairs under a tree and read for a while. We dried off and ate lunch while overlooking the sand and the waves.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFs0ttN5YRVmmyr3enA_G_uZt9Bi4SBmOybXeWfmLOWyxiNHTx_Uk-v2lWLd4xzV0SaBWhTANavVLSHSbH_GeyiA9wjlXm7ttKGxqbiTyscToliIxpBe6begLqg_LFUYhBOD-fMlkkBTAA/s1600/IMG_3134.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFs0ttN5YRVmmyr3enA_G_uZt9Bi4SBmOybXeWfmLOWyxiNHTx_Uk-v2lWLd4xzV0SaBWhTANavVLSHSbH_GeyiA9wjlXm7ttKGxqbiTyscToliIxpBe6begLqg_LFUYhBOD-fMlkkBTAA/s200/IMG_3134.JPG" width="200" /></a><br />
For dinner, we ate at a distinctly “Swahili cuisine” restaurant. The entrees seemed like a mixture of East Africa and Indian food, and each one came with a variety of sides, including cooked greens, pumpkin, chapatti, beans, and others, all surrounding a pile of delicious, spiced rice. I think the rice was my favorite part; it was so flavorful – it had whole slices of cinnamon bark! In all, it was an wonderful, relaxing, and fascinating trip!<br />
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I'm now spending a week in Seattle (enjoying family, friends, food, and fun!), and next week I'll be in Colorado for a world-wide EMI staff conference!Brittanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16037368111487088356noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1041907078103907595.post-8404548419563193552011-07-24T10:46:00.000-07:002011-07-24T10:46:39.149-07:00"Fire, Fire, Fire; Fire Fall on Me"I went with a friend to church today, and about half way through the service, it looked like the lights flickered and then the projector started flashing, so at first I assumed the power was going out (not too unusual around here). Then the projector turned off, but the rest of the lights didn’t, and I noticed that some lights were still flashing from overhead. I finally looked up, and the projector that was mounted about 30 feet over my head was raining down sparks! For a few seconds, we all stared in amazement and waited for the sparks to stop. Finally (this was one of those slow-motion situations where all of this probably happened in less than 10 seconds), the 20 or so of us under the raining sparks decided it was best to move so that we didn’t get a burning ember in our faces. The sparks finally stopped, and at first my friend and I decided to sit back down just outside of the 10’-radius of danger, just in case the sparks started up again. All this time no one in the church seemed to be doing anything other than staring at the projector. All the poor worship leader could do was say “Don’t panic. I think the service will still continue.” I suppose some leader types were doing something in the background (it’s a large building that seats over 1,000, so I’m sure it takes a while to get anything done quickly), but to those of us in the crowd, it didn’t seem like anyone was doing anything about the fire hazard over our heads. I guess the hard part was that if anyone had a plan or directions, no one was communicating it to those of us in the crowd. I can see how these disaster situations happen so quickly and yet it can feel like an eternity before anyone is able to react. Finally the power to the building was turned off and some of the ushers came by and told us to clear out a larger section under the projector. Once I got further away, I looked up and realized that the projector was STILL ON FIRE! I couldn’t believe 1,000 people were just standing there watching these healthy flames suspended in the sky for several minutes! I think everyone was starting to worry that the flames would eventually weaken whatever was holding it up there.<br />
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At that point, my friend and I decided to leave and have coffee. I know, I know… but we had nowhere to sit and had no idea when/if the service was going to start up again. I left a little slowly, processing my shock at the flames that I had been calmly sitting under and wondering what was going to happen next, when all of a sudden, the projector swayed a little and dropped a few inches! SCREAMS and PUSHING and PANIC as people ran for the doors! I definitely thought it was coming down, but just before someone pushed me out of the door, I saw it start to move UPWARD – apparently someone had gone into the ceiling and was pulling it up from above. A few seconds later, I looked back through the door to see half the giant sanctuary filled with white smoke. I’m assuming our savior in the sky used a fire extinguisher. <br />
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Maybe that was the fastest anything could be done in such a large church, but I did leave feeling a little disappointed in the church’s response time. It seemed like someone should have been able to run to a power switch somewhere and turn the power off sooner so that the projector would stop sparking, but I suppose once the fire started, it would have continued on its own anyway. I guess I’m used to US fire codes where a church would have an automatic sprinkler system (in which case the whole congregation would be miserably wet), or at least someone would be able to reach for a nearby fire extinguisher. Unfortunately in this case, a normal fire extinguisher wouldn’t have reached that high (I think the sanctuary is a former movie theater) and 200 people underneath would need to be evacuated first if they wanted to avoid getting wet/dirty. Plus, in this city built of bricks, fire safety is not usually something one has to think too much about.<br />
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Anyway, quite a few other people left church with us, although apparently they eventually went on with the service. About an hour later, I saw two different people ask me if I was at church, one who said “Why did you leave? Let’s talk about it.” (presumably a pastor or something) I think my friend and I were recognizable as the only Mzungus directly under the projector who initially had to get up and move while the congregation looked on. Fortunately, throughout the whole thing, I don’t think anyone got hurt. I bet you didn’t think your prayers for my safety would have anything to do with THAT! Definitely the most dramatic church service I’ve been to!<br />
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For anyone who is wondering about the blog title reference, it’s an old gospel song referring to Pentecost. Yes, flames were over my head during the middle of a pentecostal church service.... =PBrittanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16037368111487088356noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1041907078103907595.post-89515024749575138692011-07-04T22:16:00.000-07:002011-07-04T22:16:25.513-07:00Fourth of July in AfricaI generally don’t consider myself very patriotic. I often roll my eyes at all the patriotic t-shirts and “God bless America” bumper stickers (I’d much rather ask that God bless the World). I cringe when people talk about how great America is (generally because I assume that they are ignorant about the rest of the world and about the negative things the US has done, and I assume that they look down on others for being inferior – in short, I [hypocritically] look down on them). “Pooh-pooh”-ing American patriotism is in fact quite easy to do while I enjoy all of the freedoms and rights and access to power that being an American gives me. <br />
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BUT, all that to say, that I felt quite “proud to be an American” last night while watching fireworks and singing along to “Born in the USA” and “Surfing USA.” =) Basically, I love the fact that part of being an American involves watching large firework displays choreographed to music (yes, this part is very important) each 4th of July. After living in Boston for 8 years, and watching the Boston Pops live in concert while surrounded by hundreds of others picnicing on the grass by the side of the Charles River, followed by the best fireworks displays I’ve ever seen (and I’m a fairly critical judge), nothing else can really compare. But, small by comparison though it was, I found myself quite enjoying the American Independence Day festivities last night at the American Recreation Association in Kampala, Uganda. I think it was mostly that it was something familiar from home.<br />
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Of course everyone in Uganda has to work on the 4th (well, unless you work at the US Embassy), so the celebration was held on Sunday the 3rd. I went with my mom (who’s visiting for 2 weeks) and a friend and her son. We sat on the grass and had hamburgers and hot dogs while watching various acts: the color guard, a speech from the US Ambassador, some American students talking and singing about American history, a Ugandan children’s choir/dance troupe, a Karate demonstration, adult Ugandan dancers, and some fairly talented gymnasts/jugglers. It was funny to be surrounded by so many Americans (there were also many non-Americans there), since even when you find yourself in a mostly-White crowd here, many people are often European. My mom had brought some s’mores fixings with her from the US, so we happily ate cold s’mores. (On Saturday, we introduced our Ugandan staff to real s’mores at a 4th of July-themed potluck lunch. They seemed to be quite entertained.) The best part of the night, of course, was the fireworks. I was actually quite impressed with the display. Many of them were the small-town-looking (or expensive personal) fireworks, but some were actually the large, loud real deal, with gold sparkles and everything. Well, as I said, I was quite impressed and had a great time. What a nice surprise: 4th of July fireworks, even in Uganda! Happy 4th everybody!Brittanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16037368111487088356noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1041907078103907595.post-63436777237601461882011-06-21T09:09:00.000-07:002011-06-21T09:09:13.403-07:00Walking with Scissors<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:DocumentProperties> <o:Version>12.00</o:Version> </o:DocumentProperties> <o:OfficeDocumentSettings> <o:RelyOnVML/> <o:AllowPNG/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves/> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:DoNotPromoteQF/> <w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/> <w:DontVertAlignCellWithSp/> <w:DontBreakConstrainedForcedTables/> <w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/> <w:Word11KerningPairs/> <w:CachedColBalance/> </w:Compatibility> <m:mathPr> <m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/> <m:brkBin m:val="before"/> <m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/> <m:smallFrac m:val="off"/> <m:dispDef/> <m:lMargin m:val="0"/> <m:rMargin m:val="0"/> <m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/> <m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/> <m:intLim m:val="subSup"/> <m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/> </m:mathPr></w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<div class="MsoNormal">Once again I have waited far too long between blog posts.<span> </span>And yes, I still have plumbing issues.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsMZg8ZuHSrrxgD7MzwdCrtsDGsd6kWnRwkqTvutQyY6wR09pcz5-WdxpnqzTFksWggbToL2hPyQg8aQBTWjec5PKXN-m0_DVmdTsXmDz1bdNhDpjRwpbpKHAM12lYB_amEJRPjKEC0kZe/s1600/IMG_2633-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsMZg8ZuHSrrxgD7MzwdCrtsDGsd6kWnRwkqTvutQyY6wR09pcz5-WdxpnqzTFksWggbToL2hPyQg8aQBTWjec5PKXN-m0_DVmdTsXmDz1bdNhDpjRwpbpKHAM12lYB_amEJRPjKEC0kZe/s320/IMG_2633-1.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me & the Kids at Florence's School Last Year</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal">Every Wednesday, I have continued to volunteer at a preschool that is in a nearby low-income area and which is run by my neighbor and friend, Florence.<span> </span>Since she has children from 2-7 years old, I was excited to see that she was able to expand her school from 1 to 2 classrooms while I gone.<span> </span>She also has a few assistant teachers who work with her now.<span> </span>A couple weeks ago, I found that she had a felt storyboard book that tells the story of Cinderella, which Florence had never been sure of how to use.<span> </span>I took it home and practiced, and the kids were mesmerized as I ad-libbed the story, adding and removing felt characters, as appropriate.<span> </span>I found it was a particularly effective way of showing how the pumpkin turned into a stagecoach and the mice turned into horses, etc.<span> </span>As I read to kids, I find that many stories don’t really translate across cultures easily, but it was nice to see how Cinderella actually included many familiar characters: a king (they have tribal kings here), a girl who couldn’t afford nice clothes, a “pussycat”, and even a pumpkin (although Ugandan pumpkins are green, so at first some thought it was an apple).<span> </span>I’m not sure how much they understood me, but I tried to bend the story towards: it didn’t matter what she wore or how much money she had, the prince loved her for who she was inside.<span> </span>=)<span> </span>(I decided that the “love at first sight because she was so beautiful” thing wasn’t a great lesson to teach the kids.)<span> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Last week, I brought the older kids (around kindergarten to 1<sup>st</sup> grade age) kid-friendly scissors so that they could practice their cutting (and safety) skills.<span> </span>I first made them all demonstrate how to walk with scissors.<span> </span>Then I had them all cut out various shapes that I had printed out (I was impressed that they were all able to identify the oval and diamond).<span> </span>I was amazed at how accurate some of their cutting skills were, even the younger ones!<span> </span>It just goes to show that people can be talented in different areas. <span> </span>I then had them lay the cut-outs on the table under a larger piece of paper, which they colored over with crayons.<span> </span>Some turned out better than others, but I think crayon rubbings are always fun.<span> </span>Tomorrow I plan to try to same thing, but without scissors, on the younger kids.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBZ0m84WJmvLALEnagwBir6ogR6JdjFAl09sVXnU8kbdUKO0M7VdK64q8hgTEmukgsLMkzCNiZ6643XMHeuE6e68afyOQpRcjSXyBV4asSER3mI6LCMSLUQWxbOHSmoZ8vZmfoQI5F8h2S/s1600/DSC04804.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBZ0m84WJmvLALEnagwBir6ogR6JdjFAl09sVXnU8kbdUKO0M7VdK64q8hgTEmukgsLMkzCNiZ6643XMHeuE6e68afyOQpRcjSXyBV4asSER3mI6LCMSLUQWxbOHSmoZ8vZmfoQI5F8h2S/s320/DSC04804.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Reading to the Kids Last Year (with fellow intern Dan)</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal">Almost every Saturday, I have been reading books to some of the kids in another low-income neighborhood nearby.<span> </span>Unfortunately many of the younger children still don’t know English, so I feel bad that a lot of the time they can’t follow the story, but I feel like it’s still good exposure for them, and some of the older kids who come by seem to be intrigued by the stories.<span> </span>Because of the language barrier, I try to find stories that have funny sounds or are more interactive (counting or repeating words), and I try to be as creative as possible with different voices.<span> </span>(Culturally-specific idiom-based humor, like in Amelia Bedelia, is completely lost on them.)<span> </span>One of their favorites for me to read is a VeggieTales book, in which I attempt to do all of the different voices (as well as I can remember).<span> </span>I think their (and my) favorite voice is the French Peas.<span> </span>On Saturday, I found one of those books that shows different animals made out of produce, so we had fun trying to identify both the animals (they definitely didn’t know what a penguin was, but impressively the older ones knew octopus and that it lived in the water) and the foods (no kiwis or radishes in the Ugandan diet).<span> </span>It was a book of baby animals, and at the end they show a baby human (I couldn’t for the life of me figure out what it was made out of, though), and we all laughed together because it was obviously a “baby mzungu!”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">On an unrelated note, since it’s often sunny and rainy here, I had assumed that there were rainbows here and was assured by several Ugandans that there were, but I had never actually seen one until last month, looking out my back balcony. Beautiful!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieLaumpaTGWu9hOD7yB6ZLSUcMQF7cCR6_9z7yHj0yWPR05PLP9rCpAwFOTp1lzwnvmk0jOJh8MV3QHTeexCjF4YHTjCsebQMutUKK-dsYar5llGP_KLpR2n0Dj6cdf60mjuoplWVi4aqP/s1600/Backyard+Rainbow+-+May+2011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieLaumpaTGWu9hOD7yB6ZLSUcMQF7cCR6_9z7yHj0yWPR05PLP9rCpAwFOTp1lzwnvmk0jOJh8MV3QHTeexCjF4YHTjCsebQMutUKK-dsYar5llGP_KLpR2n0Dj6cdf60mjuoplWVi4aqP/s320/Backyard+Rainbow+-+May+2011.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div>Brittanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16037368111487088356noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1041907078103907595.post-12416759047616760352011-05-28T09:11:00.000-07:002011-05-28T09:11:58.330-07:00We're Not Alone<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:DocumentProperties> <o:Version>12.00</o:Version> </o:DocumentProperties> <o:OfficeDocumentSettings> <o:RelyOnVML/> <o:AllowPNG/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves/> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:DoNotPromoteQF/> <w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/> <w:DontVertAlignCellWithSp/> <w:DontBreakConstrainedForcedTables/> <w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/> <w:Word11KerningPairs/> <w:CachedColBalance/> </w:Compatibility> <m:mathPr> <m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/> <m:brkBin m:val="before"/> <m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/> <m:smallFrac m:val="off"/> <m:dispDef/> <m:lMargin m:val="0"/> <m:rMargin m:val="0"/> <m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/> <m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/> <m:intLim m:val="subSup"/> <m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/> </m:mathPr></w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<div class="MsoNormal">On Monday, I went to a networking meeting for people who are interested in “member care,” i.e., supporting the missionaries in their organizations.<span> </span>This is something that I’ve become really interested in pursuing for our office, so it was helpful to make some contacts in other organizations.<span> </span>I was able to talk to one person about work permit questions, another offered her organization’s “Welcome to Uganda” info packet, and a couple people are willing to meet with us so we can swap ideas about how to care for or be helpful to the new folks who come to work with us.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I think my favorite part about the meeting, though, was just realizing that I’m not alone in this.<span> </span>There are other people out there just like me, working in Kampala!<span> </span>We at EMI don’t need to figure everything out on our own.<span> </span>There are other organizations that we can share ideas with!<span> </span>This was the first time that I had really met with people from other missionary/aid organizations in Uganda (other than the ministries that EMI works with).<span> </span>It was refreshing to realize what a large community of organizations we are, even if we don’t get to see each other very often.<span> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">It also served as an encouragement to try to reach out to other organizations and to share our resources and knowledge with each other.<span> </span>We don’t have to keep reinventing the wheel.<span> </span>This organization that hosted the meeting is based in Nairobi, and a network of Christian aid organizations has just started meeting there.<span> </span>They were encouraging us to start doing something similar, or at least to start an email list that we can use to share information, etc.<span> </span>We’ll see what happens, but it’s exciting to think about the possibility of continuing these networking-type of gatherings.<span> </span>It reminded me a lot of when I was involved with running an AmeriCorps program.<span> </span>There are hundreds of organizations all over the US that are running AmeriCorps programs.<span> </span>I loved going to conferences and trainings and realizing we were part of a larger movement and also getting the opportunity for different programs to share questions, ideas, and lessons with each other.<span> </span>It was extremely helpful and encouraging.<span> </span>It would be great if something like that could start happening in Kampala amongst Christian and/or aid organizations.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">In other news, the power has been going out a lot more often lately.<span> </span>For the first couple of months I was here, it seemed to go out only once or twice a month, but for the last few weeks, it’s seemed like it’s about every 3-4 days.<span> </span>I’ve been getting a lot more use out of my candles and flashlights.<span> </span>Fortunately, my laptop battery is usually able to last through two TV episodes before I have to turn in for the night.<span> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The power has often been going out from around 8-10pm, which is when most people are using it all at once.<span> </span>It could be that our area has just hit that point where so many people are using the power, that the system just can’t take it (like New York City several years back).<span> </span>But I’m also wondering whether it’s “load shedding.”<span> </span>This is where they intentionally turn off the power to a whole area to prevent overloading the system.<span> </span>I think maybe they rotate areas each night.<span> </span>I hope this doesn’t mean that we’re on some rotation and that it will keep going out every 3-4 days….<span> </span>Oh well, it makes me grateful for the electricity that I do have.<span> </span>(I’m so thankful for refrigerators and hot water showers!)</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The plumbing, on the other hand, has been driving me crazy!<span> </span>My shower faucet has been leaking ever since I moved in 3 months ago.<span> </span>And my toilet has been overflowing for the last 2 months.<span> </span>Fortunately, the plumbing is installed with easy-to-access shut-off valves.<span> </span>Every time I flush the toilet, I turn the water valve on, wait for the tank to fill, flush, and then turn it off again. Every few weeks, I forget to turn it off at night and I wake up to a flooded bathroom…. =(<span> </span>Fortunately the plumber is here right now with new parts, that should (supposedly) fix everything!<span> </span>(I’ve heard that about 20 times before.)<span> </span>In all fairness, this is somewhat my fault.<span> </span>I wasn’t getting enough water pressure for my shower to work (because they installed the water storage tanks too low), so I had a plumber re-route my water supply to come directly from the city water so that I could take a shower.<span> </span>Now I have a TON of water pressure, which I guess fixtures in Uganda aren’t made for…</div>Brittanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16037368111487088356noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1041907078103907595.post-7024488530191926622011-05-22T05:28:00.000-07:002011-05-22T05:28:13.243-07:00Oh, the Things You Can Eat!Sorry that I haven't blogged for a month! I appreciate all the "where'd you go?" and "how's your kitten?" questions I've heard about. It lets me know that people are actually reading this thing! =)<br />
<br />
Mostly, I haven't blogged because nothing too exciting has happened. I've finally settled into life as usual, so maybe I'll start sharing more about what is "usual." I've been very busy at work, which is nice. I've gotten to work on office budgeting; organizing logistics for a small team that is coming in June; helping another project team finish, edit, and format their final report and appendices; communicate with incoming staff/volunteers on things like housing and work permits; visit potential apartments for our incoming folks; and even revamp our office lunch menu! <br />
<br />
An interesting tidbit about my life is that our office employs a cook to make lunch for us five days a week, and we all sit around a big long table (in what used to be the garage) and eat lunch together at 1pm every day. Currently our office lunch menu looks like this: Monday: beans, rice, chapati (flat bread), avocado; Tuesday: spaghetti with ground beef/tomato sauce, cooked greens; Wednesday: mashed potatoes with meat sauce (chunks of beef), toast; Thursday: beans, rice, freshly-made beef samosas (many people's favorite day); Friday: soft tacos with all the fixings; and every day includes a big bowl of fruit for dessert (pineapple and sometimes banana, mango, or watermelon, depending on what's in season).<br />
<br />
I've decided that what characterizes North American food more than any particular ingredient is VARIETY. We don't just eat European or even regional American foods; we eat Mexican, Indian, Chinese, Thai, Japanese, Korean, Middle Eastern, and Ethiopian food. This variety can even be found at the local food court. At EMI, we've already altered our menu a little to add more "mzungu" (foreigner/Westerner) foods, but now I'm working with our cook and a couple others to expand our rotating menu schedule from 5 meals to around 15 meals, adding more mzungu foods as well as as wider variety of Ugandan dishes. Instead of having a weekly meal rotation, I hope to create a monthly food rotation, which will even include fish and chicken (maybe) once a month! <br />
<br />
For some reason, chicken is by far the most expensive meat here. It's sad because that's about all I cook in the US, but I'm learning to make mostly vegetarian dishes at home since I often get beef at lunch. In fact, I just bought chicken at the grocery store yesterday - my first time ever in Uganda! Instead of splurging on chicken, I occasionally splurge on good cheese (also very expensive here).<br />
<br />
On an unrelated note, which I thought of after I came up with the title of this blog, it is now grasshopper season. This means that you can buy fried grasshoppers along the road for a snack. People will even walk up to your car window to sell you a small bag-ful for only a few cents. They're actually not as bad as they sound. They pluck off the wings and legs first, so they're not really crunchy. It's kind of like eating greasy popcorn.... Still, not my snack of choice.<br />
<br />
My cat is doing well and growing. She still drives me crazy a lot of the time, scratching and biting me, trying to eat all my food, and occasionally semi-destroying something in my house. She's now big enough to get up onto every surface, so I have to be more diligent about what I leave out on the counter or even on the stove. Within a couple seconds, she'll be eating my breakfast or my freshly-baked cake! She also likes to carry away small objects, so I've lost a couple things around the house that way. But she's still a nice companion to have around. My across-the-hall neighbors have a little girl, and a couple weeks ago they had some friends over with two more kids. The three of them were fascinated with the cat. I brought her to my doorway and let them pet her (although the boy just wanted to pull her tail and hit her). Eventually they followed her into my house and were trying to pet her and play with her. (I had to watch her closely to make sure she didn't start playing with her claws.) Later, they pounded on my glass door to get her attention - kind of like a kid at the aquarium - they didn't quite understand that loud noises would scare her away. Anyway, it was a nice chance to interact with the neighbors a little bit.Brittanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16037368111487088356noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1041907078103907595.post-67960045201245114882011-04-20T10:31:00.000-07:002011-04-20T10:31:33.871-07:00Cat with Bat<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:DocumentProperties> <o:Version>12.00</o:Version> </o:DocumentProperties> <o:OfficeDocumentSettings> <o:RelyOnVML/> <o:AllowPNG/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves/> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:DoNotPromoteQF/> <w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/> <w:DontVertAlignCellWithSp/> <w:DontBreakConstrainedForcedTables/> <w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/> <w:Word11KerningPairs/> <w:CachedColBalance/> </w:Compatibility> <m:mathPr> <m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/> <m:brkBin m:val="before"/> <m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/> <m:smallFrac m:val="off"/> <m:dispDef/> <m:lMargin m:val="0"/> <m:rMargin m:val="0"/> <m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/> <m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/> <m:intLim m:val="subSup"/> <m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/> </m:mathPr></w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<div class="MsoNormal">This is not exactly what I thought my life would look like in Uganda, but I now have my own cat!<span> </span>The first week I was here, my mom and I saw a tiny little kitten in a parking lot next to a busy road and knew that it was abandoned.<span> </span>Given my mom’s huge heart for animals and the cuteness and helplessness of the kitten, we rescued it.<span> </span>My mom carried it in her shirt on a motorcycle taxi back to some friends’ house, who watched it for a few weeks until I returned from Gulu and was able to take it in myself.<span> </span>Last year, I saw a tiny little kitten crossing the same major road and watched it get squished by the taxi that I was in, so this feels a little like I’m doing my part to help rescue one of the gazillion cats running around the streets of Kampala.<span> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4S_o9ldwIOMfG8F1shPTV-LiUKk4law8O16HKz73B41X1jjoXCpeoUejmMPKc2ftDxt6pAobBJycJE8lbKm1bYsMFKbUtVBxHfbf2yKNwBRAaiQY3JCRIcCuOQI_fuOq2FXs2ZyBP3iXi/s1600/IMG_3004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4S_o9ldwIOMfG8F1shPTV-LiUKk4law8O16HKz73B41X1jjoXCpeoUejmMPKc2ftDxt6pAobBJycJE8lbKm1bYsMFKbUtVBxHfbf2yKNwBRAaiQY3JCRIcCuOQI_fuOq2FXs2ZyBP3iXi/s400/IMG_3004.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chloe and Pooh (are not friends because Pooh has now gone into hiding)</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal">Chloe (I started with “Clementine” because we found her in front of the Orange store, but somehow I ended up with “Chloe” [I think all animal names should be 2 syllables max]) is a calico and full of energy (as I suppose any kitten is).<span> </span>But I’ve had several kittens and she is by far the feisty-est, which is saying a lot (for those of you who are familiar with Doris, the cat my roommates and I got in Boston).<span> </span>She loves to play-fight with her claws and teeth, which are very sharp (making it annoying instead of cute).<span> </span>She also loves to snuggle, which is great (I’ve always wanted a cat who wants to sit on my lap), but she almost loves it too much, and is always trying to walk across my laptop and eat my food and play with anything I’m using.<span> </span>It’s been an interesting few weeks getting used to each other and figuring out how to live with a (very needy/mischievous) kitten.<span> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Since I’m living in Uganda, I wanted to try to come up with some cheaper form of food for her than store-bought cat food.<span> </span>What I’m doing right now is boiling corn flour and water and adding in these tiny local dried fish (you can buy a cup for $0.30).<span> </span>Then I mix in some store-bought cat food to round out the nutrition.<span> </span>=)</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The first night I had her, we had a HUGE wind storm.<span> </span>Before I could close all the windows, it actually knocked over a corner bookshelf that I have in my living room!<span> </span>(I think the wind caught the curtain, which pushed the not-super-stable tripod unit over.)<span> </span>It practically landed on top of Chloe, who was sleeping on the couch, who then flew across the room in fright.<span> </span>Then I felt bad leaving her out in the living room by herself on her first night, so I took her to bed with me.<span> </span>She got used to sleeping with me (did I mention she’s very needy/snuggly?), so I let her keep doing it.<span> </span>One of her favorite places to sleep was on top of my head.<span> </span>(Not above my head on the pillow, but actually on the back of my head, while I lay on my stomach.)<span> </span>Eventually I decided sleeping with me is probably not the best habit, so now I have to trick her out of my room every night before I go to bed.<span> </span>(She’s getting smart and trying to hide in my room when she knows I’m getting ready to go to sleep.)</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgahgbgXoEArtbnYvDabS_PvbCk0AqV8tWoSNqc60AfgVBljYH_SxwCs9XylM1UmmzypHSne0CAY3mr56NwhiFpwaEVAH6FZFito-A0dlbEMqXtieo7oRC-Bx_NI-QdULFae-xl-C4Pe3Yw/s1600/IMG_3013-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgahgbgXoEArtbnYvDabS_PvbCk0AqV8tWoSNqc60AfgVBljYH_SxwCs9XylM1UmmzypHSne0CAY3mr56NwhiFpwaEVAH6FZFito-A0dlbEMqXtieo7oRC-Bx_NI-QdULFae-xl-C4Pe3Yw/s320/IMG_3013-1.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chloe with Her First Cat Toy (mouse with fluffy tail)</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal">Monday morning, I saw her carrying around one of her new mouse toys.<span> </span>I thought it looked a little different but I was half asleep and I just figured she had pulled off the big fluffy tail in the night.<span> </span>Then I noticed blood on the floor and thought she had somehow started bleeding, but couldn’t find any blood or wounds on her.<span> </span>Finally it dawned on me that perhaps the funny-looking mouse toy I had seen her with was actually a real mouse, so I started checking under all the furniture.<span> </span>Finally I noticed some blood on my mosquito net and then found a small bat wrapped up in it on the floor.<span> </span>(Thank you for the present, Chloe.)<span> </span>Fortunately it was fully dead, and fortunately I found it, and fortunately she had not left me a present ON my bed!<span> </span>Still, pretty gross.<span> </span>Although, it is crazy that there was actually a bat in my apartment AND that my kitten actually caught it!<span> </span>Anyway, I read Fox in Sox to some kids this weekend, so this whole episode with a cat and a bat reminded me of Dr. Seuss, hence the blog title. (Unfortunately I couldn't come up with anything more creative.)</div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">[On a tangent note, I read “Green Eggs and Ham” to some kids today, and out of the whole story, the part they loved and laughed at the most was the name “Sam-I-Am.”<span> </span>Go figure.]</div>Brittanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16037368111487088356noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1041907078103907595.post-31193600674123137572011-04-11T10:59:00.000-07:002011-04-11T10:59:36.314-07:00Watoto Restore TourWell, the power just went out. Fortunately, this is only one of the couple times that it’s been out at night in the last couple months. My computer says it should last another 2.5 hours. We’ll see.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK7bbwfsEJrqmJklxYkHrwXCQL3sZJhqT3TpdAIRGHU79VV1kC1vuQP0LtMYOf-79WkQfiVkGjxlX-wMA4r-V7G4fu6TTeoZWsY21qA2E_Oaf8S9lhzxVPwB8R38pnELD5fHli_mxdbpIX/s1600/Watoto+Restore+Tour3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK7bbwfsEJrqmJklxYkHrwXCQL3sZJhqT3TpdAIRGHU79VV1kC1vuQP0LtMYOf-79WkQfiVkGjxlX-wMA4r-V7G4fu6TTeoZWsY21qA2E_Oaf8S9lhzxVPwB8R38pnELD5fHli_mxdbpIX/s320/Watoto+Restore+Tour3.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(Source of photos: Watoto.com)</td></tr>
</tbody></table><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijpLpJsjBCCunFSNRs5KaK8GYpIs6vySxWt6dktv9H2ZZcjmcCOWK_FLsBhPUeY-wRrqHLRVNLb1Q8gpavYKQkGeVqOysHsChcmKyNseecKj49UBWwtXq88cSNuvtpbxu1U8gr0Tynhyphenhyphenaz/s1600/Watoto+Restore+Tour1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijpLpJsjBCCunFSNRs5KaK8GYpIs6vySxWt6dktv9H2ZZcjmcCOWK_FLsBhPUeY-wRrqHLRVNLb1Q8gpavYKQkGeVqOysHsChcmKyNseecKj49UBWwtXq88cSNuvtpbxu1U8gr0Tynhyphenhyphenaz/s320/Watoto+Restore+Tour1.jpg" width="320" /></a>Last Friday, I got to see the Watoto Restore Tour. The Watoto Children’s Choir basically NEVER performs in Uganda (so if they come through your town, be sure to see them!), so I was really excited about this opportunity. The Restore Tour is different than a typical Watoto Children’s Choir performance. There were a few children, but it was mostly young adults. And instead of a typical concert, it was more like telling a story through music, dance, song, video, and spoken word. It was the story of Gulu, which I explained in a previous post. This was particularly the story of the children who were affected by the war: the boys who were kidnapped and forced to become soldiers and the girls who were either raped and left in their villages or kidnapped to be given as soldiers “wives.” It was amazingly powerful because the people sharing stories during the performance were the actual people who had lived the stories; all the testimonies were given by their actual subjects. Since the war started almost 30 years ago, many of those who were children at the time are now in their 20s and 30s.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAGUEq_NA68r-a8psD-OzxI_5yJSncDlUfFvhghTp_l0qm6B0ND2HjPqd_7OFJGGLsbhN2Dy5cnQD8mI0f4AmhYpijSqBgnGBOHy12BlK_QWgdVvEn4auEzf3F9FtKNMplHnbS9cu29E9E/s1600/Watoto+Restore+Tour2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAGUEq_NA68r-a8psD-OzxI_5yJSncDlUfFvhghTp_l0qm6B0ND2HjPqd_7OFJGGLsbhN2Dy5cnQD8mI0f4AmhYpijSqBgnGBOHy12BlK_QWgdVvEn4auEzf3F9FtKNMplHnbS9cu29E9E/s320/Watoto+Restore+Tour2.jpg" width="320" /></a>Another thing that made the performance so powerful was that the whole focus was on forgiveness and hope. The young adults who had lived through these terrible acts or even committed these terrible acts stood up on stage and pronounced their forgiveness of the perpetrators, of the LRA leaders, and of themselves. And they pronounced the hope they have for their communities through the forgiveness and healing power of the love of Jesus. It is only through God’s love for each individual, his forgiveness, and his call to forgive one another that true healing and restoration can be achieved in northern Uganda.<br />
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The Restore Tour had just finished traveling around the globe for six months, and their last performance was given at the main Watoto Church for VIPs only. Many important government workers, including Members of Parliament, “governors,” and mayors were there. Watoto wanted them to understand the work that they are trying to do in Gulu, that it’s not about Watoto, but it’s about Uganda. <br />
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Because our EMI team had just done a project to design Watoto’s new agriculture/technical college in Gulu, one of the Watoto staff suggested that we ask to be put on the VIP list. I forgot to follow up on this until a few days before the performance. Fortunately, at the last minute, we were able to request and be put on the VIP list. About 24 hours before the performance, we found out we were going and we found out that it was a formal event! Of course we weren’t going to buy formal gowns (which it turned out would have been overdressed anyway), but we wanted to go for as nice of wedding-type apparel as we could pull off. So all day Friday was pretty much a clothing/shopping day, and very little work was accomplished. The 4 male interns went downtown to buy shirts, ties, shoes, etc. in the local shops along the streets. I and the 2 female interns wanted to avoid going shopping if possible (ironic, huh?), but we managed to come up with some dresses, shoes, and jewelry from what we had with us and what we could borrow from a couple of the staff wives. We had to leave the office at about 3:30 to change and then take a special hire taxi downtown to have dinner before the performance so that we could beat the crazy rush hour traffic. (Another part of the day became less than productive due to the fact that one of the intern’s boyfriends showed up in Uganda completely unannounced [with the help of the sneaky intern coordinators] and proposed to her!) What an exciting day!<br />
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Ok, now it’s time to go do my laundry with the help of my headlamp.Brittanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16037368111487088356noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1041907078103907595.post-47721948058375016352011-03-30T10:53:00.000-07:002011-03-30T10:53:54.755-07:00More Reflections on the Gulu Project Trip<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi37W30Jl5SIJi39sS3PkS8_P6lx5M2fXrtG6BmyzRoMIFOOhWlKwNh5cSNcbmPtI54ApqJ-mxehhA9Zhlu2RTPfZIA62AsAYXDxCkzYsxqChuT1lPjz-6eHWj-av5R9OnMCuMnIYikxfxm/s1600/DSC_0134.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi37W30Jl5SIJi39sS3PkS8_P6lx5M2fXrtG6BmyzRoMIFOOhWlKwNh5cSNcbmPtI54ApqJ-mxehhA9Zhlu2RTPfZIA62AsAYXDxCkzYsxqChuT1lPjz-6eHWj-av5R9OnMCuMnIYikxfxm/s320/DSC_0134.JPG" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Exploring the Site [photo: Tim]</td></tr>
</tbody></table>To pick up where I left off, after our group visit to the 400+ acres of land on Tuesday (March 8), everyone spent the rest of the week working back at the guest house with their calculators, sketch pads, and laptops. Only a few people ventured out to the site occasionally to collect information. I didn’t mind staying back, though, because it was pretty hot the whole week, and at least the guest house had shade and fans (well, when we had electricity). [Thank you to everyone who prayed for me in dealing with the heat. Even though I was hot and sweaty most of the time, it didn’t ever get to the point where I felt sick or irritable, which is an answer to prayer!] We had a whole section of the guest house to ourselves, which was great, because we basically took over! We had 4 sleeping rooms surrounding a big living room area, where the architects spread out on a big dining table, and the engineers spread out around a circle of couches.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigU-55U1R3poxuM4-Uz_PoUB7Rp3ziAOLCcsnEmzJlqBo6NtUXttKP50ztII7zJuGGTiegRIG1DA7pvaujLgjWGnXYHvorbbqRLOAltjjlK1xLIsMr6XJcINtd-TkQn7zkoXbsiZe7BBi6/s1600/DSC_9972.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigU-55U1R3poxuM4-Uz_PoUB7Rp3ziAOLCcsnEmzJlqBo6NtUXttKP50ztII7zJuGGTiegRIG1DA7pvaujLgjWGnXYHvorbbqRLOAltjjlK1xLIsMr6XJcINtd-TkQn7zkoXbsiZe7BBi6/s320/DSC_9972.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Engineers Hard at Work [photo: Kirk]</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdAPQLvw1FRf8JXFtnUe6vpcemD7VlrrfSbaeFhYNl9ickDsSddmpDCrmfJYHUFINEw6MqiYM4JIi400YTCkHeuzOPPjTenFsYjhs9IVC2iyTpOU22IAgbob00vx5boBgM5wS2Opd7eIZe/s1600/IMG_0037.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdAPQLvw1FRf8JXFtnUe6vpcemD7VlrrfSbaeFhYNl9ickDsSddmpDCrmfJYHUFINEw6MqiYM4JIi400YTCkHeuzOPPjTenFsYjhs9IVC2iyTpOU22IAgbob00vx5boBgM5wS2Opd7eIZe/s320/IMG_0037.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Testing Water at a Spring [Andrew] </td></tr>
</tbody></table>I spent the first part of the week working with the water/wastewater team, since that’s what I’m most familiar with, and also somewhat helping John (the team leader) to coordinate/identify the numerous tasks to be done. I was put in charge of coordinating the presentation, which is what I spent much of the end of the week doing. I drew little diagrams in PPT and talked with the various teams (architects, structural engineers, civil engineers, agriculture, and livestock) to identify what was needed for their part of the presentation. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmnis7DT0NfSwV6cCrwD_Btq2nnYWikzrwh6tjrd3fv58F04vROEzOG0jNHiQcBbtboXhgfc6vAdtwkCtPX688dRGCOTyR_kyzv2HuKwQWMELpVOxyiSU5pst6fIETewjWUF9R8wUJBmGq/s1600/IMG_2069.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmnis7DT0NfSwV6cCrwD_Btq2nnYWikzrwh6tjrd3fv58F04vROEzOG0jNHiQcBbtboXhgfc6vAdtwkCtPX688dRGCOTyR_kyzv2HuKwQWMELpVOxyiSU5pst6fIETewjWUF9R8wUJBmGq/s320/IMG_2069.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Architects (and Engineers) Hard at Work [Terry]</td></tr>
</tbody></table>One day, about half of us (those who weren’t out at the site) walked into town for lunch. I think it was about a half hour walk, and it was really dusty, hot, and sunny, so we were all grateful for the semi-air-conditioned western-style café. On the way back, we took a “short cut,” which ended up taking about 2 hours! One of the guys had GPS on his iPhone, so he knew which way the guest house was, but we kept trying these small side streets, which would end up turning or taking us into someone’s yard. I think we crossed over some train tracks 2 or 3 times….<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiclQHzYsqBMaC5Q1ADPbaUYrNnlBxP1-oLZ0vp1q95VFts0ZM_HPYvHvrJ_F8vLhrnfrAms2I_7EEr-k3yR24hV-eSLCcXRdxN-V9gQdJ-WfwxhCNjYlCXo0IrY_A4KkMkUD2RCYqwnSxK/s1600/IMG_4616.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiclQHzYsqBMaC5Q1ADPbaUYrNnlBxP1-oLZ0vp1q95VFts0ZM_HPYvHvrJ_F8vLhrnfrAms2I_7EEr-k3yR24hV-eSLCcXRdxN-V9gQdJ-WfwxhCNjYlCXo0IrY_A4KkMkUD2RCYqwnSxK/s320/IMG_4616.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Traditional Brick Huts [Chad]</td></tr>
</tbody></table>While it was long and hot and exhausting, it was a pretty neat experience because we basically ended up walking around residential “neighborhoods” most of the time. It was interesting because we were on the outskirts of a major city, but it looked just like “the village” (although more concentrated), since most people were living in small round brick huts with thatched roofs. I later found out that this unusual settling pattern was a result of the history of the area. Families moved near the city (often into relatives’ yards) to gain protection from the LRA, so they set up simple “temporary” housing resembling their own houses out in the villages. 25 years later they are still living in these “huts”, many of which have been improved and added onto along the way.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjssMUXPTUydPwtZllYzXdwuaPioYz5Bovbm5BksUaly_VomqEELYR69Ygz4IFcVt43qCfSAvPSCqDB6z9BAqKbYFQe7etiT5Xrq1p2BKzRdGCF5D4Tv45zfYzEOUnDk7ItsLD2D6dJKXFq/s1600/DSC_9966.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjssMUXPTUydPwtZllYzXdwuaPioYz5Bovbm5BksUaly_VomqEELYR69Ygz4IFcVt43qCfSAvPSCqDB6z9BAqKbYFQe7etiT5Xrq1p2BKzRdGCF5D4Tv45zfYzEOUnDk7ItsLD2D6dJKXFq/s320/DSC_9966.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Discussing a Sketch of the Site Master Plan [Kirk]</td></tr>
</tbody></table>On this trip, EMI was uniquely partnered with an architecture firm from Australia, which has already been working with Watoto to create a masterplan for the development of Gulu town. It’s exciting to see that a church/ministry is getting involved in caring for the improvement and restoration of an entire city and region. Often ministries are only set up to help those “within their gates,” which can be of great benefit to those in the program, but I was excited to see this “bigger picture” approach, especially for a war-torn region that has needs at every level of its society. The agricultural and technical college is a part of that bigger vision for raising up citizens to have skills that they can use to further develop their own communities. Also, because of Watoto’s and the architecture firm’s connections, the incoming mayor of Gulu attended our presentation at the end of the week. We think it was a great opportunity for the new mayor to understand Watoto’s vision for the college and also their overall desire to work with the government to help improve the region.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKsMTapOzKncxHBIdjee2hwxE2cELoXNfiXYHzeZJqCjQadoyZPeo-MeZ4Wc2NcS6pn-ezW6RUw8iDzdrRaUGPWkzAZPGVhDn38D0MQ0NQac2861N3oKkXbp1LnUmYB1FeKn8BGJfLgW4w/s1600/IMG_0084.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKsMTapOzKncxHBIdjee2hwxE2cELoXNfiXYHzeZJqCjQadoyZPeo-MeZ4Wc2NcS6pn-ezW6RUw8iDzdrRaUGPWkzAZPGVhDn38D0MQ0NQac2861N3oKkXbp1LnUmYB1FeKn8BGJfLgW4w/s400/IMG_0084.JPG" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nearby Church Under Construction [Andrew]</td></tr>
</tbody></table>One of the cool things that happened on the trip involved structural engineering. (Don’t roll your eyes yet.) Our structural engineer and architects ended up having a really long conversation one night to try to figure out how to make these buildings both seismically safe and buildable. (Watoto often has teams of volunteers come and build parts of their buildings, and we wanted to create a design that would allow that model to continue.) Gulu is in a region that is more seismically active than Kampala, so it was great that we had a structural engineer on our team who works for a firm that specializes in seismic design. The team finally came up with some pretty creative (and cool-looking) building designs, but we were a little worried about selling the ideas as well as the importance of designing for earthquakes. (It is of course hard to want to spend money to prevent something that doesn’t happen very often – just like car insurance!) We thought we were going to have to convince our audience that an earthquake really could happen in Gulu. But the amazing thing was that ON THE MORNING of our final presentation, the entire region was woken up at 6:20am by a 5.0 earthquake! How amazing is that! It wasn’t big enough to cause damage, fortunately, but just big enough for everyone to feel it and to be reminded that Gulu is located in a seismically-active zone. God has great timing (and a sense of humor)! Who knows, maybe that one earthquake will cause buildings to be built better and save lives in the future!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDAYhZQ7eOb2JlCsFZ6QxAuVmuglo_ZJf4Uam6t-kyIWZ-sGZvN7oPgSf_kCwZJmz8512moTPEqI7pKDuR3U8Ermm__dTbZHDMytFDfyhDzoTeGWFZfiaPUOj_R0ZAmci_LdGgXfTQEMVJ/s1600/DSC_0398.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDAYhZQ7eOb2JlCsFZ6QxAuVmuglo_ZJf4Uam6t-kyIWZ-sGZvN7oPgSf_kCwZJmz8512moTPEqI7pKDuR3U8Ermm__dTbZHDMytFDfyhDzoTeGWFZfiaPUOj_R0ZAmci_LdGgXfTQEMVJ/s400/DSC_0398.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me, Tony, Chad, Andrew, Angus, and K2 on a Rock in the Middle of the Nile (really) [Kirk]</td></tr>
</tbody></table>I had a wonderful week and a half, and found that it was just what I needed as I was transitioning back into living in Uganda and working with EMI. I was worried that I would find it too exhausting or overwhelming to go straight from moving to Uganda and spending a week setting up my apartment to leaving again for a busy project trip, but instead it left me feeling energized and excited for the road ahead. Thank you again for all your prayers in that regard. I feel like God knew exactly what I needed, even though it didn’t necessarily seem to make sense. The camaraderie and positivity of the team and the fun times we had together were life-giving, and the project itself was a great reminder about the difference that EMI is making in partnering with ministries that are doing great work here in East Africa.<br />
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Some more pictures of the trip (courtesy of my teammates): <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ6on-BhlGUsUdrp-B4h4dh-NxxImZ914kyjURmKJwb1ryYs43Le2MAMovSBSsNkHik-luoCHjaCTFAHb2Oj-_XqIUxzsUl6D_pv39wcyipc6ctD7tZ7d_kIuo7gsw7Rl6v7UR45aJy7mE/s1600/DSC_0033.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ6on-BhlGUsUdrp-B4h4dh-NxxImZ914kyjURmKJwb1ryYs43Le2MAMovSBSsNkHik-luoCHjaCTFAHb2Oj-_XqIUxzsUl6D_pv39wcyipc6ctD7tZ7d_kIuo7gsw7Rl6v7UR45aJy7mE/s400/DSC_0033.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Playing Games at the Watoto Children's Village [Kirk]</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2x-oAqsbdeegmNyKbPkfs9iL_qNJ_hn2n7a8l5xSBFDt_WVazHe7nU1fzGV98DHKWJtA09RXlN5XMC1uJc89Q0YD2I-BUypyZwoTDf01rfSPmM__r5r6dg5aO7HBn4iHeLk2R7AFqpyHK/s1600/Watoto+Children+Village+10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2x-oAqsbdeegmNyKbPkfs9iL_qNJ_hn2n7a8l5xSBFDt_WVazHe7nU1fzGV98DHKWJtA09RXlN5XMC1uJc89Q0YD2I-BUypyZwoTDf01rfSPmM__r5r6dg5aO7HBn4iHeLk2R7AFqpyHK/s400/Watoto+Children+Village+10.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzVTK9v6TS_OVvto3IAdVVIjGtyQ5ydslg3Q95_ARqGtlPp7EcSNAerovPbJkDO-zmLTrNFgxBmB7Ddxpkv6M3xPx6vV8QCu98HbmP4SQmJpFfuKusfuXpZlH42ASi49CuulNcb2WWgaO9/s1600/Watoto+Children+Village+12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzVTK9v6TS_OVvto3IAdVVIjGtyQ5ydslg3Q95_ARqGtlPp7EcSNAerovPbJkDO-zmLTrNFgxBmB7Ddxpkv6M3xPx6vV8QCu98HbmP4SQmJpFfuKusfuXpZlH42ASi49CuulNcb2WWgaO9/s400/Watoto+Children+Village+12.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">John Challenging the Little Ones to a Match [Terry]</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUX4Msbcsj37-wlp8i5Q4hLgZ8UC_tS6dI_yiX-O2qpvb2W5a0HQC8qDkWTkuWINT0VfMax4S32qHFPPKIcSjT3rQrAauJ1d8r_VCLVBSKGYpoux7WMgvo6xMwm6m0XjbnUUM0S5fZDPHe/s1600/DSC_0149.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUX4Msbcsj37-wlp8i5Q4hLgZ8UC_tS6dI_yiX-O2qpvb2W5a0HQC8qDkWTkuWINT0VfMax4S32qHFPPKIcSjT3rQrAauJ1d8r_VCLVBSKGYpoux7WMgvo6xMwm6m0XjbnUUM0S5fZDPHe/s400/DSC_0149.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My New Friend at the Watoto Babies' Home [Kirk]</td></tr>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE_d8NpjKpHbzqLjTFOWsvotJN-1r9SclbLwba4NEs3RfWimpb3pqISz03eGuvvXSnmUS6ENFH4zyfMJCVTlPkMRVYU-V9mV1FVZnBjSFWLKcQaoCsiaB-NQlLhZ3CtEJtqz7m8tG7hhbC/s1600/Baby+Watoto+babies+12+Brittany+with+baby.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE_d8NpjKpHbzqLjTFOWsvotJN-1r9SclbLwba4NEs3RfWimpb3pqISz03eGuvvXSnmUS6ENFH4zyfMJCVTlPkMRVYU-V9mV1FVZnBjSFWLKcQaoCsiaB-NQlLhZ3CtEJtqz7m8tG7hhbC/s400/Baby+Watoto+babies+12+Brittany+with+baby.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgffE0YgIB93bRLpZQJJ1dY6LYp_yY3gbX_gu5owoedBYJmzqV9T1u6MHZFCBBXsPX1kCCQmeGtBI2jSiKSdreHAtT6sFan0SD_xfx_dPm4TrlIJOj72J9bgQY-y7fLTYI1jUA5jjoXKjKa/s1600/IMG_4743.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgffE0YgIB93bRLpZQJJ1dY6LYp_yY3gbX_gu5owoedBYJmzqV9T1u6MHZFCBBXsPX1kCCQmeGtBI2jSiKSdreHAtT6sFan0SD_xfx_dPm4TrlIJOj72J9bgQY-y7fLTYI1jUA5jjoXKjKa/s400/IMG_4743.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Meal Time! [Chad]</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9z4ZPhMZt06rvITy4ME3M6t_sEvJxMkABoQ4z6LrM40rAQWB23BoIoAm8pwdD1JFmzKa820FOeCwRPWIOEkdB_bTE-HKWIytZ6qPJd-3oS99RKoDCQgaXmOlM91djxgCHBr1UqVwOYzfy/s1600/IMG_0349.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9z4ZPhMZt06rvITy4ME3M6t_sEvJxMkABoQ4z6LrM40rAQWB23BoIoAm8pwdD1JFmzKa820FOeCwRPWIOEkdB_bTE-HKWIytZ6qPJd-3oS99RKoDCQgaXmOlM91djxgCHBr1UqVwOYzfy/s400/IMG_0349.JPG" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some Nighttime Visitors at our Safari Camp [Andrew]</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1Kni_MusZTBgspw1II_iEvj4dXIC_mMBrTh8ZygEOfPyefOouT-gUw5wN4DClWoDVotx7ZkZ5I4UVS16OGBuwcNUNW7RklYZD1pkVLmKNp-s0z9EBh2SjDECrMRCxBPsbvAUAMPqXagWf/s1600/DSC_0595.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1Kni_MusZTBgspw1II_iEvj4dXIC_mMBrTh8ZygEOfPyefOouT-gUw5wN4DClWoDVotx7ZkZ5I4UVS16OGBuwcNUNW7RklYZD1pkVLmKNp-s0z9EBh2SjDECrMRCxBPsbvAUAMPqXagWf/s400/DSC_0595.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hartebeest [Tim]</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj0mnilH5EOXGbW3iYj8njKHk7cWveeVSj5Z0WcMmfDOG5itJmSHGjI3iNH8dg634-EYGf6wEGXL2LyVGJ6DTTsFS42Eo3iw4R0pVfF5OBHnKKpAFgiCGBH0IC7_QkKsDzevP4GltQNa-Y/s1600/Safari+lion+Angus.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj0mnilH5EOXGbW3iYj8njKHk7cWveeVSj5Z0WcMmfDOG5itJmSHGjI3iNH8dg634-EYGf6wEGXL2LyVGJ6DTTsFS42Eo3iw4R0pVfF5OBHnKKpAFgiCGBH0IC7_QkKsDzevP4GltQNa-Y/s400/Safari+lion+Angus.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Us and the Lions, No Camera Tricks (aka Does Angus look like Lunch?) [Kirk]</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdL32_Xv9ayZXUxwj0XOkdQvU5CYiCkzphbs7C7mWLs6mL7kG7kDhF_9Sfie5TibPerRKPHwN5KYry6hwQLbmLTMn2QnTSdoIYjjOhRCZg2ncJ3thio2jrHxA9vETgaWrKsoe9-NrhwtMD/s1600/Safari+crew+on+van+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdL32_Xv9ayZXUxwj0XOkdQvU5CYiCkzphbs7C7mWLs6mL7kG7kDhF_9Sfie5TibPerRKPHwN5KYry6hwQLbmLTMn2QnTSdoIYjjOhRCZg2ncJ3thio2jrHxA9vETgaWrKsoe9-NrhwtMD/s400/Safari+crew+on+van+4.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Riding in Style along the Banks of the Nile/Lake Albert [Kirk]</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1oi8RXC4ZNIWoAZhE7VRx2z19x5JA6pb8j8mBel_42LS8JJkG5wGQdIZJkiEPCvFUMYRnk-LkmSpykot2VFdNKJ2-8XiKTXUOmgjUJ2eLXcKdhjmdPGVYSvkn_Cp2smisczvG833iGL4D/s1600/Safari+crew+on+van+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1oi8RXC4ZNIWoAZhE7VRx2z19x5JA6pb8j8mBel_42LS8JJkG5wGQdIZJkiEPCvFUMYRnk-LkmSpykot2VFdNKJ2-8XiKTXUOmgjUJ2eLXcKdhjmdPGVYSvkn_Cp2smisczvG833iGL4D/s400/Safari+crew+on+van+1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Having Fun in the Safari Van [Kirk]</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Brittanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16037368111487088356noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1041907078103907595.post-34179310858421569112011-03-23T12:02:00.000-07:002011-03-23T12:02:38.261-07:00Hope for Gulu<div class="MsoNormal">The project trip was a great week and a half, a lot of which was due to having a great team of people. Everyone got along and worked well together and generally had fun spending time together.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGMKgAxeB3403GiW8QnuGyY6RSiUHp7Nf7Yav56kVIMQYEIejrKq_0PR3IpUvinl2bHkZRLQZwIYv4orTVEXlKTaX_LQCOqprynLS0FGrT_Z_GEv8Z7IijFq_7mQLuLyUFaZNpZ0nSc_qX/s1600/DSC_0796.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGMKgAxeB3403GiW8QnuGyY6RSiUHp7Nf7Yav56kVIMQYEIejrKq_0PR3IpUvinl2bHkZRLQZwIYv4orTVEXlKTaX_LQCOqprynLS0FGrT_Z_GEv8Z7IijFq_7mQLuLyUFaZNpZ0nSc_qX/s400/DSC_0796.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our Team (Minus 1) on Safari</td></tr>
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After arriving in Gulu on the evening of Monday the 7<sup>th</sup>, we kicked off our week on Tuesday morning by visiting the land we would be working with. It was almost an hour drive outside of Gulu town on bumpy dirt roads. Other than a few mud huts, nothing is currently on the land. Fortunately Dan and another volunteer had gone up before the trip to survey the 400+ acre property, which was a HUGE help. The land was pretty flat with some grass and underbrush and some scattered trees. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tromping Through the Site (photo by Kirk)</td></tr>
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">One thing that we saw a lot in the area was burned fields. Locals set fires to their fields to clear out weeds and old vegetation and make room for new crops. As we walked around the site, our clothes became covered in streaks of charcoal from all the reeds and twigs we passed through. Over and over as we saw these burned fields, we also noticed the bright green new growth of grass making its way out of the blackness. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgboFwHgi8ZqIduBXNRtXqkV6p4nT7SBmb9dVqujr_OVndjJ_kQdGz-NIoo19pC3aej7ZMWLNz1URvw4j5Vkb06SbMoThfeqY36dlBPwYHNsMCeTEUeoqzvhdCxzUSa__JSvRDHcIx_MRk8/s1600/DSC_9920-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="262" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgboFwHgi8ZqIduBXNRtXqkV6p4nT7SBmb9dVqujr_OVndjJ_kQdGz-NIoo19pC3aej7ZMWLNz1URvw4j5Vkb06SbMoThfeqY36dlBPwYHNsMCeTEUeoqzvhdCxzUSa__JSvRDHcIx_MRk8/s400/DSC_9920-1.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New Growth (photo by Kirk)</td></tr>
</tbody></table> <br />
This image really struck me and became a metaphor to me of the people of northern Uganda. The people of this region have experienced such horrendous, evil things (see my previous post). But we sang a song at the Watoto church on Sunday that includes the lines “Into the darkness you [God] shine. Out of the ashes we rise.” That became my prayer for Gulu – that in the midst of the pain and hopelessness and despair and trauma, that God’s love and healing and restoration would shine and that the people of Gulu would rise out of the ashes as the bright green grass, so full of life and hope and new growth. Where there seems to be only death, I pray that God would bring new life to this region.</div>Brittanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16037368111487088356noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1041907078103907595.post-14745361500286616952011-03-21T11:36:00.000-07:002011-03-21T11:36:19.008-07:00Project Trip PhotosI didn't take too many pictures this time, because several of the guys had excellent cameras, but here's a few that I took, for your viewing pleasure:<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_l-zvg2HCx12BD8XUHbm1lAyY4glCrdqnMHIxTVUbo3rQDvXMHD_W0EG_tyGu8i5z8_9l6SWpwNuVMQyKkRgyQcwMQXzPFWkLKQqXr4wGU0NKbOdfELHe50gMFdSChSqY5NSzU-YHK_fG/s1600/IMG_2888.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_l-zvg2HCx12BD8XUHbm1lAyY4glCrdqnMHIxTVUbo3rQDvXMHD_W0EG_tyGu8i5z8_9l6SWpwNuVMQyKkRgyQcwMQXzPFWkLKQqXr4wGU0NKbOdfELHe50gMFdSChSqY5NSzU-YHK_fG/s320/IMG_2888.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Watoto Babies' Home in Gulu</td></tr>
</tbody></table>We visited Watoto's Children's Village and Babies' Home on Sunday during our project trip. I played some clapping and ring-around-the-rosie-type games with a group of girls at the children's village. Then we sat down and sang songs and played some games with a salvaged piece of string. At the babie's home, I got to play with one of the babies for a little while, who soon occupied himself with chewing on my finger. =) Babies are rescued (or sometimes handed over) by Watoto and cared for at this separate site until they are old enough (1 or 2) to be placed in a home with children of all ages at the children's village. <br />
<br />
At the end of the trip (I still promise to write more about the actual project trip later), we all went on a short safari at a nearby game park (the same place where we went after our project trip last September).<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_O4U9opPynoQrpuXjXtCWQfP0Rm8_7Sb7BqNK9tPTwZqEKyrqq0OIYrAheoxCQNwfuLsurO2l755B0pMmaNkxdO5XtGLRcnjOw07MWSjJAmNkIr-fcYScpkmKxpL-DfpKfcak2KUb987l/s1600/IMG_2922.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_O4U9opPynoQrpuXjXtCWQfP0Rm8_7Sb7BqNK9tPTwZqEKyrqq0OIYrAheoxCQNwfuLsurO2l755B0pMmaNkxdO5XtGLRcnjOw07MWSjJAmNkIr-fcYScpkmKxpL-DfpKfcak2KUb987l/s400/IMG_2922.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Um, yeah. Our van was literally about 10 feet away. Truly amazing!</td></tr>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsSNahQcIpBPkWRe78efnOM2uYl64cb5g1Ql5OlSyhQyCCqwuEsDdfm6_qzN15tBdsjxT8mJaYgvhmZuvv4hXG5A8gZeYfmacc91Kh_px9LY_WB4GY4K-aAgIuGwOLkozKEUvpK6eclNYS/s1600/IMG_2928.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsSNahQcIpBPkWRe78efnOM2uYl64cb5g1Ql5OlSyhQyCCqwuEsDdfm6_qzN15tBdsjxT8mJaYgvhmZuvv4hXG5A8gZeYfmacc91Kh_px9LY_WB4GY4K-aAgIuGwOLkozKEUvpK6eclNYS/s400/IMG_2928.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirfUqjLA4UO4TY3K0e10Bs0QQJE4q4q3P7DN6RiOtNWyvXm0EjCo5JYr-qdRi8TFU2mOSN6oRiAAMOgf4Jpn90UQ-fBlXpa_6nI1VDSB9AD-Rqqy5cqdf-KhICy37pNSjqkDvuxatCKuHn/s1600/IMG_2934.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirfUqjLA4UO4TY3K0e10Bs0QQJE4q4q3P7DN6RiOtNWyvXm0EjCo5JYr-qdRi8TFU2mOSN6oRiAAMOgf4Jpn90UQ-fBlXpa_6nI1VDSB9AD-Rqqy5cqdf-KhICy37pNSjqkDvuxatCKuHn/s400/IMG_2934.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some people rode on top of the van for a better view. And yes, they were there when we were 10 feet from the lions!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifTu5S1wdkFJkeLV1oLBo9Qc33CWbRAIIZL70mkaha69lBhEwUamR0GUtpfWeyQ3XArJ1HKgqbmX56BdEX7Ul4trghEXlAZ8vRuTBX-5shRFvo8PaGWgRdtFG8-USUBNOE8t_Zjh8nF4xY/s1600/IMG_2940.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifTu5S1wdkFJkeLV1oLBo9Qc33CWbRAIIZL70mkaha69lBhEwUamR0GUtpfWeyQ3XArJ1HKgqbmX56BdEX7Ul4trghEXlAZ8vRuTBX-5shRFvo8PaGWgRdtFG8-USUBNOE8t_Zjh8nF4xY/s400/IMG_2940.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Baby giraffes everywhere!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
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Pretty amazing safari!!Brittanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16037368111487088356noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1041907078103907595.post-82783717983034413022011-03-20T11:36:00.000-07:002011-03-20T11:36:29.390-07:00Gulu and the LRA<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:DocumentProperties> <o:Version>12.00</o:Version> </o:DocumentProperties> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves/> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:DoNotPromoteQF/> <w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/> <w:DontVertAlignCellWithSp/> <w:DontBreakConstrainedForcedTables/> <w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/> <w:Word11KerningPairs/> <w:CachedColBalance/> </w:Compatibility> <m:mathPr> <m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/> <m:brkBin m:val="before"/> <m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/> <m:smallFrac m:val="off"/> <m:dispDef/> <m:lMargin m:val="0"/> <m:rMargin m:val="0"/> <m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/> <m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/> <m:intLim m:val="subSup"/> <m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/> </m:mathPr></w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<div class="MsoNormal">On Sunday March 6, I dropped off my mom at the airport and then waited to pick up some of the volunteers who flew in for our project trip.<span> </span>We had a team of 13, including John (our office director), myself, 3 interns (Dan, who was an intern with me last term, plus Tim and “K2”), 5 American volunteers, and 3 Australian volunteers.<span> </span>On Monday, we had our opening meeting with the volunteers, met with the Watoto leadership downtown, had a fancy Ugandan lunch, and then headed out on a 5-hour bus ride to Gulu.<span> </span>We stayed at the Watoto Guest House in Gulu the whole time, which was pretty nice, complete with a bathroom in each room and fans!<span> </span>Since I was the only female on the trip, I got my own room and bathroom to myself.<span> </span>=)</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Here's some information about what our project was all about:</div><div class="MsoNormal"> </div><div class="MsoNormal">Watoto Childcare Ministries was formed to help the thousands of orphans and widows in Uganda, many of whom are the result of AIDS victims.<span> </span>As I explained in earlier posts, they have a few “children’s villages” around Uganda, where hundreds of orphans are placed in group homes, with up to 8 children to a mother. <span> </span>The idea is that “it takes a village to raise a child,” not an orphanage.<span> </span>(Watoto is starting a new village soon in Cape Town, South Africa, and churches and ministries from around the world are visiting Watoto to learn from their model of care.)<span> </span>Watoto (Swahili for “children”) values the idea of community, and wants these children to have every opportunity possible, including growing up in a loving home environment.<span> </span>(The house mothers are also a focus of Watoto, and many are AIDS widows themselves.) Watoto's current tag line is “Rescue. Raise. Rebuild.” communicating their goal of not just raising up youth but of empowering future leaders who can help rebuild their own country. Some of you may have heard of the Watoto Children's Choir, which is made up of children from their villages.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Gulu, one of the main cities in northern Uganda, was the hub of the LRA’s activities.<span> </span>The LRA (Lord’s Resistance Army) is a rebel group that committed terrible, horrible acts against their own people, the Acholi tribe, since 1987, and is/was one of the longest-running conflicts in Africa.<span> </span>They were originally formed to resist the Ugandan government’s oppression of their people after a change of power, but eventually turned to torture their own people as payback or insurance against being turned in to the government.<span> </span>This is one of the places that is famous for the child soldiers who are taken from their village and forced to kill people.<span> </span>The LRA finally left Uganda only a few years ago (but is still violently active in the Democratic Republic of Congo next door), so now various efforts are focusing on how the people in the area, all of whom were affected by these atrocities, can experience healing, rehabilitation, restoration, and growth. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Watoto has been conducting a trauma rehabilitation program (somewhat like group counseling) in dozens of IDP (internally-displaced people) camps that were set up to protect residents during the fighting.<span> </span>Families lived in these IDP camps for 26 years and now are returning to their land, but they are realizing that they lack both practical training and an older population to glean that information from.<span> </span>That’s where we came in.<span> </span>Our project was to design an agricultural and technical college, which will help provide people in the area with practical skills that they can use on their own farms or to get jobs to support their families.<span> </span>It will be more than a vocational school.<span> </span>It will offer college degrees in agriculture, livestock, farm management, farm mechanics, etc.<span> </span>Not only will it provide a place for Watoto children to go to school, but the intention is to provide skills and hope to the entire Gulu region.<span> </span>We were given an odd-shaped plot of land (435 acres, I think) and tasked with designing a college campus for 400 students plus 100 staff, including land for crops and livestock that will serve not only as a training ground but also as a food source to feed the college’s 500 residents (plus additional food, if possible, to feed those at Watoto’s Gulu children’s village or to sell on the market as an income-generator).</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">More on the actual project trip soon.... </div>Brittanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16037368111487088356noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1041907078103907595.post-69194778332574876582011-03-19T22:42:00.000-07:002011-03-19T22:42:33.586-07:00Thief Magnet(This post was actually written on Saturday) <br />
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I got back from Gulu on Wednesday night, spent Thursday with our volunteers, then took the day off Friday, but more on Gulu soon.<br />
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Right now I just wanted to comment that my purse was stolen last night. FORTUNATELY, praise God, it was returned! I went with some of the interns to a worship night where the African Children’s Choir was supposed to perform. (Side note: EMI designed and oversaw the construction of their new school and dorms in Entebbe!) We showed up half an hour late and saw 6 different acts, but no children, so we assumed they had performed first. Oh well, we still had a good time. We saw several Ugandan singers and groups and a worship band from Texas . It was a fun night of watching performances and singing worship songs, but I think my favorite part was when a popular Ugandan worship leader got up and everyone started jumping up and down and waving around their handkerchiefs to the songs. It kind of showcased the equally good but different worship styles of contemporary worship from the US and from Uganda. <br />
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At almost the end of the night, we noticed some guys kind of making a disturbance in front of us and I looked down and realized my purse was gone. Someone at the door had somehow stopped the guy who took my purse and I think made him come back and show them where he had taken it from. I am SO SO thankful that I got it back this time! (For those of you who are new to my adventures, so far I’ve had the following stolen in Uganda/Kenya: purse [complete with phone, camera, & ATM card], phone again [pick-pocketed out of my purse], and Merrell shoes [taken off the porch of an apartment]. GOOD GRIEF, what is it with me???) This time, not only did my purse contain the only copy of my apartment door key, it also had some important property belonging to someone else. I even purposefully put it in front of me instead of behind me on the seat (we were standing most of the time) so that I could keep an eye on it. I’m so annoyed with myself. Well, I guess it will make me more cautious next time. Thank you JESUS, that it was returned this time! The guy who took it didn’t take anything out of it, and the security people at the event told me they were going to take him to the police afterward. Ah, another night in Uganda.<br />
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Well, now that that drama’s over with, I’m spending most of the day indoor baking. It’s a wonderfully cool day (low 70s), and I’m enjoying the breeze that my 3rd-floor apartment provides. (We're solidly into rainy season now, with a downpour or at least shower each day.) I’m having the 6 interns over for dinner tonight, so that they can finally see where I live. I utilized my American brown sugar (very different in Uganda) and chocolate chips (non-existent in Uganda) to make some cookies. YUM!<br />
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And speaking of apartment, here are a couple pictures of my new place with my new furniture:<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzOuOViObh2qjv3bCnDY44Tg2gpSG708dATy8GVoc9HxHxZEE6m7i3lyge1gfL_2jTtEP4T1tSUhvsOdmshR4SYpr63edYVAVOQJluWu1TNSegIRlW91_KVOMeYR_Kag0aEd_WZE6oSr3_/s1600/Picture2+007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzOuOViObh2qjv3bCnDY44Tg2gpSG708dATy8GVoc9HxHxZEE6m7i3lyge1gfL_2jTtEP4T1tSUhvsOdmshR4SYpr63edYVAVOQJluWu1TNSegIRlW91_KVOMeYR_Kag0aEd_WZE6oSr3_/s320/Picture2+007.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Living Room (looking out to front balcony)</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVfsiIj4XfcbSjRxk97UbFldG1jDxu5pDjupONdtMAjfU3gw_1zFJF7cnIW3GWnaANYSY-M9skkHuGfcjGxKtq4MKQmIsjOcj0blCYyd6QUoV5z-Q4Gf4voK7YsVBg3epjwO3CANnIQ2bh/s1600/Picture1+132.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVfsiIj4XfcbSjRxk97UbFldG1jDxu5pDjupONdtMAjfU3gw_1zFJF7cnIW3GWnaANYSY-M9skkHuGfcjGxKtq4MKQmIsjOcj0blCYyd6QUoV5z-Q4Gf4voK7YsVBg3epjwO3CANnIQ2bh/s320/Picture1+132.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kitchen/Dining Room (looking out to back balcony, where I installed clotheslines)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Brittanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16037368111487088356noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1041907078103907595.post-13916457154305188862011-03-06T09:40:00.000-08:002011-03-06T09:40:55.223-08:00New ApartmentMy mom and I arrived in Uganda on Friday Feb. 25. We've spent the last week setting up my new apartment. We went shopping pretty much every day, to grocery stores, hardware stores, and home supply stores. We also spent a few hours in the furniture section of town walking up and down the road and ordering a guest bed, dining table and chairs, a couch and chair set, bookshelves, and a dresser. The furniture pick-ups required at least 6 trips down to "furniture row," since things weren't always quite ready when we thought they would be. We installed light bulbs the first day (light bulbs don't necessarily come with an apartment, but I was lucky to have been left with 3). We hung mosquito nets over our beds...a couple times. The first net I had was treated with a bug-killing chemical, and I woke up every morning with burning eyes. It was also a little small. So we went back to the store to get a larger one, and when we opened the package found out that it wasn't as big as advertised. But my mom used some of the first net to fashion a doorway into the new net, so now it works great! We've had a couple handy men over to drill holes in the ceiling for hanging the nets, and to install wood poles for clotheslines on my back veranda. The plumber was also here at least 4 times to try to stop the leaking and giant puddles in my bathroom. The leaking has finally stopped, but now I'm also hoping to find a way to have a hot shower. (I can get hot water in the tub, and a cold shower, but I currently don't get enough water pressure for a hot shower.) I also spent hours just unpacking all my stuff and figuring out where to put it all. It was an exhausting week, but we made it through and I now have a fully-furnished, set-up apartment!<br />
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Now that I can rest in my new place on my new couches (just completed this evening), I'm leaving for a week and a half on an EMI project trip! Tonight I'm going to the airport to pick up 4 of our volunteers and drop off my mom for her flight home. Tomorrow morning I leave for Gulu, a city about 5 hours north of Kampala. We will be designing an agricultural vocational training college and farm, which will benefit a community that was devastated by rebel fighting. We are working with Watoto Children's Ministries, which also runs the Childrens' Village that I wrote about before (remember the wastewater sampling?) I'll write more about the project when I return. It's supposed to be in the 90s in Gulu, so I hope I survive! (I have a hard enough time with the 80s in Kampala, although today it's been cool in the 70s!)<br />
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I'm glad to be back in Uganda and feel like I'm already back into the swing of things here. I'm looking forward to getting settled into a normal pace of life once I get back, and figuring out what it looks like to be here as a long-term staff and not as a short-term intern.Brittanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16037368111487088356noreply@blogger.com0