Good byes

I hate goodbyes.  I've never been very good at them, I get all kinds of nostalgia about the past, how the kids will change, how things won't be the same next time I come etc.  The group of girls that has been living at the Centre while I have been here has been amazing, each in their own way.  Whereas last time only a few who spoke English well told me their whole stories, this time many of them wanted to talk, either through a translator or broken English.

So today I spent the day doing all my last minute bonding time with the children and girls.  I bought soda for them for dinner which they ended up quarreling about because 3 kids didn't get one.  It left me feeling crappy that it caused a problem instead of just being fun.  But they quickly made up for that when they started with the goodbyes and thank yous.  I swear if I was told I am beautiful and that I'm loved half as much in the State's as I was today I'd be a different person!

After about an hour of that they decided to escort me to my house.  So 25 of the women and I walked across the compound.  Scratch that.  25 women carried me like a rock star in a crowd to my house.  It was hilarious, I've never laughed so hard.  After some more time they began to go back to their beds but some lingered around to have private conversations about the future etc.

It was a good day. One of the girls said she wants just a little piece of my heart in hers.  I realized that so much of my heart already is in Kitgum.  I love feeling so at home here.  I'm going to miss it so much.


Last minute prayer requests:
Electricity!  My phone battery is almost dead, my computer is almost dead (I have an internet modem) and the only ATM in Kitgum that accepts my ATM card wasn't functional today.  Thus, I am now unsure how I am going to pay for my bus ticket to Kampala at 5:30 tomorrow morning.