Paid Friends.

We met our paid friends today and they took us around Kigali, I'd like to say I understand the layout of the city better but in reality I'm just way more confused! Public transport seems way harder than I thought it would be!



Anyhow, check out this video we made when we were bored the other day!

MZUNGU MZUNGU!

It’s funny because everywhere we drive there are kids and people walking, working or doing something on the side of the road and the majority of the time they wave and yell, “Mzungu!” (Ma-zoon-goo) which means “white person!” I don’t think that it’s very often that a bus load of white college students drive through the countryside because kids get extremely excited. It's funny, I want to stop in all the villages and play with the kids because they are ADORABLE. I could seriously spend the entire semester just playing with the local kids.

Driving is fun too because the roads are mostly paved but have potholes that I swear you could get lost in, so the entire time we are dodging holes and bouncing around on the narrow roads that wind through the hills. Fortunately we have a skilled driver who not only avoided falling into potholes but also managed to not hit any bicyclists or motorcycles (which drive like maniacs), and there are way more motor cycles (or "bodas") than cars.

Safari-

So we went to Queen Elizabeth National Park (about 9 hours from Kampala) and stayed in a pretty cool hostel, we would all pile into the bus at 6:30am and drive through the savannah. Amazing? Yes. What we saw: water buffalo, elephants, water backs, hyenas, wart hogs, lions, baboons, hippos, a mongoose, cobs, crocodiles, etc (Pictures to follow).

Rwanda-

Today we drove 10 hours to Kigali, Rwanda and moved into our home for the next 5 weeks. The house is really nice (I had a hot shower for the second day in a row… even if the water went out for about 5 minutes in the middle of it). We haven’t really had any time to explore but I’m sure we will get around tomorrow a bit. In fact, they pay local young people to be our friends in order for us to learn a bit about how to get around etc. Classes start on Monday!

Just a few pictures...

Arrived!

I'm officially in Uganda, flights were great (slept during both) and I'm really liking the people that I'm here with. Driving from Entebbe to Kampala was very cool, lots of things to look at and lots of activities going on. Get to explore the city today and then the safari begins tomorrow!

"Knees are like the boobs of Africa"

This is one of the things I learned today - do not, under any circumstances, show your knees in Africa because "knees are like the boobs of Africa."

Things are good, got into Phoenix just fine, had orientation type stuff today, met the other 15 students that are going and am now ready to go to bed although it is barely 8:00 local time.

Tomorrow is more orientation in the morning/afternoon and then we leave for the airport, flight to London leaves at 7:20pm. Once in London, we have a 9 hour layover before flying to Entebbe.

I do not know if I'll have internet access when we get there on Monday, if not then I suppose I won't be posting until after our safari on Friday!

Day one of traveling

Traveling is a funny thing. First you say goodbye to family, and it's not like you're always both going somewhere different and exciting. I almost felt like I was leaving my family behind this morning, knowing that life will go on in Pittsburgh whether I'm there or not. But after that you get into the airport, which is fascinating because every single person that you see is flying somewhere for some purpose that is individual and personal they have some kind of goal. Every person booked their ticket, packed their bags, got to the airport on time and has something on their mind. You can make your best guesses but you never know who is going where and for what reason. Then you get into the air and even on the airplane only some people are trying to get to it's destination. Many are just passing through to get someplace else. I always wonder how many people are going home, how many are dreading where they are going, how many are afraid of flying, etc. So then you're in the air and you fly across the country, it seems like each time I look out the window I see houses or roads or some sign of civilization. Which is funny because I always assume that people live in clusters but as you fly you realize the vast expanse of land that people have spread out over.

Anyway, sorry for that random explosion of flight philosophy. Today's flights consist of flying from Pittsburgh to Houston (on which I found out that the couple next to me is traveling to Guatemala to preform joint replacements... they plan on doing about 70 replacements in the next 10 days, how cool). From Houston (where I am right now) I am flying to Phoenix where I will meet up with everyone else from the program. Obviously I'm a bit uneasy about meeting all new people of whom I will be spending the next couple months with. I keep thinking I won't fit in or something and I have to keep reminding myself that I've felt that way every time I've going somewhere new whether it's summer camp, school, treatment centers etc but it all works out in the first couple weeks and I forget it was ever any different. Soo I am sure (or at least hoping) that this will be the same.

So yeah, I meet the other students today and then tomorrow evening we fly from Pheonix to London to Entebbe, Uganda (somewhere along the way Sunday will happen, I leave Pheonix on Saturday and arrive in Entebbe on Monday morning which is funny). It seems so soon but I would love to just skip to the next few days and make it Monday so I can just get there! The suspense is killing me!!

I read this verse last night and I hope to keep it in the front of my mind throughout my trip...

"From everyone who has been given much,
much will be demanded;
and from the one who has been entrusted with much,
much more will be asked."
- Luke 12:48

I have been blessed with much, and I can't just sit anymore thanking God for the things and people in my life... I now get to go out in the world and do whatever the world demands of me. I'm pumped.

Packing, Desserting and Listing

I started packing yesterday! And my mom threw a "farewell, we hope you don't die while in Africa but if you do at least we had dessert with you one last time party" last night. It was fun to see neighbors and friends... and maybe when I get back we can have a party for surviving? Yes? Who wants to come?



Here's a list I wrote in the car the other day...

Things that won't be coming with me to Africa

1. Family and friends
2. Diet coke :-)
3. My garden
4. Mom's cooking
5. Lottie Nelson dining hall (look Mom! you came before Lottie!)
6. My Dad's humor
7. My dog, Jasmine!
8. Texting on a regular basis
9. Wireless internet
10. Grace Church
11. Digital cable
12. Thanksgiving
13. Make up
    
14. Shorts
15. Spaghetti straps
16. My daily bowl of ice cream
17. The freedom to not worry about malaria, yellow fever, tetanus, polio or west nile
    
18. Mosquito netting (they give it to us there)

Things that will be coming with me

1. Malaria pills
2. Prayers from everyone
3. 4 months worth of meds
4. 4 months worth of tampons (sorry guys, I had to include this though)
5. 90% deet bug spray
6. lots and lots of long skirts :-)
   

What's she doing??

So I have four more days until I leave and I suppose now would be a good time to give you a brief glimpse at what I'll be doing over the next few months. I'm going to Africa! (If you didn't get that from my url). I'll be studying abroad there with the organization Food for the Hungry which is a global Christian organization that aides countries all over the world with poverty while sharing God's Word! We (about 20 students) will be flying into Pheonix on Friday and then flying from there to London, Heathrow and then onto Entebbe, Uganda on Saturday. From there we will head to Rwanda! (My time will be split between Uganda and Rwanda). I'll be back in the states on December 18th and I plan on maintaining this blog throughout my trip, so be sure to keep up!

More info about the program/what I'll be doing to follow.

Most importantly, if you could keep me in your prayers that would be great (also pray for my parents who will be nervous during the entire trip).