Leaving for Luwero Today! (June 30th Post)

This morning we woke up and had devotions and then went to Wankulukuku primary school. It was by far my favorite school that we have visited. The children were absolutely adorable and when we pulled up to their school the kids were sitting outside and jumping up and down and screaming and chanting “Monzugu”. I felt like we were rock stars or something.

After we got out of the vans the kids were literally all over us. All of them wanted to be held and hugged and to hold hands. There were about 10 people in our group and all of them had about 10 kids crawling all over them. It was nuts.

We played games with them and sang some songs and then Gabby started to read them a story and tell them about how much God loves them. Then it started to rain. Not the usual daily Uganda sprinkle, but a literal downpour. We all ran inside their little school building. None of the kids wanted to leave the main 8 x 8 (that’s being generous) classroom because they wanted to stand by us, so there were about 100 kids, 5 teachers, and 10 of us standing in the little room. It was crazy. We passed out stickers, prayed, said our goodbyes, and sprinted from the classroom to the van in the rain.

After we got home we ate some lunch and had a meeting about our village trip to Luwero. It was pretty short. We are going to be staying at a school, building a goat shed and giving goats to 4 different families, and doing some evangelism once we finish our sheds. We are leaving tomorrow at 3 and coming back on Saturday afternoon. We’ll be back in time Saturday to have a proper 4th of July celebration! I’ve been campaigning for roasted marshmellows and sausage (they don’t have hamburgers or hot dogs here) all week. The US Embassy is also having a fireworks show, so some of us may go over there.

After our meeting we went to the store to get supplies for Luwero. I was able to get a 3 gallon container of water for $1.75 and 6 CDs for $2. Shopping in Uganda never gets old.

After our trip we headed to Clive College (high school). Clive College is literally next door to us. Our fence shares a fence with them. We went over there and sang some songs and did a skit and then we spilt up into groups of girls and boys and let them ask us questions. Most of the girls were too embarrassed to ask the questions out loud, so they had to write them down and pass them up. Most of the questions were really intense. Questions about boyfriends pressuring them to have sex, what to do if your boyfriend has HIV, how to feel more like a girl, what to do if a friend is peer pressuring you. It was a good reminder that these girls are just like the girls in US high schools, and that being in Africa doesn’t make them any different. Two of the questions were extremely serious. One of the girls had a lover who was paying her school fees and then she found out that her lover had a wife and three kids so she ended things. Her lover is now threatening to kill her if she doesn’t pay the school fees back. Another girl is being sexually harassed by her teacher.

We answered the questions as best we could and then we talked to them for a bit afterwards. The girl being sexually harassed by her teacher came and talked to me more about it. I told her that she really needed to tell her headmistress and offered to go with her, but she was still too nervous to go. I’ve been praying for her, and I hope you will too. We are going to try to go back more often now that we have established a relationship with the school so hopefully I can go back and check on her.

After our school visit we came home, ate some delicious breakfast tacos, played some card games with Brett and the Emilys, and watched The Last King Of Scotland. It was extremely depressing in case you’re wondering, but I still really enjoyed it.

Tomorrow we leave for Luwero so you won’t hear from me until Saturday or Sunday. Please pray for safe travel for our group, for successful building, and for hearts to be opened when we evangelize. Also pray for energy and strength for our group as we go throughout the week. If I don’t talk to you before then, have a great 4th of July!

Enjoy a Few Tropical Burgers For Me,
Jenna

Monday, June 29th (internet was out)

This morning we woke up really early and said good bye to some of my fellow Texans. Brian, Rawles, Laura, and Jared all left this morning at 5:30. They were some of my favorite people here and it was really sad see them go. The house is going to be a lot more quiet without them.

Afterwards, I spent some time on the internet. It is so much faster in the morning! I’m going to have to start getting up early to work on my paper for school. Waking up at 5:30 in the morning to do school work. What an awesome way to start the day.

After everyone else was ready to start their day, we left to go to Sanyu babies home. Amanda was already there and had gotten Francis dressed up for his trip to the hospital. We fed him and then Barbara (the director) drove us over to Katawalma to get him fitted for his chair. We didn’t have to wait long because instead of waiting in the waiting area, I walked back to the orthopedic area and started talking to Fred, the man I met with last week. Normally, people wait 2 to 3 hours.

Fred and I talked about the chair design with Amanda translating and then he talked about when it would be done. Fred tried to tell me last week that it wouldn’t be done until the end of July. Amanda and Rachel (Francis case worker who also came with us) weren’t having it. I don’t know what they said to Fred because they were talking in Luganda, but the chair should be done by next Wednesday.

We waited for the driver from the Sanyu Babies home to come get us for a long time. Close to an hour actually. Francis was crying and hungry and upset from all the noise and I had to hold him the whole hour. It was awesome. And by awesome I mean I kind of wanted to shoot myself.

When we got back to Sanyu, Amanda needed to pick some stuff up from her house, so we took a short walk to her apartment. Amanda is an absolutely amazing person and I loved getting to spend some time with her. Amanda lost both of her parents when she was younger, and since then has been living off money given to her and her sister by guardians, family members, and friends. Her apartment is an 8 x 8 room. It has a mattress on the floor, her closet, her kitchen, and her dressing area all in one area. Amanda told me that some nights she goes to bed without food because she has to use it to pay rent instead.

Amanda also told me that she is incredibly blessed and that she thanks the Lord everyday for all that He has given her. It was amazing. If I were in her situation I would have such a bad attitude, but she still has such a joy for the Lord. It blew me away.

After stopping by her house, Amanda and I went to a nearby restaurant and had cassava and French fries. It was so good. We had two plates full of French fries, two plates of cassava, and two cokes for 6700 shillings. That’s 3.25 American dollars if you can’t do the math. I love how cheap everything is in Uganda.

After lunch we went to a craft market. Amanda got me 60 small paintings to give to all the people who donated money. If I had paid full price, I would have paid 60,000 shillings, Amanda got it bargained down to 30,000 shillings for me. I am taking her shopping with me from now on.

After the craft market we came home and I tried on a traditional African outfit. Sarah, the administrator of Empower A Child, is having a traditional introduction ceremony (kind of like an engagement party) while I am here so I have to buy a traditional outfit.

After that Tommy and I did a pile of dishes and then we went and played some soccer at Kampago College. After dinner, Tommy and I did even more dishes. Then, four new people came, Amy, Katie, Andrew, and Brett, so we spent the rest of the evening meeting and greeting them.

Overall, it was a great day. Tomorrow is schools and preparing for our next village trip.

Enjoying The Day,
Jenna

The Best Birthday Weekend Of My Life Thus Far

June 26th

This morning I woke up really early so that I could talk to my family for my birthday. It wasn’t a long talk, but it was still really nice to get to talk to mom, dad, and Ally. After I finished talking with them, I couldn’t go back to sleep so when it was finally time to start driving I ended up sleeping most of the way. Our safari group was small compared to others, most groups have 5 to 7 people, my group had me, Emily (a girl from Ohio), Jessie (a girl from Oregon), Gabby (a girl from Texas and a proud member of the UT marching band), and Jayan (the Ugandan girl who runs the sarfari part of Empower A Child and who took care of all the details the whole trip). We stopped on the side of the road again to get more of the roasted goat I love so much and Jayan also bought us some roast bananas-also extremely good. For lunch we stopped at a tourist hotel in Masindi. I had somosas (the Ugandan version of the hot pocket) and fried tilapia both of which we were really good. It took us about 3 hours to get to Masindi and it took us another hour to get to the park.

Murchison Park is huge-our guide told us on Saturday that it is approximately 4,000 square kilometers. After we got to the entrance to the park, it still took us almost an hour to get to the falls we were going to hike. After arriving and quickly applying some sunscreen, we headed out to hike to the top of Murchison falls. Our guide’s name was Simon and first he took us to the bottom of the falls and then an easy 30 minute hike to the top. We got to see 2 different falls and part of the Nile. It was absolutely breathtaking! We took a lot of pictures, but I really don’t think the pictures did it any justice at all.

When you look at something like that, it really shows you the glory and awesomeness of God. When I was looking at that waterfall all I could think to myself was, “How could someone look at this and doubt the existence of God?” It really was a view that left me awestruck by my Creator.

After the hike, we drove almost another hour to get to our campsite, The Red Chili Camp. We stayed in these cute little two bedroom cabins. Emily and I stayed together in Civet cabin. There were also community baths, but the showers in them actually had water (cold) that fell on you and toilets that flushed all the time! It was great!

For dinner I got some really good spaghetti and some banana custard for my birthday. The food at the campsite was so good!

Overall, today was an absolutely fantastic birthday. I honestly feel bad for my future husband-its going to be really hard to top this birthday. I really am so blessed with everything that God has given me. Thank you guys so much for supporting me and this trip so that I could have this opportunity. You guys are awesome!

June 27th

The Red Chili Camp turns off their generator from 11 at night to 8 in the morning. This means that: 1. I had to walk in the dark by myself to go to the bathroom last night (scary!) and that 2. Emily and I had to get ready by candlelight this morning. It was very Little House On The Prairie.

We headed to the ferry about 5 minutes from our campsite at around 7. The ferry takes you across the Nile to the game drive. We had to wait a little while for our turn, but while we were waiting, we got to see a beautiful sunrise. I love the sunrises here, they are always to beautiful! Or, it might just be that I actually take the time to notice their beauty here.

On the other side of the Nile, we picked up Frank, our guide and a park ranger. We also had the manager of Red Chili, Emma (Immanuel), driving with us. A little ways into the drive, Frank and Jayan let us pop up the top of the van and get on top. Emily and I sat in the front and the rest of the girls sat in the back. While the seat wasn’t the most comfortable, the view was incredible. The park literally goes on farther than your eyes can see. It’s just miles and miles of trees and grass and hills and the Nile. God’s Creation never ceased to amaze me this weekend.

The very first thing we saw on our safari was giraffes. I am pretty sure it was God’s birthday present to me. Giraffes are my favorite animal and in the US, it was still my birthday, so I’m pretty sure that’s what it was. The giraffes were literally less than 100 yards away from the van. It was incredible and I got some great pictures!

While we were in the park, we went on a hunt for lions. They are the hardest animal in the park to find. Frank took us to all the places that lions might be, but unfortunately they weren’t out because it rained a little the night before.

While on our hunt we got to see all the animals you typically see on a safari in this park: Monitor lizard, baboons, warthogs, Jackson heartbeast, Waterbuck, Ugandan Kob, Oribi, Water Buffalo, and Egrets. We also saw a bunch of birds, but the only 2 whose name I can remember is the Kingfisher and the Snake bird.

The animals were literally right next to our car. It was one of the coolest things I’ve ever done.

A little while into our hunt we found another herd of giraffes, and these ones were even closer to our van. Less than 50 yards. I almost peed my pants with excitement. I can’t wait to show you guys the pictures.

Towards the end of our safari, Emily and I begged Frank to let us have some bones. Technically, taking bones from the park is illegal because it is a national park, but Frank loved us, so he said it was alright as long as we didn’t tell any of the other park rangers. Frank found us a lion kill pile and let us pick some bones out-Emily tried to take a giant leg bone and I tried to take the skull, but Frank made us go for something smaller, so I took a jaw bone, a spine bone, and what appears to be an arm bone. My mom (the biology nerd) is going to love them.

It was good that Frank didn’t let us take the big bones anyways, later on we gave a Ugandan military officer with a giant gun a ride back to the ferry. We were able to hide our small bones in our bags, but I don’t think I would have been able to hide the skull from him. We would have gotten into huge trouble!

While we were stopping to get bones, I really needed to pee, so I squatted behind a tree. I tell you this so that I can tell you the following: I am probably one of the only people (if not the only person) who has ever peed behind a tree next to a lion kill and then taken a few bones illegally from said lion kill. You should feel honored that you know me.

We had to head back to the ferry around lunch time so that we could make our boat trip. Unfortunately, we were unsuccessful in finding lions or elephants today, but while we were waiting for the ferry, a baboon came and took our driver, Patrick’s, donuts from the van. It was hilarious. We gave him some bananas too.
Lunch at the camp was tropical burgers-hamburger with bacon, cheese, and pineapple. I know it doesn’t sound good, but it was incredible. Do me a favor and try some pineapple on your burger this 4th of July. You won’t regret it.

After lunch, we headed out the boat part of the safari. The boat ride was 3 hours to the bottom of Murchison falls. It was really nice and relaxing. Our guide, Captain Nelson, also loved me and Emily. He would point out animals to only us and whenever he saw that we were trying to take pictures, he would slow down or sometimes even stop the boat.

Along the way we got to see a few elephants from a far off distance, a ton of hippos, a few crocodiles, the Nyamisiki cliffs, and a ton of birds. We got to go really close to the bottom of the falls-only 700 meters away. We got to stop and get out on this small island and take some pictures. It was a really beautiful view.

Dinner was pork sausage and cinnamon and sugar pancakes for desert. The food continued to not disappoint.

I also accidently ripped off the scab on my elbow. It bled everywhere. I tried to find hydrogen peroxide and some band aids. It was like trying to pull teeth. Africans don’t believe in hydrogen peroxide and I don’t know what their problem with band aids is, but it literally took me an hour to get it all cleaned up.

I also took a shower in a different bathroom than the one I used last night. Tonight’s shower had bugs and birds flying everywhere. Also, last night’s shower was separated into boys and girls showers. I didn’t know that this one wasn’t until I walked out of the shower in my towel and found 2 boys staring back at me. It was embarrassing.

Lastly, when I got back to the cabin, there were probably 50 or so dead bugs on my bed. It was disgusting. Emily and I couldn’t figure out what killed them, but I’m sleeping on whatever it was that did them in. How comforting!

Besides these minor mishaps, today was seriously one of the coolest days of my life. I am so outrageously, incredibly, awesomely blessed. Words can’t even describe it.

Some fun animal facts I learned today:

• Egrets, although they look like baby deer, are actually fully grown.
• Jackson heartbeast have a 10 minute memory-they can literally have a lion eat a member of their herd and go back to the same location 10 minutes later because they don’t remember what happened there.
• Sausage trees are trees that have these fruits that look like sausages (creative naming I know) hanging from them. Elephants and rhinos like to eat these fruits and get drunk.
• All the palm trees we saw were not native to the area. The elephants pooped the seeds for the palm trees when they were migrating from Sudan.
• Giraffes live to be approximately 35 years old. At 20 their spots start to turn darker and they start to separate from the herd until they are living completely alone.
• In crocodiles the males are a darker green
• Elephants can take in 200 liters of water

June 28th

This morning we got up early and got ready by candle light again. We had some breakfast and rode the ferry across. We convinced (although I’m pretty sure he wanted to) Henry to be our guide again. Only about 15 minutes into the drive we saw a group of 5 lions-2 boys and 3 girls. They were just lounging around. It was awesome.

A little while later we saw a female lion by itself. Henry taught us how to tell if lions are around. If Kobs start to walk in a straight line, then you know lions are around. After that, Emily and I were able to find another female lion by itself a little later. Although we couldn’t get super close, Henry did let Patrick drive off the trail (also against the rules) so that we could get a closer look. We got as close as we could without it being dangerous. It was awesome.

After our lion encounter it started to rain, but we were still able to find some elephants getting water from the river. One of the elephants went and hid as soon as we pulled up, but we got right next to the other. He was a huge (Henry said he was the alpha) male. We literally were about 30 yards away. It made him a little unhappy that we got so close because he ended up charging after our car. We had to get out of there fast-but it was still awesome!

We also saw 2 more herds of giraffes. We were less than 30 yards away from both. One of them had 18 giraffes-and a few of those were babies. They were so cute!

Henry also saw a leopard. He tried to show it to us but it jumped out of the tree before he could. It is very rare to see a leopard on safari. Jayan takes people on safari 2 or 3 times a month and she has only seen 2.

On the way back to the ferry, Henry let me take a picture with his gigantic gun-my dad is going to be so proud!

After the drive I had another tropical burger for lunch and then we made the 5 hour drive back home. I finished Ragamuffin Gospel on the way home. You should really read it. It is one of the best books I have read in a while.

When we got back home, the foam at the bottom of the waterfalls had left me and Emily craving coke floats, so we went to the store and got some ice cream and coke and had coke floats while we watched the USA take on Brazil. Ivan found a TV and hooked it up to the cable for me for a late birthday present. Even though the US lost in the last 6 minutes, it was still fun to watch the game with everyone.

This was definitely one of the best birthday weekends ever!

Birthday Post

This morning I woke up early and got ready to leave for Sanyu with Amanda. Unfortunately, Amanda got caught in traffic and ended up showing up at the same time as we would have normally left. I hate getting up early for no reason.

When we got to Sanyu, the driver was out running errands, so we weren’t able to take Francis to the hospital today. I did get a chance to meet with Barbara, the director of Sanyu, and we talked about all the kids who are receiving therapy and changes that can be made. We also made appointments with everyone so that we can take Francis to the hospital for his chair on Monday morning. I didn’t really think that Barbara liked me because she wasn’t very friendly towards me, but Amanda said I really made an impression on her. She told all the nurses that they needed to help me, do whatever I asked of them, and to tell me thanks for all the work that I’m doing for the home.

I also did therapy with a few of the kids. The therapist is starting to listen to me, and for the most part, he lets me do whatever I want. Things are really starting to turn around there, and I am really excited about all the things I’ll be able to do there in the coming month.

After Sanyu we came home and had lunch and a quick nap and then we headed to Remand home. We did our usual program and played some games and then we hung out with the boys. I spent more time with Moses and another boy named Bruce. I had brought two Bibles with me to give away, so I gave one to each. They were both so excited. I showed them how to use the
Table of Contents and the One Year Reading plan in the back. It was great.

Even better, when we were there two weeks ago, Moses asked me to pray for his court case that happened last week. I have been praying about it the last two weeks and when I got there today he told me that he gets to go home next Saturday! He was so happy and excited to tell me about it, and it was really cool to show him the power of prayer.

After Remand Home we came back to the house. A bunch of people went to the School of the Deaf but tonight was my night to help with dinner so I had to stay behind. John and I made spaghetti, bananas and pineapples, and birthday cake for me and Leah’s birthday (today was Leah’s birthday and tomorrow is mine)

After dinner we sang Happy Birthday and had the cake and some ice cream. It was a nice little celebration.

Tonight Emily and I packed for safari and watched Mean Girls. Tomorrow we leave bright and early for safari, so you won’t hear from me until Sunday.

I get to call my family tomorrow (tonight for you guys) for my birthday. I can’t believe I’m going to be 22 in a few hours.

Today’s word: birthday which in Luganda means birthday…weird, I know.

22 in a few hours!
Jenna

Just Another Day In Africa

Today we woke up and had a really awesome devotion time. Rachel played the song “God Of This City” for us and we talked about how God is the God of Kampala. Then, we went on a prayer walk around our neighborhood. I went with Emily and Rita. It was really nice to just walk around the Ntinda area. Most of the time, our ministries are further away from our house, and it was nice to focus on our neighbors for a bit.

After devotions, we headed to Katawalma children’s hospital and there were finally therapists there! Well actually, only one therapists, the rest were in meetings. The therapist I worked with was named Karen, she is from Switzerland and she is actually a physical therapist. She also told me that back home, she hasn’t worked on a child in close to 5 years. Working with her ended up being really good, she was able to show me some stuff, and because she didn’t have a ton of experience with kids, she was willing to listen to my suggestions. She even asked me to do some therapy by myself during one of the sessions.

The first little boy, Mohammed, we worked with had a mild case of cerebral palsy. He is 2 years old and is still having trouble sitting up and using his left hand. The therapist worked on his left hand some, and then she let me do some NDT treatments on a ball with him. He was a really happy kid, and his mom was really involved and helpful, so it was really nice to work with them.

The second boy, Sansom, made me cry for the second time in Africa. Sansom is probably close to 20 years old but they lie and say he is 18 so that he can come to therapy. He has a severe case of cerebral palsy, and his parents just started bringing him to therapy for it last month.

Sansom looked like he was maybe 12. He had joint contractures that make it impossible for him to bend his knees. His legs are permanently crossed. His feet look like clubs. His hands are clasped tightly together and his wrist and flopped over. He also drools all over himself. The therapist also told me that before the doctor gave him pain pills last week, all he did was cry any time anyone touched him or tried to move him.

He can’t sit up by himself and he lies on his side all day in the same position until someone comes along and changes his position. Additionally, because he lies on his side all day, his family has trouble feeding him. His legs and arms are literally skin on bones. I wasn’t allowed to take pictures of him, but I wish you could have seen him. It was absolutely heartbreaking.

Karen and I did what we could for him therapy wise, and we worked on placing on order for a wheelchair and some hand splints from the workshop for him.

After Sansom, I went and met with a few of the carpenters about some things I wanted to order for Sanyu. They don’t have any therapy wedges or rolls, so I ordered some for the clinic. I was able to take a wedge home with me, but I have to wait a few weeks on the roll. I also tried to talk to them about making a chair for Francis. I had drawn up measurements for a chair for him, but they refused to make it without seeing him first. We called the director of Sanyu and made arrangements to bring him back tomorrow. We have to live at 6:30 in the morning.

After we got back, we had a really fast lunch and then we went to Clive College (high school) to lead a Scripture Union. We sang songs, Kevin spoke and then we split up into groups and let the kids ask us questions.

The kids in my group were so funny. They asked a bunch of questions about farming, and my job, but my favorite question was, “I’ve heard that people with white skin like you bath 3 times a day and that’s why you’re so white. Is that true?” It was hilarious.

After Scripture Union we hung out at the house some. I went and got some silly string, balloons, and shaving foam for therapy with the kids at Sanyu. Afterwards, we went back to Kampago College (high school) and played soccer and basketball with some of the kids.

While we were playing soccer, I cut a ball around a boy and I think I embarrassed him, because afterward he shoved me onto the ground. His friends yelled at him in Luganda, so he apologized but it still cut up my knees and elbows pretty badly. It’s the first time that someone has been mean to me in Uganda.

Tonight Colin and Leah made tacos with chapatti. Then, Brian and Rawles introduced me to their special sandwich that they make when they are at home. It’s peanut butter, sugar, cinnamon, maple sugar, and bananas on a chapatti (or tortillas at home). It was literally Heaven in my mouth.

Admittedly, all the sugar made me sick.

I am ultra excited about tomorrow. We are getting Francis his chair, I get to go hang out with Moses at Remand home, we are visiting a School for the Deaf and then tomorrow night we are getting ready for safari. It’s going to be a great day!

Today’s word: oluwumula (o-lou-woo-moo-la) which means vacation

Excited for Tomorrow,
Jenna

Cleaning Toilets and Washing Clothes By Hand

Today we woke and had a really long devotion time. Tara had everyone share their favorite thing about Gulu, their least favorite thing about Gulu, and one thing God taught them. 40 people sharing all that information took close to an hour and 45 minutes.

I shared that my favorite thing was helping Fiona walk, my least favorite thing was God showing me what a spoiled brat I am, and that God showed me that I need to be more bold in sharing my faith with others back home. It was really interesting to hear about everything that God taught people during the week.

After devotions, we had a planning meeting and then we waited for lunch. And waited, and waited, and waited. We didn’t eat until almost 2.

I took advantage of the long break and did some laundry. Someone got gum on my sheets while I was gone, and it had also gotten on my skirt, so I had to use Petrol to get it out. Jayan helped me and she also taught me how to wash clothes by hand. She was stunned that I had never learned how to do that before and that every in American uses washing machines and dryers.

After lunch we tried to go to a school and hang out with kids, but there had been a miscommunication and some scheduling conflicts so we weren’t allowed in. Instead, we went over to Kampago College (high school). The girl’s basketball team doesn’t have a coach, so some of us went over there to help coach the team. Tommy, John, and I played a game of street soccer with a group of boys and then talked with them afterwards. Kids here always have so many questions about America! We also played a board game with them called Rubo. I’ve never played it, but Tommy says it’s popular in England.

After we got back we ate some dinner, colored in coloring books and watched Remember the Titans (my favorite movie)! It was such a great night.

On a side note, Mom, you’ll be proud to know that I unclogged and cleaned a toilet today by myself. The water was out all day today so the toilet has been used and not flushed all day. Tonight it was disgusting, so I got the clog out, poured water in the basin so it would flush, and cleaned it.

Your little girl is growing up, try to hold back the tears.

Cleaning toilets and whatever else it takes to further the Kingdom,
Jenna

June 22nd (Internet was Out)

This morning I woke up early and went had Rita take me to Sanyu. I was still really tired from Gulu, but I had promised the German therapist that I would come back and work with her, so I felt like I needed to keep my promise. We had to take a taxi and another boda boda, and we stopped and got some breakfast bread and a weird type of black berry juice for breakfast. It was my first time to eat breakfast outside of the house.

I am so glad I got up to go to Sanyu. It was such a great morning! Since we weren’t on any time constraints, we were able to work with every child that needed therapy. The therapist gave me a bunch of different activities to do with each child since this was her last visit. It was really informative and a ton of fun. The therapist had brought shaving cream and bubbles and the kids had a blast with it. We even let Moses, Godwin, and Oscar go outside and play with it. They were a huge mess by the time they were finished but they laughed and squealed the entire time. They are definitely not autistic.

After playing, we helped feed, change, and put the kids down for a nap and then Rita and I headed back to the house. We both fell asleep in the taxi and luckily woke up right before our stop. I ended up accidently falling asleep on a man’s shoulder! He didn’t really seem to mind.

After we got back to the house we ate a late lunch and I took a quick nap and journaled on Gulu. Then, we were supposed to go play soccer at a local school for the deaf, but they cancelled at the last minute. In place of this, we decided to go see another movie at Garden City. We ended up seeing State of Play. It was a good movie and I really enjoyed it. Perhaps the best part was the popcorn Emily and I shared during the movie and the ice cream I had after. The whole trip gave me a little taste of home.

When we got back to the house we played some card games. Rawles and I dominated at Skip Bo again. I tried to watch some movies, but I ended up being too tired. I definitely needed to catch up on my sleep from the Gulu trip.

I can’t believe that my birthday and safari are both in 4 days!