UG,

Haiti brings my thoughts to you. I miss our days together, I miss your kids, your aunties, you uncles, and your green and black landscape. I hope I can see you again very soon. I think about you every day and smile for you often. I carry your heart with me. I carry it in my heart.

The moment I heard of the trauma in Haiti I was there in my mind. I saw the people, running frantically, crying, screaming, bleeding, dying. I would love to be there with them.

I wish school was not so binding [It will pay off, my hope].

As for COTN, they are helping Haitians, and you can too!! They have sent teams to Haiti and are stationed in the Dominican Republic caring for many individuals at Good Samaritan Hospital.

Donate here: http://www.cotni.org/opportunities/142?tag=Most+Needed

Hope all is well.

If you can, I strongly encourage you to GO. Somewhere, anywhere. Help someone. You will feel serious joy.

movement

Life has been very busy. 

I have moved to La Jolla, CA and am attending Mesa Community College.

This is all very new to me. 

I have my team around me every day which makes being home so much easier. 

I am working on writings still!!!

enjoy

Baby Michael 

Mbale

Bible study, one of my girls, Gloria

Maria, met her at the market

Hellen

Isaac, my love

Prosasco

Prosasco

Fiona

Awari Joseph 

Dennis

Tailor 

Barlonyo, site of the 2004 LRA massacre

Barlonyo

Barlonyo

Sharon, Hellen, Santa

writing will come soon!

ENTEBBE-->DUBAI-->LAX-->HOME.

I just wanted to let all of you know that I have made it home safely. 

My legs are extremely swollen. 

I will be updating soon with photos [of my beauties]. 

Thank you for reading throughout my journey, I hope I brought joy to you through my writing. 

los angeles, i'm yours

left for sipi falls today

last night was hard

update will come when i return home, no internet until America

good day

i can see a lot of bright in you

Our days are numbered. Two full days left in Lira. Mobile school ended on Thursday. I read Bible stories to my little ones and asked them if they wanted Jesus to come into their hearts. All of them prayed a prayer led by Dennis [national] and we celebrated after [jumping and clapping exercises]. I miss teaching them already.

I really admire the women of this land. They really work hard. Every chore here is a huge process. Washing clothes means filling multiple buckets up with water and scrubbing hard for hours to get the dirt out. Washing dishes is the same. Last night we cooked for all of our staff. Cooking is hard! We literally cooked for four hours over little fire pits. Our food consisted of grilled cheeses, guacamole, past with tomato sauce, and tortilla chips made completely from scratch. I think they all liked the grilled cheese the most. It was quite the adventure [buying the food from the market, trying to make things in huge pots with no recipes, and having to clean everything up]. I was satisfied [everyone else was as well]. Intern success!

We have been doing our souvenir shopping these last few days. There is so much beautiful fabric here! We have been picking out fabric and getting various things made at the tailor. I have gotten three purses made, one skirt, and my brides maid dress. I have bought free wear [loose fitting dress for mom], necklaces with paper beads, and some tea and spices that I am going to bring home to cook with. I love the market. It is so colorful and action filled.

We are in the process of making cards for all our children. We are also in the process of doing last minute communication projects. We have a seven hour layover in the Dubai airport. Blah. The rest of my team is at the children’s home right now but I am staying home with my Malaria infused Alisa doing communication stuff. I am updated the children’s profiles for the new COTN website. Check it out so far www.cotni.org!!

Amari matek_Jen

i can see a lot of life in you

My loves, i think i am starting to fall in love with this place. with ten days left I am realizing what a lovely place this place truly is, how much I truly will miss it. My children are pure gems. Saying goodbye to them is going to be so strange but I am confident that I will see them again [next year mom].

Mobile school was really good today. We learned shapes [triangle, rectangle, square, and circle]. I asked the children to tell me things that are these shapes and this little boy said a sambusa [triangular egg roll type treat]. It was precious!

This afternoon we did a photo shoot with the children. I cannot wait to post these pictures. These kids are gorgeous! I could gawk about them for hours. I have been learning many things about life on this trip. How short it is, how easy it can be, how hard we make it, how hard it can be, it is full of so much! I challenge you to live in the moment. Try, for just one hour, to be in that hour. Be there now. It is nearly impossible. Life flies when your moments are not solitary. Try try try!

Our room is being fumigated right now [every night since the malaria scare we have been spraying it down with some sort of insecticide]. I am sitting in the office with David, Hellen, and Lucio [nationals]. I like to listen to them speak luo and laugh and unknown humors.

10 days until I am an American again. I really miss family, Kona, friends, alone time, and soy lattes. gahh.

Google Sipi Falls. We are spending the 11-13 in a tree house there!!! It is gorgeous [from what google shows me].

amari

akello