rain is falling, looks like love

These days are so full and beautiful, I am afraid my writing will not do them justice.

Mini-Bus: Bumpy, hot, crowded, and full of life! Each morning we boarded a shabby piece of metal that became our vessel to many hearts full of trauma. Two hours each way. Elbow bumping, dirt flying, hotter than hell, oh what a [joy ride]. Each irritating minute in that bus was forgotten as soon as we were able to view any part of our final destination, Obile Primary School located in Omoro. The last group of Muno’s [white people] that visited these kids came in 2006. [Can you sense the excitement?] In less than five seconds our van was surrounded. We could barely open the door. Hundreds of tiny hands wanted to shake mine, I wanted to hold them all forever.

Omoro: A village deep within the bush that was ravaged by the LRA. Only one adult male remains alive. Most children were abducted. Women became sex slaves. Children killed children. Families killed families. Hearts now lay broken.

On one of our journeys to Obile I felt confident and emotionally stable; ready to help these girls through recovery. Little did I know that our drive would call for great emotional strength and understanding. As we drove through the bush our van halted to a stop at the sight of a girl lying nearly in the middle of the road. She looked lifeless. Lucio [head of the trauma counseling program] immediately concluded that she was epileptic. He had seen her before and could tell she was mentally handicapped. Many Ugandans believe that mental illnesses are demons that take over an individual’s capability to function. They believe if one tries to help an individual with any mental disorder, that individual will encounter the demon as well, leaving them mentally handicapped. There must have been 100 eyes that averted that helpless girl on the road. We helped her up, got her some water and food, asked people near us to watch after, and headed on our way. Just moments later we saw a foot sticking out of the maize field. Another epileptic. These girls must have been no older than 15. I completely broke down. Not only are these girls handicapped, they are completely alone in this poverty stricken, war torn country. I am not sure what can be done about this but I had to get myself to understand that I could not fix it, not now, but that someday it can be fixed.

Overall, our week of counseling went well. The girls were not as open as we had expected them to be with their stories but they did not have to be. We went through “Two Angels” [read previous blog for description] and asked them to tell us about their own stories. When asked if any of the girls had seen someone die, all hands were raised. When asked if anyone had been forced to kill, hands were hesitant but eventually were raised. All of these girls had been abducted and forced to do unimaginable things. Talking through experiences led to many emotions. These girls closed their eyes, experienced their traumas, and dealt with their demons all over again. We could see their lips moving, asking for forgiveness, and their tears rolling down their faces. This is a grueling task, one that I cannot even imagine. I pray with all my heart that it gave them peace, if only for a moment.

If I have learned anything about Uganda thus far it is that their weddings are culturally rich and quite long! Edward and Caitlin tied the knot on Saturday the 11. I was blessed to be in this wedding as a bridesmaid. Caitlin is one unique woman. She is from Tillamook OR, 23, and an aspiring teacher. She met Edward two years ago and has not seen him since. I could tell Edward was crazy about her but, at first, did not see the reciprocation. Eventually it came and I knew this couple was going to accomplish many good things. Pictures of our dresses will be up soon. The reception consisted of traditional food and dance, singing, the giving of gifts, and a lot of spoken words that I did not understand. I hung out with the children the whole time. It was literally an all day thing [exhaustion set in quick]. The formal after reception dinner was at Hotel Lira. It was very nice. Food consisted of Irish [potatoes], fried beef, fried chicken, millet bread [black mushy millet that tastes like cigarettes], plantain, greens [spinach type stuff with ground nut sauce], rice, and beans. Enjoyable. Sleep was sweet and the next morning Elena, Alisa, and I skipped church to sleep [we were sick].

I have been woken up the past two nights by the smell and sweet sound of rain. This does not mean it has been cooler!! The weather has been nice, reminiscent of San Diego, but so hot [African hot, Dad] this past few days.

Market Adventure: Boda Boda to the market, bought soda and chocolate, ate sambosas [fried triangles full of lentils and deliciousness], got some amazing flat bread, scolded the furniture man for making the mosquito net holders too big, and walked home to the sound of thunder. The kids came over tonight to welcome Papa Clark [founder of COTN]. They did their traditional dances which are absolutely adorable [I tear up every time].

Days have been good. Busy. Emotional. Full.

I hope to blog more soon.

Safari Saturday-Sunday.

Goodbye