I’m In Love and Other Crazy Adventures

Being in Uganda has opened up many opportunities to adventures. Back in March when I was accepted to the Uganda Team, never would I have thought that I would do some of these things, or that I would fall in love. . . but I'll come to that later.

My first adventure I want to tell you about is the transportations we have taken. There's the van driven by Patrick. He's an awesome driver, some times I wonder how he gets us through some of the roads. This van is meant for about 7 passengers (sorry for the fib in my last blog I was a little confused. . . we have been in a van meant for 14 that might fit 7 comfortably, but it's not this van), but this past Sunday we fit 13 people in there. Yep, 13 in a 7 passenger van, and could fit more. . .

We also have a boda-boda which is a bicycle with a seat over the rear wheel, because I'm a girl in a skirt most of the time I have to sit side-saddle. It isn't as scary as is sounds until we start passing cattle on any of the roads or I have a driver who decides to do a u-turn or something crazy like that.

Then there is the piki-piki, a motorcycle. I've only ridden one of these once, and because I was riding with Kayla, I didn't have to sit side-saddle, instead I straddled on the very back.

This past Thursday, at Fountain Hgh School outside of the girls dormatory. Jessica really wanted to chase a chicken. . . and I agreed to help her catch one of the baby chicks. So we went in with a plan: I would distract the mama, and she would catch one of the babies. Simple, right? Wrong.

After about 10 minutes of clucking, flapping our arms, pecking our heads, walking funny, clapping our arms, chasing the mama and her babies around a tree and in weeds, and doing just about anything else rediculous we could think of doing, we finally caught our goal. Only I was the one to catch a baby. I caught the baby chick and I ran back to the group of histarically laughing girls.

But this adventue had only started, I had to take the baby back to his angry mama. . . Mama chickens are scary! You never want to mess with one of them. So. . . as I was headed back, Kiersten warned me of the mama, who I hadn't been paying much attention to until then. I looked at the mama chicken who was making herself look as big as possible and coming after me wiht this I'm-going-to-peck-your-eyes-out-for-taking-my-baby look in her eyes. In one motion I set the chick down, turned, ran to the group of girls again, and then hid behind one of the girls to shield myself from the angry mama chicken.

The last adventure I'm going to share with you happened this past Wednesday, when Zack, Zane and I were on our way to town. We walked the back way, and along the road is this old, unused water tower. So, on our way we decided that we would climb it. . . yep you read that right, we climbed the old water tower.

The view was so beautiful! We could see the huts of those outside of Lira, we could see the hills on the harizon, and could kind of see the rooftops of the buildings in Lira. Everything is so green, and alive, so much different than the soon colorful fall harizon back home.

While at the almost top of the water tower, I fell in love. . . with Uganda. I can't hold it back. I love it here in Uganda, the weather is perfect, sun during most days, and storms at night. It's warm, and everything has beautiful color. The people are so welcoming, and call out to the mazungus all the time. The brave kids will run after us, and sometimes invite us to their homes.

Not only will I be leaving part of my heart behind, in December, but I will also be bringing home a part of this beautiful country in my heart. Thank you, everyone back home for your support, prayers, and making it possible for me to come here.