The Transition

Hello everyone!

I just wanted to check in and wish everyone happy holidays. Tomorrow I leave campus for the next month, so my internet access will be limited until the middle of January. I'll stay in Nairobi for a few days and pick up Jen from the airport on Sunday at midnight. Hopefully, we'll travel to Kisumu on Tuesday the 22nd, the same day Monica returns to Canada. Unfortunately three well-known bus companies that drive between Nairobi and Kisumu are booked until after Christmas, so I've been scrambling to find a safe way to Kisumu. Luckily, I talked to one of my friends from the soccer team today, and he and his brother are also heading to the same area so we'll travel with them by another public bus or van. Please pray for our safety and that everything works out.

I am really excited to be back in Lwanda for Christmas! I've really missed my "family" and friends there. Jen and I will stay there until probably the 2nd of January, when we'll return to Nairobi for a safari and her departure on the 7th. After the 7th, I am not yet sure where I'll be until the 18th when classes resume. As you can see, I am really vigilant in my planning. My back up plan for those dates are to stay in Nairobi and begin working at my internship.

Speaking of internship... Good news! On Tuesday I finally visited to the Kenya Women's Voluntary Rehabilitation Centre in Nairobi. I spoke with two of the staff members there and inquired about the organization and the possibility of interning there next semester. I told them I didn't have expectations or much experience, but that I am just interested in learning and working in the field. They have various programs, and something going on everyday, so it sounds like a fitting internship. I'll detail the organization later in another blog.

Next semester, I've signed up for classes on Monday's and Tuesday's: Art in Africa, Music in Africa, New Testament Survey, and Photography. That leaves the rest of the week for interning. The only negative side to this schedule is that commuting to Nairobi multiple days of the week is extremely exhausting. It'd be easier to live there, but for now I am planning on staying in the self-catering dorm in Athi River. Another goal for next semester is learning swahili more seriously because I'll need it for my internship. This next month I am going to work very hard to learn a lot.

With all that said, this really is a month of transition into a new semester with new experiences to come. I'm feeling content, but still feeling kinda "up-in-the-air." No worries though. Good bye for now. Enjoy your Christmas, New Years, and time with family and friends. Peace.

A Week In Uganda!

Well, I've offically traveled to my second country in Africa now: Uganda. It is a beautifully green country. Monica and I traveled by bus from Nairobi to Kampala overnight, which took only about 10 hours! Usually it takes a lot longer, but traveling at night is much faster. In Kampala we stayed with Monica's friend's parents from Canada who have lived in Uganda for 11 years. Kampala was generally a nice city. It is built on seven surrounding mountains with the center of town seated in the middle. Lots of hills and beautiful views. It was safer and cleaner than Nairobi in my opinion too. We explored the city for a couple days and found our way (well, driven to) to Kasubi Tombs on our favorite mode of public transportation: a motorcycle. Monica and I really enjoyed Kasubi tombs, where we had a guide sit down with us and tell us about the four Bugandan kings buried inside the house. The history of Uganda is quite interesting: the Buganda king actually invited the British to come to Uganda around 1890. Presently there is a king and a president. Descendants of the kings come and stay in the homes and surrounding wives homes for different lengths of time. The first Bugandan king buried there had 84 wives!

After a couple days in Kampala we enjoyed two nights in Jinja. We spend the first day rafting twelve rapids of the White Nile river. The source of the Nile is in Uganda and it flows through Sudan and Egypt. Rafting was a new experience for me and it was a blast. There was one point where we flipped in a class five rapid and I wasn't sure I'd ever find my way to the surface for a breath... thank you life jacket. We went down a waterfall too (probably about 15 foot drop)! I wasn't sure how it'd work out... After rafting all day the company had a cookout for everyone. We stayed two nights at their "campsite." There were hostels, personal tents, and permanent tents on a small property overlooking the Nile. It felt surreal. We spent the day after rafting recovering by laying on the grass enjoying the view, sounds, and breeze.

Our third day in Kampala we enjoyed a bike ride through the surrounding rural area. Two fourteen year old boys who we met, Adam and Alan, led us on a little tour. I'm jealous of those people who live right on the Nile, although unfortunately, despite the abundance of natural resources, many of them are very poor.

Back at school, I've taken four exams in the past three days and I have another tomorrow. I'll have one week of no exams, until the 18th when I take my last. I am going to work on my internship for next semester during that week and roughly plan out the December holiday, which I'll spend with Jen! Monica leaves in two weeks, which I am really sad about. I'm pretty sure I'll cry when I say goodbye to one of my best friends on the 22nd. She heads home to snow and the winter Olympics in her hometown, Vancouver, with an injured foot and one semester of college left. We've shared so many great memories and experiences.