Oh my days.......where on earthdo i begin. I am in an internet cafe in Kampala, about an hour away from Kyebando (Chebando) .... i will not go into the journey here this morning! One word - crazy! Just sitting here in front of this computer gives me a mixture of fellings, excitement and weird. Where do i begin? From the beggining is probably best.
Tuesday we all met at the airport from 3 o'clock, the plane journey was nice, it took 9 hours and we have movies andtelevision to watch. Unfortunatley the food made us all ill when we arrived. The small square window overlooking the clouds slowly cleared, showing such beauty. Africa is so green. The view was awesome!! It finally hit me!!!!! I was in Africa, all this waiting and i was about to arrive. It was now wednesday, this was it! The plane got close to the ground and then it came to a halt. As we walked off the plane, about a hundred African men and women stood starring. This is where our journey began. Whispers and looks. Everything was different, i suddenly felt alone. The team i am with, Hannah (18), Alistair (18) and Aveline (18) all went quiet. I have never felt this way. Out of everyonbody, i was thoroughly searched! The swiped detectors over my body and a woman had to search in my clothes! Why me!!!! Hehe...the team laughed as there were constnd beeps and buzzing noises. It had to be me!? We retrieved our bags and walked to the exit to meet Stephen Jotta, the director of the school i will be teaching at. To our surprise it was not Stephen Jotta but about 8 people. Strangers holding a Smile sign. They took our bags and i secretly felt unconfortable, thinking maybe they are tricking us, but we thanked God as we approached the school minibus where we all crammed in. Squish!! The journey was absolutley crazy. We were all so tired and Hannah was snoring on my lap. I was so shocked at the surroundings that i could not sleep. It was 8.30 in the morning. Not just the language and the people are different but i think this is where my culture shock began. Everything was different. I expected this but when it infront of you, its like a smack round your face.
I began to feel God working in me, changing me already. The people shouted and chanted 'Muzungu', meaning white person through the windows and the people constantly starred. We later that day arrived at the house. Helen the housekeeper, she is so lovely. We all were like lost sheep. I really was praying hard through the whole day. I felt shattered and my body and mind were finding it hard to cope already.
We sat down together and shared our feelings and were relieved to feel that everyone felt the same. Hannah cried and was sick from the food, Aveline then was sick and i began to feel better, i made everyone hug and then we slept for the rest of the afternoon and evening to find ourselves waking up about 10am on the Thursday.
Thursday was independence day. The children were not at school and we had a day of rest. Children piled up outside the doors and windows. I could not believe my sight infact, when i woke up to find 6 children climbing up the window bars whispering morning muzungu. This day was just a day of getting to know the area and then buying lots of drinks. We played outside the house for a bit with the children as we got a bit creeped out with their constant watching eyes.
Friday, we were invited to Botanical gardens in Entebbe. These are beautiful gardens with monkeys and where Gods creation grabs your attention at every angle. I was so pleased to go here and the monkeys were literally jumping all around us. I saw some scary GIGANTIC spiders and some amazing birds. I climbed an absolutely gronormousive ......big tree and got bitten badly by beastly (oh my gosh sized ants!!) ants. I think they had pioson in because my hand went blue and in the night i had to cut the bites open and squeeze out the sting and the liquid. I am now officially a big girl as i did not cry! I only did it because i convinced myseld that i was going to die as i waslying under my mosquito net in so much pain. To my surprise i am now better, just a bit sore. I was able to capture some fantastic pictures that i hope to put on the computer next time.
When we returned to the house later that evening we all found ourselves feeling so much better and more confortable. I just think we were under a lot of shock of the way people live over here and the poverty, the change and difference in our lives. In the evening when we arrived home, i found a little girl about 2 years old on our door step crying. She was with perhaps her sister. Her sister was pointing to her foot. Noone really knew why she was crying but it became clear when she took her hand away that she had a really bad infection on her foot and toes. Everyone looked at me and asked what we do. I suddenly panicked and wondered how i would ever cope being a nurse if i could not look at something like that. Sounds bad but, i knew how to help but i was scared and i was too worried about whether i would catch something. I woke up, out of my own world and realised i was being selfish and i walked inside. I got out some rubber gloves and our team’s mighty first aid kit. I sat her on my knee, so little, so vulnerable and i treated her foot and then bandaged it up. People for the village sat and watched and i suddenly felt like God was teaching, guiding and putting his hand on this little girl. I went inside and i stepped in my room, a tear rolled down my face. It suddenly hit me that i was a selfish and ungreatful person, a person that has been brought up in a country that is so materialistic, so wrapped up in appearence and i felt so ashamed.
We have just heard from the head master at the school what classes we will be teaching and what subjects!
Hannah is teaching p1
Alistair is teaching p2
Aveline is teaching p3
I am teaching p4
p1 is the youngest and i have the oldest. We start on Monday. Communication is very hard here. Alot of older people speak English a bit but most people struggle or only know a little. The kids only know a cretain amount of phrases. I am glad i have got older students because they are the children who i think know a little more but on the downside they have the biggest class. I will start off teaching English, religious education and Maths, then maybe some more but they do not have many subjects. This will be an experience, i am becoming more worried about but o well,i will just have a go!
So far, i have been cooking every night. My team have unfortuntley one meal only they are pro at....beans on toast. I have been cooking lots of African meals and a bit of Spag hear and there, mum you will be proud! Last night was amazing and i am learning how to make Chapatis,aparently, i am a natural. Shouldn't brag. My punctuation and spelling is probably as bad as my grammer now, there is so much to say and feel i have missed so much, but right now i feel iam going to faint. Need some fluids! I hope you are all well. I have been praying and thinking of everyone from church. Look after eachother.
PRAY
Please pray mainly that we will adapt more to the african culture, that the shock will fade and we will stay well.
Please pray that as we start the school next week, we will use every oppurtunity for God's glory and in his name.
Please also pray we will continue to get along as a team and cope with the annoying accents (only joking)
Please also
Mum and dad....i found your hidden letter amongst my bits and your post - it dad. Thank you, hope you got my will! Thought i would write one for a laugh and just in case but it is serious but geeky i know. I will email again in a week or so. with more to tell you and about school, please forward to everone as i have only sent it to you
love you
kelly
xxxxxxx
