Coming Home

My last week in Mbale has been spent tying up my time here as the ten weeks now come to an end. I visited the projects which I had been most involved in for the last time,  I ate my last African meal and I even had some African lounge trousers tailored to bring home. We celebrated my time in Mbale with a team meal,  where we ate together and laughed together for the last time (but who knows when I might be back?).

Although ten weeks (in the grand scheme of things) isn't a massive amount of time, I feel like I have really built a life here; I have friends and an African family who love me, I have mastered my 'Ugandan-English' voice (which regularly evokes ridicule from fellow volunteers), I've perfected riding on the back of those ridiculous motorbikes and I can even bargain a little at the local market to get a good deal on the mango's. However, coming home was always inevitable and being the 'home bird' that I am, I am looking forward to returning to the nest! Although I have been loved and accepted here, there are people back home, who have read my blog posts, browsed my photographs, prayed for me, supported me, consoled me, skyped me, mailed me and shown genuine interest in what I've been  doing, which I have been so grateful for and I can't wait to see you all!

When I came here I expected to change something in a massive way, but it turns out that it was me who was changed. These people and the love they have shown me has been an eye opener and a blessing, something  I won't forget in a hurry I hope. God has also taken me away from my busy, pre-planned life and provided the space for me to grow with Him, learn from Him and fall in love with Him in a way which I had never anticipated. I don't know what He has planned next, but as this season comes to an end, it has prepared me for the next one which at the moment is still a mystery. However, right now there are three things I know for sure; one - I'm getting on a plane tomorrow morning  to leave for the UK, two - whatever God has planned I'm going to enjoy it and three -  cliche (I know), but I really did fall in love with Africa.

For the last time - Han xxx

Out Of Town

The intensity of work continued as the second week with the team was spent painting a school. It was rewarding to have the opportunity to do something that was tangible, as relationships that are built are harder to record. However, the similar days merged together and in no time it was the end of the week and Lorna and I were heading off out of Mbale.

As we are are overlapping for four weeks, we decided that the activities which took place outside of Mbale would be done together (safety in numbers and all that). Our first stop was Kampala, which was the starting point of our safari trip up at Murchison Falls. The safari took place over three days and started with  a 'hike' (we managed in  flip flops) to the top of the falls. The following day we crossed the River Nile at sun rise (which was appropriately accompanied by one of our safari companions humming the 'Lion King'). We headed off on a four hour game drive that morning and saw just about every animal you'd expect in East Africa. Later we took a boat trip up the River Nile to the bottom of the falls, where we sipped on a Nile Special which we shared between us. It was a struggle to finish the beer, but we both felt it was worth it to say we  had drank a Nile on the Nile! The last day of our safari consisted of the rhino tracking, where we stood less than 30 metres away from  six of Uganda's rhinos (out of their total of twelve). The guide prepared us for the vicious nature of these creatures, but to be honest they were pretty lazy!

The next part of our trip took us to Jinja, where we took part in a five day retreat. The retreat centre was based at the edge of the River Nile in the most stunning gardens I have ever seen. This place was the closest thing to paradise that I had ever experienced. Our time there was such a blessing; God revealed Himself in new ways and also revealed aspects of my own character, which had never been brought to light before. After a busy few weeks, the slower pace and quiets times were gratefully welcomed! 

After the retreat, we travelled to another part of Jinja to take part in a day of white water rafting. At the beginning of the day, I was led to believe that we were in the lazy, 'chilled-out' raft, who only paddled when it was absolutely vital and encouraged the sun during the tanning opportunities between rapids. How very wrong I was. We were heading towards our second-last rapid and Lorna (and our friend Emma) were sitting at the front of the boat, while the rest of us took our weight to the back. As we closed in on the rapid, I soon realised that their positioning at the front of the boat was no longer particularly wise. The next thing I knew, I was under the water and the raft had capsized. Capsizing had never been an issue before, except this time we were heading towards a rather large rock, which could potentially cause complications. As we got closer, I was lifted from the water onto the top of the upside down raft. Clambering on, we tried to lift Lorna from the water but she slipped through our hands, which was followed by a distressed wail from myself, as I had failed to save my friend! Lorna paid that day with eight stitches in between her baby toes, but in her words "it was all worth it!" 

After tweaking plans slightly, which included Lorna travelling to Kampala to find an adequate surgery to mend her up, we finally made it back to Mbale. After a week of travels, I will be spending my last week here in Mbale before flying back to the UK on Sunday. 

Love Han xxx

Off My Feet

After seven weeks of missing home, a piece of it finally came to join me. My friend Lorna is also here volunteering with Jenga (for eight weeks), which means we'll be overlapping for four. It was quite serial seeing her as everything before now has been new and unfamiliar. I look forward to showing here this place which has become my home and sharing with her the little wisdom which I have picked up while being a volunteer in Uganda.

Now that I'm not the most clueless person here in Mbale, I have been given some responsibility of the team, so on Tuesday I took the group to visit the CRO children. As we  stepped into the CRO compound, I was surrounded by children calling my name. It reinforced to me, the precious time which I have spent here and the impact I have made, but it also reminded me of the little time I have left.

Nothing is every simple here; as we walked to our normal playing field we could see that the place was occupied with youths, who had come for their school sports. One of the Jenga interns was convinced that there was another space we could use not too far away. After being here for a while, I know that the words "not too far" and "not too long" can be used very lightly, but I had no other choice but to believe that "up the road" was indeed "up the road". In total, it took us close to an hour to find an empty space, but 'this is Africa'. However the time we spent with the children was well worth it, and they were thrilled that the number of muzungu's had multiplied by eleven!

This week we also visited the Namatala slum, were we went to Grace's house, who had (after walking around the office for two extra weeks) just had her baby girl. We then did house visits around the area, praying for people's homes and the sickness' they were suffering. God has really blessed me with a new confidence in him this week, which has been constantly in my prayers recently.

With the team here, food disappears at a faster rate so I have been sent off to the market and  shops on several occasions. I brought Lorna with me (along with Ronald, one of the interns), which was a great way for her to experience some more African culture. On our hunt for green beans there was a massive confusion between us and a number of sellers, but a man who knew what we were after took us straight to his father. We ended up getting everything we needed from him, and he even threw in two cucumbers for good measure (or maybe to seal a lasting friendship between consumer and supplier?).

This week has been far the most intense, as the Canterbury team are only here for two weeks they have to pack everything in. Trips to CRO, time in the slums, visiting primary schools, several (stressful) market visits, hospital ministry and being the guests of honour at the Musoto water opening, I have been some what 'off my feet'. However, I have enjoyed the busy week, but will have to prepare myself for the intensity of next.