THANK YOU! (ASANTE SANA!)

I just wanted to thank all of you so much for all of the comments you have left me on my blog! They are so encouraging and uplifting and such a blessing to read! Plus, I am glad that people are in fact reading what I am writing :-) There was the fear that I would type all of this up and no one would want to read it! I apologize if you have asked me questions in your comments and I have not responded...I am not sure exactly how to respond individually like that.

In response to the question of what can you guys do for me...PRAY! This trip really has been amazing but it really is starting to wear me out at the same time. Pray that the Lord sends me some life, new spirit, energy. I don't want to burn out before this trip is over! There is too much left to see, to many more people to meet, and too many more experiences to make to be ready to come home just yet!

Thank you again for your guys love! You all are amazing! (Ah yes..and I have been craving some Swedish fish for a solid month now...I know you guys can't mail it to me, but feel free to send some to my mom and I will be inhaling it once I get back home ;-) haha...im just kidding, but seriously..

From Kampala to Nairobi to Jinja to Kampala to Arusha and back again!

Habari from Arusha, Tanzania! Tis been a long time since I last posted, but I am in fact very much alive and well and still loving every day of this adventure! I can't believe it has almost been a month since I last posted! My apologies for not keeping you guys updated but I have been traveling like crazy and have either barely had the time to get on a computer if there was one available, or I've been lost in the wilderness! I shall do my best to catch you guys up on a months worth of traveling without boring you all too much. So sit back and relax, but don't get too comfortable!

After I got back from my tour de western Uganda, I had about two days to unpack, get my rugged self cleaned up, and pack for one month of traveling through Kenya and Tanzania. Most importantly, I was able to see and say goodbye to the many friends I had made in Kampala in the 6 weeks I had been there. I hung out with Ronnie one last time, stopped by Watoto to say hello to the wonderful women there, and had lunch with Lydia, one of the caretakers at Watoto. Quick funny story: the locals here often say "are you lost?'', in other words, ''where have you been? We have missed you.'' I often took the same exact route everyday to reach central Kampala in my 6 weeks there, so needless to say, I became a very familiar face (not that I blend in or anything). Well after I returned from my western adventure, I headed out for my last journey down this familiar route. All along the way people kept yelling at me, "are you lost, are you lost?" And of course I took that quite literally yelling back, of course not, I take this route everyday. I thought everyone had gone crazy actually and kept wondering why people kept asking me why in the world I was lost. Well, it finally hit me what they were asking me exactly...maybe a bit too late haha, but it made for a good laugh.

After some much needed de-germing and r&r, I jumped on a plane for Nairobi, Kenya and arrived safe and sound on Thursday, July 26th. After making it through customs and grabbing my bag, I was a bit nervous about whether my ride would in fact be there since I was without a phone and any real means of contacting the family I was to be staying with. When I walked out of the airport I caught a glimpse of a sign labeled "Jenna from Entebbe." I have to admit that I have always wanted to have someone waiting for me at an airport with a sign...so I guess I can cross that one off of the list!

The family I stayed with was absolutely AMAZING! I stayed with Mercy and Richard Baraza, the aunt and uncle of Candy. They live in a town called Rongai (or at least close to this suburb), about 45 min drive from Nairobi. It is a very quiet, out in the middle of no where kind of home, but a welcomed peace and solitude and break from the chaos of the city. I really felt so at home with Mercy and Richard. They are some of the most generous, compassionate, hospitable two I have ever met! They immediately started treating me as if I was one of their own daughters! They also reminded me a ton of my own two parents which also helped me with my feeling of homesickness I was developing! I actually called Mercy Mamdogo which means "little mom" in Swahili the whole week.

My week spent in Nairobi was certainly interesting...definitely not what I pictured myself doing while in Africa. Since I was so far from the city, I didn't have much room for exploring. I was left at the mercy of catching a ride from someone, which meant either at 5:00am with Richard (yikes), or in the times Mamdogo left the house for some errands. Over the weekend, one of their sons, Njale, was home visiting from the UK so I was able to tag along with him. I was able to meet some of his close friends which was a nice change for my time spent here; to have people close in age to me that I could really hang out with. I actually went bowling, (swept the competition; brush my shoulders off), went to a jazz club, and hung out in way too many shopping centers and supermarkets in the city.

A part of me does feel a certain sense of guilt or frustration about how my week was spent there. I kept thinking that every waking moment should be spent in exploration, out in the streets, meeting the people, learning about the culture. Not shopping, eating in cafes, doing the things that I could be doing back in the states. But I guess everyone does need a bit of r&r every once in a while! Especially since I had been going full force for 7 weeks before that and had barely had a breather since my trip through western Uganda.

On the 5th of July, I jumped on a matatu for Tigoni, Kenya to meet my dear friend Eric for a weeks worth of camp at the Brackenhurst International Conference Center. The taxi was an experience of its own...the usual crowded conditions, my huge backpack stuffed onto my lap. You think for sure that not another soul can fit on these things, and then the matatu pulls over and magically another finds their way in. It kind of reminds me of the clown car at the circus...you always wonder how in the world they fit that many clowns in that one tiny car. But hey, its cheap, and you certainly can't beat cheap when you're on a budget!

I have to say I was EXTREMELY nervous as I headed for Tigoni. What would I be doing there? Would Eric be happy to see me? Would I be in the way? Ect. ect. I have known Eric since 6th grade...10 years! Really crazy when you think about it.

I blanked out and suddenly found myself almost thrown from the matatu at the conference center. It is a beautiful place...very out in the middle of no where with rolling hills and coffee farms. And it is COLD. I think I spent my entire week with about 5 plus layers of clothes on. It was so great to see Eric! I have loved being on my own here in Africa, meeting people and learning about the culture, but there is just something about being with people that are from your culture, that understand why in the world you are doing what you are doing. I really never had thought about the concept of culture until I was thrown into one that was completely different from mine. To always get these confused looks and questions like you are crazy. It is definitely a learning experience! I keep wondering what it is going to be like to be thrust back into the American culture after being here for 3 months.

My week spent with Eric and the rest of the leaders was wonderful and much needed. I started missing the leadership team at Brackenhurst the second I found myself having to say goodbye. They accepted me and loved me without any questions and immediately started treating me like I had been there for weeks. I was amazed by the whole atmosphere of the camp...the kids really looked up to the leaders there and all of the staff there really lived their lives for Christ. You could just feel Christ's light and love in their presence. I have to give them props because I was exhausted after only 2 days spent at camp with all of the cheers and yelling and excitement! They do this for weeks and never let the energy down! It is so encouraging to know that there are places like that for kids to go to. The plus side is that a lot of the leaders are going to be back in the states after the summer, so all is not lost in keeping in contact with them!

So my week at camp. I was blessed with the opportunity to work with the Kenya mountain group (all of the different groups are named after mountains in Kenya). The Kenya girls are the high school girls! Eric basically got me the hook ups. We only spent two days at the camp in Tigoni, the first day and the last day. Other than that, we were on the road camping, hiking, and climbing. "We camp, hike and climb! Kiss the beaner every time!" haha sorry...one of our cheers. Always on my mind! I wonder if the cheers of that week will ever leave my mind. I worked along side another leader, Brittany, and Eric and his group, the Kili high school guys were with us.

After the first day, we headed to Hell's Gate to camp for the night (it is nothing like hell my friends). It is absolutely beautiful! It is either located in the Great Rift or it might be on the outskirts. But either way, you drive down this path that is between these steep rock walls; the land is filled with zebras! We set up camp on top of own of the cliffs and rested up for our day of hiking and climbing.

In the morning we had a slight problem with a baboon trying to get our food...those things are mean! But I have to say I was expecting our camp to be surrounded by a herd of like 50 baboons trying to get our food after hearing the stories from the other leaders. So needless to say, I was actually a bit disappointed haha. We even had a three person sling shot ready to shoot rocks at the monsters. (I promise that sounds a whole lot more awful then it actually is....you would be launching rocks at the things too if you had ever seen them.)

Another funny story for you guys. One of our boys woke up early with me and we were standing out on the cliffs watching the sunrise. He was over on a ledge right next to mine. Well I look over and see the kid start SPRINTING across the ledge in my direction. Now, my first thought was, "oh, he's just taking a morning sprint." (The whole week he had been carving bamboo to make spears for fishing, building dams, etc...so thinking he was just randomly sprinting wasn't much of a stretch haha) Well, a few moments later, the whole picture came together. A HUGE buffalo emerged right behind him running at full speed. He ran onto my ledge and I thought to myself..."I pray this buffalo does not follow him because we don't have no where to go." The buffalo stopped briefly in front of us and stared us down but carried on in the direction of the road.

After our buffalo experience, we packed up and headed to the gorge in the park for our hike. The gorge was breathtaking! I will definitely have to put some pictures up because I know that my words will not do it justice. For the hike, you basically walk through a riverbed, dry because it is the dry season. When the rains come, the water is too high for walking it. On both sides of you rise up these steep cliffs. You eventually make your way to the top and can look out through the whole gorge.

After the hike, we met two of the other leaders who had been setting up on the rock climbing on one of the cliffs. It felt so good to climb! Nursing school this past semester had left me very little time for climbing at the gyms at UNC so it was amazing putting a harness and climbing shoes on again! Plus, outdoor climbing sure does beat climbing in an indoor gym.

After climbing, we headed to another campsite just right outside Hell's Gate to rest up for our journey to the Tana River for rafting. I have to say that rafting of all the outdoor things isn't so much my cup of tea. I am sure my perspective is a bit on the biased side because the water was like jumping into a bath of ice so I would be interesting to see if I got more enjoyment out of it if the water were warmer. Basically, you get thrown around a raft, bumped up, cut, and bruised, while your instructor yells commands at you; some of which include "JUMP RIGHT!" which means throwing yourself across the raft into your neighbors lap who you pray you know and are comfortable with. All of this is topped with cold water splashing you. (haha I am sorry if I am turning everyone away from trying rafting out...I really think my experience was spoiled by being so cold). It did have its moments. We got to jump from one raft to another and "surf" at the base of a small waterfall. We also rafted directly under a huge waterfall, pounded by the water. In the end, was quite ok with getting to put on warm, dry clothes again.

After the rafting, we headed back to Tigoni for our last day of camp. It was really sad to say goodbye to my girls...they were amazing and very unique. I just loved watching all of the kids different personalities and how they fit together so well. Luckily, they all have facebook (facebook...the thing that connects us all together haha), so I can keep up with them all that way.

Overall, I have to say next to my week through western Uganda, my week of camp was my next favorite. There is just something about being in the rural areas of Africa. It is so green, so alive, so energetic! I just can't think of any better way of spending my time then backpacking, camping, and climbing; to be in a place so untouched by man. It is God's Creation at its purest and it is in these places that I feel so absolutely closest to God. You can really clear your mind and think, slow down and enjoy your surroundings. It is much different then the life I live in America: run by the clock; running from one planned activity to the next. I just pray that I take some of the peace and calm of my mind and heart that I picked up here.

After camp, all of the leadership team headed to Nairobi for a couple days in town before catching a bus to Jinja, Uganda. The bus ride...a 13 hour bus ride from Nairobi to Jinja. It surprisingly went faster and less painfully then I imagined it would be, but it definitely wasn't all roses and rainbows either. But hey, it is way cheaper than a flight! About 17 dollars! In the glorious moment of crossing the border from Kenya to Uganda we were actually forced to sprint because it was pouring down rain. Not exactly how I was expecting my return to Uganda but hey it was good to be back! In a weird way, I felt a certain sense of feeling like I was home. Kenya was good, but I have to say that overall, I am just not the biggest fan of the place; I really do love Uganda and appreciate the place so much more after being in Kenya.

After a night spent in Jinja I said my goodbyes to the whole crew. They were off to rafting on the Nile and I to Kampala to meet my friend James for our departure to Arusha, Tanzania the next day. A part of me does wish I had gone rafting on the Nile. Word on the street is that the water is a whole lot warmer and that the Tana River is childs play compared to the Nile. Plus, it just seems like one of those things you have to do if you are going to be in Uganda. Maybe on one of my return visits.

I was pretty proud of myself...I successfully found the right taxi and made my way to Kampala and then bargained my way onto a boda boda to return to Emily's home so I could pack up the rest of my stuff. I know, I actually rode another boda boda! But I had absolutely no desire to make the hour walk from town with my pack on so a boda boda it was.

After I grabbed my stuff, I was able to go by the Makerere Guest House and see 3 of my fellow nursing students who had arrived in early July to help out at Mulago. It was so great to see them! I feel like with every person that I see from home, my excitement for returning to the states and seeing my family and friends grows.

James and I headed for a hotel in Entebbe after I took a shower and lightened my pack. I have no words to describe how amazing it was to take a shower...a HOT shower! I don't even know if you guys want to know when the last time I showered was before that. Let's just say I have gotten pretty good at washing my face to trick myself into thinking I am clean and that I could probably count the number of times I have showered on one hand despite the fact I have been here for about 9 weeks...

James and I were up at 2am to catch our flight to Kilimanjaro, Tanzania. Sadly, I left my Nalgene on the hotel shuttle on the way to the airport. Me and my Nalgene...we had a good run, made a lot of memories. I pray that it as found a good home.

We arrived in Kilimanjaro around 9am and the town of Arusha around 10am. The second we were dropped off we were SWARMED by guys trying to get us to follow them to their safari company. They call them "fly-catchers" here...I like to think of them more as mosquitoes but worse. They don't care if you get scammed or not, they are just in it for the commission they get when they deliver you to a safari company. Being ugly does NOT work with them...it is just best to put a smile on your face and make the best of the moment! We actually even had a guy come into the restaurant James and I were having lunch in and sit down at our table haha. Let's just say, the town of Arusha is small, and there are about 150 different safari companies...so the competition gets rough!

After an exhausting day of visiting numerous companies to compare prices, we picked a 4 day, 3 night trip through Lake Manyara, the Serengeti, and Ngorongoro. We leave on Saturday morning and get back Tuesday evening. If all goes to plan, we will be catching a bus Wednesday morning for Dar es Salaam where we will spend the rest of our time till our flight leaves Friday afternoon for our last week in Uganda. LAST WEEK..that is crazy to think. Please pray that our trip turns out as great as we are hoping; that we have beautiful weather, a knowledgeable guide, and good company! And of course that we see lots and lots of animals!

So after 9 weeks spent in Eastern Africa, I have to say I am getting pretty exhausted and ready to come home! It really has been an amazing, life-changing experience. I have loved being out in God's Creation...a place that is so beautiful, so green, so alive! I have been able to clear my mind, to really think, to slow things down. My faith has been tested and strengthened far beyond I thought I was capable of being stretched. I have met so many wonderful, strong individuals...people with so little and yet so much love and compassion, generosity and encouragement. I have been shown how absolutely selfish and short-tempered I have been...what being generous and compassionate and loving people really looks like; the people here, they would cut a penny in half and give it to me if that was all they had to their name. I have hung out and played with the most fun loving, spirited young children...orphans, carriers of AIDS, but certainly not beaten down or destroyed. It is hard not to adopt their energy, their passion for life. I have gained such an appreciation for the small things...I can't wait to return home and to have a shower, a hot shower! To be able to use a toilet when I want to, to have access to a means to wash my clothes or access to an endless supply of food at my fingertips. A part of me feels guilty for wanting to change my clothes, to take a shower, to enjoy a huge meal when so many here have so little...one tattered shirt to their name, a single meal a day; one that doesn't even qualify as sufficient. I keep thinking, why was I so blessed with so much? The opportunity to walk away from this kind of living whenever I want, to return to a life where I do have such luxuries. While the people here, they will never know such living. They will wake up day after day fighting for survival; they don't dream about tomorrow because they must make it through the day. But I must always remember, that "he who is given much, much is expected." I have been blessed with so much and I cannot ignore that. I just pray I never forget this...that I retain this peace and quiet, this energy, this desire to give and to help when I return home.

I need to wrap it up because there is quite a line developing behind me for this computer. But please pray for me in these last two weeks! Pray that I stay focused and that I am able to keep the energy up! The end is near but the journey is not quite over! I hope everyone is doing well! I cannot wait to see everyone back in the states! I MISS YOU ALL SO MUCH!

Tutaonana!