Au revoir, Paris & Uganda!

Tonight is my last night in Paris. I have to leave for the airport at 5am. Although this city is amazing; I'm ready to go home after my month long journey. Part of me feels like the US is home; but a little part of me feels like Uganda is home. I miss those kiddos already.

The best way I could think of spending my last night is at the top of the city. So right now I'm sitting at the top of Montparnasse Tour (tower) watching the sun set over Paris---with a glass of wine, of course! I have a 360 degree view of the city from here. The city has began to light up, and it looks spectacular. What a way to ponder life!

I'm so thankful to God for the life-changing journey he has sent me on. Although it ends tonight, I know that I will remember it forever. 

The Catacombs

I can't believe I did it----I opted out of the massive lines to see Versailles Palace and hit up the creepy catacombs instead. The Paris catacombs are home to over 6 million corpses deep under ground.

I walked down 130 steps (20 meters) below ground level and found myself wandering through narrow corridors to reach the tens of millions of bones and skulls that lay in the walls. The corpses were put there during the 17 and 1800s because the city decided to shut down the largest cemetery due to public health reasons. They exhumed the bodies and put them underground.

You're all probably wondering why the heck I would want to tour the creepy catacombs...I honestly have no idea. I think I'm starting to go a little nutty after traveling for a month. At least there's only one day to go!

Officially Addicted

Mmmmmmm, I'm officially addicted to gelato! I don't know how they do it but it tastes so good.....the chocolate croissants aren't bad either!

Doing a little exploring

There's so much to do in Paris! So far I've been on some tour busses, seen Notre Dame, the Louvre to see the Mona Lisa, the Eiffel tower, Seine River boat ride, shopping, and done a whole lot of walking.

Paris at Night

Tonight I took the illuminations tour to see Paris at night. I thought Paris was beautiful by day; but it's even more amazing all lit up at night. The pictures don't do it justice.

The Seine River at Sunset

Well the Seine River boat tour at sunset was beautiful. I got off and saw the eiffel quick. The line was really long to go to the top so im going to go back tomorrow morning when there are fewer tourists. 

Notre Dame

I just went to evening mass at Notre Dame. Of course i couldnt understand a word of it (its in French), but so cool. How gorgeous!

Goodbye Uganda, HELLO Paris!

As sad I was to leave Uganda,  I'm happy that my adventure is continuing to Paris. I arrived this morning and have spent the afternoon exploring and taking tour bus rides to get acquainted with the city.

Wow is it beautiful! Everything is so charming. I love the old-world vibe. All the buildings are historic and have so much character.

I'm sitting on a bench right next to the Seine River that flows through the city. I'll be getting on a boat that takes me through the city at sunset. Im sure it will be amazing!

My Last Day in Africa

I couldn't be more sad! My month long trip is coming to a close. It has gone by much too quickly. My flight leaves Uganda tonight at 11:30 pm.

I just left the baby orphanage and cried the entire drive back to the guesthouse.  It was so heartbreaking leaving behind Hope. She is my little angel that I want to take home. I have spent a lot of time with her and would have loved to adopt her had the adoption fees not been so crazy expensive.

As I pack my things, I hope that I have made a difference here. I hope that at least one child remembers me as their friend. I will miss so many things like the beautiful scenery and African way of life; but most of all the people. There are so many kind souls here that I am not used to experiencing in the US. These are some of the nicest people I have ever met. They are so humble and grateful for what little they have. They always put others before themselves. I used to feel sympathy for the people of this country, but I dont anymore.  I just feel love.

More Village Pictures

So much fun!

Bathroom Facilities in the Village

Well its definitely NOT a toilet....its a squatty. I got used to this real quick!

Last day in the Zirobwe Village

Today was my last day in the village. It was heartbreaking to leave. I love these children so much and can't imagine not seeing them again. I leave Uganda tomorrow night....so sad!

Hanging out with my Sponsor Child

Today I got to spend some time with my new sponsor child, Philomila (had the wrong spelling of her name before). I took her to the zoo, lake Victoria, and out for lunch and ice cream. She had never been outside of Kampala or her uncle's village before so it was a lot of fun.

I was glad I got the time to get to know her better. She was just beaming in smiles the entire time. She usually walks home to/ from our Empower a Child guesthouse by herself,  but when I found out that it's an hour walk I insisted on bringing her home....in a cab of course!

I'm glad I did because I got to see her home and meet her family. Her siblings are all so sweet. The home really is only a shack the size of my spare bedroom. She sleeps there with her mom and 6 siblings.  I dont know how they do it!

I was very sad to say goodbye.  It's hard to think that realistically I probably wont ever see her again. At least I know that I can write her and send her gifts. Empower a Child will meet with her a few times a year to help her reply to me.

Camping in the Village

We just returned from three days in the Zirobwe village. What a great time I had! We normally go to the village on Sundays for the day, but staying for the overnights is a deeper experience. 

The kids get so excited when they see the vans pull up. A sea of kiddos run towards us screaming "muzungu! Muzungu!" (white person) as they are so anxious to play. We usually get most of the children in the village to come to the programs we run.

I got the chance to walk to many villager's homes and talk with them for a bit. They are so welcoming! They see it as an honor to have us in their homes (I think its the other way around). Their homes are literally made out of mud and very small. I cant imagine how they fit 5-10 people in them. Most family's possessions are just pots for outdoor cooking, a small rug, and usually a goat or chicken.

Rafting on the Nile

I can't believe timid me just went white water rafting down the Nile River! Ive never rafted or seen rapids----heck I dont even like water! I was somehow coerced into rafting the treacherous class five rapids in none other than the world's largest river.

But......I'm so glad that I did! What an experience! First we had to make the 2 hour drive to Jinja, Uganda before we strapped on our life jackets and "practiced" tipping over. The others in the boat had all rafted class 3 or 4 rapids before, so I was kind of the weak link. I was terrified of being swallowed up by the water but I soon got over that.

Our day of rating included many sets of rapids that ranged from scary to insane. We even went down a waterfall without flipping over. We stopped on the shore for a traditional Ugandan lunch and then set off again. A few hours later we grabbed our boogy boards and tried riding the waves.  I was of course unsuccessful.

The last set of rapids was insane. Our raft flipped, I was stuck underneath it, then swallowed up by another giant wave. I panicked under water and swallowed a bunch of water. When I rose to the surface I grabbed the neatest rafteter and nearly drowned her! Somehow I got separated from the group and had to get rescued by a kayaker. What an experience! Would I do it all again??? In a heartbeat!

Meet my Sponsor Child!

Meet my new sponsor child, Filomena! She is a 12 year old girl from Kampala who desperately needed my help. She, along with the other sponsor "waitlist" children arrived to the house today. We played games and crafts with them before I fell in love with her!

She is kind of a shy girl, but really blossoms when you get to know her (kind of like me!) Her beautiful eyes lit up when I bought her a soda. She was so thankful. She has 6 brothers and sisters (one of them has passed away), and lives with her mom and aunt in a small city shack. Her father died a few years ago. I think they are really poor and cant afford the basics after paying for school (you pay for all school grades in Uganda). Her shoes are broken but Im buying her new ones. She is a few years behind in school, but is really motivated to go.

Filomena has been on the Empower a Child sponsor waitlist since she was 7, but no one had sponsored her as she waited many years. As a sponsor, my monthly contribution pays for her school fees, materials, books, school lunch, medical care, home visits, and much more. This money, although minimal to Americans, is life changing not only for the child, but also for their entire family. Many Ugandans drop out of school because it is too expensive. They end up reproducing very young, and the cycle repeats.

Filomena's face lit up when I told her that I'd be sponsoring her. She ran right up to me and gave me a big hug.

I urge anyone reading this to consider sponsoring a child through Empower a Child. It is a legit Christian organization (my entire mission trip is run through them) and its only $35 a month. I realized that i spend more than that ordering pizza or picking up junk at Target. You can really change a life with this!!!

Personally I've never sponsored a child before because I've always wondered if the money was actually going to the kids. I can honestly say that these children DO exist, the money DOES go to them, and it DOES change lives. Each child has frequent home visits, school assessments,  and writes letters to their sponsors regularly (I assisted a child today with her English letter). I hope you all have room in your hearts to change someone's life. If you would like to do this, please Facebook me and I can actually help you select a child that I've met. God bless!

Kyambogo Primary School

This was my first time at Kymbogo. The kids are a lot of fun. When we're done working with the kids we like to play games with them. The boys I worked with love soccer and can get pretty competitive!

Cityside High School

Today we were back st Cityside High School.  I always like coming here because the kids are so happy and appreciative of us being there.

Earthquake!

A 5.7 magnitude earthquake hit a town north of us. The entire guesthouse shook,  but luckily there wasnt any damage to it. I think that the extensive damage was a few hours north of us.

4th of July at Lake Victoria

Since most of the volunteers are from the U.S., we took a day off and celebrated independence day at Lake Victoria.  It was so exciting to see the 2nd largest lake in the world! I didnt swim in it because my doctor said it was full of parasites. We grilled American food, played volleyball, and laid in the sun....feels just like home.

Trip to the Equator

We decided my birthday wouldnt be complete without a trip to the equator! We took the 1.5 hour trip south to the equator land mark. I got to stand in both the northern and southern hemispheres at the exact same time. I thought it was really cool but im just a geography geek. Im excited to share the pictures with my geography students this fall.

Happy Birthday to ME!!!

Today I turned 28! Wow, im old! I wasnt sure how I'd feel about being in Africa on my birthday,  but its been a great day. We spent the morning at a hospital for children with chronic diseases and injuries. Although it makes me sad, I was so happy to spend my birthday with them.

The other volunteers have made my day special. Apparently, its a Ugandan tradition to throw buckets of water at the birthday girl. They got me good.

Kireka High School

We stopped at Kireka High School in Kampala this afternoon. Here we helped teach them English, then prayed with them.

Brainstorm Primary School

Today we went to Brainstorm primary school in Kampala.  I love these kiddos!!! Our task was to sing, dance, play games, and share bible stories. They are so happy to see us. A 10 year old girl named Phiona wrote me a letter in English. I will write her one for when we return soon. Did I mention I love these kids?!!!!!