Update on EVERYTHING!!

African Sunrise!!

Our team minus Mama Sally

It is wonderful to be home!! Uganda truly feels like home to me. I arrived in Uganda on June 22nd. Thanks to Tylenol PM, I slept like a champ on the plane and didn't suffer too much jet lag upon arrival. We stayed in Kampala (the big city) our first night. We woke up the next morning and left for Gulu :). The trip to Gulu is less than 200 miles, but takes a good 4 hours. The roads are nothing like what we are used to in America...although they improve every time I come.

Riding a Boda Boda with chickens on it. Only in Africa.

My roommate Maddie!!!!!!! So much fun!!

We settled in our rooms at JO JO's PALACE (far from a palace) and I made some calls and met up with some of my friends. YAY!!!! The team wanted to get straight to work at the school (Gulu Hope) so we spent the next few days mixing cement, playing with the kids, moving dirt, laying bricks, playing with the kids, planting plants and flowers, playing with the kids, and making flower beds. We got real dirty everyday...the result of very hard work.

Seeing my friend Jimmy for the first time!! :)

This was our reward after a few days of hard work!!

You can kind of see the flower beds.

We wanted the team to experience village life in Uganda so we met up with Tony who took us to his father's village, Mede. There is so much history in Uganda and I can't explain it all here, but the people of northern Uganda were displaced into camps for the past 25 or so years. Those camps were considered "protected" during the war. I have been to camps on previous trips and the living conditions were inhumane, to say the least. The government is now telling people they must leave the camps. Many people do not know where their original villages are because they were so young when they were displaced and they no longer have family to tell them where to go. Many people just set up life right outside of the camp. This is the case with Mede. Everyone that lives in Mede now recently left the IDP camp that neighbors the village. Needless to say, the people of Mede have experienced severe trauma and are living in extreme poverty. We had the opportunity to do life with these people for 24 hours. We met with the headmaster of the school (hello...I'm a teacher) and he introduced us to so many people. We played, danced, sang songs, and interacted with our new friends. The people were very intimidated by us at first. We were the first group of Munu's (white people/rich people) to visit their village. That didn't last long. We were friends in no time. The school which is also the community church didn't have a roof which was a real problem when the sky opened and it started pouring rain. We were soaked to say the least. It was so much fun, but really gave us a heart wrenching picture of what life on a daily basis would be like living in Mede. We showed the Jesus film which is a very popular way to share about Jesus here in Africa. It was the first movie they had ever seen...obviously. Electricity isn't really commonplace in this part of the world. Then...we showed the LION KING. I think I enjoyed watching the kids watch the movie more than the movie itself. :) We camped in tents and FROZE (hard to believe but true). We hung around until about noon and then drove back to Gulu to do some more work on the school.

Mede Electricity

Kids doing my hair after the storm.

Gulu Hope--Things are really progressing with the school. For those of you who don't know, Gulu Hope is a vocational training school for people who were displaced. We are doing bible studies, teaching english, teaching sewing, and making bamboo bicycles. The sewing students are making school uniforms and we are blessing kids in the area who cannot afford uniforms and making arrangements for them to go to school. We have one building that is completely finished (as of 2 days ago) and another building that is waiting on a roof. Things are progressing...African time. We have pretty much adopted the village where our school is (Areaga) and have been making many improvements in the lives of the people there. There was a really bad storm that hit in May that ruined so much of the village, so we had some minor set-backs, but things are improving!!!

Me, Deo, and Sally. Gulu Hope staff!! :)

As for me personally, I really do feel at home. It was wonderful having the team here (Katie, Ana, Maddie, Robert, and Sally....I MISS YOU already). They left today for a quick safari and then fly back to Texas on Thursday. I stayed in Gulu to keep working on the school. Today, I tried to buy a bike. I didn't realize that bikes on the streets of Gulu would be more expensive than bikes at Wal-Mart. How is that possible? I thought a bike would be a good way to get some exercise and I can stop whenever I want to visit with people along the way. It is only about 2 Kilometers from my palace (ha) to the school. My other mission today was to buy long haired goats. Really!! I priced a few and am going to make the big purchase in a few days after I construct a pen or something. :)

I am sitting on the porch of the palace right now. I wish everyone could see what I see.

I am across from the market along a busy, dirt road.

People are walking by and saying hi. One of the kids from Areaga just stopped by and sat with me for a few minutes. He got teary eyed when he told me that he had to leave school today because he hasn't paid his school fees. He is in the 9th grade (I think) he calls is secondary 1. He is about 15. His name is ODOCONTERO Tonny. I told him that I would write a little something and see if someone is in a position to help him with his school fees. Each term for secondary school is $$35. If anyone is interested, please contact me.

Other than working at the school and buying goats, I have been trying to find some free entertainment in the area. I have made a few friends and found a POOL. I am really looking forward to the upcoming month. Flying solo in Uganda is not an easy thing to do, but I am going to make it a month to remember!!!

Thank you for the prayers and support. It really means a lot to me. :)

How Can You Help???

If you have an extra $1...you can feed 10 people breakfast.

If you have an extra $25...you can send a child to school for a year.

If you have an extra $100...you can buy a sewing machine for our school for women.

Contact me at kimmykim7@gmail.com or on facebook if you are interested in helping.

Thank you!!!

$25 A YEAR!!!!!!

A few days ago I was hanging out with my neighbors and I met a little girl named Babra (Barbara). She lives across the street from me and I have seen her before, but we became friends that day. She was all smiles as we sang songs and played silly games. There were over 20 kids, but when I went home I found myself thinking of her. I saw her the next day when I went for my morning walk and I asked her why she wasn't in school. She told me that she could not afford it. She used to go to school and loved it, but there wasn't enough money this term. When I got home, I asked some of the ladies who work at our house and they said it is about $8 a term (16,000 Ugandan Shillings). Janet, the housekeeper, took me up to the school and we enrolled Barbara in school. It was 50,000 USH A YEAR (that is about $25).

With the headmaster at Barbara's school.

Barbara was so happy. I told her that I would walk with her to school in the morning.

I went to Barbara's house at 7am this morning and she was all ready (looked so cute in her uniform). It is about 1 mile to her school. Every few feet we met up with more kids. :)

This is the path that we took to school.

Barbara at school.

I made the mile trek home by myself (I only got lost once). I wish that everyone I know could experience what I experienced this morning. Not only the amazing feeling of helping a child get educated, but the long walk along the bumpy, dirt road. I must have greeted over 500 people along the way. EVERYONE smiles and says hello here. I sat down with strangers and talked about the plans for the day, the weather, God, their children, and their jobs.

I recently came across a quote by Annie Dillard, "the way we live out our days is the way we will live our lives." It seems that every day in Africa presents a new challenge and gives me new perspective on life. Today was no different.

The past few days have flown by. We have seen so much and heard so many heart wrenching stories that I really do not even know what to share. I think I gave everyone a fair warning about my inability to express my emotions through my writing. I sit down to write, wanting to share everything…and I go blank. L When I get back to America, I will tell you everything. PROMISE!!

*The street children are really opening up to us. Not verbally, although I do know a few key phrases in Kirundi now. We communicate through hugs, smile, and laughter. We have taught them a few more games. Today we played hot potato and a few circle games that I made up on the fly. They are very quick learners and enjoy anything, even if I think it was a bust. We had a talent show, which ended in a big dance party. Some of the kids played soccer while I taught the others English. I found out that “oh yeah” in Kirundi means “no”. Oops!! I have been saying that the whole time I have been here. Ahhh….communication in a foreign country. J I painted fingernails and a few of the girls did my hair. The pictures are not postable (is that a word?).

*Yesterday, at church, the message was on JOY!! I can honestly say that I have never been as challenged as I was yesterday. I was sitting with street children and adults who have suffered SO MUCH!! True suffering is something I cannot even imagine. I was sitting there with my bible (one of the 10 bibles I had to choose from), big bottle of water (yes, I am drinking a lot of water Mom), shoes on my feet, clothes on my body (whoa), food in my stomach, food in my room if I needed it, totally rested (I am sleeping on a bed with a pillow and sheets), and probably other things that I have completely forgotten to be thankful for. I was listening to the preacher (well…the translator) thinking about all the stories I have heard about the preacher’s life (I will share some of those later). I was absolutely overcome with emotion. These people understand suffering yet have so much JOY!! In my life I have lost a few people close to me (not as a result of war or starvation), I have been rejected by boys (crazy…I know), hurt by friends, and lonely at times. Those are the things that I have let steal my joy. This is my reality…a little heartbreak. I have NO CLUE what true suffering is like. I am thankful for the opportunity to be taught by these people.

*After church, we went to the beach. Jessica and I are really trying hard not to come back to America as white as we left. J We discovered PARADISE!! Diodonne dropped us off because he had a class to teach. We walked to the beach and there it was…a restaurant with a pool and lawn chairs. Americans, I bet you are thinking…Ritz Carlton. STOP!! I’m describing a Day’s Inn pool here, but it felt like I was at the Ritz (at least what I imagine a Ritz to be like, I’ve never been to a Ritz). We were seriously in heaven.

*Last night, we met with a group of street kids that have grown up. I’d say the average age of the boys was 17. They have all lived together since they were 3 or 4. This was the first group that Diodonne helped when he got on the bus that Christmas day so long ago when New Generation was founded. We sat in a big circle (maybe 15 of us) and they each told us their story. Some were orphaned and some were from very poor families that had no means to care for them. Now, they all live together in a house and go to secondary school. Each of the boys expressed how thankful they were for Diodonne and his wife and they all want to help the younger street kids in the future. Each of them has a talent or a dream that will allow them to be successful. They would have never had that opportunity if they remained on the streets. I asked a million questions at the end and with my eyes full of tears I thanked them because I now I have inspiring stories for the street kids that we work with everyday. We are planning on throwing a big party for the current street kids and these boys. It is going to be a blast!!!

*Today at lunch, a few of the guys were laughing at me because I mistook one guy for another guy. For two days I have been calling man #1, man #2’s name. OOPS!! When they told me that I was confused, we all laughed. I felt silly, but they reassured me that they think all American’s look alike. I mentioned that two guys at the table look alike, but the other ones do not. I said it was their nose. Oh boy…did that open up a can of worms. Can you believe that during the war (last year and the 40 years before) the rebellion groups would stop a bus full of people and kill people with noses similar to my two friends. Somehow, their nose defines them. It is supposed to show which ethnic group a person belongs to, but that is a bunch of nonsense. The way the ethnic groups were divided makes no sense. Surely not every Irish person has the same nose as me. Every one of the guys at the table has seen that happened. Their nose…really?? This is one example of what these people have survived.

*Tomorrow, we are headed “up country”. Anything out of the city is considered up country. It doesn’t matter if it is south or west…it’s up country. So, I really have no idea where we are going except I know it is not in the city. I doubt we will have Internet for a few days (tragic), but we will be in contact when we come back.

Please continue to be in prayer for…

*our relationships with the street children

*financial situation with New Generation

*ideas on how to help New Generation &Burundi

*safety

*alone time

I wish you could smell the smells of Africa with me…if that makes sense. I know that I am very far from America, but I feel like I am in a different world. It doesn’t make sense to me that we live the way we do in America, and the Burundians have to live like this. Why does it have to be like that? The possibilities to help are endless, but finding a place to start is difficult. I am really thankful for this opportunity and am hopeful that even the few smiles and hugs that I can offer will make a little difference in the lives of these people. Think of the possibilities if we all did a little something more than what we are doing today. I am really hopeful that I figure out what else I can be doing to make a difference.

We complicate our faith and lives in many ways, but at the core, our purpose is simple: We are called to love.

Typical Day in Burundi

Our house

This morning, the rooster started crowing at 3:30 am. I didn’t wake up until my alarm went off at 8. (typical American) I pressed snooze a few times until finally I got out of bed. Our bodies are still not totally adjusted. We woke up in the middle of the night…wide awake and hungry. We watched a movie and then went back to sleep.

I was taking a ninja shower at 8:30. Ninja showers (for those of you who haven’t been to Africa) are where you get your hair and body completely wet, turn the shower off and soap up. When you feel brave enough you turn the water back on and stick your arm in the stream of freezing cold water, then the other arm, then your right leg, then your left leg, then your whole body. It is quite the ordeal. My hair hasn’t seen conditioner since I got here (not because I don’t have it, but because I can’t handle the cold water). It may sound extreme, but to be honest this is one of the nicer shower situations I have had in Africa. I was expecting a bucket with dirty water.

Breakfast is always on the table when we wake up. I brought cereal so we have cereal, bananas and milk every morning. Today, I made the mistake of smelling the milk. I will NEVER do that again. I have never experienced instant nausea like I did today. It is just very different…I’ll put it that way.

I was out in the church (our front yard) with the street kids by 9. Twelve kids (2 girls and 10 boys) came today. We watched a movie in Kirundi (local language). I put the English subtitles on and watched with them. A few of the kids were at church on Sunday, but the others were very fascinated by me. I don’t think anyone explained why I was there. They just kept looking at me and laughing. It wasn’t too good for my self-esteem.

When the movie was finished, Jessica and I called the kids over to us one by one. With the help of a translator, Claire, we asked the kids about their lives. We are hoping to figure out a system to get these children sponsored for school. They receive one meal a day through New Generation, but cannot attend school because of the fees. New Generation is struggling to feed these children right now. After talking with them, my heart is completely broken. These kids have suffered through war and have to beg for food or just not eat. We asked them what their dreams for the future were and most of them had never thought about it. They didn’t even know what it was to have a dream. Without school, all they know is life on the streets. I cannot begin to describe how painful it was to hear that.

Lunch was served around 1. We always have great conversation around the lunch table. Today, we had chick-fil-a sandwiches and an oreo milkshake for dessert. Oh wait…no we didn’t. We had fish (Diodonne had to take it off the bones for us…not quite African mama’s yet), spaghetti, beans, peas and pineapple.

After lunch I hung out with Nathan and Tracy, the two older kids of our Burundian family. They have discovered Photo Booth on my Mac. That has entertained us for a few hours. We laughed a lot.

The daily thunderstorm came around 3, so we all went to our rooms and rested. I LOVE the African Nap. We acquired a fan today, which was really nice.

At 6 we went with Diodonne to a bible study. One of the New Generation teams (a different project than the street kid ministry) meets every Tuesday night. These students are part of the Forgiveness and Reconciliation project. We wanted to experience it, even thought we didn’t understand a word that was spoken. It was a totally different atmosphere. Students were friendly, joyful, and excited about life. After the interviews this afternoon, I was desperate to see some hope in the eyes of the kids in Burundi.

We are now at the Internet café. Our super duper wireless Internet that we had the one night, no longer works. We aren’t sure what happened, but we are hopeful that we can get it fixed. The Internet café is close by, but we cannot walk here alone.

Dinner (bread, milk, and tea) is usually served around 9:30pm. We will go to sleep soon after that, at least to our room so that the kids go to sleep. Jessica has a million sappy, girly movies that I haven’t seen. I may try to watch one at a normal hour tonight, instead of waking up at 2 in the morning.

……………………………………………………………………………………………

Today is a very special day!! It’s Becky’s 40th Birthday. Becky is the mom of the girls that I was a nanny for in Texas AND a very dear friend of mine. If you don’t know her you are missing out. If you do know her, hug her for me!!!

40~40~40~40~40~40~~40~40~40~40~40~40~40~40~40~40~40~40~40~40~40~40~40

Well, that pretty much sums up a day in Africa. When I reflect on today, I realize that I have NEVER gone without a meal out of necessity. I may have skipped a meal because I was still full from the previous one or because I was too preoccupied with sometime else, but I have never gone without. These children face this reality everyday! They wake up in the morning with nothing to eat, nothing to look forward to, no dreams, no hopes…it is just another day of begging on the streets to provide for them and their families. War has destroyed their communities, families and their lives. I sit here wondering what my role is, what is it that I can do. For the moment, all I can think of is to share their stories with you. So many of us have it so good. There really are people struggling, hurting, and STARVING. Please pray for these children. Please pray that these stories will have a happy ending!!

IN BURUNDI!!!

Texas àFlorida à D.C à Virginia à Maryland à Italy à Ethiopia à Kenya à BURUNDI

I am in BURUNDI!!! It has been a long journey, but I am here and LOVING it!!

Jessica and I met up at the airport in Washington D.C. We quickly ate some Dunkin Donuts and then boarded the plane. We were VERY fortunate that our flight was early in the morning because all the flights after ours were cancelled due to a snow storm in the area. Because I have flown internationally so many times, I know a few secrets of flying. One is to ask for an entire row. Both Jessica and I had our own ROW on the plane. It was a beautiful thing. We could lay down whenever we wanted. I actually slept quite well on the plane. Our first flight to Rome was 9.5 hours. We couldn’t get off the plane; we just had to sit for an hour while they re-fueled. The next flight to Ethiopia was about 6 hours. We did get off there only to quickly update our Facebook status and board the next plane. The next flight was about 2 hours to Kenya where we couldn’t get off the plane. We waited another hour while they refueled and let most of the passengers off. We then FINALLY flew to Bujumbura, Burundi, which was a 2-hour flight. We met some wonderful people along the way. That is always a bonus to a long flight; you get to meet people from all over the world.

We arrived yesterday afternoon and have been treated like royalty since. Our new friend, Diodonne, picked us up from the airport and brought us to his house where we will live for at least the next month. He introduced us to his lovely family. His wife Mary, his son Nathan, and his daughters Tracy and Zoë are like family to us already.

We were exhausted when we arrived, so he gave us the afternoon to rest…the afternoon turned into the whole day!! We woke up at 8pm…oops! Diodonne took us for a quick tour of the city. We stopped and got some cold sodas and milk for breakfast. We ended up at an Internet café where we called our moms and ate chicken and French fries. J

Today, we woke up and walked to church (the church is in our front yard). There will be NO skipping church here…ha ha. We had a translator who sat in between Jessica and me. I am embarrassed to say that I was falling asleep throughout the service. My body is not quite adjusted yet…or at least that is the excuse I am using. We had a great time being the token Mzungus (white people) at the service. Everyone wanted to take pictures with us. That always makes me laugh because we use MY camera. I guess they want me to remember them.

After church, we took a little nap (I love the daily naps in Africa). We woke up to spaghetti and beans (I really should have taken a picture).

After lunch, Diodonne and his wife took us for another tour. They wanted us to see ALL of Bujumbura before we start working tomorrow. It has been a great way for us to get to know them. Their passion for their country, especially the orphans and street kids is unbelievable. I am truly thankful that we are here and have the opportunity to be a part of New Generation (their organization). When we get in the groove of things, I will give you a better idea of what it is they are doing.

I cannot even express how happy I am to be here…cold showers and all!! Africa has a very special place in my heart. Well, I need to go put some more bug spray on my legs and eat some beef jerky. J

Thank you for your love, prayers and support!!!!!!!

PS---> I am uploading pictures to this blog from my room. Wireless internet in AFRICA. Who knew???

"You can pick it up tomorrow!!"

Those words mean more than you can imagine!! Here's the story....

All along (well...for the past 3 weeks that I have known I was going to Africa) our contact at the orphanage in Burundi has been telling us that we can get our Visa at the airport when we arrive. I also thought that was the case, because all the other times I have been to an African country, I was able to get my Visa at the airport. WELL....we found out on Monday that the policy had changed. Jessica and I called the embassy and could not get any information other than if we brought it to the embassy it would take 5 business days. Emailing with our contact in Burundi is not the easiest thing to do either. After a ton of phone calls and a lot of prayer, we decided that I would go to the embassy as soon as I landed in D.C. and try and work something out!! Jessica had to overnight her passport to my grandma's house with all her paperwork. My brother waited for the package and then came to pick me up at the airport. He picked me up and off we went...EMBASSY ROW!! I walked in and the girl was super sweet. I had to fill out a few forms and I handed her everything. I explained to her that our flight is on Friday and she asked me if I cancelled it. I told her no and that I was just going to see what happened today before we did that. She explained that it would take 5 business days and that they were closed on Friday (Burundi holiday). I asked her what the process was, who handles it, and if there was any way I could talk directly to that person. She said the the minister of something... handles the Visas and that he probably wouldn't talk to me. She called him and started speaking Kirundi so I left her office. Not that I could understand a word, but I just thought I would give her privacy. I quickly updated my brother and then I heard her hang up the phone. I walked in and she said..."You can pick it up tomorrow!!" Tears streamed down my face (I have been super emotional the last few days) and thanked her until she couldn't be thanked anymore. She told me that I could pick our passports up between 10-4 tomorrow. I plan on being there at 10:01. What a HUGE blessing this is. I called Jessica and we screamed for about 5 minutes!!

I love moments like these!! I am truly thankful!!

Burundi, Africa

New Generation Children's Home

In Burundi today, hundreds of children and adolescents wander the streets searching for a means to survive. They think no further ahead than their next meal or maybe where they are going to sleep that night. Dreams of the future never enter their mind and neither do the consequences of the drugs or alcohol they consume on a regular basis. Despite the war coming to an end, the number of these children increases daily. The difference between them and the countless orphaned by war is most of them have parents. Rather than having no one to take care of them, they have someone with no means to care for them. Their parents put them out on the street to beg as a method of survival. If the parents are lucky, not only will their child survive, but the child will bring in enough to also sustain the family. Instead, these children end up rummaging through garbage, stealing, or becoming subject to political manipulation. If they don't first die of starvation or illness they often end up in prison.

These children are the next generation. They are supposed to be the future of this society. They should have a right to education, self-expression, and freedom. instead, they are bound by the impossible conditions under which they exist, paralyzed by the cycle they are supposed to break, but doomed to repeat it. For this reason, New Generation started a movement to offer hope, care, and preparation to these future leaders, while raising awareness for the protection and fundamental rights of all children and youth on the streets. The kids are given housing, clothes, food, and schooling. They help with chores, are taught manners and responsibility. They grow and develop in a loving environment where they are nurtured and cared for. Here they live and learn for at least one year, often stepping out of survival mode and into family and community for the first time. They are broken from the ritual destruction of their former lives and shown a better way of being. They are offered hope and shown freedom.

Burundi, Africa...My next adventure!!!

My close friend, Jessica Sisson, and I have decided to go serve at the New Generation Children's Home. We will be leaving the states the first week of February!

Our hope is to help...

*Transform the youth of the country by influencing them to change their thinking and reform their actions.

*To give cultural value to the country by making Christianity a lifestyle, not just a Sunday ritual.

*To create a work ethic among the people by training them to produce a service.

I am very excited about this trip. Africa stole my heart a long time ago. Going back is an answer to prayer!!!

I will be posting updates as often as I can. I am not sure what the internet/electricity situation is like in Burundi. I also look forward to hearing about life in America over the next few months. Please keep me updated on facebook or email...kimmykim7@gmail.com.

I want to thank everyone who has made this trip possible. I am very fortunate to have such a wonderful support system. My family and friends mean the world to me!!

Purchase & Help Feed Burundi, Africa :)

My super talented friend and travel buddy, Jessica, is making shirts to raise money for our trip to Burundi, Africa ♥

The long sleeved tshirts are $30 and the hoodies are $40. You can choose from white, gray, red, chocolate brown, and black.

The words are in Kirundi...its the local language spoke in Burundi.

Your choices for the shirts are:

"guhindura igihugu" "you have the power to change the world"

"Nduwimana" "i'm in God's hands"

"Ndizeye" "i trust"

"rukundo" "love

"amahoro" peace

These are great conversation starters, very different shirts, and support a great cause!

She will only be making these for 2 weeks so get your orders in soon!!

sizes: small-3x large

Here are all the different materials you can choose from for the "africa" ...

thanks so much ♥

Email me at kimmykim7@gmail.com to place your order!!!!