Patience is.. the name of the sweet girl I bonded with last year who was part of my inspiration to come back here and work. A few days before I got here, she was adopted into a family from Atlanta, Georgia. She will forever be in my thoughts and always be in my Africa memories. Here is a picture of her from last year.
Patience is.. locking the keys in the car and spending 4 hours trying to get the car open because there is no mechanic or equivalent anywhere within hours from where you are. We almost had to sleep in a town called Gayaza about an hour from home because no one could figure out how to get the car unlocked... An African man finally got it.
Patience is.. eating by candlelight, brushing your teeth in the dark, and waiting longer than expected to post your next blog because electricity in the house was out for 6 nights in a row.
These are just a few of my experiences in the last week that have taught me how to be patient. True patience is a beautiful thing, and most people don't get to know what being patient feels like because we live in such a fast-paced society, and there is simply not enough time to be patient.
My group leader last year always referred to it as "Africa Time." Being here for over a week now, I can now confidently say I am adjusting to Africa Time. Nothing ever goes as planned or how you want it to go. That's not saying things don't work out - things always seem to work out - you just have to learn to be flexible and PATIENT. You cannot count on any plans or schedule because you will end up disappointed.
I made a small rule with myself that I wasn't going to take my camera around with me for the first month. I really want to get to know Nansana and the city of Kampala not as a tourist but as someone who is living here. I know I will never be able to go out anywhere and blend in, but I don't want to stand out any more than I already do. I already broke my rule because our new school (the one Felix and I helped build last year) had a big party last friday for "Parent's Day." The whole first week I was here, we put on an Arts Week at the school. I taught some cursive classes, we did extra art sessions, the kids put together choir performances, and prepared a short Dr. Seuss Play. The outcome was amazing. About 100 people showed up - parents, family members, and neighbooring villagers. Below are the pre-school and kindergarten munchkins performing their rendition of "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star."
Yesterday, I took 1 of the kids from the kid's house to a private health clinic. Ibra, a 3 year old who just got dropped off at the orphanage a few months ago, has jaundice eyes and a really bad head fungus. He sat on my lap as the doctor drew blood from his hand. He let out a small squeal and squeezed me with his other hand. We got the results back yesterday and got him the right medication for the next few months. Hopefully, we can get him healthy, and prevent the spread of stuff to the other kids. We're not changing the world, or even changing this community, but we are walking alongside them to help them lead healthier lives - one person at a time.
My first week has been nothing short of perfect. I've taken giant leaps out of my comfort zone, worked harder than I ever thought possible, had so much fun, had some great conversations, learned A TON, felt discouraged, exhausted and sad. But most of all, I feel like I am exactly where I'm supposed to be - thanks to ALL of you. Sending so much love from Uganda!!
Patience is.. locking the keys in the car and spending 4 hours trying to get the car open because there is no mechanic or equivalent anywhere within hours from where you are. We almost had to sleep in a town called Gayaza about an hour from home because no one could figure out how to get the car unlocked... An African man finally got it.
Patience is.. eating by candlelight, brushing your teeth in the dark, and waiting longer than expected to post your next blog because electricity in the house was out for 6 nights in a row.
These are just a few of my experiences in the last week that have taught me how to be patient. True patience is a beautiful thing, and most people don't get to know what being patient feels like because we live in such a fast-paced society, and there is simply not enough time to be patient.
My group leader last year always referred to it as "Africa Time." Being here for over a week now, I can now confidently say I am adjusting to Africa Time. Nothing ever goes as planned or how you want it to go. That's not saying things don't work out - things always seem to work out - you just have to learn to be flexible and PATIENT. You cannot count on any plans or schedule because you will end up disappointed.
I made a small rule with myself that I wasn't going to take my camera around with me for the first month. I really want to get to know Nansana and the city of Kampala not as a tourist but as someone who is living here. I know I will never be able to go out anywhere and blend in, but I don't want to stand out any more than I already do. I already broke my rule because our new school (the one Felix and I helped build last year) had a big party last friday for "Parent's Day." The whole first week I was here, we put on an Arts Week at the school. I taught some cursive classes, we did extra art sessions, the kids put together choir performances, and prepared a short Dr. Seuss Play. The outcome was amazing. About 100 people showed up - parents, family members, and neighbooring villagers. Below are the pre-school and kindergarten munchkins performing their rendition of "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star."
Yesterday, I took 1 of the kids from the kid's house to a private health clinic. Ibra, a 3 year old who just got dropped off at the orphanage a few months ago, has jaundice eyes and a really bad head fungus. He sat on my lap as the doctor drew blood from his hand. He let out a small squeal and squeezed me with his other hand. We got the results back yesterday and got him the right medication for the next few months. Hopefully, we can get him healthy, and prevent the spread of stuff to the other kids. We're not changing the world, or even changing this community, but we are walking alongside them to help them lead healthier lives - one person at a time.
My first week has been nothing short of perfect. I've taken giant leaps out of my comfort zone, worked harder than I ever thought possible, had so much fun, had some great conversations, learned A TON, felt discouraged, exhausted and sad. But most of all, I feel like I am exactly where I'm supposed to be - thanks to ALL of you. Sending so much love from Uganda!!
No comments:
Post a Comment