The 3 B's

Wasuze Otia from Uganda! It absolutely blows my mind that I have been living here for over a month now. It is also unreal how much I've been through in that one month.

I am finally completely settled and comfortable - I can get myself to places on my own with public transport, I can feed myself, go shopping, and get done whatever I need to.  I started running in the mornings or early evenings, exploring our neighborhood, and most mornings, I wake up for the sunrise because it's just too good to miss. My friend Cody asked me the other day, if for some reason, we all needed to leave Uganda and go home, if I'd be happy? The truth is, I wouldn't be happy at all. My time here is nowhere close to finished. I know there is still so much I have to do and I have plenty more to learn.

With that being said, it got me thinking about the things I miss from home, and who/what was hardest for me to leave behind, which leads me to the 3 B's:

1. my BED - don't get me wrong, my smaller-than-a-twin, foam, bottom bunk is wonderful, and I look forward to coming back to it every night, but it was difficult to leave my super comfy bed (with amazing mattress thanks to my Mom) and down comforter and tons of pillows.

2. my Boyfriend - obviously, leaving this guy behind wasn't easy. I am so grateful he was able to be in Africa with me last year so he knows where I'm living and the kind of work I'm doing. I am so lucky to have him, always supporting my dreams and adventures. I wish him a wonderful 3 months at Fisher Price this summer!

3. Lastly - and this was the one that was hardest to leave behind - my Beliefs - For those of you who don't know, Come, Let's Dance is a Christian organization, they are apart of a ministry out here. Not all, but a majority of the volunteers come out here as a sort of mission trip. Every morning we have an hour of devotion, prayer, and song. We share testimonies, stories, and encouragement for the day. Religion is so deeply rooted in the people and the culture in Uganda, it is difficult to get work done in a community if you can't relate to them on a religious level.

Any expectations and die hard beliefs I had, I left at the airport in Denver. Every aspect of my beliefs have been questioned. I am challenged each day to look at things from different perspectives. Someone very special once read me the quote about living life "with an open hand, an open mind, and an open heart." And I'd like to think I'm doing just that. But religion aside, all the people out here do have one HUGE thing in common - we are out here to serve the poor and improve the lives in this community, and that manages to override any religious issue that may arise.

I successfully ran my first medical outreach last Saturday. We had 7 stations: hand washing, toothbrushing, vitamins/hydration, de-worming, head fungus, wound care, and pharmacy. We saw and treated over 250 people in just 3 hours. We saw everything from kids with runny noses to a man whose foot had been run over by a car. We also treated 8 babies with malaria and gave a small health class to a group of mothers. Everything ran in an incredibly organized chaos. These days are always tough for people when it's their first full day in Africa, but the whole group did so well and helped run things so smoothly. It's neat to watch everyone find their own way of helping out and taking themselves out of their comfort zone. The work we do at these clinics is purely relief work - it's not sustainable health care but it helps us to identify individuals who are in need of further, more serious care, as well as help us to evaluate the types of medical needs in a specific area.

We spent Thursday night in a village about 3 hours from Kampala called Kaliro. It was true Africa living - sleeping on the floor in a mud house, going to the bathroom in a long-drop (a large hole in the ground), and fetching our own water from the bore hole 1/2 mile from the house. It was peaceful and a nice break from everything going on in the city. I'm continually amazed at how welcoming people are. It was only me, 2 other girls, and our Ugandan friend, Simon. The neighbors cooked us dinner and we hung out with the village kids, read, and ate mangos. The thing about the village is that's all you ever do. So we "villaged" for 2 days and got a good taste at how a majority of the people in Africa spend their days. It was a cool experience and I am looking forward to going back next month for a lot longer.

Yesterday and today are pure slum research days. The large student group who I'll be traveling with a little bit next week got in on Monday, along with 2 professors who are conducting a needs assessment in the local slum, Katanga. Yesterday was the first research day and went better than I expected. Between all the teams, we got about 40 surveys completed. The goal is to gather basic information about the slum, like population, medical information, and prioritized needs to improve living conditions. Gathering data sucks - it's tedious and awful and no one wants to do it. But, the idea is to get enough information to create a solid base for further research in Katanga. The research I helped conduct last year helped in the decision to buy land for the new medical clinic, which is the slumbase clinic I have been working on. I absolutely LOVE the slums. It is incredibly humbling spending time with the people - and while there is obvious pain and despair, there is still such a sense of community and feeling of love.

Yesterday was one of the most incredible days since I got here. I spent the morning with the slum research team, surveying about 10 ladies in a few hours. After, I headed to the school which is on the other side of town - it was Cardboard Village Day. Each class built their own cardboard house and then they were judged on creativity. Then we had the 1st annual Wakiso Christian International Acadamy 5th grade boys (Uganda) VS. Come, Let's Dance volunteers (USA). The game was so fun and we ended up tying 5-5. We had over 60 people on the sidelines cheering for both sides - it got pretty intense!

The ins and outs of an average day working here is not easy. In fact, there have been times I've asked myself why I'm out here and if there is even a point to what we're doing. And then sometimes (and I mean it's rare), something subtle happens, and you are suddenly and quickly reminded that IT IS ALL WORTH IT. That feeling re energizes you from all the frustration and disappointment. And that feeling is powerful - powerful enough to keep people coming back here.