We’ve spent the last few days in Jinja at Amani Baby Cottage cuddling babies, which is always a good way to spent some time. We also went out and visited Serving His Children, a program for malnourished children which allows mothers to live with their babies as they are nursed back to health.

I’m heading home early so that I’m not missing the first couple of weeks of uni, which means my trip is at its end. I’ve visited a bunch of projects this time around, got gifts out to my compassion kids and spent a lot of time with kids and babies. We were also able to give some money to Our Own Home, the home for kids with HIV. Treating over 60 kids with HIV is a big, big job and I for one am grateful for the work they do and the difference they make in the lives of these children. They run month-to-month, never knowing where the funding they need will come from.

I’m sitting in a backpackers in Entebbe, watching Aljazeera as they report on the drought here in East Africa as hundreds of thousands of people head to Kenya in search of food, people and their animals dying along the way. More than 2 million people will be affected, and it’s heartbreaking. It is being suggested that those countries that are most responsible for climate change open their borders to those most affected by that change, rather than sending aid and waiting for the next humanitarian crisis to hit these same lands. It’s something to think about.

I’ll be home on Wednesday. Back to the tension of being where I am meant to be, but not where my heart wants to be.

We’ve just arrived back in Jinja after a few days in Gulu. Even though we were only there for a short time it was well worth the six hour bus trip each way.

We got to have a tour of the Invisible children office with Charlie’s friend Nikki, who is working there for six months. The work they’re doing is pretty great. My favourite is the network of radio towers they are setting up in remote villages in the Democratic Republic of Congo to allow for advanced warnings of impending rebel attacks, potentially saving hundreds of lives. There are also programs in Uganda helping vulnerable children get through school and a community saving program very similar to the one I saw being run by AEE Rwanda. It’s all very encouraging and wonderful to see what was a war stricken area making such a great recovery.

We also got to go and visit Invisible Children’s MEND program, providing employment and a safe community for women who were abducted by the LRA during the war. They make these great bags which are then sold in the USA.

After that we went to Krochet Kids, another employment generating venture. It was lovely to see so many women sitting around crocheting beanies and talking and laughing, their kids playing at their feet.

Feels like I haven’t posted in ages! Maybe I haven’t, and maybe a lot has happened in a short space of time.

It turns out our Compassion child in Tanzania lives over 8 hours away from Arusha on horrible roads, so a visit was not really an option this time around. We were able to put a gift pack together for her though which will get sent with the next person going to her village. I wasn’t particularly disappointed that I didn’t get to see the kids this time; I think it will happen when the time is right. I’m really glad we were able to get gift packs out to them, and feel that the journey was worthwhile.

While we were in Arusha Lyndall Rothery picked us up for church and we got to meet some great people, including one Norwegian girl, Kamilla. The following day Charlie and I were walking to the Compassion office when Kamilla drove up beside us. She saved us a bit of a walk and drove us to the office. After that we were on our way to a special needs school when the radiator pipe burst. If Charlie and I hadn’t been there Kamilla would have been placed in a far more dangerous situation, so we really felt like we were where we were meant to be that day. Four hours later it was fixed, we’d missed the school so we went and had some amazing Indian Chicken down one of the side streets.

Charlie and I decided that we weren’t going to be up to an 18 hour bus ride back to Kampala (especially with my neck not fully recovered from the head hit on the Kampala-Nairobi bus) so we took the bus from Arusha to Nairobi (a much more bearable 4 hours) and then flew (at a very reasonable cost) from Nairobi to Entebbe, Uganda. Back to where we started our East African journey.

Yesterday we took a mutatu from Entebbe to Kampala and spend the night in a backpackers, with yummy food and two little puppies. It made me feel quite happy J

Then early this morning we caught the bus to Gulu, in Uganda’s North, where we will spend some time with one of Charlie’s friends who is doing an internship with Invisible Children. She is going to take us into some of the schools and show us some other NGO’s working in the area.

Tomorrow though we’ll be enjoying our first travel-free day in a while, sleeping in and chilling out.

We’ve just spent a few days in Nairobi trying to organise to go out into the field with Compassion and as that’s still in the process of being sorted out we’ve headed to Tanzania to try our luck there. We were able to put together a gift pack for my family’s sponsor child (backpack, school supplies, towel, soccer ball and balloons among other things) which was sent to him on Friday, we’re hoping to do the same here for our Tanzanian sponsor child if we don’t get to see her. The bus trip here was fantastic! The scenery is breathtaking and there’s something quite breathtaking about the harsh maasai lands. The ride was incident free, with the exception of a rogue goat who tried to get itself killed, but thanks to the skills of our driver the goat lived to cross the road.

A few days ago I tried camel’s milk. It’s saltier than normal milk. I added a heap of drinking chocolate and it was better.

Yesterday we went to the giraffe centre just outside of Nairobi and fed a giraffe. It was fun.

My lungs sure are happy to be out of Central Nairobi! The pollution level there is quite insane, it makes Johannesburg look clear.

Tomorrow we’re going to church with some friends of the Hack’s, which I’m quite looking forward to.

There are photos from Kenya here.

Charlie and I are still in Nairobi, heading to Arusha (Tanzania) on Saturday. I'm a bit pressed for time and brain-space at the moment so hopefully I will write a more in depth post on the weekend.

For now I've put a bunch of photo's from Uganda up here.

Our plane was delayed in Perth for 1.5 hours waiting for a delayed flight from Melbourne. They didn't tell us this until we'd been sitting on the plane for an hour. Then we had to fly around the ash cloud which added another 1.5 hours onto our flight. But we made it to Africa!

We spent the morning waiting in Joburg for our connecting flight to Entebbe, Uganda. We decided that rather than waiting in the airport we'd go to the nearby Emperors Palace for some breakfast, internet and entertainment. We had a bit of time on our hands so we went to see Kung Fu Panda 2 to pass the time. The cinema there is quite something! Everyone gets comfy arm chairs :)

From there we flew to Entebbe and spent the night there before catching a bus to Kampala the next morning. We ate some yummy local food (beans and rice) before catching another bus to Jinja (where Sophie and I volunteered at Amani Baby Cottage in 2009). Once we arrived in Jinja we caught boda bodas (motorcycle taxis) to Ekisa, a home for children with special needs. The kids are so sweet and are really thriving with the care they are getting. Then we headed to Amani to visit the babies. Two of the tiny tiny babies who were there in 2009 are still there and are now healthy toddlers. Of course, I had to spend some time cuddling the little ones too!

Today we spent some time showing some Scottish girls we met on the bus around Jinja. We did the touristy thing, looking through all the shops, eating brownies at Flavours and visiting the Source of the Nile.

This afternoon we are going to Our Own Home, a home for children with HIV. We went there last time I was here and I'm looking forward to going back.

Yes it's that time AGAIN.

I'm heading back to Africa (ash clouds permitting) tomorrow night for 6 weeks. Going back to Uganda again and planning to head North to Gulu this time (I've only ever stayed in the very southern part of Uganda before) as well as a trip to Nairobi (Kenya) and Arusha (Tanzania) planned. Who knows? I may even end up back in Rwanda for a bit.

I'm traveling with a friend (a girl from Kalgoorlie who I met the last time I was in Uganda) for the entire journey this time which is a first and I'm quietly excited. We're flying together and everything!

I'd like to spend some time with Compassion and Watoto this time, but as usual we're be playing everything by ear.

I'll be doing my best to keep this blog updated as I travel. So check in and see where I'm at.

The Grateful List

It can be easier to focus on what is wrong with our lives, rather than all the good things, so I've decided to start writing a list of all the things I'm grateful for. I'm going to keep adding to it (hopefully) every day. Let's see how many I end up with!

#100 Grateful for my sponsors
#99 Grateful for the fridge
#98 Grateful for natural resources
#97 Grateful for telephones
#96 Grateful that I have the ability to play said guitars
#95 Grateful for my guitars
#94 Grateful for pets
#93 Grateful for a travel buddy!
#92 Grateful for errand-running buddies
#91 Grateful for ever-cheapening data storage
#90 Grateful for Rolador's 'Hug in a Mug'. Inspiration for comfort at home
#89 Grateful for dried fruit. Keeping the sugar cravings at bay
#88 Grateful for lip balm
#87 Grateful for the internets. Keeping me in touch with far away friends
#86 Grateful that I can exercise, even if my body complains the next day
#85 Grateful that the end of semester is only 3 days away!
#84 Grateful for calm skies
#83 Grateful for the opportunity to try again
#82 Grateful for campfires in suburban backyards
#81 Grateful to have met a bunch of new people tonight from all over the place
#80 Grateful that Mum's radiotherapy burns are now just a memory
#79 Grateful that there's an upside to suffering. Perseverance and completion.
#78 Grateful that I have a bank account AND there's money in it
#77 Grateful for leftovers
#76 Grateful for my ugg boots

#75 Grateful to have friends from so many different places and backgrounds

#74 Grateful that I live so close to the ocean that I can be there in less than 10 minutes

#73 Grateful for study buddies

#72 Grateful for books

#71 Grateful for choices

#70 Grateful for Double Coat Tim Tams shared amongst friends

#69 Grateful for the next generation

#68 Grateful for a late class tomorrow = more time for assignmenting!

#67 Grateful that the past does not have to decide the future

#66 Grateful for stories

#65 Grateful for the mute button on the remote
#64 Grateful for chats with far away friends
#63 Grateful for a day in
#62 Grateful for people who think
#61 Grateful for vitamin supplements
#60 Grateful for healing
#59 Grateful for a chance for a giant family get together tomorrow
#58 Grateful for the Gym
#57 Grateful for inspiration
#56 Grateful for the unexpected
#55 Grateful for ABC's Spicks 'n' Specks. Great way to veg out.
#54 Grateful for chilled out mornings on the couch
#53 Grateful for food from outside my own culture. Portuguese Chicken...Mmmm!
#52 Grateful for ears that hear
#51 Grateful for pretty clouds
#50 Grateful for openness
#49 Grateful for randomness
#48 Grateful it wasn't me who got that parking fine
#47 Grateful for controversy
#46 Grateful for long chats in cars
#45 Grateful for going to sleep with a satisfied belly
#44 Grateful for people who give up their comfort for the sake of someone else's
#43 Grateful for RiverView
#42 Grateful for remote controls
#41 Grateful for Mindy (my scooter)
#40 Grateful for sleep-ins
#39 Grateful for dental hygiene
#38 Grateful for weddings that run smoothly for friends
#37 Grateful for Ann Ong's delicious macarons
#36 Grateful that I am literate
#35 Grateful for those who have gone before me
#34 Grateful for Lemon, Lime & Bitters
#33 Grateful for catchups with old friends
#32 Grateful for Dad's mad electronics skillz
#31 Grateful for diversity
#30 Grateful for cool nights. Perfect snuggle weather
#29 Grateful for cousins!
#28 Grateful for Tina Fey. The world is a funnier place with her in it
#27 Grateful for wifi
#26 Grateful for friends
#25 Grateful for His faithfulness. Ps 37:4
#24 Grateful for alone time
#23 Grateful for affordable food
#22 Grateful for Perth's Public Transport System
#21 Grateful for dreaming
#20 Grateful for imagination
#19 Grateful for blankets
#18 Grateful for toilets that flush
#17 Grateful for flannel PJ's
#16 Grateful for Cadbury Black Forest Chocolate
#15 Grateful for time with my Mum
#14 Grateful for some time to chill
#13 Grateful that I can choose
#12 Grateful for making it home safely even when the roads are super slippery
#11 Grateful for @brookefraser's 'Jack Kerouac'. Impossible to hear it & not smile :)
#10 Grateful for fellow introverts

#9 Grateful for a car to drive (with a/c, power steering & abs no less!)

#8 Grateful for clear blue skies

#5 Grateful that I can see when I've skipped a number!

#7 Grateful for water straight out of the tap that makes me healthier, not sicker.

#6 Grateful for warm showers. Every. Day.

#4 Grateful for sight correction

#3 Grateful that I can close my bedroom window when it starts to get a bit too nippy.

#2 Grateful for a mattress, pillow & blanket so I was snuggle up & get comfy.

#1 Grateful that I can sleep with my bedroom window open, without fear.

Being in the developing world always seems to soften my heart, undoing the skepticism and cynicism I tend to develop in the First World. I didn’t really feel like that had happened this time.

Until yesterday.

I led worship at Chapel at Africa School of Missions (ASM), which was good and then we got together to pray for missions. We prayed for a missionary in Mozambique, who is a trained paediatric nurse and teaches the locals about natural medicines. All of her workers are Muslim and I just love that! Reckon that’s the kind of place Jesus would hang out. Then we prayed for Bosnia and I couldn’t hold back the tears as my heart longed for freedom for the Arabs and Orthodox people, and for us to do a better job of loving them. Even as I write this I am tearing up, trying hard to hold back the tears as I sit in Wimpy. He loves us. He loves us all.

My heart is like a block of butter on the bench on a 40°C day.

As I reflect on my three months in Africa I can see God’s hand on every part of the journey. The first week I got here I was able to go and visit Mpumi, the little girl I wrote a song about. My sponsors have helped to improve her quality of life, which is such a blessing to be able to do and such a blessing for her and her family. I also got to spend some time resting, reading and reflecting on the journey I had been on since my last time at the mountain (ASM is situated at the foot of a mountain). I also just had some plain ol’ fun with the students at ASM, including a hastily planned weekend trip to Johannesburg, at which point I lost my passport and a weekend turned into six weeks. As stressful as it was, even losing my passport has turned out to be a blessing. I (as I usually do) wanted to jump straight in and get busy meeting and helping people, but losing my passport put that plan on hold. During that time I was a bit perturbed that I was stuck in the suburbs, and can’t say that I enjoyed my time there, but it meant that I had a real rest after what was an intense and draining year. I ended up writing two songs during that time, which definitely would not have come out in different circumstances. It also meant that I got to go to Cape Town and spend some time with my new friend Nish, my old (but young) friend Astrid and her lovely family and Nostalgia Sharing friends; Rian and Jess. Cape Town also gave me a bit more insight into the racial situation, which is really quite hard to understand when you’ve grown up in Perth surrounded and accepted by so many different colours and cultures.

The timing for Zimbabwe ended up being perfect. Jenny had had enough time there before I got there to settle in and make some contacts in the NGO (Non-Government Organisation) sector. If I had gone earlier I probably would not have gotten to go out with an organisation run by some locals, which was by far the highlight of my time in Zim (and seeing Jenny, of course!). It was quite an experience for me to be there just as the political tensions started to rise again, and had I stayed any longer I would have been in much greater danger as well as endangering the people I was working with. I came back feeling inspired, challenged and a little more educated. Thanks to my sponsors we were able to start up a library in the open-air school, which I am stoked about! I also got some all-important kitty time while I was there…haha. Wouldn’t be Africa without kittens! My two week stint in Zim has whetted my appetite to go back.

So I’m heading home.

Three songs in my pocket,

excited for a new year,

heart softened,

ready for the next adventure.