Becoming a Native

Tomorrow we leave for the bush for 10 days, so I'll quick fill you in on the last week. So much has been happening that it would take me days to tell you everything so I'll keep it short to a few highlights. Friday, January 4: This day was spent mostly traveling- from Soroti to Kampala, then Kampala to Nairobi. We saw a lot of monkeys and baboons on our drive so that was fun. we did a lot of shopping and I got most of my souvenirs. The highlight of this day was waiting for our plane to board in Entebbe airport and the power went out- night time, completely black. I tried imagining that happening at Gerald R Ford and I doubt that's ever happened. The generators kicked on after half a minute or so, then maybe 30 minutes later the power came back. We boarded late but go to Nairobi safely and found the group easily. We go to our hotel and it's much nicer than I had imagined. Although I'm getting tired of all the creepy crawlies we're finding in our room. Saturday: We were all divided into small groups and walked about an hour into the city to explore. While passing the Israeli embassy, us four girls were of course taking pictures neglecting the large sign that reads "Photography Prohibited." Whoops! A police officer carrying and AK-47 quickly approached us and took all our cameras and asked for our passports. We didn't have them so he said he would be taking us to the station until Monday when we would be seen in court. We kept saying we were taking pictures of the flowers, not the embassy. But he would not listen. It took maybe 20 minutes to convince him, we showed him our student and state ID's and with the help of our guide, he finally let us show him the pictures and gave the cameras back. He was so angry I was afraid he was going to grab the gun and take us all out. Great start to this foreign country experience! Sunday: Today we worshiped in two churches, the first was an Anglican Church and was extremely conservative. It was a large church with terrible seating, so we weren't able to see the minister at all. A lot of it was also spoken in Swahili so it was hard to follow, too. The second church was a Baptist church and we attended the young adults service- quite similar to something at home. Familiar songs and a really good message. Services here are on average 2 hours long so it was a long day walking to church then to the next church. The rest of the afternoon was more exploring. Monday: We had lots of lectures today at Daystar University and the Anglican Church. It was a long day but we heard really interesting things about the Kibera Slums, and many lectures on HIV-AIDS. Instead of walking back with the group, I decided to tag along with Prof Mark and three other students and take a scenic run back. Thinking this guy is 65, I can do this! Forgetting a few things: elevation, dehydration, heat, all uphill, out of shape, and Mark was a Sargent in the army. 5 miles later though I made it to our destination. Tuesday: A day spent in the slums, a place I never need to see again. Desolate conditions, smells worse than I've ever experienced, homes that aren't even suitable for a dog. It was a great experience spending time with the kids though, and making friends with the pastor and his wife who run the Exodus Church and the school there. Today I had an experience I've never had before- a marriage proposal. Jeff, our armed guard escorting us through the slums, told me he is married but he wants me to be his number two. I told him I was dating but he said he would come to America with his gun and take care of that problem. Haha Giving me winks and blowing me kisses, he kept telling me I'm going to marry him. Then he got down on a knee with a beaded ring and put it on my finger. I haven't laughed so hard! I later gave the ring ring to a little girl :) Wednesday: Another long day of lectures, hearing from several politicians at the US embassy about foreign affairs, the US and Kenyan economy and how they relate with each other, the security in Kenya and how it is truly an unsafe place after dark- hence the reason we're in our gate by 6p every night. After lunch we traveled to a local missionary school and got to tour and hear about the academy. Sitting there I remembered a classmate from high school who was a missionary kid and attended a boarding school in Kenya. Late found out it was Rosslyn Academy, the school we were at- I was glad I could keep my Dutch bingo sharp even across the world in Africa :) For dinner we visited an Ethiopian restaurant. Props to myself for trying it, but there was a lot of spitting and gagging and washing down with water. Never again! Thursday: Today started with more lectures at the African International University. The purpose of all these lectures is to inform us on the politics, lifestyle, injustices, and general info on Kenya. After lunch at the university we drove to the Ngong Hills and hiked the mountains for three hours. It was a great workout and we saw an awesome view of Nairobi, the Rift Valley, and so much of Kenya. We even ran into a Kenyan native who was running the hills and so I stopped and talked with him for a while, asking him if he runs in Michigan- leading to the question if he's ran the riverbank run or not. Turns out, he has been to MI but in training for the Olympics. He runs an 800m in 1:47. That's a HALF MILE! Wowzas. So the next summer Olympics, look for a Kenyan track runner named Dan. I've met him! Tomorrow morning we leave for the bush (rural areas of Kenya)- staying with the Maasai tribe for a few days, painting a school, going through the Masai Mara safari, visiting WorldVision, and spending a couple days at an orphanage. I'm sure there will be many more surprises along the way, too! Pce. & Blessings. Jess