salty, sandy, and cool wind. hot sun. oily sunscreen. white powder under feet. blue-greens. green-blues. coconut laden palms bowing in the evening tide. rocks. boats. driftwood. small people squealing in delight with the crashing of each wave. pages turning. creeping afternoon shade. low rolling oceanic roar. cotton white clouds. “you are okay? you want to drink something?” sun bleached blue lounge chair cushions. lobster red neighbors. brown waves of seaweed. palm fronds crackling in the breeze. booming techno base of 11am water aerobics. periodic sharing of literary insights/noteable quotations. ‘crepes time!’ falling asleep to the hum of the air conditioner ever so slightly muffling the disco tunes. “jambo!” whistles blowing. fresh, bright colorful array of kikoys. swim caution level flags changing from green to yellow. the somali’s camel lumbering up and down the beach looking for rider fares. sun sinking behind the roofs at dusk. the clinking of buffet plates. the laughter of friends. the quiet of nothing more to say. the anticipation of departure and return to life and responsibility. the kayak tipping when “lean!” is lost in the breeze. snorkeling along in pools of fish the likes of which I have only ever seen in Nemo. drinks with flowers of the tropics stuck in them. the slap of a card well played. alarm-less mornings. swimsuits slightly damp from yesterday’s fun. salt cleansing wonder of a hot shower. date nights and late nights. shorts. pants. jewelry. initial awkwardness of hanging out with close friends wearing what seems like next to nothing all day since everyday life involves showing not even one’s knees. beach shopping. dusting the sand out of the sheets before sleep. the snap of the sunscreen lid. the crust of salt/sand in the corners of your eyes. the beach.

The Visit

Today is Saturday 15 August, and I have been a hostess for the past 5 weeks.  It has been fun, and I’m tired.  I just put my last guests for the summer on a plane last night.  I watched and kept track of them by the movement of the dusty tan “Life is good” hat as they wound through the check in lines at the BA counter behind the big glass windows from my perch on the sidewalk across the airport thoroughfare.  These last guests weren’t just any guests, they were my parents.

The visit starts at the airport in Entebbe, a 45 min. drive outside of Kampala on Tuesday evening 28 July.  Nathan and I got in the Zoolander and made great time, getting to the airport with plenty of time before his parents' KLM flight was to arrive.  We sat in the waiting area inside, and Nathan was all smiles, grinning from ear to ear, legs bouncing up and down in excitement and anticipation.  My parents were supposed to arrive first, but their flight from Nairobi was cancelled and they were rescheduled on one arriving a few hours later.  Now, keep in mind that not only is Nathan a bit like the second 'little' brother I never had (he's the same age as my 'little' sister Carrie) because of the tightness of our community in Bundibugyo, but my parents went to college with his mom, so there's a bit of  family history as well, a bit unbelievable that they were now arriving in Uganda on the same night to visit their kids who are working together in the middle of nowhere.  So there we sat...we got up to greet the flight as it arrived, Nathan peering over the crowds trying to spot his family.  When he did there were smiles and hugs all around.  We put their luggage in the vehicle and headed back in to wait for my parents.  When they finally wandered in, the second day jet-lag phase was written all over their faces (they had arrived in Nairobi the day before) but it was so good to see those 2 tired faces! Around midnight we headed back to the ARA where we had been staying with the 4 WHM Africa interns, discussed the plans for the morning, and sat around drinking Guiness (not me of course; gross!)

Wed. morning, I got up with the interns at 5:45am and piled into the Zoolander which was thankfully pre-loaded with about 10 trunks, and headed out to Entebbe to drop them off for their 9am BA flight. Now, along the Entebbe road on the way to the airport I had noticed dozens of police standing along the road in close intervals.  Thinking a bit like a certain Jennifer Myhre I know, I decided to count them as I headed back in towards town on the return trip (partially as a wakefulness tactic so I wouldn't fall asleep at the wheel, but partially out of simple curiousity).  258 police!!!!  It made me a bit nervous, wondering what was going on to warrant so much security...wondering what would happen to me in the vehicle by myself if something were to happen along the road...that also added to the pursuit of wakefulness. Before long there were other things to think about and wakefulness was no longer an issue :)

Back at the ARA, the Zoolander was loaded a second time with quite the load and like African travel should be, Nathan and I squeezed all of our parents and his brother (in addition to the two of us) into the vehicle with all of their stuff and began the 8 hour trek from Kampala to Bundibugyo.  Without a hitch, with lots of conversation and questions answered along the way, with "In your face chicken place" for lunch, and 8 hours later we pulled into the Myhre's, dusty and road weary, to greet them.

The next 5 days were packed!  Kwejuna distribution, team mtg. on peacemaking, couple days of rounds at the health center, community seminar on peacemaking, church, team worship, a Christ School staff seminar on peacemaking,  and then it was time to leave again.  There was so much I didn't get to show them, so much I wanted for them to see, people I wanted them to greet, meals I wanted for them to eat, places I wanted for them to walk...but the whirlwind tour must continue.  With Sarah we piled into Pat's graciously loaned to us vehicle and drove the 8 hours back to Kampala.  The next morning I saw Sarah off on her 9am BA flight (sound familiar?), got Pat a few new tires, and spent the rest of the day relaxing at the ARA.  

Then we took off for the east.  Headed through Jinja (including a stop at the Source of the Nile, and Bujagali falls - the site of one of the most fun days of my life - rafting the Nile) past Mbale to Sipi Falls, through the rice fields and terrain I had not yet seen the likes of in Uganda, we spent 2 full days hiking and reading.  I abseiled (repelled) down Sipi falls which was breathtaking!  We then headed back to Kampala and flew out of Entebbe on Monday morning, heading for Nairobi.  

My dad's cousin Jim Streit and his wife Bev, raised their three girls here in Nairobi while Jim has been a pilot for AIM Air and Bev has been developing relationships with all kinds of people in the Equestrian world here in Nairobi.  We arrived during a particularly hard time for them as they lost their first pilot in 34 years of AIM Air history last week in a crash over Kibera, along with an AIM Air mechanic.  They have been crazy busy, but so hospitable despite it all.  We have frequented Java House, visited the Elephant Orphanage, eaten delicious Ethiopian and Indian food, spent a day game driving in Nairobi National Park...fun times.  

I put mom and dad on a plane on thursday night and hopefully they've arrived back in Chicago safely by now.  I can't believe it's over.  I can't believe the time has come and gone.  Love you guys and thanks so much for coming to see my world here.  It was wonderful to share it with you.

The 'rents

Only 3 minutes left of internet time this morning, but just wanted all of you who were concerned to know that my parents have arrived in Uganda safely and are currently drinking their morning coffee, IN MY LIVING ROOM!!!! Only one cancelled flight, and they were able to get on another one just a few hours later. Nathan's parents and brother also arrived safely and we had a great time picking them up in Kampala, busy but a happy reunion. more later.

Seeing

“It is still the first week in January, and I’ve got great plans. I’ve been thinking about seeing. There are lots of things to see, unwrapped gifts and free surprises. The world is fairly studded and strewn with pennies cast broadside from a generous hand. But – and this is the point – who gets excited by a mere penny? If you follow one arrow, if you crouch motionless on a bank to watch a tremulous ripple thrill on the water and are rewarded by the sight of a muskrat kit paddling from it’s den, will you count that sight a chip of copper only, and go your rueful way? It is dire poverty indeed when a man is so malnourished and fatigued that he won’t stoop to pick up a penny. But if you cultivate a health poverty and simplicity, so that finding a penny will literally make your day, then, since the world is in fact planted in pennies, you have with your poverty bought a lifetime of days. It is that simple. What you see is what you get.” - Annie Dillard (Pilgrim at Tinker Creek)

quiet

- the morning is quiet thus far (save the beautiful songs of the birds that are singing, and the low creak/moan of the door of the boys' house around 7 that made me jump out of bed assuming it was 8am already (usually when I hear the door because Nathan is leaving to teach in the morning). My alarm clock is broken, but usually life here takes care of that problem for me :)
- quiet on the blog front usually means the opposite about life here - steady stream of visitors here to Bundi and a jam packed (like about 50 patients in a ward built for 25) Pediatric ward have meant little time/energy for writing. Thus the facade of quiet.
- yesterday morning I sought quiet in reading/listening/praying. The quiet found me and I surrendered.

My prayer today

Oh that you would rend the heavens and come down,
That the mountains might quake at your presence-
As when fire kindles brushwood and the fire causes water to boil-
To make your name known to your adversaries,
And that the nations might tremble at your presence!
When you did awesome things that we did not look for,
You came down, the mountains quaked at your presence.
From of old no one has heard or perceived by the ear,
No eye has seen a God besides you,
Who acts for those who wait for him.
You meet him who joyfully works righteousness,
Those who remember you in your ways.
Behold, you were angry, and we sinned;
In our sins we have been a long time,
And shall we be saved?

- Isaiah 64:1-5

7:38am

I'm sitting here at my computer at the desk in my main room in my pajamas (HUP scrub pants I swiped when doing my surgical experience in nursing school, and a U-City Memorial Day Run tshirt from a few years ago), I haven't brushed my teeth and my short curly hair is no doubt quite unruly as it always is first thing in the morning. I'm checking email and scanning blogs, not much active internet usage goes on first thing in the morning for me, just passive in-take.

I'm wondering what the day will hold. I never can be quite sure. We left little miss polka dots on the ward still on Friday, still trying to fight the system of lack of activity on just about everyone's parts. The cute white dress with red polka dots that was actually white when she came in, is no longer, it's browned with dirt and wear over the course of what must be at least 3 weeks now she has spent on the ward. You know what made my day last Tuesday? The Pierce kids had mobilized kids from the states to send stuffed animals for the kids at the Health Center and somehow I got the privilege of distributing them. I handed the super soft, cream colored ribbed velveteen-ish, floppy teddy bear to little miss polka dots and she immediately lit up with a gorgeous smile as she ran over to gingerly grab it from my hand. Soooooo precious. Later in the morning she was walking around the Health Center grounds with the bear tied to her back with a towel like babies are carried here. The next morning I asked her what the bear's name is, and she said definitively, "Lina lieh Moreen." :) (So thanks to all those kids who sent animals, they were mostly a big hit - a few of the kids were terrified of them but I would be too if i'd never seen one before).

So, it's Monday morning, huh? I had better get moving. The clock on my computer has almost reach 8:00 by now, so I should sign off before I get cut off. Hope your Monday is a good one. Over and out.