Our first real day on the ground in Uganda, and we were very busy. To start off, we had a group breakfast at the guest house we had stayed in after landing late Monday night. Our delicious food consisted of eggs, cereal, toast and fruit juice. After eating, Eva took us on a walk to the top of the Catholic hill in Kampala. We were able to see the entire city from the steps of the cathedral seated there. When we were finished, the bags were loaded on the bus and we packed in. Seated semi-comfortably, we embarked on the one and a half hour journey to Mityana.
Along the way, we were able to see various markets and cities on the road. At one point, a few of us had a close encounter with a creepy crawler on the bus. We stopped at a side market of fruits and vegetables. Eva explained to us the different types and challenged us to identify those we already knew. We piled back into the bus and finished our journey.
Arriving at the hotel, we had to unload the bags yet again and situate ourselves in rooms. A little down time was spent unpacking, touring the hotel grounds, and relaxing. By the middle of the afternoon, we headed to Patrick and Eva’s house for a greatly desired lunch. We were welcomed into their home by countless members of their family and friends. Children were a large focus; many of us found friends among the toddlers. After a while, we were called to wash up and serve ourselves lunch. Foods included a common Ugandan dish, matoche, made of bananas, rice, avocados, crushed nuts, beef stew, and vegetables. We ate together and enjoyed the meal, trying many new things.
Once we had finished and cleared the plates, we walked across the road to the main Maranatha school. Immediately, we were thrown into the world of the children who are so cheery and smile all the time. We walked from class to class with Eva, each time with the greeting “You are welcome our visitors!” However, with their pronunciation, it sounded like “vistas.” We would tell them our names and various pieces of information about ourselves, and they would sing us songs. At each classroom, we would acquire more and more children that tagged along with us.
As we walked along the grounds, we were able to see the new kitchens with three efficient wood burning stoves that help feed the children two times a day. We were also able to see the boys dorms that the Youth Board raised money to build. Our last stop at the school was to the church to talk with the older kids. We introduced ourselves with our names, ages, favorite foods and games and our aims of the trip. To try to entertain the students, we attempted to sing “Lean On Me” by Bill Withers. It did not go as well as we planned, but everyone laughed and they impressed up with a song of their own. Pretty soon, it was time to leave. We said our goodbyes and walked back to Patrick and Eva’s house. Loading the bus once again, we drove back to the hotel and rested until dinner. We discussed our day and had a final meal before bed. Hoping to get some rest, we are eagerly awaiting tomorrow! Mweeraba (goodbye!)
No comments:
Post a Comment