Chicken necks and a baby on my back

So I am finally able to sitdown and give everyone a real update on everything that has occured while I have been in Uganda...

I didn't get here as planned due to someone stealing all of my malaria medication. So I was stuck in Amsterdam for two days, which worked out just fine because I was able to stay with a wonderful couple, Anton and Janet. I arrived in Uganda on Sunday night and was greated by Chris and Kevin, it was really nice to see a familiar face. I got to Gulu on Monday evening after a very long bus ride from Kampala. Upon my arrival in Gulu I was greated by Madison and Megan, and could not have been happier to see them. Sadly, Diana and Laura were delayed an entire week due to cancelled and delayed planes.

My first day at the office: It was a national holiday so all of the kids were off of school so I got my own small, informal welcoming from them and it was fabulous. I got to know Paul who is one of our staff in the office...let me tell you he is one funny guy. We were served lunch, and it was perhaps some of the best food I have had my entire life.

FINALLY DIANA AND LAURA ARRIVED!!!!

On their first day at the office, Diana and I got to really know the kids who live on the compound and are not part of the partnership. We went and got water with some of the women, and they wanted us to carry it on our heads...before I leave I will try this but I thought for my first water trip I would just carry it. We were then taken around the surrounding areas by the kids, and played Fosi and their version of jacks. We then went with Florence to visit people who lived behind the compound and had a nice discussion with a man who studied in West Virginia for two years.

Onto Saturday...the ceromony...

Diana and I arrived early to help prepare the food and do anything else they might need us to do. One of those things that was needed was for someone to look after baby Nathan so that Monica could help the other women cook. So obviously I jumped on the chance to carry a baby around on my back, and it was WONDERFUL!!! I had never carried a baby like that before so I reached behind me to help hold him up because I was scared he might fall. One of the elder ladies came up behind me and moved my hands straight up in the air and made me walk...not really supposed to hold the baby that is the point of the sheet being wrapped tightly around you. After baby Nathan was taken off my back it was time to slaughter the chickens. Paul had asked me a few times if I was kill on and I said sure...not thinking I would really have to. Well the kids grabbed my hands and the chickens and we went to the back of the compound and it was slaughtering time. One of the little boys killed the first chicken, and then it was my turn. So I closed my eyes and started cutting away at the neck, I was not doing a very good job because I was not watching what I was doing...so I opened my eyes and started sawing away and finally the head was off. I was in shock of what I had just done, but, it was not nearly as bad as I thought it would be.

It was finally time for the ceromony to begin....

We were brought in officially through a dance with the kids and it was wonderful. They are such amazing dancers. We went under a temporary structure made of bamboo and papyrus and was covers with a tarp. There were introductions and speeches made by the guests including ourselves. While the ceromony was going on we noticed it looked like rain was on its way but we hoped that it would wait till the ceromony was over. It began to rain but we were still able to continue until it started pouring, and when I say pouring it really came down on us. Megan and I kept telling the children to come in out of the rain so we had about 8 or 10 kids around us keeping them from the rain. The tarp started to sink in because of the weight of the rain water...and then it started to leak. So we all jumped up trying not to get wet but we quickly realized we had to do something, so we start to hold the tarp up and push the rain off the sides so it would not fall in on us. Maria and I were in the worst spots and got totally soaked. After about 20 minutes or so of attempting to wait out the rain and keep as dry as possible Grace told us to come to the office so that we could eat. So ourselves and all of the guests in the structure rushed to the office. While waiting for the food, we were taught how to dance. One of the guardians and the elderly lady from earlier were trying to teach us some of the traditional ways of dancing here in Gulu. I will admit I was rubbish at it but it was so much fun to do, and it was amazing to watch them dance in this small office with us. Here comes the food, and boy was it alot of food, delicious food. There was everything you could imagine from my chicken to cabbage and rice and beans and millet, the selection seemed endless and we all ate too much.

Perhaps one of my favorite parts of the day was when I went outside the office and the rain had slowed down and Chris and I just enjoyed the peacefulness of the view. A few minutes later two little girls, Fionna and her sister came out and sat down beside me. They were on awe of my skin and kept touching my arms and legs and it was one of the most adorable things ever. Chris went inside but I stayed out with the girls. The next thing I know Fionna was nuzzled up to my arm with her head on my shoulder and her little sister was sitting on my lap in my arms, and we just sat there. It was a perfect moment and time and I wanted it to last forever.

We were able to talk to Dave for a little while after a long time trying to make our skypes work together. It was nice to hear a familiar voice back in the states. Our trip back into town was very interesting and bumpy one, full of fuems from our taxi, I thought I might get sick. Once we got back to the hotel we all revisited primary school with a few games of MASH, or in this case MASHP thanks to Megan.

Today: We slept late, and went to breakfast and now I am here updating you all on what is going on here in Uganda. Diana and I our going back to the hotel to do some laundry. Later on today we will be talking with Dave again, and hopefully we will be a bit more successful at it.

I hope all is well in the states. Things are great here, I am loving every moment of this trip. I miss and love you all.