Leaving the Pearl Behind...with a little piece of our hearts

Our month in Uganda has come and gone; it seems like we were just settling in here and now we are getting ready to leave.  In our first weeks here, we were learning to roll paper beads with some seriously talented and hard-working women in the I Choose You Microfinance Program next door. Otherwise, we were walking through the slums of Namatala with kids grasping every finger (actually, though), visiting Taylor’s friends from years passed, and cleaning/dressing wounds.  We also painted a church blue.  Really blue. 

Corie and Tristan stand in front of our masterpiece, 3 days in the making

The last two weeks were spent with 109 precious souls at Lulwanda Children’s Home, and with the wonderfully loving staff that cares for them.  Since the kids were on holiday from school, we got to partake in a plethora of fun activities and outings.

We went swimming with the 48 singers and dancers from the home, which basically meant that we served as lifeguards and flotation devices, but the kids had a blast—splashing and being shuttled around the pool for hours.  We baked cakes in preparation for the quarterly Birthday Bash, where we celebrated with songs, sodas, and goodie bags for the birthday kids.  Several field trips were taken to St. Kizito Baby Home, where we held, fed, and bathed babies alongside the Lulwanda children.  Afterward, we were rewarded with ice cream from the local supermarket (and for those of you who know Tay, you know how fitting such a reward is). 

Corie and little miss Bondina, one of many precious babes at the Baby Home

Elated Ugandan kiddos look skyward to the beach ball they have flung into the air

During the last 5 days, Lulwanda hosted a Christian conference for youth; our job was to

clearly enjoying the task of baking cakes for their birthday friends

organize and play games with the kids from surrounding villages and to be an audience for the singing and dancing (let me tell you—much easier here where musical talent and rhythm is far more abundant than at home).  And aside from all these things, we squeezed in soccer matches and learned (well, tried to learn) the countless rules of the kid-created card games.  So from baking cakes to swimming to visiting a baby home and playing every afternoon, our time at the home has been nothing but joy-filled—and full of hugs and smiles.  The sun setting over the lush African landscape was a lovely close to each of our days spent with the incredible children here—all before journeying home down the red dirt (or mud, given it’s rainy season), pothole-filled roads that our friend and host, Natalie, navigated like a champ. 

As usual, pictures will probably be able to show more than we can say, so from the cameras of all 3 of us,here are some snapshots from our time in Uganda, The Pearl of Africa.  Enjoy.

Taylor and Shadia clapping and laughing away the language barrier.