Well, so far I have had very little down time, which is a good thing, but I do wish I had a little more time to write some blogs.
Me and Andrew had a successful stay in Kudoko village the other night, we got there a bit after lunch and transported a projector and generator so we could show a film, which was the first time many of them had seen a film. It was good to be around the kids of the village again, after spending so much time with children in Uganda I was really needing to be back in that atmosphere. I feel like Ive become so comfortable around what I would earlier have considered to be uncomfortable situations. Being able to just jump in and dance around like a maniac with these people is a cool thing.
The film went really late and we didn’t end up eating dinner until it was absolutely pitch black out. It gets so dark out in the village and yet the locals seem to be able to see fine, as I trip over every little stone. I ate three large n’simas which put me into a nice little food coma.
We got the opportunity to sleep in the chiefs hut, the ground was freezing and I don’t know how they sleep on such a hard rocky surface. My sleeping bag went up to the middle of my chest, and my mosquito net covered from the top of my chest to the top of my head… there aren’t too many tall people here.
Obviously it wasn’t the best night of sleep, but I did get some sleep. I found out in the morning that the weird noises I was hearing at night was actually the ducks that they let sleep inside the house. I woke up to a bunch of kids poking their heads into the window and staring at me as I lay there groggily at first light.
For breakfast we went to the trading center a few miles from town and bought some bread and tea, with the bread traditionally being dunked into the tea, it was actually pretty good.
In the morning it was more joy and fun playing with the kids and then participating in the community center, teaching and helping with the feeding program.
Me and Andrew are making great progress with the internship program and helping out Flood Malawi in various ways. I have been loving leading devotions in the morning and various events throughout the week.
I cant believe how little time we have left, it will be interesting and busy on this last leg of the trip as we prepare for whats next.
That’s all the time I have now, hope all is well at home.
-Kyle
Monday, August 30, 2010
Kudoko Village
Our team is finally all together settled into Malawi, myself and BKR arriving from Uganda, while Adam, Kelly, Cameron, and Jesse arriving after their safari adventure in South Africa.
Today we had the opportunity to visit Kudoku village, which is about a 40 minute drive from the COTN village we are staying at in Lilongwe. We all got dressed up in anticipation of the meeting we were to have with the village chiefs and village elders. As we turned down the dirt road toward the village we were confronted with a cloud a dust, a common occurrence during the dry season of Malawi that we arrived during. Emerging from the dirt we were told that we were just about there, and that the building we were driving towards was one that Flood had helped construct through the donation of concrete and roofing materials. A steady stream of kids were now following us as we made our final approach to the building, knowing that a car full of “Mazungus”, or white people, usually means a couple soccer balls (which it did). Emerging from the car to be greeted by a bunch of happy kids with big smiles is a sure way to fill your soul.
After we arrived a couple of Flood Malawi members gathered all the kids and started a makeshift soccer camp, as myself and the rest of the team was ushered inside. We learned that the building Flood helped construct was now a church, as well as a classroom, and the village meeting hall. We sat in a circle and formally introduced ourselves to everyone and got acquainted with the different chiefs and village representatives. I glanced down and noticed my black dress shoes were already covered in a nice red dirt… ahhh its good to be in Africa.
Next on the agenda was a tour of part of the village. We started our walk around and were shown all the fields they usually grow crops, but because it is winter here, are now barren. We were told stories of how much of a blessing it was when, a couple of years ago, Flood donated seeds and fertilizer during a famine, and how the crops they yielded from that not only provided food during a much needed time, but were also some of their most abundant crops ever. We walked through peoples homes and were shown the building in which they sleep, cook, and relieve themselves; all of which were humbling experiences. We made it to our destination when we reached a water pump, that we learned was the well that Flood had dug for Kudoku. As we arrived, we saw some women using it to draw water, and listened to how much of an impact this well has had not only on Kudoku village, but on the entire community also. Most of us decided to take a drive from the ‘Flood water’ after learning it drills into a water table that is quite pure and naturally filtered.
We were then taken to a couple homes that had cooked the goat and chickens we had brought with us. The tables were littered with all sorts of delicious looking food, so foreign to us, yet so enticing. We gathered around, said a prayer, and dug in. There are no personal plates provided here, and no silverware either. Everyone uses their hands, and just grabs from whichever dish looks appealing at that moment. Most every bite is accompanied by the staple food, n’sima, which is basically boiled cornflower. It is sticky, relatively flavourless, very filling, and I rather enjoyed it. The strangest thing on the table were the goat intestines, which despite being rather chewy, were cooked in some sort of sauce that made them edible…. or at least edible enough to try a tiny piece.
We were then taken back to the meeting building in order to tackle the agenda we came here with. Many of you know about human rights initiative we are hoping to take to Malawi in the Summer of 2011, and we were able to have some honest dialogue about what that might look like in Kudoku village. It was very encouraging to hear what the chiefs had to say and that they love having us there. We also got to talk about the internship exchange program me and Andrew will be researching for the two weeks after the rest of the team leaves on Monday. A vision we have for that would involved village immersion, which would mean having some people stay in this village for a few nights during the internship to get a feel of what Malawian village life is like. We had some good ideas about that, got great and encouraging feedback, and actually scheduled two nights that Andrew and I would be spending the night here in about a week to try it out… so wish us luck for that.
Adam had everyone’s attention for the final topic of the day, which was the presentation of mosquito nets. This was a surprisingly emotional time for everyone there, as Adam explained where these nets had come from. Flood member, and local artist, Andrew Salituri had gone to Malawi a couple of years ago, and met the members of Kudoku village. Upon returning home he dedicated each piece of art to these people and their stories. Every piece he has sold since then, was sold with the promise of using the money to buy mosquito nets for Malawi. Through his sacrifice he raised enough money to provide not only mosquito nets to the entire village, but to many other people as well. And now we were given the privilege of presenting them to the village, to take part in the kind of journey that impacts and transforms people. At the end of Adams presentation all the elders and chiefs erupted in applause knowing of the change this will make to their village.
Driving away from Kudoku was a blur, the team was tired and full. In our stomachs and in our spirits. It was great to have heard so much about this place at Flood and now to be able to experience it for ourselves.
Thank you for your thoughts and prayers as we trek onward.
-Kyle
Today we had the opportunity to visit Kudoku village, which is about a 40 minute drive from the COTN village we are staying at in Lilongwe. We all got dressed up in anticipation of the meeting we were to have with the village chiefs and village elders. As we turned down the dirt road toward the village we were confronted with a cloud a dust, a common occurrence during the dry season of Malawi that we arrived during. Emerging from the dirt we were told that we were just about there, and that the building we were driving towards was one that Flood had helped construct through the donation of concrete and roofing materials. A steady stream of kids were now following us as we made our final approach to the building, knowing that a car full of “Mazungus”, or white people, usually means a couple soccer balls (which it did). Emerging from the car to be greeted by a bunch of happy kids with big smiles is a sure way to fill your soul.
After we arrived a couple of Flood Malawi members gathered all the kids and started a makeshift soccer camp, as myself and the rest of the team was ushered inside. We learned that the building Flood helped construct was now a church, as well as a classroom, and the village meeting hall. We sat in a circle and formally introduced ourselves to everyone and got acquainted with the different chiefs and village representatives. I glanced down and noticed my black dress shoes were already covered in a nice red dirt… ahhh its good to be in Africa.
Next on the agenda was a tour of part of the village. We started our walk around and were shown all the fields they usually grow crops, but because it is winter here, are now barren. We were told stories of how much of a blessing it was when, a couple of years ago, Flood donated seeds and fertilizer during a famine, and how the crops they yielded from that not only provided food during a much needed time, but were also some of their most abundant crops ever. We walked through peoples homes and were shown the building in which they sleep, cook, and relieve themselves; all of which were humbling experiences. We made it to our destination when we reached a water pump, that we learned was the well that Flood had dug for Kudoku. As we arrived, we saw some women using it to draw water, and listened to how much of an impact this well has had not only on Kudoku village, but on the entire community also. Most of us decided to take a drive from the ‘Flood water’ after learning it drills into a water table that is quite pure and naturally filtered.
We were then taken to a couple homes that had cooked the goat and chickens we had brought with us. The tables were littered with all sorts of delicious looking food, so foreign to us, yet so enticing. We gathered around, said a prayer, and dug in. There are no personal plates provided here, and no silverware either. Everyone uses their hands, and just grabs from whichever dish looks appealing at that moment. Most every bite is accompanied by the staple food, n’sima, which is basically boiled cornflower. It is sticky, relatively flavourless, very filling, and I rather enjoyed it. The strangest thing on the table were the goat intestines, which despite being rather chewy, were cooked in some sort of sauce that made them edible…. or at least edible enough to try a tiny piece.
We were then taken back to the meeting building in order to tackle the agenda we came here with. Many of you know about human rights initiative we are hoping to take to Malawi in the Summer of 2011, and we were able to have some honest dialogue about what that might look like in Kudoku village. It was very encouraging to hear what the chiefs had to say and that they love having us there. We also got to talk about the internship exchange program me and Andrew will be researching for the two weeks after the rest of the team leaves on Monday. A vision we have for that would involved village immersion, which would mean having some people stay in this village for a few nights during the internship to get a feel of what Malawian village life is like. We had some good ideas about that, got great and encouraging feedback, and actually scheduled two nights that Andrew and I would be spending the night here in about a week to try it out… so wish us luck for that.
Adam had everyone’s attention for the final topic of the day, which was the presentation of mosquito nets. This was a surprisingly emotional time for everyone there, as Adam explained where these nets had come from. Flood member, and local artist, Andrew Salituri had gone to Malawi a couple of years ago, and met the members of Kudoku village. Upon returning home he dedicated each piece of art to these people and their stories. Every piece he has sold since then, was sold with the promise of using the money to buy mosquito nets for Malawi. Through his sacrifice he raised enough money to provide not only mosquito nets to the entire village, but to many other people as well. And now we were given the privilege of presenting them to the village, to take part in the kind of journey that impacts and transforms people. At the end of Adams presentation all the elders and chiefs erupted in applause knowing of the change this will make to their village.
Driving away from Kudoku was a blur, the team was tired and full. In our stomachs and in our spirits. It was great to have heard so much about this place at Flood and now to be able to experience it for ourselves.
Thank you for your thoughts and prayers as we trek onward.
-Kyle
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
I LOVE UGANDA
Well, Uganda has been full of breathtaking experiences.
Its been hard to find time to sit at a computer and write a quick update, and at this point there is just soooo much that has been happening that Ill only be able to give a quick glimpse into life here.
We arrived in Entebbe and were picked up by our friend Edward, a local Ugandan and ‘pop star’/worship singer. We got to see his house and a little bit of Kampala before taking the drive to Lira. Lira is about 150 miles away from Kampala but the drive takes about 6 hours one way because of the poor conditions of the roads, most of them being dirt. A 6 hour car ride on top of two ten hour plane rides, most of which was spent sleepless left us dazed and tired, but we pressed on. I think within the first few hours of being in Uganda I got bit by a couple mosquitos, a gnarly spider, ate some sort of cinnamon roll that hopefully was cleanish, had some delicious tiny bananas, as well as some sort of cooked banana we bought on the side of the road. These are all things you are supposed to try and avoid, but the truth is, in order to avoid everything you are warned about in the states, I would have to live in a balloon. Life is definitely different here, its more risky, even if the nationals act like its no big deal. But I love it.
Uganda is beautiful. I cant explain in full, but the country is so green and lush and pretty, and everything has real character. I see everything as being old, but not in the sense of walking through Europe and seeing a building built by the Roman empire, but in the sense of surveying a land that has been here forever.
Everyone I have met has been so friendly, and the kids are magical. This place fills up my soul. All the village kids see me and yell ‘muno’ which means white man. They love to wave, and everyone seems so thrilled to see someone like me, its humbling and strange.
In the first few days of being in Lira I went to a hospital, a prison, and a baby home for babies that have no parents. All experiences have rocked my world. In the hospital there is so much brokenness, some of the saddest and most gut wrenching skin diseases I have ever seen, as well as so many aids patients, and the hundreds of bicycle accidents. A simple bicycle accident… maybe a broken arm or twisted ankle with a few scratches, becomes life threatening here. Most of the people have poor health to begin with, and when a scratch turns into an infection and the person is HIV+ it can turn into a completely debilitating situation. We prayed for everyone we had time to. God is definitely at work here, one man with AIDS who was paralyzed from the waist down from an infection that I met, named Augustine, ended up getting out of the hospital and I saw him at church the next Sunday, his first time coming. I quickly learned the Africans love to make us muno’s speak publicly and have been put on the spot plenty of times.
The babies home was a place I so looked forward to go to, and because I love babies so much, made my heart so joyful to be there. But confronted with the reality that there are about 25 babies, and 3 nuns that take care of them all, and knowing none of these babies have parents, while listening to the nuns tell us that not too many of them actually make it out of the home literally broke my heart. It is good that there are people doing what they can for these babies though, and that in itself is a blessing. I got to hold and bathe many of the babies, as well as help feed them. I got peed on twice… which the nuns told me was a blessing.
Ill save many of the stories of brokenness I have witnessed, as well as the level of extreme poverty I have witnessed because they are jut so hard to recount, and you never quite get used to them, though they are everywhere.
At the COTN childrens home that we are staying at there was initially a lot of uncomfortablilty on my end with not knowing exactly how to interact with the kids, and second guessing myself especially when it is so difficult to communicate at first. However, any uneasy feelings I had have turned into so much joy now that I am ‘in it’ over here and loving being with the kids. There is one boy, Arnold, who was one of the first to kind of let me in to his world, and we would go at draw in the ground, and then the next thing you know there are 20 kids drawing around me and I am going around giving them ‘marks’ for completion after I give them something to draw or spell. Gahhh there is just so much to talk about if I could. It really is amazing here.
I left the children’s home yesterday and was brought to tears. Saying goodbye to the children and staff that I have so deeply connected with and have had such a massive impact on my life, all within two weeks was very very hard. A few of the kids I connected with, Unis, Anna, and Isaac in particular are people that I will never forget, and will be sure to stay in contact with them in one way or another. Also leaving Prosasco, the child the sponsor was so uniquely heart breaking.
God is at work in this place, and I have been so spiritually fed and filled while here.
I love telling people about Alisa because they all remember her and they all miss and love her. It is something we have in common and has helped me build relationships with many of the staff and kids.
I have already made so many great memories with the kids here and the interns and Andrew, and there is a weird paradox of time in my head, where I know we haven’t been here long… but I feel like I have been here way longer than I have. I am writing from Sipi Falls, Uganda, a beautiful place where we are taking a couple of days to debrief and rest before ‘phase two’ begins in Malawi.
Sorry I haven’t been able to post more updates, the brevity and broadness of this update can not even begin to communicate how amazing, and life changing this trip has been so far. Thank you for your continued prayers.
-Kyle
Its been hard to find time to sit at a computer and write a quick update, and at this point there is just soooo much that has been happening that Ill only be able to give a quick glimpse into life here.
We arrived in Entebbe and were picked up by our friend Edward, a local Ugandan and ‘pop star’/worship singer. We got to see his house and a little bit of Kampala before taking the drive to Lira. Lira is about 150 miles away from Kampala but the drive takes about 6 hours one way because of the poor conditions of the roads, most of them being dirt. A 6 hour car ride on top of two ten hour plane rides, most of which was spent sleepless left us dazed and tired, but we pressed on. I think within the first few hours of being in Uganda I got bit by a couple mosquitos, a gnarly spider, ate some sort of cinnamon roll that hopefully was cleanish, had some delicious tiny bananas, as well as some sort of cooked banana we bought on the side of the road. These are all things you are supposed to try and avoid, but the truth is, in order to avoid everything you are warned about in the states, I would have to live in a balloon. Life is definitely different here, its more risky, even if the nationals act like its no big deal. But I love it.
Uganda is beautiful. I cant explain in full, but the country is so green and lush and pretty, and everything has real character. I see everything as being old, but not in the sense of walking through Europe and seeing a building built by the Roman empire, but in the sense of surveying a land that has been here forever.
Everyone I have met has been so friendly, and the kids are magical. This place fills up my soul. All the village kids see me and yell ‘muno’ which means white man. They love to wave, and everyone seems so thrilled to see someone like me, its humbling and strange.
In the first few days of being in Lira I went to a hospital, a prison, and a baby home for babies that have no parents. All experiences have rocked my world. In the hospital there is so much brokenness, some of the saddest and most gut wrenching skin diseases I have ever seen, as well as so many aids patients, and the hundreds of bicycle accidents. A simple bicycle accident… maybe a broken arm or twisted ankle with a few scratches, becomes life threatening here. Most of the people have poor health to begin with, and when a scratch turns into an infection and the person is HIV+ it can turn into a completely debilitating situation. We prayed for everyone we had time to. God is definitely at work here, one man with AIDS who was paralyzed from the waist down from an infection that I met, named Augustine, ended up getting out of the hospital and I saw him at church the next Sunday, his first time coming. I quickly learned the Africans love to make us muno’s speak publicly and have been put on the spot plenty of times.
The babies home was a place I so looked forward to go to, and because I love babies so much, made my heart so joyful to be there. But confronted with the reality that there are about 25 babies, and 3 nuns that take care of them all, and knowing none of these babies have parents, while listening to the nuns tell us that not too many of them actually make it out of the home literally broke my heart. It is good that there are people doing what they can for these babies though, and that in itself is a blessing. I got to hold and bathe many of the babies, as well as help feed them. I got peed on twice… which the nuns told me was a blessing.
Ill save many of the stories of brokenness I have witnessed, as well as the level of extreme poverty I have witnessed because they are jut so hard to recount, and you never quite get used to them, though they are everywhere.
At the COTN childrens home that we are staying at there was initially a lot of uncomfortablilty on my end with not knowing exactly how to interact with the kids, and second guessing myself especially when it is so difficult to communicate at first. However, any uneasy feelings I had have turned into so much joy now that I am ‘in it’ over here and loving being with the kids. There is one boy, Arnold, who was one of the first to kind of let me in to his world, and we would go at draw in the ground, and then the next thing you know there are 20 kids drawing around me and I am going around giving them ‘marks’ for completion after I give them something to draw or spell. Gahhh there is just so much to talk about if I could. It really is amazing here.
I left the children’s home yesterday and was brought to tears. Saying goodbye to the children and staff that I have so deeply connected with and have had such a massive impact on my life, all within two weeks was very very hard. A few of the kids I connected with, Unis, Anna, and Isaac in particular are people that I will never forget, and will be sure to stay in contact with them in one way or another. Also leaving Prosasco, the child the sponsor was so uniquely heart breaking.
God is at work in this place, and I have been so spiritually fed and filled while here.
I love telling people about Alisa because they all remember her and they all miss and love her. It is something we have in common and has helped me build relationships with many of the staff and kids.
I have already made so many great memories with the kids here and the interns and Andrew, and there is a weird paradox of time in my head, where I know we haven’t been here long… but I feel like I have been here way longer than I have. I am writing from Sipi Falls, Uganda, a beautiful place where we are taking a couple of days to debrief and rest before ‘phase two’ begins in Malawi.
Sorry I haven’t been able to post more updates, the brevity and broadness of this update can not even begin to communicate how amazing, and life changing this trip has been so far. Thank you for your continued prayers.
-Kyle
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