The past few days we've been all over Gulu. Hung out with several different groups of bunches of amazing kids that some of our team members and friends back home sponsor. Met their families too. Watching Heather meet her child for the first time and making the leap from paper to personality was super cool.
Seeing Paul knelt down, fitting a child for shoes evoked this awe of the depth and beauty of the gesture. And an instant likening to a scene I seem to recall from somewhere about washing the feet. Its so intimate. So beautiful to engage with another human being in this manner.
Driving. On the way to the market. Jeami stops the van. She sees something but we can't. What is it? A girl, maybe 8 years old. She's walking but looks faint. We give her water. She barely drinks. Jeami makes a decision. She needs to go to the hospital. They take her. We stay behind. Her name is Eunice and it seems like she has yellow fever and malaria. We were told this combo is generally deadly. Praying that we're wrong...we'll know more soon.
What is amazing to me is that Jeami knew. She stopped the van. Derailed our plans. Tried to save a life. I really hope she did. Amazing. So impressed. It is incredible to watch someone so completely in their element. So doing what they were born to do. That's Jeami here. I'm honored to stand with her and support the great work she's trying to do.
Playing jump rope in the village.
Thump, thump, thump.
"Cinderella dressed in yellow," we chanted, "Went upstairs to kiss a fellow..."
It's amazing the stuff you remember from being a kid. Holding hands and showing the kids how felt super cool. Such a fun moment as we jumped together as the rope whizzed over us - the kids wide eyed with mischief. It was AWESOME when we convinced one of the Mamas to join us. Ok, I'll be honest, she schooled us on style points. Her face was beaming as we and the other Mamas cheered her on!
We visited Sharon (a beautiful girl that we sponsor) and her family in their hut today. Man, that girl can smile. To bring some gifts. Hang out. They were expecting us and had prepared a feast of chicken, beans, and the ever present posho (think consistency of over cooked cream of wheat and flavor of tofu). I was humbled as a pregnant woman washed our hands. Blown away that they would feed us meat. Honored to even be there. Excited to make new friends.
Our ever stoic driver agreed to eat with us in the hut. A first time event. Gibson often disappears at meal times. I think he knows where the good food is and doesn't want to roll in 7 Muzungus deep. (Pix of Gibson and I below...)
Anyhow, likely because we were deep in the village and it was lunchtime, Gibson was down for lunch. What followed was priceless.
We're all in this dark hut. We've just had our hands washed. We're now eating with them. The mood sorta seems to ebb and flow from a respectful silence to a lively story then back again. BAM! A shuffle. An arm thrown out for help. Gibson's eyes go wide. Commotion.
Gibson somehow manages to completely fall out of his chair. Normally so composed, he hollers, "There's a hole there!!!" In an attempt to widen the circle to allow more family members to join us, Gibson found the one anomaly in this super clean and level home: the cooking hole - for building a fire indoors. His chair leg got caught and it was all over.
That sure broke the ice. Everyone had a good laugh. Gibson is fine by the way. :)
Maybe later I'll tell you about Obidiah the Chicken Warrior but not now.
So sleepy.
Good night/morning :)
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry
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