Water

There has been a big water shortage the last few months.  We have only been getting water every few days because the city is trying to distribute it equally.  We have big tubs all over our house that we fill whenever there is water.  We also have a rain water tank that can be used as a back up.  The campus water supply often runs out before we get water again and this usually means that students walk to the river to fill buckets for bathing.

But the water has been particularly bad recently.  In fact, we went a week without getting any water.  This has meant that afternoon classes have been cancelled a lot so the older students can bring back buckets of water from the river to use for washing dishes and clothes. 

Yesterday, we had used up nearly all of the water in the house and the tank only had about 12 inches of water left in it.  We were having to make tough decisions about what to wash and clean since we didn't know when we would have water again.  The water left in the tank was also very dirty and yellow.  We weren't feeling particularly comfortable with cooking, drinking or bathing with it even after we filter and boil it.

But just when thinks started to look desperate, the water turned on a few hours ago!  It has been flowing for a couple of hours.  We've filled up everything in our house and we hope the water says on long enough to fill all the students' buckets as well!

Pasho

Patricio has always been old for his age.  But this experience has already taught him so much more than we could have anticipated.  But I think what amazes me most is how much he continues to teach me.  This past weekend in Mwanza, we took some time to talk about how they last few months have gone for each of us.  We had set some goals for ourselves and we wanted to see how we've all done.  I will readily admit that when we got to Mwanza, I was pretty exhausted and feeling down about everything.  I go through pretty regular cycles of culture shock and frustration. 

During our discussion, I was talking about how I really wanted to fix my attitude before we headed back to Bukoba.  To that, Patricio replied, 'You just have to look past the bad.  Think about the positive.  You can always find something good past the bad.  Even if it is just one thing, it's there.'  We've only been back a few days and I've already told myself to 'look past the bad' at least 5 times.  My boy, Patricio, who by the way, has more nicknames than I can count now....is pretty amazing.  (Nicknames include: Pato, given at birth, Ticho, given by Nino, and now Pasho, given by his friends at KEMPS.  I often wonder which he'll stick with.....)

A Weekend in Mwanza

After feeling a little run down from all of the activities and classes we have been working on, we decided to take a weekend away.  We traveled across Lake Victoria to Mwanza.  Normally, there is an overnight ferry.  But it isn't running so we decided to have our first bus adventure.  It was definitely an adventure.  It took about 10 hours to get to the hotel and at the end of the trip, the bus itself ended up boarding a ferry to make the last leg of the trip to Mwanza. The bus was small and crowded. There were passengers that stood for hours because there were no seats.  It rained quite a bit and some of the windows were broken.  So the people seated next to those windows were soaked.  And of course, there was a chicken on the bus....at one point it got free and wandered up and down the aisle.

But the trip was worth it.  The hotel had a swimming pool and a playground.  We got to eat delicious, prepared meals and take hot showers.  We felt rested and ready to finish off the last few weeks before Easter break.  I'm sure we'll be visiting again soon....but we may wait for the ferry to be up and running again!

Happy Valentine's Day

For Valentine's Day, we asked our friend who is a teacher by day and DJ by night to come to KEMPS to play music for the students.  We had no idea how serious his DJ business is.  He brought giant speakers, laser lights, and music that the students loved.  It was a fantastic way to spend Valentine's Day for us and for them.  It was a great night!

Tree Cutting

They cut down a tree recently on campus.  I'm not sure if they did it because they had to cut it down or if it was because they needed the wood.  They do all the cooking for the students in wood burning stoves.  Which is, let's be honest, pretty amazing.  When they finished chopping the wood, they rang a bell.  When the bell rings, the students know it is either time to work or time to eat.  In this case, it was time to carry the wood behind the kitchen so it was ready for cooking.

Watch Them Run!

One of my favorite hobbies in Memphis over the last few years was running.  After being here a few months, I decided I wanted to find a way to run here with students.  The Standard VII girls were all for it! My parents' church, Trinity Lutheran Church in Warrenville, Illinois, was kind enough to donate all of the running gear you see here.  The girls are so incredibly grateful! 

Today we starting running.  The girls all ran one mile and we wrote down their times so we can see how they progress over the coming months.  Our goal is to build up to running a 5k.  I've been talking to some folks in town about possibly putting together a formal 5k as a fundraiser for the school.  I'd love to see the girls cross the finish line of a real race with these fantastic shirts! 

A Tour of Bukoba

Today we went on a tour of Bukoba.  It was really great to see all the things outside the city center where we have spent most of our time here. 

We went to the home of a local farmer who is growing a cocoa plant.  This is a picture of the inside of the plant.  They explained that they are experimenting with growing it here and are still trying to figure it all out.

We also went hiking through a field and down a somewhat scary cliff to a small cave that had some paintings on it. The cave was interesting but I think we enjoyed the thrilling climb a bit more.

Then we went to a small waterfall and enjoyed the peaceful scenery for a bit.  All in all a wonderful day full of friends and fun.