Hey, I know it's been forever and ever since i last updated... I've been so busy. Also, i've sortof been procrastinating this update, because it's gonne be HUGE....i mean, i'm basically telling all about 3 weeks in africa... It's pretty much intense...
Ok, so this is it...
The Group:
Africa Day One::
Saturday::
We got in late on friday night, which was nice, because i barely suffered from jetlag at all while i was there. We woke up saturday morning and went to a school nearby (about a 5 minute walk.) We painted
a room (by we, i mean the boys, the girls played with the children.) even though it was Saturday, the children were still in school. We played games with them, mostly soccer, that's their favorite. And the children loved just sitting with you. There was this one little girl named Angel who carried around her school book and a pencil and just wrote and wrote. It was all gibberish since she was only about 3, but it was absolutely precious!! She sat on my lap for a little while, but then she went to sharpen her pencil (with a razor!) and someone else snagged her to sit on their lap. This other little girl named Lydia 
crawled onto my lap and sat there telling me all these stories about school. It was so precious. Then she told me she wanted to play with my hair (it was up in a bun) so i took it down and I was suddenly surrounded by about 17 children, all petting my hair. It was hilarious.
We were sitting outside watching the boys play soccer and this little boy came and sat on my lap in front of Lydia. Lydia didn't like that very much. She started to hit the little boy, and they started fighting over sitting on my lap. I was trying to get them to stop fighting but they weren't listening...it was sortof funny, but sortof bad. because i didn't want them to get hurt, but it was silly that they were fighting over sitting on my lap.
before we had gone to the school i had been standing outside our motel and these little children were standing outside the gate. Well, Parker and i started playing games with them (tag mostly) and this one little girl (Fiona) was playing with, like, JUST me. no one else. anyway, we played for a little while, then we went to the
school. I loved it because they were so excited that we were there! they would peek in from outside the gate and it was just so stinking adorable. =] Anyway, after we got back from the school the children were still outside waiting for us to come back and play with them. Fiona ran over and grabbed my hand and just hung on. We brought the children inside the courtyard area of our motel and played Duck Duck Goose with them. They loved it. It was my turn to be "it" and i tagged a little boy then ran around (as the game goes) and when i sat down, Fiona ran across the circle to sit with me. it was incredibly cute! We had to go inside to eat and have our share time/group time, so i told Fiona to come back the next day (since it was sunday, we didn't have any schools to go to, so i knew we would be at the motel).
Africa Day Two::
Sunday::
We went to Cari's church today. It was really fun. They sang some good english worship songs, but then they sang a few songs in Luganda, that was my favorite time of the service, was listening to the Luganda
songs. The service was also cool, because they had an American preacher and then a Ugandan would translate. I love the way the Luganda language sounds. it's just so beautiful. There was this one little boy who sat with me during church. He was super precious. I gave him some fruit snacks and he made one pack (about 7 snacks) last the WHOLE service, and it was about 3 hours long. (including singing) Then after he and his friend and his friends little sister (she was 2 he was 7) and i were standing outside the church [[insert picture of me with little boys and little girl]] The little boy (I believe his name was Derrick) was holding my hand and he was looking at it, very intently and he looked up at me and said "you are very white" I laughed and said "yes, i know." It was time to leave after that, and Derrick just stood there holding my hand. i said "i have to leave now. i will see you later" but he wouldn't let go. I climbed into the car and sat down and he climbed in after me. i said "you can't come with me. i wish you could, but you can't." he got out of the car and reached into the open window of the car and held my hand. I was really sad when we left. =[
We went the mall for lunch. That was extremely crazy... They had like 7 restraunts and all the waiters came and attacked us with menus (well they didn't really ATTACK us, they just bombarded us) and they kept telling us what we wanted to eat and finally i get to order what i wanted... it was very stressful. haha
Then we went home (to the motel) the children from the day before were standing outside our gate again, they started cheering when our vans pulled into the driveway. I got out and the kids surrounded me and parker and Tyler and Andrea, we told them we were going to go change and went in to change. When we came out we played duck duck goose again, then we were sitting and everyone was doing their own thing. I was sitting with Fiona and this little boy and a bunch of other children We were just sitting Fiona looked at me and this is how our conversation went:
That's all for now. through day 2 of Africa. Haha. this is gonna take awhile. :P
Love~Katelyn~
PS. visit my other site: Knitwitsforafrica09.blogspot.com. It's things my sister and i knitted to sell to help raise money for africa and for me adopting my little girl, Evi. =D
PPS. Here's a slideshow i put together! The song is What Now By Steven Curtis Chapman
Ok, so this is it...
The Group:
Africa Day One::
Saturday::
We got in late on friday night, which was nice, because i barely suffered from jetlag at all while i was there. We woke up saturday morning and went to a school nearby (about a 5 minute walk.) We painted
a room (by we, i mean the boys, the girls played with the children.) even though it was Saturday, the children were still in school. We played games with them, mostly soccer, that's their favorite. And the children loved just sitting with you. There was this one little girl named Angel who carried around her school book and a pencil and just wrote and wrote. It was all gibberish since she was only about 3, but it was absolutely precious!! She sat on my lap for a little while, but then she went to sharpen her pencil (with a razor!) and someone else snagged her to sit on their lap. This other little girl named Lydia 
crawled onto my lap and sat there telling me all these stories about school. It was so precious. Then she told me she wanted to play with my hair (it was up in a bun) so i took it down and I was suddenly surrounded by about 17 children, all petting my hair. It was hilarious.We were sitting outside watching the boys play soccer and this little boy came and sat on my lap in front of Lydia. Lydia didn't like that very much. She started to hit the little boy, and they started fighting over sitting on my lap. I was trying to get them to stop fighting but they weren't listening...it was sortof funny, but sortof bad. because i didn't want them to get hurt, but it was silly that they were fighting over sitting on my lap.
before we had gone to the school i had been standing outside our motel and these little children were standing outside the gate. Well, Parker and i started playing games with them (tag mostly) and this one little girl (Fiona) was playing with, like, JUST me. no one else. anyway, we played for a little while, then we went to the
school. I loved it because they were so excited that we were there! they would peek in from outside the gate and it was just so stinking adorable. =] Anyway, after we got back from the school the children were still outside waiting for us to come back and play with them. Fiona ran over and grabbed my hand and just hung on. We brought the children inside the courtyard area of our motel and played Duck Duck Goose with them. They loved it. It was my turn to be "it" and i tagged a little boy then ran around (as the game goes) and when i sat down, Fiona ran across the circle to sit with me. it was incredibly cute! We had to go inside to eat and have our share time/group time, so i told Fiona to come back the next day (since it was sunday, we didn't have any schools to go to, so i knew we would be at the motel).Africa Day Two::
Sunday::
We went to Cari's church today. It was really fun. They sang some good english worship songs, but then they sang a few songs in Luganda, that was my favorite time of the service, was listening to the Luganda
songs. The service was also cool, because they had an American preacher and then a Ugandan would translate. I love the way the Luganda language sounds. it's just so beautiful. There was this one little boy who sat with me during church. He was super precious. I gave him some fruit snacks and he made one pack (about 7 snacks) last the WHOLE service, and it was about 3 hours long. (including singing) Then after he and his friend and his friends little sister (she was 2 he was 7) and i were standing outside the church [[insert picture of me with little boys and little girl]] The little boy (I believe his name was Derrick) was holding my hand and he was looking at it, very intently and he looked up at me and said "you are very white" I laughed and said "yes, i know." It was time to leave after that, and Derrick just stood there holding my hand. i said "i have to leave now. i will see you later" but he wouldn't let go. I climbed into the car and sat down and he climbed in after me. i said "you can't come with me. i wish you could, but you can't." he got out of the car and reached into the open window of the car and held my hand. I was really sad when we left. =[We went the mall for lunch. That was extremely crazy... They had like 7 restraunts and all the waiters came and attacked us with menus (well they didn't really ATTACK us, they just bombarded us) and they kept telling us what we wanted to eat and finally i get to order what i wanted... it was very stressful. haha
Then we went home (to the motel) the children from the day before were standing outside our gate again, they started cheering when our vans pulled into the driveway. I got out and the kids surrounded me and parker and Tyler and Andrea, we told them we were going to go change and went in to change. When we came out we played duck duck goose again, then we were sitting and everyone was doing their own thing. I was sitting with Fiona and this little boy and a bunch of other children We were just sitting Fiona looked at me and this is how our conversation went:
Fiona: What country are you from?
Katelyn: America
Fiona: Oh.
[pause in conversation]
Fiona: I live with my aunt but i do not like it.
Katelyn: Oh. Why not?
Fiona: She beats me.
Katelyn: Oh. I'm sorry [[what do you say to that?!]]
[pause in conversation]
Katelyn: Where are you parents?
Fiona: Far away.
[pause in conversation]
Fiona: Will you take me back to America with you and be my mother?
Katelyn: America
Fiona: Oh.
[pause in conversation]
Fiona: I live with my aunt but i do not like it.
Katelyn: Oh. Why not?
Fiona: She beats me.
Katelyn: Oh. I'm sorry [[what do you say to that?!]]
[pause in conversation]
Katelyn: Where are you parents?
Fiona: Far away.
[pause in conversation]
Fiona: Will you take me back to America with you and be my mother?
Katelyn: I wish i could, Fiona. I really wish i could
It was so heartbreaking. I cried very hard. I would love to one day go back and adopt her someday. She's 9 years old and i really do love her.
It was so heartbreaking. I cried very hard. I would love to one day go back and adopt her someday. She's 9 years old and i really do love her.That's all for now. through day 2 of Africa. Haha. this is gonna take awhile. :P
Love~Katelyn~
PS. visit my other site: Knitwitsforafrica09.blogspot.com. It's things my sister and i knitted to sell to help raise money for africa and for me adopting my little girl, Evi. =D
PPS. Here's a slideshow i put together! The song is What Now By Steven Curtis Chapman
Oh, wow. Your slide show made me cry. I mean, cry. You are so amazing. You have inspired me beyond measure. You're awesome Katelyn.
ReplyDeleteGrace and Peace be with you ( and my prayers, too).
Haley
Aw, Katelyn. Love the slide show, love the stories, LOVE the precious dancing boy in the video, love your heart...
ReplyDeleteFiona! Oh i love her so much. That story makes me cry every time i here it...:(
ReplyDeleteHi Katelyn! It's Lorraine from the Above Rubies retreat! I'm sharing your blog with anyone I can to see what you're doing and get your knits out there. I'm hoping someone will want to help. So awesome and inspiring! Thank you for letting me ready all about this!
ReplyDeleteBlessings and grace to you!