Another great day in Kyarusozi! Today was out first day at the clinic. We woke up and had some breakfast and packed some lunch to take for later in the day. We all then packed into a big white pick-up truck and headed for the clinic. It was the bumpiest ride of our lives. The road is completely covered with potholes and huge cracks/trenches. After the 15-20min ride we made it to the clinic! Once we got our stuff unloaded we got to see the school where Carrie and Rachael are teaching. We played with the kids at recess and then headed next door to the clinic. We were introduced to the staff and then each assigned a different area to observe and help out as needed. Kelley was in an admission room and assisted in distributing meds for discharged patients. Meg was in the antenatal room where she used a fetoscope to hear babies heart rates. Remi was in anothere admission room with the clinic officer listening to patients sypmtoms and complaints. Basically, today was just for observing and getting used to the clinic and the way everything works. We were all amazed to see the dramatic differences from the clinic here and hospitals back home. It was a great first day! Then the five of us decided to walk back to the convent. Holy cow, was it a walk! Between the hills, potholes, trenches/cracks in the road, we were all pretty beat after the hour and fifteen minute walk! Once we made it back, the sisters had a delicious mid-afternoon snack waiting for us. We are treated so well! We rested for a bit and ended the day with playing with the kids until dinnertime. Talk to you tomorrow!
Love,
Remi, Kelley, and Meg
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Monday, May 30, 2011
Day 1
Hello to everyone!!
Today was our day to rest and re-coop from the long journey. We slept until 12:30 and woke up just in time for lunch! We enjoyed rice, plantains, and some sort of delicious bean/stew/plaintain mixture. Let's just say, our palates are broadening. Since we didn't have to go to the clinic today, the five of us went on a long walk to see more of the town. Right when we left we ran into this beautiful 14 year old girl named Lucy. She wanted to show us her home and family. SHe invited us in to sit down and talk with her and her mothere. We also got to meet her siblings. On our walk, we also saw the villages where people set up huts to sell many different things. We also got to see a giant Tea Plantation. Everywhere we go people stare and wave at us and shout mizungo (white person)! We then came back and played with the children until dinner time. We played soccer, volleyball, and lots of duck-duck goose. The children kept asking us for sweets and more toys. They also enjoyed pulling Remi's long braid. After all the playing, it was time for dinner. The sisters made rice, beans, peanut sauce, squash, potaotes, spinach, and a lovely arrangement of veggies! So good!! And for dessert we had cake and pineapple. It was a great day and now it is off to bed to get some rest before our first day at the clinic! Love to you all!
Remi, Meg, Kelley
Today was our day to rest and re-coop from the long journey. We slept until 12:30 and woke up just in time for lunch! We enjoyed rice, plantains, and some sort of delicious bean/stew/plaintain mixture. Let's just say, our palates are broadening. Since we didn't have to go to the clinic today, the five of us went on a long walk to see more of the town. Right when we left we ran into this beautiful 14 year old girl named Lucy. She wanted to show us her home and family. SHe invited us in to sit down and talk with her and her mothere. We also got to meet her siblings. On our walk, we also saw the villages where people set up huts to sell many different things. We also got to see a giant Tea Plantation. Everywhere we go people stare and wave at us and shout mizungo (white person)! We then came back and played with the children until dinner time. We played soccer, volleyball, and lots of duck-duck goose. The children kept asking us for sweets and more toys. They also enjoyed pulling Remi's long braid. After all the playing, it was time for dinner. The sisters made rice, beans, peanut sauce, squash, potaotes, spinach, and a lovely arrangement of veggies! So good!! And for dessert we had cake and pineapple. It was a great day and now it is off to bed to get some rest before our first day at the clinic! Love to you all!
Remi, Meg, Kelley
Sunday, May 29, 2011
The Journey
WE FINALLY MADE IT TO UGANDA!!!!!!!
It has been a long few days. We first started at O'Hare at the British International Check-in. Everything started out with a great start when Remi's bag was 27lbs overweight as well as Kelley's being a tad on the heavy side. Praise Jesus Meg saved our butts and was able to take the load off our bags and distribute the extra weight throughout her three suitcases. We managed to get by with the help of Vicki (the British Airway clerk) and not have to pay a single fee!!
Our flight out of O'Hare to London was at 8pm and it was about 7 hours. The flight was long, but good food made it all the better. Once we landed in London we had a 12 hour layover and were able to leave the airport for the day and go into the city! We took the London Tube and got off at Covent Garden. We walked around a while and found a cute place to have lunch and did a little shopping. As the afternoon went on, the city started to get more and more busy because of the big soccer game against Manchester and Barcelona. Apparently that is like the equivalent of the Super Bowl in the US. To celebrate with the city, we made our way to four different local pubs and met many friends along the way. They were all very interested in where we were from and our trip to Africa. It was a great afternoon and then we made our way back to the airport.
Once back at Heathrow, our flight to Africa took off at 9:15pm. This was an 8 hour flight, give or take, but felt more like 20! Once we landed in Entebbe and got all through customs, we met our driver Patrick who was patiently waiting with a Saint Mary's College sign. We then managed to squeeze 13 suitcases, 5 purses, 4 backpacks, and 6 bodies into a minivan. Oh and did we mention the ride was 6 hours long??!!! Driving in Africa is very different in and of itself. There are no yellow or white lines and it is all about weaving in and around of bikers, children, motorcycles, cows, and most of all, potholes.
After the long bumpy ride, we finally made it to the convent and met the sisters. Immediately after we got out of the car there were already neighborhood children just dying to play with us! The sisters were so wonderful and helped us with all of our luggage and showed us our home for the next six weeks. It is so beautiful! The three of us are sleeping in a little annex right outside of the convent (you could throw a rock at it) and the two education girls are sleeping inside the convent. The sisters had a light meal of pasta, coleslaw, papaya, bananas, and passion fruit juice prepared for us and then we just began unpacking and getting things organized. We are now awaiting dinner time and a well needed shower!
Well, that is all for now!! More to come tomorrow. Love to you all!
Remi, Kelley, and Meg
It has been a long few days. We first started at O'Hare at the British International Check-in. Everything started out with a great start when Remi's bag was 27lbs overweight as well as Kelley's being a tad on the heavy side. Praise Jesus Meg saved our butts and was able to take the load off our bags and distribute the extra weight throughout her three suitcases. We managed to get by with the help of Vicki (the British Airway clerk) and not have to pay a single fee!!
Our flight out of O'Hare to London was at 8pm and it was about 7 hours. The flight was long, but good food made it all the better. Once we landed in London we had a 12 hour layover and were able to leave the airport for the day and go into the city! We took the London Tube and got off at Covent Garden. We walked around a while and found a cute place to have lunch and did a little shopping. As the afternoon went on, the city started to get more and more busy because of the big soccer game against Manchester and Barcelona. Apparently that is like the equivalent of the Super Bowl in the US. To celebrate with the city, we made our way to four different local pubs and met many friends along the way. They were all very interested in where we were from and our trip to Africa. It was a great afternoon and then we made our way back to the airport.
Once back at Heathrow, our flight to Africa took off at 9:15pm. This was an 8 hour flight, give or take, but felt more like 20! Once we landed in Entebbe and got all through customs, we met our driver Patrick who was patiently waiting with a Saint Mary's College sign. We then managed to squeeze 13 suitcases, 5 purses, 4 backpacks, and 6 bodies into a minivan. Oh and did we mention the ride was 6 hours long??!!! Driving in Africa is very different in and of itself. There are no yellow or white lines and it is all about weaving in and around of bikers, children, motorcycles, cows, and most of all, potholes.
After the long bumpy ride, we finally made it to the convent and met the sisters. Immediately after we got out of the car there were already neighborhood children just dying to play with us! The sisters were so wonderful and helped us with all of our luggage and showed us our home for the next six weeks. It is so beautiful! The three of us are sleeping in a little annex right outside of the convent (you could throw a rock at it) and the two education girls are sleeping inside the convent. The sisters had a light meal of pasta, coleslaw, papaya, bananas, and passion fruit juice prepared for us and then we just began unpacking and getting things organized. We are now awaiting dinner time and a well needed shower!
Well, that is all for now!! More to come tomorrow. Love to you all!
Remi, Kelley, and Meg
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Packing the night before it all begins
Remi, Meg, and I have all been extremely busy this week packing for the next six weeks as we make our way to Uganda! We each have two suitcases PACKED (with one over flow duffel) with clothes, gifts for the sisters and kids, as well as medical supplies for the clinic. We are all anxiously awaiting tomorrow when we fly to Africa! There has been so much preparation over the past several months, we are excited to start our journey with our first layover in London for 12 hours. We re hoping to get out into the city to eat at a cafe and walk around and see some key site before the 9 hour flight to Entebbe, Uganda. WE CANNOT WAIT!
Kelley
Meg
Remi
Kelley
Meg
Remi
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)