Project Complete!!!

List of students by organization!

Organized files!!!

So... I have said before that I have been working in the office quite a bit at Smile Africa! Well here is proof, haha! I am a kind of person that likes to see things through and see the results! So I thought I would share them with you!

When I started these two drawers were FULL of files randomly placed. There were names on them but had no connection to organizations or anyone, we didn't know if they were sponsored or what. So I got the list from Pastor Ruth and began the organization! So as you can see I have organized the student files by organizations that sponsor them and the sheets on the wall in the office are to make it very easy for someone to find the folders.

I am hoping and praying that this continues to work smoothly in the office. I have been teaching the office staff, helping them learn a numeric system for keeping track of student files to better the communication between sponsors and Smile Africa! I pray that eventually someone will work full-time on sponsorship will Smile Africa. It is really difficult to complete a project like this and leave. Hoping that it will continue on smoothly, because with all short-term/ long term missionaries resentment can set in. Where I have come to help out will be fine without me and didn't "need" me because they can run things just fine...so why was I here?  Why did I complete this organization project?

Because God told me to.

As I am preparing to leave I am TRUSTING God. He will finish the work we start...sometimes it is not mine to finish. And in the long run, Praise Jesus for that!

I hope this encourages you!

I can't believe it is June...home in 20 days!!!!!

Dancin.

While sitting with JaJa Grace and Margaret after lunch one afternoon last week. Same was busy walking around and wanting to play so JaJa started singing and Sam decided to give us a little show! haha.

We had such a fun time. JaJa could hardly keep singing because she was laughing so hard! They know how to dance the African way as soon as they can walk!!

Enjoy!!

Truly, 'The Final Countdown'....2 weeks.

Well, 2 weeks left at Smile Africa. To be honest I never thought this time would come. Before leaving 8 months seemed SO FAR away and now we are talking about all the different things we were doing to get ready to come to Africa. Talking with people, being overwhelmed with the thought of leaving family and friends for "so long", and all the change that has come with it. To be honest again, I am ready to come home. I love the people here, the kids, and the work we do but knowing that school is ahead and what I will study is where my heart is, I am ready for that next step.
We have been so busy the last couple weeks and are even busier these next two weeks. We are being invited over to everyone's home, trying to have one last meal together, "The Last Supper", they are calling it, haha. It has been a blessed time of sharing meals together, saying goodbye, thanking them for their kind hospitality and friendship. I have not begun to think about what it will be like to leave the kids, I can't.
I am excited to just play with the kids outside for the last couple weeks. Soaking in the precious moments of all the funny things they say and do and to share God's love with them as much as I can before I leave.

Below are a few pictures of recent happenings...daily life!

Sarah and I seeing our reflection through Joseph's helmet on our way home :)

Bosko playing a type of yoyo rolling game with this tire....all the kids do it!

Hi ya!

Where'd the babies go....oh yeah they all crawled to the corner and were hiding! Found them! Esther is acting as if I can't see her, Blessing (middle) is like "What am I not supposed to be hiding?", and Paulo is laughing haha!

Sweet Sweet, Aluwo!

This was Richard's expression to me after he peed on me and I said "Ah, Richard!" Who should really be upset...me or him? haha

Joyce is pretending to be a teacher, teaching all the babies! 

This crew was walking in this line around Smile. They, like all kids, are very creative!

Jambo, Jambo!

Lyric Translation:
Jambo, Jambo Bwana           Hello, hello Sir,
Habari Gani,                         How are you,
Mzuri Sana                           Very Fine.

Wageni, Mwakaribishwa     Foreigners, You're welcome,
Kenya Yetu Hakuna Matata  In our Kenya there is no problem.

He is only singing part of the song but I thought I'd add a couple other lines so it makes more sense!

"The Mayor" Ochieng- is such a character and big part of my everyday Smile life. He is almost always the first one to greet us and all day I can hear his voice yelling, laughing, crying, or whatever. He seems to be everywhere all day and I don't know how he does it, which is why he was given the nickname "Mayor. He knows everything and is everywhere all the time.
He comes from a very tough home life. His mother is an alcoholic and he doesn't have a father around. He has several other siblings and they all have different fathers. Despite his living conditions he usually always has a smile on his face. He may get on my nerves sometimes but...I will miss this little guy.

This is why I am here.

After our amazing time/trip with my parents here, it was time to say goodbye :(  It was difficult and so fast! After they left I was really missing home because they gave me a 'taste of home', and I was ready to be back in the U.S. With 2 months left, the end was seeming a million miles away.

It was a tough week back at Smile readjusting from traveling around Uganda and having a more "tourist" week than usual. I was exhausted and praying daily that God would give me strength. I was listening to a song called, "I surrender" daily as well remembering that Jesus is the reason I am here. I surrendered my life to Him when I asked Him to be apart of my life. When He asked me to come to Africa I again surrendered what I selfishly wanted, a good paying job and the comfort of my own home. That same week there was a large group of about 40 people from Hope4Kids International visiting the many different organizations they serve here in Tororo. On Thursday they were throwing a glow stick party for the kids that live at Smile Africa. They invited us and we were thrilled to go!  We arrived at Smile that evening and while we were waiting for the team to come the Smile kids, Pastor Ruth and us were worshipping and dancing in the shed together. In the midst of the evening approaching, the kids singing, everyone dancing, I felt God speaking to my heart, "This is why you are here". Which doesn't really explain much but I felt comfort, peace, and joy to be sharing that special time with them. I was so thankful that God gave me the strength I needed to make it through that week, to get over my selfish wants, and to continue on the race I am running, in this thing called life. 

Pastor Ruth was wearing lots of glow stick accessories!!

Some of the kids and their glow stick attire!! 

New Cloth-es

Thank You, Thank You, Thank You!!! When my parents arrived they had 3 extra suitcases full of goodies for the kids at Smile Africa! Thank you to all of you who have pitched in and donated something! I gave out some clothes to the kids who live at Smile and to some that come daily. 

I will be passing out the pillowcase dresses soon!! They look so lovely, thank you! 

These kids have been really blessed despite their circumstances! 

Paulo sporting the polo shirt! 

Baby room kids loving their new shirts/shorts!

Baby Christine is just too cute!!

Experience Kampala!

This is WAY overdue but, here are some photos of our weekend trip to Kampala in February! We needed to pick up our passports so we could go to Kenya in March.

We had a fun weekend going around to different places in Kampala we hadn't been to before! We first did the main point of our trip...Get Passport-check! So the rest of the time we relaxes, did some shopping, visited with friends, and enjoyed a new selection of films :)

Below are some photos of a really neat coffee shop called '1,000 Cups'. The manager has been to the states and even knew where Fargo, ND was!! I was impressed and so maybe that influenced my liking of the coffee. 

We were able to see some other AIM friends in town, and had a great evening together. We tried a new restaurant- which is luxury, from Tororo. And we got to attend Watoto Church, which has been a real blessing for me, because church is one of the biggest things (apart from family/friends) that I miss the most. 

1,000 Cups Shop

1,000 Cups Coffe!

This was too funny! I am not sure how long this cardboard will last!

Holly on a boda!

Evening sunset from Julie's apartment!

Let it Rain! Let it Rain!

Well, dry season has officially left (YAY!!!!) and rainy season has entered! Here are a few pictures of the storms we see just about every other day. Not sure what your "idea" of rainy season is but when I first arrived I kept asking people "What does rainy season mean, does it rain like all the time?" Answer, "No". But we definitely have a good rain every other day and full of thunder and lightning, at least no tornadoes to think about. Being from ND we always talk about the weather so here's for all you wondering what it's like here :)

View outside our house...the rain is here!

Incoming storm, and the front yard!

These hills are 'Just There' (African directions) and the little white object is a cross, thought it was cool how much it stuck out during the storm!

Real African Safari

We started the trip by going to Jinja for a night so Mom and Dad could see 'The Source'! We had a good time! We drove about 5 hours to get from Jinja to Murchison Falls National Park. The adventure started on Wednesday morning at 6 am. We headed out on our first 'Game Drive' that afternoon at 4, we did another game drive the next morning, and an afternoon boat ride along the Nile to see the water animals up close and the bottom of the powerful Murchison Waterfall!!

We then went to the top of Murchison Falls on Friday morning to end our trip which was one of the most magnificent views I've ever seen and probably will ever see. We saw lots of different kinds of birds, hippos, crocodiles, elephants, giraffe, lion cubs, Uganda National Bird- Crane, wart hogs, water buffalo, hartebeest, monkeys and baboons. (I am not sure if I missed anything)

We had such an amazing time! This is definitely something I had always wanted to do but never thought it would work! Check it off my bucket list for sure! It was an amazing feeling and view to be driving through these animals natural habitats and not be at a zoo! I felt like I was in "The Lion King".

Source of the Nile!

View from the hotel room that evening.

Morning sunrise on our way to Safari!

Safari time!

The 3 of us on our first ferry ride across the Nile to get to the park for our game drive!

This tree is called "The Sausage Tree"- Elephants love to eat these. It is actually alcohol for them!

Baboons around the ferry area! They even jumped in some of the vans that hadn't closed their rooftops yet!

Real life Lion King land.

Hartebeest- these guys were EVERYWHERE!

"Hey, I think I see something!"

Beautiful colors and view!

3 of the 4 1 year old lion cubs we saw! 

Pretty kitty!

This other van and ours were driving through the grass to see the lions and we even watched them chase after a warthog! It was like 'Real Life National Geographic'!! Unfortunately.....they did not catch the little guy.

Me and Sarah sitting on top of the van! We were excited about the lions!!!

Uganda's National Bird! Crane

On the other side of the water is the Democratic Republic of Congo!

Happy Campers in our Safari Van!

Two by two!

Warthogs- they are not very cute. Except the babies.

Papa and Momma Giraffe- Fun Fact: the older a giraffe gets the darker their spots!

Lions day#2!! Yep we saw them 2 days in a row!

Beautiful view!

Hungry Hippos! haha. Another Fun Fact: Hippos main predator are humans- which makes sense why humans main predator are hippos!

Real old giraffe! He's almost black- I could watch giraffe's all day long. Super interesting animals!

ELEPHANTS! They are my favorite! 

Just hanging around!

This line of about 15 giraffes were right next to the road on our way back from our game drive! 

Dad's enjoying the boat ride!

Crazy monkeys! 

Multi-colored bird! I saw one that was almost a turquoise color but it kept flying away every time I tried to take a photo:(

Bottom of Murchison Falls! 

I don't think this guys very happy. I didn't want to be that close to him either. I wasn't driving the boat.

These Elephants had just been bathing in the Nile, they went away as our boat was coming. 

Ugandan storm- rainy season is here!

Beautiful view from our breakfast table at Red Chili Camp!

In the distance you can see the Nile and the land across is where all the animals are!

The three of us at the top of Murchison Falls! We were told it is the most powerful waterfall in the world!

Beauty.

Beauty.

It was SUPER sunny.

Beauty.

Majestic! :) I could have sat by the falls ALL day as well. Amazing view and sound.

This is a tea farm on our way home to Tororo!