Hi
Friends, it’s me!
I’ve
switched over to g-mail so that I could ‘bcc’ people and hopefully avoid
everyone getting two pages worth of other peoples e-mail addresses! I still have my hotmail account, but
will send these group e-mails from resilientuganda@gmail.com
Taking the
long way home from Uganda has proven to be quite exhausting, beautiful and
overwhelming at times! It has been filled with surprises from reclining lounge
chairs for the five hour layover in the Addis Ababa airport to the man in the
chair next to me lighting up a cigarette! Also a surprise visit to the ER in
Malaysia which turned out to be ring worm on my face, I could think of worse
souvenirs to bring home! Another surprise trip to the East side of the Malaysian
peninsula and a few lazy days floating in the warm waters of the Pacific Ocean,
getting a lobster-red sunburn and innumerable delectable meals with the Stanley’s.
I found myself experiencing the shock of 90 degree weather, plus humidity, you
know when you walk out of the house and instantly the skin prickles as the
intense heat sweeps over your body and a shiver runs down your spine.
Roaming
the airport in Hong Kong for fourteen hours in the middle of the night, a nice
surprise is when I finally see three chairs next to each other that no one has already
sprawled out on. A not-so-nice surprise is when I lay down on them, and then I
jump up as I realize the chairs are wet! At 3:30 a.m. when I’m strolling the
quiet airport terminal to eat more chocolate and use the toilet I find three
seats in a row...and they are empty and dry! I sleep like a log during the
twilight hours. The flight leaving Hong Kong is delayed by rain, so we sit on board,
buckled and ready for take-off for over three hours until the rain relents and
we can finally begin the thirteen hour flight. We arrived in San Francisco just
moments after my connecting flight to Denver left. So, nearly two full days
later when I finally step outside, I step into a snowstorm, wind whirling
around us through the parking garage at DIA, then directly onto I-70 where a
blizzard is raging and it's a white-out as my Dear friend, Jennifer and I crawl
along the interstate and finally onto the smaller, winding road that leads to
Winter Park. The peeling skin from sunburn soon turns into a dry and scaly
coating that sheds like a snake everywhere I go. The dry mountain air cracks my
skin as I find myself whizzing down the mountain and enjoying the phenomenal
views. Winter Park has so many runs it's ridiculous, views to die for and with
a buddy pass skiing is incredibly affordable!!
It turns
out leaving Uganda was physically more difficult than I thought it would be as
well! There were wonderful dinners and farewells, complete with going away
gifts for myself and even for my parents; it was so sweet and thoughtful. My
last night in Kisoro was spent with friends at Promise’s house. I brought the wall
calendar from Amazing Grace to leave with them, since I didn’t want to roll it
up and carry it home and since a student, Shiba, lives there. I thought they
would enjoy hanging the big poster-sized calendar with photos of the Directors,
the students and some of the teachers; they enjoyed it more than I could have
imagined. I laid it on the table in front of them and for over an hour the
discussion was on the photos of the two Directors, which one of them looks more
serious, which one looks friendlier, the school itself and who knows what else,
it completely captivated them. I had no idea it would be such a source of
entertainment. Along with the “first aid kit” that I gave Promise, he had to
try on the face mask and a pair of latex gloves, then he wanted to sleep in
them because they were so warm!
The next day when Mark and I finally
screeched into the Kigali airport just one hour before the flight, I rushed
through the security scanner, reached back to hand him my last few Rwandan francs
and dashed to the check-in counter. I sensed something wasn’t quite right as
soon as the woman told me, “Just wait one minute” as she disappeared with my
passport. She returns and explains that she sees my ticket has been purchased
but for some reason I'm not on the flight manifest. She asks if I bought the
ticket online and then explains that people always have troubles when they buy
online. She could get me on this flight, but the connecting flight from Addis
Ababa to Kuala Lumpur has been cancelled and the next one is in two days, so I could
wait here for two days or in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia for two days. I was stranded
at the airport without any money and a debit card that doesn't work in this
country.
After an hour or so of sitting in
the airport office like an elephant that everyone was trying to ignore I decide
to go and find a place to sleep. I spend the next two days in the Ethiopian airline
office and eventually get them to pay for my hotel room and even for delicious
meals at the hotel. I am astounded by the fruit drinks in a fancy glass with
fresh fruit decorating the rim, by the breakfast buffet of so many delicious
foods, pastries and meats piled up that I cannot help but feel gluttonous and
like I’m cheating on my Ugandan friends that I know have never seen most of
these foods. My first month out of Africa and it dawns on me that I have already
experienced many things that most Ugandans never will, including; swimming in
the ocean, visiting an aquarium, a canopy walk over the jungle in Malaysia,
downhill skiing, snowshoeing, roller skating, swimming in a pool, eating at a
buffet, having a pedicure and so many more. I am the luckiest person alive. I
am amazed by all the good songs on the radio, how delicious cheese is, how much
I’ve missed sandwiches, clean toilets, toilets you can sit on, hot showers and
a sink with running water to wash my hands in before a meal. I jump in surprise
when an automatic door opens for me and I am so pleasantly surprised every time
I find a bar of soap next to the sink. I am the luckiest person alive. I think
repeatedly about my friends and the students that I’ve left behind and how
great it would be to share all these experiences with them. I take photos for
them that they’ll probably never see, but maybe someday I can share all the
beauties of this big world with them!
My oldest and dearest friend, Jennifer Basch and I have spent
many hours in the past few weeks organizing and establishing Resilient Uganda.
After phone calls, meetings and speaking with so many good people, we have
agreed to work under an already registered and established non-profit that we
really like and feel so blessed that we have connected with these great people.
It was through a series of meetings with good people in Estes Park and being
passed on to a friend of a friend, which brought us to Pam who runs H.E.L.P.
Uganda, also working under the umbrella of H.E.L.P. International. The best
part of joining with them is that we don't have to go through the fees nor the
time consuming obligation of applying with the IRS for the 501c3 status, which
could deny us anyway. Plus H.E.L.P. International is willing to let us continue
in Kisoro with our mission and goals still being the project focus! Check them
out at: http://www.helpint.org/
Resilient Uganda’s focus is to create self-sufficiency within villages
by meeting the basic needs of access to water and empowering Ugandans with the
necessary resources, education and job skills to earn a living.
If you want to know more about Resilient
Uganda check it out on facebook; Resilient Uganda, our website;
resilientuganda.webs.com or check out my blog http://bonniebzdok.blogspot.com/. If you are interested in a slideshow and bead party, let
me know! I love to share the stories and we are selling beautiful handmade
beads from Ugandan women. The colorful beads are made from recycled paper and
by buying the beads you are empowering women by enabling them to provide for
their families.
Next Stop, Minnesota, where so many
good peeps are waiting for me, thanks for your patience and I cannot WAIT to
see you all! The dump truck is calling me again, I have an opportunity to make
more money in a summer than a Ugandan will make in his lifetime, I think I
should take it!
Love, love, love and hope to see you
soon!
Bonnie B.
“Let your light heal the world”
-anonymous
