Meet the Nagolos

Olyotia!!!!!
Meet my host family:
First there is Mama Jane (also known as Jaja, meaning grandmother), a large 70-year old African Mama who has birthed 12 children and raised many others. Mama Jane speaks little English, loves gospel music, loves when I speak Luganda to her, and is an excellent Ugandan cook (LOADS of matoke!!!). Now meet Tata Paul (also known as Jaja, grandfather), a tiny 90-year-old African man who has been married to Mama for fifty plus years. Tata speaks some English, can eat more matoke than anyone I know, is extremely relaxed, is extremely strong (you would never guess his age!!! he works all day outside) and enjoys teaching me words in Luganda. One time, while Tata was teaching me how to milk their cows, I pet one of the cows on the head at it proceeded to ram me in the side against a fence. Tata said, "It try to kill you!". No more milking cows for Kelly. Then there is Dennis, a 21-year old grandchild of Mama and Tata who lives with them for the time being. Dennis speaks great English, loves sappy love music (slow R&B, spice girls, Michael Bolton, Mariah Carey, etc.), loves to laugh and loves to teach me new things such as pool, dancing, and Draft- Dennis hopes to soon move to America, although I’m not sure there is any particular reason why besides the fact that is America… Dennis, like the rest of the family, is extremely kind and always makes sure that I am comfortable. He also lets me beat him in checkers. Then there is Joe, an 18year old grandchild of Mama and Tata who lives with them because he has lost both of his parents. Joe was my first friend in the house (our first bonding experience was listening to ‘gangster’s paradise’ together). He has kind of been my buddy from the get-go (kind of nice having a lil’ bro around again..) and has taken me on walks to town, around the house, etc. Joe, like the other grandchildren, is not in school because his grandparents cannot pay school fees, but he is a diligent student and wakes up every morning at 2am to do schoolwork in order to keep up (even if he has no school the next day). Joe also makes sure that I wake up on time every morning and that I drink my tea before leaving on my 40 minute walk to school. Andrew is the youngest grandchild staying in the house; he is 13 years old. Because he is the youngest, Andrew works the hardest to wait on his grandparents, older siblings, aunts, me, etc. (they are also a traditional African family, so all of the kids kneel when the enter the presence of an adult, especially their Jajas). Although Andrew doesn’t speak a lot of English, we still have a lot of fun together. Yesterday we made up a secret handshake, he took me to deliver milk to a neighbor (from one of their two cows.. and he’s going to teach me how to milk a cow!!), and he even got me a Samosa (fried treat with peas in it) because I had never tried one before. Along with those that I already mentioned, there is also Elizabeth (soon to be daughter-in law) and tons of other kids and adults who come and go throughout the house during the day. There is also the dog, Tildo, who follows me on my walk EVERY DAY to school and lays next to me in all of my classes (I have no clue how to make him stay home. he even walks me to my dorm...).
Apparently the Nagolo house is infamous in the village because Mama is on the head of the village counsel. Because of this, meetings and counseling sessions are constantly being held at our house (including at 6 in the morning). Mama even does marriage counseling!!—what a woman! 
The house itself is very small and very rustic: tin roofs, outdoor kitchen, one light, no plumbing (ie outdoor toilets and cement rooms to bucket bathe in), papers hanging from the ceiling, foam couches, and all of the boys in one room (I am staying in a tiny room in the garage on a foam bed with no pillow and a bucket in case I need to use the toilet in the middle of the night—I cannot go outside because of the wild dogs. There is a hole in my roof so during their HUGE rainstorms, water pours down my walls.. it happened at 4am last night! ( I am also currently covered in bug bites, including my face, but it is worth it!).
Even though I’ve only stayed with them three nights, I am already in love with the family!!! Just sitting with Mama while she cooks (btw we eat dinner at 1030pm or later...), chatting with the boys, or learning Luganda words brings me complete contentment. They have made me feel so comfortable, and treated me way nicer than I deserve to be treated. The Nagolo house is so full of love; they have already shown me what it means to find joy in living simply—all we need is friends, family, and God—American culture makes it too easy to forget this.
These are just descriptions of the family, so there will be more stories to come later. Many of them. Don’t worry, I’m writing them down!
Miss you all!!!

Comfortable with the Uncomfortable.

Friends and family, this is Kelly speaking to you from Mukono, Uganda, East Africa. Although it is obvious, because I am able to write this blog, I want you to know that I am alive and well (and so far parasite and disease- free)! Overall, Africa has been treating me well and I am still beyond excited to be here!

 As of today, it has been two weeks since our plane Washington DC for Amsterdam, and then from Amsterdam to Entebbe. Initially, I was overwhelmed to meet so many new faces in the airport, but I was relieved to find that we all quickly bonded during the course of the 20+ hour trip. Upon arriving in Entebbe, sleep deprived and disoriented, we were picked up in buses, given bananas and biscuits (the Ugandan cracker/cookie which I have come to love and will probably live off of for the next few months) and taken on an hour drive to Uganda Christian University- my new home. During the bus ride, I so badly wanted to be able to pay attention to my first viewing of Africa, but staying awake proved to be too painful.

Since arriving on campus, I have been placed in a tiny dorm room with two other awesome girls (such an answered prayer). Our dorm consists of bunk beds with mosquito nets, cold showers, squatty potties, and no mirrors…. Yet I am so excited to be on this hall and to be living on a Ugandan campus! When we first arrived on campus, no UCU students had moved in, but as of today, there are 7,000 Ugandan students on campus! It has already been such an experience being a part of their orientation week and I cannot wait for what else is to come.

 After arriving in Mukono, at UCU, we hung out for four days and did a lot of getting settled (including adjusting to waking up at 6am to the sound of morning worship and loud birds that sound like monkeys, adjusting to new foods such as matoke and g-nuts, and adjusting to being constantly sweaty and dusty).  Just after four days, I found myself falling in love with the gorgeous tropical scenery, the people, the food, and the culture. I was surprised at how quickly I grew comfortable being uncomfortable, which I have found is basically the theme of my semester in Uganda. Just after spending four days in Africa, the cultural differences between home and Africa were so evident, yet I have found myself so at peace with the differences.

 On August 29, four days after flying into Entebbe, we left UCU at 5am to embark on a 15 hr trek to Rwanda. Before arriving, I had no idea what to expect of our ten day stay in Rwanda- little did I know that it would be one of the most memorable and emotionally challenging experiences of my life. Describing my time in Rwanda, every emotion that I felt, everything that I saw, every testimony and talk that I heard, is nearly impossible, but I will try to give you a brief overview (ask me later for more details, I would LOVE to share). Basically, for those of you who do not know, in April 1994, the people of Rwanda of Rwanda endured one of the most horrific genocides our world has ever witnessed. In an attempt to overthrow the more dominant Tutsi ethnic group, the Hutu people ordered that all Rwandans obtain an ID card labeling them as Tutsi, Hutu, or Twa. To make a long story short, the Hutu then proceeded to kill around one million Tutsis. Unfortunately, the death of the Tutsis was not quick and painless; the Hutu brutally these innocent people who were their friends, neighbors, co-workers, etc. While in Rwanda, we spent time visiting sites where the genocide occurred (including a church called Nyamata where around 8,000 people were massacred and their clothes and bones remain), heard testimonies from numerous victim orphans, visited a place called Hope orphan village, went to the genocide museum, heard from numerous speakers, learned about the role that reconciliation has played in the current transformation of Rwanda, and even looked into the eyes of hundreds of the Hutu perpetrators (ask me for this story later). I could probably write an entire book about all that I learned and experienced in Rwanda, but I spare you for now (but PLEASE ask me about it sometime!). As well as studying genocide, I had the opportunity to visit a rural church with five other people from the program. When arriving at the church, I was surprised to find around 300 Rwandans singing and dancing their hearts out- it was so beautiful that it literally brought me to tears. While at church, we were seated on the stage, asked to teach them two songs (after SIX of their choirs had just performed), asked to give a testimony, and asked to give a sermon. And on top of all of this, the pastor was the only other person at the church who spoke English. After church, we were invited to eat lunch in the pastor’s one room home with all 25 elders of the church. Even though we did nothing for them, everyone at the church was so thankful that we had come and gave us way more than we deserved.

 After spending six nights in Rwanda, we hopped back on the trusty ol’ bus (which got a horrible flat tire on the bus ride home) and went to Bushara Island, a tiny island on Lake Bushara in Uganda. Bushara is not only one of the most gorgeous places in the world, but it was exactly what I needed after an emotionally and physically draining week in Rwanda. While on Bushara, we stayed in fully-furnished private tents, did a lot of debriefing, swam in the lake for four hours, went on rope swings, showering under buckets filled with hot water, ate guacamole, and danced to an African drum circle. It was the perfect rest before heading back to UCU.

 So here I am now, back at UCU, resting after my first day of classes, and praying that there will be internet so that I can post this ridiculously long blog. If you have read all the way to this point, thank you, and if not, I completely understand. Just know that all that I have written scarcely even skims what I have already learned, experienced, seen, and how I have already grown. Hopefully I will be blogging more often, but it is hard to tell when the internet is constantly down and the only place to use computers is in a dinning hall full of friendly Ugandans. Know that I miss you all DEARLY and think of you often. Always, Your Muzungu (meaning white person… a name that I get screamed at me literally EVERYWHERE I go), Kelly

 In case you want to keep reading even moreeee, here are some FFs (fun facts) about Uganda:

-       - a toilet is a toilet, the bathroom is where you shower

-      -  a bota-bota is a crazy motorcycle taxi that you can take if you are willing to risk your life… they are Everywhere

-       - Ugandans shower twice a day and think that Americans are dirty

-       - Dinner is always at 7pm and lunch at 1pm

-       - Girl’s basketball is called netball

-       - If you ride a bike, it is a sign of poverty

-       - There are anthills twice my height

-       - Once you get sick once, your immune system is good to go!