Day 15: All you need is love!

Mi jeung and I had to go to the ATM, which here is an hour long ordeal, at the least. Derrick took us to drop off Debbie at school, then to an ATM. The trip to the bank was the most interesting one I have had. They had a long stick with a mirror on the end that they used to check under the cars for weapons. We ran across the street and back arm in arm. We didn't know which way to look and were trying hard no to get hit by the boda-bodas. As soon as we could cross we yelled, "OK, now!" The guard laughed at us. Mi jeung's card wouldn't work in the ATM so Derrick left me in the car to take her to another bank. I thought it would be scary but no one was paying any attention to me, the doors were locked, and I was paying attention to my surroundings, so I was fine. Next, we went to pick up Derrick's other daughter, Daniela. We sat around for a while to wait for Daniela to come. Mijeung and I both go car sick on the way home. We both laid down once we got back and after 30 minutes I went to Hope.

The kids were good. I got to teach P2 this time!!! In the middle of an assignment Nakato Teddy looks at me and then points to her knee. She is gushing blood from what looks like an old wound that just opened up again. I asked Teacher Christine what to do and she took her outside to wash the wound with salt water. I wondered how healthy it is to put the water on an open wound, but there was nothing else. I put a bandage on her leg and all the kids looked at the bandages like it was the most amazing thing they'd every seen.

Ddamba is becoming one of my favorites. He's in my P1 class. He really tries to speak English and is speaking to me in full sentences sometimes.

We drew a picture on the board in which the kids just added body parts. It was a pretty hilarious drawing

Teacher Christine walked me half way home and then Teacher Edith caught up with us. She came all the way to the house looking for Hollie and Theresa. They weren't back yet so she said she would come back at 8pm, when it's dark :/ She also asked me to find a sponsor for her little boy. I tried to explain that he needed to be sponsored through an organization, that people cannot just send money to Uganda.

Mi jeung and I talked for a while and all of the sudden we heard a knock at the gate. A bunch of kids in purple uniforms (Hope's colors) asked for "Teacher Theresa" and "Teacher Hollie." They walked all the way from the school to our house, led by an 11 year-old, to say one last good bye. After about an hour of waiting outside with the kids, and passing the time asking questions, getting to know names, and taking pictures (some of which the kids took themselves), Ruth said she wanted to walk to the main road to wait for the Teachers. We locked up the house and walked with the kids to where we knew Hollie and Theresa had been picked up by World Vision that morning. We walked the whole way there holding hands with the kids and singing kid songs (including ones in Luganda and The Jackson 5's "ABC." Of course, you know me). I felt like we were doing a Civil Rights march through the streets of Bulenga. Everyone was staring at us. It was pretty fun. We turned to walk toward the post office and who do we see walking toward us, but Hollie and Theresa! I yelled, "There they are!" and all the kids bolted. They gave the kid's biscuits and bought them sodas at the supermarket.

It was a pretty awesome testament to how much the volunteers meant to the kids and how much they love them. One of my kids was there too, Nanyose. Her brother was in Theresa's class. We told the kids everyone needed to go home and Ruth promised to stop by in the morning to say goodbye again. Really adorable, but goodbyes are hard enough without having to do them multiple times. These kids are the best :)

Tomorrow, it's off to Jinja for some white water rafting!!!