Hello Goodbye

It seems like it was just a few days ago that I said hello for the first time to my Ugandan host family and now today was the day that I had to say goodbye. But I pray that todays goodbye was not goodbye forever.

At the end of the journal that NCU friends filled with encouraging notes and gave to me before leaving for Africa,Bethany quotes the words of her mission's Coordinator in Spain upon her last week abroad:

"The end is always better than the begining, because something has to come to an end in order for something new to begin."
-Julie Ann Brandt

This morning we leave for Rwanda at 5am. It is 3 am right now...no sleep today. But 16 hours of sitting in a bus will allow for some good down time.






Today while holding Dorcus for the last time, I whispered to her, "Dorcus, can you promise me that you will never forget me?" and as the little parrot that she is, she whispered back in the same tone, "Yah". I was then able to leave in peace knowing that she will remember me. Yet,then again, when walking back from church one day,with her riding on my shoulders, I asked her if she would like a big piece of my grandma's apple pie and scoop vanilla ice cream when we arrived home and she gave the same answer :P. Hmm pie and Goodbyes...pretty much on the same level.

Dorcus, there is no way that I could forget you.



The last day at home in Uganda started off well as i got a morning call from my REAL American :P mom and dad. Parents voices are of course always so soothing, but there is nothing like hearing them when in a whole world away. And My mom got to speak to my Ugandan mom :). Bitter sweet day. I am excited to come home, but also love it here so much that its hard to leave...and it only feels like we are counting down the days til the semester is officially over. :(


My Ugandan parents both went off to work so it was a fun hang out day with the siblings and eat matoke for breakfast, lunch and dinner as it was the last time that I was going to eat my mama's matoke, which is sooo good and better than any matoke I have had in Uganda. Probably because its fresh.

As my REAL siblings say, "Fresh from a chickens butt" when selling our chicken eggs, I would say that my mama's matoke is literally "Fresh from the plantain trees outside outside our back door." :)



As I leave...I can only pray that I can come back :).