*For those of you following my "Home School Lessons" blog, I will be writing one big one for my 3 months in Africa, as they were becoming very similar. So look for one at the end of Tanzania!*
*There are pictures of most of these things on my facebook page, so feel free to friend me if you want to see them….it takes super long to upload a single photo on this blog!*
I have a really obnoxiously long, detailed, ever-growing, and largely unrealistic bucket list at home that I began about two years ago. Pardon the unoriginal idea, but if you have never made one, you definitely should. Take the pressure off of yourself to add items that you feel like “should” be on it….if you have never had a desire to see the Great Wall of China, go skydiving, eat escargot, or paint a picture, then don’t include them. My bucket list has everything from places I want to see, recipes I want to try/create, books I want to read, events I want to attend….and about 100 other random personal desires.
I had originally thought about making a bucket list for this trip, but given the unpredictability of the whole year, I feared it would become impossible to actually do anything on it.
So here is the next installment of my “Reverse Bucket List”: crazy, random things I experienced in any given country that I never could have known or predicted.
In Uganda and Rwanda I…
-ran into a close friend from home at the Entebbe, Uganda Airport
-saw a group of local Sunday school kids present a dance to my squad, as well as multiple presentations from the church neighboring our hostel.
-went for a run after drinking steamed milk tea, barf my brains out on the side of the road, and have a lady chase me down on a motorcycle to give me a hanky and tell me “No more running for you!”
-got an incredible $4 pedicure.
-laughed my butt off as our entire squad presented team skits, complete with the grand prize of a live chicken.
-had our entire packs pilfered through at the Rwanda border, where no plastic bags are allowed in.
-had my feet washed by my new host pastor, was given tea, and a huge African feast at 1am as soon as I arrived in Rwanda.
-hiked steep dirt mountain roads to go into our Pastor’s village church almost every day.
-joined in worship, fellowship, and sharing of the Word in a tiny, tin-roof, dirt floor village church, complete with beautiful barefoot children and African worship music.
-had my hair rubbed, stroked, braided, and generally played with by every kid that could get their hands in my hair.
-laugh as our host Pastor made regular requests for someone to “bring a song!” or “bring a dance!” as the means of entertainment after family dinner.
-was asked to sit down by the Pastor at our team’s dismal attempt at a musical presentation. Don’t come to Africa and try to be musical in front of the church unless you are ready to seriously bring some Spirit.
-took motorbikes all over Kigali, Rwanda to different coffee shops and local corners to enjoy African coffee and wifi on off days, praying the wild driving would not end my life.
-enjoyed a “team leader dinner” night, complete with an American-style home, HOT shower, and delicious dinner cooked by our squad’s new friend, Laura!
-taught English to adults and children alike in the village church several days a week…laughed hysterically as the kids repeated anything and everything we said.
-celebrated 2 squad mates birthdays (Melissa and Trena!) at the incredible Mezzefresh…an almost-Chipotle burrito experience!
-enjoyed African tea-time every night…rich, steamy milk tea made with Rwandan tea leaves…YUM!
-did a conga line dance down the dirt road with the kids in our village.
-was dressed and head wrapped in the traditional African style to attend a village wedding…complete with said wedding beginning two hours late, the playing of the “Happy Birthday”song as the groom walked in, and the exchanging of gifts (i.e., Fanta, coke, water jugs, and cowboy hats) and the accepting of the dowry…three cattle.
-visited the US Embassy for the first time on the Race, and was disappointed that they were not playing the National Anthem on repeat or serving apple pie.
-visited the genocide museum and learned of the horrors of the Rwanda genocide of the 1990’s.
-smashed an enormous, $0.30 avocado on my head for it’s conditioning benefits. 🙂
-had an impromptu American song sing-along.
-attempted unsuccesfully to have some part in seeing one of my favorite things…the Olympics.
-was taken to a delicious Chinese lunch (we were all missing Asian food!) and to an open-air bowling alley where real people pick up the pins at the end, all as a thank you from my team for being their leader. Honored and touched by their thoughtfulness!
-took a bus through the Rwandan countryside back to Uganda, where we immediately learned we were leaving ASAP to escape the ebola outbreak.
-said goodbye to two wonderful new friends, Kay and Elizabeth, who were a huge part of our team while in Rwanda as part of the World Race exposure program…I miss and love you lovely ladies!
-fled the ebola under cover of darkness on a night bus leaving Kampala towards Kenya!
