I hope everyone had a great Christmas Holiday and a safe Happy New Year! I want to Thank everyone for the good wishes and prayers that you have sent my way...it really means alot!
Christmas in Africa is so different from the States! There is really no Christmas hipe, you hear the Langi people playing the radio and occasionally you hear christmas music that you hear in the states. But it is not all the time. No one really decorates for Christmas. Even when you go into a big town, you see no decorations or signs of Christmas. I saw my first Christmas tree in Uganda when I went to Kampala. I only saw 3 and they were being sold walking up and down the streets as the cars stopped. The guy was holding them up in his hand...it really was funny. The tree was fake, sparse and only about 3 foot (it looked like a Charlie Brown Christmas tree, only small). Even though there are no decorations and santa does not come, the spirit of Christmas was still alive in their hearts. People always wishing you a "Happy" Christmas and a Blessed New Year. The church has a nativity scene with lights around it, but no trees, greenery or decorations. The boys that live next door to me got a little mobile car toy that was made from clips and ties (see above) and they play with the toy all the time.
I can really see now how commercialized Christmas is in America, we go overboard. I really Love a real Christmas tree, the smell of the evergreen, the lights and the warm feeling of home at Christmas. Maybe if we cut down on all the other expectations in America, people would not be so stressed at Christmas and could enjoy friends and family more.
I really had a wonderful mini vacation for Christmas. Kampala was off limits for safety to PCV because of the violence and robberies. So I had to take special measures when I went to Jan’s house. Shelley, Linda and I went to Kampala and stayed with Jan at her house for Christmas. Jan is the Associate County Director, so her home was extremely safe...she has a gated yard and guards around her house that patrol the yard every 1 hour! I was also spoiled with a warm shower, washer and dryer, electricity and internet access. We made American food and had real cheese! I got to wear shorts and tank tops! So it was really nice. Then we went to Jinja for 4 nights at a hotel that was established by people from Amsterdam. It really catered to Europeans, it was detailed in every way! I felt like I was in the Caribbean! We again had a warm shower, pool, good American food, massages...it was really 4 days for Self-Care!
I arrived back in Iceme and brought in the New Years quietly asleep in my bed. New Years day I went to Ngetta in Lira with the Sisters. One of the young novice Sisters that I meet in Iceme when I first got there was being consecrated as a Nun into the Order of Mary Mother of the Church. It was the first consecration celebration I have ever been to in my Life! Not only were some of the Sister saying their first vows, but there were also sisters celebrating their 25th Anniversary in Religious life. Wow, it is something to see. There were 3 Bishops and 54 Priest and of course all the Nuns from all around Uganda, families and friends. They had an outdoor Mass and during the Mass the novice nuns were brought up the the altar and the parents gave the girls to the church, like in a wedding ceremony. After Mass they had a hugh catering of food and entertainment. I will also try to put those pictures on facebook when I can get better internet access. It was an all day event and pretty interesting. They had a program that included Part I and Part II; Mass, welcoming remarks and speeches from the LCs, Chaplain’s, a member of Parliament and the Superior General, cutting of the cake (which there were 10 cakes stacked up on a rack), presentation of gifts, entertainment and lunch. (I have put pictures and a video of the Dancers on facebook).
Now that the holidays are over, people are getting back to there routines. In Iceme they are preparing to spray all the homes inside and outside with FICAM (Bendiocarb) to stop the spread of Malaria. We had alot of patients admitted to the Health Center over the Christmas/New Years season with Malaria, Typhoid and diarrhea. So it looks like when I come back from In-Service Training (IST) there is a hugh need for education in the villages. CDC released the report that the disease that took the lives of 46 people in the North was Yellow Fever. Good thing I had that vaccine!
I just finished my action plan for the next 3 months with my supervisor...and boy I hope that I can do everything! It includes starting support groups for war torn victims, and one for HIV/AIDS, getting the proposal together for livestock, getting the water borehole fixed, education at village homes, follow up with patients that were admitted to the Health Center (HC) at their village home, assessment of patients admitted to the HC, teaching Healing Touch to the HC staff and other things.
I leave for Seeta for the PC IST on the 9th and that will end on the 22nd. PC will have our Supervisors come to Seeta for training from the 17th to the 22nd. The training will be on Project Development and Implementation, and Life Skills training. Life Skills training will include Behavior change modifications. It will be good to see everyone again. On the 22nd I will go with the other volunteers to Jinja to do white water rafting in the Nile River before I go back to Iceme on the 25th.
Well, I think that is all I have for now. I will try to put as many pictures as I can on facebook.
I wish you all a healthy, happy year ahead.
Take Care and Stay healthy and safe!
Love & Light,
Mari
