To finish from my short blog of yesterday that was interrupted by a rain storm, I want to finish explaining how yesterday was very touching to me. Watching the singing, dancing and preying it was amazing to watch because you could just tell that with everyone of them it was coming straight from their soul. It was an intense feeling that I had during their performance. We next had Aloysius give us a tour of the farm was incredible to think that they had gone from just tall grass 3 years ago to building houses, piggeries, and gardens full of different types of trees such as, banana trees, to mango and melon trees to having cows, hens, pigs and goats. Its mind blowing to see how hard they work to make such an extraordinary transformation even after all the traumatizing events they have been through.
I'm sure as you already read, we played in a soccer tournament yesterday at this huge stadium and the other teams and fans were looking at us and laughing yet when we started playing we sure turned that around that day with our skills of "football" (soccer) and won! It was such an exhilarating experience to have the fans covering the stadium and surrounding our field cheering with excitement and joy every time we made a goal. We play again sometime this week for the winning championship! But with this game, I hadn't had that thrilling, nervous feeling in about 4 years when i was in a cheerleading competition, and it was great to get that feeling once again. But what really affected me was after the game we went to visit a family friend of sports outreach that had some dramatic, really tough experiences. And you really don't know what they've been through until you see it for yourself. Betty (the mother) had lost her husband and even with an experience like this she still had the courage, dedication, and strength to keep going and support her family through her piggery to be able to feed her 2 daughters and give them shelter and hoping for one day that she and her family will be able to find a house in her home village. Betty's daughter Hilda is a role model to me. She is so strong and helps her mother in taking care of her younger sister. It really hit me hard that this family has been through so much yet they still strive to keep going. This family truly inspired me. I look up to them, with they way they handle everything they've been through because if I were to ever go through a traumatizing experience like they have I wouldn't be able to survive. I have learned to not take anything for granted and to love unconditionally and to strive to become as strong and dedicated for the things i want to accomplish in life as this family was.
I am truly blessed to be here, and I now have found a new appreciation for religion and god just from what I've learned in the past few days, and I will carry these experiences with me for the rest of my life. And with this trip it has really made me become a better person than I was before I had left for africa. You realize when you come here that in order to help these people, all you need to do is be there for them, comfort and encourage them but more importantly try to return to visit. I hope to affect them and teach them my knowledge and give the people in Gulu my love and encouragement just as much as they have loved, and taught me.
- "Rebafrica" (Becky Wasz)
2 comments:
We are proud of you. This is what we wanted for you an adventure lifetime. Thanks for the post.
I believe when we do something that we think will be good for someone else, we learn that it is actually good for us as well. You are having that kind of experience now.
Savor the moments. And take loads of pictures. xxoo kk
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