So obviously we haven't followed up on posting pics. We are still sorting through them all ourselves, quite honestly.
This is just a message to let everyone know we won't be using this blog anymore. Two years of amazing, crazy, incredible adventures. These will be the best memories and so close to our hearts. But it is time to move on. God called us to some awesome places, but He's called us back home now and we're okay with that. We will ALWAYS be connected to Africa, Haiti and Peru and will cherish this part of our lives. And we plan to continue serving His neediest children right here at home- different needs, same love.
Thank you to everyone who has supported us, prayed for us and followed us on our amazing mission. We love you all!
Rachel and Arielle
fixrachel@gmail.com
arielle.rynerson@gmail.com
Sunday, August 10, 2008
Thursday, June 26, 2008
In Conclusion...thoughts on leaving Africa
Hey Everyone,
So it's been a while since we have posted, but we've had a lot to adjust to. Coming home has been lots of things...bittersweet for the most part. Stepping out of Africa and back into Minneapolis life has been fun and exciting but sad too. As ready as we were to put a close to the past 2 years of 3rd world volunteer work, saying goodbye was incredibly hard. Leaving the children of Amani, the families of Jinja and the people of Masese that we had grown so close to was really hard, but we both agree that the hardest goodbye was to our dear, dear friends, the mamas of Amani. Throughout our 10 months with Amani we have formed true friendships and relationships with these women. We worked along side them day after day, and while we got to know the babies personalities and preferences, we also got to know there's. We visited many of their homes and laughed and talked with them about anything we would think about. When we left, one of the head supervisors, mama susan, spoke about our work there and the friendships we had made with each of them. The mamas gathered around and sang and danced for us. They made us homemade cards and gave us big hugs and circled us in prayer. The most touching part was that literally each one of those women were in tears (along with us of course). We were able to give each mama a personal note and pictures we had of them, which was special to them and good closure for us as we said goodbye to our wonderful friends.
We will never forget these children, the mamas, our volunteer friends, the people we met in Jinja (our maize family), the children of Masese, our students in Buziika or our wonderful house girl Betty.
This year in numbers:
26 Number of Amani children we saw go home to new families
17 Number of new Amani babies we saw come in
8 Number of orphanages we worked at in Uganda and Sudan
700 Number of shoes we gave to village children
220 Number of children we taught Bible stories to
4000 Number of meals we served to hungry children through our feeding program in Masese
10,000,000 Number of hugs and kisses given to orphans in need
Favorite memories...
Washing the children's feet in Masese
Katie Bug's 2nd birthday party
Mama's Christmas party
Our week in Gulu with Mama Doreen
Meeting Ashley, Jose and Caleb and working with them in Sudan
Passing out over 300 pairs of shoes in Kikondo, then again in Masese
Noah's Ark puppet show in Buziika
Having our maize family over for dinner
Amani Carnival
Teaching preschool in Sudan and at Amani
Having visitors
There will be a last big picture post within a week...
So it's been a while since we have posted, but we've had a lot to adjust to. Coming home has been lots of things...bittersweet for the most part. Stepping out of Africa and back into Minneapolis life has been fun and exciting but sad too. As ready as we were to put a close to the past 2 years of 3rd world volunteer work, saying goodbye was incredibly hard. Leaving the children of Amani, the families of Jinja and the people of Masese that we had grown so close to was really hard, but we both agree that the hardest goodbye was to our dear, dear friends, the mamas of Amani. Throughout our 10 months with Amani we have formed true friendships and relationships with these women. We worked along side them day after day, and while we got to know the babies personalities and preferences, we also got to know there's. We visited many of their homes and laughed and talked with them about anything we would think about. When we left, one of the head supervisors, mama susan, spoke about our work there and the friendships we had made with each of them. The mamas gathered around and sang and danced for us. They made us homemade cards and gave us big hugs and circled us in prayer. The most touching part was that literally each one of those women were in tears (along with us of course). We were able to give each mama a personal note and pictures we had of them, which was special to them and good closure for us as we said goodbye to our wonderful friends.
We will never forget these children, the mamas, our volunteer friends, the people we met in Jinja (our maize family), the children of Masese, our students in Buziika or our wonderful house girl Betty.
This year in numbers:
26 Number of Amani children we saw go home to new families
17 Number of new Amani babies we saw come in
8 Number of orphanages we worked at in Uganda and Sudan
700 Number of shoes we gave to village children
220 Number of children we taught Bible stories to
4000 Number of meals we served to hungry children through our feeding program in Masese
10,000,000 Number of hugs and kisses given to orphans in need
Favorite memories...
Washing the children's feet in Masese
Katie Bug's 2nd birthday party
Mama's Christmas party
Our week in Gulu with Mama Doreen
Meeting Ashley, Jose and Caleb and working with them in Sudan
Passing out over 300 pairs of shoes in Kikondo, then again in Masese
Noah's Ark puppet show in Buziika
Having our maize family over for dinner
Amani Carnival
Teaching preschool in Sudan and at Amani
Having visitors
There will be a last big picture post within a week...
Friday, June 06, 2008
So it's been a week since we've been home now. The first question anyone asks us is if we miss Africa. Of course we miss each and every child at Amani, the mamas, and the wonderful culture. Africa was, is and will always be a part of us, ingrained so deep within us that it has shaped who we are and will become. Right now though... we are having a good time being in the US- seeing friends, family and doing some shopping (its exciting to not have to think about wearing "missionary clothes" all the time!).
First day back activity- hair cut
Food most excited to eat- strawberries!!!
Place most excited to visit- the Minneapolis lakes
Most exciting item bought so far- new jeans and a really cute summer dress!
Looking forward to- outdoor dinners, walks/runs around the lakes, and our next crazy adventure!!!
I promise we're going to write a more meaningful entry summing up our time during the past two years- so check back soon for that!
First day back activity- hair cut
Food most excited to eat- strawberries!!!
Place most excited to visit- the Minneapolis lakes
Most exciting item bought so far- new jeans and a really cute summer dress!
Looking forward to- outdoor dinners, walks/runs around the lakes, and our next crazy adventure!!!
I promise we're going to write a more meaningful entry summing up our time during the past two years- so check back soon for that!
Monday, June 02, 2008
Surprise!
Arielle and I flew home on the same flight and are now both safely back in America. Imagine how surprised her family was when she walked into her house 2 months early!!! We both feel extremely satisfied and complete about our time in Uganda and will write about what it was like to leave and come home as well as post some cute pics. Are we pathetic that we miss each other already and need to have a sleepover tonight? We're definately besties!
Monday, May 26, 2008
Amani Carnival
We threw a freaking sweet carnival for the Amani kiddos on Saturday afternoon. When Arielle was in America giving Mel and Joey a push home (Ugandan words for escorting) we had planned to have her bring back supplies for a good old fashioned elementary school-style carnival. We had a beautiful afternoon for the event and of course the kids loved it! We decorated the front yard with streamers, balloons and signs and had 6 different carnival stations set-up in a big circle. Our games included a cake walk for rice krispie treats, a lollipop garden, fishing pond, bean-bag toss, "boats on the water", and face painting. Everyone ate a ton of sweeties and by the end of the afternoon most of the children were covered in bright colored drool and crumbs. We had plenty of whistles and noise makers as prizes to make sure the kids could all have a chance to be really loud and crazy. It was really fun and a perfect way to end our time together at Amani. Some of you know this, but for others who don't, I (Rachel) am leaving Uganda on Friday to go home to America. My brother is getting married this summer and I need to be home for that. My time here has been incredible and unforgettable, but in my heart, I am ready for the next chapter in my life. Please pray for safe travel this week and that my heart is okay while saying goodbye to all of the people (big and little) that I love here! Talk to you soon!
Friday, May 23, 2008
Dinner with our maize family!
On Thursday night, we had our maize family over to our house for dinner! It was a great night! We picked them up around 5:30 and they were all SO excited, especially Shakira (the 4-year-old). We found out later in the night that when Shakira saw us drive up she ran to her mom and said "See Mom, I told you they would come!!!" Shifa, age 2, was not quite as enthusiastic, but she did manage to greet us and say "Mzungu, how are you?". Their father was also at the maize stand and so we invited him to come along as well but he explained to us that if he came, there would be no one to sell maize. He was just as excited for his wife and children to come along and we promised we would send a big plate of food home for him.
When we first got to the house, we were at a little bit of a loss because they didn't speak any English and Betty, our house girl, wasn't there yet to translate. But, within about 5 minutes, Shakira was bopping all over the house wanting to touch, taste, and see everything! It was great that even though she was totally out of her element, she felt completely comfortable! Shifa was happy to just sit with her mom in the living room, and Mom was simply beaming just to be in our home and watch her daughters having such a good time! As soon as Betty arrived, we were all much happier because we could actually communicate! We learned that the mom, Jamira, is only 26, had her first child at 16, and has two more children that she had to send to live in the village because she could not care for all 4 of them at the same time. Neither she, her husband, nor any of her children have ever been to school. We also learned that her husband is the groundskeeper at the cemetery in town. In exchange for his work, his family gets to live on the compound in a VERY small, VERY simple hut and he gets paid 2000 shillings a month (about $1.25). So, basically their only income is what their mom makes selling maize on street at night. Needless to say, they are a family who is BARELY getting by.
For dinner we served chicken, chips, rice, lentils, and soda. They really enjoyed them meal, although Shakira was too busy to really sit and eat. She had fun "finding" things around the house including a really expensive camera, Renee's laptop, the inside of the toilet bowl (multiple times), an outlet strip, the stove burners, and various snacks.
After dinner, we took the girls into the bathroom to give them their first, and most likely their only, bath in a bathtub! Shifa wasn't a huge fan, but Shakira had the best time ever! She thought it was so funny that the water just continued to pour out of the spout and loved that she could turn it on and off as much as she wanted. Betty had to explain to their mom what the toilet was and even flushed it for her to show how it worked. She was interested to know that the bathroom was INSIDE the house and if this is where people went to the bathroom, why did it smell so good? We put the girls in brand new, matching outfits and mom continued to beam endlessly.
The night ended with a photo shoot, eating ice cream sundaes by candlelight when the power went out, and driving them home in the "motorcar".
It was such a great night and such a neat opportunity to spend some quality time with this family. At the same time, it's a little sad because we invite them into our home and they see this massive house with multiple rooms and all the things we have, and then we drive them home to their small, run down home in the cemetery. It always leaves us feeling like we should be doing something more, something bigger for them even though we're doing as much as we can to help them and trying to show them love and compassion. This is something we struggle with almost daily. Every time you turn your head, there is someone who needs help and we're just doing what we can. For the maize family, that was inviting them into our home and treating them like family.
When we first got to the house, we were at a little bit of a loss because they didn't speak any English and Betty, our house girl, wasn't there yet to translate. But, within about 5 minutes, Shakira was bopping all over the house wanting to touch, taste, and see everything! It was great that even though she was totally out of her element, she felt completely comfortable! Shifa was happy to just sit with her mom in the living room, and Mom was simply beaming just to be in our home and watch her daughters having such a good time! As soon as Betty arrived, we were all much happier because we could actually communicate! We learned that the mom, Jamira, is only 26, had her first child at 16, and has two more children that she had to send to live in the village because she could not care for all 4 of them at the same time. Neither she, her husband, nor any of her children have ever been to school. We also learned that her husband is the groundskeeper at the cemetery in town. In exchange for his work, his family gets to live on the compound in a VERY small, VERY simple hut and he gets paid 2000 shillings a month (about $1.25). So, basically their only income is what their mom makes selling maize on street at night. Needless to say, they are a family who is BARELY getting by.
For dinner we served chicken, chips, rice, lentils, and soda. They really enjoyed them meal, although Shakira was too busy to really sit and eat. She had fun "finding" things around the house including a really expensive camera, Renee's laptop, the inside of the toilet bowl (multiple times), an outlet strip, the stove burners, and various snacks.
After dinner, we took the girls into the bathroom to give them their first, and most likely their only, bath in a bathtub! Shifa wasn't a huge fan, but Shakira had the best time ever! She thought it was so funny that the water just continued to pour out of the spout and loved that she could turn it on and off as much as she wanted. Betty had to explain to their mom what the toilet was and even flushed it for her to show how it worked. She was interested to know that the bathroom was INSIDE the house and if this is where people went to the bathroom, why did it smell so good? We put the girls in brand new, matching outfits and mom continued to beam endlessly.
The night ended with a photo shoot, eating ice cream sundaes by candlelight when the power went out, and driving them home in the "motorcar".
It was such a great night and such a neat opportunity to spend some quality time with this family. At the same time, it's a little sad because we invite them into our home and they see this massive house with multiple rooms and all the things we have, and then we drive them home to their small, run down home in the cemetery. It always leaves us feeling like we should be doing something more, something bigger for them even though we're doing as much as we can to help them and trying to show them love and compassion. This is something we struggle with almost daily. Every time you turn your head, there is someone who needs help and we're just doing what we can. For the maize family, that was inviting them into our home and treating them like family.
Monday, May 19, 2008
Our maize family
About 2 months ago Arielle and I were riding home on a piki from Amani. We had to make a stop to pick up something for dinner, so while I sat on the piki, Arielle ran inside. I noticed a woman and her 2 daughters sitting on the street selling roasted maize (corn) and said, "hello," to them. The elder of the daughters was so excited that I greeted her that she began to jump up and down. I was carrying some chocolate that an adoptive parent had brought for us (Thanks Leala and Tim!) and decided to give the girls a few pieces. The older daughter, about 5-years, got down on her knees to thank me. The mother was beaming and telling me, "thank you," over and over again. A man standing near-by translated that the woman was saying she had never seen kindness like that before. Really? A piece of chocolate? I was appalled that anyone would think this was a big gesture, and decided right then and there that Arielle and I were going to "adopt" this little maize family. Arielle came out to meet the family and agreed whole-heartedly!
The next night we brought dinner for the family. They accepted it graciously, and thanked us by giving us each a piece of maize. We have since stopped by every few nights with clothes, pajamas, books, groceries, milk, crayons, etc. On Mother's Day we prepared a gift bag for Jamira, the mother. We bought a banana fiber bag and filled it with tea, sugar, chocolate, lotion and some fancy biscuits. So the girls didn't feel left out, we brought bunny ear headbands that we found in Kampala and some sweeties. Whenever we pass by our maize family, Shakira (the 5-year-old) screams with delight, and the younger daughter (almost 2-years) who used to fear us, is now letting us hold her and smiles. Shakira likes to be the one to accept our gifts and runs to mom, glowing with pride, as they open the bags to see what we brought.
One of our favorite things about our project with our adopted family is that they don't speak English very well. Each time, we are thanked with big smiles, hand shakes and maize, and in turn, we smile at them and tell them in English that we will be back soon. This family doesn't really know who we are, why we are here, or why he have chosen to "sponsor" them. Our hope is that they see a Christ-like love in us, through our love for them and that they can see kindness in a whole different level.
This Wednesday we're taking the little girls home for the evening for a bubble bath, dinner and sweeties. I don't know who is going to be more excited, us or them!
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