I planned to blog sooner but I have been too busy napping – my apologies to all the devoted fans out there.
So let’s start with church. It was just like I imagined it, full of colour and energy. The service was three hours long but I had so much fun it didn’t feel long at all. Various different choirs performed songs and dances in worship, this continued for two and a half hours before Sharon and Stanley did a lively preach which obviously had an impact on the congregation. The presence of God was so strong in the people, they worshipped with all their might, an incredible sight. (Poet amarite) My roommate (in this picture taken just before we left the Karibuni Center this morinng) said something along the lines of ‘they don’t have much so they MUST rely on God’ whilst we were talking about how easy it is to see things in perspective here. There are less distractions and idols.
We have many DMC’s in the evenings when we are supposed to be sleeping…
I have made so many friends here, the translators are hilarious and find anything to laugh at. One thing I found particularly funny was when we were all crammed in the back of an open truck and we were passing round snacks, biscuits and sweets etc. I handed out some chewing gum and the last lad I came to asked me if it was ‘medicine’ bearing in mind all the others had already started chewing.
No I am not feeding your volunteers drugs.
I have found the food to be quite a difficult factor. At the start of the week it was very exciting, however now I struggle to eat it. A mixture of being overtired and having the runs made me feel mildly sick every time I smelled food. I slept for 11 hours yesterday so it’s been all fine today, just craving junk now. My body is not used to such healthiness, feed me a mcdonalds please!!
Today some of the boys convinced me that one of the locations we are going to tomorrow had monkeys there, and I could wave at them from the truck. Sharon led me to the light there, I was genuinely excited. Trust me when I say I will get them back.
The market is crazy, I had an image in my head of a few stalls in a little area with a calm environment. I was wrong. Tuc tucs speed at you from every direction, a million stalls that go on to the end of the road in a maze. Mzungu! Mzungu! Buy some… socks? I’m in Africa why do you think I need socks? They try to sell some of the strangest and most ordinary things, I find it very confusing.
I have seen some beautiful views here, some I have captured and some I have not. It’s hard to get photographs in public as most of the locals do not want their picture taken. Today we drove up the mountain till our ears popped but a storm began and unfortunately cloaked the view in cloud. It has rained for the past three afternoons but has been sunny in the mornings. I am still white as a button, I think it’s time for me to accept that I will never have a tan.
Faith Blanch
