Have A Great Summer!

I know all of you are excited about your upcoming summer vacation! I hope you all have a great last week of school! Just know that I am as hot as you are—there is no air conditioning here. Every day you pray for a gentle breeze and for some cloud cover. The sun here is very hot because it is so direct. I am closer to the sun here than you are, so you can burn very easily. I am always careful to put on sunscreen. I am getting used to sleeping in this extreme heat, but it is hard to never be able to escape the heat.

This last week, I enjoyed teaching the boys at the orphan home. I was teaching them how to say things in English then they were teaching me how to say things in L’Ugandan. I am really enjoying learning a new language and to being able to understand more of what people are saying. It is amazing how quickly you can pick up a new language if you are immersed in it. I am also feeling so much more confident in moving around the city. I have learned which road goes where and where things are located. I often ride a taxi-bus, which looks like a small van with 4 rows of seats. Often they can cram 20 people in the bus, so you sit very, very close to the person next to you. Then when you want to get off the bus, you shout “Conductor, massou.” The bus then pulls to the side of the road and you get off. Each ride is about $0.25, so it is an economical way of getting around town. I always have to pay close attention though, so I get off the bus at the right place.

Today, I went shopping in the heart of Kampala. I was looking for some pajamas. The interesting thing about shopping in Uganda is that everything is negotiable. When you want something, you begin bartering. Usually the seller suggests a price for the item, and then you suggest another price. This goes on for 5, 10 or 15 minutes. Finally, when you are okay with the price, you pay the seller or you walk away and say no thank you. When you walk away, the seller may then accept your price or let you walk away. Bartering for everything from food to clothing has been hard to get used to. I was not skilled at knowing how to get a good price for what I wanted, but I am learning and getting better at it.

Next week I am heading up to Gulu where most people live in refugee camps. Refugee camps are places where people live when a war is being fought on their land. They can no longer live in their hometowns, so they have to move to a “temporary” place. This war has been going on for 20 years, so some kids have only known the refugee camp as home. Ugandan soldiers guard these refugee camps, so that they people are safe from the rebels. It is important to stay close to the camp because the rebels like to kidnap children and force them to become soldiers. I will spend the night with a widow in a refugee camp, so that I can know the suffering of these people. It will be an emotional experience, but it is always important to care about the suffering of others.

I will also be visiting 3 homes that take care of former child soldiers and AIDS orphans in Gulu. These kids have had some really traumatizing things happen to them, but they are now in an environment where they can get some counseling. The mentors that live with them are slowly helping them get better. They are now going back to school or learning a trade. The picture at the top is of Laker, the director of the program, and one of the kids at the home. They are kids just like you with the same hopes and dreams who want a normal life. Many of them have lost their parents due to war or to AIDS. It is hard for them, but they are determined to take school seriously and get a better life for themselves.

So, dear students be thankful that you live in a country where there is no war and where school is free to everyone!! You are the luckiest children in the world!

I hope you all enjoy your summer break!! I will see you in the fall!!

Much love,
Ms. Miller

Living Day to Day

Today, I experienced the greatest rainstorm of my life. Suddenly the sky became dark and the rain came so heavy and the wind so powerful I thought it might blow the windows in. Luckily, it passed over in about 20 minutes or so. It was my first real tropical storm. Whenever it rains here the people say today it is “winter.” It always makes me giggle inside as we know winter as something much, much, much colder.

I am also getting used to eating rice, beans, matooke (a cross between bananas and mashed potatoes) every day. We usually eat the same meal every day. There is very little variety mostly because the food is inexpensive to cook and because they really love it. It is amazing after two months how I am actually starting to crave it too. However, there are restaurants here too. Sometimes I treat myself to a “western” meal. They have a good hamburger place and great Indian food.

This weekend I went somewhere special. A Ugandan friend of mine is getting married this October and there are some traditional ceremonies that the couple goes through before the marriage ceremony. One of the ceremonies is called the Introduction Ceremony—this is the English word for it. It has a name in Lugandan but I don’t remember what it is. During this ceremony, the couple go back to the village that the girl’s family is from. The whole family gets dressed in traditional clothing and is formally introduced to the boyfriend. The man must bring gifts for each member of the family to show respect for the family. Then the father and the whole clan must approve of the marriage. Then there is music, dancing and lots of food. It is rare for a westerner to be invited to an Introduction Ceremony, so I feel very honored. I traveled about 4 hours to the village and then stayed there overnight. It was an amazing experience. I have uploaded the pictures on my web site http://picasaweb.google.com/kari.lisa101271/

I am still teaching English to the street orphans and really enjoying getting to know them. I have also been involved with a group of 100 widows who are refugees from the war zone in the north. I am helping them get some land to live on. It feels really good to be helping them.

I hope you all enjoyed your Memorial Day weekend! School is almost out!! I hope you enjoy your last couple of weeks!

Much love,
Ms. Miller

My Life This Week

What a beautiful week in Uganda! It is so green here! It usually rains each night and then is bright and sunny all day. It is hot and humid, but I am getting used to it. The other thing I am getting used to is the transportation system. They drive on the opposite side of the road then we do in the US. Also, there are no traffic lights or stop signs, so cars, trucks and mini-busses drive wherever they can. It can be quite dangerous, so I have to be very careful to always be on the lookout. One interesting type of transportation they have here is the boda boda. Boda bodas are motorcycles/motorbikes that you can ride on the back of to any destination in the city. There are no helmets and the drivers drive anywhere they can find a space, so they may drive on the sidewalk, on the median or in between other vehicles. About 20 people are hurt on boda bodas each day. I have only ridden one 3 times and try to avoid it. It is the cheapest form of transportation at about $0.25 a ride, which is why they are so popular.

I am very busy every day doing a lot of different things. For example, on Monday I spent the morning at World Vision, a non-governmental organization that helps widows, orphans and the poorest of the poor. I met with the sponsorship coordinator and set up my visit to see Maria and Peter, my sponsored kids. Then I went over to the Corner stone office for the weekly organizational meeting. At this meeting we confirm what we will be doing during the week. At the end of each day I usually take a taxi back to my friend Veronica’s house where I am staying. On Tuesday, I went to the boys Youth Core Home for street orphans and spent half the day teaching English. They do not know very many words, so it is a big challenge for me. Later that afternoon, I went to the Corner Stone office to work on a project with the manager for the Gulu area. Gulu is where the fighting is the worst. They are trying to save the children there and to raise awareness of what is happening so I am helping Laker (La kay) organize his photographs into an ibook scrapbook. On Wednesday, I went out to the International School to spend some time with the teachers and students there. Then back to Corner Stone office to work on the Gulu project. For dinner that evening I went out with some interns who had grown up in the youth core homes and are now successful adults. It was exciting to see how these orphans had been helped to create a better life for themselves. On Thursday I went to the girls Youth Core Home just to spend time with the girls there. I did not have a set plan or objective, I just wanted to create relationships with them. I had a great time! Thursday afternoon I went to the other side of the city to meet with a group of 100 widows. (See Picture) They are all refugees from the northern part of Uganda. About 30 of them are HIV positive and they all have their own children plus other orphans they are caring for. They are extremely poor and have trouble getting enough food to eat. I spent some time with them trying to encourage them. In seeing their great need, I will try to find people in the US who can support these widows. After the meeting I went to the huts of some of the widows. It was hard to see how much they struggle. Finally, on Friday I went back to the boys Youth Core Home to teach some more English. At the end of our time together, I taught them froggy murder, which I renamed Frog Catcher and they loved it!! Then I went back to the Corner Stone office to continue working on the iphoto book project with the Gulu coordinator, Laker. After we worked long and hard, Laker and I walked around the city and went to the only “American” restaurant here. It was great to eat some American food! I had fajitas, yum, yum!

So that is how I spend a majority of my weeks. The rest of May will be somewhat the same. Then in June I will go up to Gulu with Laker to see the children and women in the refugee camps.

How are you spending your days? I would love to hear from you so feel free to email me at kari.miller@usfamily.net

Keep up the good work!
Ms. Miller

A Busy Week In Uganda

It was so wonderful to hear from all of you at Susan Lindgren! It certainly sounds like you are studying hard and having a good time. I really appreciated your questions about my life here. Here are answers to some of your questions:

*What are the newscasters like? They have two different newscasts each night. One of the newscasts is in English and the other is in L’Ugandan, their local language. They report on the issues happening here in Uganda. Recently a beloved leader died suddenly and many people have been very sad about his death. They also report on good things that are happening here. One story was about a woman who was taking care of several orphans. They also discuss world news and sports. Soccer is the most popular sport here. They call is football. They do not have American football, but they do play rugby. One other interesting fact is that there is only one newscast on one channel.

*What kinds of rocks and minerals do they have here? I have no idea. To be truthful, I have spent all my time with orphans and have not had time to look for this kind of information. However, I can tell you that the soil is a deep rusty red and is extremely fertile. Many things grow easily here, as it is a tropical climate. The bananas and pineapples are AMAZING!! Yummy!!

*Update on the turkey: If you read my last blog, you found out that a 15-kilogram turkey was given to my friend. Can you figure out how heavy a 15-kilogram turkey is in pounds? Anyway, this turkey was tied up outside my house for five days. We fed the turkey and it was well kept. Every morning at 5:30 that turkey would gobble so loud. It was impossible to sleep once the turkey started talking. This Saturday, Patrick took the turkey out to the field and slaughtered it. The only way to get meat is to kill it yourself. I am definitely not used to seeing my dinner alive and then on my plate. It is weird to get used to, but they see it as a part of the life cycle. I will say the turkey was tasty.

I hope I answered your most pressing questions. Keep sending questions and responding to my blog. I really love hearing from you!

My life this week:

This last Wednesday I spent the morning with the staff at International Justice Mission. They are an organization of lawyers who are trying to help widows and orphans get their land and property back. There are currently 16 open cases. Most of the cases have to do with land grabbing. When parents or a spouse die, as they often do here, the land or property is sometimes taken by unscrupulous relatives or neighbors leaving the widow or orphans with no where to live. IJM is seeking to find justice for these widows and orphans. They win or mediate a favorable settlement for almost all of their cases. I will be spending some more time helping them create a way to teach villagers about wills and budgeting. Hopefully, my teaching skills will be well used.

Late Wednesday afternoon, I left with other Corner Stone staff to spend the night 3 hours away at the Leadership Academy for Young Men at what is called “the ranch.” It is called a ranch because there is a great herd of cattle there. They milk the cows and sell the milk in Kampala in order to pay for the operation of the Leadership Academy. The ranch also holds a primary and secondary school for the poorest children in the neighboring villages. My church supports 11 students at the secondary school. (Tommy isn’t that great!) I was fortunate enough to meet these beautiful girls and boys. We sat under an African shade tree and I told them how much those at our church loved them. I encouraged them to work hard and to stay focused. I told them how much God loves them and that they were created for a great purpose. They asked me lots of questions about my family, about America and about my church. Then we had lunch together. It was great to be with them.

The students also told me what they were learning on the ranch. The boys and girls talked about their excitement over finding a “family” to belong to. Many of these children are orphans and Corner Stone is now their family. It is a place where they belong and are loved. It was a beautiful moment of knowing and being known!

This Sunday Veronica, the friend I am staying with, and I met with some widows who are trying to create income for themselves by making lacquered jewelry. Ruth is the coordinator of a group of about 80 widows who are desperately trying to survive in Kampala. Thirty of them are HIV positive. Almost all of them are from the north where the fighting is the worst. We went to church with them and then spent the afternoon eating lunch with the pastor who is caring for this group of women. These widows are totally dependent on God and each other. I will meet with the whole group of widows on Thursday afternoon. I am sure there will be a story to tell.

On Monday, I will meet with some World Vision staff here in town and hopefully visit the abandon babies’ home. On Tuesday & Friday I will l return to the boys home to teach English to street orphans. I first went to the home for street orphans last Friday. Many of these children have been without parents since they were in 9 or 10. After losing their parents they lived alone on the street, which was very scary for them. Take a minute and think about how challenging it would be to be alone and find food and clothes. How would you feel if that happened to you? After some time, the staff of Corner Stone found them and brought them to the home. Many of the boys are excited to have a home and a new “family.” However, many of them made it through 3rd grade and have not gone to school since they found them selves out on the street. Most boys are between 12 & 18 so they are in desperate need of an education. I am one of the teachers who will try to help them get enough English proficiency to get a good job. The picture attached to this blog is of the boys at the home.

Like every other week here, anything can happen and probably will. It is interesting this week we have had more days with electricity, but they have shut off the water. We have had two days with no water. Apparently the landlord is feuding with one of the tenants so she is shutting off the water for everyone here. For the last 24 hours the water has been on so maybe the feud is over. Anyway, I am happy. I am beginning to feel like “I am home” and I am LOVING being with my friend Veronica. Last night we walked into town and went inside a simple wood structure to get a manicure and pedicure. As we sat there the whole community lost electricity. So this man was painting my toenails in the dark. It was quite an experience. Then we walked home under the light of the moon.

Well, I love hearing from you so feel free to email me. However, I am blocked from using my slp email address, so if you have been sending messages to that account I have not received them. If you wish to email me please send it to kari.miller@usfamily.net

Also, be sure to click the pictures link to see the newly added photos. I included pictures of IJM, the ranch, the girl’s leadership school, and Cornerstone. Enjoy! If you have time drop me an email. I love hearing what is happening in your life too!

Much love,
Ms. Miller

A Busy Week In Uganda

It was so wonderful to hear from all of you at Susan Lindgren! It certainly sounds like you are studying hard and having a good time. I really appreciated your questions about my life here. Here are answers to some of your questions:

*What are the newscasters like? They have two different newscasts each night. One of the newscasts is in English and the other is in L’Ugandan, their local language. They report on the issues happening here in Uganda. Recently a beloved leader died suddenly and many people have been very sad about his death. They also report on good things that are happening here. One story was about a woman who was taking care of several orphans. They also discuss world news and sports. Soccer is the most popular sport here. They call is football. They do not have American football, but they do play rugby. One other interesting fact is that there is only one newscast on one channel.

*What kinds of rocks and minerals do they have here? I have no idea. To be truthful, I have spent all my time with orphans and have not had time to look for this kind of information. However, I can tell you that the soil is a deep rusty red and is extremely fertile. Many things grow easily here, as it is a tropical climate. The bananas and pineapples are AMAZING!! Yummy!!

*Update on the turkey: If you read my last blog, you found out that a 15-kilogram turkey was given to my friend. Can you figure out how heavy a 15-kilogram turkey is in pounds? Anyway, this turkey was tied up outside my house for five days. We fed the turkey and it was well kept. Every morning at 5:30 that turkey would gobble so loud. It was impossible to sleep once the turkey started talking. This Saturday, Patrick took the turkey out to the field and slaughtered it. The only way to get meat is to kill it yourself. I am definitely not used to seeing my dinner alive and then on my plate. It is weird to get used to, but they see it as a part of the life cycle. I will say the turkey was tasty.

I hope I answered your most pressing questions. Keep sending questions and responding to my blog. I really love hearing from you!

My life this week:

This last Wednesday I spent the morning with the staff at International Justice Mission. They are an organization of lawyers who are trying to help widows and orphans get their land and property back. There are currently 16 open cases. Most of the cases have to do with land grabbing. When parents or a spouse die, as they often do here, the land or property is sometimes taken by unscrupulous relatives or neighbors leaving the widow or orphans with no where to live. IJM is seeking to find justice for these widows and orphans. They win or mediate a favorable settlement for almost all of their cases. I will be spending some more time helping them create a way to teach villagers about wills and budgeting. Hopefully, my teaching skills will be well used.

Late Wednesday afternoon, I left with other Corner Stone staff to spend the night 3 hours away at the Leadership Academy for Young Men at what is called “the ranch.” It is called a ranch because there is a great herd of cattle there. They milk the cows and sell the milk in Kampala in order to pay for the operation of the Leadership Academy. The ranch also holds a primary and secondary school for the poorest children in the neighboring villages. My church supports 11 students at the secondary school. (Tommy isn’t that great!) I was fortunate enough to meet these beautiful girls and boys. We sat under an African shade tree and I told them how much those at our church loved them. I encouraged them to work hard and to stay focused. I told them how much God loves them and that they were created for a great purpose. They asked me lots of questions about my family, about America and about my church. Then we had lunch together. It was great to be with them.

The students also told me what they were learning on the ranch. The boys and girls talked about their excitement over finding a “family” to belong to. Many of these children are orphans and Corner Stone is now their family. It is a place where they belong and are loved. It was a beautiful moment of knowing and being known!

This Sunday Veronica, the friend I am staying with, and I met with some widows who are trying to create income for themselves by making lacquered jewelry. Ruth is the coordinator of a group of about 80 widows who are desperately trying to survive in Kampala. Thirty of them are HIV positive. Almost all of them are from the north where the fighting is the worst. We went to church with them and then spent the afternoon eating lunch with the pastor who is caring for this group of women. These widows are totally dependent on God and each other. I will meet with the whole group of widows on Thursday afternoon. I am sure there will be a story to tell.

On Monday, I will meet with some World Vision staff here in town and hopefully visit the abandon babies’ home. On Tuesday & Friday I will l return to the boys home to teach English to street orphans. I first went to the home for street orphans last Friday. Many of these children have been without parents since they were in 9 or 10. After losing their parents they lived alone on the street, which was very scary for them. Take a minute and think about how challenging it would be to be alone and find food and clothes. How would you feel if that happened to you? After some time, the staff of Corner Stone found them and brought them to the home. Many of the boys are excited to have a home and a new “family.” However, many of them made it through 3rd grade and have not gone to school since they found them selves out on the street. Most boys are between 12 & 18 so they are in desperate need of an education. I am one of the teachers who will try to help them get enough English proficiency to get a good job. The picture attached to this blog is of the boys at the home.

Like every other week here, anything can happen and probably will. It is interesting this week we have had more days with electricity, but they have shut off the water. We have had two days with no water. Apparently the landlord is feuding with one of the tenants so she is shutting off the water for everyone here. For the last 24 hours the water has been on so maybe the feud is over. Anyway, I am happy. I am beginning to feel like “I am home” and I am LOVING being with my friend Veronica. Last night we walked into town and went inside a simple wood structure to get a manicure and pedicure. As we sat there the whole community lost electricity. So this man was painting my toenails in the dark. It was quite an experience. Then we walked home under the light of the moon.

Well, I love hearing from you so feel free to email me. However, I am blocked from using my slp email address, so if you have been sending messages to that account I have not received them. If you wish to email me please send it to kari.miller@usfamily.net

Also, be sure to click the pictures link to see the newly added photos. I included pictures of IJM, the ranch, the girl’s leadership school, and Cornerstone. Enjoy! If you have time drop me an email. I love hearing what is happening in your life too!

Much love,
Ms. Miller

I Live In Africa

Over the last month it has slowly sunk in that I live in Africa. I am not just visiting. I live here day to day in an apartment with friends. I use public transportation and am slowly learning L’Ugandan. “Ndi Blungi” means I am good and I am doing really well. I have slowly gotten used to the fact that I am the only muzungu, white person, in my neighborhood. Mosquitoes bite me on an hourly basis. New red welts seem to appear each day. Veronica keeps telling me that the African mosquitoes are enjoying my fresh American blood. I guess it is a nice change for them. I sleep under a treated mosquito net and have never been so grateful to do so. I am hot from the time I wake up to the time I go to bed. I am always sweating. It is my new normal. I bathe in a small rubber tub and have now gotten better at getting my whole head in that small tub. I never realized how complex it is to wash my hair. Drying my hair has now become a luxury as we have electricity about 60% of the time. It now takes 2 hours to prepare a meal over the charcoal stove out side our apartment. Since, I have no idea how to make matooke or chapatti, my job is to hold the flashlight and stir the rice. I buy fresh meat that has just been slaughtered and is hanging in the window. This is my new life in Kitintale.

I spent a majority of my week getting my bearings. Most mornings I attended chapel at the head office for World Vision here in Kampala and then most afternoons with Corner Stone, a ministry to orphans and vulnerable children. Corner Stone allowed me to visit two of their 5 guardian homes. There are 5 youth core homes here in Kampala, two homes in the Gulu area, one home in Rwanda, one home in Burundi and one home in southern Sudan. Corner Stone’s programs for these vulnerable children are vast and comprehensive and I feel I have just scratched the surface. I also was able to travel an hour outside the city to visit the Leadership Academy for Girls. This Academy is a residential high school for the most needy with the most leadership potential. The girls there are taught leadership skills alongside their regular curriculum. They also attend chapel each week and are discipled by mentors. These girls are empowered, articulate, intelligent and joyful. I was incredibly impressed. This coming week I will be traveling two hours outside the city to the Ranch, the Leadership Academy for boys. I will spend the night and get a better sense of what happens on the ranch.

This last week I also visited the International School in Lubowa, 8 kilometers outside of Kampala. This school is for American, European and other diplomat children. Most Ugandans can not afford this kind of education. Just like Susan Lindgren this school follows the International Baccalaureate curriculum. It was so fascinating to see how they have implemented this curriculum. It is by far the most beautiful school I have ever seen. Their school day closely resembles our school day at home except that they go swimming as a regular part of their school day.

I will also travel up to Gulu in the next couple of weeks and possibly to Rwanda. Next week I will start volunteering for an abandoned babies home here in town. You know what a soft heart I have for babies.

Well, life here is different every day, but I will try to keep you as much in the loop as I can. In fact, I woke up Saturday morning to some kind of loud screeching. As I looked outside I noticed that a HUGE turkey was tied next to our home. A friend of Veronica, the friend I am staying with, had given her a turkey. It has now been here for 3 days. Patrick, Veronica’s brother, will slaughter it tomorrow as May 1st is a national holiday here. I have to tell you I am tired of waking up at dawn to its LOUD gobbling.

This week I traveled to a girls home for orphans here in Kampala. I thought you might enjoy reading about how it went.

Last Tuesday, I left the Corner Stone office to begin creating relationships with the orphans and vulnerable girls at the Ntinda Girls Youth Core Home. As we pulled up to the concrete house I was suddenly nervous. I am not often nervous around children as I work with them on a daily basis, but yet suddenly my heart was beating. What would they think of a 35 year old muzungu entering their home, disrupting their daily routine? As I stepped onto the red dusty road, I asked the Lord to help me form a connection with these street children. My life has been the polar opposite of theirs. I wondered if I could even really comprehend the sorrow and pain of being an African orphan. As I entered the gate, I found 3 girls washing their clothes in a tub beside the house. As they looked up from their wash they smiled, greeted me and invited me over. I quickly retrieved the picture of Mary Kabi and from my purse. Mary is a special mentor to these girls. Their smiles broadened even more and they began to ask question after question about Mary. Other girls then came out of the house and I was introduced as a friend of Mary. At that point, the girls ushered me into the house saying, “You are most welcome.” I smiled and shook each of their hands.

I toured each girl’s bunk in each room oohing and ahhing over their few possessions. We laughed about pictures of famous male actors they had on the walls and examined each other’s nail polish. Then I walked out to the main sitting room where the girls were listening and dancing to some rap music. They were startled when I came in and then broke down in hilarious laughter when they realized that I had caught them busting a move. This seemed like a moment to show that I may be 35 and every bit the awkward muzungu, but I have some moves of my own; so I started shaking to the beat. Now loud raucous laughter filled that place. After doing my best Saturday Night Fever impression, I suddenly decided that it was best to quit while I was ahead as far as the dancing goes, so I sat on the floor next to these girls and watched them play a board game. It wasn’t long before I was invited to play. They beat me soundly, but I left that house feeling every bit the winner. We had begun to know each other. Relationships had slowly begun to form. As I left the girls hugged me and begged me to come back. I was present with them and that made all the difference.

Great news!!!! I was able to upload all my pictures. You can view them at http://picasaweb.google.com/kari.lisa101271 I hope you enjoy them!

Well, I hope you all are enjoying school. Think about the IB attributes posted in your classroom. What IB attributes do you think I am experiencing?

Have a great day! Ms. Miller

Hello From Uganda

Hi! I was so excited to read everyone's comments and questions. There were so many which is great and I will try to answer as many as I can.

I am thrilled to now be in Uganda with all my friends. I am now staying with my friend Veronica. We have been friends for six years. She was the manager of the project that takes care of my sponsored children, Maria & Peter. Now, she works here in the main city of Kampala for World Vision head quarters. Her house is simple. There is no tub or shower. Instead we fill a bucket with water and I cup my hands and splash water on myself to bathe. Then I bend down and stick my whole head in the bucket. It took some getting used to but I am now used to it. We buy our food fresh in the market every day. The picture I attached in the banana market near our house. The electricity in her house works sometimes, but not always. We have not had power for two days, so we are using gas lanterns at night. I also sleep under a mosquito net which keeps me safe from malaria. Malaria is a disease that many people get here. It can make you very sick and some die, so it is very serious. Don't worry though I have medicine that keeps me safe from the disease.

Each day I come into the city and go to Corner Stone. Corner Stone is a ministry for street orphans. These orphans are taken off the street and given a home to live in where other Ugandan ladies take care of them. Right now I am just building relationships with them so they feel comfortable with me. Next week I will tutor some of the students in small groups in English. I will also just be their friend and play games with them. It is very exciting to be positive adult in thier lives. I have met many, many people who are now adults working at Corner Stone who were once orphans themselves. Now because of Corner Stone, they are living good lives. Isn't that exciting! I know some of you wanted to be pen pals and I may be able to set that up, but for now I need to concentrate on just gaining thier trust and creating relationships with them myself. I will keep you posted.

As for animals, I see a lot of chickens, goats and cattle. They roam around where I live, so I see them everyday. The other kinds of animals like giraffe, lions and monkeys are only in the game parks, so I don't see them.

I wish I could send lots of pictures but I am on dial up and it is VERY SLOW to just do one picture. However, I will show you lots and lots when I get back in the fall!

I miss you all! I am glad you are working hard on your tests! I know you will do great!

Ms. MIller

A Change In Plans

Greetings everyone! It has been a crazy couple of days for me. I saw James on Wednesday night after he arrived in Nairobi and told him about all the wonderful messages of condolences SL had sent. It is still a shock to his family, but he wanted me to thank you all so much! The books that we sent for his school are still at the Mombassa port and have been held up by the government. We are hopeful that they will be released by early May. Keep your fingers crossed! This week James also received a call from the US immigration lawyer about his remaining niece and nephew he plans to bring to the US. There were some issues with their paperwork, so James had to rush back to the United States on Wednesday night. Therefore, sadly, I will not be able to go out to Kiisi to see James’ school. That also meant that I had nowhere to stay in Kenya for the last two weeks of April, so I went to the Kenyan Airways ticket counter and changed my ticket.

Last Friday, I left Kenya for Uganda. I am now at Corner Stone, an organization that helps orphaned and vulnerable children in Kampala (the main city). I am trying to get settled in my new place. I am staying at a guesthouse with some other Ugandan Corner Stone volunteers. Although last night I was the only one there. Everything is very different from the United States and takes some time to get used to. Here is one example:

When I finally got to Corner Stone, it was getting dark and I wanted to start making dinner. The kitchen is communal which is new for me. That means that everyone shares the kitchen. All night I heard the security coming in for tea. Anyway, back to my dinner experience. First I tried to turn on the lights—they didn’t work. The security guard told me that there was some electrical problem with those lights, so I turned on the lights in the neighboring room and used my flashlight. Then I got out the ingredients and began to look for cooking pots, pans and utensils. The cupboards were bare. There was nothing. I mean nothing except for a fork, two butter knives, 6 mugs and 6 plates. All the dishes had little bugs crawling on them, so I chose to hold my sandwich and eat a banana. Then I went to bed. I just lay there wondering how I was going to live here for 35 days until Simon came back. I am staying with Simon and his family when they get back from visiting their family in the US. I am hoping to stay with Veronica, a World Vision friend, if I can. I know how American this sounds to be thrown by this evening experience, but I guess we all have our breaking points.

After that night, I decided to stay with my friend Veronica. She takes care of my World Vision children. She has a 3 room house that is full of love but very simple. I wash over a small bucket. It is always a crazy thing to try to wash my hair. I eat Matooke, a cross between mashed potatoes and bananas. I wake to the sound of roosters and drink a lot of tea. It is different but so lovely!

I am excited to start working with the children on Monday. I know that will be a great experience!! I will keep you posted. I hope you all are enjoying school and that it is getting warmer!

Ms. Miller

Change Is A Way Of Life

Jambo! It was so great to hear from so many of you at Susan Lindgren. Thank you for reading my blog. It was especially nice to hear from my class. Tommy, I will try to get a picture of that monkey and Duncan, I can definetly find a chicken. Chickens are everywhere! Chickens are how many people get eggs. They go out in the morning and check the hens nest for eggs. Then they bring them in and cook them. Usually they fry the eggs in oil and they are very tasty. Of course, they also kill chickens and eat them for dinner.

I thought it might be fun to hear what a typical day in Africa is like. (If there is such a thing.) I usually get up around 7 am to the sound of loud cackling birds. Can you figure out what time it is in Minnesota when I am getting up here in Kenya? The birds are quite loud so it is hard to sleep once they start their cackling. Then I get myself ready for the day. They don’t have showers here, but they do have bathtubs. It makes bathing a very relaxing experience.

Then I usually eat toast and Kenyan tea for breakfast. Kenya is known for its tea. Much of the world’s tea supply is grown here. Kenyan tea is always boiled with milk and then they add a couple spoonfuls of sugar. It is fantastic. All forks, spoons, knives, plates, vegetables, and containers of anything must be washed in a mixture of water and bleach. The bleach kills the germs that our American systems cannot digest. It keeps someone like me very healthy.

I usually spend my days at the University either helping professors or helping students. Today I wrote an overview of a new masters program they are developing. They were looking for someone to take all the information and create a summary of it. I also help students by editing their papers. English is their second language, so they often need help. You guys know how much I love writing, so this is fun for me!

In the evening, I either go out with friends to some Kenyan restaurant or I make dinner here with friends. Kenyan food is very good. They eat something called Ugali. Ugali is a sticky (think of the consistency of play dough) white food made of corn meal. Many Kenyans love to eat it with goat meat, beef or chicken. There is a red gravy sauce. They also love to eat spinach cut up in small pieces with tomatoes and onions. That is a favorite dish too.

I do not watch TV here instead I spend the evening talking to people and hearing their stories. That is a very important way of life here. It honors someone to hear their story. People talk about their relatives, their childhood, their favorite experiences or their friends. This part of the day is my favorite part. Then at about 10:00 I got to bed.

Update on James:

Thank you so much for all your condolences for James nephew. It has been hard for their family, but your thoughts and prayers really helped lift his spirits. He is still planning on adopting the 2 remaining children and is working with the government here in Kenya and in the US to do that. James just received word that the immigration officer in the US needs some paper work to help the children come to the US, so James may be leaving for the United States this week. If that happens, I will change my plane ticket and leave for Uganda this week. Life is always changing and one moment is always different than the last. Flexibility is key! I also included a picture of where I am staying.

I hope you guys are enjoying warmer weather. Mr. Feige told me that he loves to play basketball so challenge him to a game!

Miss you all!
Ms. Miller

Daystar University

Jambo everyone! I spent this week at the Athi River Campus of Daystar University this week. Athi River is about 40 minutes outside of Nairobi. It was fun to see all the students our church supports there. They are studying hard. I am so proud of all they are accomplishing. (I hope you all are continuing to work hard for Mr. Feige!) The students at Daystar come from all kinds of backgrounds. Some of the students are from wealthy Kenyan families; some are working a year-studying a year-then working a year, and most are orphans who are being sponsored by someone else. Many students are orphaned in Kenya due to malaria and AIDS. It makes it difficult for them to attend school, so it is very exciting when churches, organizations and individual donors can help them.

Friday, I came back to the Nairobi campus of Daystar University where many of their Masters and PHD students are studying. I met one man named Majok. He is getting his Masters in Education and then returning to Sudan to be in charge of education for the southern province of Sudan. There is war in his country so he is hoping to go back and through education create peace. It was very inspiring to talk to him.

I will be heading out to see James on Tuesday. (Hopefully!) James had something sad happen to his family. His nephew died suddenly and they are having the funeral this week so things are quite busy for James. This nephew and his sister were orphans, as James’ brother died in a bus accident last year. James was in the process of adopting this nephew and his sister, so his death was devastating. Please keep James and his family in your thoughts and prayers. When all is settled with James, I will head out to Ogembo where he lives. It takes 8 hours by bus to get there over very rough road. There is little electricity, so I may not be able to write you as often, but I will try.

It is sunny and hot here everyday and rains most afternoons. I like the rain here. It smells like fresh flowers and cut grass. It makes me smile.

I hope you are working hard and enjoying school. I miss you!!

Ms. Miller

I Have Arrived!

It was a long, long, long flight, but finally on Monday evening I arrived in Nairobi, Kenya. ( Can you find where I am on the map?) Kenya is 8 hours ahead of Minnesota, so I am now getting used to the time change. (Can you figure out what time it is in Kenya right now?)

It has rained every day I have been here, which is okay because it is so hot and the flowers are all so beautiful. Kenya is so close to the equator that there are only two seasons—rainy and dry. We are now at the end of the rainy season. Right now I am thinking that 80 degrees and rain beats 30 degrees and snow!

This week I have been at Daystar University in Athi River. Athi River is about 30 minutes outside of the capitol city of Nairobi. The University is located out in the countryside and has about 4,000 students. My church pays the tuition for four students who have been orphaned and could not go to college otherwise.

Yesterday, I was able to spend time with one of the students we support. Her name is Dartiva. In the picture she is the one in the blue dress right next to me. Dartiva’s mother and father both died when she was young, so she lived alone with her brothers. Her life was hard and the family often struggled to get enough food and pay for their school fees. Remember that every student has to pay for their education. School is not free like it is in the United States. So, Dartiva struggled to have enough money to go to school. When she was still in primary school, World Vision began helping her. Her sponsors paid for her to go to school and she was a very good student. Being educated meant everything to her. It meant that she would be able to get a job and provide for herself and her family. She did so well in high school that she was accepted to Daystar University. It was one of the happiest days of her life. My church then decided to pay her tuition so Darvita’s dream could come true.

Darvita is studying Community Development which teaches you how to help communities in need. She will graduate next year and then she wants to go back to Uganda and work for World Vision helping other communities develop solutions to their problems. She wants to help other kids that are orphaned and poor just like she was. Isn’t that great?!

It is exciting that Dartiva has been helped by people that care about kids in need around the world, but there are still other students who do not have anyone to help them. The girl on the far right in the yellow shirt is named Debora. She is smart and gets very good grades, but now has to drop out of college because she cannot pay her tuition. She is working two jobs and trying everything she can but it is not enough. Her mother is very sick and her father has been out of work for some time. Debora told me her story and it made me very sad. It is sad that there are so many smart hardworking kids who will not be able to go to college. I plan on asking the adults I know to help come up with the money to help her. What do you think should be done for students like Debora?

(If you know of anyone who might want to help Debora Omuyaku (student # 05-0247), you can call the US Daystar office at 952-928-2550)

It has been very hard for me to get an internet connection, so it may be some time before I can post another blog entry.

I miss you! Ms. Miller

Ms. Miller Leaves for Africa

I will be leaving for Kenya on April 8th. Once I am in Kenya I will spend a week at Daystar University where I will spend some time with a couple of students my church supports. Then I will leave Nairobi with James to head out to Ogmebo. In Ogembo, I will help James and the teachers of Masifew Academy set up thier first library. I will also hand out all the donated supplies from Susan Lindgren. On May 5th I will travel to Kampala, Uganda where I will work at a group of gardian homes for street orphans. I will also spend time visitng my sponsored children. It is going to be a great trip and I can't wait to share it with you!