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Published: April 2nd 2007
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Well hello,
April has brought wonderful things already. This month has potential to be incredible, busy and challenging. There is a new volunteer working at MACRO with me for the month. Her name is Joanna. She is Canadian and a sweet, sweet girl. Tomorrow we are going to a village together and doing a camp for two days and then headed to Kysanga (south west Uganda) for Orphans Day at this organization called House of Hope. The Real Uganda (My host NGO) just recently started supporting HOH. It is a school and an orphanage for children who have lost their parents to HIV. She has half the school built and becuase of the volunteers here she now has the money to build the dorms and get the kids tested for HIV. 25 out of 70 of them have been tested and all of them turned up positive. They expect all of them to turn out positive too. This place has been created to give them a chance at living well for the years they have. We are going to serve them two meals and play games and color with them for the day. Then on Sunday I am headed
to Rwanda for a few days of traveling on my own. I am making the trip with a friend, but we are parting when we get there. I am really exicited to actually travel around on my own. It will be my first experience with it. I'll be back next week and will tell you all about what that brings foward for me. I think this half of april is going to fly by.
I guess Sundays are turning out to be wonderful days for me. Last week I started off in a good place but felt very vulnerable. I was aware that it was very important to look out for myself and I took a few days off from work just to be by myself for a few hours. The week gradually picked up and culminated last night in a wonderful release of appreciation for the life I am living this very moment. Just breathing felt like a gift and the thought of living that moment, this year, this life was exilarhating.
This weeks focus has been questioning what the strongest thing I can concieve of doing with my life is and what is the freedom I
live with for. (yes...leap year questions...) Woahhhhh there, a big load, eh? Here is what I came up with and have been really feeling the effects of in the last few days:
I believe I am bound for greatness. I believe that I can leave a foot print on this earth that will gather followers. They wont be behind me, the will be along side me. I intend to stretch towards a time of collective consciousness. Although it sometimes feels like the human race is headed towards complete and utter destruction, I truly believe that we are actually just beginning to wake up. We hold so much power in our intentions and the strongest thing I can conceive of doing is following my heart to light, to positive energy, joy, love and life.
The alignment in my heart is with joy. I believe my life path is the pursuit of bliss. I have found my way through simplicity. Within the smallest pleasures, my heart can be found. I am mesmerized by the beauty found in the art of balancing a basket of cassava on your head and I am drawn to the shy smiles of curious children peering at me from mud huts. With my freedom, I choose to share my joy with the world.
On that note, I will share a story. On saterday a bunch of "Buzungus" and I headed into Kampala (capitol city) to check out the craft market and eat pizza. On a desperate quest for fabric a few of us decided to Boda Boda down to the huge market place. Apparently the Boda Boda drivers in Kampala have no fear of death. We had a number of close calls, but I managed to make it there unscathed. Stumbling through, piles of limes, yelling over the sound of G-nuts being ground-up, and shooing away men laden with various items we suddenly found our selves in the meat section. Disgusting...nothing more needs to be said. I happened to be leading at the moment and my fellow muzungu market goers were not pleased with the stench I had led them into. We be lined for the first exit we saw and ended up in an ally way by the sewer. The sound of drums in the distance enticed us to explore furthur. Twice in three minutes one of the girls I was with caught a pick-pocketer red handed. While she was yelling at this unfortunate fellow, I hoisted myself up to look over a wall. I was pleasently surprised by what I found. Around 15 shirtless, glistening, young men were gathered in a circle and drumming. Three more white heads popped up next to me, mouths wide open. We were quickly invited to join them on their side of the wall. For the next two hours we sat and watched the Burundian Refugee Culture Group practice theirr skills. They were incredible. Their leader, a man who couldn't play due to a lage scar on his arm, took us under his wing and informed us of how this group came to be. When they had finished practice, they invited us ot join them. For the next hour, I had an absolute blast drumming and dancing. It was one of those moments when you can sit and watch life pass you by or you can get up bang on a drum and make a complete fool of yourself dancing, but feel every ounce of life coursing through you.
Hope your week is full of oportunities to dance your self into oblivion.
All my love,
-Emma
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Tori
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I also struggle with combating all that is bad in the world, and frequently feel that there is nothing I can do to change it. Emma, remember the power of your voice, and that negative energy can only be combated by positive. I love you so much