The Countdown is ON...

One week from today,

aka IN 7 DAYS

I leave Uganda. ……………….

What?!

When I got here last August, June seemed too far away to think about. I remember thinking, “If I just focus on December…” I’d figure the rest out after that. Third term started in September and things were easier; I had the kids to hang out with and get to know, lesson plans to make and football trainings to plan. October claimed 2 cameras, a phone, my license and my Halloween spirit. November came and went with my birthday and Thanksgiving whizzing by, though it did have some shopping trips with kids in there. And finally December came, though it took some momentum in the beginning, it arrived before I knew it! Fortunately, December and January brought me two of my best experiences of the past year: Kenya and a dose of West African life with a month in Ghana.

After nearly 5 weeks away, coming back to Ndejje took some readjusting…again…but we dove right back into work and I was already beginning to feel anxious, in January!, about leaving in June. I knew the next 4+ months would fly by. February, although packed with election craziness and a 2-week quarantine to Ndejje, dropped off the calendar. March began with a new start for 2 of my little friends and their mother and then I found myself on safari. We also had some complications with our program but sorted those out just in time for the holiday beginning mid-April. The 5-week break flew by with some of the best days I’ve had here. It brought new volunteers Alison and Ethan but took Adam from us. And with that, we are closing out yet another month which is completely, totally blowing my mind.

Over the past 10 months, there’ve been certain parts of life in America that I’ve daydreamed about or wished for and lately I’ve been reflecting on those parts of African life that I’ve come to appreciate and will definitely miss…

Being clean: clean feet, clean clothes, clean shoes, clean floors, did I mention clean feet? The dusty roads swirl up in through our windows and cover our belongings with a nice brown frosting. The red mud cakes to our toes, sandals and shoes. One thing I’ve realized is the greatness of a shower. It sounds weird, but it’s such an everyday part of life in America that I never really give it a second thought. Though that clean feeling only lasts here until I step out of the bathroom, it’s still pretty magical. I’d say that I hardly notice the cold showers anymore but that’d just be a lie…

On my cleanliness kick, something I never thought I’d admit but I am very much looking forward to is having a washing machine again… Even though laundry still ranks on my list of Least Favorite Activities, hand-washing my clothes (not to mention bed sheets & bath towels!) TOPS that list, so to the Laundromat I’ll be happy to go!

Another thing I never thought I’d admit was I might have actually missed winter this year. Most definitely, I missed having a change in seasons. Rainy season to dry season and back again didn’t really do it for me, especially since we’re currently feeling drought that’s hitting the region. The sun here is wickedly strong and it feels like it’s frying your skin like an egg. Naturally, I return right at the beginning of summer in the States but once this seemingly never-ending summer actually does end, I will welcome fall, and maybe even winter, with open arms!

There’s a certain politeness threshold we’ve come to appreciate about people in the United States: that line that [most] people don’t cross because it’s just plain rude to do so. Society generally frowns on certain questions, staring too long and obviously or voicing certain comments. In my time in Uganda it seems that threshold is virtually non-existent. We’ve heard some pretty crude things, ugly things and most of the time, they don’t even make sense. The way we’ve been talked to by some adults here is outrageous, but we’ve come to see it as the norm; overly blunt and in your face. I’ve most enjoyed the “I love you me!” or “My size! My size! You are my size!” cat-calls from the disgusting boda-boda drivers…

Similarly, I will actually be happy to be anonymous again, or at least to be the one doing the people watching, rather than the opposite. Of course I knew in coming to a small village in Africa I’d be giving up (some of?) my anonymity, but there were days where I felt so lonely and sad and alienated because of the lack of privacy. It was certainly unlike anything I’ve ever experienced before. But today I don’t really take notice of those blank stares and as I walk around, I hear the “mzungu” calls but I’ve learned to tune them out.

Though, you can imagine not every person we know here stares long and harsh and not every person shouts out insane comments. There’s Moses, the quiet chapatti guy at the bottom of my hill who has a great smile and perfect posture. There’s fashionable Claire who always invites me to watch Desperate Housewives with her whenever I come to her shop. There’s jolly Jennifer who cracks up hysterically everytime we come to buy fruit and veggies. There’s the chips-and-chicken selling Ruth who is so happy to greet us when we walk by and even more delighted with our attempts at speaking Luganda with her. There’s White Sox supporter Moses who makes my day that much better by having ice at his shop…can you believe he’s even thrown in some FREE snacks before?! What’s more…there’s even are some truly nice boda-boda drivers like Stephen, Steve and Ronald who will happily give me a fair price and a safe ride, something I’ve come to truly appreciate.

While on my boda-boda obsession, another thing I’ll miss getting to be outdoors as much as we do. We get to watch the sunset over beautiful hills every night. It’s even just the simple things like running through the rain with the kids or sitting outside all day drawing, doing puzzles or playing mancala that are so peaceful and wonderful to me. Though I already mentioned my desire for squeaky clean feet, some days it does just feel good to be dirty, worn out and completely exhausted. That’s how I know I really gave myself to whatever project we were working on or whatever I was doing with the kids. I’ve also really been able to reflect on what was happening in my life. I’ve been able to sit back and see what I truly wanted and what was important. It’s all too easy for that time to slip by without notice back home, but the time for insight and reflection has been such a positive here. I’ve been able to recognize what it takes to live simply. Much of that I hope to bring back home with me and remind myself there’s no need for all that excess…queue NYC skyline, ahem!

And, I couldn’t forget to mention the cheap food! Where else will I get a pineapple the size of my head for .70cents? Or an avocado for .30? Kikomando isn’t in the U.S. (yet?!) but I will miss that delicious dinner, certainly at the price of .35cents. The delightful bananas are unlike any I’ve had at home, and speaking of rarities back in the States, you know I have to shout out to the senene I’ve fallen so in food-lust with: the grasshoppers!! I will be making a pit-stop on the way home from the airport for some iced coffee. If you know me, you know I love the stuff but you can’t imagine the hassles and craziness I’ve encountered just trying to get a few little ice cubes in my coffee. To the horror of just about every barista in Uganda/Kenya/Ghana I like plain ol’ black coffee, no milk, no sugar and certainly not whipped or with cinnamon or ice cream! (That barista was German, but from Spain, and had been living in Africa for years…need I go on?). Rwandans though did get it right and didn’t sneer! Delicious coffee, too.

Then there’s of course the soccer obsession that has swept every house in every town and village. After asking your name, you can be sure to hear “Which club do you support?” It’s The Sport of this continent and it has been nice to be around so many supporters of the game I love. At home I’d be hard-pressed to find people crowded around TVs or bars packed because of an EPL game, but this past World Cup did give me some hope for the future of soccer in the US. That said, I’m daydreaming about bleacher seats at baseball games this summer and still hoping to finally make it to my first NFL game in the fall… Still, soccer will always be #1!

One of the last things that I will miss is actually all that utter whackiness and complete bizarr-o-ness of truly living in Africa. All those TIA moments. Every contradiction we had to discover and figure out again and again. Like why people are so focused on cleanliness, so much as to sweep the dirt path outside their house (picturing my grandpa sweeping our curb under our mailbox when I was little), yet they will throw trash anywhere they feel like. Or simply, why is Celion Dion the Western singer of choice? I learned I could never predict what was around the corner, yet somehow I always knew. I guess I have settled in here more than I’ll know until I’ve returned back to the States…

I guess time really does fly when you’re having fun!

Though this week is my last, it’s bittersweet. It will be fun, for sure, but I have to say goodbye to these kids in 7 days and it’s a crushing weight on my heart right now. I’m of course excited to be returning home but I have no idea how to express that on top of processing the other emotions tied to leaving the kids. Saying goodbye is this band-aid that’s been stuck on since returning from Christmas break in January and I’m dreading ripping it off. I’m trying not to think about it, but all the kids know the countdown is on and I can see it on their faces. Everyday they come over afterschool I feel it. I’m going to need some serious strength to keep it together when saying goodbye to these fantastic, beautiful children I’ve absolutely come to love!!

My African Family

Sometimes you meet someone and it feels like you’ve known that person forever, or maybe it feels like you were meant to become friends. You may meet someone and instantly know there’s something special about them. You know you’ve met a life-long friend, whatever it is. I’ve had the incredible fortune to have gotten this chance with not just one person, but a whole family. And not only are they each unique and beautiful in their own way, this incredible group of people has helped me get through one heck of a year.

It started when I met 12-year old Julien last August...

I knew he was a special kid. Actually, he didn’t so much seem like a kid; more like a friend. A really short friend. His mind is active and he’s always asking questions, searching for new knowledge. An excellent student; he’s even the “Head Boy” at school. He loves to dance and looks to The King for new moves (they even share the “MJ” initials…coincidence, I think not…). Julien is one of the most kind and thoughtful people with whom I’ve worked this year, and not just among the kids either. Although he’s friends with everyone at school, he’d prefer his close group of boys to a big rambunctious crowd. With his kind heart and polite manners, it’s hard sometimes to remember he is just a 12-year old from the Congo…

A week into school last year, I started to see some familiar faces around the school yard or Youth Center. They had the same bright eyes as Julien, same beautiful smiles and sweet, infectious laughs. Because family members don’t have the same last names here, I wasn’t sure who was related to whom. But there sure were a lot of them; 6 to be exact (I was still new to Africa at that point and couldn’t quite imagine a family with 7 kids…)! Was I dreaming? And why were all these kids so stunning?! So the story goes, they were all siblings, plus there were 3 older sisters away at boarding school! With Mama and Papa, that makes 12: welcome my adoptive African family.

Thirteen-year old Julie has a ‘tude rarely seen in girls her age, or more to the point – an African woman! The most suiting word I can come up with for Julie is “fierce”. She is one of the better footballers on our girls team and she doesn’t back down to the boys. She’ll even ask to join their practice – my kinda girl! Playing to her more girly side, she knows all the songs to “High School Musical” even if she blushes when you ask her. She’s a good older sister and is always looking out for her younger siblings. In typical African woman fashion, she is an excellent cook and has even been able to teach yours truly a thing or two…! But “housewife” doesn’t seem to be in her future plans; she wants to be a bank manager and will “maybe” have some kids!

Neza, 10, is right in the middle of this happy clan. She’s definitely the most reserved of her family. Whenever I catch her eye in the classroom or at the Center, she’ll giggle and turn away – never fails! She’s at the head of her group of girlfriends that seem to quietly run their 5^th grade class. Maybe she’s just the mysterious mastermind of the group! Though not destined for the African mafia (is there such a thing?!), Neza has dreams of becoming a nurse and I think with her quiet smile, warm eyes and incredible patience, she would make a great one.

Yvonne & Yvette are one of two sets of twins in this family and these 7-year old girls couldn’t be more different from each other. Yvonne is bubbly, smiley and endless active. Her mother calls her “stubborn” because she’s usually running around outside getting into who-knows-what. I call her “curious”. Yvonne will always run up and give me a hug when I see her, her smile covering half her face. It’s amazing and makes everyday brighter. She is following in her sister Julie’s footsteps with football; when we went to town to buy shoes, she was insistent on cleats – though at that point I’d never seen her at one training! Even so, I have trouble saying no to these kids (surprise?!) and we walked away with the cleats. Well, 7 months later, she’s been running around at every practice since our shopping trip, getting right in there with the boys and fighting for the ball. Whenever she falls down, she’ll always look over at me with that huge smile just so I know she’s ok.

Yvette, although out on the pitch scrambling for the ball right along with her sister, has a much more mysterious sense about her. It often seems like she’s up to something Top Secret that no one can know ANYthing about. She isn’t afraid to do anything and without saying much, she will take on whatever is given to her. I admire that about her. I’ll never forget on my birthday she came over, ran to me in her party dress with a big smile on – that was the best birthday present I could have got! I guess unlike her sister, she saves her smile for special occasions…or my tickle attacks! She’s a bit of a tomboy, friends with mostly boys. Already Yvette’s the object of many boys’ affections – and it’s only 3^rd grade! She’s going to grow up to be a heart-breaker, I know it!

The other sets are twins are boys – Willy and John, 5. I swear, these two are so hilarious together they could star in their own T.V. show. Often I have no idea what they are saying to each other since my Swahili just isn’t up to par, but their tone alone cracks me up. Willy will put on a husky, old man voice when he wants to order John around. Johnny, rather like Yvette, usually just raises an eyebrow and glances over in his brother’s direction and shrugs off the comment. Willy, like Yvonne, is a big teddy bear and is always giving hugs to his friends. And just like the rest of their siblings, these boys both have some of the most incredible smiles I’ve ever seen. Getting John to flash a smile is always a fun game I like to play…

John

Willy

Last among the siblings are Blandine, Daphine and Gisele, 17, 16, 15 respectively. I have not gotten the chance to know these girls as intimately as I have their brothers, sisters or parents, but I have had the sporadic holiday breaks that they are home to share time together. Daphine lived on the border of Kenya and Uganda with her father for the past 7 months where she took care of the house. Blandine and Gisele spend most of the year at boarding school a couple of hours away and, from their reports they so happily tore out of their backpacks to show me, seem like wonderful students. Just like many teenage girls, they are very into hair & nail products. I’ve had my share of [attempted] hair braiding and I’ll just say white girls shouldn’t ever have their whole head braided…

With Gisele & Daphine

The heads of this lively, beautiful, happy family are Jacqueline and Augustine (though I would certainly say Jacqueline is the one calling the shots!). The couple is officially married, which might seem like an odd fact to point out, but from what I’ve learned marriages often might not be. The two attend church together every Saturday (they are Jehovah’s Witness) and walk hand in hand, not with the woman trailing a few feet behind as I’ve seen many Ugandan couples do. I think it’s something to point out that every single one of these 10 children are from the same mother and same father – that is definitely something unique, even in America! It’s because of Jacqueline’s sunny outlook and Augustine’s laid back style that this family is so welcoming, kind and smart. Jacqueline has done work with a women’s shelter in Kampala and is also known as The Best Seamstress Ever. Augustine is an engineer, and even Julien wants to take after his father’s trade; Julien, however, wants to design planes so his best friend can fly them – Augustine contracts houses and buildings. When I first met Jacqueline, she knew a decent amount of English but began taking classes about 5 months ago and has improved immensely. She has been working so hard and I’m very proud of her. She’s made me some pretty slammin African wear so watch out for those this summer & beyond…

It’s easy to love the people of this family as individuals, but the way in which they show love to each other makes me love them even more. It’s so easy to see they are happy to be together. The kids respect their parents, but do not fear them. The parents don’t treat the kids like servants, as unfortunately other adults here do. They laugh together; they cry and share burdens together. They really do embody what a family should be. They’ve made me feel more welcome than any other family and helped ease my hard days. They know they can rely on me and I know I can rely on them – that’s what family is for, says Jacqueline, who calls me her “dogther” – she’s even began referring to Julien as “your son”!

Sometimes (or at least for the past 9 months, ahem!) there are certain people you have to share with others in your life and finally I’ve been able to sit down and write just a little bit about my family away from my family. I’ve tried and tried before; I wanted the post to express everything I know and love about these people but I realize that can never be captured with just words. And as I sit here, finally writing this blog, I can share the news that this family is coming to America! Their application was approved. Earlier this month, the family began the medical exams & security clearances. They are flying through the process – orientation is the last step and they begin on June 10. We don’t yet know where they will be resettled but they find out at the end of orientation. If things keep on the same track, according to Homeland Security they could be in the States before school starts in the fall….I nearly fell out of my chair with excitement when Augustine and Jacqueline told me last night. A couple months ago Julien had mentioned something, but I wasn’t sure just how much of it was real…turns out, he’s proven me wrong..once again! A true son indeed..

Although leaving Uganda in 2 [SHORT!] weeks will likely be one of the hardest things I’ve had to do, there’ll be 12 less goodbyes I will be dreading. I feel beyond happy that I’ll be able to see my African family again…

Butter Sandwiches

Today marked the start of the last week of holiday for the kids, and thus our last week where we have all day, everyday access to them; next Monday they are back in school - plus, my 2-week countdown will begin!

Last Thursday both our boys teams had a match against teams from our sister program in Nsambya. When we arrived around 8:30am at the Center, boys were already starting to gather! We had a great turnout of about 35 kids: our “older” boys team was made up of 13-18 year olds while our “middle” boys team were the younger ones of 11 & 12 years. Not only did the boys look so smart in their uniforms, but I could tell they really felt part of a team. It was a great moment for us as coaches. I’ve also always loved travelling with our teams to a match: piling into a 14-seater taxi bus, singing “Waka Waka” at the top of our lungs or shouting Ugandan chants (that one is more the kids than me…). Half the time I have no idea what is going on, but I love every minute of it. It's funny to watch passerby on the road as we loudly roll by…

The middle boys played first and had a bit of a tough first half. Players looked a bit scattered and our darn goal kicks kept going straight up the middle to the other teams strikers – not a good defensive plan! And not to take away from the other teams win, but I have a sneaking suspicion some of those kids were quite a few years older; nonetheless, our Ndejje guys tried their best and although they lost, they certainly put up a good fight and even turned the game around the second half. They all came off the field at the end with smiles on their faces. It was encouraging, too, when some older guys cheered and even helped out with suggestions. Hopefully these kids stay in the program for the next couple years and who knows – maybe they’ll end up being a SWB coach one day!

The older boys took the field next and had a much closer game: they looked good and in sync and it was evident they had actually been listening during our practices over the past couple of weeks – good news for us! Although they too lost, they seemed to be in much better spirits when compared to our match (and loss) last holiday break – another sign they were listening when we talked with them about sportsmanship and attitude (woohoo!!). I’m so proud of the achievements and definite progress these boys have made over the time we’ve been together. They act as a team now. We, of course, send a shout out to Raphael and his coaching team in Nsambya – his teams are certainly benefiting from his excellent coaching and it showed. But, we’ll get them next time, I feel it! Everyone had a fun-filled afternoon, complete with butter sandwiches as after-game snacks and can you believe the kids were asking for more?! What ever happened to orange slices??

For me, Alison, Courtney, all of our regular players and most certainly Adam, the afternoon was bittersweet, though. It would be Adam’s last day with the kids; Adam was being forced to leave Uganda by the Commissioner of Immigration. His visa was refused renewal and he had to schedule a flight for Friday AM. As Adam said his final goodbyes to the kids before we left to head back to the Center, I felt really sad; it just seemed to make everything more real. More real that my own time is coming to a close here. More real that I’m going to have to say goodbye to these same kids in just a few weeks. It all hit me so suddenly and although I tried not to get upset, that seems often impossible these days (I’m blaming the malaria pills…). My best little bud Julien, who I STILL need to blog about, was sitting next to me in the taxi and put his arm around me for comfort. Naturally, this just made me more emotional (again, those darn pills send me on a roller coaster!). I wanted to try and be the stronger person, most especially for the kids sake, but turns out the kids were the ones comforting me. They were definitely sad, they were quiet and it was obvious they were trying to process Adam’s departure just as us adults were. I'm so grateful that I'm still able to be here with them in Adam’s sudden absence. Today was our first day back at training sans Adam and it was a bit weird. Adamu, if you’re reading this – Ndejje misses you…also, Espware & Shandracki came back home Saturday; they’re really going to miss you! They’ve given me some drawings to take back for you!

Although I can’t help but be excited about returning home, I am really dreading my own goodbyes to these beautiful, incredible people. They’ve made my time here more than worth it. They’ve turned around my bad days and made them good again. Their smiles and laughter will always be on my heart, I know that, and thankfully these next few weeks they’ll be right beside me…

Kigalicious

Starting to seriously slack on the blog entries and there will probably only be a handful more!! But I do have an excuse this time… I just got back to Ndejje after spending some time in Kigali, Rwanda visiting some friends and checking out Uganda's neighbor – and what a wonderful time I had! I got to relax a bit and explore a new city which helped refresh both me and my perceptions...

Our hosts for the week turned out to be a friend of a friend and her father…the Brigadier General of the Rwanda Army! Although pretty intimidating looking, he was really great actually and taught us a lot about his country and how he and his men keep it safe, the history of Eastern Africa in general and specifically Rwanda’s troubled times and even too, what his feelings were on cheating on a spouse! Plus, having him share glass after glass of his favorite wine at 1:30pm is one of those randomly awesome moments where all you can do is just sit back and take it all in…

But back to the nuts and bolts of the city: Just from a physical standpoint, Kigali is a stark contrast to the Kampala I’ve come to know over the past 9 months; its streets are clean & litter free, its roads organized and paved, street signs and lights are obeyed and the air is not nearly as polluted. The natural beauty of southwestern Uganda spills over into this tiny neighbor to the South, all of which surrounds Kigali. It was really something beautiful to look past the chaos of a bus park or over large office buildings and see sprawling green, lush hills peppered with giant trees and tan and gray houses. And to add a little work to our visit, we visited a FIFA football project in what we were told was a poorer area of town, but the wonderful locals running the program certainly seemed to do quite well for its kids - we definitely took some notes back for our program!

Both Alison and I also immediately sensed a much calmer atmosphere amongst Kigali's people; no one was calling out after us and there wasn’t a [perceived?] sense of tension on the streets. People weren’t running up trying to sell who-know-whats and trickets that do everything in between. I stumbled trying to recall as much of my high school French as I could when trying to communicate at times, but most people spoke English and often had a delightful British-esque accent. We also went to a friend's bbq one night and can I just say, I wowed on the dance floor with my skills to the African version of Cotton-eyed Joe... just think about it...

Although I do have to say I’ve grown to appreciate the whackiness of Kampala and can most certainly acknowledge it is one of the more, ahem!, colorful places I’ve been, I certainly did enjoy this breath of fresh Kigali air in more ways than one! I’m glad, too, to have gotten to visit Kigali because I feel hopeful; hopeful for what’s to come for this beautiful country of fascinating people, but also hopeful for other countries in Africa – namely my fair Kampala. Rwanda has overcome one of the darkest histories of any African country and made incredibly impressive progress in such a short period. After visiting the incredibly powerful Genocide Memorial Center, I felt speechless. It really put into perspective the true determination of Rwandan people and especially its current President, Paul Kagame. It seems he has really helped to turn the country on a positive path. I truly hope he won’t follow in the footsteps of other EA leaders and can recognize when its time for him to step down – although from the looks of progress in the country, I don’t imagine that will be any time soon!

April craziness brings...May craziness

April kind of got away from me there…I’m still in shock TODAY IS MAY 1! The past week and ½ or so has brought quite a lot of activity through our fair village…

Our new volunteer Alison arrived last Wednesday and has really fit into our team nicely. Last Thursday (4/21) we had an Open House at the Youth Center for parents & guardians but conveniently it served as a good welcome for her, too, to what our program is about. The Open House itself went pretty well; we actually had a nice turnout considering we didn’t have any local support in drumming up excitement about the day (unfortunately, that's not a new trend...). I also realized I miss event planning – by no means was this a big event but nonetheless, I really enjoyed the planning and organization that went into the day.

And to really throw Alison into some vibrant, unique Ugandan life, we had a little help from some protesters, rioters and corrupt immigration officials…

On Tuesday Adam was told by immigration his visa would not be granted an extension and he would need to LEAVE Uganda by Thursday otherwise he’d face a fine of $30/day until he did indeed leave. His “leave-by” date then turned to Friday and today, Sunday, he is still here waiting for the final verdict. One of our friends is a lawyer and is on the case; it sounds like a classic Ugandan government situation – the immigration office saw this as an easy way to extort money from a foreigner. Our hopes are that Adam will be able to stay until his originally scheduled departure date of May 31 (SO SOON, can’t handle it!).

Also, as you might have read or heard about, there was some pretty intense rioting all around Uganda last week. Kampala was hit Thursday evening and all day Friday by supporters of President Museveni’s 3-time opponent, Besigye. Besigye was leading a protest in Kampala against the rising fuel and food prices Thursday when he was shot with a rubber bullet and arrested. He was taken to the hospital and is recovering fine (again…rubber bullet…) but his supporters have turned out all over the country in big numbers to display their anger; they’ve been burning & breaking into shops, throwing stones and even tires at police and have actually attempted to burn down the Central Police station in Kampala. Most police, whom are not exactly the most honest, upstanding citizens, have surely escalated the situation with overly aggressive response tactics including tear gas & brutal beatings. We’ve stayed out of town but have heard things have calmed down as of last night. A friend did mention yesterday, however, that there is a quiet murmur of things sparking up again tomorrow...Will update if anything does go down.

But to leave on a much happier note, I’ll catch you up what’s been happening at the Youth Center! We are just about halfway through the 5-week holiday break for the kids and it has been going really, really well! We’ve had a great turn-out everyday and our numbers just keep growing. The best part is, over half of the kids are new! Lots of these kids attend boarding school in Kampala, but their families live in Ndejje so holiday breaks are the only time we will get to see them. It’s been wonderful to get to know the new kids; we’ve even had to add another football training session because we had so many ballers turn out! We’ve also begun introducing team-based competitions, both on and off the soccer field, and it has been fun to see new friendships begin. It’s really been so exciting to see the program grow and to have gotten to spend as much time with the kids as we have because once school starts up May 23 we are back to that confusing, limited-access schedule...and then unbelievably, 2 weeks later I'm USA bound...

Hope April brought some exciting things to you, too!