First off, this blog will mostly be dedicated to the terrible and horrible news I found out this morning about the death of Michael Jackson today. Some may think that's funny, but I seriously loved that guy though I did not obviously know him personally. I felt sorry for the way the press portrayed him in the news, and I believe he has been given an unfair advantage and rap since he was found to be NOT guilty of molestation charges. I find it ignorant that the things people will remember him for mostly is the allegations of such charges. He was a man who sacrificed a lot of his life to help children throughout the world eat, have houses, and have a childhood- something he was never given since his pop career was thrusted on him at the age of 5. He really did have the rare disease that makes Black ethnicities lose pigments and turn white. In the 90's he produced and recorded an album of his and gave every single penny of it away to help starving children around the world. In 1985 he raised over 50 million dollars for the African relief fund with the song collaboration 'We Are The World.'
All of this to say- I will miss him a lot for some reason. He was going on tour in July, and he was making a new album for the fall. I was excited. And eager to see what he would do next....and I wish that I could go to his funeral in the states (I'm assuming...). Here are some articles I was reading today to get the full story...
http://edition.cnn.com/2009/SHOWBIZ/Music/06/26/michael.jackson/index.html
http://edition.cnn.com/2009/SHOWBIZ/Music/06/25/michael.jackson.world/index.html?iref=mpstoryview
It's weird hearing about certain things like this in Uganda, it reminds you of how far away from home you are. That's all I was thinking about this morning...weird I know.
Anyway, it's been a long time since I last posted, and as some of you might be able to tell from my facebook statusi's I have been quite busy out here in Uganda!!! So, here goes:
On Tuesday a group of us went and rafted UP the Nile on a stretch which involved class 5 rapids and it was absolutely amazing. I was very scared in the beginning to go, but eventually decided it was now or never- so I chose now. :) It was absolutely breath taking. Literally. The scariest part was a certain class 5 rapid which was named the Silverback. It is the most dangerous one out there for the day trip, and you know my boat flipped over in it! We all went under water, and I believe I counted to around 30-40 seconds before I could actually breath again. It was not a joke...I got caught inbetween two of the major currents in the middle part, and couldn't get myself to stop twisting and flipping in them! I went limp as soon as I hit the water and forced my butt up with my legs- but to no avail. I kept thinking- 'the air is coming soon...the air is coming soon...the air...is coming soon...the air IS coming soon...' Eventually I decided I would stick my hand up in hopes that one of the guides would see me and rescue my hand- but I could not even reach past the water...it was at this point that I accepted death to come my way and began to pass out- and then I surfaced and gasped for air!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Oh air is so nice. :)
The trip UP the Nile was very beautiful too though. There were many different places where we were allowed to jump out of the raft and just flow with the current and swim in the same river that gave both life and death to many communities throughout the ages. Including the same river that carried Moses to safety. It was in this very river I took my pants off and swam. :) ha ha ha...oh how amazing. :)
We spent our work at the Amani Baby Cottage on Wednesday and it was an amazing thrill to play with all the newborn babies (that was the group I volunteered for) in the morning, and then the little toddlers in the afternoon. It has been a humbling experience to witness first hand the dependency of a child and compare it to the same of that of God and ourselves. Even toddlers. Think of all the things they think they are in control of- yet in reality they have very little. Think of how they know everything that is good for them- yet they are very unsmart (yes, I know this isn't a word...). Now picture that analogy about 20 million times greater between us and God. We cannot even control our very next breath. Yet we feel entitled to so much as if it is 'ours.' Nothing we have is ours. And those who have been given much- much is expected to be given away, not kept to ourselves. This includes both physical and emotional things. Love, grace, peace, hope, joy, money, clothes, food, our time, our patience, etc....just something I was thinking about. I also cannot wait to be a father. I'm mildly thinking about adopting sometime within the next 5 years perhaps whether or not I'm married yet. I think it would be awesome to help rescue a child that needs love....
Today we are painting the kitchen and front fence of the place- their paint smells like gasoline. ha ha ha :) Later this week I might try the most difficult and scary thing I've ever thought about minus jumping out of a plane- bungie jumping over the Nile. But I'm undecided yet....who knows. :)
Anyway, I must get back to the orphanage and finish this paint job!!!!!
Peaches.
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