HoPE

My eyes were opened again this morning. We have done many things, and so now the hunger is back in my belly. I saw how hunger looks today. We were with Jacques for several hours getting introduced into the community. We met local officials and registered with the police station on our way to the school, HoPE school. Enrollment is now 148 students for 2009, and when you hear of how it began, it blows your mind to stand there in front of a community center and a school house filled with eager children.

The story begins with our program leader Jacques, a refugee, living in a house with eleven other refugee families. They were broke, hungry, and hopeless, but Jacques, a trained school teacher from the Congo, thought at the very least he could he could give the children an education. Ten years he has pursued the hope that he found that day, and it has since spread to volunteers from all over the world and to organizations from San Francisco to France. When you see how something can grow from what appears to be nothing, there is great reason to celebrate the hope that lives in people.

As we sat at Jacques' office discussing our goals for the upcoming week, we saw the heart and soul of a man who has sacrificed many things in his own life to make a better life for others. We have moments throughout the day when we feel helpless because of how big the issues are here. But helplessness has no future. Besides, it isn't how much you do; it is how much love you put into the doing that matters.

We send our love and we thank you for yours.

Weekend Update

The weekend has passed. It wasn't easy, but we did it and it seems that with every new day I have a new sense of comfort here. This is a very interesting exploration into just how free your mind really is. When I'm comfortable surrounded by the things I know and understand, my mind feels free to wonder into situations that is has never been. Then I get here to a place that I have never been, certainly don't understand yet, and where comfort is minimal and my mind freezes up. The first three days were quite difficult for me. I couldn't realx into this experience. I suppose it was a combination of culture shock and jet lag and I'm not quite sure that I am over the culture shock. The exercise, however, is learning to open your mind to become aquainted with a new culture and from there you may gain new perspective.

It is proving hard to figure out how to eat here. The reality is that most people in this community can only afford 2 small meals a day, so it is hard for us to convey what we need in terms of food. The meals are prepared in pots warmed by the ceramic pot with coals below. A stove of sorts. However, the smoke is overwhelming. The coals are lit by plastic and karosene. Not too good for the lungs for the women who prepare the meals or anyone around, but that is the way it is.

The situation here is really overwhelming to the heart. The needs are so great and the poverty is so real, though the sense of hope and friendliness is incredible! We have been greeted with open arms and we hope to get as involved as possible.

More to come...

Welcome!

Welcome to Global Ties. Jimbo and I are in the final phase of pre-production for our upcoming adventure to Kampala, Uganda. This has been a trip two years in the making, and we are extremely excited that we have at least made it this far. This blog is designed to help us stay connected and share our experiences with our friends and families. We leave from Atlanta on Wednesday evening and arrive in Entebbe, Uganda Friday morning. (We will be celebrating Jimbo's birthday in transit!) Thanks for all of the support you have given us. We will keep you posted!