Dancing to the music
Hey all! Happy September! I can’t believe that it is already this late in the year. In a place where seasons never change, it is hard to keep track of or even have a sense of the time of year. I am used to summer bringing warm weather, a break from school and the camping season. Fall bringing crisp weather, falling leaves and the ever present return to school. The cold of winter bearing Christmas cheer and holiday delights. With out these changes, I find it hard to grasp the coming and going of time. At the end of this month will mark my one year in Uganda and November 29th will be the end of my first year of Peace Corps service. Gosh! Time does fly. The days are long, and nights even longer but the months have just melted away.
.JPG)
The children at my school are on holiday vacation so the dance and music training for the tour has started. They have selected a group of 40 children from the two orphanages (Sabina and Kiwanga) to train for this month and will eventually weed it down to a group of 20 who will tour to the USA in May and June of the upcoming year. Look for the tour schedule at http://www.childrenofuganda.org/ (you can also find information on how to sponsor a child from our program on the websight). I hope to go with them as a chaperone/tutor/stage manager/groupie/pre-concert discussion facilitator. Two months in the USA, hardly the typical Peace Corps experience, but I think 22 months in Uganda is plenty of service! Right now, I am hanging out with the kids at Kiwanga (the other orphanage in Children of Uganda’s program) during their training. The kids are working so hard, everyday I am amazed by their dedication and passion for dance. They wake up at 6am to run for one hour, return and do chores until 9, eat breakfast, rehearse from 10-1 eat lunch, rehearse from 2-7, eat dinner, then more rehearsal from 8-10 or 11! The kids rage in age from 5 to 17 and are working on perfecting their skills in traditional Ugandan dancing, singing and drumming. It’s going to be a rocking show, you don’t want to miss it.
I will travel back “home” to Rakai sometime next week and actually am looking forward to being back in my village. I miss the people there. It’s a great feeling that they are my “people” now. However, I still miss my people in the USA like CRAZY! But, such is life. I just have to keep remembering how lucky I am to have so many amazing people in my life to miss…
Love, love, love
Sarah
posted by SarahC @ 5:50 AM
7 comments
7 Comments:
I miss you very much, friend! I can't wait to see you in a mere 11 months!!!!!!I wrote you a letter, stamped it and everything, and now I can't find it :( I will find it this weekend though so mail is on the way! I love you very much and keep your chin up and be proud of all your hard work, sacrafice, love, and generous spirit because all of us back here are so proud of you and your amazing work! You continue to inspire me!
XOXOXO
Becca Boo
I know Yussef will get them well-trained; his Kika Troupe is fantastic. I just talked to him today to see how things were going.
If you do get to accompany the Tour, know that my home will be open for whatever is needed while in the Dallas area. I look forward to seeing the kids again.
Keep me up to date on the AIDs testing day and tell everybody I miss them all. Say hi to 'Sir Charles' for me when you get back to Sabine.
Hi!!! It was so good to read your update. It is hard to believe I have already been home for a couple of weeks and started teaching again. IT sounds like training is going well. Tell the children I said Hello. Keep up your amazing work!!!
Love,
Jillian
wow! sounds like you having such a lovely fall! hope you are well, and i miss seeing you here at iwu!
I want to see your kids perform!!! That is some intense schedule. You're not missing real fall just yet... it's still about 95 degrees in Chicago, though the temperature is supposed to break in the next couple of days. Glad to hear you're doing well!!!
Sarah,
Good news on the library project!! I bet you are excited. Hope you get to travel with the choir. Would be great for them and for you.
Take care
Lynne
Hey you. Long time no talk! Since you wrote about missing people... IMISS YOU SO MUCH. I think about you a lot and you are always always in my prayers. I'm really excited to see you in NY if you come with the tour, umm, just for my record, have they started elimination yet??? Who's still training? Anyway, I have alot to say, so I think I'll write you a facebook message. Or better yet a letter, for you to put on your wall. I love you and I think you are really really awesome. Say hi to EVERYONE, especially Raspigi for me.
-Cassia
Post a Comment
<< Home