In a few hours, Calvin will be flying to Germany with his soccer team so it seemed appropriate to post a bit from his last international adventure. Plus, this is all I’ve been able to get out of him so far. When I asked if he could write some more he said, “How about we do it in two parts?” Alright then . . . here you go:
My experience in Uganda was amazing! It was by far the greatest and most powerful experience I have ever had. I really enjoyed the opportunity to help and serve the people in Uganda.
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| On the bus |
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| On the wall at the Children’s Home — photos of the kids and their sponsors |
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| We sponsor a boy, Joshua, and a girl, Jamawiya. |
We didn’t get to the hotel until late that night, so we didn’t get to the orphanage until the next day. Once we got there, we met with a few of the kids, and then proceeded to pass out T-shirts, and hats. Then after we were done taking photos, the kids danced, and sang a few songs. Then it was time to work. Most of us went and started finishing the wall that they had already started, and the rest of them went into one of the buildings, and sorted the donations that we had brought with us. We got pretty far with the wall, and by the end of the day, everybody was able to play with the kids at least a little bit.
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| For Joey’s birthday, instead of a part and gifts for himself, he and his friends and family went to Build-A-Bear and made a stuffed animal for each of the Hoffman Home children. This is Joshua with his bear. |
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| They brought handmade quilts and pillowcases for each of the kids |
We were all so glad, happy, and excited to be here. We couldn’t wait for what tomorrow had in store for us. We went back to the hotels, and split up for about an hour before dinner, to shower, and change. That is when I started feeling sick. Instead of going down to dinner, I laid in bed, trying to sleep, hoping that I would feel better in the morning. Unfortunately, I didn’t. Even though I wasn’t feeling well, I still went with them, and the laid down in one of the administration rooms in the main building. That was probably one of the hardest things on the trip. knowing that I could be out there helping people, but instead I had to be inside, doing nothing, but laying there.
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| Picture of Michelle and Julia. Husband/Dad and sons/brothers added their handprints to the wall on this first visit |
At about lunchtime, I felt well enough to venture out into the main sitting rooms for the guests, where the rest of the team were eating lunch. I hung out with them while they ate lunch, and continued to sit there until well after they had gone back to work. About an hour later, I walked outside a little bit, and talked with a few kids. I guess they have only been going to an english speaking school for a few months, but they speak pretty good english. It’s kind of hard to understand them at first, but it got easier to understand them as the trip went on.
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| Calvin with Jamawiya |
Thankfully, I never once felt sick again. The trip went pretty well from then on. I think that one other person felt sick during the trip, but that’s about it.
