First Day Back

Last night when I got back karen and i went for goat brochettes!! i am going to miss those so so so much! there is nothing like them :)
felt weird being back... felt like i had been gone for forever.. but i had only been a week.
Jesse told me that it felt like i was gone for weeks and was glad i am back :) made me feel special that i was missed!
felt weird being back... good in a strange way tho.
woke up this morning regular old morning!! they finally made eggs again!! yum i love eggs.
today i took a motor bike taxi to school instead of the buss!! i took one last week with nickie really early one morning and it was really fun!
it was really fast... and not so much walking! which is fine... it sounds lazy but i finally gained all my weight back! ha. its funny how people here notice that... teddy told me i was fat today.. she said she meant it in a good way. they are funny with their words.

anyways it was sooo funny! and so sweet. the second i got off the bike i got attacked by kids like never before!! they were SOO happy to see me. i had about 20 kids hugging me at once! it was overwhelming. i couldnt walk because everywhere i went i had kids hanging on. oh my word it was adorable. made me feel that home feeling again :)
ALL the teachers were so excited to see me.. kisses and hugs all around! we are a little teacher family.. looking out for eachother and taking care of eachother.. i really love them so much! esp teddy.. oh my goodness she was sooo happy to see me! biggest hug ever.
i dont think even after being gone for a month.. that i will get a greeting even close to that when i return to america... and i was only gone for a week!
i feel so loved here... makes me feel like im having an impact... big or small... they wanted me back!!
today was kind of nice and relaxing... the kids played in the field and learned some french songs for like the first 2 hours.. and us teachers went to go look at the vicinity for the end of the year party on friday!
the kids attacked me ALL day! I got some priceless pictures!! they all just want soo badly to hold my hand or hug me or give me a high five... or sit on my lap. ha and it was a really hot day... so it was sooo fun but sooo exhausting!

then when i entered my classroom i felt at home again... feeling like i knew what i was doing. it felt good. walk in and they all stand up and say hello teacher... i ask them how they are and they say fine teacher and i tell them to sit down and they say.. i am sitting down. its the cutest thing ever!
reviewed colors... they all remembered every color right away... i was shocked!!
then i taught them shapes...
and then we did some subtraction.
they were SO well behaved. i was shocked. ha.
then teddy came and passed back their exams. app they took their french and math exams while i was gone. the math that i wasnt responsible for... and the french.. i hadnt taught them any of the stuff on the exams... they learned it before i was there.
i only saw one kids scores but he didnt do too well on the french or the math... but on the english he aced.
again made me feel like i can actually do something for these kids!! i can actually do this.
this whole trip has been extremely humbling and empowering at the same time.
ive have realized the power of one person... in my own weird way.. or just simply loving people with Christs love... its amazing to see the impact u can make. its the strangest and most satisfying feeling.
i felt whole there... completely happy! :)
but then i just got SOOO exhausted. i travel from 6:30am yesterday till 6:30 pm... and it hit me mid day today.
lucky school was over.

i was suppose to go over to nickies aunts house and pick up my phone charger... long story.
teddy and another teacher came with me... and nickies aunt and uncle saw how tired i was and they got me a coke and made me stay and drink it. ha. and then it started POURING rain... so i was stuck there for a couple hours. napped a little. refreshing. i needed it.

but nickie's cousin.. she is 2 1/2 and the cutest girl i have ever seen in my life! i love her sooo much and i found out today she is absolutley obsessed with me. ha its sooo cute. because she is so shy but she loves me so much. she isnt a student.. infact ive barley interacted with her much...
but the entire time i was gone she was asking "wheres becca" "when is becca coming?"
when she heard i was coming today she kept running outside and looking around and going "is becca here yet"
she wouldnt eat much when i was gone... unless her parents told her that when she was done she would be able to see me.
they said she asks for me everyday.. and all she wants is me there.
she is 2 1/2..
she told her parents she loved me today.
:)
she was eating... and something came up and all she could say was I LIKE BECCA
she wanted pictures of me... and gave me kisses on the cheek.
i love her so much.
not even my students remember my name... i am muzugu or teacher to them.... becuase there are so many of them i guess. idk. but she remembered...
again just kind of overwhelmed me... that somehow i had touched her... that for some reason this little girl loved me so much!

i think before i left i felt like i wasnt accomplishing much. i kind of thought all of my kids would forget what i taught them... or that they wouldnt remember me. this kinda proved all of that wrong.
everyone has embraced me soooo much here! i have family everywhere here...
i love it so much.
its funny because nickies aunt is so not happy that i am paying for food and housing. she says next time i go to kampala or kigali im staying with a part of her family... she says i shouldnt have to pay to sleep and eat. shes so sweet :)
i love love these people..
i can leave here now KNOWING that i affected people...
i think its pretty easy to change peoples lives here... just giving them a little love gives them hope. makes me kinda angry at bush. america has SO much power to change lives in a good way... to bring joy and peace to countries like rwanda. fresh water and food... electricity... paved roads. whatever. and we throw away millions and millions and so much freaking money in iraq.
obama better win. ha....

im glad ill be home for the elections. that will be itnresting to see and to catch up on!
8 more days sounds short. but it seems perfect. perfect amount of time to do everything i want to do... to say goodbye to everyone. and then back home.
it is just perfect. its right.
idk im kinda rambeling becuase im so tired. ha. i need to get good sleep tonight because tomorrow i am bringing soccer balls to the soccer club here and playing with little kids!! oh im so excited.

karen and i got brochettes again tonight. i really enjoying talking with karen :)

anyways... today was overwhelming in such a good way. i have never in my life felt so loved and desired before! makes me feel like i can do something... sometimes you need to see the harvest from the seeds you plant.
im so glad i got to see some of it :)

its weird how much love can do.