Our school program is now on hold because the kids have finished with exams and are now on what they call "holiday". Basically they have 3 "holiday" breaks a year...this "holiday" is for 4 weeks. We simply change our schedule from going to schools and training, to having the community kids come here to the center Tuesday-Saturday. We have a special "holiday program" for them to be a part of for the next 4 weeks. Most of these kids that we have during holiday program are our original Christopher House kids. These are kids that are off at boarding school during the year, they don't go to school within our community so this is the only time we get to interact with them. Holiday is always very exciting for the kids because they are reunited with their closest friends, even brothers and sisters, that they haven't seen for quite sometime. It is a time of intense training, learning, growing, performing, and a lot of fun with a purpose!!
Since my last update, I have been able to do some traveling and have some down time of my own. For Easter, a group of us went to West Africa. We stayed at the Pan Afrique Hippo Resort! A friend of mine in Jinja met a guy who is in the Peace Corp doing work in Kasase, West Africa. He stays close to this Hippo Resort and goes there often and asked us to join him and some of his Peace Corp friends for Easter weekend. It was a blast. Shell beaches, huge hippos, warm swimming water (at your own risk) good food, great company, African tea, Congolese dancing, futbal, volleyball, limbo, cards...it was quite the African vacation.
As most of you know I had a couple visitors this last week. Not only did the boyfriend come...MY MOM CAME!!! What a surprise that was. I had no idea until I saw her in the airport. Jayme and her had planned it since the beginning, they booked their tickets together and kept the secret for over 6 weeks!! Come to find out...EVERYONE knew she was coming, except me. We had an amazing time. We ate a lot of amazing "Shelly" food, bombarded the craft markets, had some relaxation time at Shiloh, went to N'DARE cultural center where different cultural dances are performed, went to Jinja and did a little bungee jumping (mom passes on that), rafted down the NILE river (mom was ALL over that), and last but certainly not least they got to spend a couple days at the center with the kids. I really think they enjoyed their time here, it was an 11 day trip that I am sure they won't forget...I know the kids benefited from their visit for sure! Because of the volcano in Iceland they got to stay an extra day, which was super fun!!
Now they are back at home and I am back to work and we have a lot going on in the next couple weeks. Some of our kids are getting ready for a big dance performance, others are auditioning for a film, and others are finishing huge art pieces! I will be sure to get some snaps and videos of those activities! Well I better get going because I have a lot of pictures to upload and it may take hours. Until next time...enjoy these pictures and please...never stop praying for us. This community needs your prayers and support. Thank you all for not forgetting about us :) we love you and will be in touch! God bless all who are reading this!!
XOXO
Sheena and the rowdy bunch!!
