Going Back Home to the West Coast

For the last few weeks, we have been missing our bus driver Abbeh.  We have had a private hire taxi take us to school for the last few weeks.  The taxi driver was a very nice man but not Abbeh who is the coolest person on the face of the planet.  He didn’t just drive us to church every day or take us to our different ministries.  He joined in!!  We were sad that we wouldn’t get a chance to say goodbye and thank you to him.  On Saturday morning before we left for Suubi, Esther goes “You better hug Peter when you see him today”.  A few minutes later, we heard the familiar honk of Abbeh’s bus at our gate.  All of us jumped up and down and yelled… well not all of us… I’m pretty sure Thomas was still sleeping at this point.   We had Abbeh drive our bus for our very last two days of classes!

This week has been filled with many goodbyes and last times of doing things.  The last time to go to classes, last time to visit my slum family, last church service, last time in the downtown market (praise Jesus, that’s over), last time in children’s church, last time being called mzungu, last time eating posho and beans, first and last time eating a grasshopper, last time eating way too much at my home in Suubi and the last time as a whole class.  With the many things coming to an end, emotions ran high over this whole week.  For a while, I wasn’t sure how to cope and how I felt about leaving.  I mostly was in denial.  The first break down hit on Saturday night at the very last church service I would attend before leaving.  Earlier that day, I had received many kind notes from my classmates telling me how much of a blessing I was to them… wait a minute, back it up.  My classmates were such a blessing to me with their welcoming hearts, life stories, and passion for serving.  I do not deserve these incredible people to be my friends.  So that started to hit me on Saturday night and then the thought went through my head about what I would be doing in a week’s time and the tears began to flow.

 

 Visiting my slum family one last time.  Sharifah was all smiles!

 Saying goodbye to Auntie Margaret, my Living Hope client.

 Getting prayed for from all of my kids in Children's Church.

 One child thanked Rosemary and I on behalf of the class.  It was so precious!

 Out for icecream with Rosemary, Auntie Janet, Sandra, and Nancy (my friends from Children's Church)

Speaking of amazing friends, thank you to all those from back home who encouraged me, made me laugh, and reminded me of Canada with your letters and pictures you sent me.  You filled my heart and my WALL!!

Last night was our very last hurrah as our Watoto 360 class.  We all dressed very smart and boarded our buses to the Golf Course Hotel for our grad party.  The night was very fun being among our classmates, district pastors and our leaders however all good things come to an end.  The night ended with a tearful goodbye. 

 My Suubi sister Miriam

                                                             They all look so smart!

 

                                                                  Miss these guys!

My two crazy best friends!! I love them so much.

The internationals had been planning to stay up all night after the grad party, play games, watch movies, and eat a butt load of icecream… Instead, we made a raccoon nest in the living room with couches and mattresses, and slept.  So our epic night failed but it was still awesome.  This morning us three Canadians got up extra early, said very tearful goodbyes to our little Bukoto family and drove to Entebbe to head to London.

Right now I am in London for a night and it is surreal!  I feel bad for the other people in my hostel room because I am just a ball of emotions and undergoing a strange state of culture shock.  It is weird to see so many mzungus, walk down the street by myself, use a crosswalk, use pounds instead of shillings and see pigeons instead of storks.  WHERE AM I???? WHO AM I???  WHY DOES MY HEART HURT SO MUCH FOR UGANDA???  I’m undergoing a bit of an identity crisis here. Anyway, tomorrow I will walk around London in the morning, meet Danielle and her Dad for lunch and then board my plane to the west coast of Canada.  I never would have thought that six months ago, I would be so heartbroken for leaving Uganda and so incredibly blessed to have made the forever friends I now have. 

Because I miss you.

Going back home to the west coast.

 I wish you

 could put yourself in my suitcase.

 West Coast by Coconut Records

Peace and love,