Muzungu

Today felt like it lasted for ages. I can hardly believe that this morning I was at church - my first Catholic Mass, no less.

Here's a picture of the church, just a few minutes from our hotel:


I can not get over how beautiful the weather is. Seriously, it's perfect. The grounds are so lush and green, the sun is warm, and the breeze is cool. It feels like LA on the day after it has rained - unbelievably beautiful weather without the smog.

The church was packed and so we stood at the back with a large group for the service. There was no air conditioning, but the doors were open behind us and when the breeze would pick up, it would give me chills. It was so refreshing, actually making me reflect upon how God provides for us. Even the little things like cool air. We've made fans and air conditioners, which are wonderful inventions, but I think that, at least in my case, I've become so dependent on my fans and air conditioners, that I've forgotten that God can give me a gust of cool air too. There are simple gifts which exist in the world that technology has guaranteed and that I have taken for granted. Natural, God-given breeze is like nothing else. I forgot that until today.

Here's a picture of the inside of the church:


After Mass, we met up with some folks who are helping us set up things here. We made a lot of progress and are excited about the coming week. It will be busy, but we're not at a loss for things to fill our time.

We went out in the afternoon to shoot some of our first B-roll but I forgot my little digital camera. So unfortunately, I have no pictures :(

It is eye opening to see the great divide in wealth through the city. Here we are, staying in a hotel that's nicer than most that I've stayed in in the US and just a few minutes out, you see people with jugs on their heads, filling their plastic jugs in the muddy pools just off the road. I don't really feel surprised or, quite honestly, horrified. It's not the way people should live. But the question I keep asking myself is how is it that the quality of life for these people is so much different than what we can experience in the US? No one should have to drink out of dirty wells. How can we make it better? Here these people live in paradise and yet many of the homes in the middle of the city aren't much more than four walls and a roof, smaller than the whole of this hotel room. I don't think we need to go in and give everyone cars and flat screen TVs but if these people could just have some fresh water...

I also learned the word Muzungu. White people. Sometimes folks pass the car and point.

And the children here are so sweet. They are so beautiful! I just want to play with them.

For dinner we went to this Indian restaurant. I felt like I was in Disney World again - sort of like the Pirates of the Caribbean restaurant. We sat on this patio but the whole restaurant was on the patio. It had a covered wooden ceiling with lanterns and lights hung all over. But it was open air and again, the weather just felt wonderful. So beautiful.

And that was my evening. I'm sorry to cut it off so short, but I'm up in 6 hours for a wildlife safari. We're going to put the 4x4 to the test. Sweet. I won't forget my camera!

Thank you for all of your prayers. God has blessed our trip so much already.

Much Love.