laura

Christmas at St. Mary Kevin was such a delight. It was a rainy day but it felt like the sun was shining down on all of us. Some children were dressed in their best for the holiday, greeted us with vibrant smiles, and were ready to start celebrating. Once Mama Rosemary gathered all the children together and announced the daily activities, the children were beaming with excitement. Spending Christmas away from home wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be. Being with the children and sharing this special day with them is a gift I’ll never forget. As we passed out their gifts they were so grateful. Once the talent show started some of the girls had already changed into their new shirt, put on their new flip flops, or had their bandana on. These children scream talent, from dancing, singing, painting, sports, they seem to be good at whatever you put in front of them. They performed a couple dances from the welcome ceremony and I’m still amazed at their skills. All of the group members had a special talent they shared with the children so Sara and I taught the children the chicken dance!

Each day I have to remind myself I’m in AFRICA! Unbelievable. I can’t believe I only have 4 days left in Uganda, it seems like our time here has flown by. Everyday when we get ready to come back to the city, the children ask when we’ll be returning, Tuesday will be a hard day for all of us. Having to say goodbye to their sweet faces and not having a little hand in mine all day will be hard to adjust to. I am so grateful I had the opportunity to be on Team 3 and I’m thankful to Gloria for such an amazing trip!