Finally a Post...

HELLO everyone, i am alive. It has been a long awaited process trying to get to the internet. I almost posted a blog last week i think it was, i had this whole big blog typed up, like one more paragraph to go, and the power went out!! BOO URNS. So that blog went down the drain. I would love to recap on everything, but i will start with most recent.
We went to Rwanda for the weekend, caught a special hire taxi mini bus thing and they took us right to our hotel in Kigali. It was a good adventure, we had to switch to another bus, the drivers "friend", to take us all the way. Kigali is beautiful. Its amazing how modern it is concidering the horrific events that took place only a decade ago. We went to the Jenoside Memorial Museum, and it was truely moving. They have put alot of time and money into that place. I cried and cried and cried. Its such a horrible horrible thing, beyond words. The part that got me the most, was at the very end. Upstairs they had a series of ajoining rooms with huge blown up pictures of beautiful children. Underneith there was a pedistal with a plaque that said their names, ages, favorite things, last quote, and then how they died. There were some that were just shot in the head, most in their mothers arms, slashed with machetes, stabbed through the eyes and other horrific things. I was an utter mess when i left that place.
We also got to stay at "Hotel du Millnes Collins" aka "Hotel Rwanda" It was crazy being there, knowing that is was the exact place that temorarily housed many hiding tutsi's. Its a beautiful 5 star hotel. I got some cool carvings an jewelery from a craft market. and over all had a really good time. I didn't feel so hot on the last day, and i am still not feeling well. Really achy and a bad headache. So please pray that i dont have malaria.
The bus ride home was something else. It was a big coach like grayhound. But WAY over packed. We didnt relize that we bought tickets for standing. So when you load on everyone is pushing and shoving. And then we all had to sit in the tiny little aisle. Then the driver drives like a bat out of hell. It was really quite scary. Its a very twisty turny road and huge pothole everywhere. Two ladys offered for me to sit on the edge of their seat because everyone had sat down around me and i couldnt sit. So there was no room for my packsack and i was forced to put between some dudes legs. (Later when we reached Mbarara i relized he stole my cell phone, thankfully that was all) We reached the border and had to pile out of the bus and everyone was pushing and shoving, and the sicko that stole my phone pushed his whole self up against me, so I slammed him with my bag.
We figured it was first come first serve for seats so we hurried to get through the two two borders (one to leave rwanda and one to enter uganda). We were fast and thankfully got a seat. The bus started piling full again and some muzungo came up and said "Your sitting in my seat" There were some seats that had stuff on then so i figured that was the "saving" process, i replied, "There was no stuff here" He was not happy with that, and he angrily grabbed some ticket from his pocket and shoved it at me, "Look at my ticket" It said seat 6. I looked up and saw a two. "pointing at it i said "look 2" Well, that was the seat in front of me i later relized, but anyways the guy was like "Just move, i dont have any problems with the africans, just you" So i squished my was out of his seat and wanted to cry because i was not feeling well and tired of being crammed in the bus, and being called muzungo. There was a nice man from burundi that offered me his seat after that, i was SOOO thankful i cried, and gave his $10USD for his seat. He was happy, as thay was more than we payed fro the bus ride its self.
So we finally made it pack to Mbarara, eeryone went for curry food, i got some to go and went home. I couldnt eat. I am right now wanting to go back to bed. I am achy and my headache is getting worse.
Oh ps, it was soooo nice to have hot showers and the free breakfast at hotel rwanda was something ELSE....SO GOOD.

Mbarara

It is saturday afternoon, and i just arrived into Mbarara. We've come into buy some food for dinner, and send some emails. The power has been out for almost a day now (the internet cafe's have a generator) and we are also out of water at Canada House, which may be due because of the power outage. So we will pick up a buch of water while in town. We went to the OURS clinic yesterday which is just up the road from Canada House (where we stay). They specialize in children with diabilities. Like bow legs, cleft lip and palate, and other diformaties. It was crazy to see all these things right in front of me. We watched a woman "Gererous" change the bandages on a little boys leg. Open wounds in his legs. I made friends with a girl name Asiim Maclean. She is 18 and broke her femur two years ago. She was unable to get treatment and so it healed all crooked. Two months ago she came to the OURS clinic and they straightened it. She hasnt finished elementary school. And her family has 5 other kids and no employment. This morning just after breakfast she showed up to surprise me at the house. i guess she ran into richard out leader and he told her where we were. So people keep talking to me as i am writing this and asking for emails and such. So my time is dwindalling fast. Next time maybe i should get a computer in a corner by myself. So life is beautiful. I send some postcards off yesterday so hopefully they will make it there in 3 weeks or so. I got two pinapples yesterday for about .90$ the best pineapple I have ever had. I have been sleep quite well. Not too many mosquito bites. (at least i think they are, everything is different especially the bug bites) Its dark around 7 and it gets really dark aspecially when the power is out, which i think it has been off more than on since i have been here. I here muslim prayers every night at random times that i havnt quite figured out yet. They pray over loud speakers so that everyone can hear. And then the dogs bark. and they howl and they bark again. but generally speaking i have been sleeping quite well. Sorry this post is so scattered, as i have been trying to type out everything as fast as i can before i forget it and to get as much in as i can before my time is up. Its nice an cool in here right now. On the streets is hotttt. I need to go get some water, and go to the bakery as i havnt had lunch. I will try and post some pictures now. Although they are old cause i forgot to upload some new ones onto my jump drive. And my fingers are getting sore because these key are so stiff.

So I LOVE YOU ALL, and i miss you tons. call me and text me. the number is in the previous post.

Well the picture option is not on this blogger, i cant figure it out, so i will try in myspace or hotmail.

BYEEE from Mbarara

Mbarara

hey everyone!!! i made it and i am alive and very well!!! this is my second attempt at writing a blog, i tried in kampala yesterday (i think) and after 10 minutes i still couldn't get it loaded, so hopefully this one is a go!!! so we arrived safely to Entebbe at 4:20 am on sunday, i came off the plane to a life size greenhouse. but firstly, when i was boarding the plane, there was this old man a few paces ahead of me, and he was joking around with some other people. Then he yelled out IM NOT GETTING ON THIS PLANE IF I CANT HAVE FUN!!! (there are no quotation marks on this keyboard) So things are going amazing. We spent two nights in Kampala at the Adonai Guest House and it was beautiful, white tiles and ten foot ceilings, fluishing toilets and showers. They cooked us breakfast luch and dinner. I got a beautiful shawl there for 15,000 shillings, which is like 9 dollars. it was overpriced too. i got a cell phone, its a nokia, and it is working great. (as opposed to some of the others phone which had various faults) OH hilarious thing. While in Kampala we went to to a Muzungo (white person) restaurant for luch, it was called Nando's. I was sitting there eating my chicken burger and fries with a stoney (my new favorite ginger beer soda that comes in a glass bottle) and i am looking out the window at the craziess of the city, and what do i see? My friend Kristy Fornwald from Kamloops walks by!!!! WOW, want to talk about a small world. Turns out she work just accross the street and she was on her way to a meeting. So we are defiantly going to try in meet up in about a month or so. I am getting nervous about this not posting so i am going to cut this short here, as i only have 13 minutes left of my 30, an di want to make sure this blog actually posts. So if it is fast i will continue, and if not, well if my firend tyler is wanting to spend more time here than we can continuing SURFING...as they call it.

If you would like my cell phone please call my mom :o)

and please call me, i would love to here from you, it is free for me to recieve international calls. not so free for you, but you can get calling card!!

LOVE YOU ALL AND TALK TO YOU SOON!!!

In Kampala!!!

Hello, I MADE it and i am safe....i took me 5 minutes to ge to the post blog page, so i ony have 5 minutes to type and send this message. I hve pictures to post but no time today. It is beautiful here, and the weather is wonderful. I am so happy to be here and see this beautiful country. Got a cell phone today, my mom has the number, it is free for me to recieve calls...so CALL me... you can phone her and get the number 250.890.2030

two minutes left so i will try to get to more internet tommorow!!
I love you and miss you all, I ran into Kristy Fornwald for those of you who know her....saw her walk by....

LOVE YOU MEL

7 hour layover, Vancouver BC

Hey yall, im in the process of a 7 hour layover in the beautiful city of Vancouver!! I got a ride into town to the WHITFIELD house to visit with some awesome firends before i head out. Josh....you weren't here, oh well guess ill see you later next year some time...miss you. Thank you to everyone who came out to see me at the airport, that means alot to me. I had a big group of people that consisted of: Danielle (sis), Mom, Adele, Jaquelin and Rick Pizzy, Mark, Dennis, Trevor, the newspaper....WOW....its felt good to have all the people that i love to wave me off. I know your waving to me too dad....i love you and will miss you dearly. (Ohh and dad could you please email me your address so i can send you a post card or two cause i left my address book at home)
So here i go, off to live in a whole new world in about 30 hours! I am really getting excited now, i love the feeling of a plane taking off....it pretty sure thats how i am feeling and thats how i will feel for the next month or so.
I miss you all already, but i am really happy that i am finally off!!
HASTA LUEGO!!

Last night at the Shanz Haus Hostel

Well, here i am, last night with the team in the Comox Valley, my very dear and beautiful home town. I am in the girls room, just finished packing and the team in in the living room playing settlers. Some game which i have never played....it is my goal to learn it as soon as this is done. And on that note, i should go, because i have been terribly busy this week and i have failed to spend much time with the team. So please pray that my actions would not affect the unity within the team.
I am so excited....tommorow i am boarding the plane to take me off my home turf of Vancouver Island and onto the first leg of a grand adventure.
Thank you to all my friend and family for all your help and support on the way, in dealing with crazy me. I will miss you especially, mom, danielle, dad, collin, dennis, trevor, natasha, adele, the pizzys, the renkemas and all the others who are important people to me....you know who you are!!
SO I LOVE YOU, and talk to you soon!!!
Melanie

Quick Pick!

Katie and Tanessa (Nurses)














Tanessa

John and Joel (Aquaculture and Agroforestry)

Here are a few quick pictures for you of some of the other interns!! Aparently im still working out the bugs, because i forgot the memory card in my camera today for our kyaking trip!! 10 Points!! Other that it was a good day out there, beautiful but a little bit chilly at times. We leave in 2 days now.....WOW....Candice i know what you where going through now....i dont know whether i should run around the block screaming, or curl up in the fetal position and cry. But at any rate, i am very excited and all my team memebers are super people!! We are having a dinner and a movie night this evening at the hostel, and tommorow i believe will mainly be designated for packing and repacking!! So please pray for guidance and peace within in all of us. Favour and safety with travel and luggage. And an awesome anticipation overall!!!

Talk to you soon, Melanie

Flurry of Emotions.

I wish i could explain how i feel right now. I wish i could grab all my emotions and put them out, piece by piece and show you, this is it, this is how i feel and what i am going through. But i cant, im not even close. Im at, pretty much, the craziest place ive ever been in. All i can do is trust. Trust that you God, are going to take care of my whole family and their hearts. My dad, my mom, my sister, dennis, trevor, natasha, and all my friends. I just have to cry out from the depths of me, that your power Lord would proctect them, and heal them and love them. That you have the plan God. Im trusting in you with all that i am, cause i have nothing else. I can not do this on my own, there is no way. I dont want to, and it would be crazy. I long to be effective, to help people. To be a living example of you Lord. To show people the hope, the answer, that their heart so desperately longs for.
On Saturday morning im getting on a plane. Im going to get on that plane, and leave everything behind. I want to let myself be broken, stripped down, my whole being chiseled away. I want to be open and and ready for whatever you have Lord. I dont want my old stubborn north american flesh to get in the way. I dont want to care about what i look like, or how i sound. It's SO not about me. I am nothing. Nobody.
Lord, i pray now that you would move in me. Melt away every useless bit. I pray you would fill me with your spirit, and ignite every ounce of wisdom that i have learned that i need. Let your wisdon reign within me. Let your love seep out my pores. I may not be feeling ready for the future, but i know that i am going into it. And i am not going to sit around for some "earthy" sign or feeling to let me know that its ok. You have called me, and provided, and this is happening. My dream, A dream is coming true!!!
Thank you god, thank you from all of me, thank you with my live, i long to be a living sacrifie for you always.
In Jesus Name Amen.