I'm absolutely loving it here. The people are so nice. The Victoria Falls are amazing... I'll try to post pictures later tonight or tomorrow.
I read this article in the paper yesterday. Worth the read.
Here's another from the AP on inflation... and here's a quote
"Authorities last week released a new 100 billion dollar bank note. By Sunday it was not enough even to buy a scarce loaf of bread in what has become one of the world's most expensive — and impoverished — countries".
I've gotta make this really quick, but we're in Zimbabwe, staying at a backpackers lodge. Had a heck of a trip getting here... caught an overnight train, super long bus, weird time at the Zimbabwe border... but here. Long story short, things here are so terrible. Inflation is soooooo high right now. Today one US dollar = 100,000,000,000 Zimbabwe Dollars... that's right... ONE HUNDRED BILLION. People here can't afford to buy anything... and even when they do pull some money together, there isn't any food to buy. Grocery stores are empty. Like... empty.
Things are great and I love being in Zimbabwe... thinking about staying longer.
We've spent the last three days in the village of Gamadubu (sounds like Hom-a-dubu). Anyways, Jess and Ana have been helping a woman named Shirley feed ~130 children every Saturday, and pay for their schooling Mon-Friday. It's a really neat program, and they've got some really great plans for 'The Project' in the future. This morning (Sunday) some folks from Gaborone came to donate blankets... but only 70... so from the 130, the most 'at risk' children received blankets first... beginning with HIV/AIDs children, then orphans, then children whose parents don't take very good of them... and so on. (ps, blankets because it's been getting down in the 40s at night... it's winter here). While it was unfortunate that the people donating blankets didn't bring enough, 70 children will be sleeping warm tonight.
In this picture you can see the first children in line to receive blankets (far right, back)...
(what are Sam and Ana doing?)
And on a funny note, when the folks showed up to give out blankets, all the children lined up and sang the song 'God is Good to Me' for about 2 minutes... and this yellow piece of paper is what was attached to each of blankets... :) 
(God is good to me, God is good to me, He holds me stead and holds my hand, God is good to me)
Anyways, tonight we're catching a train to Francistown, and from there taking a taxi into Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe is going through some awful times right now-- to get the run down, click here and read what's up on the International Crisis Group's website
It's hard to believe how quickly the last six weeks have gone by-- how many adventures, and day after day seeing the Lord at work.
I'm still processing the time Sam and I spent in Sudan. I'm still not sure how to feel about the country (plural). If you're up on your history of Sudan, then this is old news, but here a basic rundown:
- won independence in 1956
- borders Egypt to the north, Uganda to the south (borders other countries as well, e.g. Kenya)
- the north is mostly inhabited by Arab Muslims
- those in the south are mostly non-Arab sub-Saharans (black) who are either Christians or practice traditional African religions (see wiki for more info)
- the north and the south have basically been at war since 1956
- beginning in the mid 80's through 2005 Sudan went into a full-on civil war... with a twist
- the north was using those from the Darfur region to do their bidding in the south
- with the Sudan's second civil war, the SPLA (Sudan People's Liberation Army) was formed to protect those in the south from the Darfurians being used by the north.
- long story short, in 2005 a peace treaty was signed by the north and the south, standing until 2011
That being said, by 2005, most of the people in the south had all moved to refugee camps in neighboring countries (particularly Uganda and Kenya). A few moved up north to Khartoum before the south realized the north was using the Darfurians.
Soooo... three years after the peace treaty, Sam and I went to Turalei, S. Sudan... located near the north/south border. Everyone living in the town/village had within the last two years moved back from refugee camps, as it had been wiped out during the war... which means every person we met, over the age of about 16 remembers fleeing from the enemy... they remember homes being burned... people being hacked up... women being raped... and their entire world being torn to pieces.
I still don't know what to think.
Below are a few pictures I took around the village, and then in one of the schools we visited (yeah... they don't have buildings... they meet under trees). I'm uploading more to Facebook as we speak... and if this internet connection keeps up, Sam is gonna upload some of his pics to Flickr (he's took a ton of sweet pics).
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10 hours later...
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Other news, left Kampala, Uganda yesterday morning-- flew to Johannesburg and caught a bus to Gaborone, Botswana. South Africa/Botswana have been a completely different African experience, thus far. It feels like America here. Tomorrow we'll be out in a village, visiting an orphanage... I hear we're washing 200 school uniforms by hand... And on Sunday we'll be heading for Zimbabwe. That's it for the moment. -- John
I've been in Jinja for the last three days. No internet access where we were. Tomorrow = Sanyu Baby Home and then visiting another super sweet ministry. Tomorrow I'll hopefully have a chance to upload pics/videos etc etc... things have been so busy (and great). xoxo
So I just took a 4,000 shilling Boda ride to an internet cafe so I could upload some pictures/videos from Sudan, but when I got here I realized I left my camera cable back at the place I'm staying. (longest sentence ever)
And I didn't even need to say anything... but know that the effort was made. Until tomorrow
I've gotta keep this super quick, but I promise pictures and videos tomorrow.
Few highlights from Sudan:
- lived in a mud hut with a grass roof for 10 days
- on the 4th day we were in Turalei, the Bol family killed a cow for us... with a spear.
- we ate the cow over a period of four days... and they don't have a fridge... or power for that matter.
- after filming in a larger school (700 students, 6 teachers) in Ajak, we were 'raided' by the SPLA and our film was confiscated... totally crazy.
- almost didn't make it back to Wau because of rain
Anyways, crazy trip, but totally worth it. Today I've been working in another orphanage, and filming there tomorrow. I'll mos def have videos up soon.
-- John
PS: this orphanage is completely supported by 'random' donations. If you're interested in paying for some x-rays, meds, food or anything for the cuuuuuutteeest little kids, I'll have that info up tomorrow as well. PS: a set of x-rays run around $7 ... so cheap.
Just a super quick post to say that against all odds we're back in Juba... should be back in Uganda by tomorrow evening.
Picture this, 105 degree weather, red desert spotted with trees, a small hut with a 27" flat screen TV, wireless Internet and John blogging from his iPhone. This isn't normal.
All is well in Juba. Sam and I left Kampala this morning and had an uneventful flight into lovely Sudan. We're staying in Juba for (hopefully) tonight only, and flying West to Wau in the morning. From there a 5 hour-ish drive to the village where we'll be filming.
If the Internet holds up, I'll blog some thoughts. But for now, Mom, don't worry about a thing (not that I think you are)-- we're here and things are great :)
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Sudan has felt much more like I imagined Africa (minus the wireless Internet). Juba is the capital city of S. Sudan... only one paved road, UN vehicals everywhere and not one place in the entire country accepts a Visa card. So far, the people here really havent been very friendly. It seems like everyone wants to keep to theirself (sp?). Sam and I ventured out of our little guarded compound area and walked about 100m down the road. Nobody waved or smiled... I quickly filmed, as we walked by, a goat that was dying from what I can only imagine, the heat and lack of water. There's a guy staying in our compoud that looks like he's straight out of National Geographic... tall, super dark skinned and his face is completely marked up with tribal scars. I was told from the owner of the place that the man is from a village in the north, Noor. Who knows.
It appears that Sam and I didn't exactly plan the Sudan leg of the trip out very well and it looks like finances here are going to be tight. They only accept $100 bills minted in 2006... so we bought 5kilos of rice that should last us a while... we also brought 40 liters of water from Uganda... So as long as we aren't partying it up, and we're not hit up with anymore $100-200 surprises (as we have been for the last few days) things will be juuuuuust fine :)
All day, any time we mentioned that we are headed NW to film in villages that need schools, everyone has expressed how much schools are needed and how thankful they are that we are here to help-- So again I thank you all for the way you've supported Sam and me in this adventure. You are helping to make a difference for the people of S. Sudan.
1 a.m. on Tuesday the 1st of July, six of us found our seats on the most packed out bus, headed to Kigali, Rwanda. The ride there was fairly typical of any bus ride in a developing country-- full seats, people standing in the isle (for 9+ hours), and zero personal space. The drive from SW Uganda and into Kigali was actually worth the trip in itself-- Green, terraced mountains with acres and acres of tea fields in the valleys between... beautiful. Our trip was actually only two days, but it seems like we were there for a week... so here's a quick rundown of both days
Day 1
- arrived in Kigali and checked into the Mille Collines Hotel (the in Hotel Rwanda)
- took about a 3-4mile walk around the city
- had a terrible French/African dinner :)
- hung out at the Mille Collines and listened to live music etc... amazing
Day 2
- visited the Genocide Memorial... very intense... I've journaled a lot about that experience and will hopefully find time to share some reflections
- hung out in Center Town
- found an amazing Mexican food restaurant (one of the few in Africa)
- hung out on the roof of our (gross) hotel [Hotel Kigali... $8 per person, per night... and you get what you pay for).... and this was also a very special moment... looking over the city, and trying to imagine how war torn and horrible things were just 15 years ago... wild.
Anyways, we're back in Kampala for a few days... and had to do some work on our Sudan trip... so we'll be leaving Sunday evening now and returning on Tuesday the 15th...
I might have time to upload some pics/videos later today, but I'm about to pass the computer over to Sam...
So this is it for now -- John