The last leg

I cannot believe it is currently June 8, 1 day before my departure back to the U.S.! Where has the time gone?! I thought I'd better post a few updates before (yay!) seeing many of you in person later this week. My departure from Masaka has been happening kind of gradually over the last month. Here's a rundown of what I've been up to since my last post:

Wrapping up: I officially ended my World Vision internship at the end of April, and wrapped up a few loose ends with my other projects shortly thereafter.

Moving out: At the end of April, I moved out of the room that served so well for the previous three months. I've been a bit of a nomad ever since, sleeping either in hotels, on buses, or at Jenipher's place (during my stops back in Masaka).

Hitting the road: Because I wanted to focus on project activities, I kind of saved up my remaining travel for the month of May. The last 5 weeks have been a bit of a whirlwind as I've been to Rwanda, DRC (Goma), Burundi, Kenya, Tanzania (Zanzibar), and Ethiopia. Some crazy travel stories to be told, for sure!

Holding babies: For the last two weeks of May, I visited Almaz at Hannah's Hope in Ethiopia. This is a home for orphans in the process of being adopted by American families through All God's Children International. We had such a great time together, and it was so inspiring to see the developments since my last trip, when things were just getting started.

Looking ahead: I have been giving a lot of thought and prayer to where/what God's leading me to next. I'm thinking that I'd like to be in Africa again next year, and also that I'd like to earn a salary so I can begin paying down my grad school loans. I've applied for a couple jobs so far, including a position with World Vision in DRC. I've had a few phone interviews with them so far, but still waiting for the final decision. If that doesn't come through, I'll be more than happy to job search from the comfort of my parents' home as I cuddle my new nephew Caleb!

Saying goodbyes: The last several days have been a whirlwind of goodbyes. I'm feeling mixed emotions as I prepare to move on from Masaka- excitement to return home and see friends and family, but sadness at the thought that this chapter is closed, and it's now time to leave behind all the great people I've met here. Praise God that it is a bit painful to go, because it's a sign of how deeply He's blessed me with friends and meaningful work to do during my time here!