bien venue en afrique!

Well I've officially arrived in Africa! the weather is beautiful. the sun is shinning. and their is red dirt everywhere!!!

my flight took forever! we stopped in Rome on the way to Ethiopia and then we stopped in uganda on the way to Rwanda. both stops added an extra hour to the trip. i ended up landing in Rwanda around 4:00 am this morning. and get this! they made me check my carry-on bag with all of the computers - charged me $60s to do it - and then lost it! So the bag with all of the computers and and gifts and everything is missing. but about 15 other people on my flight lost their bags too so I'm hoping it was just a fluke and not a corruption thing. when i told the airline in Rwanda what was in my bag he yelled at me and said how could you have let that out of your sight! but what could i have done? it's awesome being so obviously not local because you're a walking target!

Joshua and ruth opar living on this old dirt road with a really nice house. it's kind of far from the city. but they received me with orange jucie and fanta (fanta is the generic word for soda - kind of like i want a coke, what kind? oh sprite.) when our taxi took us down the old road little children came out to wave. when they saw this tall white girl sitting in the back seat they started laughing and chasing the taxi. when i got out the all stopped and stared at me. i smiled and waved and said hi. They didn't respond so i tried french. then they started laughing and looking at each other. at least no one ran up and pulled my hair like they did in japan. ha! but it was pretty cute.

The family I'm staying with is Joshua and Ruth. Joshua is the new bishop of the church here. His wife Ruth and sister Ana live there. Ana is a student in - get this - hospitality management at the university here. Hopefully I can get her help with my school. Joshua is a teacher in elementary school but is taking night classes at the university in education administration. (same as me! interesting!) Hopefully they like soccer so we can watch the match tonight.

i came into town to buy a phone and get some money and shampoo. the school has sent a friend to help me. her name is Irene and she's so nice. we are just kind of wandering around town now and decided to stop and email.

hopefully i'll have more internet time tomorrow at the school. If i can find my way there! I think i have to take a bus, and then a taxi, and then walk a mile or so. It's kind of far. but that means exercise so that's exciting!

so far so good. a little overwhelming. but things are good. I know when i see our school it will all feel more real and not just a red dirt dream.

love you all,

shai