Hello Burundi

We landed in Burundi around 6:00pm Burundi time on Friday...dropping through a thick layer of white clouds. It's been raining here for a few days...reports of roads that normally take 1.5 hours to drive now take 4. It was a delight to step off the plane into the moist air laced with wood fire smoke (we could see many many fires as we were landing) especially after the dryness of the long plane ride.

Eve Ensler and Christine Schuler Deschryver (the director of City of Joy) were waiting for us. They came on board and it was a total love fest. So many of the folks on this trip have worked with Eve for a long, long time and have been involved with COJ from the beginning. So, it is incredibly emotional to see one another again in Congo. I get that it is also quite overwhelming for Christine to have so much support for her women. Not only are there 22 people on board who believe in her program and are fierce supporters but there are 10,000 pounds of greatly needed supplies in the cargo hold.

We file through the airport with our carry-ons. We are quite a sight...a river of white women and men speaking English. Lots of onlookers...plus no doubt the plane was a spectacle as well.

We were greeted by a handful of folks from the Village Health Center here in Burundi. Fairly new...only been up n' running since 2008 based on the Paul Farmer model. They do have in-patient capability but no surgery yet and have over 100 health educators and child birth educators that work in the surrounding area. The group with the 11th Hour Project (part of the Schmidt Family Foundation) are meeting with the health center tomorrow to learn more and consider potential funding for them.

Iam leaving for Congo tomorrow. Won't get to seethe health center. Kind of bummed about that but am working on just going with the flow and being along for the ride. I will leave with Eve, Christine, the 5 Mayo docs and two other Vday supporters. The rest of the group will meet us in Bukavu on Sunday.

I am regretting to no end that I brought the Ipad instead of my computer as a mode for staying in touch. The Ipad is very hard to blog on so please bear with all of the typos. Often I can't see the part of the page that I am currently typing on. Ah yes, as Lib's kids say, "it's a first world problem." I am lucky to have an internet connection...it is central Africa afterall.

I am missing home quite a bit. Got a pretty good does of homesickness. I knew I would. I'mout of practice from all of this adventuring far from home. It will get easier. I find myself dragging my feet about going back to my hotel room...it feels lonely and isolated. So, here I sit atin the lounge by the pool at the Hotel du Lac de Tanganyika typing away. WE all had dinner together as big group. Food is as to be expected...kind of funkyand not that good. Though my fish wasn't bad. I've been listening to a Burundi band play Hotel California, Hey Jude and a whole host of other american favs. Pretty funny and fun to listen to.

I told Eve and Christine aobut the bowls tonight to find out how best to give them to the women at COJ. They weree touched and thrilled. IO might get to spend extra time at COJ knitting with the women teaching them some knitting tips and how to felt. Who knows...perhaps that is my purpose here/! A lot of people think it could be a gresat thing for them to learn to make and sell. I love it. Those of you who know knitters and felters who helped with the bowls who may not be following my posts, please pass along the news of how much further reaching this gift may go.

Tinme to go to bed. It is midnight here. I am mamking myself good n tired in hopes of a good night sleep.  More from Congo. I will hopefully figure out how to post photos!

lots of love, ME