113-Day Delay

It really is not that long.

3 months and 22 days.

Plus or minus a couple.

This is how much longer I will remain in Uganda for an extension of my service.

Original date of departure: August 22^nd.

New date of departure: Mid-December.

My work at my organization in Kitgum was complete and yet I still felt a yearning for wanting to stay in Uganda and help.  I felt like my service was not over. 

That there was more to accomplish.

That was when an incredible opportunity arose.

In Movement: Art for Social Change.

(Click on the link.  Google it.  Love it.)

In Movement is an NGO that uses art education programs with underserved youth in Uganda.  They have an incredible team of facilitators that use creativity-based approaches to empower the young participants.  In Movement has recently been partnering with Peace Corps in our youth development camps and even during the various trainings that Peace Corps hosts for us Volunteers.

There was a previous Response Volunteer at In Movement that I will essentially replace.  He was a fantastic person and did an incredible amount of work that I am hoping to build off of. 

(Yo Adam.  Thanks!)

I called and told my family this on Father’s Day… Trying to ease the realization that they wouldn’t be seeing me until later this year.  I don’t know why I thought I had to do this as I have the most supportive family ever.  After a discussion ensuring that I was doing this for the right reasons, that my mental and emotional health are in a good place, and how this will help long term, they totally had my back. 

(Matthews family is the best!)

Then in December 2014, 31 months after leaving California, I will finally return home.

That is after a quick trip to Cape Town, South Africa to taste wine at a family friend’s winery.

Hold on to your hugs everybody!