# 45 July 23nd-Thursday

Let down…boring Thursday
After a day like Wednesday, anything else was going to be a let down, but there was still something to look forward to. I had arranged to travel with an IC mentor to see the work that they do. Mike and I went down to the IC office around 11am. I was partnered with a mentor named Tom. He was a very warm and kind person. The Visible Child sponsorship program serves over 500 students. This is really not a huge number considering the need. However, IC has a philosophy of quality support over quantity. They accept students who are both vulnerable and capable. The goal is to see the students all the way through university. To assist with this goal they have hired about 30 mentors (many of whom are former teachers). These mentors have a case load of 30-40 students who they follow up with on a regular basis. This means there is quite a bit of traveling. Tom took my on a trip with him to meet with some of the parents he is working with. We were able to meet with 2 out of the 3. Tom had me ride on the back of his motorcycle. It was evident that he wasn’t used to having a rider on the back. We almost bit it a few times. When traveling on a boda-boda you usually don’t wear a helmet, but IC requires one for driver and passenger. I felt like we must have bashed heads at least 10 times.
On the trip we met with a grandmother who had taken in her many grandchildren and has helped them all through school. She spoke almost entirely in Luo, so I felt like an outsider in the conversation. The night before, someone had set fire to the hut next to her. Thankfully the fire went out before catching fire to other huts. The rain must have helped. The huts are so close that it’s easy to imaging a small fire could get out of control quickly. Although Tom was a great guy, our time together was pretty short.
I went back to Katarina’s to pack and get ready for trivia. I was caught between the conflicting emotions of wanting to get home and knowing I should enjoy my last time here.
I’m not sure what motivated me most, boredom or a desire to bring some Acholi culture back. Or maybe I was just sick of sticky jell in my hair, but I decided to get an Acholi haircut. I was running pretty short on shillings but I found a place that looked clean and would do it for 2,000 US. That is about $1. The guy who cut my hair was really interested in California. I didn’t mind the conversation because there isn’t really any way to mess up an Acholi hair cut. I chose a one setting and let him have at it. He actually cut a Mohawk and called his friends over. I decided to have him shave my beard as well. I was feeling sort of naked as I walked out. I really looked like a different person. It took some getting used to. I knew I was going to need to shave before going home, so that was one more thing off the list.
In the evening we all went out to Bamboo for the last trivia night. I hate goodbyes. I really just wanted it all to be over, but at least time was moving forward. Our group decided to write encouraging notes to each other (like Valentine’s Day with an envelope on each door) I finished most of mine, but I still have a few thoughts I need to put down. I wonder how many of my new friends I will keep in touch with. I left Bamboo early and took a boda home. My driver seemed a bit sketchy. He started to take me down a dark pathway away from Katarina’s. I got him going in the right direction, but I wonder if he was trying to do something shady. It was a first time (or maybe the 2nd or 3rd) I’d felt unsure about my boda driver’s motives. I was just glad to get home safely. When I got home I saw David our guard waiting. He is such a good guy. I gave him my Nikes and he was pretty thrilled. He likes to run and his other shoes had given up the ghost. I rested on my bed, played Texas Hold’em on my I-pod, and read my Bible as I waited for rest to come.