8:oo-ish (PM) Lodwar. Monday 31.9.09
Words can't get close to describing what it felt like to land in Lodwar and be greeted by all the pastors of the surrounding churches. Some walked as far as 30 km to meet us at the landing strip. Its hot and dry here but not too much hotter than LA at its worst. The roads are rough and ragged and in some places very narrow which makes the ride in the back of the SUV awesome!
We're taken to our place of stay by Joshua and Moses, our two friends through JR. Their energy is overwhelming and they carry their joy with them all day long. The reception that was awaiting us was so surprising it made my eyes well up.
We dropped our things off in our rooms and settled in for a bit before having orientation at the outdoor conference hall. The place we're staying is far nicer than any of us anticipated - it was a nice surprise. Each has their own bed with mosquito nets and the cottages have a private bath with showers. I'm definitely being challenged by my squirminess of bugs in Africa as they're everywhere, there's no escape. Deep breaths.
We were given a tour of the town by Joshua, Moses, and Charles (who has appointed himself as my personal interpretor). A lot of the people only speak Turkana which makes what little I've learned in Swahili completely useless. We saw the main downtown area of Lodwar, which is in no way related to any places referred to as "downtown" in the States. As we toured we learned about the corruption with the police and the government with small businesses, and the effects of the heavy drought they are experiencing. They also explained to us that not only is this drought affecting the region but a dam was recently built to help irrigation in towns to the North which has decreased the water flow in to Lodwar. I can see the obvious unfairness with this situation and it infuriates me.
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