There is nothing quite like an African welcome. Whether it’s waking up in the morning to the loud noises of all the hustle and bustle that is an African city. Boda Bodas speeding down the road. Vans honking their horns at them to get out of their way. Music blasting from the shops along the […]

It’s becoming old hat. I wonder where that phrase came from. I don’t know, but I hope it never applies to me. Driving down this Ugandan road to Gulu from Lira coming from Kampala after Entebee… and Amsterdam….and Detroit…. from Nashville. In three days. I have started coming up by myself a few days before […]

There is a story of a little girl in Congo. Her name is Yvette. When she was two years old she was found in the bush bleeding. Her mother picked her up and placed her in the arms of a man who was visiting the country. She had been raped by rebel soldiers. I saw […]

Sitting in quiet. Girls are in bed. Warm coffee to my side. Nothing but the music overhead putting them to sleep. I treasure time with them. I often wonder what normal life would look like for me had my path led me differently. Normal life could have easily led me into marriage again. Quickly. Years […]

“How many rebel groups are there in Congo?” I asked. They all start laughing immediately. “There are many. In North Kivu there are many. In South Kivu there are many.” Looking at his bookshelf in search of something. We were at one of the few centers in town that work with former child soldiers. I […]