GRADUATION!

Hey everyone! I know i promised a long update with more information about outreach and all that jazz, but that's because we thought our debrief week would be more just relaxing.. it's has actually been insanely busy... and we've had several power outages this week (surprise surprise). So... today is Graduation. Yep, we're done. 5 months of DTS finishes today! WOHOO! What a crazy adventure it has been!! There have been ups and downs.. and yes, I will post a more descriptive blog all about DTS as a whole at some point. It's just that graduation eats up pretty much all of today, and tomorrow I have to do tons of laundry, pack, & quite possibly move into a new room.. as well as go to town to pick up some stuff, because Monday morning we leave for Mombassa!! Yahoo! So, we'll be in Mombassa for a week, come back Tuesday morning... do lots of laundry & repack, because Wednesday we leave for Pader for two weeks (which, by the way, I will be incommunicado for those 2 weeks, no cell reception (I think) and definitely no power or internet (it is a refugee camp for goodness sake!) We should be back around the 23rd or 24th.

Yesterday was spent in a cleaning frenzy beautifying the base for all the visitors and setting up & decorating for graduation. Thursday we went rafting on the NIle! It was INCREDIBLE!! SO amazing (class 5 rapids! Our boat flipped in one, so we all "swam" through the rapid! We also took our 5m long boat down a waterfall that was 5m high (so we were vertical for a little while!!!). It was one of the scariest things I've ever done, but also so much fun. I'm a little sore, bruised & sunburnt... but throughly thrilled I did it. Also, they are building another dam on the NIle so in the next two years, most of the 11 rapids will be non existent.
This week we've also just gone to town, had a lecture, monday morning devotions, a massive homework assignment (a huge evaluation of DTS & Staff & ourselves... where we got to express all of our displeasure in many things, as well as answer very vague questions like "are you open?" with answers like: "Open to what?" or "Well, I'm not closed." etc. One student on our DTS wrote 13 pages about everything that had gone wrong, her husband wrote 8! Let's say that this DTS was a challenge, not what we expected at all... but still many good things have come of it. I am still very happy I came, and I still totally believe that it was God who directed my steps to come here, and intended for me to have this experience.

anywho... time to do some organizing and packing & cleaning, then eventually some getting ready. Grad starts at "10" which actually means it will start between 11 & 12. It should be interesting.. both DTS & SBS (School of BIblical Studies) are graduating today... that means with our 36 +7 there are 43 diplomas to hand out. And like a million guest speakers. We'll also have lots of LOUD music (some people have developed the technique of wearing earplugs to save their sanity & their hearing for things like parties & church services were the volume is pumped to the absolute loudest level possible.) Our dorm is also turning into madness comparable to a wedding or prom.. girls have been planning their grad outfits for months now. All of the african girls went out and got really fancy weaves done too. The sad thing is that i have to say goodbye to some of my awesome friends who are leaving today! The good news is that I will no longer have 16 roommates!

ok... well.. peace out for now!
love you all!!
-KatiRose