Home!

I am so excited to see my kids. I have missed them so very much! Our flight leaves London shortly after 2:00pm.

We checked out of the Foreign Missions Club at 10:00am and began our walk to the tube station (with luggage in tow). I'm sure we were a site to behold! This time, it was much easier, as we only had to carry luggage down the stairs and not up. 

After about an hour on the tube, we arrived at Heathrow Terminal 4. We checked in at the British Airways desk and made our way through security. We stopped to pick up a sandwich before boarding the plane. I also wanted to get a Diet Coke to take on board with me. One tiny little soda on a 10 hour flight wasn't going to cut it. This Diet Coke addict was already in withdrawal from my time in Uganda where I had none.

I was certainly not looking forward to this flight. So far, on three long flights, I had not managed to sleep more than 2 hours total. Another team member was kind enough to give me a valium for this leg, so I had high hopes that I would be able to sleep a few hours away.

A few of us gathered at gate 24 (this is what the agent at check-in had written on our boarding passes) and began to eat our lunch. As we chatted and ate, we watched the clock and none of the other team members were arriving at our gate. As we neared what we thought would be boarding time, there were still none of our team members there, so we asked a gate agent and were told that our flight would be boarding at gate 11! We gathered up our belongings and RAN to the gate. It was a long way! I was glad that I had logged all those hours, running, on the treadmill before our trip! We made it to the gate just as boarding began. 

Safely on board, and in our seats, we left Heathrow. In 10 hours, we would be back in the arms of our loved ones. I took my valium and settled in for, hopefully, a few hours of rest. I could feel the valium in my system and was very relaxed, but sleep still did not come. Valium usually knocks me right out. I have come to the conclusion that I just cannot sleep on planes. I will have to buy a sleeper seat if we ever fly overseas again. At least the valium helped me relax and so I was not anxious, a good thing, since I was once again stuck in a middle seat. Someone needs to tell my wonderful husband that he needs to share the aisle seats every now and then.

Once we arrived in Phoenix, we began the process of customs and baggage claim. I had pictured customs in America to be the worst we had encountered so far, but it was actually the easiest. We went through the line fairly quickly and our bags arrived shortly thereafter. Now we could make our way to our families. We we came through the doorway for international arrivals, there was a large group of people from the church, waiting there to greet us. People were grabbing me and hugging me, all very happy to see us. I had only one mission and that was to find my kids. We finally managed to push through everyone and found our kids waiting on the outside of the group, smiling from ear to ear. It seemed like an eternity before we could get to them. Oh, those hugs and kisses were the best ever! I missed my babies so much. It felt so good to see them and to hold them. They had roses for me and fudge for their Daddy. They know how to get to him. LOL!

We said our goodbyes to everyone in the group and headed home, only stopping for some mexican food at Chevys. ; )

Time Together

We spent the day sightseeing in London. We saw the Parliament Building, Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, The Eye, and Picadilly Circus. I'm sure there was more, but I can't remember them all. London is a beautiful place. It's very quaint and homey. All of the buildings are old, but incredibly clean and well kept. I love the architecture of the buildings. This is one place overseas that I could see myself living. Too bad the cost of living is so high.

I was really sad that we missed the guards at the palace. Chelci and I had plans to harass them. I did get pics of us stuffing an English phone booth, though, so I got half of what I had hoped for. 

We bought some souveniers for the kids and went to dinner at The Hard Rock Cafe. The food was great. It was the first time we had had ice in our drinks for about 12 days or so. I ordered nachos and Joey ordered fajitas. We had been craving mexican food and this was the closest we would come until we get back to Arizona. 

I really had the best time just strolling through the city, hand in hand with Joey. We had been so busy ministering on the trip that we hadn't had much time together. 

Saying Goodbye

Godfrey(our bus driver), Andrew and Paul (our guides)

*all in black

Today we leave Uganda. I am sad to leave. I have really come to love this city and it's people in the short time I have been here. As we drove to the airport, I sat beside Paul and he and I chatted most of the way, but during the quiet moments, I thought of how much I would miss him and Andrew. We all grew to love them so much and really enjoyed every minute with them. I know I have made two friends for life. I'm just overcome with sadness, knowing that there is a very good chance I will never see them again. 

We arrived at the airport and started the process of unloading the baggage, checking in, and making our way through the many checkpoints for security and immigration. We said our goodbyes to Paul and Andrew. There were hugs all around. My eyes welled up with tears as I hugged the boys, but I managed to hold it back. 

As we were working our way through the security checkpoints, we came upon a guard who seemed very interested in who we were and what we were doing in Uganda. We shared with him that we were a mission team and had been serving at Watoto and KPC. He was excited and told us that he knew of KPC and that he was a born again Christian. We all celebrated with him and he asked if anyone had an English Bible that he could have. I could have kicked myself, because I had packed mine in my checked baggage. I would have given it to him without a second thought. I didn't even think about their being an opportunity to give my Bible away at the airport. I know now, and will have Bibles with me on future mission trips. Sharon and Woody had a Bible in their carry on bag and left it with him. He was so excited and grinned from ear to ear. That was wonderful to witness. What a wonderful way to leave Uganda.

We boarded the plane and began our long flight to London. We will spend two nights at the Foreign Missions Club there and will enjoy some sightseeing and fun together before flying home to Arizona on Sunday.

Return to Kampala

Murchison Falls

This morning we awoke a little earlier, in preparation to leave the lodge and make the long drive back to Kampala. We met for breakfast at 7:00am and loaded the bus by 7:45am, to make the ferry across the Nile. The Islamic bus arrived just after our bus, and they were told that they had to go the long way around the river because they couldn't fit our bus and theirs on the ferry at the same time. I have no idea why they couldn't just take us over and come back for the other bus. Apparently the ferry only runs two times a day, with no exceptions. We were very lucky to have arrived first, or we would have been the ones going the long way around, and we would have missed the falls.

Shortly after leaving the lodge, we arrived at the falls. What a magnificent site! It was absolutely breathtaking! The force of the water was unbelievable. We took tons of pictures and just walked around enjoying the scenery. Andrew sat atop a huge stone, watching us enjoy ourselves. I'm sure he was probably praying that one of us would not do something stupid and fall in on his watch.

The rest of the day was fairly uninteresting. We drove for 8 long hours. The roads are extremely bumpy and it makes for a very long and uncomfortable ride. We passed the time by listening to our ipods, sleeping, or reading. I pulled my portable DVD player out and watched a movie. There was the occasional sound of laughter that would flow through the bus. Everyone was having a great time with each other, in spite of the lack of comfort. 

There was an instance where Godfrey slammed on his brakes and we all had to grab on to something for balance. Apparently a young man had walked out into oncoming traffic, without even looking, and a car swerved to miss him and was directly in our path. We narrowly missed him. There were definately angels present at the time!

We stopped a couple of times for Godfrey to purchase bananas and vegetables from the roadside vendors. There was also a slight mishap in the Kampala traffic. A car ran into the side of our bus and there was a few minutes of "negotiation" between Godfrey and the young man driving the car. We all sat inside, with eyes as big as quarters, watching and wondering what would happen. After a few minutes, Godfrey drove way. Turns out that the young man was a soldier and so there was no use in negotiating with him, even though it was clearly his fault. Luckily there was only a minor dent and a few scratches on the side of the bus, so Godfrey wouldn't be out too much to fix it. I felt bad for him, though.

We arrived back at the guesthouse, just as Rick, Deb and Verna did. They had spent the day at the Bulrushes, helping with the babies. I was a little envious. There is a special place in my heart for the babies and I would have loved more time with them. I did enjoy our safari immensely, though. As we sat around talking, I mentioned to someone that I would love some pizza and that maybe we should call Pizza Hut. LOL! I thought I could smell it and someone said I was just imagining things, that I was delirious. The girls called us to dinner and when we walked through the kitchen, there sat two huge platters of PIZZA! I knew it! It was delicious. I was in heaven. 

As we ate our dinner, we noticed a group of children gathering in the backyard. One of the girls told us that they would be singing and dancing for us. We were all so excited to have one more chance to be with the children before we left. They had us bring our chairs outside. We all grabbed our cameras to capture this special event. They started with an instrumental song and then danced a traditional Ugandan dance for us. It was beautiful. The kids were just precious. There was a tiny little girl who danced out front. We learned later that her name was Esther and she was only four years old. 

Afterwards, we had a short team meeting to discuss the next day, which would be a travel day to London. We then went to work packing and getting ourselves to bed. We would have an early start. Breakfast would be at 5:00am and we would depart for the airport at 6:00am.

The Nile River & Murchison Falls

Our safari guide, George

I awoke on Wednesday, rested and ready for the day. I slept wonderfully the night before. It was actually the best night of sleep since arriving. I fell asleep to the sound of Joey watching a movie and a cultural song and dance going on outside our window and I didn't know a thing until our alarm went off at 7:00am.

After breakfast, we boarded a boat for a ride down the Nile River. There were hippos everywhere. I especially love them when they are down in the water, with nothing showing but their eyes and ears. It amazes me how they can be so cute, yet so dangerous. We also saw crocodiles sunning themselves on the bank of the river. As we road along in the boat, my mind drifted away, in thought of baby Moses floating in the bulrushes of this very river. It was further north in Egypt, but the same river, nonetheless. I had never thought of the animals that might be lurking near the little boat that Jochabed had placed her tiny son it. There must have been crocs and hippos in the water there, too. It made me think of just how much faith and trust that Jochabed must have had in her Lord, to place her tiny, helpless baby in this river, so full of danger. She trusted that her Lord would keep Moses safe. What an example of faith!

We arrived at the falls about an hour and a half into the ride. We weren't able to get very close, as the current is very strong. Andrew promised us that we would be able to see more of the falls on the way home on Thursday. The Nile River is wider than I had imagined. I envisioned it as a small river, winding through a thick forest. It actually looks a lot like our lakes in Arizona. We saw several herds of elephant on the banks of the river on our way back to the dock. 

Now, for some comedy! We arrived back at the dock and were filing, one by one, off the boat, when we saw that the muslim university students had not closed the windows on their bus and the baboons had had a party while we were gone. They had gotten into some food that the students had on the bus, and had strewn it on the ground. We all began to take pictures of the this site and one of the students got a little too close. One of the baboons started toward our group and took a swipe at him, then headed our way. We all started running back to the bus. Joey had a box of bottled water and was running with it in tow. I was the closest to the whole thing, and was the last one of our group to make it back to our bus. I have no idea how close that monkey was, but I wasn't about to turn around and look. We all made it back safely and had a good laugh over the whole thing. The students had boarded their bus by this time and were cleaning out their seats and throwing the food on the ground. The monkeys came back and started eating again. It was a great opportunity to take pictures. 

There was a big male in the group and several females with babies. The babies would ride on the back of their mothers, and would jump off and get food every now and then, but if mama moved away, they scurried right back onto her back. They wouldn't let her get very far away from them. The smaller males would run off every time the dominant male would come their way. He pranced around like the king he was and got all the food he wanted. The other monkeys would scurry up and grab what they could before he came their way. We really enjoyed watching them. It was great fun.

After having lunch and a short nap, we boarded the bus for another game drive. We offered to let a few Australians ride with us on the drive. They were another Watoto team that had arrived at the lodge that day, but they had no bus. The ferry was broken down and so their bus was not able to come across. They rangers had taken the boat over and brought them back to the lodge, but until the ferry was fixed, they would not have transportation. Some of them rode with us, while the remainder of their group was divided up between the range rovers that the park rangers drove. 

George, our safari guide, was trying very hard to locate lions for us. We hadn't seen any the day before and this would be our last game drive. About an hour into the drive, he spotted a group of lion cubs lying underneath an acacia tree. There were about nine of them. It was apparent that their moms had gone off hunting and had left them there to wait for dinner. They lay there and just watched us as we snapped pictures. George said they had been born in September and were now seven months old. We stayed there for a while and phoned the other drivers to bring their jeeps over to where we were. 

We were all very pleased with our find, because lions were the only animal we hadn't seen on the drive the day before. As we drove back to the lodge, we passed several groups of giraffe. These are my favorite. I love to watch them. They are so graceful. One of the things that I learned about giraffe on this trip, is that the males are darker than the females, and as they age, their spots darken. There was one giraffe that was almost entirely black. George told us that most giraffe only live about 20-25 years and that this guy was pushing 25. 

After dinner, we all gathered around for another devotional time and some singing. Afterwards, we had a debriefing session with Andrew. We shared with him some ideas that we had for making things better, and we were also able to share with him just how much we had enjoyed having him as our guide. He has been amazing. He spent a lot of time that first day, learning all our names. He has been much more than a guide, he has been a friend, and we all will miss him when we go home.

On Safari

This morning did not get off to a good start, to say the least. We were to depart for safari today and we were told ahead of time that we must be on time, because we had a seven hour bus ride ahead of us and we could not be late, or we would miss the ferry that would take the bus across the Nile River to our lodge. Our schedules read that we would depart at 5:00am and breakfast would be at 4:30am. I had set my alarm for 3:45am, giving me 45 minutes to get ready and pack up, before breakfast. No sooner had I gotten up, we received a knock on our door. It was Chelci telling us that Andrew had said we must leave at 4:30am and that we must be ready. We were all confused, as our schedules said differently. We started hurrying to get showers, get dressed and pack up. I was just about to put my makeup on when, you guessed it, the power went out. I could not believe it. So frustrating! Where is my flashlight? Oh yeah, I left it in Arizona. Joey held up the laptop so I could see and I slapped on my makeup and then had to leave with my hair wet, not having been dried or styled in any way. Once again, my high maintenance bit me in the rear. We got on the bus with Andrew yelling at us to hurry up. We were all stressed and irritated. Not a good start at all!

It was dark as we left and there was a heavy fog. I was terrified as we drove along. It felt like we were driving really fast and when a car or truck would pass us, it was within inches. All I could think of was the story of a group of tourists who had died in a bus crash a few weeks earlier. Joey saw that I was upset and so he slid over and put his arm around me. He talked to me to keep my mind off of it. Once daylight came, I felt much better. The fog lifted and the roads weren't as congested. The ride to the lodge went by very quickly, as there was so much to look at as we drove by. There were tons of children on the roads, walking to school, small mud huts with thatched roofs, people were hoeing in the fields, men were cutting the grass on the side of the road with machetes. I never tire of watching life go on here.

After 7 hours in a bus, on a very bumpy dirt road, we made it to the ferry. It was scheduled to cross at 12:00pm. We were a little early, so we got off the bus and wandered around for a while. Joey spotted a hippo in the distance and everyone grabbed their cameras and went off in search of a few good shots. Andrew reminded everyone just how aggressive and dangerous hippos are and that we should all be very careful and keep our distance. Joey, of course, pushed it to the very limit and got closer than anyone. By this time I had made my way back to where Andrew was and he told me that I should tell my "honey" that he needed to come back this way. I laughed and told him that it wouldn't do any good, for my "honey" has a mind of his own!

We boarded the ferry and crossed the Nile River. We arrived at the Paraa Safari Lodge and were greeted by the attendants, who offered us cool washcloths, and a cup of ice cold passion fruit juice. We all checked in and then headed upstairs for lunch. What a wonderful surprise! There was a buffet lunch and the food was amazing. Lots and lots of things were familiar to me. I was so happy. As I've mentioned before, I have struggled with the food while on this trip. Before arriving at the lodge, I could tell I had lost a little weight, and I don't have any to lose. My shorts and jeans were fitting loosely on me. I'm sure I put it all back on while at the lodge. Three meals a day and they were all buffet, with dessert. Oh, heaven!

After lunch we retired to our rooms for a short rest before our first game drive. 

We left the lodge for our game drive at 4:00pm. Each drive is 3 hours in length. There were all kinds of animals from the very beginning. I've never seen so many animals and we were so close to them. I took a notebook and wrote down the names of everything, as George, our safari guide, called them out to us. Hopefully I'll be able to match the names with the pictures, so I can share them with the kids. We got stuck in the sand on one of the roads. Karyne and I were starting to get a little worried. Up until now, I had always brought granola bars and nuts along, whenever we went out, but I had forgot to pack them in our backpack this time. All I could think of, was that if we got stranded, I didn't have any food. LOL! Andrew, Godfrey, Joey, Woody, and Jonathan all climbed out and dug the sand out from under the wheels. Godfrey got behind the wheel and the boys pushed as he backed out. We were free!

We retired that evening after a short devotion and a few songs. 

Dedication Day & A Sponsor Child

Baby Daniel, our sponsor child

Dedication day! We will be returning to the worksite in the afternoon, but first we need to go and exchange money. Some have run out of money and need more for shopping. 

We boarded the bus and left the guesthouse at 8:00 am, a welcome change from the past few days. We have been rising at 5:30 am everyday and it was nice to sleep an extra hour today. We arrived at KPC shortly thereafter, to retrieve our passports and money from the safe there. A few of us purchased Watoto t-shirts. 

Andrew then led us down the streets of Kampala to a money exchange station. It was pouring rain and so we all had ponchos on or carried umbrellas. I'm sure we were quite a site and didn't stick out at all. ; ) We had to cross the street a couple of times and it scared me to death. I was sure we would lose one or two in our group. The traffic is very different here. When you cross the street, you have to do it very quickly. The cars will not stop for you. We also look in the wrong direction before crossing, because we are used to traffic flowing in the opposite direction. We have a few in our group who get along slower than others, and so the combination of all these elements had me very nervous. We managed to make it to the exchange station and then to the craft market. We finished up our shopping. We purchased stone animals for Caleb, a lion and an elephant, two spears for Joseph, and Joey bought some sort of hatchet for himself. We also found a gift for his parents to thank them for watching the kids while we are here in Uganda.

 

We then boarded the bus for the ride back to Bbira, for the dedication of the building. When we arrived, the pastor was not yet there, so Andrew took us on a tour of the houses there. We had not seen the rest of this village, as we had only remained at the worksite when we had been there earlier. A few of us on the team were interested in sponsoring a Watoto child and Andrew had been working for a few days on getting the information for us, so that we could possibly meet the children that we would sponsor. Joey and I have a little girl in Peru, Meylin, whom we have sponsored for four years, through Food For The Hungry, and so we had asked if there was a boy at Watoto whom we could sponsor. Andrew was still on his cell phone, getting information as we walked through the village. He told us that there was a little boy there and that he could take us to meet him. I was so excited as we made our way to his house. It seemed like an eternity before we arrived at the door. The house mother, Evelyn, brought him out to us. Oh, I fell in love. He was so small, only two years old! I have a special place in my heart for the babies here in Uganda and I was very excited to be able to sponsor a child so small. I took him in my arms and held him for a long while, until I had to give him over to Joey. It was only fair to let him have a chance at him, too. All too quickly we had to go. The dedication service was starting soon and we had to get back to the jobsite. 

At the dedication, we gathered together with the Ugandan workers, in one of the classrooms. It was a tight fit for sure. Isaac, the foreman, said a few words and then had the men share a song with us. We then shared an American song with them. One thing about Ugandans, they love to sing! We then had a small devotion and split up into different rooms in the schoolhouse to pray over the building. We all laid our hands on the walls and Isaac asked one American and one Ugandan to lead us all in the dedication prayer. Joey led the prayer for our group and Rooney led for the Ugandan team. There were prayers going up all around us, in English and Lugandan. It was so wonderful to see tangible evidence of our hard work and to see it dedicated to God and for the children's use, for years to come!

Afterwards, we had a picnic lunch and then taped another portion of Pastor Rick's video sermon. We then went shopping at another village. I wish I hadn't bought all my gifts beforehand, because there was a lot there that I liked, but I had already spent my money. I walked around with Miss Deb and Miss Verna and helped them for a little while and then a few of us went to a little deli across the street to get a soda. Sodas have become a treat while on this trip. People here drink juice or water with their meals. We've all gone through soda withdrawal, I believe. We are truly a spoiled nation.

Watoto had scheduled a thank you dinner for us at a French restaurant in town this evening. It was called Le Chateau. We didn't know what to expect, but it was really nice. It was the closest thing to home that we have seen while here. The restaurant looked like a nice restaurant in the states. The food was amazing. It was the first time I had eaten meat the entire time I've been here. The chicken was boneless, hallelujah, and covered in a mushroom gravy, with mixed vegetables and potato cakes for sides. We were served ice cream for dessert! Oh, the joy!

Worship, African Style

Sunday, we awoke early when a rain storm came through and the power went out. I'm not sure of the time. I didn't check my alarm clock, but I did fall asleep again for while, until the alarm went off at 5:30am. The power still had not been restored, and so we went to work, trying to get ourselves ready for church in the dark. Once again, I needed that flashlight, that I forgot to pack. I showered and washed my hair, praying all the while that the power would come back on just long enough for me to dry it. I managed to get my makeup on by the light of our laptop and got dressed. Just as I was about to go downstairs for breakfast, the power came back on and I was able to dry my hair. Hallelujah! It's times like these that it really stinks to be so high maintenance!

We arrived at KPC just as the worship service was about to begin. I was so excited to experience the worship there. It was just as I had pictured, very energetic, vibrant and powerful. You could feel the presence of the Holy Spirit. Hands were raised, in worship all over the building and tears flowed freely. I wish I could have bottled it up and brought it home to Arizona. If only our people could experience worship like that! It would change the dynamic of our church for good. The people here have been through so many hardships. They have been delivered from so much. They worship with their whole hearts and with abandon. Would that we all follow that example.

Pastor Skinner brought the message and it was wonderful. It was all about family and spoke directly to the men about being great fathers. Ironically, the message that Pastor Skinner was sharing in Kampala is the very same message that Pastor Rick has been sharing in Queen Creek. God is at work in His church, all over the world, in every continent. Andrew (our guide) had shared with me about the crisis that the people of Uganda are in. Their families are suffering and it's because of the tradition of fathers here. Children are basically here to be seen and not heard. Fear is instilled in children, rather than respect. Most children will run to their rooms when their fathers arrive home from work, rather than be in the same room with him. There is no love shown in the homes. This is something that can be changed by the new generation of Uganda. Roughly 3/4 of the population are not married and 78% are under the age of 30. If the young men of Uganda will hear this message and apply it, a nation can be changed dramatically.

After the service, we went shopping at a local market near the church. We all spent time walking thought the shops, bartering with the shopkeepers, for souveniers and gifts for our families. I found some handbags and bracelets for the girls and a beautiful sculpture for myself. It was a family, intertwined together. A couple and four children. I loved it and so I had Joey try and barter for it. The lady wouldn't budge on her price and neither would Joey. I had to leave it, but I continued to look through the shops until I found another one. Joey managed to barter with this shopkeeper and get his price (20,000 shillings or $12.00 American). I was very happy!

We then boarded the bus and drove to the Suubi village where we would have lunch with one of the families there. As we got off the bus, we were greeted by several children. They had been sent by their mothers to fetch us and bring us back to their homes. We would go in groups of 3 or 4. A little boy with the biggest smile came up to me and grabbed my hand. He had a firm grip on me and wasn't letting go. I gave him a hug and asked him his name. His name was Francis and he was 7 years old. I told him that I had a little girl whose name was Savannah, and she was also 7 years old. He repeated her name back to me and smiled. That smile remained on his little face the entire time we were there! When we arrived at the house, we were greeted by the other children and the mother. There was Stella(Mother), Francis, Agnus, Joyce, Renald, Moses, Alex and I cannot remember the other little boy's name. Joey calls him Lowell, so I guess I will, too. ; )

Once we were all introduced, we were seated around the table. Joey, Chelci and I made sure we spaced ourselves so that we had children on either side of us. My little buddy, Francis was on my right and Joyce on my left. The meal was traditional Ugandan fare. I cannot even begin to remember all the dishes that were prepared. I tried very hard to be respectful of the culture and try everything. It was hard, but I managed to almost clean my plate. I can tell you that I am not a fan of cooked bananas. The cabbage, rice, beans, potatoes and tortillas (they aren't called tortillas here, though) were very good. The rest of it I could live without, but it was really neat to see it and experience it. 

Another interesting Ugandan tradition is that when they are eating, they do not talk. We all felt a little odd and like maybe we were being rude by not speaking. We kept looking at each other, wondering what we should do. I finally asked Mama Stella if they were always this quiet during meals and she said, "Oh yes, when the children are finished eating, then they will talk to you." I spoke to Andrew about it on the ride back to the guesthouse and he said it was customary for the children to not speak at all during a meal. The parents won't let them. I told him that in America, we sit around the table and talk while we eat. It's a time to reconnect with each other after our busy days. We ask our children and/or spouses how their day went and what is going on at school, etc. I can't imagine having dinner like that every night.

After our meal, the children showed us their rooms. There were 2 bunkbeds in each room. The girls were in one room and the boys in the other. Their rooms were very neat. Beds were made, shoes were in place, and organized. At the time, I really wished my kids could have seen it. I made sure to take a picture so I can show them when I get home!

Chelci had brought along gifts for the kids and they were thrilled to have them. Once she brought them out, it was a bit chaotic. They all wanted to make sure they got something. There were toy cars, bubbles and a frisbee. Once the frisbee was handed out, we all went outside to play. The kids rushed to get their shoes on. Francis ran and got my shoes and handed them to me. He was in quite a hurry for us to get ourselves outside. The rest of the team were finishing up their lunches and were coming out to play, as well. Soon we had filled the courtyard. There were children everywhere, tossing frisbees and playing soccer. The moms all gathered at the top of the hill and watched as we played with the children. 

It didn't take us long to realize that the children love to see themselves on our digital cameras. We would take pictures and then show them and they were so amazed. They would giggle and ask us to take another one. At one point, Francis took my camera, and started taking pictures of his brothers and sisters. I was a bit worried, but he was having so much fun, I hated to take it away from him. I will certainly send them pictures once I get back to America. There are no mirrors in the houses, so they rarely see themselves. You can understand why it is such a treat to see themselves on a camera LCD.

Paul, (our second guide) came to round us all up and tell us that we must go soon. We said our goodbyes to the children and mothers, with hugs all around. We took a few more pictures with them and then boarded the bus to return to the guesthouse. What an amazing day. We were all just so amazed at the work Watoto has done here in Uganda. These orphans now have a small slice of heaven. The villages are self-sustaining and they are just beautiful. Everything we ate today was grown right there in the village. It's truly amazing. 

Before I close for today, I have to tell you the story of the Ugandan toilet. I have been suffering from a bit of tummy trouble, I think, due to the change in my diet, and so I asked Paul to take me to the restroom. He walked Joey, and I, and a couple of the other women to the girls restroom. Before going in, he said, with a smile on his face, "These are a little different. Good luck." We went in, not sure what to expect, but soon found out. The toilet was a hole in the ground, and had a long pipe going up the wall, where the tank was. It was the funniest thing I had ever seen.(Yes, I took a picture!) We laughed our heads off. I was in no position to wait, so I had to use this toilet. There was only one problem. There was no toilet paper! I asked Paul if there was any toilet paper and he said that they don't put toilet paper in the restrooms because the children will take it and play games with it. I cannot fathom how anyone can go to the restroom without toilet paper. Luckily, Becky had wipes in her backpack on the bus.

Work, Work, Work

We traveled back to Bbira today and finished up our work on the classrooms. It was a little hotter than the day before. Rick and Joey were troopers. They spent almost the entire day in the sun. They hardly took any breaks. There were times that only a few people could work at one time, because we would reach certain points where we couldn't lay the brick any higher. They kept working and wouldn't stop. It was frustrating at times for me, because I felt like I needed to be doing something. The men wanted the ladies to rest and the ladies wanted the men to rest. LOL! Several times I heard mention of just how hard the ladies had been working and how proud they were of us. 

Isaac, our foreman told us that he had never had another team work so hard and get so much accomplished. He said he loves to work with Americans, because we are so selfless. That was nice to hear, but also a little odd. Usually you hear of how selfish Americans are, not selfless. 

When we left, six windows had been set and three doors. The block was laid as high as it could go in one day. We boarded the bus and headed back to the guesthouse for a shower and a hot meal. 

After dinner I went to work on my blog for the church website, then went to bed about 10:00pm, anxious for the next morning. We would attend services at KPC and afterwards, have a traditional Ugandan meal with the families at the Suubi village.

Work Begins

Kampala is a very unique city. As you travel through the streets, you can't help but be amazed at the culture here. Kampala is very urban in places and extremely rural as well. One minute, you are driving on a dirt road, passing by street vendors, where there are butcher shops and markets, women sit outside, cooking over fires, their children playing nearby, and then the next minute, you are in a city atmosphere. There are high rise buildings and congested traffic. Uganda is roughly the size of Oregon and has a population of over 28 million.

The children run and play beside the streets. They break into a smile and run toward us, waving, as we pass by. Women walk through the streets with huge baskets of bananas on their heads. Men walk to work, briefcases in hand. There are bota-bota (motorbike taxis) on every corner, waiting for someone to hire them. I love the bus ride to and from the guesthouse each day. I love to just watch the goings on as we pass by.

The traffic is unreal! They drive on the opposite side of the road and there are rarely any stoplights or stop signs. Vehicles drive within inches of each other. There are no traffic laws like in America. Basically, the bigger you are, the more right of way you have. I could never drive here. I am amazed every time we drive through the streets. We are all very thankful for Godfrey, our driver!

God is doing an amazing work in Kampala, through KPC and Watoto! You can feel it everywhere. It is so wonderful to see His church hard at work in another continent. One of things I have noticed about the people here, is how happy they are. They don't have all the comforts that we do in America. You can see that they are poor in many ways, yet they are always smiling and happy. It's the love of Christ that is overtaking this country. They are rich in Christ Jesus!

Today was our first work day. We were all very excited to arrive at the Bbira campus. Little did we know what was in store for us! There was a team of 10-12 workers there, waiting for us. They would be working beside us, and teaching us how to lay the brick for the schoolhouse. I was amazed that there was such a large team of workers. 

We started by forming a line and passing the bricks to each other, to move them to different stations, where we would lay them. We got our first glimpse of just how hard these work days were going to be. The bricks were not light, by any means. Once we had the brick where they should be, the workers began to show us how to lay the muchanga(mortar) and brick. It was slow going at first, until we all got the hang of it. I'm not sure the workers knew what to do with the crazy muzungu(white people) from MVFC! We eventually got into a rhythm and the walls went up fairly quickly. As we worked, we could hear the children playing in the distance. That certainly was enough to put a smile on our faces. We were blessed with a visit from a few of the children, once school was out. It was a very warm and humid day, but we managed to survive it, with a lot of water and sunscreen. Before we left, a few doors were set and the windows were ready to go up the next day. We all boarded the bus and arrived back at the guesthouse, filthy and exhausted from the day, but very excited about what we were able to accomplish in just one day.

Babies, Babies, & More Babies!

This morning we awoke, refreshed. We had finally had a good rest. Some of the team said that they woke up at 4:00 am and could not go back to sleep. Not me! I slept all night long.

After showering, we went downstairs for breakfast. It was interesting to see the food in a different culture. We were served donuts, but they were not like American donuts. They were not sweet at all, more like a roll. The girls had made fresh juice again. This morning it was mango. The juice we had had yesterday was orange. The milk is also different here. It is served warm and had a funny taste. I suspect that is is powdered milk. It is odd eating cereal with warm milk.

After breakfast, we boarded the bus and headed to KPC for orientation. Paul gave us a tour of the church facility. The auditorium was really nice, and had a balcony. Paul assured us that it would not be this quiet come Sunday morning. I couldn't wait for the worship on Sunday. I knew it will be amazing.

We were taken to a conference room and introduced to one of the pastors there. He told us a little about Watoto and the campuses. We were shocked to find out that there are THREE campuses. We had all thought there was only one. We were told that we would be working at the Bbira campus, the newest one. We were given our itineraries and our valuables were collected to store in the safe there at the church. (this was optional for us, but most of us chose to do it)

After leaving KPC, we once again were taken to the food court at the mall for lunch. I was not looking forward to this at all. It totally overwhelms a type A personality like me to be bombarded with menus and choices all at once, especially when I am not even sure what the food is. It made me want to opt for the granola bar I had stashed in my backpack, instead of ordering, but I didn't want to offend anyone there.

We finished up our lunch and headed over to the Bulrushes, the Watoto nursery for abandoned and orphaned babies. We had all been looking forward to this.

As we arrived at the Bulrushes, Andrew, our guide, asked us to please wait until he had given us the full tour of the facility before we wandered off . He told us that he would bring in teams and before he could get past the first room, they would all be gone, scooping up babies. After being there, I can see why. We all managed to respect his wishes, but the minute he gave us the okay, we ran to the cribs to grab those babies. No one went for the same baby. It was like there was a special child assigned to each of us.

The little girl I was drawn to was Mia. She was so sweet. As I approached her crib, she lifted her arms up for me to pick her up. As soon as I had her in my arms, I burst into tears. I was so overcome with the thought of these babies who were abandoned or orphaned. Each one had a different story, and each one just as sad as the next.

We were asked to help take the babies outside to the fenced in playground area, where we all sat around on benches or blankets with them. Soon the nannies brought out bottles and we were allowed to feed them. Mia drank her's in no time. I spent a lot of time with her. After she had finished her bottle, I sat her in a bumbo seat beside me and began to play with her. A little boy toddled up to me and plopped himself down in my lap. I was told by one of the nannies that his name was Keith. He was so intrigued by my long blonde hair. It would tickle the back of his head and he would shake his head back and forth and then lean forward and look back at me. He'd reach his little hand up and touch my hair softly. I had so much fun playing with those two!

We were told that we would be leaving soon and that if we wanted to visit any of the other rooms, we needed to do that soon. I hated to say goodbye to Mia and Keith, but I was given the opportunity to go into the preemie room. We had to remove our shoes and wash our hands, up to our elbows, before entering. I was given a little boy who had just graduated from the incubator that morning. His name was Nisif. He was so very tiny. I cradled him in my arms and thought how I would certainly take him home if I could. I am so done having babies and have no desire to be pregnant again, but if could have taken this little boy and given him a home, I would have done it then and there.

We were told we had to leave and that we must leave the babies. No one wanted to go. Andrew teased us, that he would check our backpacks to make sure no one was smuggling a baby out. One hour was not enough with these precious babies. As we were leaving, a van pulled up and a Watoto worker got out, with a tiny little bundle in her arms. A newly abandoned baby girl had been found. She made 81 babies in total at the orphanage. (we were told later in the week that a set of twin girls had been left at the orphanage, making 83 babies total)

It was such a heartbreaking thing to see those precious lives, abandoned and orphaned, but then I thought of how very blessed they are to have been found and adopted by Watoto, for now they will live at one of the Watoto villages and grow up in a home with 7 other children and a house mother. They will go to school and be taught Christian values. BUT, how many babies have we missed? How many little lives have been snuffed out before they could be found? My prayer for Watoto is that they will be able to open up another Bulrushes facility, and then another, as many as it takes to house these precious little ones.

It really made me think about the children in my own country and community, who are in the same situation. There are babies all over the world, who need someone to love them, and not just babies. Older children as well.

Arrival in Entebbe

Hallelujah! I slept! It was only for about 2 hours, but I feel much better. I cannot wait to sleep in a bed tonight. I have a time trying to sleep in an airplane seat, sitting upright. My legs and bottom go numb and if I do manage to go to sleep, I wake up numb and hurting all over. I have no idea how some of these people have been able to sleep the majority of the flight. 

We are now 1 hour from Entebbe, Uganda. I am anxious to see how customs goes and how long it takes to get our luggage and get to our accommodations. 

God give us strength for any work we may need to accomplish today. We are not sure of our itinerary. We are hoping for some rest time before we start working, but are more than willing to jump in from the get go if needed.

There is a beautiful sunrise this morning, as we approach Entebbe.

We arrived in Entebbe at 7:45 am and went through customs. It was mostly uneventful except for Joey and Jonathan misplacing $100. In hindsight, we all believe that someone got himself a nice tip, from the unsuspecting and naive Americans.

We met our guides, Andrew and Paul, outside and everyone got to work loading the bus with our luggage. Once everyone was loaded and we were on the road, Andrew had us all introduce ourselves. He spent a lot of time trying to get our names right. He struggled with my name for a long time. ; )

As we drove along, Andrew pointed out different things along the way and gave us a list of "do's and don'ts", one of which was that we were to be careful with our cameras. We were not allowed to take pictures of guards, policeman, or of any government buildings. He also told us to be very careful when taking pictures outside the window of the bus, to keep the strap around our wrists, so that no one could "borrow" them from us. 

We arrived at Adonai 1, one of the guesthouses that Watoto owns. We would be staying at Adonai 3, but it wasn't ready for us yet. Another team had just left and they were getting it ready for our arrival. We were served a hot breakfast of eggs, toast, cereal, and freshly squeezed juice. We sat around chatting and getting to know our guides, until we received a call that our accommodations were ready. Andrew told us that he would be taking us to exchange our American money for Ugandan shillings and that we would get lunch while we were out. Before we left, we were given time to take shower and freshen up. Oh, that shower felt amazing, after 28 hours of traveling.

We were taken to the Garden Mall in Kampala, and we exchanged our money. We were to have lunch in the food court afterwards, and Andrew and Paul told us that it wasn't like the food courts we were used to in America. Once you are seated, you are bombarded with workers from the restaurants, all wanting you to take their menu and order from it. There were at least five different menus pushed in front of me all at once. It was very unnerving.

I ordered a cheese pizza. LOL! I am just not sure of the meat here. I'm afraid I'll end eating dog or giraffe or something. Woody ordered goat meat. The men all had fun trying that. It was fun watching everyone try and figure out how to pay their bills with Ugandan currency. I was glad I had Joey to take care of mine. 

Once we were back at the guesthouse, we all took a much needed nap. Some of us had gotten very little sleep on the plane. I slept four hours. I probably would have slept the entire night if we hadn't been called for dinner, with a knock on our door. It was very hard getting out of that bed. The girls had prepared chicken, rice, cabbage, and fresh pineapple. It was very good and the pineapple was delicious! 

Many of us were still tired after dinner, so we retired to our rooms. Just as we were getting ready for bed, the lights went out. We spent some time fumbling through our suitcases, using the light from our cell phone. Who goes to a third world country and doesn't bring a flashlight? Apparently me!

We were scheduled to go to KPC (Kampala Pentecostal Church) for our orientation the next day, as well as the Bulrushes facility. We would deliver the diapers and bottles that we brought and would get to see the babies. I couldn't wait to get my hands on those babies!

London Heathrow

Finally in London! My goodness, that was one very long flight! British Airways is the way to go then traveling overseas. The plane was very nice, the food was great, and the crew was very accommodating and helpful. 

Once we arrived in London, I made a bee-line for "The Loo", to wash up. I was hoping that changing my clothes and washing my face would help me feel better. 

We called the kids to let them know that we had arrived in London and that we would be texting them from now on, as the rates for airtime in Uganda would be $4.99 a minute.

Joey and I grabbed a bite to eat at a little deli in the airport. He didn't like it at all, but I thought it was delicious. It was just too healthy for him. LOL! He felt better after a vanilla frappacino from Starbucks. 

To pass the time at the airport, we started a Texas Hold'em game at a Starbucks table. I think I impressed a few of them with my poker skills. ; )

Only three more hours until we board the plane for Entebbe. I have made myself stay awake during this layover, in hopes that I will sleep on this flight. 

Departure Day!

After many days of packing and preparation, we finally departed for Uganda! It was so surreal, so hard to believe. The day of departure was finally here!

When we left, the kids were very excited to be spending two weeks with Meme and Papa. I only hope that their enthusiasm will last and will not wear off after a few days. I, of course, cried when we said our goodbyes. It is so hard leaving them for so long and traveling so far away from them. 

We boarded the plane and departed Phoenix at 7:25 pm. The flight was nine hours and twenty five minutes in length. It was a VERY long flight. Despite my many efforts (which included Melatonin and Diphenhydramine) I was not able to sleep at all. That made for a very long and grumpy flight. As tired as I was, I was still very excited to get to Africa.

Four Days Until Departure!

Up until now, it has all seemed so distant. Even as we have prepared and gathered things, it hasn't seemed real up until now. 

I started gathering items that we need to pack today, just to make sure I have everything and that we haven't forgotten anything. If so, I still have time to run out and get it before we leave. It has been hard to think of everything we may need. Neither of us has ever been out of the country before and so we have no idea what we will need to take with us. We can only guess and then if we forget something, it isn't like we can run out and get it at a Wal-Mart somewhere. There are no Wal-Marts there.