I have been received well since returning to the States. Everyone is excited to hear my stories and see pictures. I am thrilled by these responses. I have to admit though, I have found it difficult to say anything about my trip. I have to assume I am experiencing culture shock, although it looks differently than I anticipated.
People want to know, "what was the most.... the best... the one thing..." I couldn't answer these. After two weeks in Uganda, I felt that the vast experiences could not be compared. Which is "better"? A woman I met once, never knowing her name, but when I gifted her a mattress she hugged me so closely, pressing her cheek against mine? Or, the group of 22 educators that I bonded with over three days of laughs over language barriers? I can't call one better than the other, or more meaningful even.
I am gradually becoming more "myself"... if that's possible. Many will say things like, "I could never do that!" or "It takes a special person..." Maybe many of you feel the same way? That it takes a special person to poop in a hole and eat weird food? For me, that is the easy part. The challenge is coming back home and finding balance in my life. Discovering the new "myself," how my life will change, and how to let loose of these memories and experiences I have been holding tight and keeping private.
The trip was amazing! Indescribable in many ways., but I will keep trying to find the words :)
Maybe God is nudging you to do something. Overseas, around the US, in your city, in your home. Maybe your return question to God is, "Me?" Get up! Go, do, experience. The one thing I know for sure, as Christians we can't afford to keep quiet and sit still.
Laura Willowby
Friday, June 29, 2012
Saturday, June 23, 2012
Last night, a friend asked me how this trip was different from my first two trips with the Park Place teams. I heard myself say something like what follows and it occurred to me, "Hey! This is what I need to post as my blog reflection!" So here goes...
I went to Uganda for the first time in 2008. I can now look back and say my experiences were primarily physical in nature, with all the senses barraged by new things. There was so much to take in with my eyes, ears, nose, tongue and skin. To list all of those sensations is content for another post:)
Missions trip #2 in 2010 was more emotional. I kept asking myself Why? Why am I here? How can I help? Why does such poverty and disease continue? What is God saying to/ asking of me?
This trip felt more spiritual for me. Physically, not that I wouldn't have new sensations, I went more familiar with what I might encounter. Emotionally, I was more at peace with the questions of the two previous trips. I didn't necessarily have specific answers , but I was more OK with NOT knowing exactly why I was going or what it all meant.
Prior to this year's journey, our team could be seen wearing t-shirts that read, "Shaped by the Moment" with the shape of Africa in place of the A in "Shaped." With this frame of mind, I went into this trip looking for God, paying more attention to what He wanted me to see, hear, and do. At least three experiences spring to mind where I really noticed God at work.
1) In the various times we shared a testimony, scripture or Bible study.
I should not be amazed that God was in these experiences because we and MANY others
prayed for them. I just smile at how scriptures rose to the surface that had something
significant to say in THAT place, in THAT moment. I know I was touched and I trust that
those with whom we shared were, also. ( Exodus 4: 10-17, esp. v17 God said to Moses,
"Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say.")
I will end my reflections by highlighting a couple of themes that surfaced
for the 2012 Uganda Missions Team.
I went to Uganda for the first time in 2008. I can now look back and say my experiences were primarily physical in nature, with all the senses barraged by new things. There was so much to take in with my eyes, ears, nose, tongue and skin. To list all of those sensations is content for another post:)
Missions trip #2 in 2010 was more emotional. I kept asking myself Why? Why am I here? How can I help? Why does such poverty and disease continue? What is God saying to/ asking of me?
This trip felt more spiritual for me. Physically, not that I wouldn't have new sensations, I went more familiar with what I might encounter. Emotionally, I was more at peace with the questions of the two previous trips. I didn't necessarily have specific answers , but I was more OK with NOT knowing exactly why I was going or what it all meant.
Prior to this year's journey, our team could be seen wearing t-shirts that read, "Shaped by the Moment" with the shape of Africa in place of the A in "Shaped." With this frame of mind, I went into this trip looking for God, paying more attention to what He wanted me to see, hear, and do. At least three experiences spring to mind where I really noticed God at work.
1) In the various times we shared a testimony, scripture or Bible study.
I should not be amazed that God was in these experiences because we and MANY others
prayed for them. I just smile at how scriptures rose to the surface that had something
significant to say in THAT place, in THAT moment. I know I was touched and I trust that
those with whom we shared were, also. ( Exodus 4: 10-17, esp. v17 God said to Moses,
"Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say.")
2) At the dedication of Jja Jja Maria's new home near Entebbe. We had visited Maria at her former home located in a Kampala low-land. Whenever there was a heavy rain, Maria's home often flooded, sometimes bringing bugs and snakes, and always damaging her few material possessions. The day we dedicated her new home, we were preparing to pray and cut the red ribbon when the rain we’d observed building in
the clouds began to fall. We quickly
crowded into her new 2 room brick structure with a corrugated tin roof. It was hard to hear, but we listened intently
to the jja jja and members of her family express their joy and gratitude for their
new home. It did not go unnoticed by
many of us that perhaps God sent the rain to remind us all of His faithfulness. “All I have needed, Thy hand hath
provided. Great is Thy faithfulness,
Lord, unto me.” (Lamentations 3:23)
3)
The noticeable absence of anxiety in my heart and mind.
On the past two trips to Uganda, I struggled to
determine what gifts I had to offer this team and the people with whom we would
serve. As I said before, I don’t
necessarily have specific answers to the questions that weighed on me in
2008-2010. What I do know is that God
gave me a peace, peace of mind and heart, a lack of anxiety or worry regarding
His plan for me in Uganda. I simply knew
I was to go and make myself available to love and be used by God. “Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace
at all times and in every way. The Lord
be with all of you.” 2 Thessalonians
3:16
HOPE. Several months prior to leaving, Deb Breeden
gave each member a Mudlove bracelet inscribed with the word HOPE. One reason this word is so special to us is
because of the relationships we build with people in TAPP, the Tumaini AIDS
Prevention Program. Tumaini is the
Swahili word for hope. Some may think we
go to share hope with these friends living positively with HIV/AIDS. What we find is that they personify the Hope
we all find in Jesus Christ. May the God
of HOPE fill US with all joy and peace as we trust in Him, so that We
may overflow with HOPE by the power of the Holy Spirit. (Romans 15:13)
JESUS
MESSIAH. Our team prepared several
songs for the trip, anticipating that we might be asked to share in various
settings. One of the songs, “Jesus Messiah”,
seemed to become our Team Song, as we shared it repeatedly. Several phrases from the song played over and
over in my mind as we traveled throughout Uganda:
·
Love so amazing, LOVE SO AMAZING!
·
EMMANUEL (God with us)
·
LORD OF ALL
·
All our HOPE is in YOU; All our HOPE is in YOU;
·
All the GLORY to You, God, The Light of the
world
Perhaps you may never travel to Uganda or to anywhere
outside of where you live. It will be my
prayer that no matter where any of us may be, we will all know this HOPE that
is in JESUS MESSIAH, and that we will be unable to keep it to ourselves!
Sandra Overstreet
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Uganda, is that place for me
How does one begin to reflect about an eighth trip to
a country so economically poor, but to a people so unselfishly generous?
By saying it was a journey, with a group of
individuals, uniquely gifted, tender hearted and with the desire to improve the
lives of others if there was any way possible, but also saying each day was a gift
to us from our Father who desires for us to love, as Christ loved. To seek our
inner most thoughts and find the person He desires for us to be. To continually
reach for our full potential and sometimes that means we must leave who we are
in our comfortable places and . . . go.
Go . . .
to the unknown,
the uncomfortable,
the different. But go.
It is in these places and moments of time that we
place our hand in the hand of Shepherd and allow Him to lead.
It is in these places and moments of time that who we
have been is being molded into who we are to become. And that is why this is
trip number 8.
I want to be transformed daily into my full potential
in Christ and sometimes that means I must leave those that know me, leave that
which is familiar and go. In Uganda, there are women who know me and challenge
me to be a better person just by their witness. There are men who get up early
to take care of their families needs, then go off to work for hours tending to
the needs to travelers and their employer with never a negative remark, only
kindness and generosity. . . those men challenge me to be a better person. There
are grandmothers tending to the needs of their orphaned grandchildren without a
steady source of income. . . these grandmothers challenge me to be a better
person. I think you get the message. Sometimes I need to see that my life with
all of its tests are minor compared to those living in Uganda. . . and I’m
challenged to be more grateful.
I need to sit on a mat on the ground inside a mud hut
or handmade mud brick room and listen to the life story of a woman living with
HIV/AIDS and have my heart broken.
I need to sing with my fellow travelers about Jesus,
our Messiah as we celebrate the gifting of a new home to a grandmother caring
for eleven grandchildren and feel the Spirit move in my heart afresh.
I need to go,
I need to be challenged,
I need to be broken
And I need to feel the spirit afresh in me.
Uganda, is that place for me.
Deb Breeden
Saturday, June 16, 2012
Love Means Never Having to Say Goodbye
What an exciting day!!
This morning and afternoon was spent in celebration with jja jja Maria. We drove about an hour to Entebbe (where the airport is) to dedicate a new house for a grandmother. Dark rain clouds followed us the whole way there, but the first drops didn't fall until we were standing outside her house ready to cut the ribbon. Sandra and Denise helped Maria ceremoniously open her home, and then the rain began pouring down. We all rushed inside the concrete structure and listened as rain pounded on the tin roof. That did not stop the celebration, however, as we sat on the floor singing songs of praise. The rain actually signified a great blessing... it was a sign of cleansing of the past and preparation for a brighter future. Maria's former home flooded every time it rained and bugs and snakes often found there way into her rooms. In her new home, she can stay dry and snake-free.
Our time of singing was full of joy and smiling faces. God's presence was all-encompassing as we sat on colorful mats and watched Maria soak in her new home. We enjoyed a traditional meal to celebrate the opening. Maria began preparing the food early this morning (probably while most of us were still sleeping), and she took care to maintain certain traditions. Our table consisted of two pieces of cardboard and carefully laid banana leaves. Many of the dishes were steamed in banana leaves. Maria unwrapped the food in a traditional fashion and laid it carefully aside. The first dish she opened was the "cake," which was really a pumpkin cooked with rice... interesting to say the least. Individual "chicken luwobos" were served, meaning we each got chicken and potatoes that had been steamed and wrapped up in a banana leaf. Other foods served included rice, matoke, ground nut sauce with and without mushroom, and eggplant.
We had a visitor crawl in during our meal... a large red bug about 2 inches long. We watched as it crawled slowly onto the banana leaves and food, but it then took a turn toward Sue and Carma. Sue swiped it back toward the food, but it returned with a vengeance. Its speed doubled and chaos ensued. Alex, Sue and Carma jumped up, knocking over Mountain Dew and Coke in the process. We chased the bug toward the door where it was squished... or so we thought. It could not be killed. But we were able to get it outside and return to our meal.
When we told Maria we were leaving soon, we asked if she wanted to say anything. And she replied, "Why do you have to go?" It was such a sweet time we had with her, and she was so happy to celebrate her home-opening with us. She also sends her greetings to all of you!
After saying our goodbyes, we heading for the Botanical Gardens. We had an hour to walk around the gardens/park, and we saw beautiful flowers and hungry monkeys.
Tonight we had our final devotions together where we spent time affirming one another. It was a wonderful way to end this journey and challenge ourselves to think about our next journey... returning home. We also took time to pray over Colleen (and Tim in spirit) as they continue their ministry in Uganda.
This is our last blog from Africa, but each team member will be posting a reflective blog over the next two weeks so be sure to keep checking for those! Thank you for your prayers and support for these past few weeks... we would appreciate continued prayer as we adjust to life at home.
We are leaving for Entebbe Airport tomorrow morning at 5:45 am (10:45 pm your time), and our flight leaves at 9:10 am (2:10 am for ya'll). We should reach London by 4:00 pm (12:00 pm). We will spend the night in London (warm showers and pizza!), and we leave from Heathrow Monday morning at 11:45 am and arrive in Chicago at 2:15 pm. Our plane departs Chicago at 6:05 pm and lands in Indy at 8:00 pm... where we will be looking forward to seeing many of your smiling faces!!
Signing Off,
Alex and Laura
YBC-2012-UPPT
This morning and afternoon was spent in celebration with jja jja Maria. We drove about an hour to Entebbe (where the airport is) to dedicate a new house for a grandmother. Dark rain clouds followed us the whole way there, but the first drops didn't fall until we were standing outside her house ready to cut the ribbon. Sandra and Denise helped Maria ceremoniously open her home, and then the rain began pouring down. We all rushed inside the concrete structure and listened as rain pounded on the tin roof. That did not stop the celebration, however, as we sat on the floor singing songs of praise. The rain actually signified a great blessing... it was a sign of cleansing of the past and preparation for a brighter future. Maria's former home flooded every time it rained and bugs and snakes often found there way into her rooms. In her new home, she can stay dry and snake-free.
Our time of singing was full of joy and smiling faces. God's presence was all-encompassing as we sat on colorful mats and watched Maria soak in her new home. We enjoyed a traditional meal to celebrate the opening. Maria began preparing the food early this morning (probably while most of us were still sleeping), and she took care to maintain certain traditions. Our table consisted of two pieces of cardboard and carefully laid banana leaves. Many of the dishes were steamed in banana leaves. Maria unwrapped the food in a traditional fashion and laid it carefully aside. The first dish she opened was the "cake," which was really a pumpkin cooked with rice... interesting to say the least. Individual "chicken luwobos" were served, meaning we each got chicken and potatoes that had been steamed and wrapped up in a banana leaf. Other foods served included rice, matoke, ground nut sauce with and without mushroom, and eggplant.
We had a visitor crawl in during our meal... a large red bug about 2 inches long. We watched as it crawled slowly onto the banana leaves and food, but it then took a turn toward Sue and Carma. Sue swiped it back toward the food, but it returned with a vengeance. Its speed doubled and chaos ensued. Alex, Sue and Carma jumped up, knocking over Mountain Dew and Coke in the process. We chased the bug toward the door where it was squished... or so we thought. It could not be killed. But we were able to get it outside and return to our meal.
When we told Maria we were leaving soon, we asked if she wanted to say anything. And she replied, "Why do you have to go?" It was such a sweet time we had with her, and she was so happy to celebrate her home-opening with us. She also sends her greetings to all of you!
After saying our goodbyes, we heading for the Botanical Gardens. We had an hour to walk around the gardens/park, and we saw beautiful flowers and hungry monkeys.
Tonight we had our final devotions together where we spent time affirming one another. It was a wonderful way to end this journey and challenge ourselves to think about our next journey... returning home. We also took time to pray over Colleen (and Tim in spirit) as they continue their ministry in Uganda.
This is our last blog from Africa, but each team member will be posting a reflective blog over the next two weeks so be sure to keep checking for those! Thank you for your prayers and support for these past few weeks... we would appreciate continued prayer as we adjust to life at home.
We are leaving for Entebbe Airport tomorrow morning at 5:45 am (10:45 pm your time), and our flight leaves at 9:10 am (2:10 am for ya'll). We should reach London by 4:00 pm (12:00 pm). We will spend the night in London (warm showers and pizza!), and we leave from Heathrow Monday morning at 11:45 am and arrive in Chicago at 2:15 pm. Our plane departs Chicago at 6:05 pm and lands in Indy at 8:00 pm... where we will be looking forward to seeing many of your smiling faces!!
Signing Off,
Alex and Laura
YBC-2012-UPPT
Friday, June 15, 2012
Human Beings Vs. the Tse Tse Flies
Safari! We left bright and early for our safari adventure, Wednesday morning. We stayed at the Red Chilli "Rest Camp." We slept in bandas with animal names. Alex and Laura, the hyenas, made sure to terrorize all of the other nocturnal animals that we hunt. Just kidding. Instead, a hippo was seen lurking behind the bandas during the dark of night. Then this morning, we witnessed a baboon trying to nab our belongings, but we chased him back into the forest with our laser eyes.
Our adventure consisted of 2 game drives, which means driving around in a safari van on trails through the forest and savanah looking for animals of all kinds. One of our drives was in the evening, and the other was in the early morning. Our drivers, Dominic and William, are the best because they let us ride on top (The vans have a special top that pops up so you can stand on the seats and look out. It gives a nice view). Several safari drivers will let you ride on the back, but Dominic let Kelsey and Laura ride in the front on top. Only once did we fear for our lives... that was when we went illegally off-roading to locate the lions. We saw Mufasa and two of his sons... Simba was still galavanting with Pumba and Timon. We also saw many of Pumba's relatives. Here are some more animals we met along our journey (all spellings are subject to change): heartabeast (Kelsey and Laura renamed them hortelopes because they look like a cross breed of a horse and an antelope), water buffalo, cape buffalo possibly the same as the waterbok, orribi - teeny little bambis, African Kob - national animal, giraffes, elaphants, hippos, baboons, warthogs, the African crane - national bird, fish eagle, owl, and lots of other birds. We hope we're not forgetting anything.
Dominic told us lots of interesting facts. He showed us this bush, the whistling acacia, which has lots of black seeds or fruits or something small. Black ants eat them, leaving holes, and when the wind blows it makes a whistling sound. Also he told us that the leaves are very sweet, so giraffes love to eat them. They can only eat at each bush for a few seconds because the ants will crawl out when the bush is disturbed and bite the lips of the giraffes. Laura joked about how the giraffes must get neck cramps because the bushes are actually pretty short. William enlightened the group with info about the termite/ant hills (they work together). White ants come in after all the other termites and ants have done all the work and then the queen white ant does something crazy and all the ants fly out the top at night and people eat them??? We're not too sure...
After our morning drive and lunch, we took a 2 hour boat tour on the Nile. We had a guide, who didn't really tell us much of anything. But it was a good time, and we saw lots and lots and lots of hippos, crocodiles, baboons, elephants, warthogs, and more birds. The boat took us into Murchison Falls. We were dropped off at a tiny gap between trees. We jumped from the boat onto some rocks and then hiked up to the top of the falls. We ended up in 2 groups: the fast ones and the slow ones. George, our guide, hiked with group 2. Alex and Laura didn't really get to know George as we were in group 1, but word on the trail was that George is awesome. He was very helpful to the hikers, gave lots of information, and possibly led a church service. It was VERY hot and humid, so many of us were suffering from heat exhaustion and both groups needed to take a few breaks. There were several open places where you could see the falls. Beautiful! Once at the top, there was an oasis of cooling mist. (Some of the sweatier hikers, appreciated the camoflauge the mist provided.) We took lots of pictures and were all in awe of the gorgeous view of the crashing waters and rock formations.
Here comes the battle of the humans vs. tse tse flies! Very exciting... or terrifying, and perhaps even disgusting. Dominic and William picked us up in the vans at the top of the falls. They had the windows closed and the air conditioning on. We have NEVER had air conditioning anywhere in Africa. I thought, we must look really pathetic... or what a nice treat! Nope. It was only because of the tse tse flies. They were swarming the vehicles. It was like a plague. These are a special type of biting flies that are very painful and leave red marks. Dominic told us that the tse tse flies are attracted to the colors white, black, and blue. I said, "Oh great. Look at my white skin and these blue shorts." Dominic just laughed. He showed us a trap that the men hung while "mowing" the grass with pongos/machetes. There is a net with strips of blue and black cloth hanging. The flies will get caught in the netting. How resourceful! Well... we were fine because of the windows being up. However, when we left the park this morning, we were surprise attacked by a swarm of tse tse flies. They caught us with our guard and windows down. Dominic and Laura were already prepared with weapons (rolled up paper and cardboard). Deb quickly ripped her Wheat Thins box in half, arming both herself and Chelsea. The rest used their hands as the most dangerous weapons. We began to attack like ninjas. Alex, in the back of her van was swatting like crazy with a flip flop in each hand. Sharon and Sue had their weapons of choice, while Denise "conserved," shooing the flies back into the wild. The attack lasted for several minutes. There was much chaos and screaming. The only casualty was Dominic... he took 3 bites for the team while driving us safely during the attack. Human beings conquer all! Dominic turned around and said, "The theme in this van is Human Beings vs. Tse Tse flies." And then did some ninja hand motions. It was hilarious.
Everyone was pretty tired from our battle, so most of us slept in the vans on the way back to Kampala. This forced our drivers to drink Red Bulls since we were so boring. Before crashing, Dominic gave me a lesson on many tree names. He also made sure I saw a pineapple plant. Who knew pineapples grew out of the ground?! Probably lots of people, but I didn't until today.
More rest and shopping at the Stevenson's. Plus really good meatballs and rice. YUM. We reunited with the STW interns and shared a late night of talking, singing, and blogging. We can't believe we only have one more day!
Your Tse Tse Slayers,
Laura and Alex
YBC-2012-UPPT
Our adventure consisted of 2 game drives, which means driving around in a safari van on trails through the forest and savanah looking for animals of all kinds. One of our drives was in the evening, and the other was in the early morning. Our drivers, Dominic and William, are the best because they let us ride on top (The vans have a special top that pops up so you can stand on the seats and look out. It gives a nice view). Several safari drivers will let you ride on the back, but Dominic let Kelsey and Laura ride in the front on top. Only once did we fear for our lives... that was when we went illegally off-roading to locate the lions. We saw Mufasa and two of his sons... Simba was still galavanting with Pumba and Timon. We also saw many of Pumba's relatives. Here are some more animals we met along our journey (all spellings are subject to change): heartabeast (Kelsey and Laura renamed them hortelopes because they look like a cross breed of a horse and an antelope), water buffalo, cape buffalo possibly the same as the waterbok, orribi - teeny little bambis, African Kob - national animal, giraffes, elaphants, hippos, baboons, warthogs, the African crane - national bird, fish eagle, owl, and lots of other birds. We hope we're not forgetting anything.
Dominic told us lots of interesting facts. He showed us this bush, the whistling acacia, which has lots of black seeds or fruits or something small. Black ants eat them, leaving holes, and when the wind blows it makes a whistling sound. Also he told us that the leaves are very sweet, so giraffes love to eat them. They can only eat at each bush for a few seconds because the ants will crawl out when the bush is disturbed and bite the lips of the giraffes. Laura joked about how the giraffes must get neck cramps because the bushes are actually pretty short. William enlightened the group with info about the termite/ant hills (they work together). White ants come in after all the other termites and ants have done all the work and then the queen white ant does something crazy and all the ants fly out the top at night and people eat them??? We're not too sure...
After our morning drive and lunch, we took a 2 hour boat tour on the Nile. We had a guide, who didn't really tell us much of anything. But it was a good time, and we saw lots and lots and lots of hippos, crocodiles, baboons, elephants, warthogs, and more birds. The boat took us into Murchison Falls. We were dropped off at a tiny gap between trees. We jumped from the boat onto some rocks and then hiked up to the top of the falls. We ended up in 2 groups: the fast ones and the slow ones. George, our guide, hiked with group 2. Alex and Laura didn't really get to know George as we were in group 1, but word on the trail was that George is awesome. He was very helpful to the hikers, gave lots of information, and possibly led a church service. It was VERY hot and humid, so many of us were suffering from heat exhaustion and both groups needed to take a few breaks. There were several open places where you could see the falls. Beautiful! Once at the top, there was an oasis of cooling mist. (Some of the sweatier hikers, appreciated the camoflauge the mist provided.) We took lots of pictures and were all in awe of the gorgeous view of the crashing waters and rock formations.
Here comes the battle of the humans vs. tse tse flies! Very exciting... or terrifying, and perhaps even disgusting. Dominic and William picked us up in the vans at the top of the falls. They had the windows closed and the air conditioning on. We have NEVER had air conditioning anywhere in Africa. I thought, we must look really pathetic... or what a nice treat! Nope. It was only because of the tse tse flies. They were swarming the vehicles. It was like a plague. These are a special type of biting flies that are very painful and leave red marks. Dominic told us that the tse tse flies are attracted to the colors white, black, and blue. I said, "Oh great. Look at my white skin and these blue shorts." Dominic just laughed. He showed us a trap that the men hung while "mowing" the grass with pongos/machetes. There is a net with strips of blue and black cloth hanging. The flies will get caught in the netting. How resourceful! Well... we were fine because of the windows being up. However, when we left the park this morning, we were surprise attacked by a swarm of tse tse flies. They caught us with our guard and windows down. Dominic and Laura were already prepared with weapons (rolled up paper and cardboard). Deb quickly ripped her Wheat Thins box in half, arming both herself and Chelsea. The rest used their hands as the most dangerous weapons. We began to attack like ninjas. Alex, in the back of her van was swatting like crazy with a flip flop in each hand. Sharon and Sue had their weapons of choice, while Denise "conserved," shooing the flies back into the wild. The attack lasted for several minutes. There was much chaos and screaming. The only casualty was Dominic... he took 3 bites for the team while driving us safely during the attack. Human beings conquer all! Dominic turned around and said, "The theme in this van is Human Beings vs. Tse Tse flies." And then did some ninja hand motions. It was hilarious.
Everyone was pretty tired from our battle, so most of us slept in the vans on the way back to Kampala. This forced our drivers to drink Red Bulls since we were so boring. Before crashing, Dominic gave me a lesson on many tree names. He also made sure I saw a pineapple plant. Who knew pineapples grew out of the ground?! Probably lots of people, but I didn't until today.
More rest and shopping at the Stevenson's. Plus really good meatballs and rice. YUM. We reunited with the STW interns and shared a late night of talking, singing, and blogging. We can't believe we only have one more day!
Your Tse Tse Slayers,
Laura and Alex
YBC-2012-UPPT
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
Meeting Our Children of Promise
Today we planned visits with Children of Promise that we have sponsored. The children were brought to Kasubi to meet with us. Several in the group were able to become first time sponsors. They selected children to sponsor and were even able to meet with them the same day. It was very special!
Alex had an especially wonderful day as she found out what happened to one of her friends from her previous trip. Daisy was a young girl (about 3 or 4?) when I came two years ago, and she had severely bowed legs. When I met her last time, she was wearing a frilly white dress... something that might be worn in a wedding. She was irresistibly adorable and heartbreaking at the same time. It was unsure whether she would get the surgery she needed or not. I do not know if she remembered me the next day or any day after that, but I have carried her with me the past two years. Some of you received a picture of me with a little girl... that's Daisy. As people were looking for children to sponsor, and as my mother was deciding who to sponsor, I asked Colleen about Daisy, and to be honest, I feared the worst. But Colleen's face lit up and she said, "These are the stories I love to tell." I welled up with tears of joy before I even knew the whole story. I found out that Daisy got her surgery and can run and walk like any child should, and she is also being sponsored by a family in Germany! How exciting! But wait... it gets better. After I met with our youth group sponsor child, I saw a young girl walking around the grounds at Kasubi. It was Daisy. I went over and talked with her mother, then I played with her for a bit and we took more pictures. It was truly incredible! She is the face of hope for me, and I will never forget her.
Alex, Chelsea, and Laura were privileged to meet with Jackline, the PP Youth Group sponsor child. She is adorable! Jackline shared a few songs from her school and told us about how she likes to play chase with her friend. We gave her a backpack full of gifts and even painted our nails together. She was very shy, but she was so excited to meet us. We showed her pictures of the youth group and Pastor Josh. She was holding the stuffed animals we gave her so close to her chest and very tightly! When it was time to leave, she gave us each a hug. Maybe the best hug I've ever received. We took plenty of pictures and even some video to share when we get back. We want to send her some copies of pictures, so it would be great to include some notes to her as well! Get on that Josh and youth kids! :)
Denise, Shelby, and Marvin were able to lead another Excel workshop. We know they feel that the work they have been able to do is only the tip of the iceberg (well, there is no such thing here in Uganda, but you get the idea), but we also know that they have provided something very meaningful to the participants. They have opened a new door, with new possibilities.
During our evening devotions, Deb read an excerpt that Pastor Markle had given her. It shared a story of a doctor facing the hopelessness of Africa. A young farmer whom the doctor had helped was able to spot this and said, "Are you wondering why you came? You came for me." We were asked to think of the "one" we came for or who we will be bringing home with us. Several of us shared stories of the lives that have touched us while here. It was a very tender time together. I will save the stories, let them be shared in person by those who told them. They are stories worth hearing.
On our way home, Moses helped us purchase some sugar cane to taste test. Sue gave him some money and it was enough to buy sugar cane for all. We now refer to her as our "Sugar Momma." Pahahahahaha. I know it's corny, but it was really hilarious at the time...
Tomorrow we are off on Safari!!!! We leave bright and early at 6:30am (11:30 pm for you). Once again we will be away from internet usage and will have to relay our adventures to you when we return on Friday evening. Hopefully no one gets eaten by a lion or crushed by a stampede of delicious wildebeasts.
Night friends!
Alex and Laura
YBC-2012-UPPT
Alex had an especially wonderful day as she found out what happened to one of her friends from her previous trip. Daisy was a young girl (about 3 or 4?) when I came two years ago, and she had severely bowed legs. When I met her last time, she was wearing a frilly white dress... something that might be worn in a wedding. She was irresistibly adorable and heartbreaking at the same time. It was unsure whether she would get the surgery she needed or not. I do not know if she remembered me the next day or any day after that, but I have carried her with me the past two years. Some of you received a picture of me with a little girl... that's Daisy. As people were looking for children to sponsor, and as my mother was deciding who to sponsor, I asked Colleen about Daisy, and to be honest, I feared the worst. But Colleen's face lit up and she said, "These are the stories I love to tell." I welled up with tears of joy before I even knew the whole story. I found out that Daisy got her surgery and can run and walk like any child should, and she is also being sponsored by a family in Germany! How exciting! But wait... it gets better. After I met with our youth group sponsor child, I saw a young girl walking around the grounds at Kasubi. It was Daisy. I went over and talked with her mother, then I played with her for a bit and we took more pictures. It was truly incredible! She is the face of hope for me, and I will never forget her.
Alex, Chelsea, and Laura were privileged to meet with Jackline, the PP Youth Group sponsor child. She is adorable! Jackline shared a few songs from her school and told us about how she likes to play chase with her friend. We gave her a backpack full of gifts and even painted our nails together. She was very shy, but she was so excited to meet us. We showed her pictures of the youth group and Pastor Josh. She was holding the stuffed animals we gave her so close to her chest and very tightly! When it was time to leave, she gave us each a hug. Maybe the best hug I've ever received. We took plenty of pictures and even some video to share when we get back. We want to send her some copies of pictures, so it would be great to include some notes to her as well! Get on that Josh and youth kids! :)
Denise, Shelby, and Marvin were able to lead another Excel workshop. We know they feel that the work they have been able to do is only the tip of the iceberg (well, there is no such thing here in Uganda, but you get the idea), but we also know that they have provided something very meaningful to the participants. They have opened a new door, with new possibilities.
During our evening devotions, Deb read an excerpt that Pastor Markle had given her. It shared a story of a doctor facing the hopelessness of Africa. A young farmer whom the doctor had helped was able to spot this and said, "Are you wondering why you came? You came for me." We were asked to think of the "one" we came for or who we will be bringing home with us. Several of us shared stories of the lives that have touched us while here. It was a very tender time together. I will save the stories, let them be shared in person by those who told them. They are stories worth hearing.
On our way home, Moses helped us purchase some sugar cane to taste test. Sue gave him some money and it was enough to buy sugar cane for all. We now refer to her as our "Sugar Momma." Pahahahahaha. I know it's corny, but it was really hilarious at the time...
Tomorrow we are off on Safari!!!! We leave bright and early at 6:30am (11:30 pm for you). Once again we will be away from internet usage and will have to relay our adventures to you when we return on Friday evening. Hopefully no one gets eaten by a lion or crushed by a stampede of delicious wildebeasts.
Night friends!
Alex and Laura
YBC-2012-UPPT
Monday, June 11, 2012
Did Someone Kidnap My Visitors?
Stick with us as we describe our 3 day journey to the village, Bugiri (Boo-jear-y).
Driving out of the city of Kampala, we were introduced to a different side of Uganda... the country. We passed remnants of a rain forest (most of which is now burned down) and sugar plantations (2 of 3 authorized to refine sugar for resale in all of Uganda)... we tried to take in the new and beautiful scenery, but most of us found ourselves nodding off due to sheer exhaustion.
Picture me this... the trilling voices, the hip scarves, the many handshakes... our welcome to the village and Reverend Moses Abasula's (sp?) house was overwhelming... in a good way. Our first hours there were occupied by eating lunch and setting up our tents in the front yard. Moses and Sunday (our favorite people who work with the Stevenson's, drive our vans, and keep us safe... we love them so much!) told Deb and Laura "Oh, that tent's very complicated... leave that for us. You set up this one." After they set up the complicated tent (which Laura, Deb, and Alex set up another "complicated" tent up by themselves), there were two giant poles left sitting on the ground... so, of course, we had to joke with them. Who knew where these poles were supposed to go? Sunday decided to make up his own creation... after finding a picture of the tent, we realized Sunday guessed correctly! He fist-bumped Laura in excitement (a gesture they had never shared before). Our completed tents were set up in a circle... family style. By the way... it rained both nights during our village experience. Not just rained, but stormed... with bright lighting and rolling thunder. This is not Indiana thunder that you barely notice, but this is African thunder that lasts at least 30 seconds and makes you ask "Is this an earthquake?!" or "Is this a jet flying above us?!"
The second night was especially traumatic for two team members... Kelsey and Alex had an emergency evacuation from their tent. Soon after zipping in and settling down for bed, we heard a ripping sound from above. Our first reaction was to burst into laughter followed by panic at what could possibly be happening... we discovered that one of our tent poles had broken in half (well, it was already broken, but Sunday said it would fine). As Kelsey stood holding up the tent so as not to tear the outer layer, I yelled for help between laughs. We could hear people laughing and tent zippers opening, but no one was coming to help... so I yelled, "Why is nobody helping?! Stop laughing and come help!" Laura was the only kind soul to come in our time of need ;), and Tim came to inspect our plight. The damage had been done, however, and we were forced to take shelter with the Spread the Word interns (Jennie and Jayce who are awesome!!) inside a concrete structure... slumber party!! The next morning, Reverend Moses saw our tent deflated on the ground and wondered "Did someone kidnap my visitors?"
The programs we led in the village included a women's bible study, a men and pastor's group, and children. These took place on Saturday and Sunday after church and lunch. Kelsey, Sue, and Alex worked with the children (about 75 in all) while Laura, Chelsea, and Deb talked with some of the teenagers and took pictures... they loved having their picture taken, especially with the beach ball and Laura's purse. Some young girls told Laura they wanted to come to America... she said, "That would be nice" and then they started laughing... a response we grew accustomed to. Denise, Sandra, and Sharon led a bible study with the women... their group numbered about 50. Carma, Marvin, and Shelby worked with the men and pastors and had 15-20 in their group. The women received t-shirts and shampoo, and the men received bags filled with items to share with their families. We left several soccer balls for the children, an item they desperately wanted.
Sunday morning was a glorious time of worship. We split into two groups so we could visit two different churches. Carma, Sue, Sandra, Deb, Kelsey, and Alex walked across the street to Pastor Joseph's church... well, actually, we were led by about 30 women who danced their way to and from the church. Sue, Kelsey, and I led about 100+ children in Sunday School... we made "Good News" bracelets with the older kids and colored pictures with the younger kids. It was a unique experience to communicate through an interpreter, but it was evident these kids knew the word of God well. We returned to the service and enjoyed several different women and youth who sang and danced. Then it was our turn to sing for the congregation, and Kelsey had a wonderful solo. Deb and Sandra shared very touching testimonies, and Carma gave an inspiring sermon that encouraged everyone to continue to seek God and be open to his blessings in whatever form they may come. The service lasted an hour longer than usual due to our visit (making it about 3 hours), but it was a time of celebration.
Shelby, Marvin, Sharon, Denise, Laura, and Chelsea drove down a ways to a church near the jja jja house we dedicated on Monday (more to come on that later). We had a wonderful worship service led by Pastor Godfrey. The church was very gracious and welcoming. They were so thankful to have us, the visitors, with them. They repeatedly asked that we send their greetings and I wish I could relay just a small piece of the thanks that they shared with us. Congregation and visitors took turns sharing in song and testimonies. We were blessed with music from children's, youth, and women's groups, along with a man who shared a few short songs. Our group also sang. Several church members shared testimonies. Shelby, Marvin, and Laura shared testimonies that were meaningful for the people. I joked that the groups were made to split up the criers since Laura and Carma were in separate groups... (yes mom, I cried, as usual) Denise shared a message while Sharon led 60-70 children in a Sunday school lesson with Chelsea and Laura as helpers. At the end of the lesson, we passed out sandals to the kids. Chaos is a mild description. The kids were crowding and people were showing up that were not a part of the church service (the local well was right by the church and word spread faster than we could hand out shoes). We tried to make sure that children who were not wearing shoes got them first, but it was very hard knowing that every child there was not able to leave with a pair of shoes. Although we didn't want to be "unfair" in our giving, the harsh reality is that we would never have had enough shoes, and it was better that some were able to receive rather than none because we didn't have enough for all.
While we have shared about TAPP visits before, the visits we were able to do in the village were a different experience. There were two men that drove with us deep into the bush. Colleen was driving... Moses and Sunday tend to take a more gentle approach for us :). We visited a strongly professing Christian family first. The husband passed away, and the mother and her youngest of four were HIV positive. They often phrase it as "living positively." They were so grateful and send their greetings. They also gave Colleen a chicken, something we began to see very frequently - as we drove back to Kampala with about a dozen chickens and one pregnant goat strapped (literally) to the rack on top of the van. The next visit was an older married couple caring for a grandson who was positive. They had 4 children, all 3 boys were negative as they were. Their daughter contracted AIDS and both she and her husband died, leaving the boy with the grandparents. The sons were not providing help for their mother, so she had much responsibility. We also visited with a sister of one of the TAPP men with us. She has 8 children - the youngest being 1 month. Her husband died several years ago, but she continues to have babies. She has not had any of her children tested, but she is positive and her husband was positive. It was an uncomfortable situation for many of us, as Colleen talked about her needing to stop producing, begin family planning, and get her children tested for AIDS; she had this conversation as the brother of the woman translated. Although it was uncomfortable, it was a conversation that was important to have. We dropped off a few bags with family members for those who weren't home. One of these was a polygamous situation where the husband died, leaving both wives and children alone with HIV. Along the route we witnessed many difficult sights: areas of TB, children with distended bellies - a sign of worms, a girl being beaten by her peer group, a drunk man mildly confronting our group. These are common sights here and can make us feel hopeless at times, wanting to step in at every situation. We have to cling to the hopeful stories that have been shared with us and that we have been able to take part in, but it also helps us to know that the work is not done when we get home.
This morning we gave away more goats and mattresses. It is always a joy to see the smiles! A group of us went over to the church to paint... We painted at least 2 coats, but the paint was very thin and we didn't feel like we had done much. Alex made a reference to needing an "eye mask," meaning goggles, and Tim mocked her for the rest of the day, asking about Pirates of the Caribbean and other such things. Then we went over to the other church for the jja jja dedication. We had a real ribbon cutting ceremony, as the jja jja entered her new home. It was a celebration full of what I like to call trilling voices, singing, dancing, and lots of shaking our hands - a gesture of thanks. I can't express to you in words the joy this jja jja shared with us. I have NEVER seen anyone so happy and thankful.
Food. YUM. We thought we would share a few of the food names we have been enjoying. Please forgive in advance any misspellings and pronunciations for we don't have a keyboard to support typical pronunciation guides. Maybe you can find something about them on Pinterest. A few of the favorites are: well we know pineapple and mangoes, mandazis (mon-doz-eez) which are balls of fried dough, matoke (muh-toe-kay) - a mashed plantain dish, chipote (chuh-pot-ee) which kind of resembles a thick tortilla. We had jack fruit for the first time this trip - a first for many of us. Deb describes the taste as baby aspirin, it has a kind of orange flavor and is sticky and sweet. Laura has really enjoyed the cabbage dish prepared in the village. And we also had fried fish today which was delicious and a real treat!
We will leave you with a funny series of bathroom stories. As you may have guessed, our bathroom in the village was not a toilet, but more a hole. It was hot, smelly, and infested with flies. We braved through and I think all of us practiced the "squatting frog" over the hole. Some even had to use the hole while experiencing "traveler's revenge" (Montezuma's revenge doesn't seem to be an appropriate name in Africa). We usually went in pairs so one person could kind of be the look out. It helped to leave the door cracked, letting in light, and letting smell and flies out. If walking by, you may hear someone say, "Sorry if you hear something you don't want to hear." Let's just say we became quite close. We had an evening bathroom stop since none of us wanted to go back to the bathroom during the night alone. There was quite a rush, so several of us decided to just squat behind the latrines. It was dark, right? No biggie. Well... some people kept shining their flashlights around, and there was yelling, and panic everywhere. What a sight! As you may recall, I mentioned that it rained both nights, so this same nightly routine was repeated on Sunday night... in the rain. Instead of flashlights, flashes of lightening threatened to expose us. We were very proud of Carma who conquered her outdoor restroom fears and peed in the grass. Hahahaha. Good job Carma! Think of it as practice for the safari... you will have to do it again in the daylight.
These bush babies need some sleep, and a rest from typing. Our painting this afternoon left us with temporary carpel tunnel. Miss you all!
Laura and Alex
YBC-2012-UPPT
Driving out of the city of Kampala, we were introduced to a different side of Uganda... the country. We passed remnants of a rain forest (most of which is now burned down) and sugar plantations (2 of 3 authorized to refine sugar for resale in all of Uganda)... we tried to take in the new and beautiful scenery, but most of us found ourselves nodding off due to sheer exhaustion.
Picture me this... the trilling voices, the hip scarves, the many handshakes... our welcome to the village and Reverend Moses Abasula's (sp?) house was overwhelming... in a good way. Our first hours there were occupied by eating lunch and setting up our tents in the front yard. Moses and Sunday (our favorite people who work with the Stevenson's, drive our vans, and keep us safe... we love them so much!) told Deb and Laura "Oh, that tent's very complicated... leave that for us. You set up this one." After they set up the complicated tent (which Laura, Deb, and Alex set up another "complicated" tent up by themselves), there were two giant poles left sitting on the ground... so, of course, we had to joke with them. Who knew where these poles were supposed to go? Sunday decided to make up his own creation... after finding a picture of the tent, we realized Sunday guessed correctly! He fist-bumped Laura in excitement (a gesture they had never shared before). Our completed tents were set up in a circle... family style. By the way... it rained both nights during our village experience. Not just rained, but stormed... with bright lighting and rolling thunder. This is not Indiana thunder that you barely notice, but this is African thunder that lasts at least 30 seconds and makes you ask "Is this an earthquake?!" or "Is this a jet flying above us?!"
The second night was especially traumatic for two team members... Kelsey and Alex had an emergency evacuation from their tent. Soon after zipping in and settling down for bed, we heard a ripping sound from above. Our first reaction was to burst into laughter followed by panic at what could possibly be happening... we discovered that one of our tent poles had broken in half (well, it was already broken, but Sunday said it would fine). As Kelsey stood holding up the tent so as not to tear the outer layer, I yelled for help between laughs. We could hear people laughing and tent zippers opening, but no one was coming to help... so I yelled, "Why is nobody helping?! Stop laughing and come help!" Laura was the only kind soul to come in our time of need ;), and Tim came to inspect our plight. The damage had been done, however, and we were forced to take shelter with the Spread the Word interns (Jennie and Jayce who are awesome!!) inside a concrete structure... slumber party!! The next morning, Reverend Moses saw our tent deflated on the ground and wondered "Did someone kidnap my visitors?"
The programs we led in the village included a women's bible study, a men and pastor's group, and children. These took place on Saturday and Sunday after church and lunch. Kelsey, Sue, and Alex worked with the children (about 75 in all) while Laura, Chelsea, and Deb talked with some of the teenagers and took pictures... they loved having their picture taken, especially with the beach ball and Laura's purse. Some young girls told Laura they wanted to come to America... she said, "That would be nice" and then they started laughing... a response we grew accustomed to. Denise, Sandra, and Sharon led a bible study with the women... their group numbered about 50. Carma, Marvin, and Shelby worked with the men and pastors and had 15-20 in their group. The women received t-shirts and shampoo, and the men received bags filled with items to share with their families. We left several soccer balls for the children, an item they desperately wanted.
Sunday morning was a glorious time of worship. We split into two groups so we could visit two different churches. Carma, Sue, Sandra, Deb, Kelsey, and Alex walked across the street to Pastor Joseph's church... well, actually, we were led by about 30 women who danced their way to and from the church. Sue, Kelsey, and I led about 100+ children in Sunday School... we made "Good News" bracelets with the older kids and colored pictures with the younger kids. It was a unique experience to communicate through an interpreter, but it was evident these kids knew the word of God well. We returned to the service and enjoyed several different women and youth who sang and danced. Then it was our turn to sing for the congregation, and Kelsey had a wonderful solo. Deb and Sandra shared very touching testimonies, and Carma gave an inspiring sermon that encouraged everyone to continue to seek God and be open to his blessings in whatever form they may come. The service lasted an hour longer than usual due to our visit (making it about 3 hours), but it was a time of celebration.
Shelby, Marvin, Sharon, Denise, Laura, and Chelsea drove down a ways to a church near the jja jja house we dedicated on Monday (more to come on that later). We had a wonderful worship service led by Pastor Godfrey. The church was very gracious and welcoming. They were so thankful to have us, the visitors, with them. They repeatedly asked that we send their greetings and I wish I could relay just a small piece of the thanks that they shared with us. Congregation and visitors took turns sharing in song and testimonies. We were blessed with music from children's, youth, and women's groups, along with a man who shared a few short songs. Our group also sang. Several church members shared testimonies. Shelby, Marvin, and Laura shared testimonies that were meaningful for the people. I joked that the groups were made to split up the criers since Laura and Carma were in separate groups... (yes mom, I cried, as usual) Denise shared a message while Sharon led 60-70 children in a Sunday school lesson with Chelsea and Laura as helpers. At the end of the lesson, we passed out sandals to the kids. Chaos is a mild description. The kids were crowding and people were showing up that were not a part of the church service (the local well was right by the church and word spread faster than we could hand out shoes). We tried to make sure that children who were not wearing shoes got them first, but it was very hard knowing that every child there was not able to leave with a pair of shoes. Although we didn't want to be "unfair" in our giving, the harsh reality is that we would never have had enough shoes, and it was better that some were able to receive rather than none because we didn't have enough for all.
While we have shared about TAPP visits before, the visits we were able to do in the village were a different experience. There were two men that drove with us deep into the bush. Colleen was driving... Moses and Sunday tend to take a more gentle approach for us :). We visited a strongly professing Christian family first. The husband passed away, and the mother and her youngest of four were HIV positive. They often phrase it as "living positively." They were so grateful and send their greetings. They also gave Colleen a chicken, something we began to see very frequently - as we drove back to Kampala with about a dozen chickens and one pregnant goat strapped (literally) to the rack on top of the van. The next visit was an older married couple caring for a grandson who was positive. They had 4 children, all 3 boys were negative as they were. Their daughter contracted AIDS and both she and her husband died, leaving the boy with the grandparents. The sons were not providing help for their mother, so she had much responsibility. We also visited with a sister of one of the TAPP men with us. She has 8 children - the youngest being 1 month. Her husband died several years ago, but she continues to have babies. She has not had any of her children tested, but she is positive and her husband was positive. It was an uncomfortable situation for many of us, as Colleen talked about her needing to stop producing, begin family planning, and get her children tested for AIDS; she had this conversation as the brother of the woman translated. Although it was uncomfortable, it was a conversation that was important to have. We dropped off a few bags with family members for those who weren't home. One of these was a polygamous situation where the husband died, leaving both wives and children alone with HIV. Along the route we witnessed many difficult sights: areas of TB, children with distended bellies - a sign of worms, a girl being beaten by her peer group, a drunk man mildly confronting our group. These are common sights here and can make us feel hopeless at times, wanting to step in at every situation. We have to cling to the hopeful stories that have been shared with us and that we have been able to take part in, but it also helps us to know that the work is not done when we get home.
This morning we gave away more goats and mattresses. It is always a joy to see the smiles! A group of us went over to the church to paint... We painted at least 2 coats, but the paint was very thin and we didn't feel like we had done much. Alex made a reference to needing an "eye mask," meaning goggles, and Tim mocked her for the rest of the day, asking about Pirates of the Caribbean and other such things. Then we went over to the other church for the jja jja dedication. We had a real ribbon cutting ceremony, as the jja jja entered her new home. It was a celebration full of what I like to call trilling voices, singing, dancing, and lots of shaking our hands - a gesture of thanks. I can't express to you in words the joy this jja jja shared with us. I have NEVER seen anyone so happy and thankful.
Food. YUM. We thought we would share a few of the food names we have been enjoying. Please forgive in advance any misspellings and pronunciations for we don't have a keyboard to support typical pronunciation guides. Maybe you can find something about them on Pinterest. A few of the favorites are: well we know pineapple and mangoes, mandazis (mon-doz-eez) which are balls of fried dough, matoke (muh-toe-kay) - a mashed plantain dish, chipote (chuh-pot-ee) which kind of resembles a thick tortilla. We had jack fruit for the first time this trip - a first for many of us. Deb describes the taste as baby aspirin, it has a kind of orange flavor and is sticky and sweet. Laura has really enjoyed the cabbage dish prepared in the village. And we also had fried fish today which was delicious and a real treat!
We will leave you with a funny series of bathroom stories. As you may have guessed, our bathroom in the village was not a toilet, but more a hole. It was hot, smelly, and infested with flies. We braved through and I think all of us practiced the "squatting frog" over the hole. Some even had to use the hole while experiencing "traveler's revenge" (Montezuma's revenge doesn't seem to be an appropriate name in Africa). We usually went in pairs so one person could kind of be the look out. It helped to leave the door cracked, letting in light, and letting smell and flies out. If walking by, you may hear someone say, "Sorry if you hear something you don't want to hear." Let's just say we became quite close. We had an evening bathroom stop since none of us wanted to go back to the bathroom during the night alone. There was quite a rush, so several of us decided to just squat behind the latrines. It was dark, right? No biggie. Well... some people kept shining their flashlights around, and there was yelling, and panic everywhere. What a sight! As you may recall, I mentioned that it rained both nights, so this same nightly routine was repeated on Sunday night... in the rain. Instead of flashlights, flashes of lightening threatened to expose us. We were very proud of Carma who conquered her outdoor restroom fears and peed in the grass. Hahahaha. Good job Carma! Think of it as practice for the safari... you will have to do it again in the daylight.
These bush babies need some sleep, and a rest from typing. Our painting this afternoon left us with temporary carpel tunnel. Miss you all!
Laura and Alex
YBC-2012-UPPT
Friday, June 8, 2012
C'est La Vie
C'est la vie had to be our attitude today as we went shopping at the market. Many of us tried our hands at bartering. Laura went with the bundle approach that she learned off of the TV show American Pickers, and that seemed to work pretty well. Bartering is not a comfortable activity for most of us... We were able to come home with many souvenirs and gifts. We can't tell you any more because you may be on the receiving end of said gifts.
The morning was a bit relaxed, then off to the market, and return to prepare for Logan's (Colleen and Tim's youngest son) graduation. It was a beautiful ceremony that took place outside of Heritage International School. We sat underneath the canopy of a tree, which was fortunate because... you guessed it! It started to rain (well sprinkle, but still). The largest ever graduating class consisted of 14 international students. Many of their parents are ambassadors and government officials. We were taken by surprise a bit when the Ugandan Secretary of Defense showed up for his son who was graduating. He was accompanied by a vehicle full of armed guards along with some additional guards in his car. It was a laid back ceremony. Colleen and Tim are both on the HIS Board, and both participated in the ceremony.Colleen prayed and Tim delivered the graduation speech. What a special moment for the whole family!
On our way back from graduation, Tim and Shelby got into a heated political discussion. Some of the topics you may have heard if sitting close enough: President Obama, "Santorini" who we would refer to as Santorum, Queen Elizabeth being replaced by an impostor - Elton John in drag, and something about John McCain??? You also would have been able to enjoy some of Tim's cowboy Canadian humor and lots of hand gestures from Shelby. Let's just say humorous is an understatement.
Also, Alex seems to think she has a Canadian accent, Eh?
We walked into the Stevenson home to a wonderful surprise... the rest of our luggage arrived!! It felt like Christmas morning for Alex as she finally had her own clothes... It was especially great to get the supplies we need for the village. Thank you for your luggage prayers and praise the Lord we received everything we need!!
We spent the rest of our evening "shopping" off of the dining room table and preparing to go to the village. Which reminds me, we won't be posting for a few days because we will be far away from the city and modernity. Carma has been doing some exercises to help prepare for the hole-in-the-ground toilets.
The mosquitoes swarming the computer station, crickets, frogs (that sound like castanets), and chorus of dogs (that have been wakened by the Muslim call to prayer) wish you good night.
Alex and Laura
YBC-2012-UPPT
The morning was a bit relaxed, then off to the market, and return to prepare for Logan's (Colleen and Tim's youngest son) graduation. It was a beautiful ceremony that took place outside of Heritage International School. We sat underneath the canopy of a tree, which was fortunate because... you guessed it! It started to rain (well sprinkle, but still). The largest ever graduating class consisted of 14 international students. Many of their parents are ambassadors and government officials. We were taken by surprise a bit when the Ugandan Secretary of Defense showed up for his son who was graduating. He was accompanied by a vehicle full of armed guards along with some additional guards in his car. It was a laid back ceremony. Colleen and Tim are both on the HIS Board, and both participated in the ceremony.Colleen prayed and Tim delivered the graduation speech. What a special moment for the whole family!
On our way back from graduation, Tim and Shelby got into a heated political discussion. Some of the topics you may have heard if sitting close enough: President Obama, "Santorini" who we would refer to as Santorum, Queen Elizabeth being replaced by an impostor - Elton John in drag, and something about John McCain??? You also would have been able to enjoy some of Tim's cowboy Canadian humor and lots of hand gestures from Shelby. Let's just say humorous is an understatement.
Also, Alex seems to think she has a Canadian accent, Eh?
We walked into the Stevenson home to a wonderful surprise... the rest of our luggage arrived!! It felt like Christmas morning for Alex as she finally had her own clothes... It was especially great to get the supplies we need for the village. Thank you for your luggage prayers and praise the Lord we received everything we need!!
We spent the rest of our evening "shopping" off of the dining room table and preparing to go to the village. Which reminds me, we won't be posting for a few days because we will be far away from the city and modernity. Carma has been doing some exercises to help prepare for the hole-in-the-ground toilets.
The mosquitoes swarming the computer station, crickets, frogs (that sound like castanets), and chorus of dogs (that have been wakened by the Muslim call to prayer) wish you good night.
Alex and Laura
YBC-2012-UPPT
Thursday, June 7, 2012
Birthday Bashes and Dancing Sashes
A quick bit about Wednesday... another day of workshops and visits.
We received most of our bags. At least everyone has their clothes except Alex. :( And several others are missing supply bags. But we were able to make our jja jja gift bags and bags for the teachers. They were all so excited about their gifts!
Wednesday was also a special day for one of our group... Chelsea turned 18!! Colleen surprised her with a delicious banana cake! As she blew out her candles, we think her secret wish was for Laura to stop making "kid" jokes about her... since she is now an adult ;)
Several of us had the honor of joining a bible study with some women from TAPP. Carma, Kelsey, Chelsea, Sandra, Deb, Sue, and I (Alex) worshiped with these women and shared in a scripture lesson led by Sandra. She did an amazing job of connecting with the women on a personal level that was very appropriate for their lives right now. She read from the Message, and it spoke of how we often have to pack up our tents and relocate (something many of these women experience), but soon we will have a permanent residence in heaven and we'll never have to relocate again. It was very moving to see the women respond with cheers and clapping. The women thanked us with a dance and invited us to join in the dancing... to all our credit, we did our best. Auntie Deb, however, was asked to be in a dance contest... she reluctantly took her place but once the singing began, she blended in with the African women around her, wearing the traditional African sash worn when dancing... and she won the contest! No rigging was involved whatsoever. ;) She was given a name, but it has escaped my mind at the moment. It had something to do with mushrooms.
Now onto today (Thursday)... our last day of workshops.
Laura and Sharon finished the education workshop with lots of laughter! We played many games and activities. I had the teachers split into groups and compete to build the tallest tower out of straws and a roll of tape. We had to wait at least 5 minutes for laughter to subside before talking about the process and applications of the activity. They were having so much fun! We also passed out the teacher gift bags - full of teaching materials. I know it wasn't much, not even enough for one classroom, but it was graciously received. They were practically giddy and I heard one woman say with a big smile, "We are just like children." Patrick Balidawa, chairman of all Church of God schools in Uganda, closed us after lunch with a short presentation, showing thanks and handing out certificates of participation. While I look forward to experiencing new things after the completion of the workshops, I am already missing my new friends!
Denise joined the computer workshop to enlighten everyone on Excel. From what we've heard, it went really well. At the end of the workshop, the participants received nice-looking certificates with the Church of God in Africa symbol included. It was very special for everyone.
Carma, Kelsey, and Chelsea finished up their music workshop, and they had a blast singing and dancing. Be sure to ask Carma to show you her new bootylicious moves... haha African dance moves that is... it's all about the hips.
Sue and Sandra worked in the Children of Promise office organizing pictures and letters of sponsor kids. It was very fulfilling work to see how these children are able to go to school and receive necessary funds.
Deb and Alex had quite an educational day. I "taught" two classes... one was P6 (6th grade) and the other P7 (7th), and Deb was there for moral support. :) I began by talking about the United States for about 15 minutes... then I ran out of things to say. The students, however, had a lot of interesting questions. For example, did you know that the United States is responsible for introducing homosexuality to Uganda? Well, one boy in P7 asked us why that is... Deb and I looked at one another and I said, "You got this one." The first thing she told this boy was that they would have to agree to disagree... and she went on to explain why that simply is not true. The P7 teacher asked us what President Obama's achievements were... Deb and I shared a panicked look and she bravely took that question as well. She used this as an opportunity to explain how people can have different opinions but they still deserve respect... an important lesson for these children. One more unique but tough question we were asked was, "Why did Americans celebrate after the death of Osama bin Laden?" I decided to let Deb rest for a bit so I took that one. We had other questions about US climate, transportation, and culture. But I was astonished at the knowledge these 11/12-year-olds had about the world. They went deep into the heart of issues and asked questions that don't have easy answers... that shows great promise for the future of Uganda.
Around 3:30 we were invited to an African tea party with the jja jjas. It was an exciting experience as we walked into the room to the sounds and sights of singing and dancing grandmothers. Goats and chickens and pigs, oh my! The room was filled with the smell of barnyard animals, but it was a wonderful celebration of life. Each of us was responsible for delivering at least two animals to the jja jjas. Carma and Sandra had particularly stubborn goats, and Carma was overheard sweet-talking the goat, trying to get him to come closer. We were all excited to carry and give away the piglets, but they were not quite as excited. They were squealing and squirming and pooping everywhere, so much so that the African women were afraid to take them. Carma and Alex discovered that they just want to be held close and cuddled... :) The chickens were surprisingly calm. The women expressed their thanks through dance... no matter what age or ailment, they swung their hips and moved their feet as only Africans can. We have pictures and video to help you truly see the beauty in this.
"Wild thing! You make my heart sing!" Or... you make my stomach pleased! We ate dinner at a restaurant called The Lawns to celebrate Tim Stevenson's birthday. Our group joined the six Stevensons at a beautiful open air restaurant. Several of us braved the exotic cuisine... Laura was delighted by a tasty ostrich, Chelsea feasted on scrumptious antelope, and Alex enjoyed a wonderful wildebeast. As a girl, Laura was sometimes nicknamed "wildebeast" (get it? Willowby...), but we discovered that her response to that name can now be "Why thank you... I"m delicious!"
We ended our night by setting things on fire at the Stevenson home... candles and sparklers on Tim's cake! A lovely evening was had by all.
Bye Muzungus! (white travelers)
Laura and Alex
YBC-2012-UPPT
We received most of our bags. At least everyone has their clothes except Alex. :( And several others are missing supply bags. But we were able to make our jja jja gift bags and bags for the teachers. They were all so excited about their gifts!
Wednesday was also a special day for one of our group... Chelsea turned 18!! Colleen surprised her with a delicious banana cake! As she blew out her candles, we think her secret wish was for Laura to stop making "kid" jokes about her... since she is now an adult ;)
Several of us had the honor of joining a bible study with some women from TAPP. Carma, Kelsey, Chelsea, Sandra, Deb, Sue, and I (Alex) worshiped with these women and shared in a scripture lesson led by Sandra. She did an amazing job of connecting with the women on a personal level that was very appropriate for their lives right now. She read from the Message, and it spoke of how we often have to pack up our tents and relocate (something many of these women experience), but soon we will have a permanent residence in heaven and we'll never have to relocate again. It was very moving to see the women respond with cheers and clapping. The women thanked us with a dance and invited us to join in the dancing... to all our credit, we did our best. Auntie Deb, however, was asked to be in a dance contest... she reluctantly took her place but once the singing began, she blended in with the African women around her, wearing the traditional African sash worn when dancing... and she won the contest! No rigging was involved whatsoever. ;) She was given a name, but it has escaped my mind at the moment. It had something to do with mushrooms.
Now onto today (Thursday)... our last day of workshops.
Laura and Sharon finished the education workshop with lots of laughter! We played many games and activities. I had the teachers split into groups and compete to build the tallest tower out of straws and a roll of tape. We had to wait at least 5 minutes for laughter to subside before talking about the process and applications of the activity. They were having so much fun! We also passed out the teacher gift bags - full of teaching materials. I know it wasn't much, not even enough for one classroom, but it was graciously received. They were practically giddy and I heard one woman say with a big smile, "We are just like children." Patrick Balidawa, chairman of all Church of God schools in Uganda, closed us after lunch with a short presentation, showing thanks and handing out certificates of participation. While I look forward to experiencing new things after the completion of the workshops, I am already missing my new friends!
Denise joined the computer workshop to enlighten everyone on Excel. From what we've heard, it went really well. At the end of the workshop, the participants received nice-looking certificates with the Church of God in Africa symbol included. It was very special for everyone.
Carma, Kelsey, and Chelsea finished up their music workshop, and they had a blast singing and dancing. Be sure to ask Carma to show you her new bootylicious moves... haha African dance moves that is... it's all about the hips.
Sue and Sandra worked in the Children of Promise office organizing pictures and letters of sponsor kids. It was very fulfilling work to see how these children are able to go to school and receive necessary funds.
Deb and Alex had quite an educational day. I "taught" two classes... one was P6 (6th grade) and the other P7 (7th), and Deb was there for moral support. :) I began by talking about the United States for about 15 minutes... then I ran out of things to say. The students, however, had a lot of interesting questions. For example, did you know that the United States is responsible for introducing homosexuality to Uganda? Well, one boy in P7 asked us why that is... Deb and I looked at one another and I said, "You got this one." The first thing she told this boy was that they would have to agree to disagree... and she went on to explain why that simply is not true. The P7 teacher asked us what President Obama's achievements were... Deb and I shared a panicked look and she bravely took that question as well. She used this as an opportunity to explain how people can have different opinions but they still deserve respect... an important lesson for these children. One more unique but tough question we were asked was, "Why did Americans celebrate after the death of Osama bin Laden?" I decided to let Deb rest for a bit so I took that one. We had other questions about US climate, transportation, and culture. But I was astonished at the knowledge these 11/12-year-olds had about the world. They went deep into the heart of issues and asked questions that don't have easy answers... that shows great promise for the future of Uganda.
Around 3:30 we were invited to an African tea party with the jja jjas. It was an exciting experience as we walked into the room to the sounds and sights of singing and dancing grandmothers. Goats and chickens and pigs, oh my! The room was filled with the smell of barnyard animals, but it was a wonderful celebration of life. Each of us was responsible for delivering at least two animals to the jja jjas. Carma and Sandra had particularly stubborn goats, and Carma was overheard sweet-talking the goat, trying to get him to come closer. We were all excited to carry and give away the piglets, but they were not quite as excited. They were squealing and squirming and pooping everywhere, so much so that the African women were afraid to take them. Carma and Alex discovered that they just want to be held close and cuddled... :) The chickens were surprisingly calm. The women expressed their thanks through dance... no matter what age or ailment, they swung their hips and moved their feet as only Africans can. We have pictures and video to help you truly see the beauty in this.
"Wild thing! You make my heart sing!" Or... you make my stomach pleased! We ate dinner at a restaurant called The Lawns to celebrate Tim Stevenson's birthday. Our group joined the six Stevensons at a beautiful open air restaurant. Several of us braved the exotic cuisine... Laura was delighted by a tasty ostrich, Chelsea feasted on scrumptious antelope, and Alex enjoyed a wonderful wildebeast. As a girl, Laura was sometimes nicknamed "wildebeast" (get it? Willowby...), but we discovered that her response to that name can now be "Why thank you... I"m delicious!"
We ended our night by setting things on fire at the Stevenson home... candles and sparklers on Tim's cake! A lovely evening was had by all.
Bye Muzungus! (white travelers)
Laura and Alex
YBC-2012-UPPT
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
Workshops and Visits and Food, Oh my!
Imagine your life flashing before your eyes... That is what it is like everyday when we are in the vans. Our very skilled and daring drivers somehow manage to maneuver their way through the busy streets. It's something like driving down a one lane road (such as Rangeline) with 3 vans driving next to each other one direction, while another van is heading straight toward you, and at least 3 motorcycles weaving in and out... at a very high speed, and pot holes that have been said to have pot holes inside of the pot holes. Not only do they get us to our destinations safely, they also entertain us along the way, by pointing out things like a "hardware store" which was actually just a man on a bike with weird things for sale. Moses (one of our drivers) cracked up laughing for quite a while at his own joke. Very funny!
Deb, Sandra, Sue, and Alex visited 3 jja jjas (grandmothers) in the morning to deliver food and talk about life. The first jja jja visited, Christine, met with us outside of her house under a gorgeous tree. She was very grateful for us and our gift of food. She asked us to pray for her many physical ailments.
Our second jja jja visited, we are pretty sure she said Margerine, but we are also pretty sure that's not her actual name... Margerine was wondering where she would find her next meal because she did not have money to buy food. Our gift of sugar was especially pleasing to her, so that she could add it to her tea. She also is suffering from many physical ailments as well as a lack of job or source of income. We prayed with her and are also planning to provide money for rent and materials to make mats that she can sell as a source of income. We also are trying to get her glasses to help her see when making the mats.
Our last visit was too far away to walk, so the public bus was arranged as our transportation. The four of us, plus our translator, were crammed into a bus holding roughly 18 sweaty people in a van that should probably only hold 12. Maria, the jja jja, lives in a dank home due to rain but insisted on inviting us in. She was so grateful to have us there and was simply amazed that we came all the way from the US. Upon receiving her bag of food, she immediately opened the loaf of bread, eating and singing a song of praise simultaneously. After praying for her health and new home (in the process of having one built for her, like the jja jja houses we have sent money for and also helped build), she wanted to accompany us to the bus stop despite the pain her hunched back and crippled feet would cause her. She said, "You traveled all this way, so I can travel this short way with you."
The trip back to Kasubi was on boda bodas, which are motorcycles with a padded seat on the back for one, two, maybe even three people. We held on for dear life as we were weaved through traffic. It was one exhilerating ride and definitely a memorable experience.
Denise worked in the Children of Promise office in the morning and then went on some additional jja jja visits after lunch.
MMmmmm. Lunch. The food has been so delicious. Lots of fresh fruit, pineapple, papaya, mango, pineapple, apples, and did I mention pineapple? YUM. (A phrase I said loudly at lunch and then quickly regretted once realizing how horribly American I must have just sounded.) For lunch we also enjoyed rice, crazy good chicken, potatoes, cabbage, squash of some sort, and something that looked like a thick tortilla... oh and an avacado that Laura keeps trying to leave out (but ate, as her mom would have wanted).
Laura and Sharon led a workshop for educators. It was very exciting to watch the adults join into group games. We juggled about 5 balls across a large circle, sharing much laughter. One of our balls was actually a skirt tied up - we are trying to encourage "out of the box" thinking. There is a definite lack of materials and we want to inspire creative thinking and problem solving for these amazing and intelligent educators. The education system here is set up as a lecture/rote memorization style of learning. We are stretching everyone's comfort zone as we encourage these hands on activities. The group discussion and collaboration the head masters shared was irreplaceable and inspiring. There have been some minor issues with the language barrier, but I for one am learning to let the workshop go where it may instead of guaging "success" on my own desires for the workshop.
Carma, Kelsey, and Chelsea led a worship workshop. They had anticipated a workshop geared toward children, but were surprised by a much wider age range. They quickly regrouped and went with the flow. We can't share in as much detail since neither of us took part, but word on the street is that the workshop was a crazy good time. Carma said it was almost like being in a Zumba class as the students have become the teachers of dance... African dance :) Everyone reported having so much fun!
Shelby and Marvin are leading an IT/computer workshop. The experience was very rich for our leaders and they reported having felt that they were able to make a difference. They came prepared to share much needed information that could not have been generated solely here in Uganda.
ARE YOU STILL WITH US???
Good, give yourself a high five. We have reached what you really want to hear about... the update on our luggage. We received an addtional 4 bags. : \ Word has in fact been given that our luggage will arrive tomorrow!!!! Except maybe Alex, those have yet to be discovered. We are expecting to be blown away with excitement when we come back tomorrow to find ALL bags, including the mysterious bags of Alexandra C. Hammel. Hopefully they didn't get put on bus #436...
Good night and good day (cuz you all are probably all still at work while we should be sleeping)
Alex and Laura
YBCof-2012-UPPT
(Your Blogging Correspondents of the 2012 Uganda PP Team)
Deb, Sandra, Sue, and Alex visited 3 jja jjas (grandmothers) in the morning to deliver food and talk about life. The first jja jja visited, Christine, met with us outside of her house under a gorgeous tree. She was very grateful for us and our gift of food. She asked us to pray for her many physical ailments.
Our second jja jja visited, we are pretty sure she said Margerine, but we are also pretty sure that's not her actual name... Margerine was wondering where she would find her next meal because she did not have money to buy food. Our gift of sugar was especially pleasing to her, so that she could add it to her tea. She also is suffering from many physical ailments as well as a lack of job or source of income. We prayed with her and are also planning to provide money for rent and materials to make mats that she can sell as a source of income. We also are trying to get her glasses to help her see when making the mats.
Our last visit was too far away to walk, so the public bus was arranged as our transportation. The four of us, plus our translator, were crammed into a bus holding roughly 18 sweaty people in a van that should probably only hold 12. Maria, the jja jja, lives in a dank home due to rain but insisted on inviting us in. She was so grateful to have us there and was simply amazed that we came all the way from the US. Upon receiving her bag of food, she immediately opened the loaf of bread, eating and singing a song of praise simultaneously. After praying for her health and new home (in the process of having one built for her, like the jja jja houses we have sent money for and also helped build), she wanted to accompany us to the bus stop despite the pain her hunched back and crippled feet would cause her. She said, "You traveled all this way, so I can travel this short way with you."
The trip back to Kasubi was on boda bodas, which are motorcycles with a padded seat on the back for one, two, maybe even three people. We held on for dear life as we were weaved through traffic. It was one exhilerating ride and definitely a memorable experience.
Denise worked in the Children of Promise office in the morning and then went on some additional jja jja visits after lunch.
MMmmmm. Lunch. The food has been so delicious. Lots of fresh fruit, pineapple, papaya, mango, pineapple, apples, and did I mention pineapple? YUM. (A phrase I said loudly at lunch and then quickly regretted once realizing how horribly American I must have just sounded.) For lunch we also enjoyed rice, crazy good chicken, potatoes, cabbage, squash of some sort, and something that looked like a thick tortilla... oh and an avacado that Laura keeps trying to leave out (but ate, as her mom would have wanted).
Laura and Sharon led a workshop for educators. It was very exciting to watch the adults join into group games. We juggled about 5 balls across a large circle, sharing much laughter. One of our balls was actually a skirt tied up - we are trying to encourage "out of the box" thinking. There is a definite lack of materials and we want to inspire creative thinking and problem solving for these amazing and intelligent educators. The education system here is set up as a lecture/rote memorization style of learning. We are stretching everyone's comfort zone as we encourage these hands on activities. The group discussion and collaboration the head masters shared was irreplaceable and inspiring. There have been some minor issues with the language barrier, but I for one am learning to let the workshop go where it may instead of guaging "success" on my own desires for the workshop.
Carma, Kelsey, and Chelsea led a worship workshop. They had anticipated a workshop geared toward children, but were surprised by a much wider age range. They quickly regrouped and went with the flow. We can't share in as much detail since neither of us took part, but word on the street is that the workshop was a crazy good time. Carma said it was almost like being in a Zumba class as the students have become the teachers of dance... African dance :) Everyone reported having so much fun!
Shelby and Marvin are leading an IT/computer workshop. The experience was very rich for our leaders and they reported having felt that they were able to make a difference. They came prepared to share much needed information that could not have been generated solely here in Uganda.
ARE YOU STILL WITH US???
Good, give yourself a high five. We have reached what you really want to hear about... the update on our luggage. We received an addtional 4 bags. : \ Word has in fact been given that our luggage will arrive tomorrow!!!! Except maybe Alex, those have yet to be discovered. We are expecting to be blown away with excitement when we come back tomorrow to find ALL bags, including the mysterious bags of Alexandra C. Hammel. Hopefully they didn't get put on bus #436...
Good night and good day (cuz you all are probably all still at work while we should be sleeping)
Alex and Laura
YBCof-2012-UPPT
(Your Blogging Correspondents of the 2012 Uganda PP Team)
Monday, June 4, 2012
Late: London and Luggage
Jubilee? How about Jubi-not!
We began our journey with a near two-hour check in at the airport in Indy... causing us to arrive at the gate for the final boarding call.
Next. Once we arrived in London, we ate at a local pub called Sawyer's Arms. We enjoyed some traditional cuisine, such as fish, chips, and mushy peas (well, just brave Laura). We then ventured to find our tour bus stop only to find that the tour buses were not running due to the Queen's Diamond Jubilee!
Alternate plan? We decided to walk to Buckingham Palace... upon arriving at the Palace, we found a sign: Buckingham Palace closed to public. Also closed were several roads that provided the most direct paths to other London sites.
How about we go see the flotilla on the River Thames?! What, the Queen's gonna be there? Sweet! And we can see Big Ben and Westminster while we're there! After weaving through the millions of people there, due to the Jubilee/Jubi-not, we came to a road block. "You shall not pass!" So we watched people on the bridge, a mere 20 yards away, as they waved and cheered for the Queen who was floating by on her ship.
Finally, we were able to capture some of London's beauty when we saw Big Ben and Westminster Abbey. The bells of the abbey were ringing in celebration of the Queen. It was about this time that the rain began at a slight drizzle.
It was time for us to begin heading back to Paddington Train Station and from there to Heathrow Airport. The plan was to catch a city bus so we would not have to walk. A few minutes into our walk, we realized we only had 11 out of 12 people with us. After some calm, cool thinking by both the lost and the seekers, our member was returned to us approximately 20 minutes later. During that anxious time, the rain picked up.
Grateful to have our team back together, we waded through the streets of London to several bus stops. We waited for the mythical bus 463, but it never arrived. So Carma energentically attempted to hail a cab but to no avail.
Our goal was to be at Paddington at 5:30, but instead that was the time we decided to walk the rest of the way... which ended up taking about an hour (roughly 3 miles). The rain had yet to desist as we slogged through the city... what troopers!
Now freezing and dripping, we rode the train back to the airport where we had to pick up some carry-ons we checked. Some, however, had their carry-on items with them in London... and they were now sopping wet. This caused some security personnel to question the 3 oz. liquids rule. Shockingly, the machine didn't like our tickets, so we had to get all new boarding passes.
After getting through security, changing into our dryish clothes, and reaching our gate, we had about 15 minutes before the plane began boarding. We then boarded the plane for our second 8 hour flight.
Remember when it took 2 hours for us to check in back in Indy? Well, that's because we had 37 bags of luggage and 6 boxes of books. However, only 6 of those made it to Uganda. Denise and Shelby were the lucky two, and the rest of us began the search for our luggage... no one is quite sure where they are or when they will get here. Supposedly, Sue's bags are still in Chicago...
Throughout all this, we have grown closer together as a team. We have maintained positive attitudes, and we learned that how we choose to react to situations is important. We trust that our bags will arrive soon. In the meantime, Denise's wardrobe is located on the pool table for all to enjoy. We are all proud of each other and how we responded in these situations... it's been a crazy couple of days.
When we landed in Uganda, it was truly breathtaking, and funny enough, raining. But it was a cleansing rain that decreased the humidity and cooled the air. We enjoyed a day of rest and orientation in the Stevenson's resort, I mean house. The whole Stevenson family is home (4 kids and 2 grandkids) for their youngest son's graduation. It's been four years since the entire family was together here, and they've been very gracious to share this time and space with us.
Keep us and our bags in your prayers. We begin our workshops and visits tomorrow.
From seven hours into the future,
Laura and Alex
Your Blogging Correspondents of the 2012 Uganda PP Team
We began our journey with a near two-hour check in at the airport in Indy... causing us to arrive at the gate for the final boarding call.
Next. Once we arrived in London, we ate at a local pub called Sawyer's Arms. We enjoyed some traditional cuisine, such as fish, chips, and mushy peas (well, just brave Laura). We then ventured to find our tour bus stop only to find that the tour buses were not running due to the Queen's Diamond Jubilee!
Alternate plan? We decided to walk to Buckingham Palace... upon arriving at the Palace, we found a sign: Buckingham Palace closed to public. Also closed were several roads that provided the most direct paths to other London sites.
How about we go see the flotilla on the River Thames?! What, the Queen's gonna be there? Sweet! And we can see Big Ben and Westminster while we're there! After weaving through the millions of people there, due to the Jubilee/Jubi-not, we came to a road block. "You shall not pass!" So we watched people on the bridge, a mere 20 yards away, as they waved and cheered for the Queen who was floating by on her ship.
Finally, we were able to capture some of London's beauty when we saw Big Ben and Westminster Abbey. The bells of the abbey were ringing in celebration of the Queen. It was about this time that the rain began at a slight drizzle.
It was time for us to begin heading back to Paddington Train Station and from there to Heathrow Airport. The plan was to catch a city bus so we would not have to walk. A few minutes into our walk, we realized we only had 11 out of 12 people with us. After some calm, cool thinking by both the lost and the seekers, our member was returned to us approximately 20 minutes later. During that anxious time, the rain picked up.
Grateful to have our team back together, we waded through the streets of London to several bus stops. We waited for the mythical bus 463, but it never arrived. So Carma energentically attempted to hail a cab but to no avail.
Our goal was to be at Paddington at 5:30, but instead that was the time we decided to walk the rest of the way... which ended up taking about an hour (roughly 3 miles). The rain had yet to desist as we slogged through the city... what troopers!
Now freezing and dripping, we rode the train back to the airport where we had to pick up some carry-ons we checked. Some, however, had their carry-on items with them in London... and they were now sopping wet. This caused some security personnel to question the 3 oz. liquids rule. Shockingly, the machine didn't like our tickets, so we had to get all new boarding passes.
After getting through security, changing into our dryish clothes, and reaching our gate, we had about 15 minutes before the plane began boarding. We then boarded the plane for our second 8 hour flight.
Remember when it took 2 hours for us to check in back in Indy? Well, that's because we had 37 bags of luggage and 6 boxes of books. However, only 6 of those made it to Uganda. Denise and Shelby were the lucky two, and the rest of us began the search for our luggage... no one is quite sure where they are or when they will get here. Supposedly, Sue's bags are still in Chicago...
Throughout all this, we have grown closer together as a team. We have maintained positive attitudes, and we learned that how we choose to react to situations is important. We trust that our bags will arrive soon. In the meantime, Denise's wardrobe is located on the pool table for all to enjoy. We are all proud of each other and how we responded in these situations... it's been a crazy couple of days.
When we landed in Uganda, it was truly breathtaking, and funny enough, raining. But it was a cleansing rain that decreased the humidity and cooled the air. We enjoyed a day of rest and orientation in the Stevenson's resort, I mean house. The whole Stevenson family is home (4 kids and 2 grandkids) for their youngest son's graduation. It's been four years since the entire family was together here, and they've been very gracious to share this time and space with us.
Keep us and our bags in your prayers. We begin our workshops and visits tomorrow.
From seven hours into the future,
Laura and Alex
Your Blogging Correspondents of the 2012 Uganda PP Team
Friday, June 1, 2012
We have lift-off...
After months of planning and preparing, we are finally leaving for Uganda tomorrow!! Thank you for all your prayers and encouragement leading up to this point. We appreciate your continued prayer as we embark on our African journey.
Tomorrow we will fly from Indy to Chicago, then Chicago to London. We will spend a day in London on Sunday. Perhaps we'll catch a glimpse of the Royal family! :) We leave London Sunday night and reach Uganda on Monday!
We will be updating the blog as often as possible, so be sure to check back regularly! :)
Blessings,
2012 Uganda Team
Tomorrow we will fly from Indy to Chicago, then Chicago to London. We will spend a day in London on Sunday. Perhaps we'll catch a glimpse of the Royal family! :) We leave London Sunday night and reach Uganda on Monday!
We will be updating the blog as often as possible, so be sure to check back regularly! :)
Blessings,
2012 Uganda Team
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