A Day filled with Animals...

Lions and Tigers and Bears…So American…

Giraffes and Antelope and Hippos…So Ugandan…

This morning we went on a land safari and it was quite easy to tell we were tourists. The cameras were out, the heads were sticking out the tops of the trucks and our eyes were all peeled for the next animal is sight. The rains that had poured down on us last night were gone and God blessed us with blue skies and a beautiful sunrise.  It is not often I see a sunrise but it was absolutely beautiful. The roads were bumpy and in many places we were hanging on for dear life but the scenery was stunning. Uganda is so green! We did not see any lions but as for myself, I was not disappointed. We saw lots and lots of giraffes and they just kept posing for the camera. They are such majestic animals and they have always been my favorite! We saw lots of antelope, water buffalo, wart hogs, baboons and the heads of our teammates popping out of their roof. At one point a tree had fallen across the road so our drivers attempted to navigate their own path… unfortunately they got stuck! Their back wheels were spinning and they were going nowhere fast. So we all piled out and out came the shovel. They unburied the back tires and one vehicle managed to make headway. With that he pulled behind the second truck attached a rope and pulled him out. The Mzugus were happy to get back in and head home!! We were also happy we didn’t see lions at that particular time!!!

In the afternoon we set out for a river safari upon the African Queen. With the exception of two other young ladies we were the only ones on board. They had drinks and a bathroom on board so we were set.  Right at the start there was a small herd of hippos in the water so we saw them right off the bat. We proceeded to see many more (that is when you realize you are NOT in Texas anymore), along with more antelope, many different species of birds, elephants (though only from a distance), wart hogs, and crocodiles. The crocodiles we saw were huge and amazingly fast. Made me glad I was on board and not in the water.  As for the hippos we decided they have a pretty good life. They basically stay in the water all day and then according to our guide travel up to five kilometers at night in search of food. In Les’ words, “They play at the pool all day and then go out to dinner!” The boat took us all way down to the Falls we saw yesterday and we had a chance to soak in the view from a distance. Wow! What a powerful sight. The whole trip was so relaxing and just beautiful to take in. And the water was so smooth. After almost two weeks of Ugandan roads it was nice not to be jostled for a change!

Tonight we ate dinner outside and feasted on a buffet. I had medallion steaks and they were fabulous. At one point the waiter tried to take my plate and I almost took his hand off. I still had four bites left! The chef had come by both nights to say hi and he got raving reviews tonight. The food was awesome. For the first night since we’ve been here Hajji did not have fish! I’m still trying to recover from the shock. Then they built a bonfire and had a group perform music with African instruments and singing. We sat down there for a while as a group and listened. I love the excitement and enthusiasm they show in their music and dance so it was a pleasure to sit and listen.

Tomorrow will again be an early day, as we have to catch the ferry at 7:00 to head back to Kampala. I wish you all well and love each one of you with all my heart. Can’t wait to see you.

God's Beautiful Artwork...

Days of travel and a day of Rest…

I am sorry I didn’t blog last night. We travelled from Iganga to Kampala during the day and by the time we reached our destination about 8:30 I was tired and not feeling great. I decided sleep was the most important thing and hit the pillow about five minutes after arriving. So today I will try to make up for it. We left Iganga early and stopped in Jinja for lunch and a little shopping. This is the same town I have shopped in for the past two years so I know the stores fairly well. They also have a great little restaurant there called the Source Café where I actually ordered a good old-fashioned cheeseburger. It was yummy. I bought a few things there but am saving my pennies for when we shop the market in Kampala on Tuesday. After lunch we boarded the bus and headed to Trevor’s house for our bar-b-q. It was awesome. We ate, talked and then wandered his property to see all that he is doing. He is an amazing guy with quite a vision. We took away several ideas Tree of Life can implement. Afterwards we headed for the hotel, a short distance away but a long ride due to traffic. In case you are wondering, traffic is universal. Only here there are no signs to designate who has the right of way. The biggest vehicle always wins! Being a bus worked to our advantage but it was still a long ride and Hajji did a great job maneuvering through the cars. It is good to be a boda boda (motorcycle) here and you can just go around all the “parked” cars. Of course, you are taking your life in your hands every time you do!  Finally, we arrived at the hotel only to be told by our fearless leader that we would be leaving at 5:30 in the morning. Yes, for those of you who thought you read that wrong, I did say 5:30. So, a new hotel, with an actual shower and I went to bed without one!

We drove today forever before the sun even came up in the sky. This meant I could NOT take pictures so I actually turned on my Kindle and read for a while.  I think this is the first time I’ve read since I’ve been here so I’m not sure I know who the characters are but it was good to relax. Besides it was cold outside so it was good to have the window closed. Once the sun came out all bets were off and the pictures began. We did stop at Murchison Falls (at the top, there was no climbing for this grandmother…) and it was amazingly beautiful. A guide did walk us to all the best spots to see the view and it was spectacular. Needless to say, it was a photographer’s Heaven. Every picture was more beautiful than the last. And then we saw a rainbow just filled with color. I just could have stayed there all day, but eventually they made me leave so we could get to the Lodge. Liz, this year we are ACTUALLY staying at the lodge. It is beautiful. The bathroom has no water on the floor, no bugs and HOT water. The view off the back porch (yes, back porch) is the Nile River, hippos and the whole deal. When we were at the falls we were the only ones there. No one was in my way taking pictures. There were no signs telling us to stay back. It was just us and the water! Amazing!!! However, the roads to get there were something less than great. Imagine the biggest pothole ever and then add another foot. That might begin to resemble what we saw. We did see baboons and warthogs and in the distance hippos. Tomorrow we will go on the land safari in the morning (begins at 6:30) and then the land safari at 2. It has been raining all afternoon (while we were safely in the hotel) so we are all praying for nice sunny (even cloudy) skies tomorrow. No rain would be great!!!

I would write more but am exhausted and am going to bed. Will write more tomorrow after our excursion. Wish you all could join us on this amazing adventure. Love you all and miss you.

A special day in many ways...

Today the team all went different directions. It was a day with nothing in particular originally on the schedule but as the week progressed team members found things they either wanted to revisit or felt they needed to do. As for me, it was a chance to visit with Phil and see the kids! He picked me up from the Mum Hotel a little after 10:00 and we headed to the Kid’s house. On the way we stopped in town for something and as I looked across the street I thought I saw a woman I recognized. Now we are in Iganga and really, what are the chances?  But then our eyes met and it was Mama Jonah. I jumped out of the car and we ran into each other’s arms and stayed that way for a good couple of minutes. It was SO good to see her smiling face. Liz, I immediately asked her if she wanted to play a game of charades. Her response was only if she could act out dodge ball! Some things are just too good to be forgotten. Oma (the young lady who is visiting from the States was with us as well) so I had a chance to meet her. When we arrived at the kid’s house the children were not there as they were all in school so I had a chance to visit a little with Esther and see the changes to the places. Phil walked me around the perimeter and showed me the new land and explained what they hoped to do. I met the new couple working there, As we drove into the property I said hello to Moses and he said hello back. Then he took a second look. Then a third look (getting much closer to my face this time as he can hardly see). When he finally realized it was me, a smile spread across his face and he welcomed me with open arms. His expression was priceless when he finally could see it was me! Within 30 minutes the younger kids and a few of the older ones came back. They must have had no idea I would be there, but when they saw me standing there they broke into a run. They all wanted hugs and I just relished the moment. The kids have all grown in the past year but they are still a sweet and loving bunch. I wish I had had letters for all of them, as I hated handing them to some but not all.  Those that received letters or gifts were so appreciative and wanted me to express their gratitude to their sponsors.

As the kids came in today I hugged them all. Some of course I know better than others and some have a very special place in my heart. I’m happy and proud to report that Emma is back in school. He decided not to stop after P-7 but is not in S1. He gave me a big hug (he is like a son to me) and then before I knew what hit me my camera was off my shoulders and in his hand. He has always loved taking pictures since my first trip when I showed him how. Jeri he loved getting your letter; he is such a special young man. Okere Moses was next. I gave him the soccer shoes from you, Jen and Blake, the note and the picture. He loved the picture and was so proud of the shoes. I am so glad you answered the phone because he just loves talking to you. He could talk for hours if I didn’t eventually say hang up. He paces the ground as he talks and just grins from ear to ear. You guys mean the world to him and it is written all over his face. You are a true blessing to him. Sorry it was so early but I was leaving for the hotel at 2 our time and I didn’t want to miss the chance for the two of you to talk. Courtney and Brian, sadly I did not see Amei. He is the first student in the group to go to Senior 5 and he goes to a different school. Peter’s school only goes through S4. I did give the backpack to Phil and asked him to give it to Amei and to pray over him. I’m sorry he wasn’t there because he, too, holds a special place in my heart. I did get to see Caroline, Rehema, Angela and Sylivia. All four girls are doing great. They look great and I have enough hugs to share with both Liz and Amanda. All asked about you Liz and said to tell you they miss you terribly. Sylivia was very thankful for the Bible and very, very happy that she got to hear your voice and talk with you. Sorry for the wake up call. However, you sounded quite awake!!! I spent a lot of time hugging on them and still could use some more! I saw Phiona and am amazed at how tall she is getting. She still has her trademark beautiful smile. I also saw Adrian. His smile continues to melt my heart and his energy level has not decreased, nope not one single bit!! He remains as precious as ever and he gave out good hugs and lots of smiles for pictures. I told him, Debbie and Greg, that you send your love and that you couldn’t wait for him to come home! He just grinned. I had brought him three little matchbox cars, one being a dump truck. As we were sitting in a circle today he scooped up dirt, filled the truck up and zoomed it around and around and around.  Eventually the kids returned to school but came back for lunch around 1 pm. I stayed and talked with them during lunch (taking more pictures) and just had a chance to see how they were doing. When it came time for them to leave, and I realized I wouldn’t see them again for a while it was really hard. They are a great bunch of kids and I love them so very much. We hugged and said our goodbyes. I then turned around and realized Susan had arrived while I was playing with the kids. She looks great; better than she’s looked in a long time. I gave her a huge hug and we had a chance to talk a little. Her babies are now three and one. Hard to believe they are growing up so fast. She was hoping I had the whole day to spend there so I would get to see them and Scovia but I had to be by three as we were taking off for another school. I was deeply sorry I didn’t get to coddle her children or give Scovia a hug but it was great to see Susan. She still has that wonderful impish smile. Gotta love that! It was a great visit with the kids and I am so thankful I got the chance to see them.

This afternoon we went to see another school that has been started by three American girls (two sisters and a friend). The sisters now live here (I hope I have this story right) and the third is involved in the fundraising end from Colorado. They have 80 students that board but educate 200 in all. The facility was bright and cheerful and they are currently building housing for the staff on site. The dorms are like bunkrooms; very spacious. They have vegetable gardens that the children help maintain; a computer lab, a clinic on site, and all the buildings are painted different bright colors. It was impressive to say the least!

We came home and tonight was our farewell dinner with the pastors and those who have helped make our trip what it’s been. We started by the Americans telling what was our blessings had been in regard to what the pastors had done for us and with us. For me this was really easy. They have been a great group to work with. Their hearts are amazing and they truly have partnered with us the entire time. Then they spoke and hearing what they had to say was really touching. They feel equally as blessed to have worked with us. There is such a mutual respect and such a love for one another; it is great to experience and to see. Steven, who was the main speaker for the Pastors, said he was glad I had come. He then proceeded to talk about how I had climbed this rock when we had gone to the farm. That was all nice and friendly until…he said it wasn’t bad for a 70 or 80 year old! Now I’m back to being Grandma! The team thought that was SO funny. I’m still looking for the humor!!! It was a great ending to a great trip. The pastors here are amazing people. I am so touched by each and every one of them. They have great hearts and great senses of humor. They love God and shows in everything they do. They smile every time I see them and constantly remind that life is a joy.

Tomorrow we leave for Kampala and begin our journey home. We will stop in Jinja for a little shopping and then head to Trevor’s house (a gentleman they have worked with in the past) for a little Texas bar-b-que. When he invited us earlier in the week we all looked like kids in a candy store. Not a one of us can wait for dinner tomorrow night! Then on Saturday we head to the Paara Lodge for our Safari (a photographer’s dream). I will try to promise to stay in the car!

I have blessed in ways I didn’t know were possible. God has worked in amazing ways and I see him everywhere I turn. I love you all and am looking forward to sharing my stories in person.

The Rattler Uganda Style!

The day is over and we are sitting down to dinner. I have ordered fish fingers again without French fries, though I can guarantee you that they will come with my meal. Every night I order them without fries and every night I get enough to feed a Roman army! Fortunately Hajji likes to eat so I give him half my fish and ALL my French fries! It’s like having Steve here!!!!

Something I forgot to post yesterday (at least I think I did, I can’t pull up email to find out at the moment) was an experience at the market. As we were walking down there was a sign for a “Low Cost Spermarket”. I’m sure they meant supermarket, but it definitely caught all our attention. As we were telling this story last night at dinner, Russell looks up and in a whisper said, “I thought you said supermarket”. We just all cracked up. I’m not sure what was funnier, seeing the sign or hearing his question. Once you’ve been here for a while it doesn’t take much to get the laughter going.

Today we got early, 6:30, and departed at 8:00 for Kamuli a village about three hours away. The first hour and a half we travelled on a paved road (though very narrow) and then the remaining trip was on a deeply rutted dirt road.  Imagine what the Rattler does to the muscles in your back and multiply that until you want to scream STOP! By the time we reached pavement on the return trip we were all one happy group. The scenery was beautiful along the way, so the photographer in me was quite happy. Every time we would pass a village the children would come running toward the bus waving at us. They are such a happy bunch – it just continues to humble me how little they have and how happy they are.

We reached the village and Vicki, Vickie and Judy met with Moses, the senior advisor of foreign affairs to the President of Uganda. He is handling all the custom clearance for medical supplies for us. We don’t pay any custom fees. He will also tell them to release the cargo immediately to us. This is huge as it could normally take a long time to get through customs. He is also going to try to get a refrigerator for us as right now the staff has to travel a long way to get medication for the clinic. The clinic in the village is a private clinic, which Tree of Life partners with and they charge each patient 1000 shillings, which is a little less than $.50 per visit. It was also explained that each health worker will be given a bicycle (by Team III) that will belong to the clinic but will be for their use. The health workers were given a lantern today that is solar powered. The lantern can charge cell phones, which is critical in a country where very few people have power. Vicki explained that they could use this to charge other people’s phones and charge a fee for the service. She said their faces just lit up at that bit of information.  By the way, all the health workers are volunteers. How amazing is that!!!  Edith, the head nurse made the comment that as Mzungus though are our intentions are good, we are actually hurting the system. The Ugandans see us coming and expect free services. It is fine for us to provide the clinics with free medications but then the clinics should treat the people and charge their standard fee.

While they did that the rest of us broke up into teams of two, each accompanied by two pastors and went out into the village to share the Mercy bags and share the word of God. This is not my comfort level and something I have not done before. Needless to say, I was a little uncomfortable. But Lynda was my partner and she was very good and put me at ease immediately. We spoke to both Christians, non-Christians and Muslims and they were all very receptive and willing to listen. We also had the chance to pray with all of them and they were very thankful for us and for caring enough to be there. In the end, it was an incredible experience. The two of us worked with Wilson and he translated for us. He has such a gentle soul and I could see how much he really cares for the people.  We also worked with Irene and she has a quiet sense of humor that I was able to see today. She looked absolutely beautiful in her traditional Ugandan attire. She looks very pretty in pink! As we were walking down the road (I use that word loosely) we were soon being followed by a group of children that seemed to grow in size the further we walked.  

My camera is an automatic kid magnet! Once I show the first child his or her picture the game is on. They surround me and all push forward to guarantee they are not forgotten in the crowd. If there was a wall behind me I would be plastered against it by the end of the day! Score: The children - 1; Sue – 0!  Every time I capture a face I can’t wait to take the next picture. They just keep getting cuter and cuter.

As we were driving home I was amazed at how many children were walking home from school. The truck in front of us kept splashing these poor children with the muddy water from the road. Hajji was very considerate and slowed down every time he approached a puddle saving many a child from getting soaked. The bus rides are always a good time for me to silently go through the day and soak in all we have done. It is a great time of reflection. Today I really started thinking of the kid’s at Phil’s and am really excited to get to spend time with them tomorrow. I will be handing out gifts and letters to them, hugging on them and taking a bunch of pictures. I will be soaking up their love and dispensing a ton of my own. I can’t wait!!!  Phil will be picking up in the morning. I will be sure to tell them all how much you love them and pray for them.

This is it for now. Tomorrow is going to be another busy day and I am going to bed. I miss you all but am loving Uganda. I think it must be in my blood!

P.S. Brian I would have loved your cake!!! Hope you and the gang are feeling better!!!

An Unexpected Day of Rest

I woke up this morning to a chorus of happy birthday… and an envelope of birthday cards that my daughter had collected from friends and family before I left.  Then I opened Gmail and there were happy birthday wishes. I am so blessed for all of you. You made the day very special and I thank you for that!

We were supposed to go back to Top Hills School today and finish up with the sponsorship pictures and the clinic. But, two of our team members, Les and Stacia, spent the evening with severe stomach issues and thus we decided it best NOT to spend an hour on a bus with our final destination nowhere near a bathroom!  At first we were going to try to leave after lunch but as it turned out we opted to just spend the day at the hotel and get everyone well. Those that needed to rest did so, and the rest of us did what was needed to get caught up. Though I am terribly sorry I will not get the opportunity to say goodbye to Rashidah I did take advantage of the time and go through all the pictures putting names to faces. Fortunately Judy worked with me and together we were able to whip out the list, but even together it took us about 7 hours. The great news is that I don’t have to do it after a long days work.. And I am so thankful for that! We have managed to take pictures of all the students who were here, leaving a minimum amount for Team III to do.  We took pictures of every child standing up so they can see from year to year how much they have grown, pictures up close and personal, and then pictures really up close and personal!!!  It was a hard task but someone had to do it!! You know how much I hate taking pictures!!! Every time there was break in the numbers that was because Rashidah had walked by and I felt compelled to take a quick candid!! Needless to say, there are quite a few of those!

God works in amazing ways. Had we not been here today Vicki and Vickie would not have had the chance to meet Connie from the Ministry of Health. Vicki was getting off the bus from loading medical supplies when she noticed her walking out and a car in the lot with something about malaria written on the side. She walked up and started talking and pretty soon they were in a conversation about the medical situation in Uganda. Connie had some great ideas about tracking malaria and clean water. The ministry of Health’s goal is to pass out 19 million mosquito nets. Vicki commented that Tree of Life passes out roughly 700. Connie commented that though this number was small there are probably other organizations like this and together they make a difference. They actually go house to house by district and hand out nets (one net per every 2 people in a family). At the end of the conversation she told them she was a believer and they all prayed together. The meeting was very valuable as it has been decided that Tree of Life will re-evaluate how they distribute the nets they disburse. They will try in the future to target a specific village and track who they give them to.

At one point as I walked outside in the courtyard there was our team (the healthy members) all sitting quietly around a table reading their Nooks and Kindles. It was a little surreal. Lunch today consisted of all the snack foods we had brought from the states and it was nice to have a few minutes of relaxed conversation.

Later in the afternoon five of us women went into town to do a little shopping. Patrick, one of our Pastors, is also a very fine tailor. Several of our team have had him make them dresses. So while in town, I bought some really pretty fabric and am going to have him make a shirt for me. I’ve been looking at shirts for three years but have never seen one in a color I liked. This way I can have the shirt in a pattern I have chosen. I am so excited. The roadways in Uganda are an adventure in, and of, itself. First off the traffic goes in the opposite direction. So no matter how many times I look before I cross the street, it never fails that I’ve looked in the wrong direction. I step off the curb and practically lose my life every time.  At one point we had to cross a ditch and in usual style I managed to jump across with no problem. Then walking down the street I slipped on a pebble and landed right on my backside… oops!  It was not graceful. Fortunately, nothing was hurt but my pride; and I’m not supposed to have any of that anyway! But I love wandering through the market and seeing the various shops and all the people.

So the highlights of the day:

Les:  He was one of the sick today so he enjoyed the nap he took this afternoon. He feels rested. When asked what he enjoyed the most he said, “ I will pass, literally”.

Vicki & Vickie:  Meeting with Connie from the Ministry of Health and hearing all that she had to say.  They loved learning more about health care in Uganda and finding out better ways to help the people.

Hajji: We got talking about flies and mosquito nets. He said that one day when he becomes president he is going to raise bats all over Uganda so they will eat the flies so malaria will no longer be an issue. The highlight of his day was that he was off duty. (Actually when he took us ladies into town to shop he was very concerned that we all stay together as a group. I think he grew a few gray hairs letting us go unsupervised! I felt like I had acquired a new father!)

Judy: She went through all the lists of all the kids who received gifts at Top Hills and there are very few left for Team III to handle. It was a wrap up day. She also went through the Ambassador program and evaluated who should be sponsored based on grades. She feels very good about how she is leaving things for the next team.

Lynda:  She spent the day sending out some emails and working on spreadsheets. She feels she could have done more but she opted to relax. She feels better about the load of work she has before her.

Russell: For him it was both a physical and emotional recharge.

Sylvia: (who is now Sugah) – For her the day was one of rest. On our trip into town she was a little nervous. She commented that she has read too many mystery novels and kept waiting to be abducted as we walked down all the alleys. There were too many people for her comfort level.

Adam:  He found the day to be quietly productive. For the last week we have been trying to accomplish a lot of things in a small amount of space. Today he was able to accomplish things in a quiet way, which is his way. He also enjoyed chilling with his dad.

Stacia:  She found it fun to see God work in such amazing ways. That God always has a plan. That had we not been here for those who were sick Vicki and Vickie would never have met Connie from the Ministry of Health, we wouldn’t have gotten caught up with the sponsored children and there wouldn’t have been any physical or emotional rest.

As for me, I am sad that I don’t get to say goodbye to Rashidah. She has a place in my heart and her smile absolutely would melt yours. We made some promises to kids yesterday that we never thought we wouldn’t be able to fulfill and for that I feel badly.  Our hearts were in the right place, but as we all know, our actions are, in the end, what matter. I know that God has a purpose for everything and I certainly am appreciative of all we accomplished today and will be especially thankful for getting to bed early.  Tomorrow we have breakfast at 7 and will be on the road at 8 for a three-hour drive to Kumuli.  The roads are supposed to be very difficult to travel and so I am prepared to be driving slow and thus able to capture much of the countryside through my lens.

Thank you all for your prayers today. I love each and every one of you.