So, most of you know that right now I am in Uganda. A lot has happened over the past 5 days and I'm going to put in this what I have written down in a journal at the end of every day. So here goes nothing.
Day 1- June 11, 2012
Today we arrived in Africa. We traveled for 21 straight hours, but we finally got here! I didn't sleep very much on the plane- maybe about four hours or so. To say the least, I'm a tad bit tired. We got to Entebee, Uganda around 10:00 pm and our driver, Eddie, was there to pick us up. People here drive crazy! They are always flashing lights and honking at each other. A lot of us got scared at certain points on the drive to the house we are staying at in Kampala. Tomorrow we are driving up to 4 Corners Ministries in Gulu, Uganda. It is about a 5 hour drive if everything goes as planned. I am really excited about going because I will get a glimpse of what I'll be doing this fall. I am so ready to see what God has in store for all of us on this trip.
Day 2- June 12, 2012
Today we made the drive to Gulu from Kampala. It took about 6 hours, but it felt way longer than that. What was neat was seeing a slum outside of Kampala. It may have been one square mile, but it had about 500,000 thousand people. Patrick told us that when it rains it floods in there.
Patrick is the guide for our trip. He is an awesome guy. He has told us a lot about the history of the country, and is a great story teller. He does a lot of work here with Passion.
On the drive here we went through a lot of villages. Lots of huts, schools, farms, and people. We stopped at a gas station and I literally stood outside for 10 minutes and I started burning.
We exchanged money today. It was 2,640 shillings for 1 U.S. dollar. I exchanged $90 and got like 230,000 shillings. It sounds like a lot, but the prices are about equivalent.
Tomorrow we will be working with 4 Corners either clearing brush of busting up rocks. I am really excited to experience that before I come in September.
Today I got to thinking about how much I bet these people appreciate rain. It is their source of clean drinking water, and it waters the plants that produce their food. Then I began to compare it to how Americans look at rain; most Americans don't like it. They look at rain as a bad thing most of the time because it keeps them from doing what they want to do. I was just interesting to think about.
Today we crossed the Nile River to get to Gulu. It was really cool. We weren't supposed to take pictures, but I did anyways. The armed guards aren't very fond of people taking pictures for some reason.
As soon as we crossed the Nile, we saw a bunch of baboons. It was pretty neat, so I took a few pictures.
We took a walk tonight after dinner, and it was interesting. Vehicles don't yield to pedestrians. There were lots of smells- B.O., stuff cooking, bodily waste. The people here seem very nice, but we haven't really interacted with them yet, which is why I'm looking so forward to tomorrow.
Day 3- June 13, 2012
Today was an amazing day. We went to Matt and Jamie's this morning to help out with the interns. We walked around for a little bit, and we didn't find anyone so we went down to the rock quarry. What we did was get big rocks and break them into smaller rocks that a company uses to build buildings.
While I was breaking rocks, I was sitting next to two guys named Dennis and Francis. Dennis has 10 brothers and sisters and is 20 years old. Francis has 8 brothers and sisters, a son, and is 29 years old. They were very nice. They asked a lot of questions about America, and I tried to answer as best as I could.
The land is absolutely beautiful. I took a lot of pictures. It is just hard to appreciate unless you experience it.
Today, it was hard for me to interact with the children. I tried talking to them, but they just didn't warm up to me like they did everyone else. It was a lot easier for me to talk with the adults. I'm not sure why, but that is how it was.
Matt and Jamie's house is really nice. I like it a lot and am looking forward to living there.
I am glad that we came up here to experience what I'll be doing in September. I am really looking forward to coming back. The funny thing is that it feels like home- like I am welcome here and I am supposed to be here. It was a great day. Tomorrow we are going to Matt and Jamie's in the morning, and then driving back to Kampala.
Day 4- June 14, 2012
Today we went back to Matt and Jamie's to work again. Everyone went out and me and Patrick went back into town to get me a phone and then fill the car with gas.
When we got done I went into the village. I saw some of the people I met yesterday, and met some more people. I tried to spend more time with the kids today. One of the ones I met was Steven. He didn't go to school, but could speak a little English. He was a great kid. He was the leader of the kids that stayed at home. He always wanted to help do something. I was helping a man load water onto his bike and Steven and the other kids were singing songs that they learned at VBS with 4 Corners. Mattie later told me that someone told her that Steven has active HIV. It made me very sad, but he was having a great time no matter what.
I think that there are a couple of people with our team that might want to inter with 4 Corners. I think that would be really cool. What I love about what 4 Corners is doing is that they don't just go out and give the people stuff or do stuff for them. They work WITH the people, which is awesome. They are also targeting the next generation of Ugandans and teaching them the ways of the Lord so that they will do good for the country.
I am really glad that we went to Gulu on this trip so that I could experience what I'll be doing in the fall. I told Jamie this morning before we left that I am ready to be back and that I am 100% sure that I am supposed to be with them. She told me that they feel that way too and that they just have a peace about me coming.
Romans 12:1-2 talks about how we should offer ourselves as living sacrifices, then we can test and approve what God's will is. I'm not trying to say that I have it all together or that I am perfect by any means, but I am saying that I know God wants me in Uganda for a reason. I don't know what it is yet, but I will find out.
I am really excited to come back because I feel like I belong here.
Day 5- June 15, 2012
This morning we went to Bethany Village. It was started by Francis Chan's old church. They have 11 houses with house mothers and 188 orphans. The orphans wake up at 5 am, do an hour devotional and then do house chores. At 7 am they go to school and come back at 5 pm and then do homework and go to sleep.
They also have a camp that kids can come to for a week and the leaders there teach the kids how to be practical leaders. They teach them how to farm organically (no fertilizers or sprays) and support the local economy. They also say that if the kids grow up to have a farm, they will have people working under them, so they will lead them. It is a great, practical way to invest in the next generation in Uganda. We are going back there on Tuesday to play soccer with the kids.
To get there we had to take a boat across Lake Victoria, then ride boda bodas (dirt bike taxis) to the village. It was a really neat experience.
After that we went to the market to shop. They had a lot of good, cheap stuff.
That was really about all we did today. Tomorrow we are going to Buloba for center day and we will meet our sponsored kids. I am really looking forward to that.
So, I know that is a lot but a lot can happen in 5 days. I have absolutely loved it here so far, and I am looking forward to the remainder of our trip.
In Him and from Uganda,
Camp Hand
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