It’s Thursday, our last day in Uganda.
Last night we spent time with the babies and unpacked the bin that arrived! It‘s hard because we know we are going to leave and miss them soon. The last bin was full of formula and more of the clothes, towels, and other basic supplies we had wanted them to have. We arranged the furniture on the carpet we had purchased and enjoyed playing with the babies till it was time for them to go to sleep.
This morning we are leaving after breakfast for our last shopping for souvenirs but also for the last items we can help Rennie with. Then we will come back do the last of our picture taking and filming. We want to take measurements of the windows and rooms to take back with us. The house needs curtains and rugs in the bedrooms.
Last night we noticed that they need a baby table and toddler table but there is not any room until the upstairs is built. The upstairs will be large. It will be so incredible once we can get that built. We hope it can be within this year.
We went shopping and found what we needed and took many more pictures. Now it’s time to pack and catch our plane flight home tonight. We have mixed feelings. On one hand we miss home, friends, and family! Yet it seems too short of time and we also will miss the babies here and the incredible adventures we had. We’ll see you when we return and on Sunday.
We got on the plane, it was hard to leave. We settled in and heard an announcement on the intercom something about “…it’s safe, do not be concerned, stay in your seats…” I looked and saw two stewardesses walking from the back to the front of the plane in their 60’s looking flight uniforms. They had masks on and were holding both hands in the air with what looked like bug bombs. They were fumigating the airplane and telling us it was safe for us! What we were hearing wasn’t matching what we were seeing yet what could we do. Porsha felt horrible as the flight continued – She took Benadryl when we got to Brussels and the allergy type symptoms subsided. Hum??? Why didn’t we get masks? Seemed unsettling.
In Brussels we realized we could get “Belgian waffles, and Belgian chocolate” so we took our extra time to stock up and went through more screening before flying home. We could tell we were entering the US – seemed stricter. I had someone open up to me about their ministry experiences – heard how so much can go wrong. It is so important to have solid proven leadership and support. Our ministry adventure was so good and I was thankful the Bethany House is connected with such a solid ministry there.
We arrived in Chicago and Porsha broke out in song – she sang every American patriot version she could think of. LOL We were glad to be back, we could call, we knew the long flight home was almost done.
It was an incredible trip. Long flights yet we’d all go back again and appreciate the opportunity.
Friday, March 12, 2010
Wednesday, Feb 24th 2010, 3:57am - Leaving the Safari and going back to Kampala to spend the day with our babies
Today, Tuesday, we spent time relaxing, reading, sunning, etc. Bethany and Billie-Jo taught the server at the bar how to make a smoothie. He only knew how to make the drinks on the list and didn’t know you could blend fruit and ice in the blender. He was willing to learn, found the blender they never use and got some fruit. Mixed with sprite it made a great 1st Ugandan non-alcoholic drink at the lodge. We laughed later when we looked and saw him showing another server how to use the blender.
We thought we were a brave safari team but we were all frightened of the bats again tonight. Ed and Laura left early for dinner to avoid them in the dark. Bethany invented a method to keep bats from her face and all the girls made it to dinner while giggling. They served us a barbeque and then musicians and dancers entertained us near a bonfire. Rennie keeps claiming she is Ugandan and not a foreigner when she barters while buying goods. She proved it tonight when she got up and danced with the entertainment.
Tomorrow we leave early to catch the ferry across the Nile river. We’ll drive up to the top of the falls that we saw yesterday from the river. Then we will drive back to Kampala. We’re planning to go shopping for the last time to get our souvenirs and the last minute items for the Bethany House. We hope our bin arrived and the new rug will be there. Then we’ll finish up by training Rennie and the house staff in using the teaching supplies.
It’s Wednesday morning and we are leaving early to drive home. You would think we are use to the bats but Bethany and Billie-Jo still could not walk out of their rooms without ducking and hiding in the corridor. At breakfast, we saw many large insects flying around the lodge. They told us they were the termites and the locals do not mind them because they are considered food. It is a sign of wealth to have two or more termite hills in front of your home. We were excited to go back to Kampala and eat Esther’s food once again.
The falls were incredible. There are tons of water pushing through and dropping down a narrow ravine. You could feel the force of the water as it pushed through. You would think you are just walking along a calm nature trail yet you see mosquitoes, army ants, and termites. We’re beginning to get use to seeing them all.
We just arrived back and learned we’re having tacos for dinner and chocolate chip cookies.
We thought we were a brave safari team but we were all frightened of the bats again tonight. Ed and Laura left early for dinner to avoid them in the dark. Bethany invented a method to keep bats from her face and all the girls made it to dinner while giggling. They served us a barbeque and then musicians and dancers entertained us near a bonfire. Rennie keeps claiming she is Ugandan and not a foreigner when she barters while buying goods. She proved it tonight when she got up and danced with the entertainment.
Tomorrow we leave early to catch the ferry across the Nile river. We’ll drive up to the top of the falls that we saw yesterday from the river. Then we will drive back to Kampala. We’re planning to go shopping for the last time to get our souvenirs and the last minute items for the Bethany House. We hope our bin arrived and the new rug will be there. Then we’ll finish up by training Rennie and the house staff in using the teaching supplies.
It’s Wednesday morning and we are leaving early to drive home. You would think we are use to the bats but Bethany and Billie-Jo still could not walk out of their rooms without ducking and hiding in the corridor. At breakfast, we saw many large insects flying around the lodge. They told us they were the termites and the locals do not mind them because they are considered food. It is a sign of wealth to have two or more termite hills in front of your home. We were excited to go back to Kampala and eat Esther’s food once again.
The falls were incredible. There are tons of water pushing through and dropping down a narrow ravine. You could feel the force of the water as it pushed through. You would think you are just walking along a calm nature trail yet you see mosquitoes, army ants, and termites. We’re beginning to get use to seeing them all.
We just arrived back and learned we’re having tacos for dinner and chocolate chip cookies.
Tuesday, Feb 23rd 2010, 2:57am - On Safari in Uganda
On Monday, we woke up very early to another hard rain. We left the Seguku guest house and traveled northwest to the Paraa Safari Lodge. It took about 5.5 hours. Along the way we saw a lot of country side and grass huts. Many children were on their way to school in their uniforms, without shoes and walking for miles. Each school is different so you will pass children walking in both direction in green, then blue, and then a different shade or color. Here you will always see people walking. The children don’t ride buses to school. We saw many huts throughout our drive. Everywhere you go you see phone minutes for sell and Coke signs that look like those from the 50's. All the sodas are served in glass bottles. We told our driver that in America you don‘t see glass bottles anymore, it‘s all plastic and he commented that if so many plastic bottles are used “Isn‘t that bad for the environment? “and he questioned why we would do that.
As we drove through the wildlife park we saw beautiful African deer, warthogs, and a lot of various birds. We were almost there and we saw elephants grazing at the trees. There are a lot of baboons here as well. Then we arrived to a beautiful lodge located on the Nile river. This place has so much history. Ernest Hemmingway, Theodore Roosevelt, and Winston Churchill have been here. We checked in, had lunch and then went on a boat ride upriver to the Murchison Falls. They are so powerful that clumps of while foam form at the base and float down like muddy icebergs along the river. We saw crocodile, elephants, many hippo, wart hogs, water buffalo and birds. At the beginning of the ride, Billie-Jo expressed confidently how she was not scared of the animals and loves them all. Later she was taking a picture of a large croc on land and while it dove in the water she jumped because it looked like it was coming at her through her camera. Then a hippo dove underwater and came at the front of the boat on her side, lifted his head and spit water at us and growled. She jumped right into Laura’s lap and fell down on the middle floor of the boat. Later when we stopped at a large group of rocks in front of the falls to take pictures the boat next to us asked “Who in your boat peed her pants when the hippo came up to your boat” We all sold her out! She was so embarrassed that even the other boat saw she had hit the floor. We were thankful she instinctively jumped in the middle and not out of the boat!
When we arrived back at the lodge we had time to take the first long shower in over a week! The water here is from the Nile and in abundance. Before dinner, there were two elephants and their babies grazing near the pool. All the hotel guests were out with their cameras. Tawnie and Porsha returned to their room and found someone had been in their room. They went to Bethany so excited and scared that she would have thought there was something very scary in the room, or that all their things had been stolen. She instantly thought of asking questions first before reacting and asked them, did they take anything? She thought a moment and before they could answer asked them if the bug netting had been moved. In scared voices, they said “yes” and Bethany realized they had never been to a hotel where you have bed turn down service. The hotel staff had prepared their room for the night. We went to dinner and ended with conversation about bugs and Sudan spiders. As we came back to our rooms, the lights are all off outside and we noticed bats were flying around. In our hallway, one bat was flying near our heads. Ed hates bats and quickly ran to the room. Bethany and Rennie were successfully dodging. Laura started to dodge and lost her footing but dropped to the floor to avoid the bat. We had many wildlife adventures today. Tomorrow we will go on a drive through the park and hopefully see a leopard and lions.
It’s almost noon on Tuesday. We woke up early this morning to go out on Safari. As we left our rooms, it was still dark and we realized there were still bats flying around. We convinced ourselves we were brave yet that didn’t work for Bethany. She ran right into one but told us it wasn’t as bad as you imagine. We enjoyed a great breakfast. The cooking is fabulous here but not as great as Esther’s at the guest house. The one difference is we can have salads and several of us were missing those.
Our guide is one of the best and knew where the leopard was in the park. We were praying our group would find the leopard and lions. We got to see, film, and shoot with our cameras elephants, waterbuck, warthogs with the cutest hairdos, and saw a lot of birds. The best was when we found the leopard. It was up in a tree and we couldn’t get close, but we were able to get great shots. She watched us the whole time and then we decided to go off the road to get closer. As soon as we traveled a short distance, it jumped down the tree. You’ll love the photos that Bethany was able to get with the big camera.
The next best moment was when our guide found the lions. We saw the dominant male of the area and two females with him. We were able to get great shots through the grass from our van. Don’t worry Pastor Eddie- the photos look up close but we were safe. Then two other vans saw us and came very close. It made the male nervous and he jumped up and ran off with one of the lionesses. The other didn’t move because she was pregnant. We were able to take a few more but then left because of the disturbance. Our guide didn’t like how the other vans cornered the lions near us and made them run off.
Another amazing moment was when we saw a whole herd of giraffes with babies grazing on a hill. Tawnie loves giraffes and could barely contain herself. After that we saw a family of elephants taking a mud bath right near the road. It had a baby; our guide said was less than 6-8 months old. The two small elephants were in charge of helping it and they were about 3 years old. Then there was one a bit older and bigger and the mother and bull elephant. He saw all of us and lead them away after their bath was done.
This afternoon, Rennie, is going to get a massage as a gift from someone. We all felt she could use the pampering. We don’t have very good internet here but will now try to find a way to get this to you. We’ll update you as soon as we can get hooked up to internet again.
As we drove through the wildlife park we saw beautiful African deer, warthogs, and a lot of various birds. We were almost there and we saw elephants grazing at the trees. There are a lot of baboons here as well. Then we arrived to a beautiful lodge located on the Nile river. This place has so much history. Ernest Hemmingway, Theodore Roosevelt, and Winston Churchill have been here. We checked in, had lunch and then went on a boat ride upriver to the Murchison Falls. They are so powerful that clumps of while foam form at the base and float down like muddy icebergs along the river. We saw crocodile, elephants, many hippo, wart hogs, water buffalo and birds. At the beginning of the ride, Billie-Jo expressed confidently how she was not scared of the animals and loves them all. Later she was taking a picture of a large croc on land and while it dove in the water she jumped because it looked like it was coming at her through her camera. Then a hippo dove underwater and came at the front of the boat on her side, lifted his head and spit water at us and growled. She jumped right into Laura’s lap and fell down on the middle floor of the boat. Later when we stopped at a large group of rocks in front of the falls to take pictures the boat next to us asked “Who in your boat peed her pants when the hippo came up to your boat” We all sold her out! She was so embarrassed that even the other boat saw she had hit the floor. We were thankful she instinctively jumped in the middle and not out of the boat!
When we arrived back at the lodge we had time to take the first long shower in over a week! The water here is from the Nile and in abundance. Before dinner, there were two elephants and their babies grazing near the pool. All the hotel guests were out with their cameras. Tawnie and Porsha returned to their room and found someone had been in their room. They went to Bethany so excited and scared that she would have thought there was something very scary in the room, or that all their things had been stolen. She instantly thought of asking questions first before reacting and asked them, did they take anything? She thought a moment and before they could answer asked them if the bug netting had been moved. In scared voices, they said “yes” and Bethany realized they had never been to a hotel where you have bed turn down service. The hotel staff had prepared their room for the night. We went to dinner and ended with conversation about bugs and Sudan spiders. As we came back to our rooms, the lights are all off outside and we noticed bats were flying around. In our hallway, one bat was flying near our heads. Ed hates bats and quickly ran to the room. Bethany and Rennie were successfully dodging. Laura started to dodge and lost her footing but dropped to the floor to avoid the bat. We had many wildlife adventures today. Tomorrow we will go on a drive through the park and hopefully see a leopard and lions.
It’s almost noon on Tuesday. We woke up early this morning to go out on Safari. As we left our rooms, it was still dark and we realized there were still bats flying around. We convinced ourselves we were brave yet that didn’t work for Bethany. She ran right into one but told us it wasn’t as bad as you imagine. We enjoyed a great breakfast. The cooking is fabulous here but not as great as Esther’s at the guest house. The one difference is we can have salads and several of us were missing those.
Our guide is one of the best and knew where the leopard was in the park. We were praying our group would find the leopard and lions. We got to see, film, and shoot with our cameras elephants, waterbuck, warthogs with the cutest hairdos, and saw a lot of birds. The best was when we found the leopard. It was up in a tree and we couldn’t get close, but we were able to get great shots. She watched us the whole time and then we decided to go off the road to get closer. As soon as we traveled a short distance, it jumped down the tree. You’ll love the photos that Bethany was able to get with the big camera.
The next best moment was when our guide found the lions. We saw the dominant male of the area and two females with him. We were able to get great shots through the grass from our van. Don’t worry Pastor Eddie- the photos look up close but we were safe. Then two other vans saw us and came very close. It made the male nervous and he jumped up and ran off with one of the lionesses. The other didn’t move because she was pregnant. We were able to take a few more but then left because of the disturbance. Our guide didn’t like how the other vans cornered the lions near us and made them run off.
Another amazing moment was when we saw a whole herd of giraffes with babies grazing on a hill. Tawnie loves giraffes and could barely contain herself. After that we saw a family of elephants taking a mud bath right near the road. It had a baby; our guide said was less than 6-8 months old. The two small elephants were in charge of helping it and they were about 3 years old. Then there was one a bit older and bigger and the mother and bull elephant. He saw all of us and lead them away after their bath was done.
This afternoon, Rennie, is going to get a massage as a gift from someone. We all felt she could use the pampering. We don’t have very good internet here but will now try to find a way to get this to you. We’ll update you as soon as we can get hooked up to internet again.
Sunday, Feb 21st 2010, 9:01am - Awesome Sunday in Uganda
Our Sunday was so amazing. At 8:00 Bethany, Porsha, and Tawnie left for the Seguku Worship Center just down the hill to make it for 1st service. Bethany was able to share her story and about the Bethany House during both services. She spoke about her dream and how we all need to have a dream. During 2nd service she went deeper and did a phenomenal job. They said the worship was amazing. The 1st service was in English and the 2nd service was in Ugandan and Swahili. Porsha and Tawnie worked with the children. Porsha taught a message about God’s love using a story of a king and his son Humanity. They had over 100 children in both services. Tawnie led the game and prayer.
Ed, Billie-Jo, and I left at 9:00 for the Kawempe Worship Center. When we arrived they were finishing their 1st service and we met with their Pastor - Steve Kaweesa. He shared with us his vision for his church. They want to build up on the hill and the building they are in now will become a school. He also has teams visit and minister at several other boarding schools in the area. He confirmed Ed would be delivering the message but then surprised us. We thought Billie-Jo and I would be teaching the children. He turned to me and said he was going to send me to one of the services at a boarding school to speak to their high school students. I knew the message I had would be able to be adjusted. Next he turned to Billie-Jo and told her she would go teach the children. The prayers for boldness came to mind as she instantly got a look on her face that was priceless. He and our driver both reassured her she would do well. We were escorted to the service and participated in the most incredible worship. They were dancing and singing songs in Ugandan and English. It was over the top. Part way through - I was escorted with our driver to our van and another pastor joined me. We drove 10 minutes away and arrived at a Muslim boarding school. They explained that the service we were attending had only begun 2 weeks earlier. They had received permission in this school to be allowed freedom of worship so they hold a Christian service and at the same time on the other side of the courtyard they held a Muslim service. They were allowed instruments but the Christian service was not. There were about 100 young men and women. They sang songs and gave testimonies that included how several of them were Muslim but now Christian. I taught the message on God’s love using the stories of Esther, Moses, and Jesus - how they met a need, made a difference, and saved people. We returned to the church and Ed was still speaking. He gave an hour message on their potential and purpose. He was surprised when they ended by taking an offering for Ed and gave a significant offering which he received and gave to Bethany for the house. I went over to the children’s classroom and met the most amazing teachers. Their children were beautiful and Billie-Jo was having a great time. She shared with them the story of Esther and Jesus and passed out heart stickers and candy. They sang many songs to us and we had a lot of fun.
When we arrived back at the guest house, we attended the luncheon at the Bethany house. The food was the best Ugandan meal we have had so far. Many people came and we ended the lunch by sharing the story of the tapestry we bought for the house. There was not a dry eye on any of the women when they saw it and the significance of the picture. Bethany ended with a prayer over the house.
We‘re all going to bed early and get sleep tonight. We have an early morning ahead of us.
Have a great day at church
Ed, Billie-Jo, and I left at 9:00 for the Kawempe Worship Center. When we arrived they were finishing their 1st service and we met with their Pastor - Steve Kaweesa. He shared with us his vision for his church. They want to build up on the hill and the building they are in now will become a school. He also has teams visit and minister at several other boarding schools in the area. He confirmed Ed would be delivering the message but then surprised us. We thought Billie-Jo and I would be teaching the children. He turned to me and said he was going to send me to one of the services at a boarding school to speak to their high school students. I knew the message I had would be able to be adjusted. Next he turned to Billie-Jo and told her she would go teach the children. The prayers for boldness came to mind as she instantly got a look on her face that was priceless. He and our driver both reassured her she would do well. We were escorted to the service and participated in the most incredible worship. They were dancing and singing songs in Ugandan and English. It was over the top. Part way through - I was escorted with our driver to our van and another pastor joined me. We drove 10 minutes away and arrived at a Muslim boarding school. They explained that the service we were attending had only begun 2 weeks earlier. They had received permission in this school to be allowed freedom of worship so they hold a Christian service and at the same time on the other side of the courtyard they held a Muslim service. They were allowed instruments but the Christian service was not. There were about 100 young men and women. They sang songs and gave testimonies that included how several of them were Muslim but now Christian. I taught the message on God’s love using the stories of Esther, Moses, and Jesus - how they met a need, made a difference, and saved people. We returned to the church and Ed was still speaking. He gave an hour message on their potential and purpose. He was surprised when they ended by taking an offering for Ed and gave a significant offering which he received and gave to Bethany for the house. I went over to the children’s classroom and met the most amazing teachers. Their children were beautiful and Billie-Jo was having a great time. She shared with them the story of Esther and Jesus and passed out heart stickers and candy. They sang many songs to us and we had a lot of fun.
When we arrived back at the guest house, we attended the luncheon at the Bethany house. The food was the best Ugandan meal we have had so far. Many people came and we ended the lunch by sharing the story of the tapestry we bought for the house. There was not a dry eye on any of the women when they saw it and the significance of the picture. Bethany ended with a prayer over the house.
We‘re all going to bed early and get sleep tonight. We have an early morning ahead of us.
Have a great day at church
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