Miscellaneous Photos

Below is a collection of photos that didn't really fit anywhere else, but I thought you might enjoy.

Here is a picture of our bus.  It was always crowded and the driving was crazy, but it got us where we needed to be.

Here is our bus driver -- Abas.  He's smiling because he convinced one of the girls to buy him a pair of shoes.

One of things we take for granted in America, is flushing toilets.  This trip I learned to use squatty potties.  The locals thought we were crazy when Elisa set up her camera on automatic and took our picture in front of one at a gas station stop.  The second picture is from one of the schools we visited.

Nothing is easy in Uganda and doing laundry is no exception.  The children at Canaan's learn to do their own laundry.

It was laundry day at Ekisa when we visited.  They have the luxury of a clothesline. All over the countryside, laundry is more often just draped over bushes.  And of course during the rainy season, it may take days to get things dried.  Washing machines and dryers are only for the rich.

The children at Canaan's do not have showers or bath tubs either, so they wash themselves in communal buckets.  The older kids were behind a gate, but the little ones bathed in the courtyard.

And in the orphanage, you often see the older kids taking care of the younger ones.

Finally some of the views from the bus as we traveled from place to place.

Coming Home

Tuesday-Wednesday, July 31-Aug 1

We're going home today!  It is the last time we will have to be awoken at 5:00 a.m. by a Muslim call to prayer followed by a sermon (we assume) of some sort.

As happy as I am to be leaving, it is also very sad.  We have spent four nights at Canaan's Childrens Home, and the kids hate for us to go.  We spent some time with them in the morning, took groups pictures, and then had to head for the bus.  Many of the kids were crying and hanging on to the last possible moment.

We spent the next 40+ hours driving to the airport, flying from Entebbe, Uganda, to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, to Rome, Italy to Washington D.C., USA to San Francisco, to San Diego.  There is truly no place like home.

Shopping in Jinja

Monday, July 30

Our last day here.  Everyone agrees the trip has been long, even Autumn who does this often.  Wish we were going home today, but I still want to be open to what God might have planned for us today.

Pastor Isaac shared his story with us today and showed us one of his gunshot wounds.  It was hard for him to share it (even though he wants to).  He broke down and cried.  He still has some survivor guilt.  But God saved him for something great.

We went shopping in Jinja today.  Liz had a great time.  She bought five paintings for her room along with gifts for her boyfriend Brad.  I found things for the rest of the family.  We had lunch again at the Source Cafe so we got Internet and got to talk to Cam.  All in all a fun day.

Spent time at Canaans with Ezra and Sarah.  Sarah was very moody and sad in the afternoon, but better after dinner.  It will be hard to leave. They both asked me if I was coming back.  I wish Africa was closer.

After dinner we had planned a glow stick party.  To me it was a glow stick disaster.   Even though we had over 400 glow sticks to share with 105 kids, they all fought and grabbed and lied and stole to get us many as they could.  It made me sad even though I understood how valuable such a small thing was to someone who has nothing.  I was going to go to bed, but Sarah asked for me so I came downstairs and spent some more time with her and Ezra playing cards with Liz, while her friend Ali tracked how many games Liz won.  Ali was on the list of people who needed sponsored, so we will sign up for that as soon as we get home.  We will also start sending support to some of the other groups we visited.

When I went to bed I was still able to get a warm shower--a true blessing!

Church in Uganda

Sunday, March 29

Church in Africa is quite an experience.  It is long, loud, and full of movement.  The people seem very spirit-filled.  Although I think their Bible knowledge is much less than ours, their love for God and faith seems much greater.   How do we go home and learn from their example?  If Liz and I just leave with a greater understanding of life in Africa and do not change the way we live, this trip was a bust.  

Sunday School

It is the rainy season in Uganda, and even though the forecast said no rain when I checked before I left, we have had rain in the afternoon for the last four days.  Today I was in our room when it started.  It was torrential.  I'm not sure what the children do during these downpours, but I hope it stops before I have to leave here in a half hour.  We have had no power all day!  I'm ready to go home.

This evening the kids performed for us.  Each dormitory, there are six, sang a couple of songs (which of course included dance),  and the "big boys" did a skit.  It's hard to believe only one "mama" is in charge of each dorm.  But it was joyful to watch.

 Dinner was finally ready at 8:00 and I went to bed after.

Canaan and Cooking

Saturday, July 28

Spent the day at Canaan's.  After breakfast we did crafts with the kids.  Then we walked down the road to see the school, the building for the new church, new nursery school, and the farm. Neighborhood kids once again just join us and hold our hands.  Can you imagine mothers in America letting their children just take off with complete strangers?  Especially strangers whose skin Is a different color?

When we returned it was time to start preparing the dinner meal. We are going to feed the children and staff tonight.  We know better what we are doing since this is our second time.  We also have beef, instead of goat's meat, which is a plus.  But still pealing potatoes with a big knife for 200 is time consuming and painful.  Not to mention the onions, garlic, carrots, watermelon, and pineapple that needs to be cut up.  We are less stressed because we have until 6:00 to be finished.  I cut my hand on the last pineapple.  The line seemed endless as we served, but everyone enjoyed the meal and said mazungas can cook.

After dinner I was tired and was the first one to go to bed.  That's okay, I'm also a lot older than most of the people on the trip and I'll still get a lot less sleep than most of them anyway.