Arrival in Uganda

We've made it to our new home for the next 20 days in Jinja. After meeting up with Emily in Seattle we boarded our British Airways overnight flight to London and tried to sleep as best we could. A few of us dozed comfortably but Vicki, Martha, and others found that they do not sleep on planes! Miles flew non-stop from Vegas and eventually found us half asleep in the London terminal while we passed the time during our 9 hour layover.

At 9:00pm London time we boarded our next overnight flight to Uganda and settled in for another sleepless night on a plane for the ladies while the boys watched movies and dozed. The next morning we finally glimpsed Africa for the first time as we descended over the green countryside dotted with homes, palms and banana trees, dirt roads, and then Lake Victoria as we landed lakeside at Entebbe International Airport. The doors opened and we were greeted by 80 degree weather and sun. For those of us from Spokane it was summer at last - for Miles it was a 35 degree drop in temperature from the Arizona desert!

Our next challenge was collecting 39 bags in baggage claim and amazingly every one was accounted for! We were quite the site pushing our bags out of the terminal looking as if we were moving permanently to Uganda with so many things. Clearing customs we were greeted like family by Pastor Robert and our driver Peter. For me, it has been two years since I've last seen Robert. Face to face time is so much better than the email relationship we have throughout the year.

After loading the bags into a small pick-up they headed off to Pastor Robert's house in Jinja while we climbed into our minivan and headed into the capital city of Kampala. For first timers to Africa the drive to and through Kampala is an eye opener. Non-stop traffic, horns beeping, bicycles, motorcycles, and survival driving skills as vehicles and people took advantage of every opening in the road whether it was going the right way or not. We detoured to a crowded dirt street to pick up the newly custom made cooking pots for Fountain of Hope School's new kitchen. Miles couldn't stop saying "I've never seen anything like this before" and then look at me with a big grin on his face. Kampala is Uganda's capital and most prosperous city that has attracted millions looking for work and trying their skills at the free market economy. The main street from Entebbe through Kampala is a "non-stop shopping market" according to Martha as we passed vendor after vendor selling everything possible. Miles declined buying the electronic bug zapping tennis racket from a street vendor but we did buy a bag of raw sugar cane and let everyone squeeze the sugar juice out. Boda Boda (motorcycle taxi's) sat outside Coca Cola painted buildings looking for fares as we finally left Kampala and continued East towards Jinja. The team had fallen quiet with some sleeping and others taking in the sites.

In Jinja we arrived at Pastor Robert's house and were greeted warmly by Robert's wife Sara and were soon sitting down to a hearty lunch of rice, beans, chicken, chapati bread, and fresh pineapple. Yummy! We've now brought the ladies over to the Nile Guest House where they will be staying and their currently showering and cleaning up after two days of traveling. Miles and I are typing away on our computers. Tonight we'll begin briefing everyone on the itinerary for the rest of the trip and begin to sort through our 39 bags in preparation of "going to work" tomorrow.

Hope you enjoy the post and we're thankful for all your prayers. Tomorrow the work begins!

Blessings, John