Coming home…

I apologize for not posting an entry last night. Our days are very busy from early morning until bedtime. Yesterday was no exception – there just was not a good opportunity to write and post.

It was early to rise Monday morning to begin our journey home. Our last ride on the bus with our driver Joel and hosts Andrew and Melvin began at 6am, arriving at the Entebbe airport just before 7am. Everyone made it through the check-in process without incident. Much to our surprise, we were able to check our luggage all the way to Wichita even though we were staying overnight in London (our travel agent said we had to claim our luggage for security reasons – who knows?). Will it get there or not is the only remaining question. After purchasing a few more souvenirs at the airport (it’s hard to resist!), we made our way to the gate. There we noticed to the far right end of the airport a red carpet, viewing stand, military band, and soldiers marching in the morning sun. It turns out that the President of Uganda was returning from an East African conference. His private jet arrived just as we started to board but he did not deplane until we were on the plane so we were not able to see the ceremony. However, we knew it was underway because it delayed our flight approximately 1 hour (I guess he did not want our engines drowning out his speech).

Our flight was smooth and uneventful. I used the time to sort through approximately 1,000 photos; only 1,000 to go! We arrived at Heathrow Airport around 4:45pm and proceeded to the Comfort Hotel Heathrow via two minivans (they call them MVP’s) and two cars (it was a bit complicated but it worked). Four from our group, however, decided to visit downtown London and took the Tube instead. We did not see them until the next morning. After checking-in 23 people into 11 rooms (which took about 40 minutes), we ate dinner at the hotel. The food was modest but expensive – like everything in London these days. After a full tummy, most of us retired to get some sleep before awaking again by 6am.

The hotel room was pleasant but a bit warm for my taste (19° C with no ability to make it cooler. The beds had a bottom sheet and a rather thick comforter but no top sheet (much like it is in Germany). But, compared to our bed in Uganda, it was heaven. It was also nice to have a properly working bathroom with a shower head and water where the volume and temperature could be controlled. One unique thing about the bathroom was there is no concept of a washcloth. We each had a small hand towel and a large towel. Oh well, it was workable.

Some of us ate a buffet breakfast at the hotel, which was quite good, although very expensive. We then arranged for a special bus to take us directly to Terminal 4 for £4 per person. It was a straight shot and worked well. Check-in is always a hassle but we all ended up at the right gate and the right time and boarded our last international flight for this trip. Now, as long as the concept of an airfoil holds true, we should be back in the good ‘ol USA by Tuesday 2pm CDT. Then, we begin the process of assimilating ourselves back into our busy lives and its various distractions and pleasures. We will think often of our friends back in Uganda and the children who changed our lives once again.

Written by: Dave Glover

Our final day in Uganda…

We began our last full day in Uganda with another outstanding breakfast buffet. Most of us ate more than we should have (typical American over abundance). We took the ferry back across the Victoria Nile and drove to the top of Murchinson Falls, about one hour away. What a majestic place! I have never seen a waterfall with so much power and beauty as this (see picture). Sorry, Colorado!

After taking many photos we had a short church service in a small woody area. Andi led the group in several praise songs which was followed by a few scripture verses from Brenda Heard. Brenda also conducted communion with elements that had been blessed at East Heights UMC before the trip. Each person in turn served the person next to them. We concluded with a moving prayer by Andrew, our host. It was the perfect way and place to conclude our mission.

We then began the torturous 5 hour bus ride back to Kampala. The roads were either under construction (there is no way to describe it) or full of huge potholes. It was very rough and slow going. In addition, a handful of people were not feeling well either (sore backs or upset tummies). So, it was a long 5 hours, but we made it back safe and sound to the “luxury” Kampala Regency Hotel. Of course, there was no power and some rooms had no water. All pretty standard fare.

Tomorrow morning we leave the hotel at 6am to catch our 9am flight to London where we will stay overnight and return on Tuesday (scheduled for 6:35pm on American flight 4428 from Chicago). We are anxious to get home to our friends and loved ones and to reacquaint ourselves with some of the comforts we are accustomed to.

In summary, our mission has been an outstanding success in all respects, all due to God’s good graces. We completed two Watoto homes, met new friends there (workers, house moms, children, and staff), were reunited with friends from two years ago, developed a bond of fellowship between the team members, are returning healthy and with many fond memories, and saw the majesty, beauty, and diversity of God’s creation. As always, the children touched us deeply and reminded us of why God called us to this place: to bring back the hope and justice that had been stripped from their lives. Their smiles and the gleam in their eyes tell me all I need to know.

Written by: Dave Glover

(P.S. Happy Father's Day to all of you Dad's out there)

Murchinson Falls and more…

A quick update from last night… After posting yesterday’s blog, I took my first real shower in over 10 days. While shaving, I heard a rumble (like baboons running across the roof). But, then the floor started to shift back and forth and I knew it was either King Kong or an earthquake, and the latter was much more likely. I would classify it as a moderate earthquake, making it feel like the lodge was built on stilts. Wow - what will we experience next???

After a hefty buffet breakfast, we boarded a double-decker boat and traveled two hours upstream on the Victoria Nile to view Murchinson Falls from the bottom. There, the water of the Victoria Nile is compressed into a gorge only 6 meters wide before cascading 40 meters into the rocks below (see picture). It was spectacular! Along the way, we saw many hippos, cape buffalo and crocodiles. There was one small beach where there must have been 20+ crocs soaking up the sun with their mouths open (to cool themselves). It’s named “The Crocodile Bar”.

Upon returning, we ate lunch and cooled off in the swimming pool. At 4pm, we went on our second game drive. We had seen so many animals the day before we didn’t think it could get any better; but it did. We got within 20’ of a lioness sleeping in the shade of a tree (see picture). What a beautiful animal! We also saw a very large herd of giraffes crossing the road in front us; there must be 30 or more in all. On a smaller scale, many monitor lizards of various sizes were seen scurrying about. It was another outstanding venture into the Africa veldt.

Rachelle Depew did not go on today’s game drive due to a sore back. When we returned for dinner, she had quite a story to tell. Our host, Andrew, had warned us about not leaving our deck sliding doors open when we leave the room because baboons had been known to come in and take things. Well, I guess she had her deck door open and proceeded to the bathroom. She left the bathroom door ajar and noticed a hand (but not a human hand) grab the first aid kit she had left on the dresser. To say the least, that got her attention. I guess she let out a sound of some kind (use your imagination) and closed the bathroom door. When she got the courage to come out, the baboon had dropped the first aid kit and had fled to the deck where it promptly disappeared upon seeing Rachelle. It was a close call because next to the first aid kit was her purse with her passport, etc. Yikes! Anyway, all ended well.

I’ll be back in a few minutes… Okay, I’m back. While I was writing this, I heard music and singing outdoors. It turns out that the safari lodge had an authentic African musical group come and perform around a campfire for us. There were three men playing various string instruments and five ladies who danced and sang. We all got into the action and ended up hot, sweaty, and out of breath – but it was a lot of fun! My knees will tell a different story in the morning.

Well, we leave early tomorrow morning to return to Kampala. The safari excursion was outstanding!

Written by: Dave Glover