Thank you all for your part...

Today a miracle happened. I got into the shower and turned on the water. More than a droplet came out and it was hot. I stood under the water for a long time and it never turned cold and it never shut off. Oh, wait, I'm back in America! And last night I ate dinner and when it came and had meat on the plate I recognized it as meat. It had no fat on it and it looked really edible. Oh wait, I am back in America! And then when it came time for bed last night there was no mosquito net I had to crawl through and this really nice looking guy was sleeping next to me. Wow, it is good to be home!!! Not to mention that I was greeted at the entrance of my home by my dog who just couldn't get enough licking of my face. The irony is as I passed through customs is Washington, DC the woman at the desk asked me if I was carrying any food products with me in my suitcase. I had to suppress a grin as I thought to myself "is that what we were eating for the past month". I assured her that all food products had been left behind. I think the fact that my pants were barely hanging on she believed me and passed me right through! I have such a better understanding of Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz, there truly is "No place like Home!"

So let me back up to the last day of our safari. Our toilet did finally get fixed so we no longer had to wade through water filled with dead ants to get to the potty. It was the most disgusting experience ever! Almost made going outside to squat seem like a great alternative except for the off chance of being dinner for some wild animal. But it did make you think twice before drinking any liquids! We did have the amazing experience of seeing an African lioness up close and personal. She walked within 10-15 feet of our vehicle just strutting through the plains. She was so majestic and so graceful. I got some incredible shots of her and couldn't believe she was so close. All our windows were down and we just watched her sash-shay by. You'll be glad to know I did not get out of the car and try to pet her. We also saw more herds of elephants and they are so regal and beautiful. The herds we saw all had little baby elephants and those little guys are just precious. Again we were able to get really close and it was amazing. Then just driving down the highway and looking left and right and seeing herds of various animals along the road was great. I knew I wasn't in Kansas anymore!

We then headed up the mountain to get a view of the volcanic craters. The view from the top was beautiful and again in the craters we could see herds of elephants. The path we took was definitely not something I would call a road. It was a red dirt lane with only ruts where previous cars had travelled. The grass in the middle of the ruts was long and there was no telling what was beneath it. We did manage to hit a few rather large rocks as we went by. Meanwhile our guide in the back seat is telling us that leopards may be in this area as well as pythons and both can “spring” rather quickly and so we should be prepared to roll up our windows quickly. With that I put on my seatbelt because any jaguar that comes for me is going to have to pull me out of my protective gear first! Besides it isn’t the leopard that scares me. But the python, now that is very different. For starters the “road” is so narrow that some of the branches of the trees are hitting me in the face as we drive by. And all I can envision is a python joining the van for the rest of the tour. My nerves are now a little frayed. I’m feeling a little like I’m in a horror movie and I am going to be the next victim. The relaxing end to our month in Iganga is taking on a whole different look. But I’m telling you, for someone who’s eyesight is less than perfect, I gained eagle eyes in an instant. I was scanning everywhere. I couldn’t decide at that point whether ignorance would be bliss or not, but I guess I wasn’t willing to take any chances. The good news is that we finally hit treeless lanes without seeing a single jaguar or snake! At the mention of the word Jaguar the back van window slammed shut. Scovia was taking no chances! It did provide a moment of comic relief!

That night we had a quick final meal (I didn’t realize at the time how final) and then went back to the room to get packed up and off to bed for we had an early start in the morning. We left Tuesday morning at 7a.m. for the twelve-hour drive to the airport in Entebbe. In addition to us, we added one more passenger… our guide, Maureen. She needed a trip to Kampala and somehow someone in our group had agreed to be her transportation. So we added not only her but her luggage and her new, boxed 21” T.V. which sat on her lap and Jack’s for the entire journey. Because we had to be there in time to catch our flight we actually took “good” roads most of the trip, though good roads turned into bad in a heartbeat! Seriously, we could be driving along at 80 kilometers and the next minute the road had switched from paved to red dirt and rutted. And not just rutted but deeply rutted. We did stop in one small village to buy matooke (green bananas). I thought this process would take just a few minutes. I couldn’t have been more wrong! Four or five huge stalks were bought and the matooke was broken off the stalks one by one and placed in huge bags. I think we sat in the market for a good hour waiting for the transaction to be completed! Then of course, there were several potty stops along the way, which is always an interesting adventure. I never know what I will find but I do know it will always make for a good story. This time it was a squatty potty with a little (maybe 4x7”) rectangular hole in the ground. Having already skipped breakfast, I decided I would not be drinking any more liquids along the way! As we drove down the road we were eight people, one baby, lots of luggage, three, three-foot high bags of matooke, a car seat, and a TV all in one van. And according to Uganda standards we still had room for a few more!

We got to the airport, said our goodbyes and went through our first security check. There were four in all before we finally boarded the plane! We went and sat in the lounge for a few hours until it was time to go to the gate. At this point it was just good to get out of the car and have a chance to stretch our legs. Along the way on the drive I had twelve hours to reflect on the past month and what it had all meant. I’m not sure that I have yet fully digested it all but I’d like to try to give you all some perspective of what this trip was about. When I planned the trip I had high hopes and dreams of what Liz and I could accomplish. We were both very excited to go and thought that a month would be the right amount of time. Last year when we went we stayed for two weeks and both came back feeling that was much too short a time frame. In a month we would have a better opportunity to get to know the children and to really get a feel for the country in which they live. I also thought the time would fly by like last year and we would be back in the blink of an eye! I had an agenda I hoped to accomplish. I had done the legwork and God seemed to be with me every step of the way. I saw miracles in how things happened and I was blessed with the support I got from people, including those I had never met before and may never meet. God provided in ways I never thought possible! And so I thought I was ready and I thought the trip would be an easy one. I had but two goals when I left; to buy shoes for each of our children and to update their records for our sponsors. In a month I thought this would be a breeze and the rest of the time I would be available to play and interact with the kids and help Liz to accomplish her goals. Enough money had been raised not only to buy the shoes but also to purchase all the things Phil had requested for the kids such as medical supplies, school supplies, Bibles, etc. It was time to go and I was ready!

But in reality the trip was not easy. It was probably the hardest thing I have ever done in my life. My emotions were on a constant roller coaster and I experienced the whole gambit of them. I experienced pure joy and love, but I also experienced frustration, anger, sadness, and disbelief. The country is so impoverished – I have never seen anything like it. Everywhere you turn it is all you see. The tattered clothing, the extended bellies, the mud houses, the barefoot children… it leaves an impression that will stay with me forever! And then you see their faces. As we walked down the red dirt lane every day every one of the kids yelled “Mzungu” and smiled and waved at us. They gathered around us and grabbed for our hands and walked us down the road. They have so little and yet have so much joy! The community knows each other because they all stay outside during the day. They are like one big family. And yet, children hold very little value. If father’s die, and the mother remarries the children are often discarded like trash. If mother’s die, the father’s often leave their children. As we took our kid’s history I was shocked at how many had been thrown away in just this way. Thrown out on the street to dig through trash for their own survival! I was also saddened to see how many of our children had lost parents to AIDS, TB, Malaria and other illnesses that for the most part in our country are unheard of. Then there was joy in the way the kids look out and protect each other. In all the time we were there I never saw a single argument or fight. I did see them taking great care of each other. They live 6-8 to a room and eat posho (cornmeal mixed with water) and beans every day for lunch and dinner except on Sunday’s when they get meat. They are each expected to do their do their own laundry (regardless of age), which they do in a small bucket and hang on the line to dry. School starts early 7am and the older kids don’t get home until after four in the afternoon. And the classes can be as large as 160 students to a class. Having been in those classrooms to attend church they are not that big. So that implies to me that the students are crammed in the benches thus making taking notes a very difficult proposition. And then to study is always a challenge because there is no electricity in the kid’s home. I took solar panels for the girl’s section (the boys already have it) but as of the time we left it had not yet been set up. And yet, the conditions we have given them to live are so much better than what they have ever had they are grateful. When you look at the pictures of the kids now versus when they first came to live with us the change is amazing. They now look healthy versus sick and they have a look of pure contentment in their eyes. They have a family, some for the first time ever!

So in looking back, this has been one of the hardest times of my life. I can’t, and really don’t want to, go into all the things that made this trip difficult, but it was a struggle in many ways from start to finish. I know that God had a plan for me and I am still trying to see fully what that has been. I feel like many a day I was swimming upstream against the current. What I have learned is that the trip was not all about the kids. In many ways it was about me. I learned on this trip to rely on God in ways I never had before. He was, for the most part, the only one I had to talk with. And talk I did. I was in constant communication with our Lord. My relationship with the Lord grew in leaps and bounds. I learned to trust and rely on Him fully in all situations. I learned just how much I need him in my life and how thankful I am that he was there to listen, to comfort, to hold and to help me through the difficult times.

I also realized that there were 142 children and only Liz and I. Even after a month’s time it was impossible for us to know them all. I can honestly say that there was only a handful that I really came to know well. And I know that was true for Liz as well. Fortunately, we came to know different children. That is not to say we did not love on and hug on many more than that, but to honestly feel that we knew them is limited to a few. Many more touched our hearts but how many we truly made a difference in is hard to measure. In that regard a month is not a very long time. But in other ways a month at times seemed like forever. I will say that Liz is mature beyond her years and handled all the stress and anxiety in a very positive manner. I have finished with their histories so I know about them, but that is far different from knowing them. Some of the kids remained unapproachable even after all this time. They seemed to appear only when it was required. Others were desperate for the attention and clung to us from the moment we entered the gate. Even some of the older boys made sure we knew they were there by teasing us and coming up for hugs. But the ones that were distant were distant and there was little we could do to change that.

The kids that I did get to know are amazing children. They are so compassionate and loving. I worry about them and their future. What will become of them down the road? I will continue to pray for them and will continue to communicate with them, as I want them to know they are thought about and loved. I want them to know that they are not just a passing thought but that they really touched my heart and I really do care for them. We have some amazing children in our orphanage with incredible hearts and minds. It was so easy to love on them and walking away that last day was difficult. They are a precious group of children!

In closing, I want to thank all of our sponsors for your part in helping our kids. They all asked about you and would love for each and every one of you to come to Iganga and meet them and see where they live. They truly are grateful for everything you do to help them and realize they would not be where they are without you. They appreciate your prayers and your love and the fact that you care about them half way around the world. Do not for one minute ever believe they do not appreciate what you do! They do!!!

I’d like to say goodnight to my new friends; Rehema, Angela, Sylivia, John Bosco, Emma, Abraham, Jenifer, Caroline, Samuel, Paul, and little Adrian! May God watch over you all and know you are loved!