Saturday, December 11, 2010

Our soles and souls have arrived in the US

As we shake Uganda dust off of our sandals we want to thank everyone for supporting and praying for us over these last 10 days. We truly experienced Psalm 91- we abided under the shadow of the almighty and he was faithful in his protection. We are now beginning to board the last flight to Charlotte. We look forward to sharing more of our experiences with you. While our bodies are tired our spirits are strong.
Blessings-

Bway-la-Bah (Goodbye)

 We spent our final morning reflecting on our trip, what God revealed to us about ourselves, and how to apply what we have learned to our lives. We were asked to list and rate our experiences in order of the impact they had made on us, both mentally and spiritually. As each of us were uniquely created, so were our experiences. The main consensus was that we had witnessed modern day miracles in almost every situation we had planned or been led to, and the multitude of prayers spoken on our behalf were answered.  We all acknowledged that without God none of this would have happened- we are empty vessels trying to walk this earth. We are greater with Him and nothing without Him. 
    This small but mighty group has bonded in a special way this week. We gave thanks for one another and the example and support we had received from each other. 
     The team agreed that our experience this past week could be best summarized by Isaiah 61:1-3.
“The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good news to the poor.  He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion - to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.  They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of His splendor.”

Thursday, December 9, 2010

Walking the dirt roads of Uganda

Then Jesus came to them and said “All authority on heaven and earth has been given to me. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
Matthew 28:18-20
“Jesus Jesus Jesus my Savior-I love Jesus oh yes I do do do-”
The fun African song can be heard throughout the village of Bweya. We have had an amazing day of worship, evangelism and song. We joined with Gaba Community Church members to canvas Bweya Village in hopes of bringing them to the temporary church site. Pastor Robert has acquired a unique building once used to house chickens as his place of worship. He will use this facility until his church is built on the 3 acres of land. This church will be called Bweya Community Church. We started out the morning with a light drizzle. The team shared a common burden as we prepared for our day. We are towards the end of our trip and our senses are high. We have seen God do some amazing things this week and I think we all feel as if our work is not yet done. We are on our way to the church site and have just finished praying together in the van. 
  When we arrived at the church we could hear the distinct African drum beat. People old and young had already started to gather to see and hear what was happening. There were people inside already singing praises and there were many outside looking in the windows. They waited with anticipation to see what would take place. We began singing praise songs with the group. We were in a chicken coop just in case you all have forgotten The walls are concrete and the floor is sand. But I will tell you with great assurance that we were standing on holy ground. It seems fitting that Jesus was born in a manger and we were worshipping in a chicken coop. So much for those large church budgets that we tend to worry with. The voices were raised and people were clapping and praising God. We finished singing and were partnered with our African friends to go door to door within the village. I use the word door very lightly as doors are a luxury and you will  see very few, mostly fabric hanging over an opening. We were talking with the village people as our Ugandan friends translated. Many of the people did not know about the church but were willing to come. Some are born again Christians and others have never heard of Jesus. The hospitality of this culture and their willingness to listen is amazing. Americans tend to run from any oncoming strangers that may be associated with a church and how many of us have not answered our door when we thought they were knocking?
    At the end of our time we all gathered back at the church to pass out the mosquito nets. The music started back up and so did the dancing. A large group of children gathered and to watch them dance freely was so exciting. We sang praise music and then ended our time with prayers. It was so fulfilling to see the beginning of the plans that had been placed on Sarah’s heart a year ago. God has taken this work and multiplied it. We all left with new relationships and a renewed energy about our calling to these people.
     We left there with lifted spirits and made our way to Bweya Children’s Home. This is a nice facility that houses about 80 children. We passed out the remaining cloth dolls and the sunglasses donated from Salem Baptist Christian School. The kids loved the glasses and had a fun time looking at one another with them on. They couldn’t see themselves so they depended on the responses of their friends. I wondered how it must feel to not have a mirror to see what they looked like. We are Christ’s reflection to others and often times the only example that some people will ever see. Let’s hope our reflection is honoring of the one we claim to serve.

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is work within us. To him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever! Amen
Ephesians 3:20-21

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

Satisfied?

Hello to Mrs. Branson’s class at St. Pius in Greensboro, NC. As we write this blog today we thought it would be nice to describe where we are and how it differs from the United States.
We are staying in Ggaba a fishing village in Uganda, Africa. It is located on Lake Victoria near the capital city of Kampala. Lake Victoria is the second largest lake in the world. The view of the lake from our home is magnificent. It is lush green with mountains and lots of tall trees. With the heat and dry air the lake is awfully inviting It is however polluted so getting in the water is not a possibility. There are long canoe like boats on the water and men fishing for their next meal or catching fish to sell at the street market. This takes us to the streets. Wow-I don’t even know where to begin with those. They are dry dusty  roads and are filled with large potholes. There are not only boda boda (motorbikes)flying by there are a few cars, vans and lots of people including children and toddlers. Let’s not forget the occasional long horned steer and lots of chickens and goats. They all share the narrow two lane street. It is buzzing with open air market type shops with lots of the same goods up and down the street. We actually bought some live grasshoppers for Florence, the cook at our home, to fry for us tonight. It was also suggested by David, our dear African brother that we try cow small intestines and well as stomach. So we purchased a bag (about 5 lbs) out of a cage in the market and brought it home to cook tonight. Some of us are anxious to be apart of this cultural experience and some plan to leave the room. This describes the streets in the city-when you get into a village it is much more desolate without as much market area and the only difference is that the potholes just get deeper. It is still dry and you will see hut type houses, some with walls and ceilings and others just lean to type structures. There are always children within eyesight and lots of adults in and around the road. The children are usually wandering around with little to no clothes on and they rarely look clean. Of course the living is so different here that honestly when we have been in the field the “dirt” doesn’t really matter. It adds to the simplicity of this life in Uganda and makes you literally apart of the earth. Isn’t that we are supposed to be anyway? How can we really get a feel for where we come from without getting in the dirt.
Our hands are meant to be dirty helping others or working this land we are so blessed to have. I feel like that is one of the differences in our mindset in America. We make our way through our days somewhat cocooned in our own environments. We seldom have to live in and from the earth. We are cooled when we need it and when we are cold we turn the heat up. These beautiful people rely on the earth to survive. If it is hot they are hot, if it is raining they are wet. If the ground isn’t producing food they do not eat. It makes our grocery stores, conveniences and housing appear a lot different to you after you witness this. As sad as these circumstances seem to us at times-we have learned to see these people for what they are. They are a joyous people with eyes that light up when you meet them. For the most part they seem so content with so little. It is refreshing and when you are around them you forget about all the things you wanted or needed. When you meet someone for the first time they want to sit and tell you about themselves-and they want to know about you. There is no concern for what you have on, what you look like or where you live. They look into your eyes and are truly blessed by your presence. There is no rushing, time schedules, school sport practices or errands to run. Conversations and relationships are the most important event of the day. When you look around at the dirt floors and the meager amenities you could wonder how in the world they are satisfied. They are satisfied with the richness of life and its fundamental rewards: God, family and relationships. 

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Loaves and Fishes


Tuesday

Our day began with a meeting with Samaritan’s Purse at their headquarters in Kampala. The purpose of the meeting was to educate ourselves with their current projects and the ministries they provide specifically to the OVC-orphans and vulnerable children. We introduced Samaritan’s Purse to ekissa to lay the foundation for a future partnership.
   We traveled to an OVC site with Charity, a SP OVC project manager where we were greeted with hugs and sounds of singing children. The orphanage was housing approximately 26 kids. The home is completely funded by a local church and is in financial crisis at this time. We were informed that the children at best eat once a day. We had our packed lunches for the day and decided to feed the children our food. We were able to divide our sandwiches and bananas to feed the group. The children lined up quietly and all of them said thank you for their provisions. Because the children had not eaten today, after they were fed within 30 minutes their life returned and they were smiling and talking. There were three children who were sick. We noticed a young boy who seemed very feeble and was completely lethargic. We learned that he had also been sick and we were very concerned whether or not he could survive the week. He was severely malnourished and filled with parasites. His stomach was very distended and he was basically bones. After speaking with the house mother and Charity we felt strongly that Jared needed immediate medical attention. We transported him to the local hospital where he is currently receiving treatment. Charity is calling us when they find out his prognosis. We felt like the Lord had his hand all over this afternoon. While spending time with Charity we learned as she shared her testimony that she was a survivor of the street herself. Both parents died of Aids leaving her to raise 13 siblings. Charity pointed out to us that by stepping out in obedience by sharing our lunch with the children we saved a child’s life. 
   Whether loaves and fishes or PBJ and bananas--- GOD PROVIDES!!!

Leap of Faith

Monday
Joey’s word of the day ekissa kyo kimala gyen’ndi = your grace is enough for me.
We woke up this morning to a bright orange sun and the birds singing. 
Our anticipation of the day was apparent as we were meeting with  Robert Fleming. The Lord began to orchestrate this meeting through Joey and Sherry in August while they were in Houston. Numerous encounters with various individuals and the obedience of following this trail resulted in an amazing day of discovery, information exchange and enlightenment.  
   Robert is an unassuming man with a tremendous sensitivity to the culture and compassion for the kids, as witnessed by the rescue of a Ugandan newborn baby out of a trash can. Our Ugandan team members were also impressed with his forthright respect for their culture. Robert who is an American has spent 10 years in Uganda and understands the basic need required for survival of the children and their need for transition into a productive adulthood.  Our conversation at the coffee house eliminated any anxiety we might have felt prior to meeting him face to face. 
  After an educational visit with Robert he took us to his home to see his “adopted” kids. The very first thing that we all noticed when the van door was open was the “sounds” of children. We walked around the house into the backyard and all of us responded the same way-smiling from ear to ear. There was a backyard full of happy laughing children. They were playing with one another, running around and so happy to see their dad. This was more like it. We all stood speechless at the site of what was happening and the stark contrast to where we had been. The final confirmation for us all was drawn from the sermon that we all heard on Sunday. Pastor Peter talked about how when children trust their father that they willingly jump from a high place into their arms in complete trust that they will not fall. He then called us as believes to freely and confidently jump into the arms of our Father and know that he will not let us fall. The truth of that faith and trust was played out in front of us as Robert called them each by name to jump into his arms off of a high wall. Our God again was reassuring this team that the steps we were taking from his lead were in fact the right ones.
   

Sunday Afternoon

After lunch we ventured back to Airfield Primary School to pass out some handmade dolls that Green Meadows Baptist Church had made for us to distribute. We also delivered gifts for the sponsored children and other clothing and supplies donated by family and friends. We were excited to be able to see the children again. 
   The children were expecting us and were waiting at the gate when we arrived. We were coming to give to the children,unaware that they were waiting to give to us. We were greeted by loads of artwork that the children handed to us so proudly. When you think you are going to be doing  the giving God has a way of turning it around on you. 
  The kids were so happy with the dolls and surprisingly all the kids including the older boys wanted one. We spent a few hours with them while they colored and then they sang a song for us. We made a video that we plan to post on the website for you to see later. I will tell you that this blog is being written in the back of a van while we are traveling. The roads are mainly potholes so as you can imagine we have a lot of proofreading to do before we send this. 
   Jack was not with us today while we were visiting Airfield. He was visiting with a missionary couple and also his sponsored child Daniel whom he is meeting for the first time. We missed not having one of our teammates but we were glad he was able to establish a good relationship with his sponsored child. He was also thrilled that his luggage arrived today and he was able to change his clothes. (We were thrilled about that!!!)
      

Sunday, December 5, 2010

Day Three/Sunday

We were honored today to be able to attend Ggaba Community Church The first prayer started by telling us that today is Dec. 5 and we were reminded that God had protected us through almost all of 2010. We gave thanks for the most basic of needs-our breath and health.
The simplicity of the prayer but yet the depth of the words were overwhelming. The service started with amazing praise music. Hands were raised and minds and hearts were prepared to worship God. The willingness of this culture to freely worship was liberating. We were liberated physically to raise our hands and to use our bodies, we were liberated emotionally and spiritually to put our entire selves into the act of worship.
The scripture was Hebrews 11:1-6 Pastor Peter spoke on faith and hope. Faith is the substance of the things we hope for. The basis of our faith depends and stands on the promises of God.(Romans 4-18:21) God does not break his promises and our ability to understand that makes the difference between common people vs. extraordinary people. What do you want to be? We are called to trust in God for everything. We worship a God who spoke the universe into existence with one word. Any need or concern we may be dealing with pales in comparison to how big our God is. This should bring us great relief from any concerns or obstacles we may be facing. God is faithful and dependable and he does what he says. “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” Hebrews 13:8

Day Two/Saturday

The love of God is greater far than tongue or pen can ever tell. It goes beyond the highest star and reaches to the lowest hell. Oh love of God how rich and poor how measureless and strong -he shall for evermore endure the saints and angels song....Frederick Lehman, 1917
Our first full day in Uganda was difficult to describe.  We spent the entire day in Bweya Village, starting with a visit to Landowner Robert. Robert is the gentleman that we are purchasing 3 acres of land from. ekissa plans to use this land to serve Bweya village beginning with a much needed church. Robert is a gentle man with an infectious smile whose heart for the Lord shines through his eyes. He is robust and laughs a lot. He introduced us to his parents who have been married 73 years. His dad is 106 and his mother is 87. We enjoyed listening to them share about their life together. We prayed with them and then began our walk on the property. The land is full of lush vegetation
and in the distance you can see Lake Victoria. Robert explained the lay of the land. I don’t know who is more excited about this venture..Robert or Sarah. We joined hands and prayed together over the land. The act of joining hands and hearing prayers lifted in English and Luganda as the breeze blew on our faces was surreal. 
...
It was a good thing that we had covered ourselves in prayer because from there we journeyed to the orphanage where it all began: Mercy Children’s Home.  Our new friend Robert Fleming, who has been working in Uganda for years, was thankfully successful in transferring all the girls from this place to a safer environment, leaving only a string of boys of all ages.  Some of the boys seemed content - a couple of the older boys even expressed interest in plans for the future - but the majority of them seemed sad and without hope.  A few boys were bullying another, but they stopped when we passed by. Their accommodations are sparse and without basic essentials. The walls are concrete and very hard and dry feeling. The beds are twin bunk beds made of metal-similar to those you might see in a prison movie. The few pieces of clothing the boys may have are hanging from the ceiling on a clothesline. The bathrooms are outside with a hole in the floor and a shower head. There is an open courtyard where they congregate. There is no sign of vegetation. Just dry and barren-very similar to the faces of the children.
Our next stop was Airfield Primary School. We were greeted by children standing at the fence The ages at airfield range from 3 to 13 and it houses both girls and boys. It is also a dusty place with very little vegetation but there is some sense that this is a home where children live. There is a tattered volleyball net and we did see some markers and legos out on a table. But what was missing was the laughter that normally accompanies children. They stare at you with blank eyes. Because some of our group had been to this home there was a spark in a few eyes when they recognized some of our faces. But the overall feeling is heaviness of heart and mind.....
  I would be remiss if I didn’t stop now and give you my personal first hand experience at this orphanage. Because I had never been to Africa much less an orphanage I honestly had no idea what to expect. Prior to arriving Sherry and I had been talking about a young boy that she had met the last time she was here. His name is Benard. She wasn’t expecting him to remember her. How many other “mazungus” had he seen since last year? We opened the van door and when Benard saw Sherry his eyes lit up and he ran to her with open arms. It was the saddest and sweetest moment I had ever witnessed. The love that she was expressing to this young boy that she had only met once and the joy that this orphaned boy showed to her was such an exhibit of raw love. Sherry and Joey then embraced Benard together in a big bear hug as he cried. All the questions that I had asked myself about how this experience was going to make me feel were being answered. Tears abound and we hadn’t even entered the gate of the orphanage. 
   When the kids recognized Sherry and Sarah they did smile and light up. Seeing their faces caused these kids to have a light in them that hadn’t been shining prior to our arrival. Just to have their name spoken was a thrill to them. Someone recognized them. There were several children who were in the background not really what sure what to do with our presence. There was a little girl in the corner who I motioned to come to me. She hesitantly sat on my lap and settled in for what would be the rest of my visit. She watched the others from my lap and as she became more comfortable she melted into me. This precious child was named Edith and she doesn’t know how old she is but the director told me they think she is approximately three years old.
 It was apparent that the children hadn’t eaten in awhile so we got the extra bread and bananas that we had in the van and brought it in to split between the kids. They all “waited” obediently for us serve them their small serving. It amazed me at their manners and the fact that they were so happy with so little. How many times have we heard our own kids ask for seconds or want more? They sat and watched all their friends eat and when there was some left over we split that again and shared with them. There was no pushing, shoving or arguing.They were just content with what they had been given. Edith continued to sit on my lap and eat her food. She speaks very little English but did respond when I said her name or asked her if she wanted more food. The other boys were playing with balls and games that Sherry and Joey brought with them. There was now laughter in this concrete yard. 
  The children were then served lunch and they all ate quietly. There was very little left in the bowls that consisted of a grits substance with beans and avocado. When lunch was over all the kids washed their own plates in a plastic pan with water. This included 3 year old Edith. I put her on top of the table and she leaned over the pan and washed her dish. I couldn’t believe the “independence” of such a small young girl. What had she seen and felt in this lifetime that most 3 year olds never have to experience?She lost her father and her mother could no longer afford to keep her so she was brought to Airfield. There are very few younger kids here so my thoughts went to where she slept and who took care of her when she was in need. By this time a few hours had passed and Edith and I had bonded. She knows such little english that talking to her was impossible but the love that was passed between our hands and bodies was evident. It was getting closer to the time for us to leave and travel elsewhere. I didn’t know how I was going to let go of this child who now had her head against my neck-she was also aware that we were leaving. How could I love someone so easily and quickly that I didn’t even know? We were now forever bonded. God sacrificed his only son so that we would know this love. If I can love this child so quickly can you imagine how our Father loves us? How he desires for us to climb into his lap for this same bonding time as I was giving Edith. 
We were returning to Airfield tomorrow so when I put Edith down to join her friends I was able to reassure her that I would be back.  That will not be possible the next time I go there. My leaving brought forth a lot of tears and many emotions.The funny thing about this is that I needed Edith as much as she needed me, actually I think I needed her more. This experience opened my eyes to the basic needs that humans have to be loved and no matter how far the distance or the time away from that individual- we know true love. It was evident in the joining of Sherry and Benard. We need that love more than anything else. It is for our survival. What has made our society so inside out about establishing relationships with orphans or widows that we won’t reach out? “Undefiled religion is this, to look after orphans and widows in their time of need.” James 1:27 We are all orphans to Christ. He is waiting to adopt each and everyone of us. All we have to do is believe.
  We all felt when we left that we had seen the hand of God at work. We were tired, rejuvenated and quiet. The Holy Spirit was at work and we felt privileged to be a part of what was happening.
  

Friday, December 3, 2010

Day one in Uganda

Day one on the ground in Uganda-we arrived this morning around 5:30am and despite all the air miles we accumulated yesterday we were all in good spirits for an 8:00 am meeting with ARM and Pastor Robert.  After a quick breakfast Pastor Robert greeted us at the front door of Gaba House with a smile from ear to ear.  Our exhaustion faded as we realized how genuinely excited Robert was to meet us and spend time with us over the coming days.  Over the course of the day we heard Robert’s amazing story, complete with childhood trauma, an attempt on his life, a two-year pursuit of a woman he’d never met (now his wife), and his journey from roots in witchcraft to Christianity.  Robert will be leading the outreach and ministry in Bweya Village  and is thrilled to have partners across the world who care about his people.
The people charged with our care here at Gaba House are so very giving.  They look after our every need, basically treat us as family... hugs are freely given and received.  And they delight in teaching us some simple Luganda phrases!
Joey’s Word of the Day: “In-sahn yoo-say okulava” ... Nice to meet you!
After dinner we walked over to Gaba Community Church for a Friday evening service.  As a first-time visitor to Africa it was a bit surreal to walk the dirt roads of Uganda and hear church songs in English!  The stage was manned by energetic speakers, alternating English and Luganda.  They preached from Ezekiel 37 regarding bringing the dried bones back to life. Ezekiel responded that God already has all the answers and we can rely on him when we need questions answered through pray. All things are possible with God. Please pray that with us while we are here.

Somewhere in the sky

4:46 pm Clemmons, NC time
10:50pm Cairo, Egypt time
We are excited to tell you that we made our connecting flight to Entebbe. We went from
 playing The Amazing Race to Matt Lauer’s “Where in the World is the ekissa team”? 
We arrive in Entebbe around 5am on Friday morning. We will have just enough time to get to the house before we have a meeting with Gaba staff/ARM staff and Pastor Robert.  We are looking forward to see the sun rise above Lake Victoria.
Did I mention I am in the same clothes as the last two blogs?

Dekunlefuji=Michael

Well let me begin by saying that from the time our van delivered  us to the Charlotte airport our timing for this trip went completely out the window. 
God has his own timeline. 
 Our flight from Charlotte to Atlanta went pretty smoothly once we passed through security. Atlanta was another story. We were delayed in Atlanta for about 2 hours sitting on the runway. This caused us to miss our connecting flight in Amsterdam. We were a little worried as we got off the plane as to how long it would take us to get into Entebbe. Actually I am blogging from the airplane now. We are headed to Entebbe by way of Cairo, Egypt. When we left Amsterdam it was -23 degrees and snowing.  We were delayed in Amsterdam so we already know ahead of time that we will not make our connecting flight in Cairo.  This feels like the amazing race trying to get to Uganda. Except when we arrive there we will all be winners!!! What day is it and what time zone are we in?? None of us know----All we really know is that we are in the same clothes that we were wearing in Charlotte and will still be wearing them tomorrow.
     With all of that said, we are still so excited about what God has planned for us. Surely, we haven’t been re-routed across the country and not have a bigger purpose for that. We did have an experience in the Amsterdam airport that made our delay worth the wait. We spotted a table in the McDonald’s ( is there anywhere that there isn’t a Mc Donald’s) and we asked the gentleman if we could share his space. We needed to recharge- our electronics and our bodies. It didn’t take us long to strike up a conversation with a man named Dekunlefuji. His American name is Michael. Let’s refer to him by Michael from here on. It also didn’t take us long to realize that this was on God’s schedule. Michael is a Christian rapper who performs in different churches around the world. He is from Nigeria and was on his way to Paris. He had a friendly demeanor and immediately recognized us as sister’s in Christ. He shared his testimony. He spoke of how important it is to do one small thing for just one person and what a difference that can make to the giver and the receiver.
   Michael shared how he had been able to help a few people in that very airport during his 12 hour layover, even to the point of purchasing a ticket for a gentleman who had been stuck in the airport for 7 days because he couldn’t afford $130.00 to get home. He also had an opportunity to take up for a woman who had been cheated in her exchange rate and didn’t know it. When we shared with him what we were going to Uganda for he told us he felt like it was brave. But, he said, everyone is capable of doing something with their God given talents they just choose not to. It all comes down to choice. Again, we were left shaking our heads at how just a few minutes with a stranger turned out to be the beginnings of a long term friendship. A man in a McDonald’s in the Amsterdam Airport  -who knew?  
God in the flesh! 
  Hopefully the next time we write to you we will be in fresh clothes-Good Night!
     

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Baby Face and 3 blondes...aka...Joey and the 3 ladies

Well, our motley crew of 5 has hit the road bound for the Charlotte airport...well actually we’re missing Jack as his first flight is different from the rest of the group.There is a mixture of emotion aboard this church van. For Sarah and Sherry having had experience on several of these trips, they are beyond excitement. For Joey and I- well it is more apprehension than excitement. Although I know God is getting ready to do a mighty work through us and in us I am fearful of the unknown. 
  One thing I do know is God is going to do immeasurably more than I can imagine or expect. The sobering realization hit me this week that there are so many people all over this world that have no idea our great Creator even exist. There are people that have never even heard his name-we are so blessed within our culture to have heard his name and be able to worship him freely. 
  I am praying that the Holy Spirit will permeate our thoughts and actions and that will enable us to show God’s love to all the people in Uganda. In the meantime we have lots of air time to get through. We should be on the ground in Entebbe Thursday evening.  First I have to get through the trip to the Charlotte Airport in the backseat of the church van. Yuck!!!