Smells Like Home

We left the hotel in Entebbe this morning after Karen led us in a great devotional about abiding in Christ. There is so much lost when we have come into Christ but fail to abide in Him. It was a great start to the trip. The hotel in Entebbe was great and although we were there for just a short while, we really enjoyed it. Garrett and Andrew enjoyed it so much they had the pleasure of occupying two separate rooms together (blowing the fuse in both).

The overnight thunderstorm affected everyone’s sleep. It was an awesome display of God’s creation but an insomniac-inducer.

The travel from Entebbe to Mbale took us most of the day. Because of the storm, there was quite a bit of traffic in Kampala and the journey took much longer than anticipated.

This was a blessing as the first-timers to Uganda got to see the scenery of the country, smell its smells, and observe its people. The first-timers were “shocked” and “fascinated” by the incredible beauty of the scenery. The geography is lush and green and alive. Despite the poverty, the villages and cities are teeming with life and are full of a sense of joy.

One of the most identifying Ugandan experiences is the unique smell that permeates the country. It smells like home. The travel day was a great way for that smell to permeate into the souls of all of us, reminding us that ‘home’ is simply the Kingdom of God. And that it is new and beautiful and beyond imagination.

The long day in the vans was broken up by a wonderful lunch at Ling Ling, a Chinese food place in a town called Jinja (wherein we got to see beautiful views of the Nile while driving through).

The lasting images of the day include the scene of people working in the bright green fields, which Rachel said was “like something out of a movie”, the smiling faces of kids waving at us as we drove through the country, the battle for leg room in the vans, and the amazingly fertile trees and crops.

After about eight hours of traveling, we joyfully pulled into the Mount Elgon Hotel, where a happy and clean cut Dr. Bartha was waiting for us! It was such a joy to see him and merge his mission with ours. We are planning to visit his clinic next Saturday. He shared with us a lot of what he has been doing since he moved over here a couple months ago. He shared that the district we are working in is among the poorest in the country, not receiving much government funding, victims of livestock raids, and still reeling from a heavy blow from the LRA years ago. Dr. Bartha shares that malaria remains the biggest medical concern among the people and that he sees mostly children at the clinic. He seems full of life and says that the people of Uganda, so full of joy and hope, are the best thing about Uganda.

We also celebrated Carolyn Price’s birthday today with a mild celebration (far from what she deserves). Hers is a life full of patient wisdom that has meant so much to her family, friends, and the people of FPC Midland. We are so grateful to call her a friend and teammate and to be able to celebrate her birthday at dinner tonight.

Our evening ended with a visit from Pastor Morris and some instructions from Walter about tomorrow’s schedule. We will be going to four different churches, a couple that FPC has planted in past trips, to teach Sunday school for men, women, and children.

Thanks always for your prayers and support!

The 2015 Uganda Mission Team