DATELINE: Gulu, Uganda. 8:02 P.M. That’s 12:02 P.M. CST for those of you keeping score at home.
THE LONG AND BUMPY ROAD
Today, we made it to Gulu!
Because things have begun to settle down after the bombings in Kampala, the VoH board decided to have us drive after all. Charles-the-Driver (not to be confused with the Charles of Rose-and-Charles fame) arrived to pick us up…with Asunta!! It was SO GOOD to see them again!
But I’m getting ahead of myself. Let me back up a bit. It had been a rough night’s sleep. First of all, it was late by the time we got to bed. Then, about an hour later, the power went out and we lost our fan. Even with the windows open, the room became stuffy very quickly, especially inside that mosquito curtain. As I lay awake, I began thinking of the kids and what they would be doing…after awhile, I realized they would be going to bed, and I had a “Mommy moment” where I nearly ached to see them and read to them and stroke their hair and their cheeks and give them kisses good night. I do admit, a few little tears did squeeze their way out of my eyes onto my hard, overstuffed African pillow.
Finally, I did fall back asleep – and the power eventually came back on – but it was a fitful sleep, with strange noises and even stranger dreams. We heard people outside talking at about 6 A.M. but neither Mindee nor I could manage to get up and going at that time. Although…Mindee did roll over and ask me “Is that your phone?”
“Huh?!” was all I could manage in my sleep-deprived, not-yet-adjusted-to-African-time, homesick state.
“That noise. Is that your phone?”
“What noise? I didn’t bring my phone.”
“Oh, well then is it the hotel’s phone?”
“What noise?”
“That noise. Do you hear it? It keeps going ‘please pickup! please pickup!’ Or maybe it’s your alarm?”
*GREAT BIG SIGH* “Mindee, that’s a BIRD. Go back to sleep!” *rolling over*
“Wait! A bird is saying, ‘please pickup!’?”
BWAHAHAHAHA!!! And then Mindee proceeds to get up and look out the window to try to find the beautiful, but rare, African Telephone Bird outside our window.
She never did manage to catch a glimpse, but we were told by others (who did manage to get up early) that they saw a baboon on the wall around the hotel. T-race promptly dubbed him Phillip. Apparently, they also managed to see a beautiful African sunrise over Lake Victoria.
The adventure continued as Mindee and I tried to shower and get dressed. Our hot shower was cold, and the water pressure was only slightly above “trickle.” Although water was technically coming out of every opening on the shower head, the combined effect was more like standing under a leaky faucet. The towel rack fell off the wall and we had no toilet paper holder. But at least our toilet flushed – unlike some of our neighbors – even if it took several minutes to fill. I guess it’s all part of adjusting to life in Africa!
We enjoyed breakfast overlooking the lake and even though it took an excessively long time to get our eggs, we didn’t mind too much as we watched Christian Ugandan music videos on the snowy tv screen and took in the sights and sounds of Africa outside the window.
After breakfast, Mindee shared a powerful devotional about emptying ourselves so God can use us. We had a great discussion time and shared deeply about how this trip was already affecting us. We closed in prayer, and then it was time to leave.
The van packed with all our luggage for the village had already left. We loaded up with Charles at the helm and headed out.
Good old Charles-the-driver. Hands down the BEST driver in all of Uganda.
All of us piled in the van…with Asunta!! Ready to head to Gulu!
Getting through Entebbe took some time, but I had never realized how beautiful it is. I enjoyed the drive and having the chance to see it in the daytime.
Lake Victoria, up close and personal.
Houses along the hillside on the road from Entebbe to Kampala.
The African countryside is beautiful…always changing…always with red dirt.
Kampala was just as I had remembered: dirty, noisy, crowded, smelly. And not in a good way. I dearly missed the pungent aroma of Africa, but not the filthy, dieselly, polluted smell of Kampala. Such a stark contrast to villlage life. The diesel fumes were as choking as the traffic. It took a long time to get through Kampala, but we did stop for lunch at Mr. Tasty for chicken and chips (and I discovered they sell chipatis there. Woo-hoo!!) and the Speedy Mart, an honest-to-goodness grocery store, for drinks.
I learned a lot about Asunta on this drive. For one thing, I learned that she will be celebrating her 25th birthday on Saturday the 14th. For another thing, I learned that she is overseeing the beads and tie-dye projects at the IDP camps. But I think I was most impressed with one of her hidden talents: she uses her TEETH to open bottle tops.
We were stuck in traffic in Kampala for what seemed like FOREVER. I must admit, Charles is not only the BEST driver in all of Ugana, but apparently the most patient. I was ready to get out and start walking to Gulu, but he just waited patiently and finally weaved his way out of the mess that was Friday afternoon gridlock in Uganda’s largest city.
The drive we had been told would take 4 hours took 7 (yes, you read that right: SEVEN), along bumpy African “highways” in a crowded van. Though the temperature was always comfortable, the inability to stretch our legs or shift our position was not. And to finish off our day, we discovered at the end of our long drive that the hotel we were staying in was NOT the Hotel Roma, but rather the Florida “Magnificent” Hotel. I’m kind of thinking that my definition of a “magnificent” hotel – even by African standards – is not quite the same as their definition. My initial impression is that Hotel Roma has this place beat, hands down.
Once we arrived at the hotel, it felt SO good to get out of the van and be able to stand! Because of the poor circulation over the past 36 hours, my legs and feet began to swell terribly. Much to my horror, I discovered the return of the cankles. And my little toes looked like sausages. Seriously, folks, things haven’t been this bad since I was about 7 months pregnant with Crisana.
My only consolation was knowing I was wearing really cute flip-flops. Bought them on sale at Hobby Lobby, of all places! Only $4.99. So cute. Really. Even with my overstuffed feet.
We enjoyed some time to settle in to our rooms and freshen up a little bit before dinner. I found my room, with this sign fixed on the doorpost:
I do confess, at that moment I inwardly fell to my knees and cried out a prayer of desperation, “Lord, PLEASE don’t let this be an omen!” I admit to being a little fearful as to what I would find as I opened the door to St. Job’s room. A circle of ashes in place of a bed? Shards of pottery lining the fire pit? A gown of sackcloth hanging from the hook in the bathroom?
Thankfully, I found a small but comfortable room, complete with a “ceiling” fan (literally an oscillating fan mounted to the ceiling), a clean bed, and a small “desk” with tv.
My relief was short-lived, however. As I would come to discover, my trials in St. Job’s room were mainly confined to the bathroom. I found out the hard way that my toilet did not come with a seat. The seat – and the lid – were neatly tucked behind the pedestal sink. See, in my mind, a “magnificent” hotel is one where the seat and lid are actually ATTACHED to the toilet. I mentioned this to our hotel manager and she took me to no less than 8 rooms trying to find one that would fit the bill. Apparently, the Florida Magnificent Hotel has a serious problem with toilet seats and lids coming unattached from the bowl.
Yes, the seat’s on crooked. Don’t laugh. At least it’s not behind the sink any more.
Or, go ahead and laugh. I did. It was better than crying.
We enjoyed our evening meal at Diana Gardens, where Rose met us. She looks as beautiful as ever, but her hair is much shorter. I almost didn’t recognize her! They had the usual rice & beans, fried chicken, and posho, but this time they also had steamed and boiled baby eggplants. I stayed away from the posho, but did try the eggplants. I was desperate for something green after those nasty salads on the plane. The eggplants were bitter, but easy to swallow.
After dinner Asunta invited us to go play volleyball with her. I was tempted to go, just for the experience, but opted to go for ice cream and hopefully some time at the internet cafe’. We walked the few blocks, enjoying the people and sights of Gulu along the way.
This young man couldn’t get enough of our cameras!
Walking the streets of Gulu with Rose! What a beautiful smile!
As we went into the ice cream shop, we met Heather and Gus, who have been working at the land. Heather is a doctoral student and has been doing intensive therapy with the kids. Gus has painted some murals on the sign and has been involved with doing art therapy with them. It was nice to meet them but also amazing to see the far-reaching impact of the ministry of VoH. To see the team of people God is bringing together from all walks of life is truly awesome. Unfortunately, we will miss spending time with Heather and Gus when we’re out at the village.
Because the power had been out since morning, the only flavor of ice cream available was mocha. So I enjoyed visiting with the other team members while they enjoyed their ice cream. I met Stephen, with a “ph” not a “v”, a 16-year-old with impeccable manners who is working at the Cafe Larem to buy a bike to ride to school. I was nearly beside myself with joy: a young man who has manners, is industrious, and is committed to his education!! What more could I ask for!
We walked to the Internet Cafe – held inside the Luxury Computers of Uganda building – but the Internet connection was slow so we decided to try again tomorrow. We walked back to the hotel where we all decided to crash.
I am missing a light bulb in my light fixture on the ceiling (next to my “ceiling” fan) so it’s difficult to see as I write, but I am grateful for the comfort of a bed, and a fan, and a flushing toilet…even if it does take 35 minutes to fill the tank. I am looking forward to a good night’s sleep and a full day of ministry tomorrow. Let the mission begin!