Day 3

9:00 AM (EAT) - Somewhere near Kampala, Uganda

After a beautiful night of sleep (a phone call from 517 was a weird wake-up at about 3AM..who from Hillsdale would be calling at 6 PM on a Saturday?), a final shower and attempt at using a real toilet, I ate a very light breakfast and we embarked on our 10 hour bus ride. Apparently we stop once so I didn't risk any meat. No siree!

Driving through Kampala was a cultural experience. People were walking everywhere. One house would be ornate with bricks and a wall around it, and the next would be a shack. Everyone was working: washing cars, hitting metal, chopping wood, preparing food, scrubbing the porch. Most had kids around and many were helping each other. Every building had ads painted on the side. Lots of Coca Cola, Mt. Dew, Bic, and cellphone companies.

It is all so green! The fog was heavy this morning, but the hills were still beautiful, as were some of the homes on them. We were quite curious as to who lives in them. Lani speculated that it could be Angelina Jolie's vacation home. Ha. We crossed the Equator, so that was pretty cool!

The bus is quite bumpy, thus this beautiful handwriting, but currently we have AC and a paved road, so this is much better than anything I expected! We are driving on the left side of the road. Cows, meat markets, just seeing lots of random things. Apparently seeing Muzungo (white people/foreigners/anyone who isn't African) is very

rare!

10:03 PM (EAT) - Kamwengay Guest House

Phew! In bed, under my mosquito net canopy. We made it safe and sounds today, Praise the Lord (PTL)! The ride was much better than I anticipated. It was fairly overcast so not hot. I stared out the window or was in conversations the majority of the trip and never even opened my book or turned on my ipod. There were far too many fascinating and beautiful sights! The land is green and the further we went the bigger the mountains got. At most points you could see for miles. Cows were anchored to yard posts, roaming in fields, and even in our way at one point. Despite being so far from home, there were cell towers and electric towers fairly frequently. Apparently the roads have been paved a lot further since last year so we seemed to move fast. Ha, they were a bit crazy though, between the walkers, the bikes, the motorcycles, cars, and buses, the road was a bit crowded at times and we barely missed the pedestrians! As we got further out, the people started waving to us. Everyone. Their big smiles stood out in stark contrast to their dark skin; they are beautiful!

(Picture of the Ugandan countryside from the bus window)

At about the time church was starting in Maryland we said a prayer for Covenant Life (CLC). I am so thankful to God for this church and these people! News Flash: I just placed the canopy over my bed. It is magical. I always knew I would love one of these, but I thought I'd just have to live vicariously through my daughters one day...Never imagined I'd experience it for myself...in Africa!

Let's see...Oh. The toilet's I've used thus far deserve a detailed explanation:

1. Ethiopian Airport: No flush or TP; smelly.

2. Hotel: Deep bowls, but fairly normal with a button to flush.

3. Equator: Toilet, no TP or flush.

4. Gas Station: Hole in the wet dirt floor (men's didn't have a hole-just a tile floor with a drain in the corner...we later learned that this may have been a shower, but Yvette didn't know that at the time).

5. Kiburara: Hole in the dirt floor; aim cautiously.

6. Guest House: Flush toilets. PTL! :)

Oh, before I forget- Oscar, our friend from yesterday was sitting in a circle with all of us and the Foster's were asking us all to share a bit about ourselves. When I said I grew up at a great church in Minnesota, naturally Pastor Piper came up from someone in the group. When I said he was my pastor even Oscar, a 22 year old from Uganda, was excited and voiced his appreciation for Piper. Crazy! It was definitely kind of cool.

Hmm, I'm running out of fuel. We finally got to Kiburara (pronounced Chibur-ra) and everyone came out to greet us. Basically the villages have one street with houses and little stores and all of the people are outside. The people who live on these main roads often have their homes connected to their business, I think. As we got off the bus we were surrounded by joyful reunions between the children and our team members who have come in years past. Most even remembered names! The children would walk up and stick out their hands and with strong accents say, "My name is..." they would shake it and then ask our names. Always "yesses," never "yeas." I was quite impressed. Some just didn't let go of my hand. Everyone was all smiles and giggles.

Pastor Moses (the main pastor with whom we've always worked) has a nice home with multiple one room "buildings" connected by an outdoor hallway. We had goat with spices and chipote (thick tortillas) and some sort of french fry thing for dinner, quite tasty.

All righty, I'm falling asleep and have a big day tomorrow. I'll explain bathing at a future date.

"For this reason I, Paul, a prisoner for Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles—assuming that you have heard of the stewardship of God's grace that was given to me for you, how the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I have written briefly. When you read this, you can perceive my insight into the mystery of Christ, which was not made known to the sons of men in other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit. This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.

Of this gospel I was made a minister according to the gift of God's grace, which was given me by the working of his power. To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things, so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. This was according to the eternal purpose that he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in him. So I ask you not to lose heart over what I am suffering for you, which is your glory.

For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen." (Ephesians 3 ESV)

I opened this before I went to bed. Oh how the Spirit can work in curious ways! He reaches all this way across the earth in a way that none of us can fathom in a place I will never fully understand. Being here for 2 weeks staying in this (comparatively) nice guest house, I will never comprehend the hardships of the lives these people lead. His love surpasses this knowledge and we are bound together by that love.

He truly is doing far more abundantly than we could ask or think.