Our journey started long before last week, with emails from the kids, detailing their "Wish Lists". You know, important things like skittles, tortilla chips, and "real cheese".
(As a side note, another big thanks to our FBC family and friends for providing a big portion of that list!) I started trying to figure out how to get the chips there without them being crushed and how to transport the canned biscuits for cinnamon rolls! I tried 3 boxes before I found one that would hold 3 large bags of chips AND still fit into the trunk. I also experimented with the biscuits, by putting the can in a ziplock, freezing them, and then letting them sit out on the counter, for the length of time that we would be traveling. Well, that worked. Now if they just don't explode on the plane! I had a back up plan for cinnamon rolls. I made 8 cans of biscuits worth of cinnamon rolls, froze them, and put them in extra large ziplocks to transport in the trunk also.
Grampy spent days making lists and checking them twice, to be sure that Jana, her family, and Jack could handle the vending business while we are gone. A quote from our favorite daughter, "Mom, we've got this"! Thanks kids!
I think that I went to Walmart everyday, last week, to get something that the kids added. I even made a trip on Friday morning at 8:30, when we were supposed to leave at 9:00!
We finally headed to Dallas where we unloaded 2 big suitcases, 2 large trunks, and 2 carry-ons, then settled in for our 21 hour flight. I had really dreaded the flight, not because I don't like to fly, but because after sitting anywhere for a couple of hours, I'm done! We slept a little on the first 9 hour flight. We also had some fantastic KLM food (not) and watched a movie. After a 3 hour layover in Amsterdam, we started the last 9 hour leg. More great food and a couple of movies later, we were in Uganda. We got our temporary visas and all our bags. We were met at the door by the best sight we had seen in a while! After delivering all the hugs that were sent by family and friends, we drove to Kampala, arriving at their apartment about 1:30am. We unloaded all of the goodies and the kids said it was "like Christmas, only better"! The chips were fine and so were the biscuits.
After a short night, we walked to church for the 8am service at Gaba Community Church. Grampy said that he should have jumped around on the stage like their worship leader! On second thought, he might have given some old ladies heart attacks! After church, we walked back to the apartment to change clothes, then headed to Jinja. There was some talk of bungee jumping, but DARN the luck, it rained on us most of the way there, so that was out! Instead, we ate pizza, sitting outside, in Jinja. Later, we picked up a friend of Pastor Henry, Daniel, and he was our guide to Intanda Falls, on the the Nile River. It was a beautiful spot with really big white water rapids.
We left there and drove to Katie Davis' house (Kisses from Katie) for dinner. We enjoyed meeting Katie and her girls. By the time we got home to Gaba, it was 10:30pm.
It was another short night, since my "inner Due" kicked in. (See Jay's previous blog regarding his "inner Due") I was awake at 3am and finally got up at 4am. I took my shower and got ready for the day. Thanks for all of the Facebook friends that kept my updated on the Thunder game, before everyone else here got up. We spent the day at a school in Mukono, doing health screenings on their students and some others from the community. We saw about 130 children today and we will go back there tomorrow.
Wednesday and Thursday are clinic days too. We are looking forward to working alongside Jay and the Due Unto team, for the next few days. The week will be over too soon and we will head home on Friday night. It has been an eye opening experience and one we are thrilled to have had.
Tana/Nanny
So glad you made it safe and sound! Enjoy your short time with the family. What they are doing is truly a blessing to many, many people. Vicki
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