We've Arrived in Kampala

I'm looking at the clock on Pat's computer and its showing 6:11am. Here in Kampala it is 3:11 pm. And the last 2 days we've gained 9 hours. So far no jet lag. Just hit the ground running. Today we are at the eMi office having cultural orientation and tomorrow we meet with our ministry partner ROTOM and head out of Kampala for the project.

Thought you might be interested in some stats here of the country. The average person makes $1.oo US a day. People here work so hard for so little. There are also remnants of the LRA - Lord's Resistance Army. Facts are about 10,000 children have been abducted as child soldiers or sex slaves. Brain washing techniques were used on them. The LRA are in negotiations with the Ugandan Government since last Sept. There is so much to pray for in this country. Stats on the AIDS pandemic here are the rate of infection has been reduced from 25% in 1992 to now only 10%. Good news for a country still recovering from Amin's rule.

Couldn't down load my camera today but just wanted to describe the beauty. I'm looking out onto a portion of Lake Victoria. Around me are sweeping green hillsides. The smell is so exotic....of plants and trees that grow here but not at home. There is a gentle breeze blowing and cooling down the moist air. We are in a neighborhood of houses that are guarded or have walls erected with razorwire or broken bottles. This is the reality of extreme poverty in a land so beautiful.

This morning as we walked from our Guest House to the eMi office, we were greeted by many. A little girl walked up to me and said hello. She must have been only 3. When I waved goodbye to her, she came closer and gave me a hug. So Cute. Her mom was closely behind her. I found out later that my gesture of waving goodbye actually meant come closer. There was a good mistake in the making. Good thing we took cultural orientation this morning. AND that the Ugandans have a lot of grace and forgiveness for us westerners.

In His Grace