Travels, Retreat, and Visitors

January 13, 2012

Here we are almost to the middle of January and it is my first time to write in 2012. We have had a full two weeks. New Years Eve we had a couple families over for appetizers and games. On New Years Day we went to our teammate’s house with the rest of our team for brunch and football. We then had a few days before we traveled and in that time I got sick. But the real adventures were to come.

We drove to Kampala last Thursday. On the way Grace got sick and just wanted to go home. We stopped on the way to renew our visas which went well but took an hour or so (the immigration official left her stamp at her house so we needed to bring her home to get it so she could stamp our passports). By the time we got back on the road our air conditioner broke (remember that whole story?). I was frustrated but kept my cool. Then about five hours into the trip our van overheated. We had just been driving in the bush with no towns near by but thankfully now were close to a town. Josh hopped on a motorcycle and the driver took him to get a mechanic. By the time they arrived back we had a crowd of about 20 kids pressing in to see the white people. It was literally 100degrees in the sun and I was not in the mood. When teenagers also came to check us out I told them it was rude and to go home. Our kids did great under the circumstances. It is usually Josh and I who get stressed out. I am so grateful for my children who keep me in line with their example. After an hour the mechanic found the problem and fixed it enough to drive it to his shop (under a tree) in town. It took another hour there to replace the bolt that severed and caused the fan not to cool the engine. About $40 later we were on the road thankful but nervous.

We made it to Kampala to have supper with our friends ten hours after we had left our house that morning. What a day! Oh, but it wasn’t over. After supper our van wouldn’t start. We had had this starting problem for a long time but it is very random, always ends up starting again, and we have had a couple mechanics work on it. Josh was SO stressed by this point in the day. It was clear we had an unreliable vehicle. The worst part is we have no mechanic we can trust in Uganda to fix it properly.

We did make it back to our guesthouse that night. Our family spent a lot of time praying that day. I love that our kids know we can call on God for help. Lydia prayed for us once and told God we were really stressed right now and needed His help. Each time we get to see God start our van, send someone to help, or provide in someway. While we were along side the road broken down I read my Bible. I read Psalm 107:4-9 about a deserted wasteland with no way to a city, we cried out to the Lord in our trouble and He delivered us from our distress. It was a word from the Lord don’t you think?

The next day we continued to have starting issues with our van so Josh called a mechanic to come and get the van to fix it. He never showed up even after saying he was on the way so we finally got a different mechanic to help us. I will share the rest of the van story in a minute.

On Friday we were heading to Entebbe to pick up Josh’s sister Katie and husband Chad from the airport. They were coming to help watch the kids for our Team Beyond strategy retreat. On our way to Entebbe we stopped at an orphanage that works with an adoption agency in America. We are praying about what God desires for our family in the next year and want all our doors to be open. We have visited a couple other places and walked away a bit disappointed feeling but this time I was very happy with what we heard and saw. Kathy and her husband are Ugandans who started and run the place. What I really like about them is that they also have adopted a few children. For a Uganda that is huge! I asked how other Ugandans treat them or understand them adopting. She said it is very hard and they don’t understand but God is using them to help them understand. Her husband is an orphan and God called him to care for other orphans. There are not many kids at the orphanage but all of the ones they have are truly abandoned and are in need of a family. Lydia loved all the kids and especially one little girl that she held most of the time. She kept saying, “Can we adopt this one Mom?!” Many of the kids were lined up to be adopted by families which was great to see. One three year old boy grabbed my heart. He was abandoned at a year and a half. He was totally malnourished and weighed 10 pounds. He couldn’t sit, walk or talk. He has not been diagnosed with anything but he still cannot talk at three years old and hold his one hand tight. But his smile and love are a blessing! I don’t know what God has planned. We are praying and waiting on Him.

Back to the retreat now, the resort we stayed at was a half an hour off the main road on a peninsula in Lake Victoria. It was beautiful. Our room had big widows overlooking the lake and it looked like we were on the ocean. Our team basically had the place to ourselves and that was so special. There was a lot of nice grass areas with trees, a beach (bummer we couldn’t swim), and a pool. Of course we are still in Africa so we had a lot of bugs and ants in our bathroom and room and a lack of power but what can you do? Our girls were in the pool for hours each day and within the first few hours got green hair. Two teenage girls who are MKs in Uganda helped with the older kids on our retreat. They watched our kids the first night when Josh and I went to the airport to get Chad and Katie. On the way to the airport we had an hour for a date. We had pizza on the beach. Chad and Katie and Jennifer (our teammate) arrived safely with all their luggage and we were back in bed by midnight – just in time for power to go out. Welcome to Uganda!

We spent Saturday till Tuesday at the retreat. Our kids loved it. They enjoyed being with their friends, swimming, the games and crafts they did with the helpers, and of course the dance party we had the last night (it was a riot!). I really enjoyed our campfires at night on the beach and having fun with everyone out of the normal life in Soroti. It was also nice to have all our meals served and cleaned up for us. It was a true vacation – well except for the meetings but that was good to have too. The president of IT and his wife and our area leader from the UK came too. It was good to get to know them and have them lead us. Our team is great. We went through challenging times, started to plan, worshiped together, learned, and love each other through it all. I tried to just take it all in and enjoy the beauty around us. By the end I was tired though. I guess there is always a time to go back to normal life.

Tuesday night we were in Kampala again and Chad and Katie were able to finally see the real Uganda. We met with a Ugandan family that went to their church in Grand Rapids while he was at school. The next day there was a threat of protests in Kampala so we headed for Soroti first thing in the morning. But this time we had a mechanic with us – Chad! That made me feel so much better. Even if he couldn’t fix it we were not alone and that relieved Josh’s stress by leaps and bounds. And of course we did break down. This time we lost all power in the van. Chad didn’t think he did anything jiggling all the wires but between him and Grace praying for us we were back on the road in no time. It did happen quite a bit throughout our trip but the power would come right back on and we would just keep driving. Josh said he asked God for a sign to know weather to sell the van or not and we believe this may have been the sign. We stopped in Mbale for lunch. We enjoyed pizza and a nice rain by Mount Elgon. (Oh, how nice the cool rain is!) Chad and Katie were able to see Uganda for over six hours in the van and then we made it to Soroti after a very bumpy last two hours. How thankful we are to be home!

So Josh is in the village right now with Chad, Katie, and our IT president showing them the orange orchard and Obule. And I stayed home so Luka could nap that way I could actually write a minute. We are only in Soroti five days before we go for a safari and head back to the airport with Chad and Katie. I didn’t think I would have time to catch up on anything but it is so nice to sit and process. It is really hot and dry here! It almost takes my breath away. We took Chad and Katie to the big market yesterday and they were able to try sugar cane, buy tire sandals, and experience Africa. They are doing really well and just go with the flow. It must be overwhelming at times to take it all in. We are taking a lot of pictures. We also took them to town, super market, and mechanic alley. Chad and Josh have been working on the van, motorcycle, and other things. How nice it is to have Chad’s expertise. Katie has been teaching the girls. We celebrated Luka’s third birthday last night (it is Saturday but we will be gone the next two evenings). We made a cake, had a pizza party, and he was thrilled to get lots of trucks for his presents. Wow, three years old. How thankful we are for you Luka!!!

I think I better go now. I will continue to fill you in as I find time. I also am trying to get pictures on the blog but it is not working right now. I have great ones from Christmas, the retreat, and now Luka’s birthday I would love to share. Thanks for sharing in our lives and for praying for us in our normal and adventurous lives!