Team Gulu is on the Ground

"Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance, perseverance character and character hope! Romans5:3,4

It's 11:00 p.m. In Gulu and the team has settle in for bed.

All of us who have been on a vision trip such as this one know that we should expect the unexpected, be flexible (sempre gummy-always flexible), and "go with the flow". Michelle had said to me at supper "you never told be about the road to Gulu" and she was right, I hadn't and trust me when I say it was not what she expected! The road to Gulu starts out in the slums of Kampala. The road is good. (*Uganda has been making strides to improve their roads).... The road to Gulu is 6 hours north of Kampala and if you leave at noon, you get to Gulu by sunset...an important goal for every team... As I noted above we arrive just before nine in he evening!

But let's back up and see how our first full day started...better yet, let's back you up to last night and how our first--remainder of how our day...ended.

Our flight to Paris was on time. This went very smoothly and we got to our flight for Nairobi in plenty of time. We loaded up and expected to leave at 11:00 a.m. For the second of our eight hour flights. A half hour passed and as we looked out the window seven baggage agents could be seen arguing on the tarmac about the bangs that were scattered all around the jet....and hour passed, the seven were toe, but the bags remained, 30 more minutes passed before the bags were loaded into containers and spirited away to be placed on our flight... They needed to be, we could see at least one of our bags laying there.

Wheels up we were two hours late for departure on a flight to Kenya where we were scheduled to have a one hour lay over before our final flight to Entebbe. It didn't take a college professor to deduce that we might have a problem.

Laura, our World Vision representative encouraged us to be flexible, but be ready for any possible scenarios. Thankfully, Kenya Airways held our flight allowing us to arrive in Uganda just before 1:00 a.m. The team was tired, but we were in country and happy to be there.

13 of our 16 bags "made it". Sempre Gumby, always flexible we were told the bags had been found in Nairobi and would be on the 9:30 flight in the morning.... Attend church, pick up bags, and leave for Gulu...all is was doable and sounded like a plan...and we'd be able to leave by noon.

Worship this morning in Kampala was incredible. To praise God with African brothers and sisters in Christ started our day in the right way. We left for the airport at 10:00 only to find that the missing luggage was not at the airport, but it would be at 11:45..... Okay, that's cutting it a bit close, but we'd still have time to get to Gulu by 7:00, just after dusk. The flight did indeed have our bags but the delays in the airport kept us in Entebbe until 1:00. A stop in Kampala for our sack lunches and we were on the roads by 2:00.

You should know why it's important to get to Gulu before dark; simply stated the trip from Kampala to Gulu is dangerous enough, but the conditions of the roads especially after we crossed the Nile River were harrowing.... And it was getting dark!

Our three drivers were required to navigate foot deep pot holes, Bota Botas ( motor scooters normally carting 3-5 people from the handle bars to the back...), cattle, and people, thousands of people walking along the road....and as it got dark, the the danger only increased. As night descended smoke filled the air as local people burned underbrush to clear for new grass in the upcoming rainy season.

It was in the mid-nineties today and the combination of all of the above has two team members and one driver sick.

We know though that God is using this team even in the challenges we have face; two quick examples.

Last night on our flight to Entebbe Jeff was seated next to a young woman and had the opportunity to witness to her and tell he of the Gospel!

This evening as we traveled the Gulu road Pat and our driver Peter were sitting next to each other and as we got to know Peter better we found out about his heart for the disabled; Pat and Angella, they work with the disabled.

We are exited for tomorrow! 12 of our children will have visits from us! We hope to have some pictures for you!

I'm exhausted (I was unable to sleep last night and took a couple "cat naps" on the way up...So it's off to bed.

Continue to pray for us!

Don K