TIA, This is Africa

Day five of my Ugandan adventure. Because it is Sunday, we are not going in to the office, so the day will be spent doing chores and errands and relaxing. When we go back to the hotel I have to do laundry a task I've never done without a machine. It will be quite the learning experience no doubt.

Yesterday was the big welcoming ceremony at the office. I got there early because Madisson was asked to slaughter a chicken and I thought I should be there for moral support. While she attended to the killing, I cut up tomatoes and potatoes. I think I took a lot longer than the women would have but I was really happy to help out (especially since chickens weren't involved). For the majority of the day, we were told to just relax as we were the guests. I forgot my still camera so I spent a lot of the prep time filming the kids and other things around the compound.

When it was finally time for the ceremony, we were walked to this temporary structure in the back made from bamboo and papyrus and covered with a tarp. The kids danced us in, the girls wearing colorful skirts, and the boys wearing Loyola soccer shorts we brought last year. We watched them dance and the program began. We had welcoming statements from Paul and Grace and a government official. We shared introductions and the children sang a song for us.

As the students were about to dance again the clouds rolled in and the rain hit. Here we were 20 or so people under this temporary shelter under pouring rain. A river of mud akin to the chocolate river in Willy Wonka (a popular metaphor among the IC crew), flowed just past a bottle with a leaf in it which was supposed to keep away the rain. The ceremony stopped there but until the rain let up we had to stay under the tarp. In a shining act of team work, we all stood on chairs or used our shoes or chair cushions to push the water off the tarps so that the whole structure would not collapse under us. We were all soaked by the time the rain let up. We all regathered in the office and surrounding rooms to eat our food.

The feast was incredible. Rice, beans, cabbage, millet, maize, for those who ate it chicken and beef. It was all so delicious! They really feed us well here.

After all was done, we had a conference call with the IC folks back in Chicago. It was good to hear from them, though odd to be on the Uganda side of the call for once.

When we got back to the hotel, we all relaxed and talked and maybe even played a little MASH. Oh the fun times spent in Gulu.

I hope all is well in the U.S. We have been sent a few articles about escalation in Uganda with talks of LRA regrouping, but everything seems under control right now and we are safe. It seems more like speculation than anything concrete. However, do keep sending your positive thoughts this way.

Love to you all.