Day Two, April 16:
I have never before traveled outside North America, and Cindy has never done so except on cruises. The Boeing 777 and the 7-hour flight from Dulles to Brussels were both new experiences for me. The plane was bigger than any I've been on, nine seats across, with elbow room everywhere. Well, almost everywhere. I've never gone to the bathroom in a phone booth before. That was educational. Having a meal planned by someone else was new for me too since, as of the last four years, I've been on a very regimented plan of eating, recovering from compulsive eating and food addiction. The in-flight meal was just fine and I wondered why I had given it so much concern. God provides!
Tempis fugit (time flies), especially when you are fugit-ing toward it head-on! We got to Brussles at what should be 1am, but which they swore to us was 7am. The rising sun on the wing of the descending plane on approach proved them right. At any rate, we made it to Europe!
I tried to post this in Brussels, but could not get their wi-fi to work. There was a slight delay as we waited to board the Brussels Airlines A330. This plane was slightly smaller but no less comfortable than the one that preceded it. Cindy and I both agreed, waiting around a strange airport at what our bodies thought was the middle of the night, only to be kept awake by the sound of seven voices speaking in as many languages on the public address was not "the fun part" of this trip.
Day Three, April 17:
We arrived in Entebbe last night and had absolutely no trouble at all getting our visas, a process which took about two minutes. It took us longer to figure out the money exchange. At 2,450 Uganda shillings per dollar, there is really no equivalent to think of. We figured our 20,000 shilling tip for our very patient and friendly driver, David, was appropriate, but I am not certain. He had stood for we don't know how long, holding a sign that said, "Cindy Lemmon" on it, and was the first to greet and welcome us to Uganda.
We slept soundly under our mosquito net at the Sunset Hotel, and rose at about 7am (1am Eastern) for breakfast. The compound is beautiful. There are trees and birds I have never seen before, more hibiscus than I've ever seen in one place, and lots of snails. Big ones! They greeted us at our door as we went to breakfast, were all over the outside walls, and even made you watch your step on the walkways.
We were a little uneasy about the ride in on Church Road, since we saw neither church nor parishioner, but taverns, dilapidated buildings, strange looking structures with stranger looking steel fences reinforced with razor wire. The dark red clay road, badly eroded with rain, was littered with boda-bodas, motorcycle-taxis, whose operators often appeared no more competent to drive than their drunken fares. These sights made it seem less alarming to be greeted at the massive hotel gate by a very warm smile on the face of a rifle-armed guard. I say "warm smile" but that was only after two suspicious eyes peered through the gate into the car before the battle-dressed uniformed man unwrapped the heavy chain and welcomed us in. Such a sight might have made us uncomfortable elsewhere, but we thanked God for him and blessed him in our prayers as we retired for the night.
Today at lunchtime, we expect to meet our driver for the rest of the trip, Anthony, who we hired on the advice of Marcia Baugh, one of the missionaries we will be visiting. Then it's on to Masaka and the Okoa Refuge, where we hope to spend time with Leslie and Lumpy Workman's son Tyler, his wife Liv, and fellow CrossRoad Church member Kelsey Linduff.
Thank you for keeping us in your prayers. We appreciate the support!
