Deniece
Thanks for reading my blog! I'll be honest, I'm a talker not a writer, so please forgive me if my blogs are not as entertaining as you hoped they'd be...DeeLo
I love traveling; I hate flying...how does one reconcile this so they can see the world? My solution is sleep deprivation before the flight and either a good stiff drink or a hearty sleeping pill once on the plane...if you have better suggestions, please let me know! December 23, 2006 marks the beginning of the trip of a lifetime (see blog entitled, "The First One" for more details...), so stay tuned for more in the days and weeks to come!
**Update - March 2007: I've returned from my trip to Uganda; it was AMAZING!!!! After much thought, reflection and prayer I believe that I am being called back to Uganda to provide administrative support to a missionary family. This new adventure will extend from July 2007 - December 2008...I leave in about 14 weeks!!!
My blog has been updated to include my Ugandan experience, but I have not posted anything about my London and Paris adventures...hopefully I'll get to them sometime before I leave in July!!!
Thanks for reading! Cheers!
Travel Blog Posts
January 22nd 2007
"Weelaba" (pronounced way-la-bah) means farewell or good-bye in Lugandan...I wish I had inquired about the word(s) for "until next time..." because I know this is not "good-bye" and I will return again. The sun rose this morning painting the sky in beautiful hues of pink and orange. I, unfortunately, was too busy running around the house trying to collect the last of my belongings to sit and enjoy the sunrise...bummer! I was able to get a good picture of it just before we pulled away from the house to head for the airport. Lake Victoria was particularly beautiful this morning as the sun's rays, though partially hidden by clouds, danced on the water's surface...this too will leave a indelible impression in my mind. I am looking forward to the day when I return to this place...looking ... read more
January 21st 2007
How did the time fly so quickly? African time is supposed to be slower than American time...and yet I find myself already on my last day here! I knew leaving would be hard...so, now I'm looking for a chance to come back...hopefully in July (as I have some friends who might be making the trip as well, so it would be good to travel w/them). On my last day, I got up at 6am to try and catch the sunrise before I left Uganda...since, let's face it I didn't see it rise on any other morning, I should make time for it on my last day, right? Well, I sat outside (braving the mosquitos) for over 30 minutes, but I never saw the sun rise...it was a cloudy / rainy morning!!! This is what I get ... read more
January 20th 2007
Faith and I went shopping in Kampala today...we took public transportation - a taxi. While taking a taxi is not something I've done very often at home, it is very much a way of life for the locals. Taxis are like mini vans which hold approximately 20 people - I was grateful that we got to sit in the front. So, after about an 45 minutes of stopping every couple of blocks, we finally made it to Kampala. However, the taxi driver dropped us off further than we actually wanted to go, so we walked back through Kampala in search of "African Village" so I could do some souvenir shopping. We only had a couple of hours to go shopping, so it was frustrating that it took us 30 minutes to make our way back to ... read more
January 19th 2007
**The pictures in this blog are random and may not relate to the content of this blog!** While in Uganda, I was to assist Shannon in the final stages of planning for a pastors' conference. So, during my last week here I spent a lot of time working on rooming lists, step-up schedules, last minute detail stuff, etc. Everything was going smoothly and we were on-schedule until Wednesday when, out of the blue, the Bishop decides to cancel the conference. Despite several conversations, interventions and endless hours of prayer, the Bishop would not change his mind and so the conference never materialized. However, some good things did come out of all the drama: some land issues were finally settled, SOS Ministries is going to work at being established as an NGO (non-governmental organization) and the true ... read more
January 11th 2007
After we left the Nile River, we headed to a baby cottage in Jinja - baby cottages are where ophans 0 - 5 years are placed. I knew my heart strings would be tugged by coming here, I just didn't know they would be yanked in 20 different directions!! Before my trip began, my roommates made me promise that I won't come home with any orphans...and they lucked out because the process for adoption takes about 3 years and even then you could be denied. There are 3 American families who are in the "waiting line" to adopt 4 children from this particular cottage, so we came to take pictures to send back to them in America. We were only there for about 30 minutes, but these kids are adorable and I saw the sweetest baby ... read more
January 11th 2007
Today we went to Jinja to "The Source"...it's what the locals call the place where the Nile River begins. It's amazing to think of where I live and where I was standing today - on the bank of the Nile River!!!! I don't know that I can adequately convey how much in "awe" I was at my experience today - I mean seriously, a few thousand miles from here and a few thousand years ago Moses floated down this same Nile River!! Words are not enough to express how beautiful this place is...so, instead of babbling about nothing, enjoy the photos... I'm loving it here...do I really have to leave in a week and a half???... read more
Weekend in Seeta with Reverend Eddy
Published: January 30th 2007Africa » Uganda » Central Region » Seeta
January 7th 2007
Friday, January 5, 2007 I was nervous to spend the weekend w/one of the local pastors. Leaving the compound and staying in a local village was an important part of my experience here, but I had so many questions/fears: where would I sleep? what would I eat?; how would I bathe?; would I be protected w/a mosquito net while I slept?; how would I handle the toilet experience?; would I totally hate the rural life experience????? All I could do was pray for peace and that I would keep an open heart to all that I would experience in the coming days. Unfortunately, I woke up with a migraine on Friday, so I slept for a major part of the morning. Friday evening we arrived at Rev. Eddy’s house and I met his family: wife - ... read more
January 5th 2007
The first two weeks have been pretty calm and sheltered...life on the compound is very American - even the food is American! I've really just spent time with the Hurleys' at their home, getting acquainted with domestic missionary life. My days are all pretty routine: wake-up, breakfast, dishes, shower, quiet time, lunch, dishes, play with kids, dinner, dishes, and depending on the day there is either game night or fellowship time after dinner or maybe a movie night if the kids have been particularly well behaved. I am learning a lot about what a "God-centered" home / family looks like; while I grew up in a Christian home, I would not have called it "God-centered," so this is giving me a new look at family life. I'm doing well...I'm trying to learn Lugandan, which is the ... read more
December 25th 2006
Once the sun came up, I looked out the window. Below was the barren-looking land you expect to see when you think of Africa. Knowing that it was still some time before we would land, and feeling that sleeping was probably impossible at this point, I decided to watch a movie…the selection on this flight was not as good as the one from LAX - LHR, but it was something to kill the boredom that was settling in after almost 30 hours of traveling. Breakfast was not as exciting as either dinner had been, but it was something and since my body didn’t really know what day or time it was supposed to functioning on, it didn’t really matter. After breakfast was taken away, I decided to look out the window again. The land below me ... read more
December 24th 2006
As the plane began descending, I was looking out the window at the quaint houses and I noticed the road…and this very thought occurred to me: “Oh my gosh, they really do drive on the other side of the road!” Not that I didn’t believe it, but it became clear to me that I really was about to land in England! The landing was smooth and soon I was off the plane and heading toward customs. Since I had nothing to declare and I was only there for a short time (what they refer to as “transit”) my customs experience went smoothly; I had a nice chat w/the customs guy and I was through the door…I WAS IN LONDON!!! The first order of business was to call home, so I made my way to a phone. ... read more
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