During my trip, I kept a journal. To give you a better idea of what we did while over there, I decided to share some excerpts from my journal.
Monday, 10.12.09 - Arriving in Uganda
We landed over the beautiful Lake Victoria, and when I walked off the plane, it was hot. But that's when it really hit me where we were. I raised $3,500, traveled 22 hours, sleeping maybe 2 of those hours, all to get to where I'm at right now. We met up with some of the leaders at Watoto, who took our bags and loaded up the bus. I knew we were in for a treat when they greeted us with enthusiastic smiles and hugs. We had an hour-long drive to get to our guest house, and I stared out the window the entire time, smiling and waving at the kids. Some would even run toward the bus. It really hit me when I saw two young girls carrying jerry cans. They stopped, put down the cans, smiled, and waved at the bus. They walk miles in the hot sun carrying heavy cans of dirty water, and here I sit with a cold bottle of filtered water in front of me. We arrived at the guest house, where the hosts cook breakfast and dinner and clean your rooms each day. It was very welcoming. After dinner, I crashed pretty hard to get rested for our first full day in Africa.
Tuesday, 10.13.09 - First Full Day in Uganda
After a delicious breakfast, we headed over to Watoto Church in Kampala to go over what we would be doing during the trip. And what a treat that was! We walked in on the Watoto Children's Choir rehearsing their songs and dance. They greeted us and introduced themselves to us. When Alex, our team leader and staff pastor in charge of the Social Justice department at Oasis, walked in to the room, the kids all said in unison, "Hello, Uncle Alex! Thank you for being here, Uncle Alex!" After they forced me to leave the kids, we exchanged our money and got a bite to eat. We ate a great restaurant, Java's, where some people took our picture. Several days later we found out the picture was for a food review in the local paper. Our picture covered half the page, so of course I had to buy the paper. On our way back to the guest house, we stopped at Baby Watoto, which is where they keep the kids under 2. Many of these babies were found in alleys left for dead. We were only supposed to spend 10 minutes there, but we ended up staying 30 and still had to be dragged away. It's hard to leave. I got to feed two little girls, Scallet and Somara, and I watched a chubby little guy named Obama pour milk all over himself and laugh. Somara wouldn't let go of my arm when I tried to put her down, but I finally did, and she managed to crawl right back to me. Scallet cried when I put her down, but I tickled her until she laughed and then snuck out while she was still laughing. I didn't want to leave, but I knew we'd be back. We played games and relaxed after dinner, preparing ourselves for our first day of work.
Wednesday, 10.14.09 - First Day of Building in Bbira
We left for our first work day, three people short. One was sick, and two others were witnessing a Smile Train surgery in a nearby village. One of my team members handed a little boy a bottled drink through the bus window. He grabbed it, smiled, and ran to his mother to show her what he got. When we got to the building site in the village of Bbira, we first drove through the village to see where the kids live and go to school. We were greeted by hundreds of kids, screaming, waving, and jumping when we drove past. What a welcome! When the bus stopped briefly, we jumped off to go play with a couple of the kids. We had to get back on the bus, but the "mum" of the boys said to us, "Thank you for loving the children." What I want to know is how anyone can see their faces and not love them! We finally got to the site of the teacher's house and started working with some of the local hired workers. Patrick led a demonstration, then had me show the team how it was done. I really like Patrick. He worked with me the whole week, and he was incredibly patient. He said to me at one point, "You look like a real professional." I told him I learned from the best, of course. During lunch, we were able to walk into the village and play with the kids, who were also on their break. I met a 14-year-old boy named Wilson. He was very curious about me and about America. We had a nice talk, and he asked me what I was doing in Uganda. When I told him we were building down the road, he paused and looked at the ground before looking back up at me. He simply said, "Thank you." Wow, if that isn't reward enough! They're so incredibly grateful.
When we went back to building, Pastor Jeff, pastor of Watoto Church in Kampala, introduced himself to me. He knew several of my team members from previous years. When he shook my hand, he asked me if I was from Oasis. I told him I was, and he said he could tell by my smile. I took that as an amazing testament to my church! I met another worker named Yubin. I asked him which job he liked the best (flooring, roofing, etc.). He said, "I do them all. Not because I like it, but because you have to. It's life." Wow, God bless him. He just needs to make a living. Today was really hot. I blacked out briefly when I stood up from mixing "muchunga" (mortar). Even the workers admitted it was a hot day. But we made excellent progress and headed back home for the day. I saw two young boys carrying water cans and struggling to make it 20 feet without dropping them. No one should have to work that hard for water - especially water that's not even clean. I'll never get tired of seeing the kids wave and scream at the bus. I met another Watoto host at dinner, and he taught me a new card game. We played for hours, and I really got to know him. He's a great guy.
Thursday, 10.15.09 - Day Two of Building in Bbira
When we arrived at the village, the workers were running a little late. So we got to walk into the village to play with the kids while we waited. A little 4-year-old boy named Peter ran from about 150 feet away and grabbed my legs. I picked him up, and he played with my sunglasses and camera. He was a total ham! Other kids came out and mobbed me and wanted to play with my sunglasses. I passed around my camera and let the kids take pictures. They loved seeing themselves! Several of the boys walked me to their classrooms. This was the greatest way to start the day. After I was able to free myself from the kids - not that I wanted to - we walked back down to get to work. We didn't do as much today because it rained earlier, and we had to wait for the bricks to dry. So during our extended lunch, due to the wet bricks, we went back to the village. I was going with my team leaders to meet their sponsored kid. On our walk to their house, a little boy ran up and grabbed my hand. He wouldn't talk. He just walked with me, holding my hand. I would guess he was three or four. After awhile, he pointed and ran off. I think he found his home. Then two more kids ran over to me and clung to my neck. I recognized one of the kids from earlier in the day. We took a few pictures when more kids saw what was going on. Then they all came out! There must have been 15 or 20 kids around me, trying to get in pictures with me. One little boy, barely 3, cried because he couldn't get past the bigger kids to get in the picture. I held his hand and had him stand next to me, and he stopped crying. Then they all grabbed me - several had my hands, some had my legs, others had my arms. They were walking me to another house. I heard crying, and I turned around to see the little boy. He wouldn't step forward, so I went back for him and held his hand. He smiled the whole way there. He just couldn't get past the bigger kids! Later that night we had our appreciation dinner at a French restaurant, where I met Brian. Brian was our host for the second week, while Yosum hosted us the first week. I love both of those guys, but I really got to know Brian. Great people!
Friday, 10.16.09 - Final Day in Bbira
On our bus drive over, I saw an older lady sitting at a bus stop. She looked very tired. It was actually the perfect setting for a photo. I smiled at her, and that caught her eye. She smiled back, and I realized I'd rather live in the moment and connect with someone, if only for a second, than to rush around to find my camera and get the picture, letting the moment pass me by. One of my favorite moments from the trip came when we saw a little girl in a black hood walking down the street. She looked absolutely hopeless and her eyes screamed, "Help me!" One of my friends handed her a package of food through the bus window, as we were driving past, and the girl grabbed it. When I looked back, I saw her face change from hopeless to happiness. It was as if no one had ever given her anything in her life. I looked out the bus window, smiling at her until I could no longer see her. When we got to the build site, Jackson (one of the workers), was dancing to our music. We had an iPod hooked up to Bose speakers so we could hear music while we worked. We really mixed it up, and we had a great time while working. Patrick and I were working together on the scaffolding when I heard some of my friends singing a praise song. Then I heard Patrick sing it to himself. It made me smile, watching him sing this praise song.
We had a dedication for the building when we finished. Brian spoke and emphasized to us not to miss the "God moments" of the trip. He told us this was his God moment, speaking at the dedication with all of us. Patrick led the Ugandan team in a great African tune, and we had to follow with a song of our own. We didn't have one prepared, so we sang, "You Are Good." Patrick really pepped it up with his clapping and dancing. Roni from the Ugandan team prayed, then Alex from our team prayed. Roni's prayer made me cry. I can't really put it into words like he did, but he basically said we weren't just giving a teacher a home. We weren't just building a place that will bless future generations. But we were giving them work. Without Watoto, how could they feed their families? Alex thanked them all and blessed them. We each put a hand on a worker while Alex prayed over them. Then we all grabbed a piece of the building while some of the people prayed over it. Afterwards, we took pictures, hugged the workers, and thanked them. They said they'll miss us, and I already miss them. Then we had to drive away, knowing I wouldn't be able to see the kids in the Bbira village again - at least not this year. Today was the most emotional day so far.
Back at the guest house, a young boy climbed a tree from the next house. He had been climbing it every day, asking us for something. We finally figured out he wanted a soccer ball. Alex pulled out a soccer ball from his bag, and we threw it over the wall. He was thrilled to finally have a ball to play with. Then we went to Watoto Church for this Jewish praise rally they were having. WOW, was it amazing! Thousands of people showed up, not including the ones watching from two separate streaming feeds outside. I've never heard praise and worship so good in all my life. Some of the singers from Hillsong were there, and Gary Skinner's friend spoke for a little while. I had a moment that I thought, "Wow, Jesus is the same everywhere." After an emotionally and physically demanding day, I was ready for bed.
Saturday, 10.17.09 - Driving to Gulu
This morning we left for our six-hour drive to Gulu, a town that is still feeling the effects of the recent occupation of the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA). The Watoto village in Gulu has only been around for two years, and they're still trying to establish a good relationship with Gulu. Unfortunately, many "companies" have exploited the people of Gulu and raised money for their "charities," only to use the money for their own selfish needs. So the people are still very leery of organizations. On our way there, we stopped for gas. A group of kids from across the street would copy everything we did. When we danced, they danced. When we clapped, they clapped. It was the cutest thing. You can see it under the videos section. Neeko, one of my team members, walked across the street to give them snacks. They all freaked out when he came over. I crossed the street to talk to some of them. I laughed at one of the girls who had three cookies in her hand and hid them when she went back for more. She came over to me and smiled, asking me questions about myself and where I'm from. She had such a beautiful smile and giggled and said "yes" after everything I said. Her name is Sovani, and she's 11 years old. I took a picture with her, and right there, in the same tone and with the same smile she had when she told me her name, she said, "My mother died when I was one. My father died, too." I was taken back. She said she had no one. I could only imagine how much pain she has experienced in her life, and it made me sad to think about. When I stood up, our host Brian asked me if I was OK. He said I looked like something was wrong. It wasn't until he called me on it that I started to cry. I told him what Sovani said, and he hugged me until I calmed down. When I turned around, the kids were just staring at me. I just started taking more pictures and finally said goodbye. What made it hard to leave was knowing I may never see her again, especially since she was not in Watoto.
When I crossed the street, I saw an older lady with a young girl and a young boy. The lady wouldn't let go of my hand, and when Tara hugged her and Neeko brought her water and snacks, she almost cried with gratitude. Their mother died, so the grandmother was taking care of them. We found out through Brian, as they didn't speak good English, that they were on their way to church to pray for the little girl, who was having respiratory problems and found it hard to breathe. Tara and I got down and prayed for her, and the girl dropped to her knees. After the prayer, the girl stared into Tara's eyes and hugged her. She may not have known what Tara was saying exactly, but she still knew what she was doing. After that, I got back on the bus and put my sunglasses on, spending the rest of the drive staring out the window. I finally understood what Brian meant when he said not to miss the God moments. We drove over a bridge which covered a beautiful waterfall. On the way, we saw several baboons. They swarmed the bus when we threw them bananas. We stayed at a hotel in Gulu, the nicest one in the town. The staff was so welcoming and friendly. They treated us very well, and I'd love to go back one day. They fed us well, and I wondered if they ate as well as we did. There aren't many wealthy people in Gulu. I started to get a sore throat, and I'm not sure what triggered it.
Sunday, 10.18.09 - First Full Day in Gulu
I woke up with a raging headache. I was sweating, and the air
couldn't cool me down. I refused to let sickness stop me from enjoying
Gulu. We went to Watoto Church, and before church, we were able to play
with some of the kids. They were a little more shy than the kids in
Bbira, but these kids have seen the effects of the recent war and don't
know Watoto as well. Watoto has been in Gulu for 2 years, while the
village in Bbira has been open for over 20. A little boy came over to
me, and I put my arm around his shoulder. He never moved. He stayed
with me. I saw an older kid, 11 years old, sitting on a chair with a
blank stare. I couldn't help but think that he was probably so used to
people paying attention to the cute little kids, and he's probably seen
a lot of horrible things. I said hello to him and shook his hand. He
didn't speak much, but when he saw some of the kids playing ball, he
would smile when they threw the ball funny. You could tell he just
wanted to go out and have fun, but I'm wondering how much he had been
through that has aged and matured him in ways no kid should experience.
Inside the church, the praise and worship was really good, and Pastor
Joseph gave a great message. But by that point, I was feeling very
weak. After church, Brian held my hand and walked me to the bus. I'm
really grateful for Brian, as he always seems to be there when you need
him most. I sat in the bus while the rest of the team talked to some of
the leaders outside. The little boy who was with me earlier came over
to the bus and reached his hand up. I grabbed his hand through the
window and smiled. I was feeling so weak, but he made me want to jump
off the bus and give him a hug. A little girl came to the bus and asked
me for water. I gave her a water bottle, which she shared with her
friends. I sat and watched the kids play with each other for awhile,
and they seemed to make everything all right, at least temporarily. I
spent the rest of the day in bed with a fever.
Monday, 10.19.09 - First Day of Building in Gulu
I missed the first day of building because they thought it would be better if
I rested, so I spent some of the day looking at my pictures and
thinking about all of the people I've met here. I definitely want to
come back.
Tuesday, 10.20.09 - Second Day of Building in Gulu
This morning I had a horribly sore throat and a "mean cough"
according to my roommate. In fact, coughing kept me up most of the
night, but each time I coughed, it hurt worse. I barely slept but went
to breakfast, anyway. I refused to miss another day. Saleena encouraged
me, and they agreed I could come along but couldn't build. On the way
to the build site, they stopped at a local clinic to see if they could
find out what was wrong with me. They couldn't say what was wrong with
me for sure, but she thought it was either a bacterial or viral
infection. They gave me antibiotics, and we went over to the build
site. I got off the bus in the village and just stared all around me.
Gulu might just be the most beautiful place I've ever seen. The skies
were bluer than I've ever seen, the clouds puffier and whiter than I've
ever seen, and they were surrounded by green, luscious trees. I had to
stay away from the children until the antibiotics kicked in, but just
being here, with the team in the near distance and the kids voices in
the far distance, and the light breeze and beautiful scenery is helping
me. When the kids came out to play, I had to stay on the bus. But
several girls came to the window to talk to me. They talked to me until
they had to go inside, and they made my day by doing that. Alex was
working the iPod, and a swarm of boys came over to the table to watch.
They were loving our 80s music. I didn't miss out on much today, except
building. And with those big bricks (at least three times heavier than
at the last build site) and that hot sun, apparently I didn't miss
much. I did want to work with the team, though, and get to know the
local workers better.
Wednesday, 10.21.09 - Final Day of Building in Gulu
Today I was feeling much better, though still not 100 percent. It
takes us about 30 to 40 minutes to get to the Gulu village from the
hotel, and on our way over, we saw some of the workers walking. They
were running late, so we gave them a ride. That's when I realized that
they walk every day (there and back) the same distance that we drive.
It must take them so long, and they have to walk in that heat, and many
of them don't even have real shoes. Then they do physically demanding
work all day in the sun, and it made me realize how hard they work just
to put food on the table! And we complain about our 20 minute commute
to our air-conditioned jobs. We started the day off by exercising with
the kids during their PE class, then playing a game of catch. What a
great way to start the day. I finally started my work on the classroom
by brick tossing. I worked for a little while on the scaffolding, but I
was finding it very difficult to breathe, so I had to call it quits for
the day. The rest of the team did a great job, however, and they
finished ahead of schedule. I sat at the table and stared up at the
sky. It felt like I was sitting under a giant painting. It just didn't
seem real. One of the kids started drumming, and a group of kids went
over to sing and dance to the drum. That's where I met Leonard, a
12-year-old boy who wants to be president one day. He was very sweet
and polite. When we had to leave, I told him to get in the picture with
me. He jumped right in and hugged me. I told him I hoped to see him
tomorrow.
Then we went to a boarding school for war-affected children, and it
was amazing. Many of them were former child soldiers, others born into
captivity, and others had seen their entire families killed. I chatted
with some of the adults at the school for awhile before going over to
play on the soccer field. I chased the kids for about 20 minutes before
I realized I'd never catch any of them. They're incredibly fast! I went
over to the sidelines and sat with some of the kids. They all warmed
right up to me when they saw my camera. We took a lot of pictures, and
I noticed a girl sitting down on the grass watching it all. I sat next
to her and took a picture. Her name is Barbara, and she's 11. Barbara
was born into captivity. She wants to be a doctor one day, and she
walked me to her dorm, holding my hand the whole way. She was so proud
to show me around, and she always made sure I had a seat. She would
give me a seat, then find a spot on the floor for herself. She was so sweet. We
really connected, and when I had to go, she asked me to come back
tomorrow. She wouldn't stop asking me, and the more she asked, the more
my heart broke. I want to be able to visit her again, but the program
is not through Watoto, so writing to her becomes even more difficult. I
wish I could adopt kids like Barbara and Sovani. A girl named Christina
gave me a letter telling me she is an orphan and would love to see
where I lived. She asked for prayer.
Thursday, 10.22.09 - Relaxation Day in Gulu
Everywhere you turn in Gulu, you see beauty. There is a field of sunflowers here, and we drive past it every day. Today we visited Living Hope, a branch of Watoto for vulnerable and HIV-infected women. Living Hope takes these women (and their children), some of whom were mutilated, and restores their dignity and hope by sharing God's love and giving them a skill they can use for good. They make things like jewelry, bags, and dolls. Our team ended up buying 2.8 million shillings worth of stuff, and we got to do it in front of the women who made the items. Alex saw a doll he instantly fell in love with. When he picked it up to buy, they told him they didn't think anyone would ever buy that doll because it didn't have a smile on its face. They called the lady who made the doll up to the front to see Alex buying it. She was so happy, she was laughing! I bought a necklace and put it on before I went out to play with Emmanuel, a three-year-old boy who wouldn't smile. He kept holding my hand, even when I got up to talk to other people. I picked up a little girl and held her for awhile. She put her head down on my neck, so I just rested mine on her head. The women were so happy we were there and couldn't wait for us to return. Leaving was hard. We went over to the building site for what will soon be a Baby Watoto in Gulu. We prayed over the construction site, which will hold at least 100 babies when it's complete.
We went back to the village to pray over the classroom we built and dedicate it. We took a team photo and said goodbye to the workers. Then we went over to the houses to eat a traditional meal with some of the families. I ate with Stella, Apora, Betty, Dennis, Bonifus, and Paul. The meal was amazing! The mum did an excellent job cooking. The kids wanted to be doctors, lawyers, nurses, and pastors. When we asked them why, they said it was because they wanted to help those who couldn't help themselves. The mum said she wanted to be a stay-at-home mum because it was through her home and parenting that these kids were able to go do these great things. She was so proud of them. It just further reinforces how great a program Watoto is. It changes lives and futures of people now and in generations to come. The children were so well-mannered and helped clean up after the meal. I went back to hug the mother, and she said she liked my necklace - the one I got from Living Hope. I took it off and put it on her, and she was so thrilled, she just couldn't stop laughing. I took a picture of her, and she thanked me profusely. Outside the house, a boy walked over to me and asked if I remembered him. Of course! Leonard! He pulled out a letter he wrote for me, and I hugged him before we had to leave again. I read it on the bus, and he said how much he loved me and thanked me for being his friend. I immediately went to Brian and told him I was going to be sponsoring Leonard. I just love him! We went to a place called the fort, and it was absolutely breathtaking. A group of local boys followed us around, and when we left, we gave them each a package of food. They shouted, "I love you!" Back at the hotel, the staff prepared a BBQ for our final night there. They were so happy to be serving us but sad to say goodbye to us. They even said they'd cry when we left tomorrow. I had such a nice time with them. They even checked up on me when I wasn't feeling well.
