heading home...

we were able to sleep in a bit, until 8:00. we took hot showers with a full streaming shower head. we had grown accustomed to cold showers that barely trickled. this was a treat. we stepped out of the shower and still felt clean as we dressed. again, unusual. in kamapala, we felt dirty before we were able to get our clean clothes on. we went to the airport around 9:45. our flight was at 11:45. we had to go through the rigorous british security. this took a while. they are not very sweet but at least they are thorough. had a good flight to chicago then onto nashville! we landed around 6:30 and were met at the airport by mason, julianne and caroline. caitlin was working. we were joined for dinner by caitlin and my mother. it was good to be back. the story continues as the trip is over but the journey has not ended. we will continue to raise money and awareness for this cause. won't you join us?

back to londontown...

we woke up at 5am to get everything on the bus and to get to the airport in time. we were heading home. it was bittersweet. i am ready to get home but also, a part of me is melancholy about what we are leaving behind. emily and abigail share this sentiment. it will be hard to try to really share our story and have people understand our experiences from the last 10 days.

we landed in london and checked into our hotel. we have an overnight lay over. the hotel was by heathrow airport so we had to take the tube into the city if we wanted to go. a dear friend of mine, crystal, just happened to be in london as well. we met her at picadilly circus, walked through the streets and had dinner at wagamama's...and we had ice in our drinks! it felt weird. we were so used to luke warm drinks (or bottled sodas at the house). it was so nice to see her and tell her some stories from our trip. we took the train back out to hatten cross station then walked to our hotel from there. it was after midnight. we were sleeping in clean, crisp sheets and had air conditioning. we felt like royalty.

the source of the nile...

up before the rooster to load the bus and head to jinja. it was about a two hour drive. ugh. part of our group was going to raft down the nile river (how cool!) and part were going to "toodle" down the nile to the source. abigail chose to raft. she was a little nervous (they were class 5 rapids!) but how often would you get that chance? i was told i should be proud of abigail...she was a trooper and hung in there when the going (or rowing) got tough. they had a good time and enjoyed their day. they were served lunch (bread, cheese, vegetables, fruit) and dinner (kabobs)as part of the rafting trip cost. they didn't get back until late that night.

the rest of us...well, after dropping off the rafters, we made it to the starting point of our tour. it was just about to storm. you could just feel it. i, of course, began to worry a bit about abigail being in the river already and it was lightning and thundering. we ran to our bus to wait for the rain to stop. elijah appeared...no, not that elijah but a tour guide. he stepped into our bus and began to say he was our guide and that we would wait for the storm to pass before going out. oh, really? he was a little misinformed about moses and Jesus and nile river facts according to the Bible. a few questioned him only to be rebuked by him and he proclaimed we were not christians. finally we just indulged him. we figured it best not to question someone who was about to take us out on a boat in the nile river. elijah was entertaining, however. maybe chemically, so. we saw many species of birds and took pictures that seemed like they could be in national geographic. i thought... was i really in africa? am i half way around the world? i rarely allowed my mind to go there but on occasion it surely did. we saw the source of the nile, where it all begins. the water flows from underneath the ground. you can see the current run backwards from under the rocks. think at the beach. as the wave comes in and then recedes, the water goes back as well. well, here the water comes in and as it recedes more water comes up underneath the rocks and goes back out. it is so odd how this river flows south to north. there is some connection here but i can't explain. (oh, coming in this morning we couldn't take pictures as we crossed the river. a big man with a big gun was there to make sure we didn't. this bridge is the only bridge that connnects uganda to kenya and tanzania. if someone were to destroy it, it could cause some civil unrest. well, yeah.) after getting off the boat, we headed out. we stopped at the security gate. another man with a big gun began to clap. out from nowhere came these little monkeys. not sure of the species. the security men had bananas and told us we could go feed them. they were so, so cute. they would take the banana, sit, peel the banana and eat it. we got some great close up shots of them. after, we went into the town of jinja for lunch at "the source", where we met a girl from maryville, tn. (also, one of ab's guides on the nile was from memphis! small world.) we walked around to a few vendors. i got some coffee that is grown in that region. it was so good. i ended up buying some to bring home. around 2:00, we started to make our way back to kampala. as said before, goats and cows just roam the streets. while we stopped for gas we saw a little baby goat that had just been runover on the street. his little friend was standing there "baaa-ing" as if to say "someone, help. my friend needs help." maybe our hearts were just so tender by this time in the trip, but we were saddened by this. as we moved on down the road to the house, i asked patrick (our trusty driver) if he would mind stopping at a sugar cane vendor. i wanted the team to taste it. we got one long stalk for 500 shillings (50 cents. one of the adonai house staff cut it up for us and had it on the dinner table that night. it was so good but so sweet.

we were up late packing and organizing. long day ahead...

last day at blessed hope...

friday was an emotional day. i kept telling the girls to "get it together. don't let the kids see your cry." i was realizing, however, that it was going to be difficult. i was trying to prepare them as well as protect them. these children had marked our hearts and their environment was etched in our memory. who can forget such poverty and loneliness? one thing that does help is that these kids are loved. after talking with teachers in depth, i got a good sense of how much these kids are loved. the children at blessed hope are so fortunate to have love, food, shelter and beds. i feel they are more blessed than some of the kids we see on the streets each day. when i put it that way, this seemed to help the girls be comforted. yes, their morning meal is purplish millet, they have corn mush and beans everyday...no fruits or vegetables...but they are loved and taken care of. pastor michael called me over and gave me gifts for my family. his wife had made a purse for me and little tea place mats for all 5 of the girls. we had had such a good talk a few days before. he also gave me a photo of his family. they rarely have photos of them taken so for him to give it to me was an honor. i think they think if we can see them we can pray for them...or remember to pray for them. i was puzzled whether or not to keep it. jen took a picture of the picture for me so i could give it back to michael but he insisted i keep it. it's almost an insult to try to return a gift. he gave me his contact info and asked for mine. he told me he would pray for my family back in the states. i am so humbled by these kind people and their true desire for someone to "stand in the gap" for them. michael was the one who thanked us for doing so. as we were wrapping up the day's events, we were assembled at the shelter. the kids were lined up in their rows. auntie irene told us that the kids were going to pray for us. i expected them to just bow their heads as someone led the prayer. ummm, no. each child extended their arm toward us and they all began to pray in unison, saying what they wanted to say. tears were rolling down my face. it was beautiful! their eyes were closed and they were speaking effortlessly, even the little children. we couldn't understand, or rather hear, specifically, of course, because it was like a song...all words colliding in harmony. one of the male teachers was next to me. i did hear him say at one point to "protect our friends. give them safe travels. thank you for sending them to us. may they mount up like eagles. give them strength." i have never experienced anything like that...ever.

after we left the orphanage, it did us some good to go to the market. on the way there, moses returned but on the opposite side of the bus as me. amanda was the lucky girl today. patrick, our driver, proceeded to tell us that moses was on drugs. ya think? as we drove through the middle of the city we actually saw street lights and road signs. in the more rural areas, this is not seen. we had not been to the business section of kampala until today. we spent about an hour going from vendor to vendor. got some purse type bags, beautiful sand stone nativity sets, found caroline an ugandan football (soccer) jersey, football (soccer ball) made from banana leaves (they actually play with these) and some ugandan jewelry. very inexpensive gifts but a blessing to the people who make and sale these crafts.

after the market we met josephine and her family for dinner at an italian restaurant. this was really the first time we had had food similar to what we were used to in the states. however, the cheesy, saucy food made us a little queasy. the ugandan food is more bland and we had gotten used to that.

arrived back at the house around 10:30. it had been a very long and emotional day. we had to get up early the next morning for our trip to jinja.

I thank my God every time I remember you :)

today was by far the hardest day at the orphanage. We started the day off on our usually routine but instead of leaving at 830, we left at 9 so we were just a little behind. we set out to the orphanage but planned to make a short stop to get a splint for a little boy who most likely broke his arm. instead of just a short journey, we were wondering around for about an hour until we found a place that had them! by this point I was really anxious because it felt like we would never make it to the orphanage. I was thinking to myself that this would make leaving easier because we would have less time, but this was not true. We arrive at the orphanage around 1115 (like an hour later than usual) and we are all prepared to say our goodbyes and we were all expecting to shed a few tears. once I got off of the bus, my little buddy Jackie immediately grabbed my hand and starting pulling me (she is 5 by the way). she wanted me to see her bed, but the room ended up being locked so we just decided to sit on the steps and talk ( or more like listen because she did not speak much English) but I enjoyed every minute of listening to here because she laughed for most of the time. I then showed her a bracelet I made her and her eyes lit up and her smile grew even larger. as I was tying it on her wrist, she was talking and smiling. even though I could not understand what she was saying, I could tell that the little bracelet made her very happy. I also had in my hand a picture that Caitlin had drawn for me to give to one of the children. it was nemo and as I gave it to her she looked at me and said “a fish” and it was absolutely precious the way she said it. as we were talking, my mom and sweet esther (who is also 5) walked up. I got one of the older girls to ask her if she wanted a bracelet and she looks at me with her sweet smile and just shook her head yes. after I had tied it on, she was turning her wrist looking at it and admiring it. by this time, it was time to head to the prayer garden to have a worship service. jackie, shamirah (13), marion (3) and I headed to the garden. I was holding marion and jackie and shamirah each had one of my hands. once we sat down we began to sing. my favorite song to sing with them is “Love the Lord Your God” because they get really in to the hand motions and love it when we “grrr” when we say strength. when we finished singing, mike got up to read a passage while simon peter translated for him. by the end, I had given away all six of my animal bracelets I was wearing. the kids absolutely loved them. we started our way to the shelter where we had set up a birthday party for the children. we explained to them that in America we sing at our parties and give presents and that is exactly what we were going to do here. we sung happy birthday to them and lined them up to give each a goody bag we had put together for them and man were they excited about those bags. each bag contained a beanie baby, hard candy, toothbrush and tooth paste, animal band, pillow and a mirror. each kid grabbed their bag with a big smile and were smiling while they went through them. jackie was eating her sucker (which was blue) and it had turned her tongue blue. I pulled out the mirror to show her and she just held it with her tongue sticking out looking at it for a few minutes. she was mesmerized. the team was then called up to receive a gift that the teachers wanted to give us. they were home made change purse. then someone came up to speak and I went to sit down to listen and I was immediately joined by jackie and ester (my other little buddy). while he was talking, esther and jackie kept talking to me. Jackie was playing with her dog animal band and was showing me how they barked (which was absolutely adorable). Esther was looking at me and singing with me. She never stopped singing/talking and smiling. by the time he had finished, they called us to stand around while the children sang to us and pray for us. this is when I lost it. I was holding esther (who was patting my back because she saw I was crying) and listening to them. it was a beautiful, emotional experience. When then headed to lunch where we were presented with another gift, homemade mats. Afterwards, we took a picture and it was time to go. I walked with jackie around and looked at her and said “I love you” and she repeated it back to me which was amazing because she didn’t speak much English. I did the same to esther and she repeated it back as well. I then walked away with jackie holding my hand. Shamirah came up to me and said “please remember us” and she was crying. I told her they would never be forgotten. I then gave jackie one last hug, got on the bus and blew everyone kisses and just prayed I could make it without crying (but I did). This experience was truly life changing and these kids will always have a place in my heart.

entry by: emily rodgers

Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday to you! Today we celebrated all of the children’s birthdays! The day started off by having breakfast and leaving the house around 8:45 and planning on going to get a splint for a boy, Ishmael, who probably broke his arm. after an hour of just driving around, we finally found the clinic that had splints! So planning on leaving the house at 8:30 and arriving at Blessed Hope around 10 turned into leaving around 9:45 and arriving at the orphanage around 11:00. As we arrived there around 11, the children were waiting for us, and a few hopped out of the bus and played with the children while the other part of the team went to set up for the birthday party! About 30 minutes later, we headed down to the prayer garden where we sang songs, and danced! What Mike was saying was totally true and it brought me to tears when Simon Peter translated! After singing, we told the children to go to the “eating room.” Once all the children were seated and ready to listen, they looked around and were amazed by all the beautiful decorations that we had set up. We had told them what birthdays and celebrating were all about! The team sang Happy Birthday to them then passed out the bags full of some candy, a beanie baby, toothpaste, a tooth brush, and a mirror! They each got a pillow as well, which were made by churches back in America. The “champions” loved their candy, beanie babies, and especially their mirrors! Whenever I took one of the mirrors out for one of the kids to look at, they looked up at me and just smiled and laughed! And of course that made me smile! Then the school choir sang a few songs, and that’s when it got to me, and yes “happy” tears were involved. I cried as they were singing. I cried when they brought me pictures and letters. It just then hit me that we were leaving. But it wasn’t that I was only sad, I was very happy to see the joy and compassion in each one of the kids eyes! As the party came to an end, I had been given gifts, letters, and drawings from them. It was really sweet. We then headed down to the tent and had our last lunch there. The lunches there that they had prepared for us was fantastic, especially the pineapple and potatoes! As it was coming closer to say our goodbyes, we all(the kids, team, and teachers) all took a picture together! I then, actually keeping my tears in said goodbye to the ones that I was the closest to: Vivian, Norah, Robert, Barbara, and Emmanuel. The kids that I didn’t know as well came up to me, hugged me and said bye! It was hard, but I knew that I had to do it quick, and not cry! And was that successful?? Pretty much, yes! We blew our kisses and said: mwah and off we went down the dirt road. I was just thinking of what a true impact they all had made on my life! Helping Blessed Hope Champions Academy by providing them with beds, mattresses, sheets, and mosquito nets changed my life forever and all of them will be in my life forever! It was a good week!

~entry by Abigail Rodgers

the story of esther...

Today was a little more relaxed. I think we have all settled in and have come to terms with what we are dealing with everyday. The bus ride even seemed less annoying. We were greeted by some of the older kids because classes were still going on. They led us to the class rooms. It’s funny that we all really do learn the same things. I watched a very enthusiastic math teacher teach line graphing. He was so passionate and enthusiastic. The history lesson was about the Stone Age. When we got there we watched the kids run relay races. They are funny. Yesterday they ran with spoons in their mouths and eggs in the spoons. They also ran with a soda bottle balanced on their head. Classic. We then “had church”. The kids led is in a worships service in the prayer garden. This included singing, dancing, drumming and a skit about Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. The boys did this and they used two sheets as their stage curtain. A young man (about 16 years old named Richard) then read scripture. He is from Gulu in northern Uganda. These people have servant hearts. Even when we are standing watching events or games or just standing around, the boys get benches for us saying “the bench is here” and we, of course, sit down. They are obedient children (hint, hint) and are very sweet natured. Even the adults are just kind, sweet people. Yesterday, Irene and I were talking about what grew on the land of the school. She mentioned some kind of root, yams (which are purple), pumpkins (which are green) and maize. I had told her how much I like corn and everytime we pass a vendor on the street it smells so good. I also mentioned that I just had to try a jack fruit. They are really ugly but are supposedly really good. This morning Irene called for me to come to her. She had an ear of maize beside her that she had roasted this morning. It was so good. It was charred just a bit and chewy. It was almost like a corn flavored razzle. If you can get the picture. For those of you who like the barely popped kernels of popcorn at the bottom of the bag, you will like this maize. I hope I can roast corn like that when I get home. As well at lunch, they had gone to the village to get a ripe jack fruit. Theirs were not ripe enough yet. The little pieces looked like a sea animal but tasted like a smooth canteloupe but sweeter with maybe a touch of passion fruit or mango. It was yummy. They just go out of their way to make us feel welcome. At the lunch table I sat with Irene, Deborah and “Mama” (wife of Pastor Joel and mother to Deborah and Olivia). These women are amazing. “Mama” is so cool. I call her African Queen. She laughs. Just picture Eddie Murphy’s mom in Coming to America. That’s her…complete with the attire. She and Olivia prepare lunch for us each day. Today we had the ground nut paste and smashed bananas I had heard about from the Glisson’s. Didn’t try the bananas but tasted the paste. It was good. They serve it like our chow chow or relish. These three began to tell me about Esther. I have grown very attached to this little girl. I wanted to know her story. Her mom died during childbirth. The people who took care of her “did not care for her”. I asked more questions and found out that she had been beaten and not loved. Hearing this just broke my heart and tears ran down my face. I really didn’t want them to see me cry but I could not help it. Deborah saw and told them (in their language) what I believe to be “we are upsetting her”. They changed the subject. I could not stop thinking of this…this precious little girl who is about 4 or 5 who constantly sings or talks (in Lugandan) and is so loving…how could she be from such a bad past? She does not speak English except for counting and her abcs. She looks at me as if I understand her and I just smile and nod. Our relationship is totally built on touch…hugging, cuddling, rocking and hand holding. She loves being held and hugged. I love this child! Her face and smile is so sweet. Pictures will come later. Later in the day as the older kids did a craft project, I was holding Esther. “Mom” came over and said to her “In your heart, this is your mom” patting me on the leg. Esther just flashed one of her priceless smiles and looked up to me. I do worry about these kids. What will they become? Will they be able to follow their dreams? Will they live past 20 years old? Several had symptoms of malaria this week. They were hot and just laid around or on us. They give them preventative meds and treat the effected ones. One of our other little “lovies” is Love. She was burning up today. I think about when my kids were little and they were sick, I loved just snuggling with them and giving them fluids, etc. For instance, Caroline is at home sick and has been since I left on Sunday. That is hard for me. These kids are cared for but I sure wish they could get more individual attention. Alexis held Love most of the afternoon and just loved her. This little “diva” is usually doing her thing and going everywhere but today she was just not right. The teachers were pretty sure it was malaria but assured us she would be ok. Deborah approached me later saying “I see you from a distance and you look lonely and you are thinking a lot” and I knew what she meant…she meant preoccupied. And I was. She told me that they love these kids, they get fed the Bible, they teach them to love and they give them wisdom. She didn’t want me to worry. I know they are doing the best they can and I do know they love them, it’s just hard. I think of that song that says “Now that I have seen, I am responsible”. Just so much to take in. Oh, and on a much lighter note, I was also treated to my hair being braided (plated). I mentioned to one of the teachers (also Esther) that I needed to get my hair done while I was here (joking) and here she comes (through the fruits and vegetables) with two girls Laura and Fatumah. They braided my hair! The kids loved this and thought it was quite comical as they watched Auntie Kelli get her hair done. Ugh. I dread tomorrow and saying bye to these people especially, Esther. Wish I could taker her home with me. Can I?

standing in the gap...

Ok so I have talked about my lack of desire for the bus ride out to blessed hope. It truly is a looooong way on very bad roads. However, some of the roads are under construction and I have to say that we need these men to come to Nashville to work on our roads . throughout this week we have seen significant progress and actually drove down one side of a completed new road. But also, as we left the orphanage the one side had disappeared. Kind of funny how they figure things out. Our driver got us back on track somehow. Anyway, as we drove in this morning, I was sitting in my usual spot, next to a window that opens. Some of them do not so I am just sure to get one that does. I have it open wide enough to have space to take pictures along the way. As you drive through these small very rural villages you see and hear and smell all kinds of things ranging from homemade coal burning, to garbage on the streets (it’s everywhere) to fresh cut lumber to corn roasting to exhaust from cars to speeding motorcycles (boda bodas- they are motorcycle cabs that are twice as much because they get you there in half the time) to body odor (I don't think deodorant is commonly used) and on and on. You see very interesting people doing very interesting things...cows and goats just randomly roaming the streets until time to go home(i think i know where the phrase "until the cows come home" came from. they just roam and then know when to "go home")... naked babies running here and there, women sweeping the rocks from the dirt roads/pathways and from there door stoops to men sitting or standing in “sports bars” watching the world cup games, or men transporting huge loads of bananas, pineapples, sugar cane or coal on their bicycles. It’s amazing what these people do. For real. Well I have been very careful of what and whom I am taking photos. Let me tell you, I am so tempted to snap (I won’t say shoot) some of the police men but hey, they look really very mean. Yesterday, we were stuck in traffic and I was a little, tiny bit scared (as was Emily who threatened me immensely not to do it) as I began to lift my camera. This man (who would be perfectly played by Samuel L. Jackson) stared at me in a very, very sinister way for a just a little too long. Emily was about to kill or shall I say hit me really hard. Anyway, thank goodness our driver got us out of that traffic jam, figuratively and literally, and we were on our way. So this morning I thought I would just sit and try to soak in the sights and sounds. As I sat there minding my own business, a hand reached in my window. This hand belonged to Moses the Champion Bicycle rider who was riding his bicycle through the very busy and crowded streets of Kampala. Now realize I have not seen a traffic light or a stop sign since we have been here. He was speaking to me in a mixture of English and Lugandan. All I know is he was proud of his talent and wanted me to watch. He was scaring me half to death. Lifting his leg and riding with one hand and weaving back and forth all while holding onto my window while our bus is zooming in and out of traffic. My team members thought it was quite funny as I tried to get Moses to stop or just go away. I feel humbled, though, as I got to talk to THE champion bicycle rider. “Many, many people come to this country to try to beat him”. Anyway, we make it to the orphanage for the 4th time today. The kids greet us as usual. They are so happy to see us each day. It’s a total rock star feeling. They carry their Bibles around and some are found reading it alone in quiet places. I especially love seeing the older kids (14,15,16) taking time to focus on what they are reading and just seeing the hunger in them wanting to learn and take it all in. Pastor Michael was there today and I began to talk to him as I chatted with my friend, Irene. I explained to him that Michael was a special name and why. We talked about my nephew and just began to talk about our families. He showed me a photo of his family and we just went about the day. He later came up to me and expressed how grateful they were for all we were doing. I stated that we are here, yes, but there are many people back home that supported us financially and helped get the beds and the Bibles. He said to me “But thank you for standing in the gap.” That hit me hard. We are not here to accept praise or to pat ourselves on the back but yes, we are standing in the gap doing what we can. Barbara presented Emily, Abigail and me with necklaces she had made. Irene told me that she would like to keep in touch with us so she is going to allow mail to be sent through her home address for Barbara to receive. This will be a good thing. Abigail is so attached to some of these kids and is already feeling a home sickness for them as we will be leaving soon. She has been very emotional today. I don’t think it has hit Emily yet…but it will. These kids have loved on them all week. The kids sang and danced for us today “honoring their gifts” that we have given. “Mama” at the orphanage shared that some of the teachers walked in on the kids this morning for a normal morning routine and some were randomly worshipping on their own just so happy to be in their Sweet Sleep bed! They said they have never seen the kids initiate worship on their own. After dinner Jennifer had a whim to go get ice cream. so…we all piled into our lovely bus and went to an Italian ice cream place “Ciao Ciao” …of course we were all a little leery of this because it was dairy and the scoops were in water, etc, you get my point. But we did it. Most of us got it so we will all get sick together if that makes any difference. OK going to bed. Long blog and I am soo tired. But I hope I have time tomorrow to tell you about the adorable little girl names Marion who I scared out of her wits by taking her picture. I was also the first Mzungu she had ever seen. She was new to the orphanage. It ends well. She is my buddy now but it made me feel awful. Goodnight from Kampala!

tuesday, june15...fingernails and fun!

my usual breakfast is toast with canned red plum jelly along with delicious ugandan coffee. it is perfect. some of that will be going home with us! for sure! decided that it's a must for me to sit by a window in the bus that opens. i think if i have the wind hit my face it helps with my nausea. i have been fine on the rides since reaizing that. thank the Lord! i was really dreading this week of motion sickness. today we started with recreation. there were 4 teams (2 of girls and 2 of boys) and we had to draw to see whose team we would support. it's funny how competition is everywhere. world cup fever is here, too! i hope to find caroline a ugandan soccer jersey. the boys competed in football (american soccer) and the girls competed in net ball (american basketball- except there is not net). after the girls finished their games, it was time for the teachers to play us! the kids were so funny because they were for us. they kept shouting "USA...USA!" we didn't win but i have to proudly say abigail scored all of our goals. the teachers prevailed. i didn't participate. i took the little ones because they were bored. danielle and i colored with them then started painting their fingernails...and not the just the girls! the boys loved it too! after the football games the older ones began to come back down towards us and we started on their nails. we still haven't finished. we will tomorrow. but i had the best time with the older girls. i loved being able to really comunicate. all of these kids speak english (their main language is either lugandan or swahili...one actually said "hakuna matata" to me yesterday...which is swahili... loved it!) we speak too fast and our accent throws them off. the little ones have a really difficult time. we have learned to speak slowly to them. but the older ones are great! while i painted i had a group of about 10 around me at all times. i laughed as i pretended not to hear these two girls who were right next to me. just super close and rubbing my left arm. they were examining my skin. in the middle of their lugandan conversation i could understand them saying "skin rash". they were talking about my freckles. they would rub the freckles as if trying to erase them. it was funny. i just let them continue to be amazed. i had fun with this group of girls as i learned how to say one at a time... "gumu gumu" (not sure of spelling) and how are you "olee-at-chea" (for sure not spelled correctly but grammatically so. they laughed at how i said things and how i began to sing things in my silly singing voice and they repeated what i sang like "one at a time" or "please get in a line" or "i am crazy" or "it is going to rain"...and rain it did. all i could think of was the toto song and it reminded me of caitlin and julianne. caitlin had "serenaded" me with it before we left and julianne had posted it on facebook. we ran to the shelter as the sweet boys put tables on their heads and moved them up the hill for craft time. they made verses to hang by their bed "you will lie down and you will not be afraid. you will lie dwn and your sleep will be sweet." proverbs 3:24 this is the basis of the founding of sweet sleep. they then wrote the sweetest and most colorful thank you notes. i kept this for last but after lunch we were treated to the fact that we could give them Bibles. they were so taken with these beautiful books that they could call their own. they were so proud! i have pictures of some just immersed in their reading. the little ones got picture story Bibles but the older ones got the good news Bible. a 15 year old, named andrew, was sitting there as the chaos was around him (rain, moving of tables). you could tell he was just so interested. can't wait to show my pictures to you! barbara handed me a note for me and one for me to take home to my family. she approached abigail and emily privately today and said "will you allow me to call you my sister? i love your mom." they were so proud of that. i am honored. we headed home, had dinner (some type of noodles and meat and fresh pineapple (which by the way is the best i have ever eaten! one of my staples this week). we have a team meeting, as usual after dinner, and had affirmation time. we spoke to each other about what we see in each other and affirmed our gifts. it was a nice time and this proud mama heard some wonderful words about two of her daughters. i am so extremely proud of them! they have taken this mission on and have embraced it lovingly. off to bed...goodnight! another busy day tomorrow!

"there is nothing to make you like other human beings so much as doing things for them"- zora neale hurston

monday, june 14...beds and barbara...

wow. where to begin? after sunday with the kids and arriving safely back, we were fed a meal here at the adonai house. this place is much like a christian hostel (or maybe even more like a minimal bed and breakast). they feed us breakfast and dinner daily. it is very clean and safe. there is a 10 foot concrete wall with wire curled a the top. the staff is very courteous and kind. each time we arrive they say "welcome back". ugandans say "you are welcome" as if we had said "thank you" but it is their greeting..."you are welcome here". the first night of sleep, when we could actually lay horizontally to rest, was wonderful! our beds are covered by a mosquito net that reminds me of a black and white movie from back when. we have a fan that runs all night. it is very relaxing. our sleeping conditions are quite charming. we fell asleep around 10 and woke up at 6:30. we have to be dressed for breakfast by 7:30 and loaded on the bus by 8:30. our first full day with the kids was such an experience. it was HOT and the sun was fully shining! we first taught them some of our vbs type songs with motions and they LOVED them, especially "love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength." we do a muscle man pose and say "Grrrr" when we say strength. that is one they want to do often. we then made tissue paper flowers with them. even the little ones loved this even though it was difficult and my team partner and i ended up doing more of it than them. but they were so incredibly patient. these kids are very respectful and cooperative. they carried these flowers around all day and some even hooked them to their new beds!! and speaking of that, after lunch a truck arrived with all of the mattresses. then again running, they greeted the truck. (the bed frames had already been delivered that morning before we got there). they just automatically begin to help. it's interesting that the boys step up to work and the girls know they are not to. we unloaded that truck in no time. we had already put the frames in the rooms. it was great to see the kids going into their rooms and pulling out those old stinky mats and blankets and piling them up in preparation for the new ones. each frame got a mattress. some were bunk beds and we even had about 10 triple bunks. they ot to go pick up their sheets and took them to their bed. we all helped put the sheets on. some were so meticulous and wanted it perfect. others just couldn't wait and just wanted to hurry and get it done. then they went to get their blankets and mosquito nets. a full complete bed! your support has helped give these beds to these sweet children. so this day was more or less devoted to bed building. i can't explain the poverty here. it is more than you can even begin to imagine. as we drove in yesterday from the airport and as we drive the long and windy, hilly, extremely bumpy, DUSTY road each day to blessed hope, we are slapped in the face with the deplorable conditions these people live in and the type of life they lead. i hope my pictures will help in some way depict this. there are a zillion plantains sold on the side of the roads as well as pineapple, sugar cane, roasted corn, pork stands, chickens in cages, eggs, shoes, coal and lumber. i will say their work ethic is unmatched to any i have seen. their life is full of busy-ness. constant moving. just think there is no refrigeration or air conditioning. they have to go daily to the market to replenish what they need. little by little each day. the kids at the orphanage are fed three meals a day. they go to their rooms and get their primary colored plastic cups or bowls (color based on their grade level). the morning meal is a purplish tinted porridge of millet. lunch is maize mush and sometimes they get beans. at dinner they get beans and maize again. the head teacher is irene. she and i have struck up a relationship and i have asked her many questions to which she honestly answers. of course i am very concerned with these kids and their health and malnutrition. some of their little bellies are protruding with either a worm condition or lack of proper nourishment. irene said they get a treat on sundays and are fed meat for dinner. when they have extra money the kids get rice!! oh, how i wish we could send money for rice. this really bothers me because "mama" (a real african queen complete with the attire and headdress) and olivia honor us each day with a hot meal served under a tent. i feel really badly taking the food and eating when the kids can clearly see us but it is disrespectful to not eat what has been offered to you. a confusing situation in my mind. i want to share a story of a girl named barbara. she is 14 and you can tell she is a leader and is very intelligent. it's funny how you have connections with certain kids. she is well spoken with a quiet, gentle spirit. she cares for the young ones and helps the adults. she wants to be a doctor. by the end of the day she approached me and said "will you allow me to call you mom, my mom?" well, those of you who know me well know how this affects me. i just pulled her in and hugged her and i just wanted to cry. tears filled my eyes. i could only think of how can i make her life better? will her life be a success? i know she will want it to be but can it be? i am very moved by this...and want her to fulfill her dreams.

we are here!

warning...tired blogger! i kept asking myself yesterday “where did this day begin and has it ended yet?” we spent a day in london. we had a 12 hour layover. we took a bus tour and hit the higlights of the city. by the end of the day we were very tired. what a long trip to get here to kampala! We left Friday afternoon around 5:00 and just got here this morning around 7:30. we are exhuasted. our bodies and minds are expended. quite honestly, on that extremely long flight last night I got very frustrated. I could not let my mind settle and I couldn’t quiet my thoughts. I kept wondering am I really on a plane to Africa? The “my journey” on the screen in front of my seat constantly reminded me that yes, I was in fact on a plane to Africa. We were indeed crossing the English channel, then france, then rome, then Greece, then the Mediterranean sea…eventually the sahara desert (which also showed up very close to Kuwait(-a little freaky), then we entered air space over this continent. I could see where our plane was going to land way down south but golly gee the little plane on the monitor barely moved. Tick tock. We were on that plane for over 8 hours. I had not rested horizontally since early friday morning. My ankles were huge (big as cantelopes)and still are! I was sitting between Emily on my right and Abigail on my left, which by the way both were sleeping. Happy for them but…I really wanted to sleep. we were sitting in the middle section so we were surrounded by people! Lots of people. a little bit of claustrophobia was settling in. “get me off of here!” was resounding in my mind. I tried to watch a law and order episode but I couldn’t even follow it. I finally got up to walk around and just tried to make the time pass. FINALLY we started to see land get closer and closer and felt the plane start to descend. Thank you Lord! We went to baggage claim. All of our team’s luggage made it except for the 4 from Indiana. They have such a great attitude. We have all offered different items but they followed advice and at least had an extra outfit in their carry on bag. We gathered our stuff and got on the bus and headed to this “bed and breakfast” type place that is our home for the week. The people here are extraordinarily nice. We settled in and had lunch then headed to blessed hope orphanage. We had no idea what to expect. The bus ride is an hour and 10 minutes one way…on bumpy and windy roads and our driver is not scared of anything. he is the master of his universe on that road. Riding in the backseat of a car is not good for me. I was thinking much like last night “get me to the orphanage” and sooner than later please. But let me tell you after we turn the corner to head into that sweet place someone said "I hear music" but it was actually the voices of the kids. They start running and I mean running towards the bus. Happy little faces just so excited and we felt already loved unconditionally. They were just waiting for us to get off the bus and they all stuck their little hands out just wanting to touch us. They have been waiting for a long time for us. They have planned on our arrival. We were led to their shelter where they worship and we sat with team members said “I hear music” but it was really the sounds of 202 very happy little Ugandan children. This bumpy, bumpy road was lined with banana trees. I kept thinking where are the kids? All I see are these trees…and a roster here and there. We finally pull up to where they can see us and they our new little friends. We were then treated to their singing. Videos will follow. They sang to us accompanied by drums and danced and worshipped. As one team member said, “we had church”. We then took a tour of the campus…saw their minimal little classrooms and their mats on the floor. When the director announced we were there to make beds for them they all cheered. What reward! I connected with several little ones in particular (justin, maria,esther, barbara) as the Emily (jackie and shamil) and Abigail (Robert and dennis)! This is such a treat and an honor to experience this with them! I know the rest of my girls would be so moved as well. i have a little piece of all for you here with me. Thank you for praying for us!

are we ready?

so i may not have to tell any of you this but i have not put the first thing in a bag. maybe mason is right. don't tell him i said that. hmmm. well, there is an explanation for this but i won't bore you with those details. however, the clothes have been sprayed and they are dry and they are folded. ready to go. everything is out but just not put anywhere. abigail was asked to go to the cma fest a while back and she is so excited. she loves lady antebellum and they perform tonight. i had to let her go. she helped do things around here today so we are good. emily worked until 5 but is with me now. we are like the blind leading the blind at this very point. scurrying around doing lots but doing nothing. it's ok. this is how i work. mason is in smyrna with caroline. she had a double header tonight after 3 games with BA today. they are going to stop by wal mart to see if they have a converter. we cannot find one anywhere. i have gone through this day just not thinking too much about the flights. i'm just going to show up at 2 tomorrow afternoon at the nashville airport and do what the others do. if they get on the plane, so will i. emily sent me a message today...

"I see their faces, look in their innocent eyes
They're just children from the outside
I'm working hard, I tell myself they'll be fine
They're in independent
But on the inside, I can hear them saying...

Lead me with strong hands
Stand up when I can't
Don't leave me hungry for love
Chasing dreams, but what about us?"

i love hearing my child lead me through stress with sweet words. these are words from a song called "lead me" by sanctus real. when i think of those words it helps me to focus on our cause at hand. that cause is the kids we will be ministering to...the ones we will soon meet. by the way, did you know the average age in uganda is 15? this is mainly due to malaria. malaria is the leading killer in uganda now, it has overtaken aids. sweet sleep is going to be providing these kids with beds as well as mosquito netting. what a blessing! they are currently sleeping on the ground on filthy, urine soaked mattresses. you know how you love to curl up in your bed? a safe haven from the world. your own piece of comfort. these kids don't know that comfort. a verse that has been speaking to me lately is "Be shepherds of God's flock that is under your care." I Peter 5:2 we are honored to be going and taking care of God's flock. He is entrusting us to be worthy disciples. wow. that is huge. just typing that gives me that funny feeling inside. i am now focused so i am going to finish up our packing so i can get to bed at a decent hour. however, if caitlin gets home soon enough, i will be having coffee with her on the back porch.

if today is june 10th...?

well. what. the. heck...? tomorrow is june 11. a day i have been throwing around like it would never get here. there will be 11 of us from nashville going. we will be meeting up with 4 from indiana in chicago. so 15 of us will embark tomorrow on what is surely to be a rewarding yet difficult journey. everything in my mind now is frozen. it's like i can't really even think. i have had things swirling through my head...what ifs, hows, whys, how much...constantly, but now i think it's come to the point of no need to worry or fret just go. that is the sentiment i feel has persuaded me all along...just go. and go we will. we are supposed to meet at the nashville airport at 2:00 tomorrow. our flight to chicago is at 4:05 (by the way, in a little american eagle jet. ugh.) i think i am going to let you know our flight times so you can pray for us if you happen to think of us at these times. so here goes: leaving chicago for london at 8:10 pm arrive london at 9:45 am. leave london 9:15 pm (yes, pm, we have a whole day in london) and arrive entebbe at 7:45 am. we have two night flights going over so it should be a good time to sleep...? hopefully. i am sure our times will be all messed up but it's all good. we are going to just roll with it. on the way home we leave entebbe at 9:00 am and get into london at 3:50 in the afternoon. we will then have an over night lay over leaving the next morning at 11:45 am getting into chicago at 2:15 pm. chicago to nashville at 4:35 pm landing at 6:00 pm in NASHVILLE. woo hoo! i know i will be very happy to get home by this point but i also anticipate a bittersweet jubilation. i know the people of kampala will leave an indelible mark on our hearts and minds. i am so blessed by those of you who have texted or emailed sweet messages of support to me or the girls. we are excited and will take you with us. "Stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain." 1 Corinthians 15:58


shouldn't go without packing. mason likes to remind me of this by frequently telling me that i always wait until the last minute and i stay up too late on nights before trips, etc. but that is when i am getting things ready for 7 people. i am really just getting myself ready for this trip. emily and abigail are taking care of their "stuff" and are doing their part. as a mom i guess you always do little things here and there that they may not think about. i have been gathering things for the past week it's just getting it all in a bag to go. (thank you, jeanne, for delivering skin so soft to us yesterday!) we have to pack a little bit of all three of our clothes in different bags in case any of our luggage gets lost. each bag also has some supplies (for the orphanage) we will need as well. emily works today until 5 so ab and i are going to start assessing what needs to go where and start the process. caroline is at BA basketball camp/practice in murfreesboro, julianne is at gamma's and caitlin is working so the house is free and clear for us to spread it all out. it's 8:50 am right now. i hope to check in later with things all done. maybe i can sit on my back porch tonight and drink coffee with caitlin instead of rushing around finishing things. she always requests that but it seems we never settle down for the night in time. we go, go, go and we are always too tired or either fall asleep even though we intend to do it. so with that being said, i guess i need to get a move on and stop thinking that time is standing still.

quietly preparing...

well, well today's post is mainly about words of comfort. i woke up early. mason was already gone. emily was up getting ready for work but everyone else was asleep. the house is quiet and i start reading email and facebook. emily has sent me a message on facebook with words to a song that was playing on her computer playlist this morning. i am not going to say we are "scared" but with 3 days to go we are getting a little anxious. the song has the words of amazing grace at the beginning but then other words are added.

this is her facebook message to me:
"in a song i woke up to this morning..we need to remember this friday

Through many dangers, toils and snares
You have already come
His grace has brought you safe this far
And His grace will lead you home

And the arms that hold the universe
Are holding you tonight
You can rest inside
It's gonna be alright
And the voice that calmed the raging sea
Is calling you His child
So be still and know He's in control
He will never let you go"


then, when i checked my email one of my prayer partners, teresa, had sent this verse to me. she was lead to it as she was praying for us.

2 Thessalonians 3:1-5

Finally, brothers, pray for us that the message of the Lord may spread rapidly and be honored, just as it was with you. And pray that we may be delivered from wicked and evil men, for not everyone has faith. But the Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen and protect you from the evil one. We have confidence in the Lord that you are doing and will continue to do the things we command. May the Lord direct your hearts into God's love and Christ's perseverance.


it is so reassuring to know that i really do have people praying for us (the girls and me and the team) and to know that they are on this journey with us. as i continued through the facebook newsfeed, i read the status of a family friend who is now a pastor in memphis. it said:

1 Corinthians 15:58 - "Stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain."


so with all of this being said... i feel good today. i am ready mentally, spiritually and almost physically. i have not mentioned the fact that i am anemic but i feel this is a good time to mention it. a normal blood count is 12-15. mine is 9.4. i say this only to underscore, once more, that this may not be perfect timing but i feel this is what i need to do. i am not at my strongest. i tire easily and by a normal day's end, my comfy bed is calling me. i will leave soon to go to a world unknown to me with a tired body but a strong soul. i pray and believe that my body will have the strength needed to do the work needed and for the duration needed. i have to tie up some loose ends today, run some errands and get back home to start spraying the clothes. i just think that's going to be an experience in itself.

supplies and surprises...

sunday, june 6
today was our final team meeting. everyone came to our house with all of the supplies they had gathered and an empty suitcase. we sorted everything and and opened our bags. they were quickly filled with individual mirrors (these kids don't know what they look like), pencil boxes filled with markers, glue sticks, colored pencils, construction paper, toothpaste, hair clips, coloring books, dum dum suckers, some recreational items, beads and twine and more. we got the business taken care of so that when our families and prayer partners joined us it would be a time of relaxation and fun. we had more than 40 people here. kids running everywhere, good eats and sweet prayer time. we are so excited to get there! frankly, when the plane lands in entebbe, i will be fired up! i totally, totally dread the flights. please pray for me and our team!


monday, june 7
today i had two early phone conversations with two friends from my childhood. these are friends who are friends for life. crystal and sally. they both wanted to hear about the plans for the trip and see if i needed anything and asked if i was ready. these are friends who i can be totally honest with about excitement as well as trepidation. they understand and support. i am so blessed to have such sweet people in my life who truly care for me. this is crazy but it turns out that crystal will be in london at the same time we will be on our return flight from entebbe. we will actually be spending the night in london that night so we are planning to meet for dinner. yay! she will be able to get a fresh account of our experience complete with pictures. i am truly hoping that one day these sweet friends (including you, suzanne) can accompany me on another trip! later in the day i went to my mother's for a little bit to sit in the sun with her, caitlin, emily, julianne and sandy (my sister in law). i acted like i had nothing in the world to do. maybe i am in denial...? i got home and checked the mail. yay to abigail and julianne who got their grades today. proud of them and so thankful julianne pulled it together and finished english strong! the summer school possibility was looming :/ i then started on the huge mounds of clothes that needed washing. we do not plan to take much but i needed to make sure that what we did want to take was clean. we will most likely be wearing a lot of the same clothes several different times. when we shower with untreated water (eww!)we will be washing off all of the 40% deet bug spray and the at least 30 spf sunscreen only to spray the bug spray on again once we get out of the shower. does that sound clean to you? i don't think we will feel clean at all the entire time we are there. that's ok. we are prepared for that. we are also trying to prepare ourselves for the actual showering. we cannot open our mouths. i am taking duct tape to put over our mouths. you think i am crazy, right? i have already stated that i a am germ freak. but seriously, all i know is that once we check into that london hotel on the way home we will be so excited to take a clean shower and put on clean clothes. i am already thinking, as i type this, that we may not want to "wash away" our experience. once we board the plane home, we may want to continue to live in the little slice of world that will most likely be ingrained in our souls.


i continue to be amazed by acts of kindness that are being shown. i love how i see God putting a exclamation mark where i sometimes want to put a question mark. today, i received two unsolicited checks from people who just want to help out. this, to me, solidifies that i am doing the right thing. it's very easy to get down and think negatively but when so much around me is positive, i have to just trust and hand it over to God. i remain so humbled that i get this opportunity and especially the fact that i get to experience it with two of my girls.

one week to go...

thursday, june 3
today is my father's birthday. he died in 1996 in belize while scuba diving. he would have been 73 today. i just want to recognize the fact that he is one of the main reasons that i feel the urge to go on a mission like this. he taught me compassion and acceptance. he was such a loving man and is hugely missed by all of us. i wish my girls had had the chance to have his influence in their life. we keep him alive by talking about him but the void of his personality and presence can't be denied.

friday, june 4
i tried to gather my thoughts and decompress today. caroline is at the lake with her basketball team... julianne is spending the night with friends... caitlin is in birmingham... abigail is babysitting. this freed me up for some time with emily at wal mart. woo hoo! we had to get a few more things before we start to pack. (remember, we are supposed to spray all of our clothes with the military repellent spray and allow to air dry before we pack. that will be a long process.) i have gotten great ideas from friends who have already done a trip like this. one of the better tips to me is to take flat sheets to put over our "bed". also, to pack a pillow case that you can put clothes in to use as a pillow. it will just feel good to have a little comfort that smells and feels like home. thanks to julie and jenni for that! they also told me to pack clothes in two separate bags in case one gets lost. great idea. i think we will put a little of each of our clothes in three different bags. surely all three won't get lost...? going to watch a movie now with emily if we can find one on demand. i hear mason snoring so i think it will be a girly movie.

9 days and counting...

tuesday, june 1...
i woke up today with a lot on my mind. the holiday was over and i have so much to do. i first went to target with julianne and abigail. we got a few snacks for the trip, some shampoo, bug spray, markers for the children, kleenex, zip loc bags, etc. we need to start packing. someone told me to get the 2 1/2 gallon size baggies to pack fresh clothes in. it will be nice to have clean clothes to put on after we land in london on our way home. if we don't separate some clothes from our others, i am quite sure they will be yucky if they are kept with our other clothes from the week. after target, we went to bed, bath and beyond to check on fans. got a few small, battery operated fans to use when we sleep. i checked the weather today for uganda and it said the high was 75! now that sounds good to me :) i went to the verizon store to check out global phone service. my basic flip phone is not set up for global service so they are sending me a loaner phone. we can email and bbm (blackberry messenger) to all blackberry users free from both the uk and uganda! if you are a blackberry user feel free to bbm us while we are there. we will have one phone and it will be my regular number. texts and calls are more expensive of course, so please don't call or text us. it makes me feel better knowing i can communicate free to caitlin and mason. i just feel good knowing that they, as well as julianne and caroline, can get me if needed. everybody needs their mama! caroline has not said she doesn't want me to go but i can tell she is a little unsure. she will say little things here and there and she has been more cuddly. she likes to snuggle anyway but she's been a bit more clingy. she is at one of her best buddy's house right now and has texted me saying she was sad. that is unusual.



wednesday, june 2...
today i woke up again, with my mind full of things to add to my list. i (and caitlin and julianne) had to first take my mother to meet some friends from atlanta and indiana. they were going to memphis for a class reunion. they all look so young and are so active. after we had her taken care of, we came home only to find out we had to go right back out. caitlin had to babysit so julianne and i headed out to pick up some kids toothpaste that had been donated by some sweet dentist friends. thank you to dr. temp sullivan, dr. dale sullivan, sr. and dr. dale sullivan, jr. because of them we are going to be able to give each kid in the orphanage their own tube of toothpaste along with a toothbrush. we plan to put them in their birthday bag. since most of these kids don't even know their birthday, sweet sleep throws a birthday party for all of them! we are putting together goody bags that will contain the toothpaste, toothbrushes, pencils, a picture frame, a picture that we will take of them when we get there (they don't ever see themselves), a hand held mirror, silly bands (donated by learning express. thank you, connie and janine! emily works there and got them today), dum dum suckers and a few more odds and ends. i have been told to ask before we take pictures in the city but usually kids like to get their picture taken and they like to see it after you take it. after picking up the toothpaste, we stopped by home to pick up abigail who had been babysitting. we went to bink's in downtown franklin to get abigail a kavu bag. she wanted a small flat bag to carry with her. emily also has one. they are cute. i figure i will take a larger bag daily so that i can take the camera and larger items we will need throughout the day...bug spray, sunscreen, snacks. we then went to belk to find some longer skirts for the girls. remember what i have said about the knees of a woman? got some on sale, just a few. i know we will be wearing a lot of things two or three times. this is why that zip loc bag of fresh clothes will be so welcomed! we stopped at border's to get summer reading books for school. we got caitlin and emily some leisure reading books. we then spent over an hour at sears looking at cameras. i have needed a new one for a while. i asked and asked and looked and looked and all three of us took pictures and compared them. poor chris, the salesman. he was kind of cocky in the beginning, not really wanting to talk much. he was set to get off at 7. but by 7:30 when we finally left we had gotten to be buddies. i knew his best friend's name (trevor) and that his favorite show was "the office". i knew his girlfriend was interviewing for a job. (sometimes i know my girls wonder how they are sane living with me. enough said). he had told us how he and another employee, jerry, were enlisting in the army together. so chris, jerry, abigail, julianne and i discussed this and we told them that we appreciated the fact that they will be protecting us and keeping us safe. we were exhausted. what a long day! lastly, we went to p.f. chang's and my fortune said this "your eyes will soon be opened to a world full of beauty, charm and adventure..." i believe so :) i know those sweet children will be full of beauty and charm. oh, but when i got home i checked my email and what popped up but att news saying that british airways has done something pretty dumb. not only have they been on strike, but obviously they had put osama bin laden's name on a fake boarding pass for some reason (advertisement) and it has caused indifference. what the heck? so now is bin laden going to want to retaliate against british airways?? did i mention we are flying BRITISH AIRWAYS? oh gosh. i gotta' go to bed...

visions of bed bugs dancing in my head...

measles and mumps and polio oh my...and yellow fever
thursday, may 27...at our last team meeting, stuart informed me that the three of us (emily, abigail and i) may have to get our visas after we get there. what? he said it was no big deal we would just have to be in a different line. it's a common thing to do. but, if we got our yellow fever shot quickly enough he would see what he could do to get it before we leave. so asap we tried to schedule our yellow fever shot. nothing was available until june 2 so we ended up having to go to a place where someone would have to consult us which meant we had to pay a consultation fee along with a hefty amount per shot. we had to first listen to the lady tell us every possible thing that could go wrong and every possible disease that we could contract. the information lists things like parasitic worms and bed bugs. o.k... please just stop. as she talked i sat there wondering about what the girls were thinking because i was thinking "am i crazy to be doing this? what the heck am i doing? oh gosh, i just don't know..." (right here is a good place to interject, once more, that this is totally our of my realm of normalcy and comfort...but that in itself is one reason why we are going). i looked their way and caught their eyes staring at me with a perplexed look as if they wanted me to say "it will be fine. no big deal" but honestly, i was just as perplexed as they were. i did however, manage to say "well, we will handle whatever comes along..." but all the while i had visions of things we were going to have to pack and what on earth would we really be coming into contact with. the lady convinced us that we must get some spray used by the military to thwart off insects (mosquitos, ticks, chiggers, etc.). we will need to spray each side of each clothing item and let it dry then repeat on the other side. after it dries, pack it. also, apparently, there is an outbreak of measles in africa right now. so along with the yellow fever i had to get a measles booster...and polio. the girls were fine because of their normal childhood vaccines. $700 dollars later we left the office...



friday morning, may 28th, another garage sale...
so after spending a small fortune on just shots i thought to open our garage again for two more days to see if we could possibly raise a little bit more and possibly cover the extra shots i had to get. that amount was $198. on thursday, abigail and i went to chris and jeanne's (brother and sister in law) house to get some things they were going to donate. they gave us two small bicycles, books and two unknown (to me) pieces of wood working equipment. well, those were heavy and it was hot that day! we laughed as jeanne, abigail, madilynn (niece) and i loaded those things, and not easily i might add, nor gracefully! i am sure it was a funny sight and then abigail proclaimed that she was "burning up". well, think africa... in june... with no air conditioning. i bet she will rethink nashville hot after she experiences the african heat. guess how much we made in the garage sale? $190 and some change! not even kidding.



saturday afternoon, may 29th
we planned to go to memphis to help surprise my uncle, harvey, for his 80th birthday! we closed the garage sale early, quick changed into different clothes and jumped in the car and headed west. abigail had been feeling a little weird that morning. light headed and her arm where her yellow fever shot was given was swollen and red. she put an ice pack on her arm and took some tylenol. i think that helped. i am amazed at these girls getting strange shots and taking weird medicine to prevent weird things. emily and abigail, both, are a little reserved about what they will do. i will have to say, though, that both have made great strides as far as being a little more adventurous. abigail isn't afraid to fly but emily is. the way emily has forged ahead without really thinking about it, trying not to get all worked up, helps me realize that this is a good thing. while at the table at harvey's party, another uncle, bobby, was talking to me about the trip. he did the usual ribbing that most uncles will do. he teased about past political regimes in uganda, etc. then he got this serious look and said "all foreign countries can be dangerous but the same God that protects you here will protect you there." “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”— Acts 1:8



sunday morning, may 30th
we have to take our typhoid medicine or it won't be in our system long enough. i mean, we leave in 12 days! it is going to be right on the cusp of being too late to be protected. hope we aren't exposed to that before our meds kick in. so before church this morning, abigail and i went to walgreens to get our oral typhoid pills. fyi, we are getting our cipro (antibiotic just in case) at publix FREE. do you all know about that program? up to a 14 day supply of certain antibiotics at publix....free! i spend so much there anyway i feel ok about that. at church, our pastor, mike, told us to do our part and take care of what we can and make a difference when and where we can. i feel the need to lean into our children and feed them with compassion. this trip is all about that. touching a little piece of the world, doing what we can and having two of my girls with me is , again, humbling. that we even get this opportunity is huge to me. mike also said "nothing can undo what we put in our kids' hearts." it's our job to fill their hearts with the good stuff. i want to put compassion in my girls' hearts. they have it but i want them to live it. i can't wait to get there. not ready for the flight yet but just thinking about experiencing a new culture, a new way of life, new people with extraordinary needs in extraordinary conditions is going to make the 35 hours (yikes!) in an airplane tolerable. "what we do for ourselves dies with us. what we do for others and the world remains and is immortal" -albert pine.

kind acts and words of wisdom...

friday, may 21st, emily and i went to the sweet sleep office to turn in some paperwork and to talk to stuart, the man who knows all. on the way, i called a dear friend, suzanne, to tell her happy birthday and to tell her thank you. she had sent a little something in the mail to go towards our trip. she has been a big supporter of our mission and is planning on going on a sweet sleep trip in the near future (right, sam?). i only hope that i can go with her and experience a life changing trip with a life long friend! over the weekend i received an email from someone else explaining that she also wanted to help with expenses. she wanted me to not pay her back but to pay it forward. i see how God is working through others to allow me and my girls to go on this trip. it is truly humbling. deut 4:9 "be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them slip from your heart as long as you live. teach them to your children and to their children after them."


one day (about a month ago) i was having a day of uncertainty. this was before we had even sent off for our passports or even really thought of the shots and the prescriptions or the mosquitos or the diseases, etc. i had just about decided not to go. i was pushing or forcing this. or was i? later that afternoon my next door neighbor, linda, walked over to give us a check in support of our mission. she began to tell me about a family she knew who went to uganda to work. they were a young couple (scott and emily) with 4 small children (6, 4, 2 and 2 months) who felt led to go. they came home 6 years later with 6 children! they adopted two while they were there. they had recently moved back to "this continent" (per their oldest son) and would be in nashville until june. i felt the need to meet this family and talk to them. i thought it would help the girls, too, to listen and ask questions. so i called them on their cell and we talked for a little while. we arranged for the entire family of 8 to visit. all 8 of them and 6 of us and my mother. mason was working. i asked them to just tell us their story. scott brought in his computer and showed pictures of their time in uganda. he showed us a plate of "normal" food and explained each item on the plate. it was cute as when that picture popped up on the screen one of the glisson girls said "yum" and my girls were probably thinking "huh?". it looked like a plate of different colored piles of mush with a couple of colored vegetables (pumpklin and sweet potato). there was also millet, a corn dish, smashed bananas, rice, beans, goat stomach. goat stomach? a few of us were questioning what we would be eating during our time there as we were not going to be eating goat stomach. the same little girl said, "well you need to try it." we were also told about "g nut butter". "g" is for ground nuts. it is supposedly very good. i am sure g nut butter will be a staple of ours. they were cute, well educated kids who had been raised in uganda. they really knew no different. we talked about that after they left. america to them was "grandma's and disney world". they didn't really know every day living here. what was normal to them was very strange and questionable to us. we asked about clothing customs and it was interesting to hear that our skirts should cover our knees. it was funny hearing the oldest (12) tell us how men working in the fields would take off their shirts but so would the women...but they would never show their knees. if you get my drift, knees to them are like breasts here. i asked them what the locals thought of people like us entering their country. did they see us as friendly or as a threat? they expressed that the african people see us as hope. funny they said that because my friend julie, who travelled to sierra leone, said the same thing, "our faces give them hope". i am going to try to remember these words of wisdom as we travel to this far and away land. they encouraged us to try everything: not only in food but in experience. don't be afraid, be smart but take in what is going on around us. whether it is letting the locals touch our skin and our hair (which they will want to do), white water rafting the nile (class 5 rapids) on our one fun day, getting our de-worming (ugh) medicine at a local pharmacy while there or just taking it all in as we will spend lots of time in traffic (there are no stop signs or traffic lights or road rules...or at least none that are enforced). they said it's crazy but just take it all in. our kids all began to talk and play outside (picture above of all of the kids together) and just bond a bit as we all wanted to hold brooks (the baby) while the others played basketball or skateboarded. it was a good time. thank you glisson family!