OK - let's catch up! Monday morning (like, 3am morning) we headed out to PTI airport with 4 giant suitcases and 2 trunks all at max weight. By the grace of God we weren't charged for the trunks. Score.
Once we got to DC we switched to Ethiopian Airlines. Let me tell you. Ethiopian Airlines is Legit. 3 delicious meals, sweet blankets and pillows (even thought there is no chance you can ever sleep on that plane) and self serve drinks. Legit. Ethiopia Airport on the other hand - not so much. That is some sketchy business.
So Greensboro to DC to Addis to Entebbe, Uganda. With all our luggage. Nice. Driver takes us to our hotel. Around dinner time our gracious and wonderful hosts from Good Shepherd's Fold come in and take us to dinner at Goretti's Pizza which is right on Lake Victoria. I mean right on it. So, so pretty it feels like it should be in a movie. We sit just beside the water. And then the flies. Oh the flies - boy do they come out. We move up a little under the shelter and 2 hours later we are full of delicious pizza! (When they say there is no fast food in Uganda, there is no fast food in Uganda. Really. Delicious and cheap, yes. Fast, absolutely not.)
The next morning we meet the team that came in the night before from Florida. They'll be at GSF for the next week on a mission trip, so we're joining up with them and sharing the guest house. Summer Camp style. This is actually a huge blessing because we'll be able to blend in with them and hang out with the kids without having to answer questions about why we're actually here.
OK, so words and pictures just can't do this justice. We get to GSF and are met by all the kids with music and dancing and I think it just can't get any better. And then Blake and I get off the bus and there is one particular boy waiting at the bottom of the steps with a flower in his hand and the biggest smile you've ever seen. And it was just perfect. And yes, Blake cried.
The next day all the Florida team is treating all the house moms to lunch and fancy hairdos in Jinja, so Blake and I get to run the toddler room while they're gone. :) (ok, actually one of the toddler house moms stayed because it was just her second day on the job - and seriously, I think God must have sent her from heaven because this? this house mom business? is the hardest job on earth.) There are 4 older boys that we get to take on a walk, and down to the big playground and it's just pretty fantastic. A relentless, messy, exhausting and wonderful 3 hours later, we head back for lunch. Now I'm just so tired from thinking about it that I don't even remember what we did the rest of the day.
OK, the next day - Friday. The team has a field day thing planned for the morning, so we help out with crafts and stuff. But the best part is when the toddler house (our favorite) gets to the water relay. They look at the bukets of water and say, very matter-of-factly, "I bathe!" So cute. And although the game is explained, and played - within a few minutes they're head down in the water, scrubbing. So stinkin' cute. (you'll see pictures later. just trust me.)
Almost done. Friday afternoon the team heads into Jinja for a couple of days, so Blake and I get some down time which is nice. We finally get to skype with Kate and Anneliese! Yay!
We got to sleep in a little today (Saturday) and got invited to Jinja with the Gwartney's for lunch. It was our first time to Jinja, so that was exciting. Chinese in Uganda for lunch? Yes please! A little shopping after lunch? Why, of course! We didn't get much time with the toddlers today, but we're looking forward to church tomorrow and plenty of playtime in the afternoon. I hear there might even be African dance involved. And you know Blake loves to dance.
