Amazing

Wow. I didn't really know what to expect. I tried to imagine but it's hard understand without being here and very hard to describe.

We drove out of Entebee (the old capital, where the airport is), through Kampala (the new capital), stopping at a grocery store and target-type store to pick up supplies. In these major cities, Africa didn't seem much different then the small island of Kauai, Hawaii we visited on our honeymoon. Things were different but not that different. The climate and vegetation are very similar to Hawaii - thick warm air and tropical plant life. The traffic and driving in these cities is pretty bad but we have experienced that before in the some of the Italian cities we've visited.

After running errands we packed back up in the van and drove over five hours through the African countryside. This is when things started to get real. The country of Uganda is truly beautiful. As we traveled, we went through numerous villages each a little different but very much the same. Small shanties line the street of the main road, selling everything from live chickens to cell phone minutes. The same five companies have paid shop owners all throughout the county to make their buildings into a giant billboard so you repeatedly see brightly painted run down buildings with these repeated logos on them. It's a weird combination of conmercialism and destitute poverty.

Making our way into Komonkoli it was more of the same - small shops, some brightly colored with random logos lined the junction. But this time we turned off, onto a rough dirt road (not that most of the roads up until this point were very smooth). As we started along the road into the village we got our first real glimpse into the lives we are here to touch and be touched by. There were people everywhere - walking up and down the road. Many without shoes and most in tattered clothing. Children, tiny children - literally kids who couldn't be more then four or five years old, walk miles down this road alone, carrying their baby siblings the entire way.

We drove through all of this and turned into the HUM compound - through an ornate steel gate which was opened for our van by the armed guard on duty that evening (I'm not sure if this made me feel more safe that he is there or more anxious that there is a need for him to be there). The compound is an area of buildings the ministry rents which houses the families of many of the staff as well as offices and guest houses (where we are staying). We made our way to the main guest house where Andy and Amanda will be staying the four months they are here and then to our home on the other side of the compound. We were greeted by a dozen young kids, most if whom were children of the ministry staff. Both if us were instantly smitten by these sweet faces and bright smiles, especially a little sweetie named Rebecca (you will hear more about her later).

I have so much more to share with you and wish I could post photos from my camera but for now just this one of Mike and I with a few of the 400+ kids from Awana today.

*we have semi-regular access to very, very slow dial up internet. If it is working it takes about 45 minutes to upload a small camera phone photo. Sorry for the minimal communication, I wish I could share everything we're experiencing and you could see the faces of these amazing children.