What a day!! Maybe one of the best ever, so a couple of odds and ends at the market than back to my room. Something that did not agree with me, so rush to the bathroom. I decided to take my anti-biotics and several other pills and just rest for 2 hours, I had planned on taking the boys swimming at Bomah hotel. This short trip is mostly connecting with old friends and setting things up for future trips (Stephens, Hellwig). Last year the guys and I had such a wonderful trip to the pool I was hoping a little rest would help me answer the bell. The pool was totally calm when Ronald and Geoffrey showed up and I told them a Ugandan mist pierce the stillness, I would follow but they must start. Ronald, Geoffrey, and Amos have different levels of skill and comfort in the water so we spent some time this year actually teaching them how to swim and be more comfortable in the pool, they made amazing progress in just 45 minutes time. I was showing them how to just be comatose in the water and how relaxing it could feel. Soon I heard another voice asking them questions about me. It was my host for the evening Julius. He had invited me to dinner, as we left the pool we travelled together as a team. It soon dawned on me that we were all going to dinner together. I should have known, Julius is a preacher and a man of God, and he certainly would INCLUDE all. What would Christ have done?
It is amazing what Julius had done and how many people he brings with him. He is now preaching in his home to over 100 people every Friday and Sunday. Tonight at midnight he is riding a bus to Kampala to make sure his wife has a passport. They will spend no time in Kampala after the passport office and immediately take another 8 hour bus ride home, so Julius can preach on Friday. Joyce his wife and her friend just prepared the best meal I ever had in Uganda. We had deep fried chicken and fried pork, roasted pork, american salad, Irish potatoes and more. All of the dishes were cooked in a way I have not had in Uganda. Unbelievable, the thought of going slow with my weakened stomach immediately vanished. Oh and the pineapple was wonderful. The boys and I had the most wonderful conversation all evening and were joined by a 22 year old student teacher at the end of the meal.
We all started walking home in the dark to our 5 different homes. Ronald even went the wrong way for awhile to continue this amazing evening. I am so blessed to have not one, but all 4 of these men in my life. I will try to update this with more details later, but I am joining Amos at his school tomorrow morning and have to go to bed. Of course, Julius called a boda boda driver he knew to make sure I got home. Samuel was his name and he described Julius as his Father, the one who leads him to God. 1 kilometer from home the headlight on the motorcycle went out. Samuel asked me to get off the bike, I told him I could finish on foot, but he insisted no. He picked up the heavy motorcycle shook it twice and the opened up the gas tank put his mouth on the opening and tried to suck the gasoline up. (For us Gulu boda boda riders this is not all that uncommon). The motorcycle rose to a start and we finished our journey. For those of you who know a boda ride through the cool Ugandan night with the wind whipping at your face is a experience like no other.
After, arriving home and grabbing my iPad to FaceTime mom, I noticed two selfless kind colleagues at home Gail and Lisa had both come through.
Get out see the world—people are quite something.
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