Safe in Gulu!

We are in Uganda. It’s real. I can’t believe it. I keep reminding myself that I actually am living here… for four months. I LOVE it here so much and I feel healthy and strong and so at home already.

Traveling to Uganda was… long, to say the least. We left from Chicago and flew for 8 hours to London, where we had a 12-hour layover. This flight was the first time I have EVER flown through the Chicago-O’Hare airport and not had a delay! Success. When we got to London, we put our carry-on bags in a storage room, exchanged some US dollars for pounds, and hopped on the tube for Hyde Park. We also saw Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, and Westminster Abbey, rode a double-decker bus, and overall just enjoyed the layout of the city, which was definitely NOT a grid like Milwaukee.

Being in London wiped us all out, especially because we hadn’t slept much on the plane from Chicago. When we got on the plane from London to Uganda, I passed out right away… I don’t even remember taking off.

Getting off the plane in Africa and seeing Lake Victoria was so wonderful. I felt at home. Asunta and Shammah picked us up at the airport and we hopped in the Village of Hope van. It was supposed to take us 6 hours to drive to Gulu, but with all the stops we made, it was more like 12 hours.

One stop was on the VOH land in Masindi!!!!! Last year when I was there, there were only 7 huts, and the foundations for one house and one school building. Now there are two school buildings, four homes, a kitchen, and like three bathroom buildings! I also got to see George (who calls me B2, because Bryce was B1 when we were here last year), Bosco, and Ken, all who remembered me… I was so happy. (Bryce: they miss you so much, and so does Julie)!

We finally got to Gulu last night, and we are staying in a hotel called Hotel Roma. It is SOOO much nicer than where I stayed last year… we even have our own bathrooms in each room. We feel so safe here.

Today came the moment I have been waiting for for over a year… I was FINALLY reunited with Julie, my very best Ugandan friend. I missed her so much! We walked to Gulu market and passed Kope Café… it’s so great recognizing things and kind of knowing where I am! I feel SO at home, especially because I am reunited with my family here… Julie, Rosie, Charles, Asunta. I have also made new friends- my Acholi is improving even just within one day. I hope to be fluent by October at the latest. :]

Tomorrow we are planning on going to Watoto Church and then visiting Koro Abili refugee camp. I can’t wait to see the kids and play with them. I will not be interviewing any kids individually with the video camera tomorrow, because we will go back to Abili next week, and I want to simply build relationships tomorrow. I will bring it and perhaps film them dancing and playing, though, so they can see the camera and get comfortable with it being there.

Everything is wonderful. I want to stay forever. (But don’t worry Mom and Dad… I promise I’ll come home for Christmas, at least this year).

Thanks for reading… love you all. :] Stay tuned for photographs and video clips within the next couple of weeks!