Day One in Paradise

Day One in Paradise! After I made the post yesterday, it was time to board the plane for the eight hour flight to Entebbe…or so we thought. A man in the row in front of us had a heart attack and so the plane was diverted to Rome, Italy! We spent a couple of hours on the ground there while the crew readied the man for the trip to the hospital. We ended up landing in Africa over two hours late. I felt so badly as Pastor Chris, Deo and Stella. They arrived at the airport at 7:30 in anticipation of our arrival. It was great to see them and I know they were happy to see us in more ways that one!? Stella stayed in the room with me last night and we had an awesome time talking and reading. Today has been awesome. We got up early and took Stella to her school. She has done very well there. When I first met her, less than two years ago, she could not speak English. But now she is doing so well! We left her and headed on the boat across Lake Victoria. We met up with the “boda bodas,” which are motorcycle taxis that took the six of us across the red dirt “road” to the orphanage. I video taped the entire ride…I think it will be quite shaky, but very funny! We had a blast going over the African trail roads littered with pot holes. Finally, we ended up at Bethany Village Orphanage. It was beautiful! I know it is some of the prettiest land on this earth. The lush foliage of the jungle, coupled with the quaint buildings of the orphanage, is a beautiful site. It is Africa at its finest. We stayed at the orphanage for a few hours; we visited the children’s’ homes, the clinic, and the classrooms. There are at least 50 children in each room, but they are, indeed, the lucky ones. We took a leisurely boat ride back to Ggaba and started the trek to the Equator. Most everyone slept in the van during the two hour driving trip. Jet lag has “reared it’s ugly head,” and we are tired. But, once we were there, we were so glad that we made the trip. It is a bit like going to the Alamo… “this is IT?”; however, it is so “cool” to say that we have stood in both the northern and the southern hemispheres. Bryan was doing push ups in both hemispheres at the same time. Now…I bet there aren’t many people who can brag about that!!!!! We stopped at a spot along side the road that we saw in March to look at the hand-made drums. We found a couple of beautiful instruments! The folks there promised me that the hides of the cows used on the drums came from animals whose meat they had used for eating! Swell…and how about that swamp land in Florida for sale? It is only about 9:30 here, but we are all ready for showers…hot or cold…and for bed. We have to be up early to drive to Jinja for the white water rafting on the Nile River. They boast Level 5 rapids. I hope the Level 5 rapids here are NOT what they are in the U.S. If they are…it is possible I’ll see you on the other side of Heaven. It has been a great day. We are happy, while tired. It’s time for bed. I am going to put this on my memory stick and upload it in the morning. There are no Internet Cafes close to this hotel and the day has been full. Wish you were here!!!!! And, I really do mean it. This is my “home away from home.”