Uganda Mission 2012

Jan 11, 2011

Hello all!

Brenda and I are back in the saddle with a new 2012 Uganda Mission team! 5 members from St. Vincent Healthcare in Billings, Montana and their families and friends! All geared and ready to teach public health, nutrition etc, get the solar power up for the clinic and plumbing/piping of water from the new solar deep water well. We could hardly wait and the 30 some hours flew by!

WIN SOME LOSE SOME

It all started off with a pleasant surprise after a smooth packing and 17 tubs of supplies etc. we got them all through the Billings airport free (United was going to charge $70 for second luggage each!).
The flights went very well even with this being a different route from previous. I was surprisingly calm and settled even after being up all night finishing the last of the packing and home arrangements. The team is awesome and very very easy to travel with. Thank you God!

I was stopped in Brussels and all went through as well. Jessie and Brenda had to check their carry ons and Jessie's did not show up (later it was found and a few days later she got it on the farm). Customs at the airport has gone smoothly in past years. This year, however, we hit a snag! They wanted to see the manifests and asked if we had medicine. They wanted to check the medicine tubs. We were also the last ones out of the airport as Jessie was filing her lost luggage claim. I was so flustered I asked for tub B and gave the Ready Relief Box document. I then asked if the others could go on as we had a ride waiting and they would be concerned we had not arrived on the flight due to the long delay and noone else coming out of the airport. They granted us that and the others went on ahead. Brenda stayed with me as tub B had her personal items in it. At first they wanted to keep the whole tub and have us pick it up at the Drug Authority warehouse. We said no way! It went on and on. Finally the customs lady produced a razor blade and we cut the ties. Lo and behold it was all of Brenda's personal items and a few meds and vitamins she bought from St. V's pharmacy. So we convinced the gal to let us keep the tub and she kept a bag of medicine (some of which was Rocephin...a very valuable injectible antibiotic!). Then the gal saw the cart a ways away from us the team accidentally left behind when they went ahead and wanted to search them! Thankfully another official told her to let us go. I fairly ran out of the airport pushing the cart and was so grateful that was all they got! Once outside, the hot night air and familiar Uganda smells hit me....home away from home. Good to be back!

Richard Angoma picked us up with the hired bus. We stayed at a new guesthouse and filled the place up with our team. All slept well and adjusted well the following day. It was a day of seeing the bustling city and getting a taste of shopping in Kampala! There was a business strike so a lot of places were closed. We still managed to find two sinks and supplies, buy Jessie some new clothes...etc! Then on to the farm with a 5 hour bus ride.

Note: I am having to post these all quite delayed from actual date of the trip as internet access has still proven elusive up north, no matter how hard I try and no matter which satellite modem I buy!

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