Tomorrow's Gulu Day!

Today was supposed to a relaxing day, but I ended up planning more activities for myself than I needed. We woke up and had devotions. Devotions this morning were really good. Jen had us spend some time in groups encouraging and praying for each other. It was really up lifting.

We had the morning off so I was finally able to take a warm running water shower. It was fabulous.

During lunch Felix and I got to talking about what kind of chair Francis (the boy with cerebral palsy) would need so that he could sit up and play with the other kids in his class. Felix and I drew up a plan and figured out what measurements we would need to take. Then we had some lunch and walked to see a carpenter about making the chair for Francis. He wanted to charge us 40,000 shillings (20 US dollars) to make the chair. I thought that was a good deal, but Felix didn’t. He recommended that I wait until next week when we get back to Katawalma (the children’s hospital) because they could do it better and for cheaper (30,000 shillings or 15 US dollars). Can you believe it? A cerebral palsy chair for $15 dollars, back home it would cost thousands of dollars!

Once we were done making our plans, Amanda (a Ugandan) and I head to Sanyu baby’s home so that I could take measurements of Francis. Because I was the only one going, Amanda and I had to take a taxi to Sanyu, but first we went and picked up our white water rafting DVD and stopped by a craft market so I could get some Ugandan sandals at a place that Amanda knows about where they are really cheap.

When we wanted to get back into the taxi, we found a part of the city where a strike was going on. A group of people who own shops in a market were protesting the closing of the shopping center where they work. The strike was already over, but there were still burnt out fires and soldiers everywhere! The taxis couldn’t pass through, so we had to take a boda boda the rest of the way. I was smart enough not to get burned this time, but I still have not figured out a graceful way for me to get on, off, or ride a boda boda. I’m pretty sure I look ridiculous when doing all things boda boda.

When we got there, the babies were just waking him from their nap, so I had to change and feed Francis before I could start measuring him. It was very difficult to do because there were children around every where and I had no one to help me hold Francis up while I measured him. After a about an hour or so, I think I finally got what I needed. I can’t wait to take the measurements to Katawalma next Wednesday and see what they can do.

After I finished measuring Francis, I played with the babies some. Mostly Moses and a little boy named David. They were so cute and fun and I had a really good time. Afterwards, we met up with Rita, another Ugandan, and a girl named Leah from Minnesota. Leah wants to get her hair dreadlocked before we go to Gulu, and she needed Amanda to take her to see a friend of hers. Rita took me the rest of the way home on a taxi.

When I got home we watched the Notebook and ate some dinner. Sometime tonight I have to pack for Gulu. I am getting up early tomorrow to call my family before we leave for Gulu. I am so excited about the trip and about getting to talk to them!

In case you don’t get my e-mails, I will be gone to Gulu until Sunday evening. So you won’t get any updates from me until then but here is a list of things you can pray about while I am gone:

•Pray for safe travel for me and the group. Gulu is 6 to 8 hours away because the roads in Ugandan are so bad.

•Pray for our group’s safety while we are there. Gulu is much safer than it was a few years ago, but we have been told there are some mentally unstable individuals there who hate white people and might try to fight with some of the boys.

•Pray for the things we bring to stay safe, because theft is an issue in such a poor part of the country.

•Pray for our group to have strength and energy as we will be doing a lot of hard work and sleeping on cement floors, which will obviously limit the amount of sleep and rest we get.

•Pray for us to work hard. We are going to try to build an entire house in 3 days!

•Pray for us to have a impact on all the people at the refugee camps and schools that we meet.

•Pray for God to change us and for those people to have an impact on us.

•Also, this one might sound silly, but pray for the burn that I have on my leg. I popped the blisters today so I wouldn’t have to worry about them popping in Gulu. I am bringing cleaning supplies and bandages with me, but I am concerned about it getting infected while we are in such an unclean place. So pray for no infections and fast healing!

Today’s word: takisi (tack key see) which means taxi.

Talk to you guys in few days!
Jenna