BWANA ASIFIWE!!!

Bwana asifiwe [bw-ah-nah ah-see-fee-way] mean "Praise the Lord" in Swahili. I am praising the Lord. We arrived to Uganda on Wednesday, but not as planned...let me tell you the story. Grab your favorite beverage cause this might be long...

It all started on Monday, January 29th. We left my mom and dad's house around 10 a.m. thinking of the long trip ahead of us. As you will remember from my last post, we were having to go the long way around to get to Entebbe! Well, we got to Chicago early which was a good thing! The counter attendant we had was the same one we had last time, in 2003, and she was not very accommodating. This time she was very nice. She didn't really like all the luggage we had with us, but was kind of joking about it. Then she told us the great news!!! Here are her words..."The strike ended just a little while ago, so would you like to be routed straight to Entebbe via London?" Can you imagine our answer? ..."Yes, we would love to go straight to Entebbe via London!" So our route was back on track.

We said our good-byes to many of you and were off to the security check. After getting to the waiting area to board our plane, many different thoughts were taking place. The kids were crying and not wanting to leave, thoughts of awe came into action as the snow was coming down really hard, and we were struck with the realization that there were not very many people in the waiting area for such a large plane. We waved at those who were watching through the window and settled in for what we thought might be a several minute wait. But to our surprise an official came to the microphone and said that we would be boarding the plane early because of the snow. Still, there were only a hand full of people in the waiting area compared to what the plane could hold.

We boarded the plane, one of the first ones since we had children. As others started to file onto the plane, we were startled to see how many seats were remaining empty. After everyone was seated the attendants were suggesting that people spread out since there were so many seats available. It was the most unusual flight we had ever been on. I don't really know how many people the plane could hold, but I am guessing over 200 and it wasn't even half full. We were able to stretch out and actually relax for the first leg of our trip.

We arrived in London and were once again surprised at how few people were in the airport compared to times before. It was almost scary. No matter, we found our hotel room and crashed for a few hours.

Our second flight was even more empty. We flew on an airbus, which is considerably smaller, but there were still many, many seats open. Get this...there were only 43 passengers on the flight!!! We all had our own rows to stretch out and rest. Austin and I each had two seats to ourselves, and Emilee, Kaleb, and Kenneth had 3 each. UNBELIEVABLE!!

We made it to Entebbe and were on our way to our house. I noticed things have changed quite a bit in 8 months. Many of the roads have been repaired, but the traffic is worse. New buildings and homes are being built, but rent has increased. Stores are being added, so there are more things to choose from, but the prices of things have increased. One thing we were very excited about, though, was that there is an Italian Ice Cream shop close to our area. We can get a cup of ice cream for about $ .50. So...not all things have gone up.

We are happy to be back. We are still unpacking and trying to get things settled. The children started school on Monday and are already starting soccer practice and getting into the groove of things. I will not start working until next Monday because there is still quite a bit to do.

Bwana Asifiwe!!! God has answered prayers, over and above what we asked. We prayed for a safe trip and we almost had luxury. We prayed for the safety of our luggage and we arrived in Uganda with all 15 pieces. We prayed for a smooth transition into the country with jet lag, temperature changes and so on...and God has given us cooler temperatures and rains continue even when it is supposed to be the hottest time of the year. He knows exactly what we need. He knows how difficult it would be for me to adjust to the heat when we have been having such cold temperatures in the U.S. He knew that we needed to be able to relax on the plane since a few of us had been a little under the weather before we left. My God is Awesome!!!

Bwana Asifiwe!

say it with me...

Bwana Asifiwe!!!

I will post some pictures as soon as I can. Until next time, thank you for your faithful prayers. We love you all.

In Christ,

Delight