Mission Uganda – Blog 2

Newton Church of the Way   -  

Day 2
Once again, as I begin another series of blogs from Uganda, my heart is so full I can barely write. I will begin by sharing some not-so-heartfull observations and occurrences. 
As usual, the plane ride was brutal. Twenty-plus hours on a plane should be outlawed, especially for fat people. The anticipation of coming home to Uganda makes the trip even longer. The meeting at the airport by Golden Heart team was emotional to say the least. It is so good to be home. We arrived at a beautiful home once again. For some reason hot showers in Uganda are not a high priority. GeorgAnne, Nuper, Collin, and myself had ice-cold showers, but Ashley chose not to shower, which will NOT happen again! 
Val locked herself in the bathroom at the airport, so she persuaded a cleaning lady to shimmy under the divider to set her free. Once again, Betty started our day with a fantastic breakfast, and off we went. Due to time constraints (we arrived at 1:20 am), we had abbreviated but effective devotions. I gave the message at the first stop, which went well. At the second and third stops, the entire group tag-teamed, which was very effective for each of us. To some extent, we are running on half-full due to the lack of sleep,  but still managed to have a very God-honoring day. 
Then came to soccer tournament!! Oh my goodness, I have never seen the like. Imagine a huge crowd going absolutely nuts, and you will barely scratch the surface. I have included a short video. Ugandans dance for all occasions! However, it is quite obvious that genetics somehow hinder smooth dance movements. As the days go by, I will try to discover each member’s strengths and weaknesses (so far, we know that mine is not dancing). I only had to stand for one fat guy joke today, and I am happy to report that I now have Val to help me serenade Betty. 
On the bus trip home, I sat across from Maggi. As we looked into each other’s eyes, we didn’t really have to say a word. She reached across the aisle, took my hand, and told me she loved me so much. I knew I was home and right where I needed to be. 
Saba Longo