Northern Uganda

Hello Everybody,

I'm hanging out right now in Kampala, Uganda before heading south to a town called Masaka. We arrived in Kampala on the 4th of Nov and stayed for a couple of nights before heading up to a place called Bweyale in the Northern part of Uganda. Our friend Ali from USD is studying in Uganda and was spending some time there at a school called Hope North. Bweyale is a tiny bus stop town where Chris and I were definitely the only white people for miles.

It was in Bweyale that I was deeply saddened and troubled to find out that two of the main musical artists in Uganda are Celine Dion and Michael Bolton. How Michael Bolton ever made it to Uganda still blows my mind. But anyways, we spent time in Bweyale traveling out to the school to see Ali and spend time with the kids at this secondary and vocational school. Most of the kids here came from IDP (Internally Displaced Peoples) Camps throughout the North.

We spent time with them and also helped out with an HIV/AIDS testing clinic for all the people in the surrounding villages. It was pretty intense to be there and to see all that goes into these people being tested and discovering whether or not they have the virus.

From here we moved further north for a few days to Gulu. We were able to make some connections here and spend a short while at the Invisible Children organizaiton's office and see more of what they are doing in Northern Uganda. We were impressed at what a well run organization they are. But our last day in Gulu was the most impactful. We went out with the UN's World Food Program to distribute food in an IDP camp called Anaka. Basically this is a tiny refugee camp for 14-18,000 people who were forced out of their homes by civil war. Being there and seeing the masses of people seeking their month's rations of food was hard and hopeful at the same time. Seeing that they are being provided for even in small ways was somehow reasurring.

So we are still seeing, experiencing, learning much. Thank you all for this opportunity because I would not be able to be here without all of your support, encouragement, prayers, etc. Please pray that God would continue to teach us what He cares about and what is worth working for in this world. Thanks and I miss you all....keep sending your updates my way too!

Kapsowar, Kenya

Hey Friends,

I am currently writing on my second to last day in Kenya, as we leave for Uganda by bus tomorrow. Chris and I have spent the last 2 and a half weeks in an amazing place called Kapsowar. It is in the highlands of Kenya at about 7,500 ft and is one of the most beautiful places I've ever seen. This place of sharp peaks and valleys of brilliant colors, steep farms that look like checkerboards on the hillside, and a tropical climate is home to where most of the amazing marathon runners come from. So Chris and I definitely spent some time running and exploring the scenery. And some of my favorite memories are running down red dirt roads with Kenyan children coming alongside to run with us.

Beyond the scenery we were staying at a compound that houses doctors and nurses for the mission hopsital here. This hospital is the only in the area serving over 1/4 of a million people. So as we visited the hospital we saw the huge need for better health care in the area. There were many patients there who could not afford proper care, but the hospital would front much of the bill. We had the chance to go with the chaplains to visit these patients, to talk with them, pray with them, encourage them. As we did all of this we were faced once again with the contrast of harsh realities such as death, disease, HIV, poverty and the light of hope of people who are caring for and mending these people. We saw again some of the broken places of this world and some of the amazing ways God is using people to meet these needs.

We were also able to help out in various ways, since we have absolutely no medical expertise, such as painting, taking inventory, any way we could help out really. But the highlight of our trip may have been the friendship Chris and I developed with 2 Kenyan medical students who were living next to us. We ate every meal together and were able to share life, learn from each other, encourage each other. It was definitely hard to say goodbye but we feel that we will see them again.

This is getting long enough, but I do love hearing from you all and your emails and prayers are really appreciated. Even if I cant respond to the emails, I do read them all and will respond when internet is available. Please pray for 1) Chris and I continue to learn what's worth working for in this world 2) Us to be able to serve in the best ways that show God's love.

Thanks and I love you all. Talk to you soon!