Hey, it's Saturday afternoon. We arrived in Ft. Portal sometime Thursday evening after stopping in Kampala at the Resource Center to join up with Mark Long. We got to see Ellen Little, meet a visiting dental team from Lubbock Christian, and 3 young women from Pepperdine's soccer team who are in Uganda conducting soccer clinics at local primary schools.
The weather is much cooler here and rainy. My toes are getting cold since the only closed-toed shoes I brought are my tennis shoes and I'm too vain to wear those with my dresses. (And some of you think I'm teasing!) It's mountainous here with lush vegetation. The dirt here is very fertile and black, not like the red clay dirt in the Jinja and Mbale areas.
Yesterday and today have been very full days. First, we met Ronald Kizito, our MicroDevelopment contact here. David had been looking for a contact in this area since we like the millet baskets that this area is known for. Ronald had come highly recommended by both Mark Long and Jeff Cash, a missionary here in Ft. Portal. He is a very responsible, generous hearted young man that we've come to enjoy and respect the last couple of days. It's good to finally see him face to face and meet the ladies he's been buying the baskets from.
There is a group of 30 widows whose husbands all died of complications from AIDS and they are ALL HIV-positive. Three of the ladies met with us. The leader is Gorrette--she's taught the other ladies to make baskets so they can help support their children and buy food, pay for school fees. I really don't have words right now to explain the last 2 days. I'll just say it's been an inspriring, yet overwhelming and an emotional day or two for me. We bought all the baskets the ladies brought to us. AND we'll be bringing them home. Many of you know this selling part of this work isn't easy for me. I don't like going to the craft sales and having to be outgoing and nice to strangers and try to sell things. But right now, I'm frustrated with myself for letting that get in the way of helping these ladies. We've met some truly inspiring women who are in very tough situations who still smile, still take care of their families, and are trying to take care of those who are in worse conditions than they are. I've seen Jesus in so many of these women.
Today we met Faith, a woman who runs a mill store grinding corn, cassava, g-nuts (peanuts), and she was just so fun and happy. She's widowed and is trying so hard to take care of not only her own children but her husband left other wives, children, and some who are orphaned that she's committed to helping.
We go to church here in Ft. Portal tomorrow and will hopefully get to visit with Jeff and Sherrill Cash and their 4 children. The Lubbock medical team comes in here tomorrow so we'll cross paths with them (and Ellen and Darla from Kampala) maybe tomorrow evening.
Monday morning, we drive 4 hours to Queen Elizabeth Park for a couple of days with the animals. Zach just wrote and reminded me to be careful so to Z and the others out there, we'll be careful.
Irene called yesterday. She said it was baby Zach Kimeze's first birthday. Remember last year when he was born? We're so very blessed to be here. Right now, I'm not looking forward to leaving although I'm missing Ryan especially.
