Home sweet home!

After not being able to sleep until 5:30am local time, I finally fell asleep and slept till 11am.  We had planed to leave by 9, but that didn't happen.  Oops.  We made a quick stop at a local store and I quickly learned you can't buy just 1 banana, you have to buy a large bunch of like 20.  Needless to say I put it back and stuck with my Coca Cola.

I just thought the drive last night was a little crazy.  That was nothing compared to our drive through Kampala.  Thankfully, Joel has figured out the driving here in Uganda, but it didn't make it any less fist clinching.  I think being able to see during the day made it even worse.  Just imagine driving in rush hour traffic in Dallas, bumber to bumper.  Then add thousands of motorcycles weaving in and out of traffic.  Then add people walking across the roads and down the streets.  Then add people coming up to your cars selling water and other food products.  Then add no speed limits or road signs.  Then add the some pretty rough and bumpy roads.  Then add road construction.  Multiply that times 10 and you've got it.  It was awesome!

We used the 3 hour car ride to catch up and talk about African life and culture as well as ask every question in the book about stuff we saw as we drove.  We made a stop at the Equator for the typical tourist picture of Joy and I on each side of the hemisphere.  We got some chipatis (tortillas), chips, and guacamole and continued on our way.  One of the highlights was seeing some zebra in the wild as well as some native African deer. The unfortunate thing is they have their own version of longhorns here called Angola cows, which Joel was quite proud of being a TU fan.

We got to their house and caught up with Jill and the kids, met their compound guard David, one of their helpers Ruth and her sister, a young single doctor who is a part of the family Viki, and all their cats and dogs.

We tagged along with Joel and Jill as they spent some time with a young couple doing premarrital counseling in a little corner outside their local church.  It was probably the highlight of the day seeing Joel and Jill in their "element."  I remember Joy and I getting the same talks from Joel and Jill many years ago and know how much of an effect it has had on our marriage and know it will have the same on theirs.  Joel made the statement, "The way to change Uganda is to have solid believers marrying one another and setting an example for others to follow."  This is discipleship at its best...hoping to have a long term affect by taking people to the next level in their love and faith in Christ.

Afterwards I met 2 young guys playing basketball next to the church and played a quick game.  I met a guy named Livingston who was helping to get things ready for the student retreat this weekend and was excited about going.  We came back for some of Ruth's famous pizza and enjoyed a laid back meal together and talked into the night.  We will spend some time prepping today for the retreat and go and see some more of the town.

Please be praying for God to use Joel and I to speak truth to these students from God's Word and that the Holy Spirit would enlighten their eyes to see the truth.