March 9th KAMPALA, UGANDA

We have been in Kampala for eighteen days and it is difficult to know where to begin sharing. We will share a little bit of some of our impressions and experiences.

We are staying in a guesthouse on a hill overlooking the city. At first glance the city below has a San Francisco look. The accommodations are simple, but the view and the graciousness of the staff make this a peaceful and pretty place to be. The city itself is one of many contrasts. There are skyscrapers, but on the sidewalks below women with small children sit and beg. The effect of AIDS is apparent in the number of orphanages around the city. We talked to two earnest young men who had been street preachers and saw first hand the homeless children on the street, and as a result, they began an orphanage and now take care of thirty children. They were inspiring in their servant hood and willingness to be part of a solution for thirty orphans . Many people live in appalling conditions and even those considered middle class struggle to make ends meet. There are not enough jobs and for those with a job, wages are low and hours long. The streets are in poor condition and there are no lanes marked and very few traffic lights. This makes for incredible grid lock and close quarters. Motor cycles abound and the young, daring men who offer rides about the city for hire dart in out of traffic with passengers hanging on for dear life.

This was the back drop for days of shopping in the city. We have tried to buy everything that will be needed for the students and teachers of Hope and Resurrection Secondary School. Conducting business in Africa is not according to the Western multi tasking that we are used to, so buying textbooks or lab supplies often took most of the day rather than being a quick purchase. There are a few big stores but most purchases were made in dusty little shops that at first did not look promising. We bought a used four wheel drive Hilux truck for the school, and that experience was a complicated one. We have everything possible–large bags of rice and maize, clothes pins, generators, and beds and mattresses to furnish the teachers’ rooms–you name it.

We have made a good friend here in Kampala, and that has made all the difference in our success. His name is Apollo and he is the person who is consolidating and transporting all our goods and the Hilux to Southern Sudan. Apollo has guided us through the many purchases, especially the vehicle. He is a great negotiator and has taught us how to bargain. Last Sunday Apollo came for us and took us to a museum and then to his home for lunch. His hospitality in sharing his home and family with us meant a lot. He has a dear four month old son who was at first afraid of us and our white skin, but finally allowed us to hold him.

One of the biggest challenges has been to hire qualified teachers. We found an excellent man for the business, geography, and biology classes, but a math/ physics teacher is difficult to find. Not only does the candidate need to be qualified, but also an adventurer who would like to come to Southern Sudan. We have one more interview and we hope that this will be the teacher whom we are looking for.

We have worshiped every Sunday in a 1800's brick cathedral on the hill above the guesthouse. Over 1,000 people are in attendance each Sunday and the joining with all those voices in singing is uplifting and restorative. African Christianity is dynamic and positive, and we have enjoyed sharing in it.

Monday we fly to Southern Sudan and begin a very different part of this mission. We have visited the Office of the Government of Southern Sudan, and we were assured that Rumbek and surrounding area is very peaceful and safe.

We like opening email and finding a message from you. Keep them coming, please.
Jim and Mary