Out of Italy into Uganda

Before you read, you must know that I have been wrestling with about 100 other people for bandwidth since I have been in Africa. If that weren't enough, you cant stay connected for more than about 15 minutes at a time. I may have one more post in me, but when I go north to Lira in another week, I may not have access to internet until I stay in a Hotel in Italy.

 

Friday 6/15

-somewhere in the air between Italy and Ethiopia

 

I have been silent for some weeks now. Though I have been doing many things, I seem to have had no motivation to type. I finished my time in Florence and moved on to Naples. It seems to me that I don't ever want to leave when I start to spend time with people. Its almost like my heart just clings on, and the idea of leaving makes it want to be bitter, but then it soon latches on somewhere else. We had a few days in Naples together before the Quicks split off to stay with missionaries Justin and Jenn Powell in Barcelona for a few days

 

Pastor Marco and his wife Maria allowed us to stay in their spare apartment, which is a huge blessing. After the Quicks started their journey to Barcelona I was left to myself in the apartment. I don't really take pleasure in being alone but if I have to I can. Fortunately for me, I found a friend. I met Gabriella Martucci a few days prior at church and was surprised to hear an American accent. She was actually staying in the apartment that was adjacent to mine, so she and I were able to go and see Naples and entertain each other since we are the only ones that had nothing to do during the day. I think, however, our little two person team was largely one sided, because she is the one that spoke italian so I depended on her greatly. She came to Naples not knowing anyone; just wanting to be used by God to strengthen and encourage the worship teams of the church in Italy. She is quite talented and I know that God will use her in a great way. My prayer for her is that she will be encouraged herself and that she would be allowed to impact the worship teams of the Casoria and Arzano Church. If you would like to pray for her in that way too, I'm sure that she would appreciate it.

 

Right now I am flying from Rome to Ethiopia with on a plane full of Italian people. It is so funny, because when the lights go out, a plane full of Americans gets really quiet and sleepy, but it only seems to get louder on this plane. There is an Italian lady in front of me that has been standing, talking for nearly two hours taking breaks only to sip on her little bottle of airplane wine. There is also a man sitting next to me that has been waving his hands around vigorously in conversation since he got on the plane. Out of the side of my eye it looks as though he is trying to get my attention, and after the 3rd or 4th time of looking and taking my headphones out, I decided to try and ignore it.

 

The pilot says that we are about 15 minutes behind schedule, but they will do everything they can to make up the time. My watch says 8:00pm and I should be hopping flights onto another plane in another hour or so.

 

Saturday June 16

 

I made it to Uganda... Without my luggage; it is somewhere between Addis Ababa and Entebbe. The flight from Rome to Ethiopia, being late, resulted in my bags not making it onto the plane headed for Uganda. I packed only a few items in my backpack either to make the travel easier, or to ensure that they were handled with care. As I stood in front of the conveyor after nearly 30 minutes, it occurred to me that I might not be getting my bag. The frenzied scurry to wrestle bags off the conveyor had ended and I was left standing there with another couple that had come from Rome. I thought through the flights and figured there was no way that my bag would have had time to get onto the new plane due to the delayed flight. I went to report a missing bag and walked out the door of the airport only to be barraged with 12 taxi drivers all interested in getting me somewhere. I asked them, "Are any of you from the Ridar Hotel?"

"Ridar Hotel, yes I know it."

"No, no, did you come from the Ridar Hotel to pick me up?"

"Yes, I know where it is"

I thought to myself, "you have got to be kidding me"..

One of the other taxi drivers understood what I meant and asked me if I had the number for the Ridar Hotel. He called them and handed me the phone. I spoke with a woman named Margret who said that she was expecting me. Then out of nowhere, an arm reached around my neck from behind and put me in a choke hold... Andrew Millikan, that dirty dog. My driver and Andrew had been sitting in the car out in the parking lot waiting for me. We made the fastest trip to the hotel I have ever done and finally arrived at the hotel at 3:40am. The decision to figure out what I was going to put on in the morning wasn't real hard because the only clothes that I had were the clothes that I was wearing... That makes for an aroma, but what can I do? I will just have to go shopping.

 

Morning came, and I slept till about 9. Then I got to reconnect with the team here and there around the hotel until we all hopped on the bus and headed for the orphanage. As usual, the children put on a welcoming party that was wonderful and exciting. The road was lined with children waving palm branches displaying enormous smiles that periodically burst into laughter and shouting. A cluster of children regulated the speed of the bus by proudly and beautifully displaying their tribal dance down the middle of the road. We turned the corner into the village and encountered an eruption; cheering and clapping for the bus as we passed by the Mums. The children shouted even louder as we opened the doors and Mark Gosvener stepped off the bus. He was engulfed in a sea of little smiling faces. One by one we all got off the bus. I will never forget the feeling of having 40 children all trying to hug me at the same time. I felt someone run into me and latch onto my side. It was my girl Florence. There is nowhere else on earth I would rather be.

 

The day was filled with joy. I spent time eating with my house of girls during lunch, arm wrestling and tickling the boys in the afternoon, and walked back to the hotel on the dirt roads that wind through marketplaces and fruit stands. I finished off the day connecting with a friend from Festival Arzano 2011 in Italy, who called out my name as I walked past her down at the hotel restaurant. This world really is a tiny one...

 

Monday 6/18

 

I have a bag!! I received a call from Ethiopian airlines today and they told me that my bag has been found. They transported it to their Kampala office where they do much of their booking.... The team went to the orphanage this morning for their first day of work and bible school. We had a wonderful morning working on the 2nd floor of the school in the sun while the children in the classrooms periodically recited various things aloud. I think my favorite was when they all sang "Father Abraham". It is one of those moments when you hear what is happening and all you can do is just smile. They are singing their hearts out... and you know that God is smiling too.

 

We passed quite a bit of brick for the workers; getting it to the places that would be the most helpful for the masons. We had multiple lines tossing brick from the ground up a few levels of scaffolding to the second level. It is a good work out; lots of sweat and brick dust. I love it. I had to bail just about lunch time to go into Kampala with Robert, our bus driver, and get my bag back. Oh, how I long for a clean pair of underwear. The Ethiopian Airlines office was quite full and I feared that I would be waiting for some time. We mentioned to someone that we were here to pick up a bag and were ushered into a back room where bags were being stored and I handed them my baggage claim ticket. I noticed my bag as soon as I walked through the doorway. The lady went to the bag and checked to see if the numbers matched, and wouldn't you know it; they didn't. "Oh my gosh, I swear this is my bag! I can tell you exactly what is in it!" the lady looked at me and smiled, she said "I believe you." she tore the tag off and gave me the bag.

 

On our way back to the orphanage I was looking out the front window and noticed a taxi cab. They decorate the taxis quite a bit here. On the front and back of the taxis you will see these huge words and they will say things like "GOD IS GOOD", or "KING OF GLORY". This taxi had written on the back "NO ONE IS PERFECT", however, the government had required a registration sticker that was right on top of the "NO". One is perfect.

 

I finished the day getting to talk to some of the construction workers, and teachers. I saw Florence standing off to the side looking at me and held out my arms to her, and she came running.. I gave her a giant hug and a note that I had written for her. I told her teachers that she was my sponsored child, and my daughter. She told me that tomorrow if i would come to her house she would show me her reports from school to see how well she was doing in school. I cant it to see her tomorrow. It was late in the day at the orphanage. I looked for my team members and noticed the bus backing up and getting ready to pull away. I looked at my watch and it said 5:34pm, so I said my goodbye to Florence for the day and sprinted to the bus. Mark later told me that he had said on the bus, "Adam is going to be our first example of what happens when you are late for the bus." He said that of all the people on the team, I was the one person that he would be comfortable leaving in that situation because he knew that i could take care of myself here. I brought a smile to my face. I love every moment I spend at the orphanage. I always will. it is one of the places on earth that I truly feel at home.

 

Tuesday, 6/19

 

I laughed at Andrew yesterday because he burned in the sun with his tank top.. Well today I wore a cutoff and God is showed me that I too can be burned. The team was amazing today; everyone worked so hard moving bricks. Yesterday we had two truckloads of brick dropped at the work site and our team was able to get the whole pile moved up to the second floor. At some point in the morning I sent half our team up to the third floor and had them help move some tiles that are used to lighten the weight of the slab when they pour the concrete. We got the whole floor covered. My arms felt like rubber and my face was coated in brick dust, and so was my hair. I sat in on the bible school for the kids and got to help out with the small groups when they split up. It reminds me of back home helping at the church on Wednesday nights with the youth.

 

Afterwards I saw a large gathering of kids on the soccer field, and I heard the children singing. Every day after school the children gather for prayer and worship. There are several children among the village that act as pastors and provide a short message. The singing is beautiful and the prayers are amazing. Today one of the mums came out and told the children that they need to go to one of these people who come from far away and pray for them. "Thank the Lord for your parents that God has provided for you. Thank Him and Praise Him for them aloud with your lips and with your words so that His name might be praised!" and just like that I had 20 children grabbing my hands, touching me, and praying for me. It is truly amazing. we left the village just overwhelmed with love. These kids earn a place in your heart more quickly than you would expect. Just watch them pray and you will be changed.