Arrived!

We have been welcomed to Africa. After picking us up at the airport, the EMI staff delivered us to our bright yellow, freshly cleaned apartment. We so appreciate their help including the meals they've provided.

Our experiences are adding up quickly. Yesterday, we visited the Oweno Market in the company of two of the EMI staff women. We picked up a taxi (like a bus, but a van that hold 14 people). It wasn't a long way but we did get stuck in traffic jams at a couple intersections for long waits. The market was quite a sight. We estimated that there were a thousand stalls, many being just a 5' by 5' square of muddy ground. (We've had rains each of the three days so far.) We bought sheets, plastic containers, fruit, and vegetables. The pair of single bed sheets (for Scott to take to Kenya) cost 25,000 Uganda shillings ($12.50). The lady selling them to us pulled out various ones that we pointed to from her tall stack and displayed them for us as we tried hard to stay clear of the narrow isle and the many people walking by. I don't think we saw other non-Africans at the market.

Church this morning was a refreshing experience. We attended the one that meets at the Christian school that is located just 100 meters from our apartment. It had a mix of Africans, Britians, Americans, and other Europeans. We met in an open-air building. Somehow, it's more meaningful to sing the songs we've sung many times before in a new setting and among new people. In our brief conversations with people before and after the service, we talked to people working for World Relief, WaterAid (Britian's NGO for drinking water projects in the developing world), a Ugandan man involved in community development (including water projects) for his home villages, and another man wanting help with a water project. Exciting possibilities.

Paul