3pm Monday 12/3

Yesterday, I caught a small 11 seat plane and flew from Bwindi back to Entebbe, where Picho was waiting to drive me back to Kampala. What a beautiful way to see the country! I am an odd mix of someone who loves heights and flying, but also suffers from motion sickness (although not as strongly as my poor mom!), so I loved the view but admittedly had to close my eyes for a short stint of turbulence. By the time I arrived back at the Kampala office, it was clear that I would not be going to Gulu after all and I was so relieved. This has been an incredible trip, but I am starting to feel the extent of my schedule, and the thought of spending another 3-4 hours in a car made me want to scream. Luckily, I was able to unpack a bit, take a long shower, do some laundry, and watch a movie on my computer before nodding off. 

This morning I realized that I was out of data, which means no Wi-Fi, and then we lost power. All of us, the ITWA office team and I, have been trying to get whatever work done possible without electricity. Such is the theme and primary challenge of life in Uganda. Picho took me on an errand run, where I was able to replenish my Wi-Fi and pick up some groceries for the week. Most of my day has been spent sorting through pages, and pages, of notes about the clinics I have worked with. The current plan is that Allan, Renny and Shallon will go to Gulu, and I will stay behind to monitor the receiving of images from the clinics. There is a chance that I will return to the clinic in Jinja, but only for a day. We will all have a staff meeting on Thursday, to discuss everything I have been working on here, and to start the formation of a plan for my return. 

It's hard to believe that my trip is almost over. I am sitting in the front office, listening to a cacophony of  thunder and rain pouring down, full from a delicious lunch of rice and fresh beans, writing as fast as I can, because the battery is running low on my computer. I feel so comfortable here, but I am also ready to sleep in my own bed and REALLY wash my clothes, so the red dust of Uganda is a distant memory and not a constant presence in every nook and cranny of my clothing, shoes and bags. I will miss these people so much, and imagine that this is what it must feel like to be surrounded by smart, funny, purpose-driven brothers, who give you a hard time, but in the best possible way. I am so grateful to have had this opportunity and excited about the idea that my future includes more work with ITWA. So, I had best get back at it!

oxox MB