6/12/2025

Hi Folks!

I am all packed up and ready for take-off tomorrow, after the challenge of packing! 😂 More about that in a moment, but first I have a very exciting announcement... thanks to your incredible generosity, we have been able to finance the building of 4 huts at the birth center!!! 🛖🛖🛖🛖Rachel is beside herself and so incredibly grateful. 😍 I have been trying to attach a video of the groundbreaking for the first one, but I am having technical difficulties and can't seem to get it to play. I will leave it in, in case it is an issue with my computer, but I promise to send more photos when I arrive! Rachel has told me that my hut is almost finished, but the remaining huts will take a little more time, because it is rainy season. The hut roof is made from thatched dried grass, so new huts are usually built in the dry season, but they are trying to get mine finished in time for my visit. 

As expected, there were some weight challenges when packing the printed materials that I am bringing. I was trying to fit everything into one bag, but it was not meant to be! Rachel and I will both get into Entebbe on Saturday, stay through Sunday, then take the small plane to Gulu on Monday morning. I was hoping to only have one bag, because of the limitations of the small plane, but I had forgotten that a larger group of midwife students will be arriving after us. They will be driven up to Atiak in a van, so my extra bag can go with them.

Knitting kits and some baby blankets.

My first attempt at getting everything into
one bag...very much over the weight limit!

The end result!

My carryon bag is a bit ridiculous as well, mostly because I thought it was a good idea to knit more baby blankets while I travel, which are much bulkier than baby hats. Duh. I do not sleep on planes, so I might as well be productive, right?

It's 9:30pm and I am officially wiped out, so I'll sign off for now. Wi-Fi willing, the next time you'll hear from me I will be in Uganda! 

With much love and gratitude,

MB/Jo