BlogVroom: News, Thoughts… LIFE!

RUKINGIRI - Tuesday, July 31st

Posted by vroomer in Uncategorized

AFTERNOON - Hard work on the site today. We framed the foundation, prepped and poured concrete. This was truly a team effort and thank God, because the methods were um, simple.

RECIPE: HOW TO MAKE CONCRETE FROM SCRATCH

INGREDIENTS:

LOTS of sand, LOTS of rocks(creating from hammering larger rocks moved earlier), concrete mix and water.

PROCEDURE:

We mixed two types of sand - using shovels and hoes, we filled wheel barrows with sand from separate and huge piles and brought them together inside the framed-in foundation. There, we used shovels and hoes to mix the 20-feet-in -diameter area of sand. It felt like kneading dough but with sand. Next, we hoed and shoveled rocks into wheel barrows, wheeled them 30 feet and dumped them onto the mixed and spread out sand. The rock part of this work…hoo boy. That’s a good workout.

Water, obtained from the nearby creek was used to fill “Jerry cans”, a.k.a. gas cans, which were then hauled about 100 feet to the aggregate mix. Once again, this was hand mixed - turning and turning the mixture, concrete was made and shoveled into the wheel barrows. Another 30 feet or so, and the mixture was dumped into place, over and over again. The foundation was underway.

RUKINGIRI - Monday, July 30th

Posted by vroomer in Uganda Outreach

Monday, July 30th - I was burdened during worship this morning. I couldn’t shake it. I’d been lying to God, myself and the other guys. While others were singing I went to my room and grabbed the pack of cigarettes I’d stashed in my bag. I’ve smoked three cigarettes since being here, sneaking out at night while everyone was sleeping.

At the end of worship Neil told the guys I had something I needed to share and I came clean and handed the pack over to Deuce. It seems to me that this is all about faith and trust. If I’m going to grow in either I need to surrender this addiction. I’m tired of being in the middle of what could be described as a God moment, or perhaps in the middle of singing or maybe even just interacting with a child and I have the sudden craving for a cigarette. How can I fully change or fully realize my potential or most importantly allow God to work in and through me if I’m not stripping away all impediments?

If feels good when I am able to see clearly a sin, humble myself, confess it and then surrender it. The surrender part is the toughest. Lord knows I’m awful good at pointing out my faults and/or sin…to a harmful fault at times, but when it comes to surrender I fall short. I see the process but I struggle to submit to it. When I do, a huge weight is lifted and I literally feel lighter. Spiritual battle stuff…

One of the things I am experiencing from not only these men on this team but from others at Rocky Peak is a lack of condemnation. When I confessed this morning to the guys, Neil opened the floor to everyone else; he offered the opportunity for anyone to share any burden or hidden sin. Some others talked of feelings that were burdening them and in so doing cleared the air amongst some. Where in our normal lives does this take place? When do we take the time amongst ourselves to allow for condemnation free clearing of the air and confession of sin…other than in church? Gotta tell you, it don’t happen often in my world. How refreshing for me to lay bare my faults, hangups and habits to Christian brothers and not be judged, ridiculed or condemned. So many, including myself, have a perception that most Christians are hypocrites and condemning. On this trip and at Rocky Peak, that has not been my experience. I don’t know…this seems like an obvious wound for me and clearly I’m being given a chance to heal it.

What else…well at the risk of being redundant, I’m trying to grow and I’m willing to keep releasing and relinquishing that which impairs or impedes my relationship with my Creator.

On a different note…

We worked 9-12:30 on the church site and we worked hard. Log cutting, log moving, large rock and small boulder moving. At one point, early on, everyone was moving the large rocks one-by-one and walking about 30 yards each way. It seemed like unnecessary work to me so I asked Neil why weren’t working in a daisy chain. I think I even said “chain gang”. A couple of cracks were made about it but then we put it to a vote and all were game. We lined up, Rocky Peak men and Ugandans, which included two women from the church. WE HAD A BLAST! One-by-one the rocks moved down the line and all the while we joked it up. THIS is what I envisioned! We, people who barely knew each other, from other parts of the world were all working together and bonding through our efforts. Hope we have more of this.

I haven’t shared my testimony yet but I’m eager. Not sure exactly what I’ll say but I feel like I could say a lot. What a change from a month or two ago.

MONDAY NIGHT -

The crusade tonight was a different energy and a small turnout. I think the team was disappointed. Several, including myself, spoke a desire to move about outside the confines of the church grounds. I have to be careful to not allow my compulsion to “do something” to interfere with the larger plans of what God might be doing. Supposedly, a connection is growing with the local officials, which is a huge step forward from the past and maybe that is what this mission is a part of that development.

On a separate note, I continue to converse with Emmanuel. He shares more…I share more and it feels right. He has asked nothing of me until tonight. He asked for my mailing address so he can send me pictures of animals and or nature.  We spoke earlier of our mutual affection for animals and he watched me as I approached a steer that was near the construction site.

You know, we were told that children would approach us and come right out and ask to be sponsored.  I understand that.  If I were in their shoes(or lack thereof) I might do the same.  So why am I defensive about this?  I don’t want to feel like I’m being used, that’s why.  Sure, I can send money and not really have anything invested other than money, but that’s not what I want.  Being faced to face with these children makes it much more personal and real.  A picture is one thing, interacting with and experiencing someone else in reality is another.  With that said, I want to feel a connection to the child I might sponsor.   I feel a connection to Emmanuel.   He has a need.  I can help.   So why does his request for my e-mail, for the purposes of sending me pictures, set off my alarm?!!!  Am I being used?  Am I a human ATM to him?  Is this connection actually a manipulation?  I don’t know.

What I do know is I feel he is a good kid.  He’s smart.  He works hard.  He’s continuing to try and better himself.  He has faith in God and he has a good role model in Sam.  Furthermore…he’s asked NOTHING of me.  So, I’m going to keep praying about this and just move forward.

In addition to receiving discernment and guidance with Emmanuel, I pray for wisdom in the content and delivery of my testimony and upcoming devotional.

Tomorrow…we mix and pour concrete the old school way.  Should be interesting!

RUKUNGIRI - Sunday, July 29th

Posted by vroomer in Uganda Outreach

Sunday - Church from 8:30 -1:30. We went to both services this morning. There were very few people in the early service and I began to doubt the information that RCC was bursting at the seams. That’s what I get for doubting. I don’t think there were enough seats for people in the late service. What a cool experience though, with such amazing charismatic worship. Music and dancing played a big part in their worship. These are people joyfully expressing their love and appreciation for their Maker.

Deuce(Neil’s) gave the early sermon and Solo(Neil) preached at the late service. Mike Gardner gave a message that focused on the Armor of God verses (Eph. 6:11-18. All sermons were solid. I especially liked Deuce’s sermon. He has such a salt-of-the-earth kind of approach to his faith and manner of speaking that just speaks to my heart. There is no pretense, just a “Here’s the deal..” delivery.

Pastor Elisha, who is all of maybe all of 5 feet 2 inches tall spoke. Holy cow does this little man have the heart and enthusiasm of a giant. He’s absolutely infectious. You gotta love him.

We lunched around 2 p.m. and returned around 4 p.m. for a Men’s Ministry meeting.

There were moving testimonies from Ugandans and our team. What a blessing to share our individual stories of who we were before and who we are and want to be today. I got the chance to share a little of why I began attending Rocky Peak and what compels me to return. The reasons I gave were: acceptance, loved, encouraged, challenged and feeling integral - these keep me coming back. The men of Rukungiri Church were looking for guidance on how to build a men’s ministry and, as it happens, the words I just used were used as suggestions for getting and keeping men engaged.

The crusade tonight saw two more people accept Christ as their Lord and Savior. It seems so obvious to me that many need God’s love, mercy and grace. So many need to feel purpose, acceptance and forgiveness. I hope the turnout at the crusades gets stronger by week’s end. In the end, it’s up to God. It’s all in His time and according to His will. Once again, my job is to work on my relationship with God and just show up for Him when opportunity presents itself.

RUKUNGIRI -Sat., July 28th

Posted by vroomer in Uganda Outreach

JULY 28TH - The sounds of southwest Uganda rise and fall just outside our doors. Taking a brief tour of the propety unveiled a rather large, lush and panoramic view. Why has God blessed us with this luxury? In staying here, this home of an ex-military General, are we a part of any wrong doing? Has this man been a part of any impropriety? I don’t want to be negative, I just want to protect us. “More will be revealed”, they say.

SATURDAY EVENING -

Just and amazing day. This morning’s devotional and worship was so emotional for me. I can’t explain it, I just know I was brought to tears. Looking out over the verdant and rolling hills of this property I felt God’s presence, an in explicable and pervasive feeling of power, love, creativity and rightness. Truthfully, what I was sensing and feeling is beyond my ability to describe it in words. It went beyond words and was beautiful.

Breakfast was routine with primarily cereal, breads and jams. I had a bowl of cereal and discovered the milk to be warm with a gamy taste. Neil’s said he earlier saw one of the staff in the distance of the back property carrying bladder-like bags. Having never had fresh milk before this was a surprise for my taste buds. I’m thankful for it, but likely will not opt again for warm milk cereal.

Directly to the construction site we went after breakfast. Luke and I filmed for little while then helped with shoveling dirt. We must have moved literally a ton of dirt. It was good, hard work from everyone and we were eager to do it.

There was some issue that occurred. Apparently, town officials asked for our passport and health info. It was said that we might not be able to conduct any nightly crusades at RCC. Not everyone had their paperwork with them, so Neil had to go back to the house with a few others. They returned later with apparently no issues.

I had three different connections today. My first was with Emmanuel, a soft-spoken, gentle 16-yr. old who worked alongside us at the construction site shoveling dirt.

I approached him during a break and struck up a conversation. He’s in a vocational schoool learning construction, an intentional but unfortunate choice. He was in school in Kampala but the fees became to much for his older brother and caregiver to afford so both moved to Rukungiri. Apparently, Sam has a wife and three daughters who have remained in Kampala.

Emmanuel dreams of being a veterinarian, a dream that took some prodding to get out of him. He’s resigned himself to not having the dream come true. He sure seems like an emotionally strong and proud young man who like thousands of others got a rotten deal but he is undaunted. I can learn a lot from him and others like him.

I’m going to pray about this but I have this sense that I’m supposed to sponsor him.

Later, at the church crusade, I spoke with another older boy, Johnathan. At one point, I had to bring to his attention that his bible and cd case were unattended and a drunken man seemed to be eying them. This act prompted him to write me a note, which he gave to me later. The note, among other things, said he thought we could be friends for a long time and that “he loved me more than I think”. Not sure how I feel about this. Kind of premature to making such statements.

The last connection I made was with “Princess”, an utterly adorable seven year old girl.

She wore a pink dress, a dress the previous missionaries said was her trademark. I was told she would melt my heart and they were right. Princess was much older than her years. She carried around a small boy as though it were her own child.

We interacted a bit and at one point I gave her a bottled water. In return, and a bit later, she returned with an ear of cooked corn for me. Not sure where she got it but the act went beyond just being a fair trade. I was so humbled by her gift. I’m going to look forward to seeing her throughout the trip.

OBSERVATIONS -

The smell of smoke continues to permeate the air. It’s everywhere and present all the time.

To Rukungiri

Posted by vroomer in Uganda Outreach

Friday, July 27th - KAMPALA

Up with the dawn. Had to write this entry as I was too tired last night.

I feel better today. Maybe the Malaria pills and antibiotics have leveled out in my body. The worship this morning moved me. I was brought close to tears from a comforting presence. I feel taken care of and loved.

Seeing those kids yesterday at Pastor Deo’s makes me think about sponsoring a child. To see how they are cared for and loved in that facility which has come into being because of sponsorship when those kids could have been lost prompts me to action. I don’t know if I’m to sponsor a child but I hope God will make it clear. Should it not become very clear, I will likely find a child anyway. I want to be a part of helping change a child’s life.

Now, off to Rukungiri. I’m eager to get there.

OBSERVATIONS - In the populated areas, garbage is everywhere. If it’s laying on the ground, it’s become part of the ground, or it’s being burned or it’s mounded and being sifted through.

Emissions control seems to be non-existent. Fumes abound.

Elsewhere, termite mounds that appear to be as high as 10 feet or more litter the land.

And driving…WOW!! Survival is a crap shoot. It feels at times like we are playing Russian roulette with our bus. Playing “chicken”is S.O.P. here. It’s bad enough driving on the opposite side of the street, but plenty of the roads within the city are narrow and vehicles pass within inches of us at times and at high speed. NUTS!!

INTERESTING OBSERVATION - It was pointed out that people who are not working during the days of the week can be arrested for being idle. There’d be a lot of people in jail in L.A..

LATER, 5p.m. -

Still driving to Rukungiri. We left around 1-1:30 and our journey takes us through a great deal of countryside. The land continues to be peppered with termite hills.

We pass by various “towns”, roadside enclaves that, make me think of the old west of the U.S.. The buildings contain businesses for the most part by there are plenty of dwellings as well. Modest or primitive, dirty and poor are key adjectives here. The vast majority of our citizens wouldn’t make it very long here. Not sure how well I myself would fair in these conditions.

FRIDAY NIGHT -

I don’t know how to say this because honestly, I’m embarrassed as are all the men. We have been blessed so much on this journey from fundraising to travel to lodgings. I overheard in advnance that our digs tonight will be nice but I didn’t, and couldn’t fathom the fact that we would be housed in the second(or third?) home of the ex-Ministry of Health(and ex-General), Jim Muwhezi. I understand he and his wife are Christians and they are close with Pastor Elijah of RCC. This house is within a guarded compound and the property is IMMENSE…so is the house. It’s a two-story house and I think there are seven bedrooms. All the modern conveniences available including hot showers. What a blessing!! Absolutely did not expect this. Around the house are pictures of the family including pictures of Mr. Muwhezi and political figures including Bill Clinton.

Here’s the challenge - to not get too comfortable or become complacent.  My reaction to this blesssing, as of this moment, is to work even harder for these people since we’ve been treated so well.  Josh Lubeck in his devotional pointed out how we’ve been treated like royalty from the jump and he is right.  We mustn’t allow any overblown well-wishes, atta-boys or “we’ve been waiting for you so long” comments to affect our egos.  Keep the head down and just move forward; God will do the rest.

Tomorrow, we work hard for Rukungiri!

In Country!

Posted by vroomer in Uganda Outreach

Thursday, July 26th, 7a.m. - ENTEBBE, UGANDA -

We’re here! Whoo hoo!!

I’m writing this from outside and in front of the airport.

London to Entebbe flight was another 9 hour flight and a smooth one. Surprisingly, I was able to sleep again. With that said, I’m done with flying for a bit. So are the others I imagine.

First impression…the smell. No sooner had I stepped out of the plane when I was overwhelmed by the pungent smell of smoke. I made a comment that it reminded me of camping and I think it was Jason who corrected my nasal sense. He was right. It wasn’t the smell of hickory or oak or even pine. It was more acrid…more sour. Jason said it was burning garbage.

Looking out beyond the airport, the land was relatively flat and there was water nearby. I think it’s Lake Victoria.

Inside the airport we waited for customs to check us through. As far as I can tell, the airport is under construction. The customs area was unadorned and lifeless…but then aren’t most? Around us are other missionaries, African Brits coming back home to visit or do business and not sure what else. We waited in two long lines until one of three customs agents walked toward us. He came straight to me and said I could come through his line. I told him we were a group of 13 and he asked if we had acquired our visas yet. No we hadn’t. He said it would be $50 each to which I responded, “We were told it would be $30″. I thought, hmm, our first challenge. It was then I became the first man on our trip to have his hand held by a Ugandan. We were told in advance to expect this. It was said to be a sign of affection and/or respect. Well, I certainly didn’t expect it from the customs agent. Nonetheless, he took my right hand and led me to the center custom desk where the sign read Visas - $50. We rounded everybody up and Neil collected the money from each of us. The agent said we could all go through and get our luggage while Neil paid for our visas. This was definitely different from any customs I’d been through before whether it be the U.K., Germany, Italy, Spain or Bulgaria. And, you sure as heck wouldn’t get that response in the U.S.

All our bags made it! More travel mercies given. Prayers have been answered again!

Now…we wait for our transportation. The younger guys are playing hacky sack(sp?). A few others, like me, journal. Others talk and we share some of our comfort foods.

Bearing mention is meeting Neil’s sponsored son, Richard, a.k.a. Kyemba, a gregarious, affable, almost bubbly 21 year old. He kindly, deftly and patiently took 12 group photos with our various cameras. Neil says Richard is very quick to learn and after a few minutes of inspection was skillfully operating Neil’s camera the first time Neil let him use it. Kyemba is quite good with our cameras as well. He takes great care with each.

Our transport just arrived. It looks to be a small Japanese-made bus. The driver looks older…maybe late 50’s or even in his 60’s. He seems very serious. Gotta go load up now.

LATER ON - We’re on our way to see a variety of African Renewal Ministries’ facilities.

First view of the outskirts of Kampala: There are homes that, by our standards, could be middle income housing. This changes soon. We’re in Kampala and wow…this is absolutely Third World country. The smell is a combination of burning trash, cooking foods (done roadside on hibachi-style grills on stilts.), and the smell of exhaust fumes all over. Apparently, there are no emissions controls here. That seems obvious. People stare at our bus as we travel through the crowded streets. We are after all a bus full of whites. I get the sense of being a minority, at least in some small way.

The soil here is red and it seems to have permeated everything. It’s almost as if it has been blown or washed up onto everything. Motorcycle and mopeds are everywhere. I’m told these are “bora bora”; they are motorcycle taxis and they hang in packs along the road. They look like gangs. Crowds of people walk about. There are pockets where this changes but so far people all over.

Driving is thus far very interesting. English style and frenetic. Seems a bit like a free-for-all and aggressive at that.

Our first stop is a medical clinic sponsored by ARM. They provide all the basic medical care people need here. All major tests are given here: AIDS, Malaria, Typhoid, etc. We’re told 40-50 people a day come through here. The outside of the building is stucco and brick and is appealing. The inside is simple.

Ggaba Community Church is next.

To get to GCC we go off paved road onto red dirt and through a tightly packed and seemingly depressed area. The old church building is pointed out. We make a right hand turn and into GCC and it’s associated facilities, which sits right on Lake Victoria. The view toward the lake is expansive and pretty. We are met by several people. Children mill about in various pockets. They stare at us and smile. Some approach us and we approach them. They are adorable and such bright and genuine smiles.

None of the buildings can be considered impressive works of modern design by any stretch of the imagination but they are more than functional. Even the very crude structures are utilized for a variety of uses. One in particular is the woman’s ministry structure. In here, sewing, dollmaking and the like take place. Money is earned through the sales of these colorful creations. The ladies we met inside were very welcoming and again, bright, genuine smiles. In this place, self-worth, connection to other women and a kind of hands-on-therapy/healing seems to take place. God’s love is evident here. I’m humbled.

A child outside the sponsorship offices writes to his sponsor and we pass by the church’s “kitchen”, a space with five cooking areas with giant pots filled with a variety of foods. It is crude at best. Wow…truly unbelievable. This is radically different than our world.

Children in their dark blue bottoms and light blue, striped tops meander, play games and chatter about as we continue our tour.

We enter a two-story building, a structure that, while only recently built looks quite old. A seemingly slapped-together, raw- wood-poled ladder rests against the side of the building. Upstairs is the IT center complete with 5-6 computers and a couple of personnel. Next to this room is a much larger and unfinished room that will become the libaray. Shelves are lines with new and used books and the floor around the shelves contains books of boxes. All seem to be God-centered in nature. I believe all books have been donated. What a blessing for these people. Some very good books are made available.

I could go on describing each place individually but the important thing I observe are many facilities built from donations of peopls who care about other people…people from the other side of the world they might not even know. It already seems apparent to me that people in this harsh environment just continually move forward, living their lives, and in the middle of all this…God moves. Just amazing…humbling and inspirational.

After Ggaba Church, we went to Pastor Deo’s church, which was across town.  This is where a lot of children are sponsored by people in my church.  The children were ecstatic to see us.  They literally mobbed us on the way in and out.  What an amazing feeling to experience such appreciation.  I got so dizzy and tired from spinning children around giving them “helicopters”.  I had to become firm at a couple of points to stop them from hurting each other to get to me.  Crazy…but they sure had fun…and so did I.

On a more serious note:  While walking from one location to another, Pastor Deo pointed out a nearby graveyard that contained a mass grave containing the bodies of victims of Idi Amin.

Nearby that was a large area with rolled and stacked hay for brick-making.  Workers were finishing the construction of a giant brick kiln/oast for cooking the bricks.  This was something new for me.  I’ve never seen anything like that before.  I really got a sense of what it must have been like thousands of years ago.  The same techniques were being used today that were used then.  Apparently, the men involved in this were particularly rough characters.  Pastor Deo said they were the hardest to get through to with the message.  Much infighting and even killing amongst them.  He pointed out an area that had marijuana plants, which was theirs and Pastor Deo said the control of the crop was a big source of their violence.

Next stop…Bethany Village. We’ll travel by boat across a snippet of Lake Victoria to get there.

LATER ON - The boat ride to Bethany was about 20 minutes long. We launched from a dirty, trash-lined apocalyptic-feeling port. An open-air market place surrounded the launch area and a drunken and shirtless man followed us until we set off. The water along the edge of the launch was dark green and slimy. The further we got away from this, the more picturesque it became. At a couple of points we passed by what appeared to be from the distance, real hut-lined villages. Cool!  At one point, we passed close by a beautiful Fishing Eagle resting on a log.  It looks virtually identical to the American Bald Eagle but this bird is a little smaller…magnificent nonetheless?

Wow! What an impressive and beautifully surrounded place. Bethany Village is my favorite facility thus far. Just off the lake, amidst a cleared out portion of the jungle is this tucked-away facility that is home to at least 13 orphanages, a new school, new high school, new clinic, cafeteria and it serves over 670 children.  Most of these kids are sponsored by someone in the states as is indicated by their uniforms. Some children that come to school here have their tuition paid for by their parents, but they are in the vast minority. Virtually all the children walk about 6 miles each way to get to Bethany Village. The education provided here is that coveted. Talk about desire and appreciation! Our kids should be exposed to this behavior, as should the parents. Again…unbelievable.

HOW IMPORTANT IS SPONSORING A CHILD? It will absolutely determine whether or not a child is doomed to a life of poverty or whether they will have a chance for something better.

HOW GRATEFUL ARE THEY?  Unbelievably!  I witnessed it first hand earlier this day.  At Pastor Deo’s church, I met one of my contributor’s sponsored child; the child twice dropped to his knees, took my hand and thanked me in lieu of thanking his sponsor.  It made me cry.

Housed orphan children sleep in bunk beds and about 6 children to a 10 x10 room. Each of the beds is covered in mosquito netting and within most are a variety of personal belongings. Their space is their individual homes. My heart goes out to these little ones but how blessed are they by sponsors and other donations. We are so humbled…again. I have a feeling this is going to be a recurring word throughout my journal.

This brings to mind Mathew 25:40, ” The King will say, “”I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!”

We returned from Bethany exhausted. Our bus was not waiting for us so we had to walk back to Ggaba Church in a muzungu(white person) train. The distance wasn’t all that long but the surroundings were pretty harsh. Pictures and video can’t do this justice. You must experience the harshness with all your senses to truly understand. And this is how much of the world lives…?

Back at Ggaba we are told we’ll need to walk to the guest house where we’ll stay. It is a walled-in, razor-wire lined large abode with many rooms. We’ll sleep 3-4 per room.

Shower felt great though the water pressure was virtually non-existent. Nonetheless, I’m grateful for the shower.  Dinner was served, a devotional was given and it’s off to bed. Looking forward to the rest. What a FULL day. It’s going to be an incredible journey. I know this already. Thank you God.

Departure Day…church to London’s Heathrow Arprt.

Posted by vroomer in Uganda Outreach

July 24th, 4:30 p.m. - ROCKY PEAK CHURCH BACK PARKING LOT - I was one of the earliest team members to arrive. As everyone rolled up, got themselves and their gear ready for loading into the tow trailer, anticipation, nervousness and good spirits increased.

Team pictures were taken, bags were loaded onto the trailer and good byes were delivered to loved ones. Susanna V. took me to the church parking lot and saw me off. Sandi Seel, my prayer warrior from church joined some of the other friends and/or family and bid me goodbye at LAX. Both ladies have been such a blessing to me in different ways. Both supported me and encouraged me throughout my emotional and/or spiritual struggles of staying a part of this mission trip. I am so thankful for them.

3p.m. HEATHROW AIRPORT - Still on the plane but close to landing. LAX departure went without any incident. In fact, we were blessed with special considerations from British Airways. Extra luggage was permitted and minor overages were overlooked. Already, we’re being looked after by you know who! The flight itself was very good. Watched a couple of movies and slept a bit. Thank you sleep aids! Now…the 6 hour lay over. Yee haw…

A LITTLE LATER - There have been several opportunities from LAX to Heathrow to talk about who we are and what we’re doing. My boldness in sharing the facts and nature of our trip increases. As for the opportunities to explain ourselves…I can’t imagine the identical “Uganda: Rocky Peak Men - Africa 2007″ shirts we’re all wearing have anything to do with this. ;0)

My back and left leg are really concerning me. I’ve got some genuine stiffness and pain from my low back down to my lower left thigh. Not sure how this happened; likely it occurred at Water World, just not sure how. Whatever the case, I’m feeling pretty cranky. Every time I get pain in this area it creates some depression in me. I think it’s a sense memory kind of thing. So many years of back pain prior to surgeries and the resultant, sustained depression from it. Praying for deliverance from this annoyance. In the meantime, going to try and not make a big deal of it.

HEATHROW, STILL LATER - Some of us paired up or, as trios went snooping around. Some ate, some bought books, snacks…etc. Kind of feels like elementary school. “Go with your hall buddy”. The rebel within and my disdain for authority is going to get a good working on this trip. So, we’re all back and hanging out. Everyone is in very good spirits. Some are journaling, some game playing or just talking. Most of the guys bought very nice leather bound journals. I opted to leave mine at home. I already have a variety of journals and I didn’t want to bring one that might get lost and in so doing lose past entries. So…I bought a composition book from Rite Aid. It seemed to jump right out at me. On the cover…a baby tiger. “I’m an African adventure composition book”, it yelled. Being a good listener, I decided to make it mine.

Let’s just say the discovery of said book was met with a certain derision…playful derision.

So what do I do? Lash out…become defensive…? Nope. This photo cat is now named “Rocky” and as our new mascot (dubbed by me) she’ll be making LOTS of appearances on our trip. She might even develop her own voice. Who knows she could even wake guys up in the middle of the night. That’ll teach ‘em. Heh, heh, heh…

STILL AT HEATHROW…LATER - Just got up and walked away. Started feeling insecure about my part in the spiritual aspect of this trip. My old demons have decided to come at me again. Looking at guys journaling, reading their Bibles, meditating, I started comparing myself to them. I know resentment is right around the corner and I’m not going to let that take hold. I’ve got nothing to prove. Just be myself and trust God.

1 Peter 5:8 says, “Be self-controlled and alert.  Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.  Resist him, standin firm in the faith…”

NEIL’S DEVOTIONAL - before leaving Heathrow, Neil gave his devotional.  See if you find the content” convenient”:

1. We’re forgiven

2. We’re equipped with all we need.

3. We have a “blank check” from God who calls Himself “I Am”.

Read Isaiah 6, Jeremiah 1 and Exodus 4

These answer the, “Who am I to serve?” question.

“Too young? Too “”unclean”"?, not up to the challenge…God says other.

Departure Day

Posted by vroomer in Uganda Outreach

The adventure begins today. My bags have been packed for a couple of days and all tasks completed yesterday. There is one task left undone and that is to have my last will and testament notarized. Per my mother’s urgings I finally put together that which I’ve procrastinated on for a long time. I can see why I did; it ain’t fun making out a will. I know it won’t be necessary for this trip but responsibility calls and I gotta show up for it once and a while.

How do I feel…? Well, to be honest, it feels like I have a pulled muscle in left hamstring/glutt area. I’ve been limping all day. Good times, eh? I did about 30 minutes of Yoga, took some Advil and applied some medicated ointment and the rest the say, is in God’s hands. Not to sound like too much of a downer, but in general I’m physically feeling pretty blah. Not sure what this is about - maybe a combination of sleeping pill, Malaria medicine and emotional drain. I pray that God will strengthen me for the journey.

With that said, I am ready to “get it on”!! I want to get past the 24 hours of heinous travel and get in country, ya know?

Here’s something that bears talking about: There has been MUCH talk of this being a “life changing experience”. What I’m trying to do is not let all this talk about that affect the actual experience. I mentioned to a few that I’m even a little angry and frustrated that such expectations are out there. It feels it ruins the possibility of just being present. What if this isn’t a “life changing experience”? Then what…was it a failure? Am I a failure for not having had that experience? You know what I mean? My mantra for this trip is, “Just show up. Try and get out of my own way. Be of service. Let God handle the rest.”

So that’s it for now. I’ll be transcribing the rest of my blog when I return. Keep us in your prayers and I look forward to sharing the adventure with you all when I return. I hope you have a blessed two weeks yourself!

One Week to Go

Posted by vroomer in Uganda Outreach

Tomorrow marks the one week out mark. I’m getting a little agitated, nervous, excited…a variety of feelings. Went to REI, the outdoors store and picked up some essentials. From what I’ve been told, our digs will be a bit modest so we were advised to pick up some camping related gear. I am now the proud owner of two, not one…two light-weight, backpacking chamois bath towels as well as a chamois wash cloth. After I wipe off the limited supply of water I will be provided for bathing, I will break out the Turtle Wax and be able to bring my bald dome to a lustrous showroom shine.

Topping off the list of REI buys are an LED headlamp(good for journaling at night or spotting the indigenous arachnids that will likely occupy my room), one camping sporknife(the only danger with this are the serrations connected to the tines. There is a very good chance I will cut my lip every time I have a nosh.), a bush hat (to protect the newly buffed and waxed dome), a money belt(for the very limited amount of dollars I’ll have on me), bug spray (arachnid and other wiggly critter destroyer), poncho (gotta have a sidekick) and a/c adapter.

That’s it for now. Gotta go search for dry land…at the Water World Stunt Show. More later…