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Today had started out like most days of this trip. We met for breakfast, waited a few minutes for the bus to get us and then went to the school. It’s Sunday and there was a church service, which we attended. It was great, we sang and danced. Pastor Stephen spoke about how grateful he is to have us here and for all of our hard work. Chris and John played their guitars and sang a couple of songs. The church choir was great, rockin as always and then the kids sang us some songs… Angella is in the children’s choir. I asked her if she wanted to sit with me but she said she had to sing so she stayed with her friends in the back before they went to the front. I asked her to find Scovia for me. Scovia came to me just a minute later. She hopped up on my lap and stayed there the rest of the two hours. She is really starting to get comfortable with me, she plays with my necklace, she brushes dirt off of my dress and relaxes in my arms and I can feel her little breaths. I spotted mom’s boys in the back where the kids sit. I waved them over and they came quickly and they were happy to be included and feel like they were sitting where the important adults were. Or maybe they were just happy to be near where I was sitting. We stood and sang songs. The five of us shared two chairs. Scovia had one knee and Erias the other. The two older boys shared a chair just in front of us. I had invited Sarah to sit with us too but she is now 10 and she said she wanted to stay with her friends. She sure did look sweet in her new dress. ?

At the end of the service Pastor Stephen invited all of us to come to the front of the room to have everyone pray for us. I knew what was going to happen at this point. The whole team stood in the front and then he invited the children to come to the front and pray with us. We were crying and I was just trying to keep it together. It is a sign that the trip is almost over. Upon leaving the church, Bashir came to me and said his mother was there. He is the oldest of mom’s boys. It was so good to see her, she looked like she was doing okay. She was still very weak and I could feel her unsteadiness as she stood there holding my hand but all in all I think she is happy that her boys will be taken care of. She knows that now. As I walked out to the buses I tried to say that I would be there in the morning to say goodbye. I saw Angella and Sarah with Robinah. I was worried because I can always get Angella to smile but not always Sarah. I asked what was wrong, Robinah told me they were sad. They all started crying…Robinah, Norah, Sarah, Angella. I hugged them all in a big circle. I don’t think Scovia understands I am leaving tomorrow but she understood that all of the other girls were crying and then she started. I was so sad to leave them. I gave them all kisses and told them I would see them tomorrow morning.

We left for “The Source of the Nile” this is in Jinja. It took about an hour to get there and we passed over part of the road that had been washed away from rains earlier this year. When we arrived to the river, we took boats to “the source”. These springs in the river pump 200,000 gallons per second into the river that runs south to north.

Pastor Stephen baptized a number of people including an on looker outside of our group he just hopped in the water with them. It was great! Everyone was very excited. I’m not going to say the people that did it, I will let them tell you ? It was a very exciting experience.

So here I am wrapping up my last full day in Uganda of this trip. It’s very sad already to think of leaving tomorrow. It won’t be easy but you all know how I roll… I will use this energy into getting more kids sponsored and raising money for the much needed kitchen and dining hall. Are you in to help??? Thanks!!! Have to get going, need to pack and get some sleep.

Nicole