The Eagle Has Landed... on a Boda-Boda

The eagle has landed, and by eagle I mean me. On an almost cool morning, I breezed through immigration and baggage claim (that's right, both of my suitcases arrived) and found Shelly waiting with a cup of hot coffee to share with me. There was something familiar in the air. Something sweet and welcoming. It was something foreign, but it was also like home. Maybe it was the smell of burning plastic that suffocates Ugandan air. Anyway, whatever it was, it certainly made me feel good to be back.


Shelly (who is the director of Christopher House, my supervisor, and a treasured friend) took me first to Christopher House for an afternoon with the kids. Plenty of hugs and "well be back" greetings. Then it was off to Shiloh. Now, Shiloh is a campground that is still being built. It's about an hour out of town and it just might be a piece of heaven on earth. It's one of my favorite places to be! Grass roof cottages, recently stoned pathways, greened trees, plenty of shade and the distant sounds of birds and children laughing or crying, and on top of it all...Galaboozi is there. He is a 63 year old delightfully joyous man who does all of the farming and land management for Shiloh. Last summer, I created a theme song for him. It's to the tune of "Don't cry for me, Argentina" from the musical Evita, but I sing Galaboozi instead of Argentina. We pulled up and I began singing as loud as I could out the window. Soon enough Galaboozi and Sylivia came running from the field. They're hugs almost swallowed me whole.


Only two days and there is already so much to tell you. First, a confession. I did something last night that I swore I would never do. I rode a boda-boda in town. For those of you confused by this confession, let me explain. A boda-boda is a motorcycle that transports people. They're fast, unreliable and possibly dangerous. No helmets are involved, not even cute ones. Let's just say, I nearly peed my pants. Something makes me so uneasy about riding on the back of a motorcycle while a complete stranger drives. Anyhow, I didn't die. I didn't fall off. It was a beautiful miracle.


So, this Saturday begins the Girls' Bible Study! Pray with me that these girls will connect with the material. We're studying 10 women in Scripture. We're not focusing on the all stars or the most remembered women. Instead, we're looking at some of the women in the shadows, some without names. We're looking at how God sees these women in their life situations, and then we're going to talk about how God sees us in our lives too. We'll be trying a few things that will be new to them...a foot washing service, communion, jewelry making and mosaic art. I'll definitely keep you posted on how this study goes. I know these girls have rich contributions to make to this area of study. Pray that they God will use this study to strengthen them, encourage them, empower them.

Well, I suppose I should get back to the center. My butt is getting numb from sitting in this seat too long. I love you all from here, and I continue to thank God for your presence, your prayers and your support. They mean everything...

This Alisha on Location, signing off...