Home---and jet lag hasn't hit--yet. . .

Thanks to all of your for your prayers, resources, support, organization, family care, and all the other things you did to make sure this mission trip was a fantastic experience for both me and my family! We felt very well cared for half way across the world from one another. I got back to the church yesterday (Monday afternoon) at 5p. Long travel, but so completely worth it. The school visit, cultural observations, tourist sites, and travel were all educational experiences for me, not to mention the spiritual aspect of doing mission work and living with a team. I'm sure I'll be processing things from this trip for a while---maybe even until next time (wait--did I say that??---yep, I did--I want to go back!). My family might even look forward to it. The children's ministry team I work with at the church brought them meals every second or third day I was gone. They feasted on excellent food--put this mother/cook to shame! Thanks again Janelle, Vicki, Kristen, Mark & Marilyn, and Sherry. Claudia, second mom and mentor, also slipped lasagna and rolls in there, too.

I journaled every day, so I'll be posting selections from that along with pix when I get them. Brad, the missions minister, downloaded all my pix to his laptop, and he'll be giving them to me soon along with his. Eric and Whitney also took a boatload of pix and video which they'll be sharing--so there will be no shortage of visual remembrances of this trip. (In my vanity, I must say, you'll see me looking pretty "rugged" with no hair appliances and electricity available, I could not look my preferred best--I'm sure you'll continue to love me anyway and understand my limitations.)

Here are the other players you'll hear about and see:
Brad --Sherwood Oaks Missions Minister--a staff member with me.
Whitney--SOCC attender and Rotary Club representative. He first heard about Nyaka when he and Jackson Kaguri (Uganda native and school founder) were in Rotary together. He and the Rotary have been active supporters of Nyaka. He went not only to see and assess the needs of the school, but also to gather video so that a documentary can be created which will be used to solicit donations to send Nyaka kids who pass the national exam on to secondary school.
Otto--SOCC attender and friend of Jackson's during his stay in Bloomington who initiated Jackson's nomination into Rotary (forgive my use of perhaps the wrong terms there) & long term supporter of the school
Eric--SOCC attender interested in the school and the country, commissioned to chronicle the experience for an SOCC video about the mission.

I must get to bed now, but be checking back frequently as I'll be posting journal entries and impressions.

One quick thing to share. We attended a 7th Day Adventist Church on Saturday while we were there a mile or so down the road from the school. They translated the sermon into English for us (there is a local language, but the national language is English since Uganda gained its independence from Great Britain in 1962--yea!). Near the end of the service, the translator said "God is Good" We responded "All the time." She then switched it around--there was a connection to America--I have done that same response (and sung the song) in my church experience before--
God is Sooooooo Good--
Lucy aka Cynthia