MUM (mom) In Uganda

My MUM, the way they say it in Uganda, it's not Mom it's MUM like the british, she visited me for 3 weeks and we had the time of our lives . My mom was able to live my life for a short period of time and see how amazing Uganda is.We were very blessed to be able to go gorilla trekking.The two of us were hilarious as we tried to maneuver over the jungle floor with two left feet.I can’t tell you how many times we slipped, fell and tried to climb up these amazing jungle floors. Or how important it is to have a porter named Caleb. He was in the middle of us and as he pushed me and pulled mom up these slipper slopes, I can’t imagine what was going through his mind. He was so gracious and kind to my mom and I. He even asked me if it was ok to call her mom.He kept us at a great pace and reminding us to take small steps and go slow. He was truly an angle.I think he has the coolest job he gets to see these gorillas and the excitement of tourists as they take in the beauty of
these amazing creatures.Two things really touched me as we interacted and watched these not so distant relatives (they match us by 98%). Our guide and the other trackers were chopping down some of the jungle so we could see and the Silver back (his name is Masaka) put his family behind him and gave a warning grunt and grabbed the jungle branches and proceeded to recover his family and shield them. It was incredible how protective he was yet allowed us to be near them. Then the other was to watch him as he watched the youngest baby playing with a branch. He was a father watching his child.He did how ever charge at us 2 times to show he was the boss and this was his family, but at no time did I feel threatened.It was fun how as he did this each one of us ladies automatically became submissive and the men in our group freaked out.To watch this silverback protect his family was so touching. So maybe I will ask God to find me a silverback…he he he….
I wish I had better photos of this experience but the jungle is dark and my camera would only use the flash so I didn’t want to upset the big guy.It was truly a bucket list moment in life and I could not have had a better person to share it with than my mom.Who by the way lost her reading glasses during one of our falling moments w/ the gorillas? So when national geographic shows a story about the gorilla that reads with glasses we will all now it was Joann who shared her speaks.
Then we continued on to Queen Elizabeth National park, were I was grateful for the landscapes and a few animals, but the highlight of our safari by far was Murchison falls were we encountered a mama lion and 3 cubs.We took a guided tour with Red Chili and I highly recommend them if you come to Uganda. Incredible company and very well organized. Our driver Noor and guides Andrew at Murchison falls and Simon for the game drive made the trip even more personable. Andrew was fun and silly and very interactive w/ the guests he even took people’s photos for them and made this incredibly hot hike bearable. Simon who’s favorite animal was the wart hogs made us laugh and was adventurist and knowledgeable.We slept w/ hippos grazing each night outside our tent and wart hogs and baboons running around during the day. Truly had fun seeing elephants and giraffe’s and even a leopard turtle, owls and a rhino beetle. There were 7 of us in the vehicle and what a great group, we had a
couple from Sweden, 2 young ladies who are doing internship as dr’s from the Netherlands and Sebastian a young man on a 5 week holiday from Germany. Each of us joked and bonded and just had a great time together. We have all exchanged emails and phone numbers and all will be visiting each other in their home countries.

Then ministry wise my mom got to see our drop in center one day were we had a team from America and how crazy it gets with over 40 people at our center. Then one of the children fell asleep on mom as she sang to her, and then mom got to see the hair dressing class in full swing.She meet the staff of Rahab and every time she did people were so taken back at how strong she was (basically, how young and still active she is) She also got to run around town w/ errands and meetings and networking for upcoming events.She attended one of the business classes and team meetings for the 16-week business course. So she has meet staff and volunteers and a lot of the ladies that we help. The trusties even took her out for tea and so she met one of the ladies that use to be the 1^st lady of Burundi. She made yogurt with me grocery shopped and did my daily life.She even got on a boda boda (motor cycle) and didn’t fall over.She got in a taxi and was a passenger in my car during rush
hour and sat in jam with me.Along the way mom got to fall in love w/ the same people I have and experience the generosity and hospitality that Uganda has to offer.
All in all I think my mom’s time here was good, when I dropped her off at the airport she even said maybe she will be back again to visit me.

16-week business class.

The last 2 weeks have been so rewarding as I sit in on the 16 week business class and therapy sessions with 4 amazing young woman. These women are part of our c cross boarder trafficking project. Each month we have more and more women who come back to Uganda after being rescued from Asia and the Middle East.
There is something so incredibly brilliant about this group of women this time.I wish I could tell u everything about them, but it is one of the hardest parts of my job. I want to brag about them, but yet to do so would cost them more exploitation and I just can’t do it. But I can say that one of the ladies after our very 1^st therapy session had the biggest smile in her face and after I asked her how do you like it, she said “I think I am going to be ok after this.”“I finally have a place I talk about what happened to me my family has no idea what I went through.”It touched my heart to hear her repeat the same thing I have heard many many times from similar ladies I worked with. U think really your hear was touched, and I say yes because I know God is working in ways we can’t even imagine and this girl is seeing his love and light in our 3 hour window of opportunity.
Before the program started I prayed and prayed for God to provide the small group of girls that we could impact and feed into. And many of you too prayed with me for months to bring this all together and now that it is, I see this amazing blessing. Thank you for letting me share prayers and this opportunity with you. I am so grateful for the team that I am working with. I have 2 business ladies and 2 therapists who are working into the lives of these ladies, again a HUGE blessing from God that these ladies are in my life.
Please continue to pray over all as we move forward into the 3^rd week of meeting.