Entebbe: Week Three

Every day I fall more in love with life here, and the thought of leaving Entebbe in ten days, seems far too soon. Uganda, to use Leah’s word, is lovable. Despite the poverty and numerous other problems facing the country, Ugandans seem to go about their day with a zest for enjoying whatever the day brings. On our daily walk to Acacia Tree we pass the President’s House and its perfectly manicured lawns on one side of the road, and shacks made of scrap metal and wood with roofs made of heavy leaves on the other. The distribution of wealth here is terribly uneven, and I’ve only experienced the south of Uganda. Northern Uganda is said to be a century and a half behind the south developmentally, in large part because of the Lord’s Resistance Army who have rebelled against the government for the past twenty plus years. The LRA is considered a terrorist organization because of the atrocities they have inflicted on the North, namely murder, abduction, and sex slavery. The majority of soldiers fighting for the LRA are children. President Obama recently signed a bill to stop the LRA, but outbreaks have still occurred. With the exception of a necklace of mine being stolen, I’ve had only positive experiences here. It’s difficult to fathom that such violence can continue in the same country I love so well.

The babies at Acacia Tree continue to thrive, and it’s going to be so hard leaving ‘my boys.’ My favorite part of the day with the babies is bath time. Even though I think it’s always hot here, the babies are more sensitive to temperature, so most of the time we bathe them indoors. Sometimes, though, we fill up a couple ‘buckets’ with water from the garden hose and bathe the boys in the sunshine. Isaac –I mean Henry (his adoptive parents changed his name)—and Moses loved it from the first, but Jonathan was uncomfortable. Jonathan, ‘JoJo,’ is HIV positive and also has autism and Down syndrome. New experiences are generally hard for him, but after awhile, he loved bathing outside. He leaned back and splashed the water with his brown hands; I’ve never seen him so visibly content. Meanwhile, baby Moses has continued learning more ‘tricks,’ his most recent being kissing Leah on the hand. I want to keep him!

This weekend we stayed in Entebbe and discovered the joys of the outdoor pool at the Lake Victoria Hotel. We paid the sh10,000 (five dollars)to gain entrance, and spent the day in and out of the water and getting sun burnt, despite several applications of sunscreen! Somewhat tired of chapatti and rolex (a Ugandan dinner—somewhat like an omelet in a wrap) for dinner, we decided to go out for Indian at “4 Points.” It’s an outdoor restaurant with a ton of character and is considered one of the best places to eat in Entebbe. Part of the restaurant is a tiny bakery and patisserie shop owned by a Kenyan couple—if only I’d discovered it sooner!

My English friend Nicky and me at "4 Points"

John 15:12, “This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.”

E.