Just now getting a chance to post. Hope you all have had a great day.

The mode of transportation for the team is by van. And not very big vans as I’m told. And the seats aren’t very big. I’ve also been told they stuffed 17 people in one van. The team had a 2 1/2 hour trip in the van today and it was bumpy, hot and dusty. When they got closer to Mbale it started to cool down. Jennifer joked she thought she was going to get a pressure sore sitting in the back of the van. Everyone agreed they may also. I guess sitting in the back of the van is worse than the front.

The surprise they had was getting to go to the Nile River. I think most of the teams go there but they didn’t know it was in the plans this time. They took a little boat ride, (Diana did fine, her family told her not to go near the water or hippos. And when they went into a souvenir shop the first thing she saw was a hippo) The guide  told them all about the river.  It sounded like everyone had a nice time. Then of course, a Mercy Trips tradition, they ate at a little Chinese restaurant called Ling Ling’s. Apparently it’s really good. Who would’ve thought.

Right now there is a celebration there like Independence Day here. It’s called NRN. The Ugandan president is there and some dignitaries. The team got booted out of their rooms and they have to sleep in the rooms that have no air conditioning. But as soon as those people leave the team can have the rooms they were supposed to have.  Pray for just a little rain and clouds to keep things cool.

Tomorrow the hospital will be set up for surgeries, medicine will be packaged and the pharmacy will be set up also.

There were 50 people that were coming to the hospital to possibly have surgery. But with only one surgeon the number is going to be more like 20-25. The patients will come and they will be screened, meaning the ones with bigger needs and ones that can be done at the hospital there. Some of the patients that come in for surgery can’t have surgery there because it is something that can’t be done at this particular hospital.

 A couple things from team members…Bonnie has been part of the Mercy Trips team for a couple of years now and she said she feels like she has come home. Norma felt very blessed and Beverly said even though she has been to Uganda several times she is struck by the beauty of the country and by the people. After tomorrow I’m sure more people will have things to share.

Hope the paragraphs aren’t to wordy (is that a word) I just want to explain as much as I can so everyone can understand it. Since it’s the first time for some people to go on this trip, it is the first time for some of you to read the blog so hopefully I’m not rambling.

Until tomorrow…………..

This entry was posted on Monday, January 25th, 2010 at 8:46 pm and is filed under Mercy Trips: Uganda Spring 2009. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.