going for burial

thanks for your prayers, this new wrinkle in my path is readily identified in Karamoja. Death is part of life, and its more understandable than most of the running around we wazungus do.  my brother's death gave us common ground to segue my departure and be open and raw with other changes, death puts life and love, friendship and war in perspective 

i was able to take a night in Rachel's village halfway up the Mt Kadam, and then she rode on the back of the piki (motorbike) with me to quickly hug the KACHEP staff in Nabilatuk and pray the night away under glorious starry skies. a welcome relief from the heavy rains that covered us as we biked down the mountain. a rather exciting and challenging journey -filled with memorable singing and conversations, not to mention both the soles of my boots coming off.

While in Nabilatuk, Asio, our amazing local mechanic who has no use of his legs, worked on the yamaha 225 which hasn't been started since Miriam left in July. He and Andres got it fired up by 10pm

i was up at 5am on our old compound (where Summer has beenliving since we left last year) to enjoy sweet alone time, and then I continued on the piki down to the big city Mbale, where i left the bike to hop on a rickety bus. it seemed like a better option at the time, so i could rest a bit and because the electrical system was on and off on the piki.

the bus overheated a few times, making the journey a bit like a mobile sauna...the engine is found just behind the drivers seat where the aisle begins - so, the turn boy kept opening up the floor boards and pouring jugs of water into the belching beast along the way. i hopped off the bus in Jinja where the local travel agent, Patience came to the rescue to get me the ticket - even without having all the funds

Summer and Carina then took me to the airport after i hosed off the mud and haphazardly packed  my belongings that might be considered worthy of america - including some chapati flour and 6 bottles of krest.traffice was horrific when we got to the capitol city of Kampala-so Mukisa came to the rescue! meeting us on the road and zipping in and out of back bumpy roads to get me to the airport 'just in time' and my overweight luggage went thru.

I'm in Amsterdam now - grateful and thankful to all that held me and helped me get here. The wake is Tuesday and funeral is wednesday in Elm Grove, wi - in case you are in the neighborhood. i hope to get my cell phone working 415 858 4262

pray that the Lord would continue to sustain me, and to be with my mom and Tom's family - they are already in Wisco -during this huge gathering. pray that it would be a time of healing and that His light would shine brightly, that Tom's death would produce fruits and joy beyond measure, that nothing would go to waste

pray that i would be able to return to Uganda to finish what i have been tasked to do, and also what I long to do - to love and hold and to let go. my ticket says 4 may - we'll see what God says about that...