I can hardly believe how fast things are beginning to move now.
Last week despite all the snow we had our final meet before we start out for Kamuli in Uganda. The next tome we all meet up together will be around 4am on Sunday 7th Feb. at Aberdeen airport to catch our flight to Schiphol, Amsterdam and then our on-ward connection through to Entebbe.
We will be spending the night in Entebbe staying at the Highway Motel. You can find it here http://highwaymotelentebbe.com/. It's basioc and it suits our price range. Watch out for reports from Highway on this Blog.
We had a bit of a fright last week when one of our Group (Ross) was admitted to Hospital with suspected Viral Meningitis. Thank God, he has received the all clear and is fine to travel but was a real scare for us. We would have been real disappointed had Ross been unable to travel as he was one of the Trinity who made the first trip to Kamuli and then up to Kampala.
Another member from that original visit (Kenny) has been dispatched to London to visit the Ugandan High Commission and collect the Entry Visa's.
It saves the hassle of queing when we arrive at Entebbe Airport as it is real slow. Folks in Uganda move and work to African Time. Life goes on just the same and they get there, so why rush around. I often wonder who is right and who is wrong.

All three of us made many friends in Uganda and we are so much looking forward to meeting up with them again.

Sadly for some of the folks we met last time, it will be too late.
We visited with Pastor Fred Naika and his Churches at Kaliro. He ministers to two very special congregations in very special churches. Every Member is HIV.
You would imagine it would be a sad place but nothing could be further from the truth. The greeting we recieved and the love shown to us by everyone in these churches really was immense.
In Uganda you do not go to the Doctor if you suspect you may be HIV.
To be diagnosed means that you are labeled and become gradually ostracised from normal life.
The Church Communities in Kaliro allowed people to find unity and strength in numbers.
As one Young Woman told us "I have this illness but I am still me".
The Church gives her the strength to live as normal a life as is possible. I pray she is there when we return in a few weeks time.
We have a real mixture in the Group. Young and not so young, Staff from Grampian Fire and Rescue, A Head Teacher and a Deputy Head Teacher from our local school and Church Members.
It should be an interesting experience for all of us.
Keep popping in to follow and share with the group as they set out for Uganda and the Trip of a Lifetime.