From Kampala, Uganda

We have made it to Kampala, where it is substantially warmer than the UK!

We seemed to spend all day on Monday packing, and left home a lot later than planned (leaving home with the idea of not being back for several months is best described as odd). A traffic jam just before we go to Ealing meant we had a late, but very enjoyable, meal with our son - last Italian for some time....

Next morning we set off on the 20 min drive to Heathrow. All was going well up to the dual carriageway when we started to crawl. When we finally got to Heathrow we had "fun" trying to find fuel, navigating roundabouts and driving both ways under the runway at least twice. Initially we vociferously blamed each other but, in the end, agreed it was poor signs(!). Eventually we found our way but the 20 min journey had taken 75 mins - we'd better get used to it.

Then we sat on the plane for an hour because someone had checked in but failed to get on the plane so their 7 bags had to be found and removed. How do you have 7 bags and not get on the plane? However, the pick up from Entebbe airport went very smoothly and we eventually got to the guest house in Kampala at 2am Uganda time.

As has already been mentioned, it is hotter here than UK - anyone surprised? We had a stunning storm yesterday evening, accompanied by very strong winds which blew large branches off the trees. It also seems to have blown in a small stained glass window of the cathedral immediately behind us. The locals here say that it should not be raining at this time of year, it is meant to be the dry season but it has rained again today.

We have now got our Ugandan currency, Ugandan phones and internet dongle (in use as this is typed), bought the equipment we think we need for Aru (pans, plates, cutlery etc.) and are currently sitting looking out over the city - a very impressive view.

Kampala itself is much we remember it from 2006, busy, bustling, loads of traffic (though not as much as Cairo). It is actually difficult to describe - a lot of contrasts. Some very smart buildings alongside rickety wooden structures, loads of boda-bodas (no idea if that is correct spelling they are mopeds that a lot of people travel around on that weave in and out of  the traffic, seemingly suicidally - today we saw one with four passengers.....). Impressions? - not really possible to describe I'm afraid - bustling, African(!), dusty, chaotic....

Staying at the guest house we have met Pat, a guy from the states whose bags did not make the change of flight at Heathrow so has had to hang around. Pat is going to work with pygmy people in south east Uganda and has accompanied us on our shopping trips. Pat was also a local authority worker who has just taken redundancy and is soon to be 56 - sound a bit familiar?

Tomorrow we will be driven to Arua in NW Uganda. It is, apparently, an 8 hour drive so we will leave at 6:30am. We will stay with some other CMS people and then be collected and taken to Aru. We are just beginning to get used to the idea we are actually here, it all seemed unreal leaving home, but we still are in transit and wondering what our new home will be like. We are also wondering what on earth have we let ourselves in for.....

Nearly there

In two days time we fly to Africa, to Kampala to be more precise. We think we've got everything packed - we certainly have a number of cases! The house is very nearly ready for the family who are borrowing it to move in so all that needs to happen is for us to get to Heathrow on Tuesday morning.

So, how does it feel now we are finally nearly there? A mixture:

• part of us doesn't believe that we are actually going to go. Despite all the planning, all the packing etc. it still feels unreal and that it isn't really us that is going to DRC.
• Another part says 'what on earth do we think we are doing'? People have said we are brave, and that they couldn't do it. Well, compared to what many do we are doing nothing, and we are not particularly brave!
• The strongest part is, probably, excitement, that we can't wait to get stuck in and be in Aru doing whatever we are going to do there.

What are we going to do? well, the letter of invitation says Pete will "help build the capacity of the heads of departments for project management" and Gill will "help with IT skills and Christian education materials". Very challenging when you realise that:

• project management in the west is one thing but in central Africa, a completely different culture, will be something else 
• IT skills can cover a range of things including programming, sorting networks, sorting machines using Word etc.
• we have just six months
• we have to do it in French

However, this is what is exciting. We want to live in a different culture, to experience different views,  build relationships and, if we can, achieve a little towards any of the above then that will be great.

2 weeks to go!

Well, Pete finishes work this Friday and we fly out to Uganda on Feb 19, so we haven't got long to go!

We're going to spend a couple of days in Kampala before travelling across Uganda to Arua on Feb 22. Then we'll be staying there until someone can fetch us from Aru in the DRC.

We'll be hitting the shops in Kampala - we need to stock up on kitchen stuff as there's nothing in the house we'll be living in. There's also sorting out a SIM card for a phone and an internet dongle for the netbook - hopefully we'll then be able to keep this blog vaguely uptodate!

Before we get to that point though, we have

• people to see,
• more paperwork to sort out (does it ever end?),
• cupboards to clear so the friends who are house-sitting have somewhere to put their stuff, 
• and probably endless packing and re-packing to fit everything in satisfactorily!

Since the last post, we've had two weeks of training with CMS. It was the best training we've ever experienced. Inspirational teachers, great bunch of people to train with and excellent food! And we even managed to have a snowball fight as well!

Finally, we've had a wonderful 'sending out' service at our church, when we were able to share a bit about where we're going and what our hopes are. Many people gathered round to pray for us, which was an inspiring experience.

The next post will, hopefully, be from Africa! Unless we do another one before we go....