Killer Storks

Today was my second full day in Uganda!
Finally, I'm over the worst of the jet lag. Its about 8:30pm and I don't feel like crashing. About this time last night I was soooo ready for bed. Time zone change is 7 hours ahead of you all in Eastern time zone.
After lunch today, we began our journey west of the capital. So I got to see a lot of the landscape of Uganda. Its interesting to me how different Uganda looks vs. Tanzania. And they are located so close to each other. Uganda is a country of rolling hills covered with green, tropical looking plants. I actually noticed a reed that grows commonly around here that looks like the plant from the Lorax... they must have come to Africa. The temperatures here are amazing! It hasnt been more than high 70s or low 80s since I've been here... but the sun is so strong!
There is also a stork here that is basically a vulture, they have HUGE bodies and really tall legs and beaks with a wing span of about six feet. They are massive and super creepy looking. I'm hoping I can see one long enough to grab my camera to show you.
This picture was taken along our journey at the Equator line!!

So I got to stand in both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. Pretty cool!
For the next two weeks I am in a small village called Mbira. The missionaries live in a house on the same property as the orphanage. They have about 80 children! I got to see the kids tonight and tried to say hello, but they were really shy. I am excited to learn  more about the ministry here, and look forward to being able to share more pictures and stories with you!
Bye for now.

6 Days!

It's so hard to believe that in less than one week I will be boarding an airplane headed for Africa. I've been looking forward to this for awhile now and am so thrilled that it is time.
I wanted to make a post to help people visualize where I will be in Africa, and what exactly I will be doing. So I have included a map that I made!

 

My journey begins in America, but when I arrive in Africa I will be flying into Uganda! Then I travel west to that first green star. I will be staying with a missionary family who have a ministry of a children's home. I will be with them for two weeks and really look forward to my time there. Next I travel into the capital of Uganda, Kampala, to meet up with people from the next ministry I will be spending time with... on the other side of Uganda close to the Kenyan border (the purple star). The ministry is called the Village of Eden and is a children's home too! I will be with them for two weeks. Then I will travel back to Kampala for a few days and am hopefully going to be spending time with a Teen Challenge center that just opened up for women! Then I will board a plane once again and travel to Tanzania, Africa where I will spend two weeks. I'm looking forward to this. I traveled to Tanzania, Africa in 2010 and am so excited to see people I met once before! 

This trip is only possible for me because of the goodness of God in my life. He is so faithful and has used so many people and circumstances to encourage me. I'm so grateful for His provision in my life and the support of others. I want to say a big thank you to everyone who gave financially and also to those of you who have been praying for me. I am so excited for this trip and how God will work! I know that He will. Please continue to keep me in your prayers.