More to celebrate

Today we have the great privilege to go to a 60th wedding anniversary and a 10 anniversary. I am really looking forward to witnessing these great events and seeing how they are celebrated here. As I am typing this, we are talking about how the women that work here at the parish have been cooking our food. It's over a small fire behind the house, and the women live in tiny accommodations. We also had the opportunity to have an excellent conversation with the priests and the reasons why they became priests - it was a great witness of faith. Peace, Kristine

The last couple of days of been eye-opening beyond belief, educational to say the least and at times very surreal. The long slum tour walk we took opened my eyes to a reality that exceeded expectations of what a true slum is all about. The filth, flooding, trash and disease ridden environoment these people live in everyday of their lives is inhuman....yet they have no options. What was really disheartening was seeing all the children that live there. They are everywhere! You look at them and cant help but think they have no chance in life. Still, they are unbelievably beautiful with smiles that melt you to the heart. Their only hope is a chance to go to school, which most don't have the chance. The kids at St. Kizito School are from these same slums, just as poor, but even though they bunk three high in an over-stuffed dorm room, by comparsion with the kids in the slum, they are living large. Supporting these kids in a school truly changes the entire direction of their lives.

The surreal came with the riots and mob scenes literally on the other side of the wall separating St. Kizito from the slums. There were fires and government soldiers which closed the street just 30 feet from the entry gate to St. Kizito. Inside the St. Kizto compound we were having an outdoor meeting under a tree with about 100 handicapped children, their parents and care givers. As we talked and shared stories, gunfire and tear gas canisters were being fired outside the walls. At one point, faint tear gas drifted into our meeting and several of the elderly in attendance had to cover their mouths and noses. Even worse, shortly thereafter, a round of gun fire rattled off in the field just behind the priest's home, less than 100 feet from us. It was all so bizarre, we carried on as if nothing was happening out on the street. As Deacon Don said to the crowd, "what is happening on the other side of that wall is not Uganda, what is happening right here under this tree with all of us is Uganda". He received a great round of applause. He is right.

By 3:00, time of our next meeting with sex trade workers, the streets had quieted down and returned to normal. Unfortunately, Andrew, St. Kizito's social worker expected about 25 girls to visit with us and share their very sad stories. Only 10 made it as many were detained by government soldiers. Regardless, these beautiful young girls shared their incredibly sad stories, lives that no one should ever have to live. As they opened up to us and overcame some initial mistrust, the smiles started to emerge. By the end of the meeting it was all smiles and hugs. We even played some volleyball in the parking lot and they became girls again....girls that never had a childhood. We made a very serious commitment to these girls to help change the direction of their lives that we can share upon our return. This trip continues to amaze with every passing hour. I wish more people form OLGC could be here with us our visit to see and experience everything first hand.