Uganda

It has been a long few days. BUT I MADE IT! Praise God. What an great journey the flight was. Ok...the exhausting part isn't all that "great" but the people along the way were interesting to say the least. My flight from Seoul to Dubai had me sitting next to a man from Morroco. He smelled pretty bad but I got used to it. We chatted a little but there was something that I sensed was not right. When we arrived in Dubai and people were getting off the plane he was motioned to the back of the plane and then dissapeared. Hmm...I wondered where he went. Just odd. My imagination gets the best of me! I was thinking, "is he a criminal?". He had talked about being in Korea illegially. Hmmm.

Dubai's airport was fun because of the plethera of people groups represented. So many were from Europe, Australia, Aisa and the Gulf. I had no idea that Dubai was such a central hub for most of the world.

When I got on the plane in Dubai the girl next to me and I chatted and we realized we were going to different places--she to Adis Ababba and I to Entebbe. I had this scare. She said "You better check your ticket." I had this moment of pannic. "I'm on the wrong flight?" We just didn't realize there were two flights on the plane.

This girl I sat next to is Egyption. She grew up in Kuwait. I've never met an Egyption before let alone someone who has lived in Kuwait. My picture of Kuwait is completely tied to the United States political situation. Not such a good picture. So she put a face to not only Kuwait but to the Middle East in general. She was very candid about what she thought about the USA. She was surprisingly positive yet realistic. We talked about Islam and marriage. I didn't know that in the Islam way of life a man can marry up to four times. We talked about the head coverings the women wear. I didn't realize that their head coverings are an outward expression to an inward conviction about life and faith. From talking to her I understand that the women wear the coverings to save their beauty from their husbands and to not cause men to lust after them. It somehow made more sense to me when I was talking to her face to face. She has not choosen to wear the covering yet. She spoke as if she may someday. I could tell that she really values the way of Islam and wants to be a commited follower of God. She invited me to visit someday. I had to laugh at the thought. I laughed only because I know how people would respond back home to Julene traveling to Kuwait!

In talking to this Egyptian Kuwaiti resident I realized just how ignorant I am when it comes to the Middle East. I forget that there is more going on than the Iraq war. I often forget that there are people not unlike myself who are trying to live life well. She gifted me by putting a face on "the gulf". It doesn't just have to be a "war" or a "political conflict". There are real people behind everything we hear in the media!

I was picked up by some people hired by the conference. One other man was picked up with me. They did go to the airport at 8:30am just to find that I wasn't coming until 2:30pm. They were gracious when I apoligized. There were other pick ups today at least!

It feels good to be here. The sights and sounds are bringing me back to the summer I spent in Tanzania. It is odd. Images of those days, images I've not seen since those days, are popping up in my mind. I look forward to what is coming. Am I really in Uganda? So odd to be in Korea one day and Uganda the next. How is that even possible.

It is warm here! There is a nice breeze. There are a lot of foreigners at the guesthouse. Tonight there is some type of bbq dinner.

Tomorrow should be a raft trip.

Until then.