It is very hard to believe that I am on my flight headed back to Los Angeles International Airport. We are currently over Canada with a little over four hours to go. On this flight from Qatar to Los Angeles, I am back in seat 19H. I am thankful for the comfort of a familiar seat!
With every major event now accomplished, it came time to get ready to leave. God receives all the glory for this journey! We have so much to CELEBRATE! As always, it is difficult to deal with the emotions of leaving. Even though I have had about 24 hours of flight time to write, I couldn’t get all the millions of thoughts going around in my head to come together until now.
We stopped at the house on our way to the airport. It was a smaller group of family there because most had already left for school. We had one more time of prayer for safe travel on the road to Entebbe and the flight home. Sylvia spoke on behalf of the whole family. She got so emotional she couldn’t finish. We had a very sweet time of prayer and extra “bonus hugs”
Joan had done a very special thing for us. She packed breakfast to go which they call “takeaway”! It was perfect because I didn’t have time to have breakfast packed for Godfrey and I at the hotel. This may sound like an odd thing to eat for breakfast, but they made this special dried tilapia “soup”. Soup to them is really “sauce” to us. We had bought dried tilapia at the market. I thought it was going to just be dried fish like a jerky. But they cooked it in the base sauce of cooking oil, onions, tomatoes and local spices. It was delicious! We didn’t even stop for chicken on a stick on the road side because the fish was enough! Joan also made chapati which is one of my favorite things. Our takeaway breakfast was made complete with fresh bananas and coffee in “take away” or to go cups. It was a sweet moment as we smiled amongst tears. When Godfrey and I left the compound and began driving away it became so real. Tears flowed as we drove in silence with his hand on my shoulder telling me it will be ok.
We left about 30 minutes after he wanted to get on the road. But God answered your prayers. Thankfully, the traffic jams through Mukono and Kampala were not as bad as they could have been!
This trip was so focused on the three major events that we didn’t have much time to focus on other things we had wanted to do. So the long drive helped us to catch up on other ministry needs.
The Entebbe Airport is in the midst of a MAJOR renovation. They said by the end of this year it should be done. There are still familiar parts of the airport that those who have been there would recognize. But so much has been upgraded and computerized.
For years now, they haven’t allowed cars on the upper level to drop off passengers. We park in the lower parking lot and have to walk up to the terminal. It is partially uphill. Godfrey was thankful one of the attendants in the parking lot helped us push the luggage cart!
I think we arrived at the airport at 12:30 pm. It took only 3 hours to get here! One of the huge blessings is the new Entebbe Expressway which is a bypass through much of the old roads we used to drive through.
The flight was at 5:30 pm. Normally they don’t even let you in the building until three hours before. I thought we were so early I would have to wait outside for a couple of hours. They now have a huge tent that helps shield the sun and heat. Godfrey felt bad leaving me there but they won’t let you stay unless you are a ticketed passenger. So we said our difficult goodbyes in the tent and I was prepared to wait outside alone. The good news was they said they would let us in at 1:45 pm.
But God answered prayer and they allowed us to enter the building to go through security at 1:15 pm! I was towards the front so I got in quickly. At that point many people were departing on an Emirates flight. Because we were so early, no one was there yet for the Qatar flight! When they showed me where check-in would be, I was the first one in line! In fact, no one else joined me in line for about 45 minutes!
The person who checked me in said that it was very good we arrived extra early. She said later as it gets closer to departure, the lines to get through security can be so long they end up outside that tent! She said we did the right thing. There was no line going through passport control. But being around so many people who were traveling home, began my reverse culture shock.
As I sat on the plane and we began to take off, the tears just flowed. I will miss my Ugandan home. But I am thankful to be on my way back to my family and friends back home!
Chapter 26 has been an exciting addition to my story of how the people of Uganda have changed my life. The Graduation and Send Off of five of our students was the confirmation of all the 17 years of trusting God through the highs and the lows. The Introduction and Wedding of Hilary and Florence was a story in itself. It was a beautiful picture of all that God is doing in the lives of these precious individuals. They are a living, breathing walking testimony of God’s grace, mercy and LOVE.
Thank you for your prayers, support and encouragement! But we are not done yet with Chapter 26! I still have more to update you on. I still have many stories of the Raining Hope family and all that we did in-between the three main events! Plus the Wedding Celebration was BEAUTIFUL !
I will be sending updates the next week to complete Chapter 26. I will then go back to the blog and add photos. I thank those who have sent me messages that the updates have made you feel like you were right there with me. I accomplished what I set out to do! The photos will make the updates become even more alive like putting on those special glasses to watch a 3D movie!!
I am doing well at home. I am laying low for the next couple of weeks, trying to process all that God has done. He has done exceedingly more than we asked or could have imagined. We have aa good, good, Father!
More soon!
Kale,
Mama Eydie Kisakye
No comments:
Post a Comment