Early to bed, early to rise. This time, we woke up at about 3:30 AM. My alarm clock provided the rude awakening, but the ice-cold shower that greeted me next made it even ruder. Our hotel in the city of Fort Portal had planned for a much smaller group, so myself and a few other comrades ended up bunking in a small bed and breakfast on the outskirts of town the night before. We grabbed some breakfast and were headed back to Kampala in the still-dark morning.I tried to stay awake to see some of the countryside. Since I had never seen this land before and it was all so new to me, I felt a little like Livingstone out discovering some new African land. I would pinch myself to stay awake and absorb it all, pestering Michael with questions that he's probably heard thousands of times from people like me.
The drive back into Kampala was as nerve-racking as the previous one into town from Entebbe the night we arrived in Africa--probably even more so. There were pedestrians and cars and trucks and buses and mopeds and bikes EVERYWHERE, and no one follows any traffic laws! You just hit the gas, and hope that other people avoid you somehow. There was a round-about with cars going in different directions about two feet apart from each other with a couple of bicycles, a moped, and a guy in a wheelchair trying to fit through the gap! I bit my tongue several times when I felt like snapping at Michael to take it a little easier in traffic.
We picked up our suitcases that we had left at the hotel in Kampala, then embarked for the airport back in Entebbe. Unfortunately, it was now that I finally discovered the video capability of my new camera; in the craziness of the preceeding days, I hadn't even spent much time experimenting with it! I tried to get in a few video shots from my shotgun position, but they ended up being mostly clips of traffic going by our van. I could have gotten some cool footage had I figured this out sooner!
We stopped for a long layover in Nairobi, Kenya, then had an overnight flight into Amsterdam again. Yet another overseas flight had us back stateside in Detroit, where I tried to do as much preening in the airport bathroom as possible...I'm sure we looked like the grungiest bunch of misfits anyone in the terminal had ever seen, but we didn't really care too much. It's funny; while everyone was talking excitedly about the first thing they would do or see when they got back--friends, family, etc., all I could think about was my razor and shaving cream back home...I could hardly wait to clean myself up!
God is so good. I learned this and was reminded of this so many times during my short stay in Uganda. He stayed with me through so many tough situations (like He has all my life) and through so much apprehension and anxiety...A Wonderful Counselor indeed. I saw how little the people have there, how much we as Americans have, and how badly He wants us to rid ourselves of our crutches--the things we have that we worship and idolize and think sustain us when really all we need is His provision. I saw people praising God and rejoicing in the fact that they can know Him and experience Him--even if they didn't have a moped or a car, or a house with a floor, or even shoes. They had no inhibitions and therefore worshiped freely. 
Isn't that how it should be? Shouldn't we--who have been given so much more--be that much more grateful? I thank Him for this experience and for the people He provided to team up and do His work. Now that I'm back home, I only hope I don't fall back onto my old crutches--my sources of insulation and security--that keep me from trusting God for every little thing...even a razor and a can of shaving cream...
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