Welcome ... Welcome ... Welcome!

We arrived in Uganda yesterday after three days of travel.  It was quite comfortable considering the 19 hours of flight time and lots of waiting time in airports.  The stewardesses on each leg of the trip made sure that Steve and I had seats with lots of leg room.  And, when we spent the night in the airport in Doha, we were lucky to have found a quiet room with lounge chairs to stretch out in and sleep quite well.  We were so grateful!

Chuck and Beth Bradshaw met us at the airport in Entebbe and we drove to Mityana where they live.  Everyone is being so gracious to us. 

Right away we felt the “Welcome” from everyone.  Each time we would meet someone new they said it at least three times.  The Africans sure know how to make us feel right at home.

We are settling into our new space for a little while here in the Bradshaw’s home before we move into Mama Victoria’s boarding home just a short distance from here.  They will be leaving to go back to Maine, USA the first of October.  So, in the meantime, we hope to be of some help in their transition of moving after three years of being here in service to the Episcopal Diocese of Uganda, and whatever else we are being given to do — taking each moment as it comes.

In our morning meditation and prayer time, Steve used the Celtic Benediction to begin our day.  The closing prayer seemed to fit quite nicely to set the context for the days to come:

In the busyness of this day

grant me a stillness of seeing, O God.

In the conflicting voices of my mind

grant me a calmness of hearing.

Let my seeing and hearing, 

my words and my actions

be rooted in a silent certainty of your Presence.

Let my passions for life

and the longings for justice that stir within me

be grounded in the experience of your stillness.

Let my life be rooted in the ground of your peace, O God,

let me be rooted in the depths of your peace.

~ J. Phillip Newell

More to come …

Love,

Elizabeth & Steve