Musings on the Vision Trip to Uganda

It has been slightly over a year since my last trip to Uganda and I must say that I am very excited about going back. This will be my eighth trip to Uganda and while I am still a novice, I have made friends with some of the World Vision staff and I am looking forward to reconnecting with them.

One thing that I have observed over the last five years is that there is a good deal of change that occurs both in personnel and in restructuring. Paul Abok, the former manager of the Gulu Cluster, was reassigned to the Oyam Cluster that is not too far from Gulu. I am hoping to be able to see him during the visit, especially since his home is in Gulu and he goes there on weekends. It is also close enough to his present assignment that he will be able to visit on a week night (I hope). Christine Lamunu who was the Gulu Cluster manager when I visited in 2008 has since left World Vision Uganda and is now working for Save the Children. She is living in Gulu, so I am hoping to see her as well. I know there will be turnover with some of the other staff at the Gulu Cluster, but I am hoping that many are still there.

After Uganda, Patty MacDonald (the World Vision US rep ) and I are flying to Tanzania to meet with the national staff to discuss how I might be able to minister to WV Tanzania staff. We will worship at a church in Arusha where the national office is located on Sunday April 14th, and also see some projects that WV Tanzania is involved with. It turns out that Arusha is very near Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in Africa. I am hoping that it is not covered in clouds as it well may be since the rainy season begins in late March. Patty and I arrive back in Boston on April 17th.
I intend to blog every day if possible given my schedule and the availability of the internet.