Unexpected Hope

It is SO amazing for me to say that I'm blogging from a hotel room in Uganda.

I am literally having the time of my life.

Here are some random thoughts after spending my first full day :

SO much poverty it hurts.

NO paved roads. (Actually, only a few in the whole country). We've not seen a single traffic sign or stoplight.

Burning plastic smell all the time. They seem to either burn their trash or simply throw it out.

The food is AMAZING!!! I will definitely NOT be losing weight here. Pineapples at EVERY single meal. However, the reality is most people have little or no food.

Ridiculous amounts of unemployed.

Kids EVERYWHERE with no adult near. Babies and toddlers unsupervised (OK, maybe by a 5-year old sibling) walking near the roads.

People carrying water all over the place.

Friendly people with the most beautiful smiles and spirits.

With all the negative, you'd wonder how these people survive. Well, many don't. Malaria and AIDS together affect 1 in 30 families in this area. The only hope these people have is in Jesus Christ. I'm trying to show the people I encounter here that hope.

Jenn

To see several pictures from our trip so far, go to this link:

http://www.facebook.com/showmercy#!/album.php?aid=294375&id=115864229372