I went to pick up Ben and Justin from the airport. I
traveled from Jinja to past Kampala by myself on public. I might have seemed to
the average person like I knew what I was doing and was calm and not worried.
On the inside I was freaking out! Michelle dropped me off by the coasters which
are buses and I looked through the window of the van at her with an almost,
‘don’t leave me here’ look on my face. But it seemed God was there every step
of the way, calming my nerves and providing a way. I sat in the very back of
the coaster between a really tiny man and a rather robust woman with 2 chickens
tied up under her seat and very loudly smacking down meat on a stick while the
oil ran down her arms. Then we were off and I thought, oh Lord just let me get
to my destination! So we get to Kampala and we are in the middle of the city. City
buildings all around and on a road of mutatus (van taxis) about 5 vehicles wide
and we were jammed. We weren’t moving. All of a sudden as if some kind of
silent vote was taken, everyone stands up, grabs their stuff and they all
vacated the bus. There I was sitting alone on the coaster and wondering what I
missed. I called Andy and frantically said everyone got off, WHAT DO I DO?! So
I asked the driver if we were going to the taxi park and he said yes and to
just stay on. There was also another guy that helps take fares and he came and
sat by me and we just talked. Then we moved a few more feet in the coaster and
an extremely drunk man jumps on the coaster asking me if I have something he
can carry so he can earn money. Then the man who was talking to me stood up and
announced to me time to get off….in the middle of the road in all the traffic.
So I grabbed my bag and jumped off. At this point you really have to be
trusting and all of your 1st grade stranger danger red flags are
going up and the warning siren is blasting in your ears, but you have to push
it aside and go with it. So he said to follow him so I followed. We wove
between cars in the middle of the city street and then through alley ways and
between shops and I started to get nervous. Finally we emerged to the large lot
with all the taxis. He took me around yelling Entebbe at the taxi drivers.
 |
| Anyone going to Entebbe.... Anyone? |
We
finally found a taxi and he handed me off to my next driver and made sure that
I sat up front right next to him so I wouldn’t be forgotten. I tried to hand
him some money for his help but he refused it, which is extremely rare
here. I got in and was graced with a guy
next to me that spoke perfect English and watched out for me and told the
driver when to let me off. So then an hour later I got dropped off on the side
of the road and the taxi left. I have no idea where to go. I’m just standing
there and tried phoning Keeky and Andy but no luck. I refused a couple of the
bodas thinking I would get them on the phone. But I gave up and finally waved
down the next boda. He pulled a u-turn and when he came up to me the front of
his motorcycle said Jesus saves on it. I just laughed and asked if he knew
where Matoke Inn was. He said yes, very well. Thank God! So I jumped on and he
even gave me a fair price, which was surprising! He drove me up and dropped me
and then I finally felt safe again. I just relaxed. Took a nap and read the
book Heaven Is For Real. Super good
book and I finished it in 3 hours. Then in the middle of the night the shuttle
car picked me up and we went into Entebbe. Ben and Justin landed a little after
1 a.m. and we rushed off to the Inn and visited a little and then I crashed in
the comfortable beds at Matoke, after receiving my peanut butter m&m’s from
Ben of course!!!
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