You guys are some close friends that seem to be interested in this latest trip of mine. So I will send out a few emails before I head to Sudan and out of, Internet, running water and power.
Flying to Sudan and Uganda, is probably the most nervous I have been sense I started traveling over a year and a half ago. That being said, I still slept like a baby on the flight right into Uganda, and getting through customs was ratter boring, with the exception of the form you fill out on H1N1 virus (also known as a Swine flu). The only fun part of the trip was the cute Norwegian girl I got to sit with on the plane. God loves to pour out his blessings in those little surprises. He sure knows how to make me happy.
The next morning after I woke up, we headed to the airport to meet up with the people I was sent down to cover a story about. The road leading up to the airport took us between the coast of lake Victoria, and the UN section of the airport, with some of the largest aircraft I have ever seen. This is definitely a country that has played a key role in some of the most controversial wars of the last 20 years. Entbbi, Uganda is about 12 hours form the Sudan, 12 hours from Rwanda, and less than that from the Congo. Heading into the Airport to meet the missionaries, I saw a security check point. In my pocket was my brand new Gerber pocket knife that I just bought 3 days ago. Thinking this was the end of my knife, I tossed it on the X-ray belt with my iPod on top, ran through the metal detector and waited. The knife came through and I quickly grabbed it before they could see what it was.
Most of the rest of the day was spent getting permits and things to enter into Sudan. I didn’t get to film much because these were government buildings. Oh well, I hope. One thing that the General Conference had gotten for me before I arrived, was a Press Pass, and official invitations to film in Sudan form the Sudanese government itself, unfortunately the pass must be returned once I leave. I am tempted to steel it at the cost of $100 USD. Any ideas?
I started to wander the streets of this city I was in. After wandering through an open air market and looking at some shops, I walk past a row of motorcycles. Before I assessed how much my life is worth, one of the guys asked “Do you want a ride?” Looking around at the bumper to bumper trucks, vans, and cars all honking and getting nowhere, I thought “how bad could this be” so I asked how much, he responded, 10,000 shillings, about $5. Off we went, he offered to let me drive but I decided it was not a good idea in Flip flops. Maybe tomorrow. Whizzing around the roads, going down sidewalks and nearly hitting people all the time, is when I realized this is one of those times I must thank the lord for taking care of me. Sort of like eating, you ask him to take care of you before you eat, or in my case drive with a mad man. After about 2 min of riding my driver turns to me and makes the sign for Pot, and asked me if I would like some. I just laughed and said no. At one point during my city tour, we turn the wrong way up a one way street into oncoming traffic, thinking this was the end, The prayer had not made it through the smog, or slow internet, my driver moved to the side and rowed between the oncoming traffic and a very large curb. Not what I would have done but it all worked out.