Gettin it done in Kampala

After a couple short flights and one that would test anyones patience we arrived in Kampala and were greeted by a few familiar faces. One of them was Michael which was a very welcome sight. Once we packed the vans down it was time for me to ride with Michael on the roads of Entebbe and Kampala to pick up Amanda and then send the team on to Masindi.

If you've ever ridden with Michael in the car its always a very interesting experience. On a number of occasions in the states I have watched him fade off into the zone and run red lights, run into ditches etc. So, I was definitely interested to see how it would be riding with him in what I would consider to be the most chaotic driving conditions anywhere on the planet. To make matters even more interesting, he and I are currently staying in a house atop a large hill overlooking Lake Victoria that requires some skilled driving up steep, muddy roads. To add an even more interesting twist it has been raining for hours each day and every ride up and down the hill is like a large sled on pure ice. Thankfully, he has learned the aggressive driving techniques that it takes to survive and we're getting around perfectly. We get plenty of looks cruising around as a couple white guys in a land cruiser like we own the place but its all good.

Today we had a couple meetings in town that both turned out to be positive. First we met with the engineer we have contracted for the clinic who is very knowledgeable and has great insight into building practices in the country. Then we met with a man named Fisher for lunch who works with an investment group in Kampala. That was an interesting meeting as he called the First Lady on the spot to ask her to attend our groundbreaking ceremony....which apparently we are going to start planning tomorrow with his help. To say the least he has the country's leadership at his fingertips and is very interested in what we are doing on a lot of different levels.

Tomorrow its a number of meetings and then on to Masindi where we'll spend a couple days trying to get things sorted out for the land lease and approval for the project through town council. It will be a long day and an adventurous drive to Masindi with Michael but Im sure it will be a blast.

In talking with Marianne today it sounds like clinic was a long first day. 400 people in line at Rev. Francis's church and some rough cases including one lady that needed emergency transportation as her condition was beyond critical. Im sure that the team needs encouragement tonight after a long first day but hopefully this will be a foundation from which they can grow throughout the week as they figure out how to work as a team to provide optimal care to all those they will come in contact with.

Good stuff happening as always. Challenging and unpredictable but good.

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