DIARY OF THE TERPS: PAT'S POST!

Howdy Everyone! We are safely & soundly back from Gulu...well maybe not soundly, but at least safely. A little more smarter, a little less rested, your three brave musketeers have returned to the more stable south. After five packed days in the North, from meetings w/ some of the most important names in the Ugandan peace process, to sleeping @ a night commuter center & being teased by all the children for our subpar musical talents, to more football w/ the local youths, we have returned reinvigorated & emotioanlly charged to do even more for the Project & the peace process.

Don't think that we didn't have lots of fun along the way though. Between learning about IDP camps & rehabilitation efforts w/ abducted child soldiers, we definitely had many memorable moments along the way. At Corey's expense was a shot to the groin by a five year old w/ a soccer ball while we were playing the other day. We also enjoyed a night of clubbing which consisted of a lot of native Ugandans trying to dance w/ all the white people in the club, or as they like to call us, "muzungu." We feel like celebrities walking around town, b/c everyone points & waves @ us & it's such a priviledge for them to shake our white hands. But then, when we try to give them autographs, they get all confused & run away. Go figure.

The town itself was very active & much alike any other town. To an outsider, you would never be able to guess al the problems that existed w/in the area. It's really sad to know about all the suffering there is in that community, as well as all the similar communities in Uganda w/ alike circumstances. However, we are constantly reminded of all the potential & hope for peace through the energy & joy of the children, who while expereincing perhpas the worst aspects of the war, remain optomistic & convinced of an upcoming peace.

Anyway, now that we are back to Kampala, we will be going back to Zone B a few times more before our return. Also in our itinerary is a little more travel after Jeremy leaves, but the PNZB Country Director is helping us out immensly. Nothing dangerous, just a trip to the mouth of the Nile River to do a little swimming - just kidding - we know better than to go in. For all of our dear friends & family who are worrying about us, we are doing fine. Minus a little bit of sunburn & some mosquito bites, we could not be happier & safer.

The biggest threats to our safety are ourselves & to be honest, I would worry more about the safely of the native Ugandans w/ the three of us around. Now that we are about halfway through our trip, there is much for us to be proud of, but still much to do. We all have initiatives to work on & we all are continuing to do our best to make all of y'all proud. Y'all are in our thoughts & dreams everyday & we miss y'all so much!