Here is my itinerary for those who are interested...
Thurs.15th January – depart Heathrow at 20.55
Friday 16th January – arrive Entebbe at 08.20, buy entry visa and transfer to Guest House for refreshments and a short rest. Meet Watoto staff at Kampala Pentecostal Church for orientation meeting, followed by lunch at shopping mall where you can change money to Ugandan shillings. Visit Bulrushes Babies Home (cute babies!). Dinner at Guest House
Saturday 17th January – Suggested day trip to Jinja and source of the Nile.
Sunday 18th January – Attend morning service at Kampala Pentecostal Church. Lunch at restaurant in Kampala, and rest in the afternoon at the Guest House.
Monday to Friday 19th – 23rd January – build house for village head at Suubi 2 Village. Breakfast and dinner at Guest House.
Friday 23rd January – Dedication of house. Appreciation meal in the evening.
Saturday 24th January – visit Bbira and Buloba Villages. Afternoon free for shopping.
Sunday 25th January - Attend morning service at Kampala Pentecostal Church. Lunch at a mother’s home in one of the villages.
Monday 26th January – Travel to Queen Elizabeth Safari Lodge, and afternoon safari.
Tuesday 27th January – River trip on Lake George.
Wednesday 28th January – Return to Kampala.
Thursday 29th January – Free day. Shopping.
Friday 30th January – Return to UK.
Friday 28 November 2008
The flights are booked!
I got confirmation today that the flights have been booked... hallelujah! 
We leave at 20.55 on Thursday the 15th January and arrive back in the UK at 15.55 on Saturday the 30th on British Airways from Heathrow Terminal 5 (I'm sure it will be fine!). The extra days means we now have an excursion planned to Jinja - the source of the Nile. We also have two free days in which to go shopping... must remember to pack light so I can fit more in! :-)
With the itinerary through, it looks like a real trip and less like a vague outline of a possible trip, so I am really excited. I am still £100 short for my basic costs and would like to have around £200 spending money but with another pay before then and finally being debt free on my credit card, this should just about be possible.
We leave at 20.55 on Thursday the 15th January and arrive back in the UK at 15.55 on Saturday the 30th on British Airways from Heathrow Terminal 5 (I'm sure it will be fine!). The extra days means we now have an excursion planned to Jinja - the source of the Nile. We also have two free days in which to go shopping... must remember to pack light so I can fit more in! :-)
With the itinerary through, it looks like a real trip and less like a vague outline of a possible trip, so I am really excited. I am still £100 short for my basic costs and would like to have around £200 spending money but with another pay before then and finally being debt free on my credit card, this should just about be possible.
Wednesday 26 November 2008
In the Beginning...
It was Friday the 18th January, 2008 when I saw first saw them. They had travelled all the way from Uganda to sing for those gathered in the Emmaus Church in Chatham... the Watoto Children's Choir.
These children had energy, great songs, big beautiful smiles but most importantly, amazing stories of how they had been saved from the streets after their parents had died from AIDS, and brought into a new life at Watoto. Their positive outlook on life encouraged me to look further into Watoto over the days following and when I discovered I could go on a build team, I signed up. I am not a doctor or nurse, a teacher or an engineer, but I can lug bricks around a building site... finally a mission trip I could get involved with!
The idea originally was to go in August but due to the huge cost of the trip, I had to delay this until January 2009. I had some money from my grandfather's legacy to start off my savings and over the months with money from giving massages, donations from generous friends and a quiz night, I have collected almost all I need for the flight, building fund donation and associated costs.
Yesterday I paid over the £500 building fund money in faith that I was doing the right thing. Today I received the call that flights could be as little as £350 return flying BA which is great news! It's a lot cheaper than expected and with a reputable airline flying direct rather than with time consuming stopovers. It has all finally become real (even though I got the Yellow Fever vaccination a couple of weeks ago) and I am excited!
These children had energy, great songs, big beautiful smiles but most importantly, amazing stories of how they had been saved from the streets after their parents had died from AIDS, and brought into a new life at Watoto. Their positive outlook on life encouraged me to look further into Watoto over the days following and when I discovered I could go on a build team, I signed up. I am not a doctor or nurse, a teacher or an engineer, but I can lug bricks around a building site... finally a mission trip I could get involved with!
The idea originally was to go in August but due to the huge cost of the trip, I had to delay this until January 2009. I had some money from my grandfather's legacy to start off my savings and over the months with money from giving massages, donations from generous friends and a quiz night, I have collected almost all I need for the flight, building fund donation and associated costs.
Yesterday I paid over the £500 building fund money in faith that I was doing the right thing. Today I received the call that flights could be as little as £350 return flying BA which is great news! It's a lot cheaper than expected and with a reputable airline flying direct rather than with time consuming stopovers. It has all finally become real (even though I got the Yellow Fever vaccination a couple of weeks ago) and I am excited!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)