Jinja Trip

Yesterday I arrived back in Mukono after visiting the town of Jinja, which is the source of the Nile.  It was a really fun trip and we got to do a lot of things in a very short time.  First off we arrived in Jinja around 6pm at this really amazing resort, complete with African style huts and a really sweet pool.  A few hours before dinner we got the chance to talk to a group of missionaries involved in a prison ministry here in Uganda.  It was a very interesting discussion.  Without a doubt the best part of the day was the meal.  I have been eating matoke, rice, and beans at my home stay this whole time so it was nice to have a change.  We of course did have a choice of rice and matoke, but there was also chips (french fries) and these pork shish kabobs that were amazing.  After the meal all of us played in the pool or around it (I was squirting people with a water gun). 

The next day was even better.  We woke up to the best breakfast that I have ever had in Africa.  We had omelets, cereal, pineapples, and even orange juice.  It was heaven.  Then we took off to a discussion with another missionary named Ben who was doing some pretty interesting stuff in Jinja.  Not only did the group he was with evangelize, but also they set up this Cafe that included a restaurant, gift shop, and an internet cafe (the food was good).  Plus I got to hear about the negative side of African culture which I haven’t really heard about.  He then took us on this devotional tour of Jinja.  Our first stop was the source of the Nile.  Ben talked about how amazing it is that this river has been the source of life for so many people.  If you think about it, it is pretty cool.  I mean this river helped create the greatest civilization on Earth, ancient Egypt.  He then showed us this area of town that use to be really ritzy but was now run down.  Apparently Jinja use to be the Beverly Hills of Uganda until all the Indian business owners were forced to leave by a former President. 

 

Next, we walked through this industrial zone called the “Ting Ting.”  They called it that because there was a bunch of workers hammering things and welding and the sound was almost unbearable.  It was awesome to see yet challenging because the people working there barely make any money.  Finally, we concluded our tour at Jinja Hospital.  We were allowed to look around the wards to see the state of medical care in Uganda.  The place reminded me of a WWII hospital.  There were just corridors lined with hospital beds on either side.  Patients were lying there mostly unattended.  Nurses in Uganda aren’t responsible for patient basic care.  It’s up to the family.  It was a sad thing to see.  Although some of the tour was tense, it was really great.  When we got back to the resort we got to take a boat ride on the Nile.

When the boat ride was over, we spent the rest of the time up to dinner playing frisbee in the pool.  Fun Fun.  Now to the most memorable part of the trip, dinner.  I had the best cheese burger ever!!!!! It was the best.  That will probably be the last burger I have for a long time.

The Last day we attended this church.  We got to see and hear really cool worship music, and watch a group of children dance like pop stars.  We also sang some songs for the Church and attended a Bible study.  Then it was back to Campus.

Here are a few pics from the trip: