Adjumani Arrival

We have officially arrived at the Theisen's home in Adjumani after 2 days of intense travel. After a season of unusually heavy rains, the roads are impassible for most vehicles except for small 4-wheel drive trucks. This has caused many problems for the import of goods from Kampala to Adjumani, nearly doubling prices for basic items in the market.

Within a few miles of arriving, we encountered the worst mud pit of them all. It seemed that no matter which direction we entered, we were bound to get stuck. Jeff did his best to maneuver the truck, but the deep, dark mud pulled it in. Miraculously there were plenty of people around (the road for the most part was barren) and within minutes two young men carrying hoes came in our direction. It was quite the African experience! More than 20 children helped us push the truck back and forth and cheered as it finally pulled out – about 45 minutes later. (click for pics)

After recovering from the arduous journey, Faye & I took a stroll around our neighborhood. It is comprised of many small huts, called tukals, where tribal families live. Without a doubt, we are the talk of the town, having tripled the white population upon our arrival. People stop in their tracts and intently stare our direction; I now know what it is like to be on parade. Because the children have fewer inhibitions, they literally come running and shout, “how are you?” Our arms our tired from constantly waving, but it is fun to see so many smiling faces and the joy we bring by simply being here.

In the days since, we've been meeting several people within the community whose lives have crossed paths with Jeff & Michelle's over the years. We're encouraged to hear stories from Michael Ida, a local who began producing muffins for profit after seeing Michelle make them in her own kitchen. We also met five young men who are beginning a church in southern Sudan; they came to Adjumani as soon as they heard we had arrived. We're saddened to hear about the number of loved ones who have passed away in the last year. Death and hardship is not a stranger in Adjumani. We hope to share these stories and others with you in more detail.

Thanks to everyone for your emails, blog comments and prayers as we continue on this adventure. Unfortunately our Internet and cell phone connectivity is VERY limited, hence this update coming one week after our arrival. Plus our computer died; looks like it didn't appreciate the bumpy ride here. We'll keep you posted as connection allows. We love you all...