Arua weekend

MINI-VACATION IN ARUA

On the morning of Friday, March 11, the three of us set out for the district of Arua.  On a map, Arua is about due west of the district of Gulu.  However, there is no road to take us that way.  We must travel south for about 73 kilometers, then west for a very long time, and finally north about the same distance we traveled south.  It is a five-hour trip, one-way!  Jo Ann is our only driver.

Now this time there was a little “hitch” in our plans….  Jo developed a small sore on her middle-toe earlier in the week.  That became a very serious sore by the time we were ready to leave on Friday.  She didn’t want to scrap our plans, so she drove, anyway. 

Sherry's Guest House - 4 units

Sherry's home

We had rooms in the guest house of Sherry Meyer, a long-time friend of ours.  She and her friend, Fr. Tonino have run Radio Pacis, the diocesan radio station, from its beginning.  We spent most of our time in her house where she made us feel welcome.  She even has a TV!  She is a great and generous woman who is very kind to us.  In addition, she is a marvelous cook!  We feel as if each of us gained ten pounds just over the weekend!  Tonino took Jo to a medical place for her foot that evening.  Say a prayer for him today....  March 19 is his birthday!

Sherry's Dining Room

Sherry's Screened-in-Porch

On Saturday we did some grocery shopping in Arua town for many items we can’t find at home in our Gulu stores.  For example, one of our “staples” is tuna, which we had not found for weeks!  (We also found some "Pringles"!)

Musicians at the chapel

The middle aisle is full of people

Beautiful and curious children after Mass

We went to church in a small village chapel on Sunday, where the people welcomed us warmly, and provided music for the liturgy with wonderful harmonies and home-made instruments.  Tonino had been assigned to this chapel for this Sunday.  The church was full and many more worshiped through the windows.

Sisters Paola and Severina with Fr. Tonino

In the late afternoon two Comboni Sisters came for a visit.  We all ate some of Sherry’s homemade ice-cream and cookies.  These Sisters are both in the nursing field, so Jo was monitored (in a small hospital/clinic, at the Sisters house, and at Sherry’s) for her increasingly serious infection. 

In the midst of it all, Fran got “ants in her pants,” literally.  Sorry! No pictures of that!  Here in Uganda, probably all over Africa, ants tend to move in humongous groups, but they travel in a line maybe six to eight ants across.  They move quickly in both directions, seeming to know what they are doing and where they are going.  If you get in their way, they simply climb up!  They also bite!  Poor Fran…. 

On Monday morning, Jo felt that she could still drive us home.  We attended Mass in a small studio in one of the Radio Pacis buildings, then packed the car and started out.  Fortunately, the roads have been greatly improved recently, so there were only about 15 kilometers of really bad road.  In the past, at least two-thirds of the trip was on bad roads! 

Tonino, Sherry, Jo in the driver's seat, & part of Fran's head; Pat took photo

Jo has continued treatment for the infection and has hopes that it is improving.  We’ll keep you updated!  Other than that, we have happy memories!

Happy Feast of St. Joseph.....  Our Jubilee celebration will be in the next blog!