Newsletter - 29th September 2001

Hello and the very best of warm greetings to you all.

Firstly I am well and had a very good and safe journey yesterday, thank you for all your prayers. It was a good flight, well fed and watered by British Airways and I really enjoyed a good laugh watching 'Dr Doolittle 2"! I also
had my first cuddle of an African baby, a little 6 week old wee boy called.....Christian! I met his Ugandan Mum early on in the flight, and offered my cuddles, we also had a good chat. She (like many others I know!) thought I was quite mad going to Kampala to work with the street children, but I'm getting very used to that impression.

I was met at the airport by Winette (my Dutch friend) and Christine Oliver (a Scottish friend) and a driver, it was so good to see familiar happy faces to welcome me so warmly. We locked the car doors for our journey and I was instantly reminded of my travels in South Africa, we can never take our travel blessings for granted.

And driving to Kampala I was reminded so strongly of my first arrival in India 8 years ago, the same time of evening, missionary and drivers, heat, smells, travelling in darkness with just glimpses of Africa. These glimpses spoke volumes to me as I was trying to take it all in, of similar poverty around the world, off nocturnal activities like markets, daily chores that has to be left until evening, and off drinking and raucous laughter. I felt like I was just soaking it in, and with the back-drop of a clear starry night, I felt 'other-worldly'! Anyway you'll forgive my ramblings if you knew how little sleep I've had in days, or even weeks.

I have been dreaming of actually wakening up in Africa for ages, and today it happened and it felt great. It was quite peaceful as well which was lovely, the others in the guesthouse were all away doing other things so I had a very lazy morning just wandering about.

You can send e-mails to this address if you want, or the AIM office one which is just along the road.

For my family the phone no here is 256-41-200197, you'll obviously need a Ugandan code aswell. I'm told I'll be in most evenings, so it would off course be lovely to hear from you. I do miss you all.

It's raining just now, I'm told it'll rain most afternoons until Dec, it's warm but not overly hot. I went to the top of one of the nearby hills this am and saw Lake Victoria, I can't believe I'm actually here at times. I'm so happy though and soooo glad I'm actually here. Don't worry at all about me, I'm fine. I'm told I will not start language studies until 1 Oct, so I'm not sure what I'll be doing in between, but as I'm reminded so often, I just have to take one day at a time.

Everyone, take care and God Bless MUCH LOVE MARSALI