Part 2: 2016 Uganda Trip series
The ride from Kampala to Lwamata takes roughly two hours. As you leave the city limits the roadside stands and structures give way to rolling green hills, and banana trees grow closer to the roads. Villages appear sporadically and vegetable stands, butchers and furniture makers’ shops line the road for a brief time next to small homes made of clay bricks and cement.
When you arrive at Lwamata, you go through the small village first then the fields open up and a short distance down the road you see St. Venansio Primary School, then the St. Charles Lwanga church and rectory 200 yards off the road framed by tall hills.
We turned into the driveway with our pickup truck piled high with suitcases, care packages, art supplies and sporting goods and were quickly engulfed by what seemed like hundreds of children jumping up and down, waving branches, playing drums and cheering.
The students of St. Venansio and St. Andrew flooded the truck so much so that we could barely get out, but we did, and we were swept up in their joy and happiness. Tears filled my eyes, which I imagine must have seemed strange to them, but I was completely overwhelmed.
I looked at my daughter, son and niece across the sea of beautiful faces and they were beaming. We were home.
