Border Crossing

Well, we are all currently back among the living, and eating, and walking…whew! Feels like we are getting back into the saddle. We are currently in Kisumu, Kenya, where Tim is assessing four hospitals that GE is going to upgrade in conjunction with the Millennium Village Project. Crossing into Kenya requires crossing the border from Uganda into Kenya. That was quite an experience. First, we were accosted by several men all wanting to take our passports and make copies of them for us…uh…yeah right…I wonder how many Americans have fallen for that one, it must be a lot because there were relentless. Tim had to go to six different offices on the Uganda side, to get us out of Uganda, while we sat in the hot car. Then we went into “no man’s” land between Uganda and Kenya, and the trek to six more agencies took place. It’s a lot to go into another country with a car, we had to register the car, get insurance, and go through customs, border control, immigration…crazy. We were getting sick and tired of waiting in the car, so I decided to get out and take a picture of the kids in the car. That was a BIG, BIG mistake…unbeknownst to me…apparently (I guess I should have thought of it) but it is illegal to take a picture in “no man’s” land between borders, because of terrorism. So border officials came running out and told me I had to go with them…I said, “sorry, no can do, these are my children and I can’t leave them alone.” Tim was nowhere to be found at this point, he had travelled back into Uganda to get car insurance that would cover us for all the countries we are headed to. So an official looking woman comes out at scolds me and tells me that I cannot take pictures here, I should be arrested on the spot and hauled off to jail! Oh great, I’m thinking, I seriously don’t want that to happen. So I apologize left and right, upside and downside. I have learned that two of the most powerful words in the world are “I’m sorry”. I tell her I can delete the picture, and she can watch; I was just taking one of my children. I tried to convince her that I wasn’t a terrorist and she finally relented. By then I was so nervous, I couldn’t figure out how to delete the picture, so I had to give the camera to Chase and he proceeded to save his mother from an indefinite length of time in an African jail.

While in “no man’s” land, there was a skinny little boy who came up to the window to beg. I didn’t have any money with me, so I gave him a bottle of water and some candy, and told him my husband had the money. He then entertained us for the next hour while we waited, even though we couldn’t speak the same language, he communicated just fine with his facial and body expressions. When Tim finally arrived back at the car, I had him empty out his pockets of loose change and small bills and gave them to our little friend, at which time we were rewarded with a big, beautiful smile and a great big “thank you!” Small change for us, big reward for him.

We arrived at our hotel, hot, tired and ready to dive into the pool. We were really looking forward to staying in a hotel. We get up to our room, and pull down the sheets, and no kidding, the place was filthy, filthy, filthy. There were food particles, hair, bugs, etc. in our beds. We had them come up and change all the sheets, clean up some of the bugs, and we stayed the night, but my great husband went that night and got us a different room for today in the hotel he usually stays at when he comes to Kisumu with GE. It is more expensive, but I have to admit, a guilty pleasure I am readily enjoying at this moment in my day. I do feel a bit of guilt and a whole lot of gratitude to be staying in this nicer hotel. So I’m sitting in the lounge area, enjoying a cup of tea, and wireless internet.

It’s moments like this that are really hard to put into perspective for myself. I’m being honest here, I know I don’t deserve this, it’s indulgent, but I am so grateful that I was born in the life situation I was born into, and so used to modern luxuries and conveniences…well…I don’t have it all figured out by any means, except I keep reminding myself and the children…to whom much is given, much is required…

We just received word that several new children are being added this week to the children’s village Assist helped to fund in the Lira District of Uganda. These children are orphans living so far out in the bush, that they are being brought in by motorcycle, as a motorcycle is the only way to transport them from the bush. We will be going up there shortly, and I can hardly wait to see their newly scrubbed faces, and hopefully help to spread a bit of the love that they so desperately need and deserve. That is something I have thought about so much while here. What we deserve. Why some have, and so many have not. I certainly know I don’t deserve all that I have—and I know that so many of the people here don’t deserve what they have, or don’t have. This is what I know: Children all over the world deserve to be safe, and to not just worry about whether or not they will survive, but they deserve to thrive. I know that everyone won’t live in the same economic status as each other, but certain things should be unalienable rights for all mankind. Like clean water, sustaining food, basic immunizations, safety from the horrors that evil can bring in the vehicle of depraved man. Simple things, that we in our blessed land take so for granted, yet for so many, a luxury they cannot attain. At this point in my journey, I don’t have answers, only questions.

Ciao,
Cheri