*Intended to be read in a Steve Irwin Accent…

Deep in the African jungle, away from all civilization, our vans trekked through the thick foliage to Tororo, where wild baboons roam free. After an hour of bumpy roads and jolting whiplash, we were surprised to find the subjects of our adventure strutting along the side of the highway. Some people were aghast and nervous at the sheer size of the hairy beasts while others saw them as furry friends to be made. By the time the final team member emerged from the van, we found ourselves surrounded by curious and hungry creatures. Armed with bananas, we began to interact. At first we would throw the bananas about 20 feet to the 15 or so baboons in the area, but as time progressed they got braver and braver until they were eating right out of our hands. The one baboon that was banana shy and camera shy was the mama with her baby on her back. As we loaded up the vans and turned to wave goodbye, we were bid farewell with the flick of a tail and shiny pink bottoms fading in the distance.

On a more serious note, today was our last day at Lulwanda. Those of us who had previously endured this painful goodbye dreaded the inevitable sadness, while those who would experience it for the first time knew not what to expect. After a short playtime with the kids we had our final lunch at Lulwanda followed by the children’s goodbye presentation composed of beautiful songs and dances. When they had finished, we gave our own presentation to the kids and staff: our version of the Chris Tomlin song “Hello Love.” After distributing gift bags to the Lulwanda staff, we all watched a slide show composed of pictures of our activities at Lulwanda throughout the week. The kids thoroughly enjoyed seeing themselves projected onto the wall with magnified faces and amplified smiles. We then enjoyed a goodbye cake baked by the staff and soon after began to pass out backpacks filled with a prayer blanket and a toothbrush to each child. It was then time for us to leave. Full of emotion, we hugged the children and said our goodbyes. Goodbyes are never easy; however they are often a necessary part of maturity. One thing the people of Uganda reveal to a weary soul is that love is not easy, in fact it is often painful, but it is always worth the risk. God does not want us to hide away from love but rather to embrace it.




Thank you so much for praying for us and thinking of us as we have embarked on this incredible journey. We have continually felt the power of prayer in the midst of our work here and hope that those we have touched will continue to be blessed by the grace of God. Continue to pray for us as we depart for home. We thank you all from the bottom of our hearts.

Submitted by Sarah Hurst & Kelley Kerr