Landed late on Dec 31 after 24 hours in airplanes and airports, but friend Bob Okello picked me up and we made it to the hotel just in time for the fireworks to go off all over Kampala celebrating midnight, the New Year 2016 beginning. I guess it took me two years to get here (I left the US in 2015 and it is now 2016 :). Since the band outside my hotel window played at full volume all night there was no sleep to be had, and I was totally exhausted after the drive to Gulu the next day.
An exhausted Deacon and friend Bob Okello sharing a snack at Churchill downs in Gulu.
However, after the snack we made it to Lacor Minor Seminary where I had another light snack with Msgr. Sebastian who I have visited with on many of our trips. He is a delightful and insightful older priest with a rich history of the North and the Acoli people.
I slept for nine hours, being awakened only once about 4 am by a group of Italian visitors who, at the end of their visit, were up early to drive to Murchison Fall National Park. After the 7 am mass with Fr. Ronald the two of us had breakfast together and talked about many things while laughing a lot. When ordained, he was the youngest person ever be ordained in the Archdiocese of Gulu. He also has the reputation of being one of the brightest priests in Uganda.
As the vice rector of Lacor Minor Seminary and all the duties now on the shoulders of Msgr. Odong, who is the rector, but also serving as the assistant bishop without the title, most all of the work running the seminary falls to Fr. Ronald. I had a very good talk with him about the student whose education Three Holy Women Parish is supporting. He very much likes Onencan Simon Peter, who just finished his studies and is waiting to hear if he will be accepted into the major seminary. Fr. Ronald said that in addition to passing the examination 17 people vote on whether to accept a student. It turns out that 15 of the 17 voted yes for Simon Peter. Now he is waiting to hear about his final examinations. We will all pray that he does well on the exams!
My new driver to Padibe is Robert. Bob has a holiday today and took his family to the park. Robert and I stopped at the Coffee Hut downtown Gulu where they have free wi fi and I am able to write this. Then it is off to buy some brown bread and jam, and then a short two hour trip to Padibe. Since it is the dry season the roads are very good. Next post from our Sister Parish in Padibe!
A shot of a typical street outside the Coffee Hut in Gulu. They try to model themselves after a Western Coffee Shop serving lattes and cappuccinos along with free wi-fi. This is where the mzungu (white people) hang out. And the bakery next door is very good also. Â
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