Good evening from Julia and Jack! We had such a fulfilling and full day and we are so excited to share!
We woke up this morning and ate breakfast at 7:30. At 8:30 we walked over to the daily devotional in the Church on the Sports Outreach campus. It was our third time experiencing this in just as many days and still just as exciting. After the energizing morning, we headed over to the vocational school. Here, the students welcomed us into their classroom and gave us the opportunity to listen to their testimonies. We were all deeply moved and grateful for their willingness to share a part of their life with us.
The next destination was Christine’s house, a haven for abused teenage women (many of whom are either pregnant or mothers) just a short walk away from the school. They greeted us with the familiar “You are most welcome”(a common phrase over the last few days) and with singing and dancing. They also shared some of their life experiences with us and we are fortunate to have been able to hear them. After hearing these stories, we prayed for them as a team for God to have His hand over their life in everything they do.
The water filter distributions were done today at a local primary school (1st-2nd grade) with about 600 kids and teachers in attendance. The teachers and kids responded with much gratitude and excitement for the filters. Our team then set up a sports clinic for 2 hours where all the kids participated in a range of activities (soccer, tag, frisbee, etc.).
Our final night in Gulu was spent with the people who originally welcomed us here. Local kids and adults from the surrounding community came to hang out with us for one last time. A night filled with laughs, tears, and final goodbyes for our time here in Gulu left our team feeling a broad range of emotions. We are so thankful for the conversations, laughs, lessons, and relationships formed during our time here. We are off and headed to the Paraa Safari Lodge tomorrow morning for some relaxing fun before heading back to the States. Thanks for following along and stay tuned for the exotic animals we encounter along the way.