Updates while we were away

I didn't get a chance to update our blog, mostly due to the fact that we didn't have internet access til the end of the trip, and at that it was spotty.
But Trevor was email our communication team and updating them while we were gone, here are some of the updates:

> Sent: Friday, February 18, 2011 6:53 AM
Hi Everyone -
Heard from Trevor and Yvonne and the team! They texted me last night at 10:54p our time saying they made it safely to Amsterdam! Yea! Their flight took 9 hours and still they are only half way there. I am expecting another text later today with news of their safe arrival.
Keeping you posted.
Sincerely,
Barclay and Edna


> Sent: Friday, February 18, 2011 12:33 PM
Hi Everyone -
Got a text about 9:30am our time.
The team arrived safely in Uganda. They landed early this morning and are tired, but well fed! :) Pray for safe pickup and travel to Kampala.
Barc and Edna

> Sent: Sunday, February 20, 2011 7:17 AM
Hi Everyone -
The Team has made it safely to the Orphanage. They had a wonderful time of greeting with shouting, clapping, and singing. Dentistry work has begun.
Candy and toys are being passed around and they are enjoying their time. The children love to sit and talk with them and especially love their long, soft hair! :)
Please pray for the dental work and their time with the kids.
Barc and Edna


> Sent: Monday, February 21, 2011 7:03 AM

Hi Everyone - Got a message late last night, here's is what they are saying:
Dentistry work has begun, many soccer games have been played, the children have loved the bubbles we brought and gifts of candy and soccer balls. We were also privileged to experience a wonderful church service with heartfelt praise. We've already seen 9 patients, ages 12 -91!and have done 15 extractions, 1 reconstruction, and 1 filling.
The library looks fantastic and the cafeteria is 3 times as large!
We will be plastering the library today. Looking forward to the work. Please pray for the well - it broke yesterday and may be expensive to fix. We are ok for water now as it recently rained, but fixing the well is very important. Keep praying for health.
Trevor and the Uganda Small Group.
That's all for now.
Barc and Edna


> Sent: Tuesday, February 22, 2011 9:10 AM
The well is fixed! The well contractor tried a home-grown technique and got a broken pipe from inside the well.
They had a very humbling day as they visited village homes and water holes.
They passed out bags of clothes to all ages. They worked on the library again and passed out letters and supplies to the classrooms. They had a great time also passing out hundreds of toys and candy pieces ("sweeties" as they are called there).
The children also performed a special assembly for the team - just wonderful singing and dancing. They had many tears on their team as they prepare to leave tomorrow. They said it will be sad to drive out of there. They ask for continued health and safe travel to safari and are thankful for your prayers!


> Date: Thu, 24 Feb 2011 22:32:28 -0800
"Well the end of our journey has begun. The last days of our trip were amazing as we were able to see hippos, buffalo, lions, elephants at very close distance in the wild on our safari. What a beautiful landscape Uganda
has - quite a contrast to the village poverty we have witnessed. We have just loaded the bus for our 8 hour drive back to the capital, Kampala, where we hope to see the Uganda cultural center and then fly out tonight. Please pray for a safe drive and our safe and restful plane ride home. See you all very soon."
-Trevor and the Team


When I finally got a chance to get email, here is the update I sent out to my family too. It was so hard to wrap up such an amazing trip, but I tried to do my best:

Sent: Tuesday, February 22, 2011 9:03 AM

Good evening to me and good morning to you all back in Seattle! It is 546pm here and we finally have wireless!
First I want to say a very Happy Birthday to dad! Wish I could be there for you!
We are laying by the poolside in Queen Elizabeth safari lodge.
Let me do a quick debrief, I know there is way too much too explain now!
We arrived in Uganda after a very very long day of flying!
Got to our hotel and just crashed! Than took what was supposed to be a 8 hour drive to the orphanage in the Rakai District, turned out to be under 4!
We stopped at the equator too! Everyone here is so nice and so excited to see us, the children come running and call us Mzungu! (White people) most haven't ever seen any before, but have been taught since young that we bring hope.
Once we pulled in the orphanage the children came running and started singing to us, such a great greeting!
We have seen a lot of things at the orphanage, wonderful spiritually uplifting and heartbreaking hard to handle things too, the sickness, the filthy water holes, but all the big smiles! All the kids have torn clothes but huge smiles that shine through straight to your heart! So much hope and light of God shines through those smiles!
We played with the kids, helped them fill and carry jerry cans from the dirty lake when the well was out, visited the neighboring mud huts, helped with plaster in the orphanage and the dentist team saw over 50 patients!!
We left at 530am this morning, so difficult to leave those children, so many stories to tell you all!
We arrived at the Queen Elizabeth park after a 7 hour drive, we are staying a gorgeous lodge that blows our mind, we did a boat tour earlier, saw up close, hippos, cape buffalo, crocodile, baboon, monkeys and lots of birds, there are over 615 different types of birds just in this park. Enjoying the beauty God created!
We just took a dip in the pool and will head to dinner soon. The big safari tour starts at 630am to see the rest of the land wildlife.
I miss everyone and for the next two days will have internet so please feel free to write back!
Please give Burton a kiss fr me I saw our first dog yesterday! And Jess give my kitties a cuddle too!
Love you all, the Griffins!