October 31, 2015 

I have been home for three weeks, and I am finally beginning to catch up with my blog.  I truly apologize for this delay.  I promised I would keep in touch, but I didn’t.  Blogging in Uganda turned out to be much more difficult than I thought—time was pretty much all scheduled for us-- there were long, busy days, and exhausted nights--and the wifi was not always reliable.  Those are my excuses.  

Also, during the gathering, I tripped and fell on my face, which slowed me down a little, but didn’t stop me.  And the day I arrived home, I developed an intestinal bug which laid me low for the first week of my return, and by that time I was scurrying around trying to put together a presentation for the Quebec Grannies Gathering on October 30.   The poor blog just kept being postponed and postponed.  

 Now I will never be able to give you a day by day description of the trip, a blow by blow account of each day, because it has all become a huge blur, inspite of the copious notes I kept.  (You may be grateful for this.) What I intend to do is make a series of blog entries, each featuring something of importance that occurred during those 12 days of the visit, as well as the outcome of the entire event.  I will include at least one photo with each blog entry, and when it is all put together, it will be my best effort to share this most incredible experience with you. 

People ask me “How was your trip?”   I have not yet found an adequate one-word answer.  Those emphatic adjectives we splash around, like awesome, amazing, incredible, are simply inadequate.   It was a life-changing experience which indelibly marked my soul.  And part of my soul will remain forever in Uganda with the jajas I met, hugged and danced with.  

“Trip” is not even the right word!  It was a mission involving over 500 jajas and Grandmothers, along with many staff members of the Stephen Lewis Foundation and Ugandan community based organizations.  Was the mission accomplished?   We believe so . . .