Sarah and Ashley Arrived!

We headed out to the airport this morning with Stu and Ruth Ann Batstone, big hugs and much thanks, even from our kids, as if we had been family or friends all our lives.  Their visit was a tremendous help to us and a good time of bonding, therefore the goodbyes were a taste of the continual cycle of loss when we leave family and friends.  Sigh.  But as soon as we sent them waving into the security checkpoint for departures, we went downstairs to arrivals to await the entrance of our two newest team mates, teachers Sarah Reber and Ashley Wood.  Though we had met Sarah briefly once we wondered if we would pick them out right away—but it was no trouble since they wheeled carts balanced with oversized cardboard bike boxes.  Those have to be our women!  We ran up for hugs.  After unloading at the ARA and breakfast we dragged them right off to Kampala’s craziness, rubble and bodas and jostle and sweat.  Scott introduced them to the bank so they could cash checks, and then took them to the grocery store at the mall.  Our afternoon strategy is sun to re-set the body clock, and a cold pool to stay awake!  They are lots of fun already.  So goodbye and hello in the same day, trying to remember how disorienting and foreign it is to land here for the first time, the next two years an unknown and no doubt stretching long ahead.