Our Last Day

Today has been very full!

We started the day by going to Miriloco, where the new diocesan complex will be built, to see the well being drilled. Actually they struck water yesterday at 85 meters; Naag -- one of the Sumadhura crew chiefs -- picked us up in his Land Rover and drove us to the site, where we watched some insanely muscular Ugandan workers lugging drill pipes out of the ground and into a truck. Then they installed the water pipes, and we heard early this afternoon that the water is already running perfectly clean. We had the chance to talk with lots of the Sumadhura guys and learn a lot about what they do. We all have photos and even some video. This well will deliver 2000 liters of water per hour.

After that I had the big meeting with Bishop Bullen, Vasco, Gordon, and Stephen, that is the hallmark of the end of a trip for the team leader. It's where we discuss our mutual priorities and progress. I have five pages of notes to share with Wayne, Lisa, the companion diocese committee, and the diocese, but it's far too much to try to write about for now.

We ate our last Lui lunch (beef, macaroni, tomato sauce, rice, and greens) and then spent some time breaking down our contraptions -- IKEA shelves, clotheslines, etc. -- and beginning to pack. At 4:00 we had a "tea party," as Bishop Bullen called it, in which we dedicated the new VSAT system and said our farewells. I found out at 3:58 that I'd be giving a speech. I will just note the great gratitude that we jumped the ECS queue for VSAT and went ahead with it, Wayne, and also mention that there was great awareness that the diocese of Lui owes Robert Franken a great debt of appreciation for having the vision and determination to bring the Internet to Lui via the original BGAN system so far ahead of other dioceses. Margaret came along with some crafts from the women's shop, which we snatched up with some of our remaining Sudanese pounds. A special surprise was a gift of mulberries from the garden of David and Heather, the CMS missionaries, which we have already scarfed down.

So we've said our farewells. It's almost dark, and we are all going to the market for a celebratory cold drink -- we missioners and the three members of the diocesan staff who virtually lived with us these two weeks. Tomorrow we leave Mundri International Airport at noon, so by midafternoon, we'll be back in reach of our home cell numbers and email on our mobile devices. See you soon! I'll probably post from Kampala, but it won't be much more than 'we are safely here.'