Do you guys believe in Lions?

We sure had a blast hanging out with John's folks, Dave and Janet Niemeyer, during their recent visit here to Uganda. The Niemeyers were kind enough to let me tag along on their adventures, which included an amazing safari through Murchison Falls National Park. It was absolutely gorgeous as we made our way though mud, muck, sand, grasslands, and bogs... and we were fortunate enough to see giraffe, warthogs, gazelle, monkeys, water buffalo, countless birds, and even a leopard and lion. The Niemeyers shot the following pictures from our Land Cruiser (in addition to that picture of the lion, which was resting after having killed a gazelle that we saw nearby):

I'm heading back up to Gulu tomorrow on my (Shane's really) recently fixed Honda XLR200. Just a small tweak to the fuel/air mixture in the carburetor and she'll be good to go...

It'll be nice to have wheels again around Gulu. The wells in Attiak were completed successfully, so we'll be scouting out the next project to complete before Christmas. Speaking of Christmas, we've been trying to play as much Christmas music as possible to get in the spirit! (Otherwise, with the weather we have around here, you'd never know it's mid December!)

Much love from Uganda~

B.

Drilling wells in Attiak

I'm writing to you from a closet, plugged into solar power at the Catholic Mission in Attiak, Uganda. Restore Water team (comprised of 6 students and a teacher) and I are here, in hot, dusty Attiak near the border with Sudan, drilling wells for Sister Rosemary. She's one of the most amazing people I've had the honor of knowing. (Click on her name to see a deeply moving CNN's Heroes video of her story). She's been a wonderful friend to John and I, and we live just down the road from her tailoring center that can be seen in the video.

Water4, (you should click on the video at that link) another incredible organization working to improve access to clean water around the world, came to Gulu in May last year with Adrian Peterson, Tommy Harris, Mark Clayton, Roy Williams, and friends with Pros for Africa. Water4 taught us a new system of inexpensively drilling wells, drilled the first well on our new land for Restore Academy, and donated a complete set of tools which we are continuing to use to bring clean water to friends and the local community.

The Pros also held a sports clinic with the students of Restore Academy, a day they won't soon forget! We joined the Pros, Water4, and Sister Rosemary for many of these joint activities which occurred during their trip last year. We're blessed to have such an amazing community, and look forward to their return next March!

Back to Attiak... I'm still sweating in the closet... I learned when I was first here in 2008 that you simply have to let yourself sweat and stink. I nearly drove myself crazy with anxiety at first, as sweating in the States usually means something is wrong (either the air conditioning isn’t working, or you’re wearing too many clothes!). I’m just getting ready to head back to the well, have to bring the guys some oil for the pulleys, but I wanted to pass along a little piece I wrote this morning:

The dust billowed forth as the pickup jostled along the potholed road to Attiak yesterday, pipes and poles bouncing along, red marking rag flapping in the wind. The Young Men Drilling Team of Restore Water, grinning with eagerness, made their way north to strike water once more.

The journey began eight months ago, as the men from Water4 made their way to Gulu and into our lives. A promising new chapter was opened that day, in this redemptive story being lived out in Northern Uganda. Years of war and unspeakable violence have beset this land and its people for decades, and yet hope shines forth in God's providence. You can see it in their faces, hear it in the laughter of children, feel it in the cool cleansing water pouring forth from this healing land.

I awoke this morning to the glimmer of the day’s first light, and the sound of the boys rustling on their dusty clothes. Without a thought of breakfast, we made our way to the drilling site. We stomped the tall grass, offered up prayer, and turned our heads heavenward as the tripod and our hopes rose to meet God’s glowing dawn sky.

We’re at 9 feet now, and the 5” auger has been pulling up full loads of yellow-brown clay. I wish you were with us to hear the squeaking of the pulleys, the clicking of the sailing winch, the laughter of the boys as they yell out “Telu! Telu!” (Pull! Pull!)

Back in Uganda...

TO SEE THE VIDEO IN BETTER QUALITY, CLICK HERE

More to come soon...

Autumn Days~

The leaves are bursting with red, orange and gold, and the morning air is turning crisp~ Autumn has arrived in all its splendor, my first since 2007. It's been delightful~ bro's comforting soups, football with friends, and that faint smell of smoke in the air from wood stoves finding flame once more. The homes are warm and cozy, and the mountains resplendent in their white winter coats.

Despite the rain on Saturday morning, my Aunt Debbie and I squeezed one more riding day out of the season, as we rolled along the Sandy River Gorge up the Historic Highway to Crown Point.

I've been managing to keep pretty busy working odd jobs, enjoying the season and bouncing around with family and friends. I've also gotten to do a bit of house and dog sitting; my running buddy Lucy:

Fall in the northwest... a familiar comfort~

Wait what? A year went by?!!!

Well it's been more than a year since may last post... not that I'm a procrastinator or anything...

I've decided to begin writing again, to share some of the incredible events of the last year. The truth is I've intended to, but haven't been disciplined enough to actually sit down and reflect...it's time to blog.

Thinking of walking through the events of the last year chronologically, I've decided instead to give a bit of an overview, and then just fire off posts of events as I remember them- perhaps a little life lesson here, or funny anecdote there, a story about almost being trampled by elephants in the jungle during a 4000 mile motorcycle Soul Safari... that sort of thing... so the posts may be a little sporadic and random, but hopefully organic :) Please feel free to share thoughts and comments, as the fun part's sharing the journey and reflections!

Brief Recap:

Sigh, deep breath... ready to read a novel? Me neither, so I'll keep it short... promise :) (tangent: Every time I use an emoticon I hear Lance Armstrong's voice in my head saying, "men over 30 should not use emoticons" :0

The plane lifted off in September, the warm northwest summer still aglow. A stop in Chicago to meet up with Kristen, the founder of Purse of Hope, then off to Uganda...

It's absolutely impossible to express the love, pain, joy, and redemption I experienced during the establishment of Purse of Hope in Uganda over the last year. It's really best you just check out the Purse of Hope Facebook page, where hundreds of people are cheering the girls on, offering support, and keeping up to speed with the awesome photos, videos, and news updates. You'll want to laugh, cry, and maybe even dance... :)

So let's just start with that... a beautiful story...

Back in the Game

For the last 7 months, my world has seemed to "revolve around my heal"...(pun intended)

...and after dozens of doctor and physical therapy appointments, and countless hours in the gym, the pool, on the bike, and most recently jogging on the treadmill (albeit slowly and painfully)...

it works again!

Thanks to the steadfast support of my family, friends, Dr.s, PTs, and the folks at Restore, my recovery has resulted in, (Dr.'s words) "as positive an outcome as I could have hoped for." Thanks guys.

Nana and I enjoying a lunch in Cascade Locks

4th of July with Dad's and Lani's fams~

And now for a crazy story... THE OMEN...

So one of the ways I've kept busy these last few months (other than all that PT activity) has been pet-sitting for family and friends. (As I'm sure you can relate if you've ever experienced a chapter of incapacitation or joblessness- word of your availability gets around quickly!) I actually really enjoyed it, as I'm a softy for furry little friends...

Hangin' at Dan and Molly's with Freddy and Stan the Man

But I had the strangest experience while cleaning out the litter box of Dad and Lani's cat a few months back. I glanced down to find this curious omen:


So I took a closer look......


and I nearly fell over laughing! I was looking at liquid proof that God has a sense of humor- as indeed, the end of my last chapter in Africa was a bit of a pisser!


But...ever the optimist...I decided to assume that perhaps this omen was not only humorous, but also auspicious...


And, lo and behold, the last couple months have seen a myriad of circumstances coalesce into an invitation to return to Africa.

For months, I've been offering little bits of help and expertise to my friend Kristen Hendricks, who started an organization called Purse of Hope, as she has been seeking funding and partnership to begin a home for vulnerable girls in Gulu.

Kristen Hendricks during a visit last fall to Gulu

It has been Kristen's dream and passion to fight against human trafficking, and to care for vulnerable girls who either have been, or are at risk of being caught up this tragic occurrence. Her efforts are bearing fruit, and her dream is taking off, as a passionate and generous group of people from Total Attorneys in Chicago has come alongside in partnership and financial support. Kristen has offered me the position of Uganda Country Director for Purse of Hope, which I have gratefully accepted.

So....I'm off to Uganda again! I'm absolutely stoked to see everyone over there again, and in addition to heading up Purse of Hope, I'll be living and working with John Niemeyer in the same house we were in before, and helping to support him in any way I can as he directs Restore International.

Along with the girl's home in Gulu, we are also working with Robinah Sarah to establish a drop in center in Kampala. She is one of the absolutely amazing group of people we have on the ground in Uganda, to whom we owe a huge debt of gratitude. We are incredibly thankful for the groundwork laid by John Niemeyer, Kristen Vogel, and Pauline Amony. It's an honor to be working with them.

I'll be taking off for Chicago on September 1st to join up with Kristen, and meet the team from Total Attorneys. Two days later, we take to the skies for Africa...

Unexpected Return

Well I thought the call over was quick, nothing like the call home!

my new home and companion

So here's how it happened...

One of the most common ways to get around in Africa is as a passenger on the back of boda-bodas (smaller, regular looking motorcycles). On the evening of Monday, Dec. 22, I was riding as a passenger, when I noticed my foot was mistakenly resting on the exhaust pipe, instead of the peg. I moved my foot, and my shoe was caught up (I’m not sure if it was the laces or what) in the spokes of the back wheel, which pulled my foot in and chewed up the back of my heel and Achilles pretty bad (bone and cut-up tendon exposed). The motorcycle came to a stop, I pulled my foot out, they rushed me to the hospital, my friend Kyle ran to my Kampala home and back to grab my passport and a few essentials, and the ambulance took me to the airport to catch the first flight out. Due to the airport closures in Portland, they ended up sending me to Seattle, which turned out to be providential, as my step-mom Lani made arrangements at the best Orthopedic Surgery Hospital in the region, Harborview Hospital in downtown Seattle. It took 31 hours to get home, but fortunately my family made arrangements with Customs so they checked me quickly, and waved me on to the hospital, where I went in for surgery with a great orthopedic team. I stayed 3 days in the hospital, and have been riding couches at my family's places around Portland for the last month. Initially, the pain was okay as long as I kept it elevated, but hurt pretty bad when I had to lower it to move around, which kept me grounded to the couch all day. I'm a little more mobile now, but still have to keep it elevated for good chunks of the day. I’m excited though, to be up and moving around a bit.

Prognosis: No walking for at least 2 months, then physical therapy to slowly gain back range and function until a hopeful mostly-full recovery after 1 year. (So there’s still hope for the Iron Man! - although depending on how the Achilles heals, inflammation from activities like running might be a problem in the future). The days have been filled with catching up with friends, visiting doctors, reading, and working on Uganda projects, so the time has actually passed pretty quickly. As for things in Africa, I was able to call some key on-the-ground people on my way to the airport, so with some initial help from my buddy Kyle, they're keeping things going till early February when the other Country Director, John Niemeyer, arrives. I’ll be helping out as best I can remotely, but I can’t think of a more capable and experienced person than John to take the reigns, and I’ve got a lot of peace about Restore’s activities over there~

I'm very grateful to still have my foot, and I truly am experiencing a lot of peace in knowing that although the path is winding and unpredictable, even the tough stuff (like this) in our lives is redeemed in the larger story being written. Thanks to all you friends and family who have been keeping me in your thoughts and prayers~