Okies in Uganda

My husband, Steve, recently went on a two-week missions trip to Lira, Uganda with a team of eight other people. They worked with children at an orphanage, provided AIDS education and counseling to the locals of Lira, and even got to go on an African safari.

I'm such a sap! Trying hard not to cry in this picture.
You would think he was leaving for a year instead of 2 weeks!

Here's a funny story about something that happened to Steve while in Uganda...Before his trip, he bought some gymnastic rings to take with him because he's kinda fanatical about working out and couldn't take 2 weeks off. These rings work over a door, hanging from a tree, etc.

So one day, he was working out with the rings and pretty soon he had a small audience watching him. They were laughing at the "white man" wondering what the heck he was doing. The man that runs the hotel came over and asked him what he was doing and Steve tried to explain that he was exercising. Of course, he had to go on and tell him why we exercise in America - because we have cars that take us places and we sit and eat bad food all day. So the hotel manager tried it, too, then told Steve he was going to wear shorts the next day so he could work out with him. ;-)

Then the guard at the gate of the hotel came over, sat his big rifle down, and tried it out, too! Several other people continued to make comments or tried to do the rings, as well. One guy told him that he was big and strong and sure to find a wife while he was in Uganda ;-) I guess it was a good opener to some conversations with the locals!

What's funny is that I even tried to talk Steve out of taking the rings (mostly because of the scene it would cause!) but also because of the weight it added to his already heavy luggage. God sure has a funny sense of humor!

I have to say I have one of the most thoughtful husbands ever. For weeks before he left, he wrote us letters to open every day and planned out little surprises for the girls and me to make the time go by easier without him.

He left us his famous Butterfinger dessert...

$ to go get sno cones (one of our favorite treats)...

He conspired with my friend, Brandi, and we had a MNO while the girls stayed the night with their grandparents...

He conspired with another friend, Jennifer, and we went to Cherry Berry for some frozen yogurt...

And the morning of the day he was coming home, our friends Scott & Andrea dropped off bagels at our house (something Steve and the girls do together every Saturday morning)...

Love Abby's crazy bed hair ;-)

I always say he's a much more thoughtful person than I am! I love that guy.

Thankfully, we were able to text or talk on the phone almost every day he was gone - made the distance much more bearable. But we sure were thankful when he came home!

You can see pics, watch videos, and read more about Steve's trip here. It was such a great experience and we both definitely want to go back again someday.