Love Mercy

Yesterday we had the honour of attending the 4 th Annual Julius Achon Cross Country run in Okwang. I am lying under my mosquito net watching the sunrise while Eloise is out running for an hour and 45 minutes with Quinto, one of the students we have supported through our sponsorship program. I don’t even feel bad.  I will let her tell you more about the race and the days events, but there is one story that I can’t wait to share. The thing I love about being here is the way that certain people can stand out in a crowd of thousands. I think it must be spiritual; that God gives you eyes for only one person in the ocean of bodies. For me yesterday it was a little girl who would have been 7 or 8 years old. She was in the opening race of the day. The P1 and P2 girls would run 2km, and those who finished in the top 32 were awarded a t-shirt.  Most of the girls were in their school uniforms even though it was a Saturday, likely because that is the only item of clothing that they o

  On my first visit to Uganda in 2010 we met Sunta and her little baby boy, Emmanuel. His name means “God with Us” and he was very sick. She handed him to me and asked if I could pray for him. When I held him he was so light that he felt like nothing more than a bundle of blankets. In January 2012 we returned and Emmanuel had been recently hospitalised, but had returned home to his mother. In August of that same year, we were deeply saddened to learn that he had passed away. Yesterday during our meeting at Barr village, as soon as Sunta entered the building our eyes locked and I felt immense pain. As a new mother, I finally could relate to the pain and suffering she felt, and the weight of her burden hit me square in my chest. I couldn’t contain my tears. Luckily I was wearing a traditional Ugandan dress that the women had made for me last time, so I could discreetly mop up my tears with my puffy sleeves. When we spoke with her outside, she was full of joy a

Cait & Lucky We have arrived in Lira after another long day of travel. Eloise and I always joke that coming to Uganda is a “test of endurance". Starting with the 14-hour plane trip to Dubai, each moment is about getting through the present time in order to wake up and tackle the next challenge. Flight, airport, flight, drive, hotel, drive, hotel, drive… and then finally, the reason for which we have traveled for over 48 hours… people, relationships, community, projects. I always snicker to myself when someone asks me why I am involved with Love Mercy. I wish that the answer was that I was just one of those people who was born with Africa ‘on their heart’, that I grew up firmly planted in the knowledge that one day I would end up here. Quite the opposite is true. It is hard for me to come here. It’s daunting, scary, worrisome, and all the more so now that I have a little cub of my own back home in Aus. But here I am anyway, on the other side of the w

Spare seat from Syd to Dubai... see you in 14 hours! Day One. What has messy hair, dry skin, skanky teeth, blurry eyes, cotton mouth and a freckle mo x2?... Caitlin and I are on the last leg of our plane route to Uganda. It will be our first trip back since 2012 when we went there to officially open the Kristina Achuma Achon Health Clinic, and our first trip since we both became mothers. We've been reflecting that for us personally, the lead up to this trip to Uganda has been different to any other. There were more than a few tears leaving our respective babies at home, but, for my dear little India - the fridge and pantry is filled with all of her favourites; hommous, mini ravioli and tiny teddies. Plus, she has a Daddy that would rival Mrs Doubtfire for father of the year, a loving family and cousins that will give her all the kisses and hugs she needs, and then if all else fails, she has Peppa Pig at 5.45pm every afternoon. Really, I'm living in hope that she thin