The day started early as Bill and Roberto’s bodies adjusted to the seven hour difference between Virginia and Uganda. As Bill went out to take a picture of the Bed and Breakfast where they were staying, he was approached by two sisters on their way to the school next door. Curiosity knows no nationality. The road alongside the B&B had a steady flow of motorcycles as replacements for school buses, often with three or four kids aboard.
Aloysius arrived to take the team to the school for their Welcome Celebration. The students formed a line at the turn off from the road and performed as a honor guard all the way to the place of honor near the Administration Building.
The first order of business was a tour of the school. The team had not seen the new Library and Computer Lab Building. It was amazing how effective the school was in using the buildings that the Well Spring of Blessings donors had provided.
This was followed is a Catholic Mass which is something that has been customary for all the celebrations over the previous two years. The nearly 200 students were joined by many parents. The student choir was wonderful and the priest took advantage of the time to pray a blessing on the school’s graduating class.
After mass the dancing and singing began. It was incredible to see how the dance troupe could keep up the rhythm and the intricate dance steps they performed. They also insisted that the esteemed visitors joined in. It looks like Bill didn’t need much convincing.
Just as the program was moving towards lunch, the skies opened up. The heavy rain and high winds took down the orange tent and the people raced for cover in the school buildings. The driving rain extended the lunch time but finally the rain slowed sufficiently to resume the festivities. It gave Bill and Roberto a chance to give their talks to the students with Aloysius providing the translation. Based on the bursts of laughter it was clear the Aloysius was adding some additional content
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It was clear that despite the rain the celebration was a huge success. The team rode back to the B&B with the music still playing. It was anyone’s guess how long the party went on. The team knew they had to pace themselves every day. Tomorrow’s plan is to visit the latest newly build wells and visit the families that live nearby.
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