Meeting the Durrill Family!

I woke up (10/10) and went downstairs for breakfast. For clarification, the day was the 10th of October, but I did also wake up feeling 10 out of 10 because I was going to stay in Africa 😁😂. Suubi, the hotel manager, greeted me and said, "I'm no prophet, but I knew you would return! Do you want black coffee?". We laughed for a little bit about my indecisiveness and staying in Uganda and then I went and sat down in the dining area. Fiona came over and asked if I wanted sugar or milk with my coffee, and I told her that milk would be great. "Hot or cold?", she asked, and I said that cold would be just fine. She came back with both AND a bowl of cereal 😂. I was a little confused, but maybe because I asked for cold milk she thought I also wanted cereal? I am not sure, but it continues. She brought me a plate of fruit (below) and asked which juice I wanted. I said, "No juice, please. I already have water and coffee. Thank you though!". Guess the next thing I was brought. Juice 😂. Then, she proceeded to ask what I would like to eat for breakfast, and I said, "Fiona, I just ate a bowl of cereal and a whole plate of fruit. Thank you, but I think this is all I will need for the day". She looked at me like I was crazy and said, "What? You're not going to eat? Can I make you pancakes?". And, because I remembered that refusing food in Uganda is borderline rude, I agreed to eat maybe two pancakes. A few minutes later, placed in front of me was a plate of four pancakes and an omelet. I just laughed.

I waited for the driver and the family who were picking me up, and I felt bad because our hotel was kind of hard to find. I didn't want to be an inconvenience, but I did feel a little better when they messaged me asking if I could get some hot tea from the hotel because the dad, Mike, wanted some for his throat. I felt like I could at least be helpful while I waited. They arrived, and I met Mike (dad), Diana (mom), Bryn (daughter), Molly (family friend), and Christopher (driver). They insisted that I sit in the front, and I got to know them all during our ride. Mike, Diana, and Bryn Durrill are from Denver, and Molly is from Kansas City. Their family has been to RG many times, and Diana brings a group of high school students every year. She is in charge of their high school's mission programs and is helping the students to have the right mindsets about missions. She actually grew up in Bangladesh, and so she has much experience with traveling. Mike is the new director of RG in the US. I've noticed that many missions in Africa will have directors in Africa as well as directors who are stateside. Mike is also an award-winning basketball coach for the high school, which is called Flatirons Academy. Bryn is 20 years old and spent last year playing basketball at Wheaton College. She is now taking the semester off and so she came along! She was super sweet and interested in sports journalism and videography/production. The Durrills have four other kids, but they did not come on this trip. Molly is 26, and this trip was her first to Africa, so it was cool to bond over a lot of firsts for both of us here. She has a degree in psychology with emphases on child development and trauma if I remember correctly. She came with the Durrill's to experience Africa and learn more about the child sponsorship program that they are trying to revamp at RG. They were all SO welcoming, and it was awesome to have some girls my age to connect with! 

We made three more stops before reaching RG. We stopped at a gas station. Ugandans usually say "fuel" or "petrol", not usually "gas". I went in to grab a few small things including water, and my card would not go through. The guy behind me paid for my items, and I wanted to cry. It was so sweet. We stopped to pick up Robert, Hezekiah (Zac), and a ton of sound equipment, which included two massive speakers. Somehow, we all still fit in the van. When Robert found out that I like to sing, he asked if I'd sing for church, and so I told him I would if they needed it. We also stopped for lunch at Kabalega, and I tried a rolex for the first time. Save the dad jokes...it's an omelet wrapped in chapati, not the watch haha. 

We made it to RG and had dinner together. The Durrills gave me so many recommendations for books, movies, and African mission stories to look into. I won't spoil any of them for you, but here are some of the resources if you're interested:

• Maggie Josiah's story about how the African Hospitality Institute was started - https://vimeo.com/34415442
• Walking the Nile - book and TV series by Levison Wood
• The Good Lie - movie starring Reese Witherspoon
• Kisses from Katie - book by Katie Davis
• Love Does - book and nonprofit organization founded by Bob Goff 

I went to bed that night feeling so thankful that God not only allowed me to stay in Africa but also gave me an incredible family to learn from and make memories with for a week!