I'm Back
Well, after 23 hours of straight travel, I have arrived in Canada. That was one long day. It started with the drive to the airport at 6:30 AM. THen I sat through an 8 hour plane ride, starting at 9AM. After an hour and a half layover in Heathrow I had another 8 hour plane ride. Next was clearing customs with all my baggages, which wasn't hard by any stretch of the imagination. I thought they were going to hand-check my luggage seeing as I came from an East African nation. I was allowed through without so much as a peep. Must have been my tired look that said "I dare you to search through my stuff and get it all back in my hockey bag." Then it was off to St. Catherines, where we arrived at exactly 10:30 local time. That was 5:30 AM for me. Am I ever glad I have tylenol PM, because without that I'd have never been able to sleep until 1:30 in the afternoon...wait, that's 6:30AM for most people in this time zone. That jet leg isn't so nice.

I woke up missing Kampala. It's weird having dawn at like 5 AM. Dawn happens at like 6:30 in Uganda and the sun rise at 7. Then the sun sets at 7 PM. It's also weird not seeing 8 feet high walls around each house with a huge metal gate in the front. So I guess it's time to me to start getting used to North America again. To be honest, I'm a little scared I might not fit in anymore. All that extra cultural stuff I've had to get used to in Kampala now has to make way for the more distant, rushed culture of North America. Well, I'll get back to my coffee and let you get back to work. COffee is my friend, who will help me get through these jet legged days ahead of me. Oh yeah, Timmies was excellent last night. That was the first stop we made on the way home. It was like Canada said "welcome back Mike, here's what you've been missing for 9 months."

Good Sunday
Good Sunday all. Things here are going great...except it is my last Sunday here and it was hard saying good-bye to all the people at church. But I'll be back in three months, the Lord willing, so I'll see them all then. I'm getting pretty psyched about seeing you all again. And Pops, just so you know, the first stop we're making after the airport is Timmies. What I would do for a large double-double right now. Anyways, it's 10 PM here and I just finished a snack of french toast. Except it wasn't the French toast we're used to it. It was bread soaked in an egg mixture that consisted of various herbs and salt and pepper. Different but tasty.

The sermon today was about 1 Timothy 1:12-17. Pastor Josh used Jacob's life as an example of someone who was a self-made man. After many years, God broke him while wrestling with him. God gave him grace. The sermon was about how God gives us more grace, and grace on top of grace. Grace is available for our daily lives. If we try living outside of God's grace for one day we will fall flat on our faces. With the grace of God, He strenghtens us for our daily work and ministry.

Well, I'm off to bed. I got a lazy couple of days ahead of me before leaving early Wednesday morning. So I bid you all adieu and I'll let you know how my flight goes.