The World Works in Mysterious Ways

After thinking for months about the conceptual what-if's for this trip to Uganda, the certainty of departing tomorrow brings a sense of relief and clarity. Our group has met several times and discussed every imagineable detail of the journey. Now we can give ourselves a proverbial pat on the back for our preparations and feel comfortable that only minor issues remain, like what reading material to bring on the plane.

Our trip will take us about 7,600 miles from home to a place that none of us have ever visited or have known much about. We will meet new people from a completely different culture, breathe the air of a totally different climate, and be unable to speak more than a few words of the local language. Yet we are determined to generously offer our problem-solving skills and engineering know-how in some way that could improve living conditions or somehow touch the lives of strangers. Engineers Without Borders and the Sisters of Notre Dame have provided the connection to the needs of this faraway place, and it is a blessing to be capable of doing the work that is asked of us. I think this sentiment applies to all of us leaving tomorrow, and I know we all at least look forward to a successful start to our chapter's 5-year commitment to the village of Buseesa!