Here are some thoughts regarding my time spent at the school this past June… The memory of children running to greet us with large smiles and laughter as we traveled to the school is one that visits me often. As does the memory of getting to know the students. I recall their initial shyness which soon turned to laughter and shared stories, including discussions about what the students hoped to …be when they had completed their education… nurses, teachers, pilots, doctors, etc. In hearing their stories, I was taken by the resiliency that these young men and women have already shown in their lives. One would assume that there is…

Visiting John Paul School in Uganda was an experience that I may never be able to put into words.  The feeling of standing amongst all of those children who are embracing the opportunity to learn in the midst of such poverty was eye-opening.  I can now understand and appreciate the ongoing dedication of Mr. and Mrs. B to provide these students and this community with the seeds of education.  I’m looking forward to my next visit there.  

The pictures. Look at the pictures. The kids smiling, slapping hands. Constantly saying, “How are you?” Almost like an echo. Spend five days with them. Hear them sing. See them dance. The young ones are future students. The older ones are the students, the ones who will be role models for the youngest of the young. These kids don’t have the swollen bellys you see on late-night television ads that ask for aid to a third-world African country. These kids are happy. No, they don’t have much by Western standards. Actually, they don’t have much at all. No plumbing. No electricity. John Paul School is far from the city. The roads are unpaved and dusty.…