TRIP TO UGANDA 2018
It was on
January 15th, 2018 when Daniel Bedard and Fr Dominic Tumusiime had our Trip
together to Africa. The trip had both personal and team objectives. While Dan
was very eager but nervous to enjoy his first African trip across the ocean to
the unknown, I was going home. That said, our moods had variations at some
points. We also had a common mission. We wanted to use our limited time to do
the best possible to benefit my family, the school and the entire community of
Rubanda. The mission was to share our different passionate experiences in the
field of agriculture for Dan and Missionary life for me to improve life in the
school and in the entire community of Rubanda. We arrived safe, praise God, and
immediately embarked on business. We are very proud that all went well, more
than we expected. Our healthy was good, the community reception and
participation excellent. Dan did a fantastic job in getting himself acclimated
into the Kiga community and never once did I see him feel shy because of lack
of language and dialect skills for communication. Love was the
determinant in both the visitor and the hosts that shook-absorbed all the
tensions. Our little time of about two and a half weeks was well spent to our
satisfaction. While Dan spent most of his time sharing about his passion
in the agricultural fields mine was in administration in the school and hugs to
the community friends. It was all fun. It was quite an adventure for Dan to
live in an African home for the first time for almost three weeks, to meet with
African children in a boarding school, to taste the African food and culture,
Kigezi hills, human resource at work, religious liturgies, art, rough and left
sided drive roads and night hangouts. I am very grateful to you Dan for
having accepted to take the risk to travel with me to the unknown and to love
the unknown. You made my vacation incredibly grate. And your impact will never
be erased from the minds of our Rubanda community people. To you all, please
enjoy the gallery below and add a comment right at the very bottom of the post
as your souvenir to us.
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From Boston to Brussels and over the liver Nile in Sudan, Africa |
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Arrival at Entebbe Int,Airport: |
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Dan-R with Fr Dominic at Entebbe Intl Airport |
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From left Fr Dominic, Dan and Fr Julius |
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From left, Barbra, Dan and Fr Julius our receptionists ant Cabana |
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Nice time to be together at Cabana guest hse in Entebbe |
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Dan, and Dominic trying to buy a Ugandan sim card |
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Enjoying the Ethiopia Coffee at the sisters h'se on Entebbe road |
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Unexpected cake at the sisters house for lunch |
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Dan's first farming demonstration
on African soil in Kampala |
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Dan manual tests the soils |
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Everyone is surprised of the simple
and news farming skills Dan is sharing |
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The two of the three community sisters:
Marta -L and Elizabeth-R |
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Fr Dominic pauses for a group pic |
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Dan enjoys the sight of the first
African Add caption |
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I love this mango |
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Add caption |
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Family size Ugandan mango |
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Fr Dominic-M, feeling at home already |
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It was so hot, we enjoyed a mango tree shade |
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Look at Dan-R at the beautiful hand made Ugandan mat |
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Dan taking them thr. American Art as well |
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No journey without reminders of God's
protection. Checking the gas leakage |
Day 2 in Jinja
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The Apostles of Jesus Retreat center in Jinja where we met Frs Paul and Alex |
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AJ Retreat center on expansion |
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The retreat gardens |
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Statue of St Francis of Assisi, lover of nature in the retreat garden |
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Nature and St Francis |
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The retreat chapel, seen on the top of the hill
under the tel service tower is just amazing |
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Front view of the retreat compound |
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The back view of the retreat center |
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Long range view of the retreat center |
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Fr Alex in a cassock opens the gate of this sacred place to
visiting classmate, Fr Dominic n |
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The two chalices symbolize the
Eucharistic adoration done
on the top
of the mountain chapel |
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Statue of in the retreat garden depicting Jesus in
the garden of Gethsemane |
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Fr Alex in a cassock explains to
Fr Dominic with extended hand
about the 3 statues depicting
the Uganda Martyrs killed
for their faith in 1886 |
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Pic more visible |
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The 3 Martyrs with tradition dress and spear
of the time on the top of the new
baptismal and holy dress of the Martyrs. |
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See the traditional dram of praise in the hand,
spear of authority and Holy Word of God the Bible |
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Fr Alex with a cassock demonstrates how the blood of the Martyrs of Uganda powered for their faith watered the Ugandan soil for the current christian faith |
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The traditional hut of the most of the
Uganda Martyrs portrayed now
to be hosting God in the Families |
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Fr Dominic peeps in the sacred
house at the retreat center as Fr Alex
and Dan look on and take a snap |
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St Joseph holds a great place in God's holy men |
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The garden provides a natural canopy conducive for prayer |
Look at all these pictures below to the praise of
traditional art brought
to light by the christian faith
Bellow is Frs Dominic, Dan and Alex
in black touring the
retreat center in Jinja
Day 4: Travel to Kabale/Rubanda-my home
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Dan and Fr Dominic
on the Equator line |
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Dan Stands at the Equator line
in Uganda for the first time in his life time |
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Dropping Fr. Wence Bazirake-R and meeting |
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Dan on left with Fr Dominic-L with the mother
of Wence at their home |
Day 5 in Rubanda taking the School tour
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Fr. Dominic-4th from right pauses for a group pic with
the school administrators: From left is Tr Joy (Nursery deputy),
Innocent (Headmaster), Dan(US visitor), Sr Brenda (Sch. Direstress),
Fr Dominic, Rogers (coordinator of projects, Kabananura (Sch. Bursar)
and Tr Immaculate (Primary deputy) |
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Adm. standing at the gate of the Nursery section |
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The school art by one of the school alumni
on the gate wall to the nursery school |
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View of the nursery school
from the nursery gate added is
the school engineer Robert |
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The school admin pause for a group pic at the nursery offices |
School time
Kakihuma Controversy
Rubanda Religious and Priests Association