Uganda Day 2: From Surprise Passengers to Life-Changing Schedules

Yesterday’s six-hour journey from Kampala had its share of unexpected moments, but none quite like what happened four hours in. Our driver suddenly pulled over, got out, and calmly walked to the back of the van. To our absolute amazement, he emerged with a live chicken! Apparently, someone the day before had left their feathered friend behind, and we’d been unknowingly traveling with our surprise passenger for hours. Only in Uganda do you deliver chickens as part of your medical mission transport service—and we couldn’t help but laugh at the beautiful unpredictability of it all.

Today marked the real beginning of our work at St. Mary’s Lacor Hospital as we dove into patient screenings and began setting up for the procedures ahead. The energy was focused and purposeful as our team worked alongside our incredible Ugandan partners to organize what will be a busy week of surgeries. After completing the screening process, we now have approximately 50 procedures scheduled—each one representing hope and healing for someone in the Gulu community.

The variety of cases we’ll be addressing speaks to both the tremendous need and the skill of our surgical teams. Our schedule includes prostate surgeries that will restore dignity and comfort to men who have been suffering, reconstructive procedures for burn survivors who deserve the chance to heal both physically and emotionally, and so many other operations that will genuinely transform lives. Each case on that list represents a person, a story, and a family who will be impacted by the work we’re doing together.

Part of today’s preparation involved setting up for the CPR training sessions we’re excited to facilitate alongside local healthcare workers this week. Nothing quite captures the unique experience of medical missions like receiving a text message that reads, “I only have 4 heads and 2 torsos. Where are the rest?!” Rest assured, no actual people were harmed in the making of this message—we were simply tracking down our CPR training dummies. Now that they’ve been located, these training tools will help facilitate skill-sharing sessions with the dedicated medical professionals and community members who serve this region every day.

As we wrap up Day 2, there’s a sense of gratitude and anticipation throughout our team. Tomorrow the surgical work begins, and we’re honored to contribute our skills alongside the exceptional Lacor Hospital staff. From surprise chickens to surgical partnerships, this experience continues to remind us that meaningful collaboration often comes wrapped in the most unexpected and beautiful packages.