Visit to Orem

Some thoughts from a July 2025 team member, Brandon:

Arriving at Orem for the first time was an experience I will never forget! A bumpy dirt road, a storm blowing through, and daylight fading fast. When the bus couldn’t go any further, we finished the journey on foot through the mud and rain. I don’t think any of us expected what we found when we arrived at the school structure. Despite having every reason imaginable to go home and start fresh the next day, the kids of Orem were still there!

And not just there, but excited to see us! Clapping, singing, performing. I will never forget the feeling of sitting in that school structure in the dark, listening to the children singing a prayer before we started our journey back to the bus. 

It’s such a perfect representation of the joy everyone we encounter in Uganda has! Where we would have gone home, complaining about the weather and the hours-long delay from our visitors, these children (and many adults!) were jumping with joy and singing at the top of their lungs. What an experience!

The kids in Orem sang for us when we finally arrived.

The kids in Orem waited for us to arrive - even after dark.