Basketball in Uganda

For a while now I have been asking for one of the Dongo children to take me to a basketball game in Uganda. Since no one really helped me out with that, I had to find out myself when and where the games were held. I saw in the newspaper that there was a game on Wednesday in Lugogo. Although I knew where Lugogo is, I didn't know where in Lugogo the games were being held. I asked Thanx to research that and that I would take him to watch a game. So he figured it out from some friends and we went.

I really didn't know what to expect for basketball in Uganda. I had been told that some high schools had teams, and they were good. I didn't really believe them knowing that athletics in schools here is much different than in the US. Teams do no practice daily in Uganda. Ezra Dongo's soccer team might just practice on the weekends. Very different from the craziness in the US, but at the same time it's difficult to develop skills without practice. I had also played with some kids here and first of all there were very few who played and second, the ones who did weren't able to do much.

The first game we arrived for was the ladies matchup between Kampala International University (KIU which is just down the road from God Cares School) and Uganda Christian University (UCU). As I watched them get ready for the game, I realized that these girls can't shoot, but they are much more athletic than many of the girls I've coached. But after watching that game, I came to the conclusion that our Oaks Christian girls teams over the years would destroy these teams. They don't really have offensive sets and play a soft zone defense. While I was watching two American couples sat next to me. One of them was obviously a coach so I struck up a conversation with him. He ended up being the mens basketball coach at UCU. He told me that the players in Uganda were very gifted, but lazy and wondered what my take on their game would be. He also said most shots were layups or threes. Keep in mind that they have the international 3 out here.

So as the UCU Canons and the Sadolin Power warmed up, I watched intently. I noticed first that almost everyone out there warmed up by attempting and/or completing crazy dunks. Already something I'm not used to because high school teams in the US are not allowed to dunk in warmups. Then as I watched them even shoot free throws, I saw poor form and many bricks. (I could have built the whole God Cares High School if I could have collected them!) Finally the game began. There was no rhyme or reason to the offense for each team. It was one on one basketball much like "Street Ball" or "And1 Mixtape" without the flashy dribbling. I think the Power must have shot about 80 threes and made about 10 at most. And when the center for UCU dunked, he danced all the way back to the other side of the court. I have to say I was very entertained and the UCU Canons won a close game.

I'm glad I got to watch the game and dreamed of what it would look like with some discipline and increase in practice time. I was hoping that UCU Canons would win, but the playoff series is now tied at 1-1 because they got demolished Friday night so today I'm going again hoping that they can pull out a victory.

Thank God for the Free Gift

As you can see, I've again lost track of time in my blogs/journals. However, it has been a difficult task getting online these days. My internet service has continued to be shaky and I'm looking to possibly change service when I return from my trip to the states.

On a completely different note, let me log my some of my adventures over the past few weeks. As some of you know. Pastor Dongo's daughter was not accepted to any university to which she applied in Uganda. She was devastated to say the least as she loves her country and especially her family. However, mzungu to the rescue. One of my acquaintances in the US was visiting Uganda for a trip to Sudan with Pastor. When she found out that Worship did not get into any universities here, she offered to pay for two years of education at a city college near where she lives and be her adopted mom over this time. So the first daunting task was the test she had to take for showing her fluency in English. We didn't know what her scores needed to be, but by faith, I bought her a book and signed her up for the test. We were disappointed to find her results being low in reading due to the proctor suggesting that they don't "waste" time reading the passages, but just guess on the answers. We thought for sure that she would need to retake the test. However, Moorpark College had received her scores and accepted her for admission. The most intimidating task was then to go for her visa. There were many documents that we needed to obtain so we gathered what we could and made an appointment. On that day, Worship went to the appointment and came back telling me that she didn't have enough strong ties to US. That was the weirdest thing I had heard. A frenzy ensued as we looked for people in the US to write letters of recommendation for Worship. In the meantime, I sent an e-mail to the embassy asking for clarification and booked another appointment which by the way cost an additional $131 (the cost for each appointment). Why would she need strong ties to the US? The lady asked specifically for a letter from the person sponsoring Worship in the US. We received about 8 letters to support her stay to further her education. Then i emailed back and forth with the embassy a few times and they kept talking about "strong ties to Uganda" They must be crazy there seeing as we sent many documents showing what Pastor Dongo was doing in the states, but apparently the lady there refused to even look at them when Worship attempted to show her. So now panic mode changed into getting as much information to show that she would return to Uganda upon completion of her studies. The morning of the appointment, Pastor Dongo and I drafted a letter talking about his ministry, his family and all he is doing here in Uganda. Then Pastor asked me to escort Worship to the appointment. We thought that since I was a US citizen, they would let me wait in there for her. Instead, I was denied entrance to the embassy with her and even chased from the waiting area in front of the entrance. I waited and waited and waited in the car. Praying, praising, interceding. Finally, after almost 2 hours, I saw Worship approaching the car with a big grin and yelling "I got it!" What a relief.

Next story, we turn to the immigration building in Uganda. I had been planning a trip to Tanzania and knew that my visa was going to expire before I left for Tanzania. I wondered if I could just cross the border to Kenya with an expired visa, but the Christian man of integrity made me do the right thing and attempt to get an extension on my visa. So I prepared all the things that I might need for the visa. These were the same items I had to submit the first time around. However, a friend had inquired for me and said I didn't need any of those things for an extension. I knew that stories often change so I brought the materials anyway. I waited in the line and when I arrived at the front, the man asked for a letter from the place I was working with. I told him it was in the car. Then I specifically asked if that was ALL I needed. He agreed. I went to the car and came back, waited in line again, and gave him all my materials. Then he asked when was I leaving. I told him the date and he asked for proof. So again back to the car, wait in line, give him the materials. He asked where the NGO certificate was. I told him it was the one thing I didn't have and asked if I needed it. He just mumbled to himself something like I wish you had that. Then he told me to come back in 7 business days. So after that, I returned about a week and a half later. then the lady says she needs the NGO certificate. Now I'm only a week away from leaving. She tells me to come back in 3 days. Now I'm realizing that getting the visa before my scheduled date of departure might be impossible. So we tried to use connections to get help with the visa. You know how that panned out? With a lady asking for about $90 to speed up the process. That wasn't going to happen. The problem is that if I got my passport back 3 days later, it still wouldn't have an approved visa. You have to go to the bank to pay the fee for the visa then come back and they hold your passport for a few more days. So now to plan B. I should still be able to get my passport back, skip the visa processing and cross the border with an expired visa and deal with the repercussions. So I go to pick up the passport not there. Next day, not there. Third day not there. Now I only have 1 business day before I'm supposed to leave. Hopefully it will be there Monday because I can't even book the bus trip without the passport!

So there is a reason why I tell these two stories which by the way have more drama than can be said in this short blog. I was with pastor discussing Worship and my issues with the visa. He said, "Thank God eternal life is a free gift." Can you imagine if we had to do things to deserve our place in heaven as believers. I know I would fail miserably. That's why even through these little trials, I thank God because he has saved me from destruction. He has given me eternal life. He has made my broken spirit whole. If you don't know Jesus, He can do all of this for you as well. He loves you and cares about you. I hope you all know that!
 

Lake Victoria

So on Thursday of last week I was told that we were going for baptisms. The church has it set up that kids take a foundation class then are asked if they want to be baptized. So we prepared on Saturday to go to Lake Victoria. I was told the we were going to have an opportunity to swim for a little while. So I got out my swim trunks that were packed way back in my dresser and prepared for a new adventure.

We drove down toward Gaba then venturing off to Munyonyo...that's where the 5 star resort is here. It's a nice place, but how can you possibly come here to serve and stay at such a place? I've already asked to be forgiven of that sin as it is where I stayed my first visit...but it must be noted that I didn't make any of the plans or accomodations for that trip. Anyway, I digress. We pass there and go to a place where there was a gate to the beach we were going to. We were promptly met by a young man demanding 15000 shillings to enter; we gave him 10000. Then he disappeared somewhere... probably wasn't even connected to that land. Anyway, I digress again. We drove down to the beach where we found trucks being loaded with sand. Apparently small boats go to different islands to get sand to use on the mainland...interesting. Many of the kids began to change attire for going in the water. Was their a place to change...of course...the bushes...where else in Uganda. We went down and proceeded to watch kids get baptized. Hallelujah. I think about 40 were baptized. Awesome.

Now the fun part. I wanted to go swimming, but wasn't quite prepared for what I found. That water was more disgusting than the pond at Hume Lake and I NEVER go in the pond unless it's required during competition. You could see all kinds of nasties in the water. I wanted to swim, but at the risk of getting some crazy disease? I wavered. Finally, I gave in. Too bad few of those Ugandans can swim. There were a few small islands not too far away that I would have loved to swim to. Anyway, it was a fun time to see the kids get baptized and have fun in the water. Even traveling that far down the road is very unusual for them. (a few miles)

However, the story doesn't end there although I wish it would have. I'm not sure the incubation time of a virus that you contact in the water, but come Monday at 2am, pain in the stomach...gut wrenching pain. I thought I was going to pass out. Let's just say that I was in the bathroom a lot and didn't sleep from 2 until 7:15 am. At which time I got about an hour of sleep before someone came to ask me a question about something. Oh the joys and pains of swimming in Lake Victoria...maybe it wasn't from the lake, but I can't help but look at the timing and wonder!

Dongo returns

So it seems that I'm not very good at keeping this journal/blog up to date. Maybe because I just wonder sometimes if anyone reads the nonsense that I post. Well, I guess I just can't worry about that and just keep posting as i feel led. I am going to try to get a post every few days. Maybe someone will help to remind me to do that.

It has been somewhat quiet with Pastor Dongo gone in the US. Ismail told me that it has been almost a month while I was thinking it was only about three weeks. A month! No wonder I'm bored. The one person who checks on me constantly and drags me to at least a quarter of the places he goes was gone for a month! No wonder I felt lost with too much time on my hands. However, just as I'm getting used to him being gone and finding ways to be productive on my own, Pastor Dongo returns in about 2 hours. I can't lie, I missed him a lot. He is very much my dad here in Uganda. But tomorrow I will hear those familiar words...."Darren, Darren...what are you doing?" It will be a blessing, I love this man who has such a heart of a servant, a heart of a father, a desire to see that the kids here in Uganda have a hope and a future.

On a side note, Pastor Dongo's trip has been reported as a huge success. Although he did not speak at any churches (that I know of), he was able to make valuable connections with people in Northern California. In fact, there were almost 100 children sponsored on his visit to California and Texas...Praise God. I don't think there has been any trip that I know of where that many children were sponsored. Thank you to the faithful people who were praying for Dongo's trip. However, we still need over 100 children to be sponsored for this year and even more as we bring in new students to the nursery section of the school in 2009.

Missing the US

So inevitably this was going to happen. I knew that at some point I would miss the US and question why I came to Uganda. I think the most difficult part of being here is being away from friends and family. As a result, days and nights can lack the excitement and fun that I experienced every week in the US. Although I know many people in Uganda, they don't have the means to go and do fun stuff every once in a while. If I want to go out most of the time I can take someone knowing that they cannot pay for themselves. That obviously limits where you can go and how often you can go. Most of the time I can't even hang out at my place with the kids who are boarded at the school because they have a strict schedule. They eat at 6pm followed by studies at 7 pm and prayers/praise & worship at 8:30. Their bedtime is 10 pm. Doesn't allow for social time. So I'm bored and was a little depressed for a while.

However, this time has given me the opportunity to thank God for all that He has done for me these last few years. I have awesome friends in the US and family that loves me very much (even adopted families). I know that He even has a purpose for me here beyond what I can visualize. I had to kind of kick myself in the pants this week as I began to get super lazy and not do anything. Now I am really seeking the Lord and not allowing Satan to put doubt in my head. I know that He is all I need to sustain me through my time here in Uganda.

Please don't feel sorry for me. That's not the purpose of this post. However, do pray for me as I seek Him and He changes me. It would be a good time when I return if people ask "What happened to you in Uganda?" "Why are you so different now?" Hopefully I can be changed as God molds me and shapes me in His image and I choose to be obedient to His call.

The Car Game

So seeing as I now have been driving for a while I wanted to account for all the mishaps to my van so far. I thought it would be fun to play a game of who has inflicted more damage to the van. Obviously I'm contestant #1 and if you hadn't already guessed, Pastor Dongo is contestant #2. Well, let's get this game underway...First I need to explain the scoring. Any mishap resulting in no visible damage to the car is worth 1 point whereas visible damage can score anywhere from 5 - 10 points depending on severity.

So when I received the car, I took my first trip to Pastor Dongo's house. Actually, I took Glory for ice cream for his birthday and were driving them back to the house. Let's just say the road to the house wasn't the most "van-friendly". I had been there before in Dongo's car as a passenger without any problems so I thought...no problem, it should be a breeze. The first part was easy, but then...as we got closer to the top of the hill....BANG...bottomed out once...BANG... and again...BANG...I was a little embarassed it being within my first few driving adventures in Uganda. Score - Darren 3, Dongo 0

Second day of having the car, I had to drive to pick up a visitor at the local hotel. She was going home later that day so I needed to pick her up and all of her luggage and get her to the school so she could meet one of the kids her friend sponsors. I got up the hill fine, but as I turned to go down the hill, they had been working on the road. There were some rocks there to block off part of the road that they were working on grading. And on the other side was a man walking. I thought that I had plenty of room on the side with the rocks and obviously didn't want to hit the man. I ran over one of the rocks and.....PPPSSSSSTTTTTT (actually it didn't that long, but was pretty quick)...blew the left front tire. Luckily I was almost at the hotel and was able to roll in and park there. Oh and by the way...found out that not all the things we needed to jack the car up and release the spare tire underneath were present...joy of buying a used car in Uganda. Fortunately for me, we were planning to buy new tires anyway as three of them were one size and one was a different size! Score - Darren 8, Dongo 0 (I would have given more points if we weren't planning to buy new tires!)

A few days later, Pastor Dongo and I had to drive to his village to take pictures of kids that were sponsored there. He asked if I wanted to drive, but I told him he could drive my car. We were cruising around when a big truck came the other way and spit up a rock or something toward us. I watched as I saw this object in slow motion approaching the windshield. Then...CRACK. No big deal...but wait now there's a crack in the windshield. not just one of those pebble sized cracks, but one of those with cracks moving outward, although they were less than 1 in long each. Score - Darren 8, Dongo 6

When the visitors came in from the US, we went to the bush every day with Pastor driving the van. On the first day, we had just reached town and were going on a roundabout when all of us felt something bang and push the back of the van. We looked out the back to see a taxi driver looking at our van yet continuing on his route to a different exit of the roundabout. Pastor didn't even flinch. We thought that he just ignored it and didn't think it was a big deal...later we come to find out that he didn't even know that someone had hit the car. Score - Dongo 13, Darren 8

On that same drive to the bush, we ran into some of the worst conditions for road that I had seen. Pastor was doing a good job of manuevering around the large valleys caused by rain, but then KABONG. followed by a screeeeeeeeeeccccccccccc. One of the visitors said "the tire came off" I about pooped in my pants trying to figure out how that happened. You guessed it, the spare tire came out and the thing that held the tire there was dragging on the ground. After some time and what we thought was some MacGyver intervention by Pastor Howard, We got the tire and place and were on our way...until we bottomed out again and the tire came loose again. We decided to put the tire in the van and fix it when we got to the bush! Score Dongo 23, Darren 8...here's where I'm being kind with scoring because I think it got fixed in the bush only to happen again on the way back to Kampala.

Well, I'm no going to say I'm a better driver than Dongo, but let's just say one of our visitors enjoyed being in my car when I was driving rather than Pastor! Let the score speak for itself. If anyone thinks my scoring is unfair or biased in any way please comment and I'll make adjustments accordingly.

Missing in Action

Where has Darren been for the last three weeks? Missing? Not really...more like busy for one week hosting visitors from Connecticut followed by a five day blackout in the area of the school. So what have I been up to. Really not much.

I taught my first math class two weeks ago. I think it might have been the most uncomfortable I have ever felt as a teacher. For those of you who teach, it was like having an administrator or accreditation watching you. The biggest issue was not knowing their previous knowledge coupled with the language barrier. You might be saying "I thought they speak English in Uganda". They do! However, our every day words aren't the same as used here, or their pronunciation of words is different. I learned a lot about myself as a teacher from that short session. I also learned how gifted you need to teach here. No books so they rely completely on your ability to give them good instruction. I'm sure I'll give it a go again soon.

As I said we had visitors from Connecticut beginning two weeks ago now...they actually left on the past Monday. They are known in the states as the Bethel Bunch...well, not really, but they are from Bethel Christian Church. The team consisted of 7 members including the pastor of the church. For the first few days of their visit, they ministered to people in the bush. They actually went to 3 different villages to encourage the pastors and members of those churches. They shared the Word of God and blessed the people so much. I too was blessed by their visit. We had plenty of time to connect during those 1-2 hour drives into the bush. Hopefully some life long friends/brothers & sisters in Christ. If they are reading this, thank you so much for the love you showed me during your visit. Come back soon!!!

So as you can see...not much to write about...but I do have a wireless router in my room now so I can sit in bed and work on the internet. Stay tuned...I have a new topic to write about for tomorrow...

Jinja & the Bush...& a chicken?

Early on Friday morning, Thanx and I embarked on a trip to visit his mom's village. The task...to take pictures of sponsored and unsponsored kids in the village. We left Kampala around 6 am and arrived in Jinja to pick up his two aunts who knew how to get to the village. Thanx had never been to his mom's village before this trip. We actually ended up taking four people with us: Mom Olive, Mom Irene, and cousins Ben and Paul. I learned that in Ugandan culture, there really aren't any aunts and uncles. They are all called mom or dad instead. Therefore when talking to kids it's important to distinguish between their birth parents and other parents that are just relatives. About halfway through our trip (on a paved road), we stopped to buy some things to bring to the village: rice, matooke (banana), sugar, soap, and meat. I really didn't know how far we were on our trip at this point. But I soon found out that the rest of the trip would be on dirt roads. Take into consideration that I'm driving my "new" van and don't have much experience with driving in Uganda. They warned me that the roads may be a bit tricky. We were cruising along, when I began to see large patches of mud. Really, that wasn't the problem. I have driven through snow storms etc. with 4WD vehicles before. The tricky part was that the road wasn't much wider than the van...on each side...swamp. Luckily, I worked together with Paul helping to direct me through the best way to drive through the mud. We didn't have any problems, but it was a bit tricky and took us another 90 minutes to get from the main road to the village. However, we arrived safely and were warmly greeted by everyone. I was able to meet Daddy Ananias (Florence's birth father), Daddy Joel, and Daddy Andrew, but the blessing was being able to meet Florence's 99 year old grandmother. We took pictures of the kids and waited for lunch. In the meantime, one of the mom's of the kids we took pictures of came back and gave me a chicken.Wow! I didn't really know what to say. i was completely honored. Now I have my first pet...the lady's name was Mrs. Suubi so I named the chicken Suubi. I don't yet have a place for the chicken, so it's at the Dongo house...hopefully they don't mistakenly eat it. Thanx called me today to tell me that the chicken laid an egg. To me, eggs over the course of the week are more valuable than one meal of meat from my new friend.

After returning to Jinja from the village, we went to meet with a friend of ours. His name is Emma and he works at the YWAM base in Jinja. Thanx knows him from his DTS earlier this year and I met him through Thanx and the Williams family back home. Emma is one of the most amazing men I have met in my life. He is a true warrior for the Lord. A man who values Jesus more than any worldly riches. Upon arriving at the base at about 7:30 pm, we sat and talked for a good three hours. I can't believe I stayed up that long, but his company was just too valuable to miss out on. The next day we toured (really just walked the streets) of Jinja which is pretty small, and talked much more. Emma is from Tanzania and we spent time trying to plan a trip to his homeland. November looks good...stay tuned!

Minivan

So on Saturday upon return from the camp, Pastor Dongo was able to pick up my new ride. Not as shnazzy as my pimped out VW Passat at home that Grayson Kemp now enjoys, but it's transportation for me and "my family". Yes, it's a minvan. I'm not one of those who's said, "I'll only get a minivan on my death bed" However, I never really expected to ever own one. After all, I'm single with no end of that in sight. What do I need a minivan for. But I find myself in a situation where I am a surrogate father to many of the children at God Cares School. The four boys and I here joke that I'm "dad" to them. And as much as that is a joke, there is some reality to it. To my knowledge, three of the boys do not have fathers and the other has a father who has pretty much disowned him. They have been living here at the school with me over the past 3 weeks and we pretty much do everything together. Sunday, we were able to drive to church instead of walk or wait for someone to pick us up. Amazing. Hopefully having a car won't make me lazy. I still find the need to walk to places close and only drive when there is a purpose beyond just a few people.

However, driving in Uganda as you know can be hazardous. I've had some problems in my first days of driving my own car. Previously I had driven an SUV around. They are somehow made for these types of roads whereas my vehicle is not in many ways. As a minivan, the engine resides underneath the car. That means...low clearance even though you seem high up when in the vehicle. I bottomed out at least 8 times going to Pastor Dongo's house the second day of having the car. On the third day, I was scheduled to pick up a visitor from her hotel so that we could put her luggage at the school for the day. I have driven these roads plenty of times. However, they are in the process of fixing the road and had somebig rocks in place to keep you from going where they didn't want you to drive. There was a man walking on the road and I kind of went wide around him and in the process ran over a rock which turned around and bit my tire! Death to the tire! Luckily I was close to the hotel, so I pulled up into the parking lot to fix it. Guess what? Used car = not all the parts to jack up the car and change the tire! So I called Pastor to help. In addition, some men from the hotel came to help as well. People are so friendly and helpful here in Uganda. The good news is we were planning to get new tires anyway so now there are five new tires! I'm a little worried about getting back on the saddle though after those first two rough days! I'll let you know what happens!

Camp

So yesterday afternoon we returned from the camp. We had expected about 650 students ages 8 to early 20's. However, we ended up with 788 students total. Talk about sticking a monkey wrench into your planning. We ran short of food on the first night and lacked enough beds for all of the students. Panic settled in and we had to return to God Cares School to pick up more mattresses for those lacking them. Although I went to be around midnight, I know that other people such as Pastor Dongo and Aunt Harriett did not go to sleep until after 2 am. Such is life in Uganda. You might be wondering why our numbers didn't match with the amount that attended the camp. Well in fact, only about 400+ students actually registered for the camp. The remaining just showed up on the day of the camp at the school. Imagine your youth group being ready to take even 50 students and then 80 showed up. In the US we would send them home because they didn't register in time, but here in our ministry, the camp is like Christmas for the kids (a statement that Pastor Dongo made). So how could we possibly turn away students.

The rest of the camp ran pretty smoothly. I don't know exactly how we served 788 people three meals a day without a hitch. And the fact of the matter is, we weren't just serving posho and beans. These kids were eating in luxury with matooke (banana) and meat every night. Otherwise camp was much like any other summer camp you might have been to. There were morning prayers, followed by breakfast. Praise and worship followed breakfast and then lessons were taught until lunch. After lunch the youth had small group discussions and then everyone went for games. I was blessed to be able to play basketball for the first time since leaving the US. Well, it wasn't the prettiest basketball that you've seen, but I got to run around and have fun with the youth. Following dinner, we showed movies or had other entertainment.

I don't know how the teaching went for the children as I was working with the youth, but our speakers were fantastic. They challenged them to discipline themselves and to look to the reward (Hebrews 11:26) that they will receive from the Lord. I think maybe 10 youth dedicated their lives to Christ at one session, but many lives were changed. The most significant was a boy named Ezra. Last year, Ezra, who is like a class clown, was sent home for being a trouble maker. However, this year, you could find him serving etc. and he made a commitment to Christ. Our God is Awesome and you can see the difference that Buyamba makes in the lives of these children.

Computers

So maybe all of you computer challenged people can relate to this blog. A teacher last week approached me telling me that the Head Mistress at the school had told him that I would be teaching the teachers to use the computers we have here at the school. I had discussed this with her when I first arrived because those computers are mostly just dust collectors at this time. I set up some scheduled time to help them out, not really knowing what they needed. What I found was not what I expected. They were pretty much all computer illiterate. It was a difficult task teaching them as I was trying to introduce Microsoft Word, but I'm not sure if that's what they were looking for. Besides their level of fluency, some of the computers weren't functioning properly. The mouse on a few were very difficult to use. This made for an even more interesting time. Try teaching someone who is pretty much computer illiterate when the mouse doesn't work! The only real good thing that came out of this is that I have a stronger relationship with the teachers as we laughed through most every session. However, I need to go back to the drawing board. I found 45 minutes wasn't enough time to do much with them. I need to find some kind of program that can teach them independently following instructions because they are all at very different levels of learning. Any suggestions?

Driving & Wedding

So yesterday, Pastor Dongo decided it was time that I drove around in Uganda. So he gave the me keys and pretty much ordered me to drive him to the church. So knowing that I only needed to take left turns, not right turns (remember they're on the opposite side of the road here), I knew that would be a cinch. One thing I didn't account for...the location of the turn indicator. I kept hitting the windshield wipers because the turn indicator was also on the other side. We made it safely to church, but even Dongo knew that would be easy. Knowing that Thanx and I were headed to town, he told me I should drive to town to run our errands. In order to get to town...right turns were involved. For those of you who have never been to Uganda, turning across traffic can be best described as a game of chicken. No one is going to really help you turn. You basically just have to turn in front of oncoming traffic hoping that someone will eventually let you in. So Thanx tried to tell me when to go and it was a pretty successful day of driving. Stay tuned, next week I think I get my car, but I think it's a little bigger than Pastor Dongo's car, although he thinks it's the same length.

Saturday also brought on another surprise. I found out the day before that there was a wedding at the church. I had kind of been warned about introductions and weddings by a missionary friend. I guess it wasn't so much of a warning as a recommendation to not go to any. I was told they last a long time. Pastor invited me, almost insisting that I experience this so lucky for me I brought my suit to Uganda. The wedding was supposed to begin at 12 pm, but in typical Ugandan fashion it began over an hour late. The wedding itself wasn't too bad...typical length for a wedding. The reception on the other hand was long. Lucky for me, I was warned ahead of time that we probably wouldn't eat until after 8pm even though the reception began at 4pm. Wedding receptions are big celebrations for Ugandans. We had all you could drink soda at our disposal from the time we arrived. We tried to arrive late so that they would be starting when we got there. A short time after we arrived, the wedding party arrived. In the US, they announce the wedding party as they enter and then go about the business. In Uganda, they play music and everyone in the wedding party dances into the party in line. So what could take a few minutes instead takes 30-40 minutes. After the wedding party is seated, the speeches begin. There weren't as many as I expected based on what I had been warned, but it took at least another 45 minutes. Little did I know that I was part of the team representing Kabalagala Pentecostal Church when Pastor Dongo went to speak about the bride and groom. So I had to stand with him as he spoke...talk about uncomfortable. Next was the cake cutting ceremony. Now keep in mind, they don't just walk to do anything...they dance very slowly to get somewhere. So they cut the cake then slowly take small pieces for everyone to have. Another interesting thing to note is that there wasn't one cake, but something like 10 cakes...to be explained later. Then after the cake cutting ceremony...the wedding party changes and comes out and the other cakes have been packaged up to give as gifts to the families, friends and others they want to thank. This takes about 45 minutes as remember that they slowly dance to give each person/group their cake...and there are many to give. About 8:30pm and we finally get to eat. The food was good...no posho, but nothing super fancy either. We left after eating so I don't know what happened after that, but I can guess that the party continued for hours after we left. I'm glad I had a big lunch because I think I would have been going crazy to wait that long on an empty stomach.

Internet?

Here's a riddle (this is for you Dani if you're reading): How many days does it take to install an internet connection in Uganda? That's still the question I'm trying to find out. If you know the answer, you might want to let other mzungu know. Moving here has been an adventure. For all of you in the US who get upset when the cable company tells you they'll be there between 8 and 12, here's a good blog for you.

You might be wondering when I first went to sign up for internet. It's been so long that I had to actually pull out the receipt and look: July 9, 2008. I can't say that I didn't have anything right away because I did. Originally I signed up for a mobile 3G service. After about 3 weeks of frustrations of very slow internet and often not being able to log on at all. I went in to see if I could request a change to a fixed line. First of all, the mobile service was much more expensive than the fixed line and secondly, I tried the fixed line at the school and it was a lot faster than what I was experiencing with the mobile internet. So on July 25, 2008, I put in a change to a fixed line. The supervisor who made the changes to my service told me someone would be out in a week. A week passed...no one...I had to go to town to complain. A different supervisor (Naomi), the one who originally told me that I could make the switch, was there and told me she hadn't submitted the request yet. Another week...of silence...again had to go to town to find out what was going on. A third different supervisor was there and had no idea what I was talking about. She talked to Naomi and gave me her number so I could call in the future. They should be coming this week she told me. Another 4 days, nothing. I tried calling...the phone number was missing one number. I had to go to town. Naomi was not there again, but the one that gave me the phone number was there. She gave me the correct number and I called Naomi. She has been a lot of help (not sarcastic by the way) Finally someone came out on Aug 14, 2008 to look at where I needed everything set up. He told me that he need to get all the materials and he would be back tomorrow. Was he back? Saturday he returned and pulled the line, but he didn't have a modem to set up. The modem box on the service request wasn't checked...I noticed that earlier and mentioned to them, but I showed him by calculation that I paid for a modem. He said he would have to come back Monday. Monday, I called Naomi again and told her the situation since they hadn't come by 1pm. She said she would take care of it. Now imagine this...you have things to do and places to go, but you don't know what day they are coming and when during the day they will be there. Cabin fever is the only way I can describe how I have felt this week. Tuesday, he came back with the modem, but the service didn't work. He told me that they were going to fix it and to call him when the "adsl" light came on. It never came on...I called him on Wednesday...no answer. I called Naomi again. They came on Thursday to look at it finally, but the power was down. Can't check much when that happens. Finally, Friday they dedicated their day to get me up and running. They finally did it, but the moden that they brought me wasn't working. However, I found out that the tech guy, David, is a Christian and talked to him more about his faith and his church. He let me keep a loaner modem until they could get me a new one...so really the saga continues. How long will my service continue before it goes down? TIA

Privacy & Personal Space

I've thought long and hard about whether or not to blog about these two subjects. They are near and dear to my heart and at the top of my struggles right now. I know that there are some kids from the school that read the blog when they get a chance so hopefully they don't have time to get online and be offended by what I'm saying, but I just needed to vent.

On the issue of privacy...Pastor Dongo told me last year not to just let kids hang out all the time in the room because I need to have time to myself, etc. I kind of blew him off at the time. What did he know about how I tick. Well, he was right. It's difficult to balance time with the kids and the time you need to just unwind by yourself. If you know me well, you know I have some major introvert issues. They don't dominate my life, but when they come, I can seclude myself for a good period of time. I just need to be alone some times. Other times I enjoy being around other people. Here in Uganda because I have few friends, I have to rely on the kids often to be my peers. It's something I'm working on changing as I meet more people. And because the kids are here all the time...not much time for privacy. I think as a visitor you love the kids to be around all the time, but when you're a resident, it doesn't suit you as well.

Personal space is another whole issue, but it builds on the idea of privacy. Currently, Ismail, one of the high school boys, is living in the guest house with me. I thought he was going to be the only kid here during the break, but there are three others here. Since I thought he would be alone, Pastor Dongo and I decided he could stay with me...can you say big mistake. How many of you enjoy awkward moments? Me neither, but they seem to happen every day and even mulitple times a day with Ismail. If you've been reading the blog, then you know that when Grayson was here, Diana ended up in our room just hanging out doing nothing for a good period of time for no particular reason. It's very similar with Ismail. If I am reading, he'll just sit down like he's waiting for me to stop and to talk to him. Honestly, I have difficulty talking to him sometimes. If I'm in my room on my computer, he'll just sit down and watch. This morning, I was ironing clothes. He came into my room and just stood next to me quiet for about 10 minutes before leaving.

People tell me...is it me? Is it because I am alone on this journey? Am I just grumpy? Or is it that people in Uganda tend to not have issues with personal space and privacy. I thought about this and it brought me back to the fact that in their homes, there is no such thing as privacy or personal space. When you have a house that is 10' X15' with 7 people living there, there's no opportunity for personal space or privacy. Well, there it is, I have blogged in a while, and maybe I shouldn't have written any of this, but I couldn't take it any more!!! Oh well, TIA.

Bats & Haircuts

With each passing day, there are more interesting things to observe. Take the other day. I decided that it was time to start a work out routine (as eating posho and beans alone was not initiating trimming down). So I woke...well, really, the kids woke me with their yelling and screaming, at 5:30 am and decided to go for a run. I got all ready for the run and went to get me shoes when I saw something dark on the top of my shoe. Keep in mind that I didn't turn the lights on as I could see enough with the outside lights on. I thought it was just mud as I had played soccer with the students the other day and the field was very muddy. I went to shake it off and realized it wasn't a leaf and it wasn't mud...what was it? Aigh...a BAT!!! Needless to say, I jumped a little trying to quickly decide what to do with it. I tossed it out my front door and examined it. Yup, a bat! So next time you're in Africa getting ready to put your shoes on...check for mud or bats!

Yesterday I had finally had enough with the length of my hair. I decided to go for a haircut. Actually, I decided a few days earlier and went to a small hole in the wall barber who had his shop in a shack. The students went to get their hair cut there for about 1000 shillings. So I went with Frank to the barber, but when I got there, he said he didn't have the clippers to cut my hair...so yesterday I decided to go to a "salon" to see if they had the right clippers. They did and told me it would be 5000 shillings (about $3.25). All I wanted was to shave my head to about #2 and go on my merry way. But this is Africa and things don't go at the speed that you want all the time. Meticulous an understatement for the way that this guy cut my hair. He was very precise with the clippers and wanted to make sure everything was perfect. I don't think I can even describe in words how he was cutting my hair. Forty minutes later...done. Now for all of you who have been to Supercuts or Fantastic Sams, you know what I'm talking about. Those people want you in and out as fast as possible...and they charge 5 times my haircut in Uganda. But here in Africa...don't make any back to back plans because...you just might not be able to make you;re next destination on time.

Bus ride

So today was a pretty boring day until I was summoned by Florence Dongo to accompany Samuel on the bus to take home the nursery class students to their homes. I have been on previous bus rides, but not to take the younger students home. I wasn't really sure what my role was. I only knew that I was taking the place of Ddembe who usually rides with Samuel. They told me that I needed to help the students cross the street so that they would not get hit by vehicles. Easy enough. Remember though that these kids are maybe 5-7 years old.

The kids were jam packed into the bus. I think the outside of the bus says something like "licensed for 29 passengers". There must have been at least 50 kids in the bus. So many kids that I had to stand near the door of the bus. So off we were on our trek. The kids were standing when they were supposed to be sitting, hitting each other, crying, arguing...every crazy thing you can think of. At one point, a kid tried to make her way to the front and got her leg stuck in between two chairs. I had to try to rescue her as she cried but couldn't explain to me what was wrong. Finally, I was able to free her leg.

However, the most memorable part is when we made one of our frequent stops. It seemed like we were only supposed to only let 1 student out there, but all of a sudden, many students started exitiing the bus. To my surprise, there was a purpose. I turned to look outside and just a few feet from the bus door a girl was squatting down to pee. I was a little in shock, but then one after another about 10 kids pee'd on the side of the road. One boy made an attempt to pee as high as he could...all I could see was a stream going in the air.

But such are things in Uganda/Africa. I'm sure this is not the biggest surprise that I will see in my time, but it was definitely entertainment for the day.

One month!!!

As of today, I have not been in the US for a month. It doesn't seem very long...but a month. Last year, I stayed in Uganda for 3 weeks so I guess it's not that much different. But this time has been much different. I think the children have also noticed how different it has been this time around. The kids at the high school have commented that "You're lost". (meaning that I haven't been around) They also mentioned how last year I work jeans and a t-shirt most of the time and this year I dress "smart" (meaning I wear nicer clothes). I told them that last year was a leisure trip, but now I am working and I need to be respectful and dress "smart". They understood. This week cabinets went into the kitchen so now there are only one or two boxes of stuff on the floor. Hopefully I can get a mini-closet of some sort to hang my clothes otherwise I have to iron on a daily basis and keep clothes in my suitcase.

As for work, I am teaching a discipleship curriculum to the teenagers for both awana and Sunday school this weekend. I have yet to really prepare my lessons, so today will be a busy day.

Prayer requests:
That I will be able to get my long term visa from Uganda
That God will give me wisdom for teaching
Continued health
That I will be able to learn Luganda

Day Trip to Gulu...Not quite

So talking to Dongo on the weekend, we went back and forth over whether it would be a good idea for me to accompany the upcoming team on their visit to Sudan. I was really unaware of the goals of this team from the get go. I guess they had someone coming to train leaders for children's ministry and were hoping that I would fill in. I wasn't really sure how since I had done youth minstry, but never children's ministry. In fact, I've never taught below 6th grade. In addition, I wasn't truly "raised" in the church so I can't really think of what goes on in children's programs. We finally decided that it was best that I stay behind, but that I could drive with them to Gulu and accompany Pastor Richard on the way back...a day trip right. I told Thanx that and he laughed telling me we would get back at the earliest 10 pm. I didn't really care, I was just going along for the ride.

So Dongo said he would be at the school around 7 and leave at 8 am from there. At about 7:50 am, I was getting my things together, went to go visit someone quickly before I left and what...Dongo was gone. He had already left for the hotel where the team was staying. Just the beginning of the journey...I had to walk to the hotel to meet them. We're on our way...right? Nope, Florence had to drive to the church where Richard was to switch cars. After more hustle and bustle...we're finally off. Dongo's car was loaded on the top with blankets. The only problem...the brackets kept falling off the luggage carrier thing (that's the best name I could come up with). With the potholes in the road, they just kept getting loose. That meant for many more stops as we, in Richard's car, saw them pop off. As we drove through the national forest or park, we crossed the Nile River...waterfalls...cool, but didn't stop there and then we saw some baboons walking along the side of the road. Actually the male was just sitting there staring at us. That's the first wildlife other than birds that I have seen since moving here. Finally, we arrive in Gulu.

We stop at a gas station there and wait for the Sudanese pastor that is escorting them into Sudan. In a nutshell, there are complications. A few of us are just standing by until a decision is made. Finally...nope...change of plans...nope...change back...nope... You get the idea. I don't know how many times plans changed before the team decided what to do, but it was getting late already (~4:30 pm) Richard and I decided to find a place to stay in Gulu. You might remember Gulu from the Invisible Children documentary. Well, life in Gulu has changed much from that time as the rebels are pretty much gone and it is peaceful there. Richard took me around showing me where the rebels would drive and where the children would sleep for safety from them. Crazy stuff. We stayed an a decent guest house that had a pretty nice breakfast (it's not the Speke, but what is?) and began our journey home...7 hours later, we arrive to the comfort of God Cares School...so much for the day trip to Gulu.

Plumbing!!!

So as I wrote my blog the other day, I realized that I left out critical information about my Thursday's experiences. We found out the hard way that there is a lot of fake stuff out here in Uganda.

Grayson was in the bathroom and I guess he got bored. So he decided to poke one of the flex tubing going to the sink. Immediately it sprung a leak. Now to picture this think of a cartoon. We tried to get it to stop, but nothing worked. Pastor Dongo told us that people make fake stuff all the time that ends up breaking soon after installation. Apparently that was the case this time. He said we would fix it in all his Ugandan sense of urgency...meaning none.

So we put a tub underneath it and moved on...well, not really, about a half hour later I went in to try to stop the leak again. Upon doing that, I completely broke off the tubing and water began to shoot out of the wall (remember think cartoon or movie). I yelled for Grayson. Luckily he heard me and ran for help. However, the bathroom began to flood with water. Finally help came, but they had to get a ladder to get up in the attic to shut the water off. By the time the water got shut off, the bathroom and living room area were flooded with water exiting the front door. Not very fun, but an interesting experience nonetheless.

Moral - be careful what you buy in Uganda

Another Adventure

So we're down to the last few days that Grayson will be here in Uganda. It seems like just yesterday that we arrived with our team, but I can tell that he's ready to go home and see family and friends. We haven't done much exciting the past few days. We were hoping that Pastor Richard would come up with some fun things for us to do, but as we talked with him, our idea of fun and exciting wasn't really what he was thinking of. So he decided that we should go to town and experience the "real" Uganda. We were supposed to do that yesterday, but it rained us out. Then again we were supposed to go with him today, but he got busy.

As it turns out, my internet has been down the last few days so I decided we should go and find out what is wrong with my modem. So we started walking to Ggaba Road to get a taxi. As we waited, all of the taxis were full so we began to walk. Much later we finally boarded at taxi to town. I hadn't yet taken one to town without a Ugnadan so I was hoping that it would take me to a place I was familiar with to get off. As I saw the Shoprite, we exited the taxi and inquired as to how much a boda boda would be. We bargained them to 1500 shillings (about $1) to take us to the Uganda Telecom office. My boda boda driver knew exactly where we were going but I wasn't sure about Grayson's as his driver followed mine much of the way. When we finally got to the UT office, Grayson was no where to be found. "Oh no, I hope his driver knows how to get here!" I waited a good 10 minutes before seeing his driver bring him there.

Next adventure...stand in line for service. I think we were there about an hour before I even got helped. Then they questioned what I was telling them. I believed that my modem was bad and they just kept telling me to try again. Finally, I got to the front of the line, but customer service in Uganda is much different than customer service in the US. The man took my modem and began working on it. About 40 minutes later, he showed me the internet and said there was no problem. I turned my computer on and welll....no problem this time. However, the transfer rates are still slow (max 16kb/s)  I might have to go in again next week to see if they have fixed the problem!

Next adventure...find a restaurant owned by a Ugandan friend at Calvary, Julius. We knew it was near the Sheraton and the State House. A guard outside the UT office bulding directed us toward the Sheraton. We didn't see any signs that would help us so we began asking people. Finally we were pointed in the right direction, but we still needed to ask a few more people. After about 30 minutes of searching on foot, we arrived at Pearl Restaurant...I think we were a little underdressed. This was a pretty nice restaurant. It was a buffet and very good at that. I requested to meet the owner, but she was eating lunch. Before we left, she came over and greeted us and we talked for a while. I will defintely be going back there in the future.

Another adventure. After that, a boda boda driver found us...Imagine that a boda boda driver finding mzungu!...we asked if he knew where Kenya AIRways was...he talked about some road, but I didn't know that name of the road so I just said okay to a 2500 shilling ride for the both of us. Unfortunately, he took us to the Kenya Embassy. We had to explain "Kenya AIRWAYS". He had no clue and had to ask several people before finally dropping us off.

Great story at Kenya Airways. We walked in and they had a ticket counter where you take a number and wait for it to be called. By that time, I think Grayson was done waiting for help (after the UT office earlier), but I said to him TIA. When they finally called his number about 30 minutes later, he yelled "Yeah!" and everyone just stopped what they were doing. I don't think they knew how to react, but I was cracking up. Everyone started laughing after that.

The rest of the day was an adventure back to find the taxi park and make our way home. Moral for the day...in Africa, don't expect to get served in your time. That's all for now!

Praise report and more

First of all, I want to announce to everyone that after much hard work and restoration, my house has been rented. I am blessed to not only have it rented but also have friends that I know and love renting it. It brings peace of mind that this whole process has been completed. Thanks to Debbie for taking care of everything while I'm away. All the time, I knew the Lord would take care of this for me. Thank you Lord and continue to increase my faith and trust in you every day.

On a lighter note, Grayson and I went to take some pictures of more places where the student's live. You might remember reading of a good story about Grayson going to take a picture of the bathroom. This time we were in a house and they were so overjoyed that we were there that they bought us some food and drink. Of course before we could partake in that, we had to wash our hands. Denis, the teenager there, brought over two small buckets of water toward Grayson to wash his hands. Grayson didn't know what to do so he began to stick his hands in the bucket with water as I tried to stop him. The way you wash hands here is put them over the empty bucket and pour water over yoru hands. It might not be that funny to you, but Worship, Oliviah and I were cracking up!!! Now Worship asks Grayson about bathrooms and washing hands all the time!!!

Since Grayson and I are most likely not getting to go on a safari adventure, we have been trying to be more adventurous in the city. Yesterday, we went with Pastor Richard to town to try to get my "real" visa versus just a travel visa. We were there much longer than planned becasue the Ministry of Internal Affairs is where Richard used to work. Richard had the responsibility of taking us back to the school, yet he needed to be somewhere in the opposite direction and was running late already. I told him to just drop us off at Shoprite (the closest thing to a real grocery store in the US) and we would go to the taxi park and get a taxi back. He was very concerned as neither of us had done this without the assistance of a Ugandan. However, I was confident that we could do it. So we shopped at Shoprite then walked to the taxi park. It is difficult to describe the taxi park. It is basically a parking lot full of taxis, many trying to make their way back into the park. You have to look for signs for where each group of taxis is going and find a taxi home. I thought I knew where I was going...NOPE! Luckily for us, all of the people there were honest and helpful as we found a taxi that would take us to Kansanga. Unfortunately for us, we still didn't get on the right taxi because this one wasn't going all the way to Ggaba and ended up diverting up a side street. We exited there and took a boda boda all the way to the school from there. A cool little adventure...it made me feel a little more Ugandan to know that I could get back on my own safely from town! I'm sure there are bigger and better adventures to come!!!

The Last Few Days

So I mentioned to you that Grayson and I are looking forward to some adventures. We have already had many laughs and especially notable things happen in our time in Uganda.

One of the first days in Uganda, Grayson and I were walking down the road and an African was walking in the opposite direction. i could tell he was staring at us as mzungu (the name for white people or non-black foreigners in my case). As we passed him, he continued to stare at us. Then I heard a smack on the ground and looked back. It seems as during his staring at us he neglected to see the bump in the road and fell flat on his face!!! We were dying laughing, but tried to hold it in a little.

Another time, Dan, Ashley, Grayson and I stopped for ice cream after dinner with the high school team. We had decided to take boda bodas back since it was a long way from the school and walking by the bars at night was probably not the best idea. (Sorry, Lori, I gave into the pleading of yoru son! He's just too cute to deny.) We explained to the drivers that we wanted to go to the kasaawe which means field in Luganda. However, when Ashley and Grayson boarded the boda boda, Grayson told him Kabalagala which is where the church is, but in the wrong direction. As Dan's boda boda took off in the correct direction, Grayson and Ashley's went in the opposite direction. I yelled at them as I boarded my boda boda. I told my driver that they were going the wrong way, and he didn't even flinch saying, "They wil catch up." Eventually the driver figured out he was going the wrong way and they turned around eventually passing me as I detoured to the Olympia Hotel where the HS team was. However, I had the key to the room...Whoops!

Two days ago, Grayson and I decided to adventure. He wanted to see if he could buy some shoes from a place in Uganda. We decided that boda bodas were too expensive so we would take a taxi. Derrick, the gate person at the school, told us we should go to Ggaba market or town, but that Ggaba market was closer. We decided Ggaba, and he told us that a taxi would be 500 shillings. As we were walking through the field, I heard a boda boda coming up behind us. The driver had just dropped off someone and came to ask us if we needed a ride. He told us it would be 3000 shillings. We said 2000. He balked and we said okay we'll take a taxi. He then said, "Wait, I want your money!" So both of us got on the boda boda and started on our way to Ggaba. Honestly, we were hauling on that little bike. Then all of a sudden we started slowing down and the driver pulled over to the side. I thought he ran out of gas and was going to try to charge us more, but he said his boda boda was broken. We weren't convinced but then I saw that the back tire was flat. At that point, I didn't know what to say to him. He said we were almost there and could take a taxi, but we decided to walk. So I paid him the 2000 and we left. The rest of the day we just kept saying, "I can't believe we broke a boda boda."

That brings me to another good comment. Upon arrival to the school, a student came up to Mark Davis and asked him what he needed to eat to get like that, pointing at his belly. Hilarious! At least three people have told me that I've gotten fat since last year. I guess it's time to start running because breaking the boda boda was just evidence that it's time to get back into shape.

Last night, the child that Grayson's sister sponsors just came into our place and sat down with her cousin. To our knowledge neither of us invited her. However, she just sat there. We talked to her a little, but she's really quiet. We took some pictures and then after about hour Grayson started giving me a weird look like, "What should I do?" So I said we needed to go down to get dinner. Finally, she left with us. Then as we were walking around downstairs, she said to me that someone told her that we needed to take her portrait. So I told Grayson and we laughed. I guess that's the reason she was hanging out, but we knew nothing about that. We went up and took her picture and left again so she wouldn't stay for another hour.

This morning as we returned from church, we were walking with Patrick. When we told him that Grayson was 17 and going to university in the fall, He said something about him being so small and not mature. He could get kidnapped or abducted because he was not big enough to protect himself. I guess most students don't attend university until in their 20's. He said that even if a young person graduated no one would give him a job if he was so young.

Lastly and probably the most hilarious time since being here...today, we went to take pictures of some of the homes of students at God Cares. When we went to one home, Grayson walked aroung taking pictures while Worship, Namitala, Joanita and I sat and waited. All of a sudden, we heard a bunch of people cracking up. We came to find out that they went to show Grayson the bathroom to take pictures of it. As he walked around the wall to the bathroom, there was  girl squatting. Everyone was giving him a hard time all the way back to God Cares!!!

The First Week

I apologize to everyone that I have not been able to blog in a very long time. There are many reasons including lack of an internet connection where I stay, the presence of the team of friends from Calvary and busyness with many things. I am beginning to get settled in my little place. I'm not sure really how to refer to it. It's not really an apartment, not really a guest house, but they refer to it as a guest house. Yesterday, we purchased a dresser and a desk for my room. That along with the refrigerator, stove and cabinets put the house closer to being completed. In addition, Robert installed a mirror and some other things in the bathroom. Finally, there is warm water to use to take showers. There are only a few things left to complete the place. Most importantly, I have internet access in my place now...guess how fast it is...64K/s. Archaic.

So let me give you an update on some of the highlights of our time here in Uganda. The team of 8 that I was a member arrived in Entebbe, Uganda on July 2, 2008 to a warm greeting by Pastor Dongo and Samuel. Unfortunately, we were missing one bag. Luckily for me, it wasn't one of my 6 bags to move me out here. However, it was a critical bag in that it held art supplies that Tracey needed for the project to raise money for the children's camp later this year.

Dan Auten, Grayson Kemp, Ashley Cordero and I settled into my new place while David Dimas, Patty and Peter Gilette made their way to the first five star resort in Uganda, The Speke Hotel. This hotel is where many diplomats stay and there were many meetings and parties while they were there. This was the place I stayed on my first trip to Uganda. It is also one of the main reasons that I had to come back last summer. It doesn't feel like Uganda there.

Our first days, some of us spent time going to classes to gather information for each student while others spent it taking professional looking pictures of every student. All of this so that we can better inform our sponsors about every child in Buyamba. David had the opportunity to fulfill part of his dream of going to places that former missionaries to Uganda did their work. He was able to visit the church that Alexander Mackay started as well as the well and cave where he shared the gospel with the native people. He also went to the site of another missionary's death. (Hannington?) Dan, Grayson and I all contributed to purchase a special meal for the students at the primary school that included rice and beef or chicken.(Feeding 600 kids = $300) David on the other hand spoiled the children at the high school by purchasing soda for them. Students at both sites were extremely grateful for God's provision for them. Tracey was able to get some really beautiful artwork from the students at the school. (Stay tuned in future months to see how you can purchase some of their work!) We also got to see some interesting cultural dancing including a ceremonial dance for the circumcision of a boy indicating that he has become a man.

It has been a blessing to have this team escort me to my residence for the next 3 years. On Thursday, six of them left to return to the States. It was especially difficult to watch Ashley and Dan leave as Grayson and I had spent the past 10 days with them almost 24 hours a day. We have missed them in the past few days as our place seems empty without them. Dan would make us tea every morning after cuddling up on the bed with his blanket with red hearts all over it. Ashley was like a little sister. I watched over her everywhere we went. What a blessing to have such loving friends see me off to begin this new adventure that I have embarked on.

A second team has also been here in Uganda during our stay. This team consisted of many students from my days as a youth leader in Middle and High School Ministry at Calvary. Their trip was the reason that I moved up my departure date to the beginning of July from the middle of July. I wanted to be blessed to be around them during my first few weeks in Uganda. I can tell you that I didn't make a mistake in this decision. I have been blessed to be able to spend time with them, serve with them, but most of all eat meals and fellowship with them. Our favorite by far was Fang Fangs. Who knew that there would be such amazing Chinese food in Uganda. Not cheap, but well worth the price for a splurge every once in a while! We would visit them at night after dinner and play games, and and just generally mess around. I will never forget Thomas (Reiten) saying "Yes, please" on the phone...hilarious! This team departed yesterday. They blessed me with their love, their laughter, their notes, their tears (when they left), but most of all, my former Bible study blessed me with a going-away "TPing". They TP'd my mosquito net and bed before they left. You may wonder why...I just know that it's a sign of their love for me!(There's also a literal message of their love - see the close up on the bottom left!) I'm going to miss seeing them every week.

Grayson is still here and we're planning to take some adventures, but who knows what those will be at this point as the safari we were planning on is booked next week. Stay tuned...

Arrived Safely

I just wanted to let everyone know that I have arrived safely with the team here in Uganda. I have been journaling the first few days, but have not had access in my house yet so it's difficult to post them. I am at the internet cafe today for a few more minutes. I miss you all. Remember there is a 10 hour time difference between CA and Uganda. That being said...incoming calls are free...my phone # is 011-256-077-578-7489. You might not need the 0 before "77" I'm not sure. I miss you all.

Darren

Big Day

As I look at the clock today, it reads 1:45 am, June 30, 2008. This is the day that I will be beginning my journey to the next season of my life. I have spent the past few weeks meeting with friends and family in anticipation of this day. In approximately 12 hours, I will be on the first of 4 legs of my journey to Uganda. I can't believe that this day is here. It seems like only yesterday when I began to tell others of my intentions.

I can honestly say that the last two weeks have been a rollercoaster ride. I have stressed over getting my house fixed up. I have been sleepless on many nights...like tonight. I have downloaded The Office (seasons 1, 2, 3) and Lost (seasons 1, 2, 3) onto my external hard drive. I have laughed; I have cried. I think the most difficult thing is leaving family. I balled when my mom left on Thursday...seven times!!! I won't see her for at least six months. But more than just that, I leave behind my Christian family. People who have watched me mature into what God has made me: a missionary. Tonight I write from the house of a family that adopted me 5 years ago when their oldest was in 6th grade. The joke was that I was called the "#1 adopted son". It's from some movie that Bailee saw. The point is that these people mean the world to me. But as "mom" (Susanne) said earlier tonight. There's comfort that I'm coming back in January.

So friends and family rest assured, I'll be back...I love you all. Keep reading the blog as I will update it as often as I can.

T minus 4 months

It seems like the year has just zipped past me as I try to accomplish many things before I leave for Uganda. So here's the update. What have I been doing this school year so far. Well, of course, everyone knows that my full-time job is teaching. In addition to that, I had to continue work on  "clear" credential. What does that mean? My teaching credential is currently called "preliminary". It is good for 5 years from the date that I completed that work. After that, it expires. That means that when I returned at some point after a few years in Uganda, I would no longer have a valid teaching credential. That limits the pool of potential jobs. As a result, four more classes at Azusa Pacific University. The bummer is that those classes unlike my previous classes weren't offered during the week. They were only online (that's good) and 3 Saturdays (blah!!!!). There goes my weekends. Okay, so I'm teaching and going to school. I quit my coaching job at Oaks Christian High School knowing that I would need more time to focus on fundraising, etc. Did that stop me from coaching? No, I'm a sucker and Hillcrest convinced me to coach the Middle School Boys Basketball team. It was a good season, but took up a LOT of my time. On the recreational side, I was able to receive a season pass to Heavenly Ski Resort in South Lake Tahoe for my birthday. That means a lot of days on the mountain. I think I've already tallied 15 days already. However, that's a long drive from Southern California. Another time sucking activity.

All in all, the point of this blog is that I'm just now starting to raise the support I need to move to Uganda. First letters went out this weekend. So please pray that God will provide the means to be able to live in Uganda. Other things that I need to work on before I leave are cleaning up all the junk in  my house, fixing it up and renting it; learning to play the guitar (I've had one for over 5 years and still...nothing), learning more of the Ugandan language, Luganda; and saying bye to many friends and family before I leave. All this and only 4 more months in the U.S.!