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.