A day in the life…

At some point during my day, today, I thought, “What I have done today is not exactly normal or anything I would find myself doing in the States.” So, I just wanted to share so you could get a little more perspective into life here.

I woke up this morning, knowing that I would not be going to LCH because it is still holiday (though I have been doing some extra tutoring M-W) and because I wanted to accomplish some things around home before my friend Sarah comes on Sunday.

First off, I woke up to crying Marvin, the courtyard-neighbor’s son who seems to always be crying. Since all my windows face the courtyard, there is no escape from the noise. Lucky enough it was almost 8am and a good time to get up.

I went for breakfast and had tea and some luxurious toast (ha) that I was able to make with the toaster I just bought yesterday. Then it was time to clean my room. This might sound like a normal task, but remember that instead of a vacuum I have a broom make of some sort of plant. And my mop is a rag that I move over the floor while hunched over hoping no one walks into my room to see a nice view of my butt high in the air.

After my room was spick and span, I set out to make granola. I learned while visiting the US from my dear friend Cheryl and have tried once since I have been here, but the first attempt the granola burned so I have been a little hesitant since. But the past week I have been desperate for breakfast foods, seeing as the local brand cereals taste something like cardboard and Kellogg’s cost $8 a box. So, granola attempt number 2. I was able to find most the ingredients I needed to make granola from scratch.

While the granola was baking in the oven, I went to the sitting room to iron my clothes. Really, having a dryer is a blessing in so many ways… 1. You don’t have to hang your clothes every time but just toss them into the hole next to where you are taking them out of. 2. It doesn’t matter if it rains; your clothes still get dry. 3. You rarely have damp clothes that you have to spread all over your house so they can fully dry while it is raining outside. 4. You don’t HAVE TO iron. Well, drying clothes on the line means that you always have to iron, everything. But in between my ironing of shirts I would run to the kitchen to stir the granola so it wouldn’t burn.

Yesterday Pastor came back from another town and brought home 2 basins full of small mangos. I joked that I was going to bring them to the street and sell them for 100 shillings each, and that there are so many I would make a good profit. Well, once finishing my granola and ironing, one of my sisters here suggested that we use some of the mangos to make fresh mango juice. So, we got our little stools and sat down, outside, to start peeling and slicing about 25 small mangos. The juice turned out really nice after we blended and strained it.

Then it was time for lunch- posher (corn meal mush) and dodo (like spinach of some sort)- and after lunch I sat down to sort my kilogram of g-nuts (peanuts) from any stones or spoiled nuts that were there from the market. I got my IPod, turned on a sermon, and spent the next hour listening and stirring the gnuts as they were roasting.
Seeing as it is rainy season, I have tried to start a small vegitable garden inside the compound, in the small space Mama set aside for plants. I have some lettuce and beans growing, but it seems that some of my seeds didn’t germinate or got washed away. So, after cleaning my house, making granola, ironing, preparing mango juice and eating African food, I went back to my “garden” and planted some more seeds and transplanted some of my herbs.

Now, I am about to grab my umbrella and Bible to walk to church for women’s Bible study. But first I have to plug in my camera batteries to assure that they get charged, since we have power now but there is not telling if it will be there later.

Power depending, my night will end with a meal of dry fish mixed with g-nut sauce and posher while watching American Idol (we are down to the top 4!- please don’t tell me, I don’t want to know).

At some point in my day I was thinking how maybe today I resembled a modern day Proverbs 31 woman, preparing clothes, tilling the earth, feeding the family… Ha. I know I am no where near that woman, but the Lord allowed me a fresh perspective of His goodness, provision, and simple delight in the day He gave me today.

Tomorrow (Friday) I am escorting the student from each class that made the highest “marks” on their report cards. We (me, students, and some teachers) are going to Entebbe Wildlife Center. The kids are SO excited to be traveling so far and getting to see some animals. I will post photos when we get back. Please pray for journey mercies.

Masaka

May 10, 2009
It is not everyday that one gets to pass over the Nile River AND the Equator in one weekend. Well, that is one of the beauties of Uganda. I did both this weekend, twice. On Friday morning I loaded the van with Mama, Glenn, Sylvia, and Abu (the driver) and headed to West-Central Uganda to a place called Masaka. We were going for a family member’s introduction ceremony (the ceremony that is like a type of engagement party) BUT this time they also did the wedding on the same day. In all honesty it seems like a more convenient and cost effective way- to introduce your fiancé (mostly just a long-term culture) and the actual wedding. But it did make for a very long time.

Of course in Africa, time is always on your side, even if it is an official ceremony. So the morning started off only 3 hours late. After getting ready fully (all dressed up in our gomas) then we drove about 45 minutes to a village where the bride’s family is from to be greeted with music and 3 tents full of people.
The ceremony went on, though it was interesting that this was a Muslim reception so there were lots of Islamic greetings. It was quite a long ceremony (we arrived at around 2 and left at 9pm) but here are some highlights:

- The whole ceremony was in Luganda (language) so I didn’t want to over disturb Glenn to translate for me. But there was a time that Glenn turned to me and said that the entertainer had said he spotted a beautiful girl in the crowd that he wants to introduce to everyone to see if she is worthy to marry. Glenn laughed and said, “Nat, I bet he is coming for you.” I didn’t want to assume, but it was highly likely, seeing that I was the only Mzungu (white person) there. Sure enough he started coming closer and reached my isle. Running through my head I said, “Put your shoes on quickly. Oh no, why me? I wish I just blended in. What am I going to do? And in front of ALL of these people?” Glenn and Mama just laughed as the entertainer grabbed my hand and brought me front and center. I did a little dancing while everyone was laughing, cheering, and doing the African call. I could have been embarrassed but just chose to embrace the situation. There is a custom here that when people enjoy someone’s singing or dancing they will bring that person money, so sure enough, my dancing earned me 5000 shillings.


- Dowery is very real and stills a practice here in Africa. I was so surprised though to see the immense extent of dowry that the groom was paying for the bride… 40 baskets of food, 3 sacks of flour, 10 huge bulls, 25 crates of soda, an entertainment stand, and many other things. Really it was the most I have ever seen. Things just kept coming and coming.

(The cakes were so interesting... shaped like a sause pan with banana leaves covering it and sitting on firewood AND like awomba (the way they boil chicken in banana leaves) )




When it was time for lunch (7pm-ha) I was told not to go through the line to get food with everyone else, but instead I was to be a guest of the groom in the main house. When I entered we sat on mats on the floor (not cross-legged but like drill team girls) and waited for what was next. While I was waiting for food, I got to witness the actual vows of the wedding. BUT, the bride was nowhere to be seen in the room. To my surprise the groom and his groom’s men were on one mat and the brother of the bride and other uncles were on another mat. The Islamic teacher said some customary words and then the brother of the bride and the groom joined thumbs and said the vows. From my understanding, this is because the brother has been having the hand of the sister in the family and now is passing the hand off to the groom. When they finished, the food was served and I was very hungry and grateful.




- We left the introduction ceremony at 8:30pm to head back to Masaka town, change into our party dresses, and go to another hotel for the wedding reception. Needless to say, it was a long night. We arrived at our hotel around 12:30am.

- Random story about Masaka (but not about the introduction): People like to eat grasshoppers. But it is not easy to chase around hundreds of hopping grasshoppers to make some sort of a living. But people have gotten clever. They station large metal drums in an area near a large light. Then they put iron sheets in the drums, so that when the grasshoppers fly to the light, then land among the iron sheets and can’t catch a grip, so they slid down into the metal drums. Clever, I must say.

We had a nice time, all in all. We ate lots of food, got to see relatives, danced, and experienced culture. I was grateful for the safety that the Lord granted. Please don’t forget to continue to pray for safety as I travel on unsafe roads everyday and to pray for my health (seeing as I got mild food poisoning this past week for the second time since I have come back). Thanks for all your support.

Food for thought to teams coming to Uganda...

Really there is not much to think about, but I was just sitting here and wondering the best way to get the word out. So, I figure there are at least some who read this and will be on a team that can pass the info on.

First off...
* Bring your bathing suit. That is right, Mt. Elgon has put in a swimming pool. Probably by the time teams start arriving there will be other things in the backyard, but since they are not finished yet, I dont know what they are. But the pool is there and working. What a nice treat at the end of a hot, sweaty day!! Yeah for swimming year around!

Second...
Based on last year, people on teams asked me what they could bring for the kids at LCH. Here are a few ideas, but still email me as time gets closer incase i think of more.
* magazines (specifically with colorful pages so the kids can make paper necklaces)- we don't need a million but if some teams brought one per person it wouldn't weigh too much and we would have enough to make some good stuff)
* Banana Grams- it is a game with letter pieces like scrabble and we played on the trip to Gulu and one of the teachers suggested it would be really good for every class to at least have one set.
* crochet needles and simple yarn- nothing too fancy with all the fuzzies or frills, just the plain jane yarn in nice colors or the ones that fade from one color to another
* board games- any and all since there are 90 kids
* good pens for school- NOT Bic- in black, blue, and red

That is all that is on my mind for now.

Me, Nurse Dyana, and Glenn are headed to Kampala this weekend to do some shopping and just get to the big city. I am very excited. So, I will let you know how things were next week.

Life...

And the winner is....

We are officially on holidays now. On Friday we successfully handed out reports and sent the kids off for a nice holiday (well you don't really send them far since the home is right there, but the school is just trying to be official.) I thought I would share with you the top 3 students with the highest marks (grades).

P6: Emma O, Anthony W, Naster C
P4: Brenda Nabwire, Dinah, Brenda Namakoye
P3: (results yet to come due to a family illness of the teacher)
P2: Patience, John, Abel
P1: Sandra, Shadrak (Wycliff), Sarah Kainsa
Tops: Gift, Noora, Naula Rose
Baby: Davis, Samwirri, Flavia and Esther (one of the village children)

Glenn's Birthday

We went as a family and some friends out for Glenn's 26th Birthday. Whole fried tilapia and chips, yum. Then we came back home for chocolate cake and gifts. Overall it was a great night.

Want a Snack?
I wrote about the white ants last week or so, but here are some photos of what I was talking about. The kids cover the holes with plastic bags and then shout at the ground to try to lure the ants out.

Dell the Cat

This is the newest addition to the family. Mama came home with it a few months ago when it was in the village. To kill anything they sprayed bug spray on it over a course of 3 days. Then, having mercy on the dirty kitten, I gave Dell a bath and we have been friends ever since. Really this is not just a normal cat, but rather an attack cat. It strategically hides behind the plants in the courtyard and as you pass by it wait for the opportune time to jump out and pounce on your foot with serious teeth out. Ha. It is cute but dangerous. But Dell brings me happiness and lots of laughs with his funny activity. I found him in my empty flower pot today.

Henna

So, there are quite a few Indian (from India) here in Mbale, but surprisingly I don't often see them with Henna. I was eager to try it when I had the opportunity. The lady, about my age, was really creative with each of our designs and very precise, seeing as she did this all free-hand. It only lasted a week, so I don't know if I will get it again, but it was cool when I had it.

Well on the way...

The new wing of the school is in the process of being built. They have layed the foundation of the whole building and will hopefully began pouring the slab and building the walls during holidays. I went out to take a picture, intending to write something about how Jesus is the cornerstone, but the builders moved quicker than expected (from the time I left the day before to the next morning when I had brought my camera). But I did find this amusing.

I love these kids. They are my joy and delight and I praise the Lord every day for the way He shows me His love through them. My life will never be the same!!

bu

Long Overdue

Oh my, I forgot how wonderful it is to be in the 21st century with technology. I have changed internet providers and in all aspects this is so much better. So, here are some long overdue photos that I have been wanting to post.

Uganda National Primary Athletic's Competition 2009

Gulu, Uganda

Ivan marching in with the rest of the Mbale team.

The field was bigger than expected. But the "technical crew" had a great view.

Ivan on the line (the far left lane), ready to run in the second postion of the relay.

The baton pass...

Internally Displaced People Camps (IDP camps)

Girls fetching water.

Notice how many and how deep the huts go back. Also, notice the huts that are broken down besides us. When the family was moving back to their home in the village, they would break down the hut that they lived in for the last 5-20 years and then go back.

I cannot take credit for these next photos. Naster took these while we were walking through the camp. I think she has a knack for photography, what do you think?

Inside of one of the huts.

Just saying Hi

Hi. It has been a little while since I have posted. Really, I am a bit discouraged with the internet in my room, still fighting a battle for them to compensate me from the lack of access the first month. Things just take time here in Africa. So, when that is fixed I will have many photos to share.

But I wanted to say Happy Easter. Ours was very rainy. I was woken up at 6:30 am so that the girls could fetch some water from my bathroom since their tank was out of water. But around 8am the rain came, seriously, and didn’t stop all day. Around 9:45am we left in the car and van to head to church and pick people up on the way. This is late to just be leaving for church seeing as service was suppose to start at 9:30. But when most people don’t have a car, we knew if we went on time we would be the only ones there. But by the end of the service, the church was fairly full. There was extra singing, some time for testimonies, and presentations by the kids of church. Also, some of the LCH kids came into town and presented 2 songs. It was a real treat. Then we had a big lunch here at home. Nothing real eventful after that.

But I was able to go to an Easter celebration on Sat. with all the ex-patriots in Mbale. Nurse Dyana even came in town and went with me. I am trying to get closer to the American girls I have been knowing. This week alone I did henna with them, went to an Indian lady to have my eyebrows threaded and a facial, and then to this Easter BBQ. So, Lord willing, we will continue to find connections and commonalities.

It is funny, as I sit here writing this, there are echos from everywhere of little kids hooting and hollering. Since the rain was so much yesterday, there are these little white ants that come from the ground after the rain. Children like to catch them, pull off their wings, fry them, and eat them. (I think I wrote about it last year). Well, the day after the rain kids from all areas find the ant holes near their house and find plastic to cover the hole and trap the ants inside the plastic. But to lure the ants out of the hole they shout into the hole, believing the noise attracts them to the surface. I really wish that it didn’t take forever to upload video because the sight and sound is priceless.

Here are a few more funny things I heard this week:

- If it is raining when the sun is bright and sunny out, that means a leopard is producing.
- If you jump someone (meaning step over someone, like step over their outstretched legs) then that means they will produce a child that looks like you.

Next week the kids begin their exams and there are 2 weeks until the first term ends. I am eager for the change of pace during the holidays and the chance to play and spend more one on one time teaching the kids.

Well that is it for this update. I am so grateful that I serve a living God and that there is hope beyond the grave, sin, and satan. HE IS RISEN!!!

Gulu Final Report

What can I say about Gulu? I just wrote an “official” report to keep in the school records that seemed very uneventful and somewhat dull as I was writing it, but I would say our trip was far from that. I am glad that I have the chance to write about it now (rather than later) so that I don’t forget some of the great things that happened.

Well first off, I know that most of you are asking what happened with Ivan?!?!?? Well, competitions began on Tuesday. But like most things here, the scheduled time was 8am and the actual events did not begin until about 12:30pm. After many speeches from the different guests of honor and the marching in of ALL the kids, then the games began!

I thought it was really neat during the introduction to learn that this year’s National Primary Athletic Championship held a record number of districts represented from Uganda, 74 in total. I would guess there were over 1000 kids that competed in the junior and senior competitions. Though, I really don’t know how some of these boys in the senior were actually in primary. They looked like grown men. It was also neat that in the speeches the local officials recognized that having Gulu host this competition was part of their healing process. And that it was there to show that peace has been restored in northern Uganda. Very true.

Wednesday was also spent at the field watching events. Ivan’s competition happened around mid-day. He was the second runner in the 4 x 100 relay. Unfortunately, his team was disqualified for crossing over the lap line and improperly passing the baton. But we finished the day at the field and were able to watch some of the athletes named as the Champions of certain events. I wish that he could have continued BUT what an honor that it was that he made it all the way to Nationals. Even his coach was encouraging him that since this was his first year, he saw how things were and next year he will be ready even more.

From the first day of competition, Naster, Glenn, and I got to enter as “technical crew” from Mbale and sit in the only stands at the field. Glenn told the people at the gate that we were there to take photos of the Mbale competitors, which was true. So they asked to see our cameras and let us in. It was so nice because we had a great view and were able to sit, rather than stand and be crowded by all the people watching from the sides of the field. And, it was true, I did take photos of all the Mbale athletes. Meanwhile, Teacher Francis stayed with Ivan and Abel. As we saw the athletes marching the tour of the field, there was Abel, right in the action. It made us laugh to see him there, as if he was an athlete too. Maybe next year.

But our trip was so much more that the sports competition. I already wrote a bit about the visit to the IDP camp. Still, I am so encouraged that is was a bit uneventful because that shows even more that peace is being restored. But I also try to imagine life in that camp. Having to leave your home with at least some amount of land and a garden and maybe a bigger and better house, then to have 48 hours to leave the place you have known (and often a place that your family has stayed for generations). Then to go to a camp, where they find people from all over, already settled, and must find a small piece of land to build their little mud hut. Literally, I could reach my arms from one house to the other. Our guide told us that over 3000 people once lived in that camp. That means 3000 were displaced from their homes and that was only one camp!! I really can’t imagine what life would have been like living so close just for safety in numbers. Or what it would be like to have the threat of the rebels come and kill your family or snatch your children to brain-wash them to be soldiers. And this has happened for SO long. But praise God, that it is only Him that can bring peace!! Now there are only a few hundred that are still living in the camps, mostly trying to raise funds to relocate back to their homes or because their children are now enrolled in a school in town. But I am still not sure where they get food from because I did not see any farm land. Maybe the NGOs are still helping with that? Overall, it was eye opening to realize the conditions that so many lived in for so long.

We also had many laughs playing games in the evening. There is a game like scrabble called Banana Grams where we were able to use the letter blocks to race and make certain words or create as many words as possible. This was the highlight of every evening. The kids also REALLY enjoyed getting to choose what they would eat for dinner. And we learned some funny habits of some of the kids. For example, Naster likes to put catsup on her food and Abel stayed with the same meal, chicken and rice, throughout the whole week. For Abel, this was his first time to ever eat at a restaurant or sleep in a hotel so that also brought many laughs as he would discover new things.

Gulu seemed very different from Mbale. It was bigger than I expected and more modernized, though all of the buildings were the same height and shape. I noticed that there are no Boda Boda bicycles there BUT there were many women that ride bicycles (which is unusual to see in Mbale). As we drove north, the land got flatter and dryer. Mbale is much prettier, though I did enjoy seeing all the palm trees with big orange coconuts on them. Overall, I like Mbale better and am glad that I live here.

The other random story is that one morning Naster and I were sitting on the patio of the hotel and a boy came up and sat down at our table. A bit confused, I followed his greetings and then just looked at him, wondering what it was he was wanting. He told me he had a letter for me and then passed it across the table. It was saying that his sister was in the hospital and they hadn’t eaten in 2 days. I know this seems like a sad letter, but I often get approached with such stories so have to pray for the Lord’s discernment in what is true and where to help. So, I finished the letter and was very weary of what to do. In all honesty, my heart was closed and I just wanted him to go away and I didn’t want to buy him the posho and beans he was requesting. SO there was some awkward silence for a while until the Lord put in my head, “He is a human being, so treat him like one. You must LOVE.” So, I started asking questions about him and his family and the sick sister. Something got brought up and he mentioned that he had escaped from the Rebel army. This intrigued me so I asked more questions about that. In all honesty, his story seemed a bit flawed, like he was just playing me to get some food. But the Lord had convicted me to love so I did and when Glenn came down from his room we all went to the market together. I do think that he was making everything up, but that is not my concern. The Lord will deal with him on that and my call was to respond in love and respect him as a person.

The last night, when we were at dinner we found a crowd of people that were celebrating with one of the local political leaders. Having had a few too many drinks, they were loud and were dancing the local dances. One lady came to our table to greet us and then gave us a little dance showcase. It was amusing and Tr. Francis said it was Gulu’s way of saying goodbye and sending us off well.

So, we are back in Mbale and the rainy season has started. Thanks for your prayers.