I wish it were a Manic Monday

I believe everyone suffers from this... some days you have triple booked your schedule, and other days you wish you could fill your calendar just a little more. I have had a half and half day. This morning I woke up at 7 am and caught up on emails. I biked to school to start teaching for 9 am. Lydia rocked today... she was so excited to learn about the hundred's, ten's, and one's places!! And she has finished yet another reading workbook. I can get just as excited as her, because she loves learning so much. It makes teaching easy.
At noon I biked home to see my house helper still hard at work. Thankfully the kitchen cupboards were being cleaned because the ant and cockroach residue was getting a little out of hand. Then two of my friends from the Fida office spontaneously dropped by. Hellen and Christina were needing a lunch break and I happened to have some extra buns and tea on hand. I love spur of the moment guests.
I spent another two and a half hours in the Resource Centre, continuing to rearrange books and place each one in some sort of categorical and alphabetical order. I didn't think it would take this long, but it's kind of fun. Two neighbour ladies came in to read while I was organizing, so it made my time more fruitful.
I went home to collect two eggs from the chicken coop. I then biked to town to check an empty post office box and continued on my way to a place where the cutest orphans are being looked after. I cheered for a three year old's game of soccer and watched young men and ladies create art out of seeds.
And then my quiet evening began again. I tried to organize electricity bills (somehow it suggests that I am about to be cut off, when I know that extra moneys has been paid in advance). I reviewed the Bible study material for my princesses to come over, but then the rains poured and the girls were too disorganized to come. Hopefully our new semester of studies will begin next week. So now I am watching a few Rob Bell mini sermonettes, reading a novel, and catching up on a few letters.
Hmmm, sounds like I did a lot today! Then why did I feel a little bored?

Riots in Kampala

Yesturday riots began in Kampala... but for those of you who don't know the map of Uganda, I am not very close to Kampala, and still very safe. But I have received an email from the Canadian consulate, recommending that I stay away from Kampala for a now, or if I was there, to stay indoors with rather tight security. Well, I am not there, but I have friends who are there, so I would ask that you pray for peace in Kampala.... and that the government will once again make wise decisions. (I was supposed to be in Kampala today for a Kirk Franklin concert - I guess the Lord knew I was not to attend!)

This week I have had a fun week. I have been able to drive again. Some friends of mine let me drive their Land Cruiser all over town and three hours to another city called Lira. I went with Fida to encourage some pastors, visit fields of cassava, and pray for a government school that is in major need of repair after the war. I had thought that my trip to Lira was going to be one day, but it turned into an overnighter. I made sure to sleep under the net for sure since I couldn't take my malaria pill unexpectedly.

Not a phantom

He is not a phantom... Isaac really does live in my yard. He is a very secretive monitor lizard, about two feet long. He came out to play today while I was working in the house.

Behind the Compound

This afternoon I heard the gate to my compound being opened so I went out to check who it was. A neighbour lady I met once before was coming in with her baby and 3 year old girl. When the girl saw me she started running and crying in the other direction. I ended up taking the baby while Pauline, the mother, went to get her daughter. Apparently the little girl was afraid of the monkeys who live in our compound. Although I had to clearly explain that the monkeys were gone... and then she felt free to come in. I'm just glad she wasn't afraid of my white skin, because sometimes I can make little kids cry by just walking by.

Pauline came in to say hello but to also ask if I could help her find a job. There are some days when her husband has difficulty finding construction work, so they go to bed hungry and she wants to help out more. I looked over all of her paperwork and gave her a few ideas as to where she should apply. But then I said, but all I can really do is pray with you. She was so delighted that I would do that. We prayed together and then I gave the little girl a stuffed animal from the huggies box and the baby some clothes. I also gave her some "Our Daily Bread" devotionals to read and she was grateful.

The little girl, Inyee, wanted to show me her house... so that I could see how she used to see the monkeys. I walked through some other neighbour's yards until we came to Pauline's home.

From the front of their hut you can see my white house in the background with a cement wall in front of it. The monkeys used to climb on that wall, but they were released 2 weeks ago when the Sliedrechts went back to America.
Here is Inyee with her cousins in front of her home.... with her new treasured doll. (That's what they call stuffed animals.) And do you see the little boys outie... it was about 1 and a half inches long... I haven't figured out yet why that is a common thing here.
I ended up staying for a simple meal of atapa and greens. Atapa is my least favourite millet Ugandan dish. The greens were cooked with simsim - sesame seeds. While we were eating, Pauline's brother-in-law found the devotionals.

He disappeared behind the house with a Bible and the booklet and spent the next hour outside - reading. Praise God.

Pauline also tried to read, but the kids were a little excited to have me around. Hopefully she will find more time in the quiet evenings.

Post Office

I wrote a few letters this afternoon and went to bring them to the post office. I arrived right at 5 pm when the post office was closing. I quickly looked in my mailbox and saw the receipts of two boxes that had arrived. I wanted those boxes. The one guy saw me as he was locking up and I said, "Please, can I pick up my parcels!" Well, he looked at me, and my bike, and he said "Karen, you won't be able to carry those boxes." Yep, he knew who I was... and I knew I had been expecting these boxes for a while. I convinced him to give them to me anyways and he even tied them to the back of my bike for me!!

I went home to open the boxes from a very special family back home. I found lots of stuffed animals and baby clothes. (Thanks for going above and beyond!!)
Well, outside my gate there was a baby with only a t-shirt on and a thick diaper. I was able to give the boy some new clothes.

Then I went to find little Joshua. He is always terrified of me, and now I see that he is also not used to toys that rattle. But he will soon get used to it.

Henry and Lydia were absolutely excited though!

Thank you for blessing some Ugandans. Tell the boys that I will give their gifts to some very special and needy children.

Simple Sayings

There are a few sayings that I might be coming back to Canada with:

• How is there? How is home? (That's what you ask as a way of saying "how are you?")
• Reach well. (Sort of like "happy trails")
• You are lost. (We haven't seen you in at least a day!)
• I need to make a short call (Pee) or a long call (Poop).
• Ugandan's say "It's okay" to mean "yes" whereas I would use it to mean "no". "Would you like some chicken?"... "It's okay"
• Bring for me water.
• Whenever you greet someone and shake their hand, you say "Praise God" and the other person responds with "Amen".

A Long Luncheon

Last week I had been thinking about all the things I do with the FIDA office and I decided that I wanted to throw them a luncheon to say "Hey, thanks for letting me partner with you - whether it is going to the field, attending a funeral, or worshipping at a spiritual retreat." So I sent out verbal invitations and hoped that a few people would come over for lunch on Monday.

Yesturday I raced to the market after school and bought a few groceries before biking quickly home. (I think I often mention that I bike fast - but that's because I do... I pass everyone on the road.) Close to one o'clock I started cutting and cooking and by two I was ready for guests - with chili, curried cabbage and coconut chicken to go over rice. Well, four of them arrived at 2pm. They ate and relaxed for a bit and then around 3:30 pm 9 more people showed up. I was delighted to meet people from a FIDA office that is two hours away. They just happened to be in town and felt free enough to come over.

I was so excited to see at least 13 people enjoy my food. The compliments were flowing, but not really all about the food. Many were commenting on how they were surprised and honoured that a mzungu would cook for them, serve, and even do the dishes. :) I was happy that I could make a difference in their perceptions of the white world.

The last people left at five when two of us decided to go the the Flying School to go swimming with the frogs, in the only pool in town.