The Big City

This is Margaret and her mother's first time to the capital city. Topista, the mother has been wanting to get out and see the city since we arrived. 

Today for the first time we took a walk around the block. 

Then we sat on a step and drank a soda. 

Margaret and Topista were amazed at all the cars, people and mororcycles that went by. I got a good laugh too because many of the boda drivers (motorcycle taxis) would almost wreck trying to get a good look at the three of us. I would stare them down as they passed to see how long they would look backwards as they drove past!

Two weeks to go

I have been in Kampala for five nights now at the International Hospital with one of our residents, Margaret.  

She has an infection that requires IV antibiotics. They released her yesterday but she has to remain nearby to receive treatments three times a day for the next two weeks.  

So, I have set up my hotel room for feeding her three times a day, keeping her room clean and doing regular chores like laundry, emails, etc. trying to make the most of it. 

My pantry, counter and kitchen table. 

Kitchen and bathroom sink

Office and bed. 

Yeah, I know, nice right!?!

Too early

We are here at the hospital getting her 6:00 am treatment. 

We have to come three times a day:  6:00, 2:00, 10:00. This is gonna be a long two weeks. 

Helpless

It is a difficult thing to be helpless. To watch a child lying in bed; crying, moaning and suffering and be unable to help. To be unable to even soothe her with a kind word. To know that even a soft touch meant to soothe causes her pain. 

I think about parents who must watch their own babies suffer and I cannot imagine!  Margaret is not my child but my heart breaks as I watch her tiny body lying in the bed in pain. 

Margaret is not terminal, this will pass in a few days, but meanwhile she suffers. I am doing the best I can but it is not good enough. 

Men!

"Hey, Tina!  Rosemary, is that your friend?"

Tina is the turkey.  She keeps following Rosemary, the housemother around.

 Beatrace responded to the comment above with, "Tina needs a man."

 I said, "A tom."

Beatrace said, "A Tom or a John.  Any man turkey will do."

Tina the Turkey and Rosemary

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This made me think of another conversation.

Today, I was standing on a street corner in Mbale, waiting for Anya and Galya.

A woman walked up to me and this is what I heard (remember, thick British English accents mixed with local language)

"Excuse me madam, do you need a man?"

I ask, "What?"

"Do you need a man?"  ( I am thinking, "Well, I would like to marry one day, but I don't think that is what you are offering right now."  Then, "Maybe I should not be standing on this street corner. . . "

Again, I ask, "What?"  (Then I hear it correctly. . . wait for it )

"Do you need a maid?"

Oh, the relief!  Ok, no problem with this street corner. . . I just look very white and she needs a job!

She proceeded to tell me that she can cook Indian food, clean, etc.

I told her I lived an hour and a half away.  She told me she would move.

I told her I did my own cooking and cleaning.  She asked me if I didn't have any friends.

 I told her they did their own cooking and cleaning.  She finally gave up and left.

Something about men today. . .

Fire!

"We've got a very big problem!  There is a fire at fish pond #2!"

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But, I am getting ahead of myself.  Let me explain a few things.  

1.  It has not rained here in many weeks.

VERY, VERY DRY!

2.  It was Saturday afternoon.  All the workers (who know how to deal with fire) had left.  The majority of the other missionaries had gone to a wedding.

3.  There was a group of teenage boys that had gathered to play soccer.  They were all barefoot!

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Back to the story:  Alloys and I jump into the car with buckets and some of the boys.  

We were told that the goat shelter that was inside the fish pond fence is gone.  Luckily, the goats were out grazing.

Fish pond and what was left of the goat shelter

We arrive a few minutes later.  I send some of the boys to the fish pond to fill the buckets with water.  I warn them not to get the fish too - we didn't want to cook any fish today in the fire.

I grab some green branches and go running to the fire.  (Here, you use green branches and beat the fire out. This is because there is usually not any readily available water)

One of the green branches we used to beat the fire

 The fire is very high, probably 8 feet at this point, burning in some tall grass.  The wind was feeding it just right.  Alloys, a guard, a few boys and I run through some of the area that has already burnt, trying to get to the flames.

The reason we were so desperate at this point was because it was headed straight for our pigs, chickens and goats.  It was only a few hundred feet from the cages.

See the arrows pointing out the livestock houses

It was at this point that I realized we were in over our heads.  I sent one of our boys to go find anyone on the property to help. He came back 30 minutes later to say there was no one.

I have to admit, I looked around at all those boys - barefoot, standing around or trying to beat the fire - I was scared.  

I was worried about the livestock. 

I was worried about these boys being in danger.

The smoke was so thick I had trouble breathing many times. 

I had never been in a situation like this and I was in charge!!

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But, after a minute, God helped me get it together and get organized.

We started attacking the fire in an organized way, working it back towards the wet lands on the back of the property.  

The buckets were coming too slow . The boys were barefoot and walking through freshly burned areas to get to us!

Rice fields

After about an hour of exhausting work, we chased the fire across our fence line.  The neighbor has a rice field, which slowed the fire down.  

We started getting water from the water canals that feed the rice.  These canals are only about 2 inches deep, but after another hour of wetting and beating we got it under control.

But, small areas kept re-starting!  We would look back and see a flame where we had just put one out.  We could not leave them because the flames could spread too quickly.

Towards the end, the other missionaries returned and helped us put out the last flames that kept popping up.

After it was finished, we all went to the Prayer Garden to thank God for his protection.

It was dark when we finally made it back home.   

I was so tired.  So dirty.
But so thankful that God had protected everyone.  

There were not any real injuries.  Some of us have some small burns and lots of scratches, nothing more.

I looked pretty bad

Those are  my good shoes!  

After I took off the shoes!  Pretty funny!  One child told me I was black like him now!

"My whole body hurts!"

Birthday cakes

We are growing. 

We have many children. 

The children want to celebrate their birthdays. Even if half of them don't actually know them. 

So, we are going to begin having a party on the last Sunday of every month. (We are actually a bit late this time, but no problem)

I made a cake. But it was too thin. No way it would feed 40 people. 

Undaunted, I tried again. It was big enough, but, then the icing!

No idea what happened!  

But, Joyce loved it!  (She was the only birthday in January)

The kids loved it. 

One said,"Happiness!  Nothing but happiness!"

In the end, nothing left. 

(Excuse the blurry pictures. Taking pictures in a room only lit by 2 flashlights cause problems. )