In the North

So...got back yesterday from a little adventure in the North! On Friday morning, Sunday drove us to his beloved families home. The trip took around 4 hours. His mom is a wonderful happy lady who greeted us warmly. We met his sisters and brothers and a few other family members including his Jaja (oma). I believe there were approx. 25 people there in all. After eating a tasty meal, we were able to hand out presents to the family. Balloons, dolls, cars and gum were given. All this took place on Sunday's families farm. They have quite a bit of land and farm many different things on it. The setting for our trip took place under some large trees, seated on nice couches that stood on a tarp. Ants kept falling out of the tree :) These annoyed some more than others. The setting proved beautiful and peaceful for the gathering. After saying "see you tomorrow" we packed the car and headed to the town of Bobi. There we visited Sunday's grandfathers brother and wife. They were very kind and seemed to love to laugh. He had a grin that made me smile as he had mismatched teeth, yet his eyes portrayed such kindness.

Background info: Sunday's family used to stay at an IDP camp not two km down the road because of the war in Northern Uganda. People eventually started going back to their homes during the day to farm the land and returned to the camp at nightfall. Sunday's family, just this year, have decided to remain at home. It seems safe enough.

Being there, I could not understand the horrible events that took place because of the LRA. Sunday's father died because of the war.

After meeting the family, Sunday took us to the city of Gulu (about and hours drive away) where we stayed in a hotel for the night. The hotel was a tad shabby but it had running water and a shower.

In the morning, we left for Sunday's place again, ate a second breakfast, took some last minute photos and eventually said goodbye. Walter was given a rooster and he ended up sitting just behind me for the remainder of the trip. Nice looking rooster. We named him Bobi after Sunday's village. The trip to Lira took about an hour. There we met Pastor Martin and family. As well, Karla and Vince were able to spend some time with their sponsor child. After giving gifts the her and family, the group headed to the hotel. The hotel was a "Christian hotel" and the grand opening just happened to be a week ago. :D I'm sure we were the first in our rooms. The hotel was quite posh, however we only had to pay about 72000 ugandan shilling (36 USD). We had a toilet, clean beds, shower, a continental breakfast and a tv! After a quick shower and nap, we headed over to Pastor Martins. Met more of the family including Harriet! After supper...the females in the house and I watched a football match! Man U against Arsenal! Haha..I had fun! It was great to bond that way. After a few good laughs, we said goodbye and headed back to the hotel.

The next morning, we had our breakfast and headed to church. The church started at 8:30 surprisingly!! Karla and I led sunday school which was fun. The kids learned a new song, learned about the story on speaking in tongues, learned a bit about Canada......tried to learn Karla and my name....proves very difficult for many, and received presents. They got gum, balloons and a toothbrush. The kids here were very well behaved and I think it's because we had three dudes helping us out.

Natalie! Harriet misses you! She lost your email address...and eventually lost her own.

Harriet is Pastor Martin's daughter. She is 23ish and has a degree. In what I can not remember. She is a bright young women who is giggly and loads of fun. I had a great time with her. Sad to say goodbye. We were back on the road at around 1130. The church service was still going at that time. The trip back to Kampala took around 5 hours. I got the privelage of sitting in the back seat with five chickens/roosters beside me. Two chickens appeared dead three hours into the trip. They were all crammed into a small box. I decided to give them some water then and three took the water gladly. At the end of the trip, we found out that all five were still alive. The two hens had just been fed up with the roosters and had put their heads in a corner....perhaps they were sleeping. They looked very sad when we took them out, while the cocks were just fine.
Oh..and one other thing. As we drove into Kampala, the rain started. The turrential kind. Some roads were completely flooded with sinking and stalled cars all over the place. We were joking about taking out a daft and just drifting down the street. It was insanely wet and I am glad that Sunday is a good driver. We didn't get caught up in any massive puddle. The surreal thing about the moment was that there were barely anyone outside. Everyone had gone for cover and to see the streets empty is strange.

Anyhow, now off to do some shopping. Anything to get out of the apartment! :)
Have a wonderful day!!

Kampala

This past weekend has been full of relaxing, moving headquarters, team members leaving, sorting stuff to give away and general fellowship. On Sunday, our team took the day off and said goodbye to the remaining three youth, Jackie, Jess and Tania. They headed to the airport and we havn't heard from them since. We assume all is well and that they made it to Edmonton in one piece. :) Now left are Vince, Karla, Walter and I. We are all now staying at Glenna's apartment. It is quite the apartment with a very western feel. Doesn't even feel like Africa. Monday was a day full of sorting through the rest of the donations and stuff that we had brought to Africa with the group. The floor was packed with pencils, toys, gum, clothes, etc. The task took most part of the day. At around 3:00pm Karla and I headed to Port Bell market. We headed towards the back of the market with all of the traditional cloths and fabrics. Some of the clothes are quite splendid and always super colorful. After Karla made a few purchases, we headed back to Glenna's for supper. Food at Glenna's has been very western and tasty. The first night we had bacon and tomato sandwiches. Mom, the tomatoes here do not taste as good as yours. But otherwise the sandwiches were great.

Today is Tuesday and it has been a challenging day. Karla and I trekked over to Mulago hospital where we observed on a pediatric ward for the day. After about an hour, I told Karla that my goal was to finish the day without crying. The goal was accomplished. Besides seeing conditions that would make any nurse cringe, we saw many many sick kids. Most of them babies with pneumonia and malaria. One child had cancer and he was not even 5 years old. His body was so emaciated and thin. The cancer spread through his body so quickly that within a three month span, his body looked so near death. From vibrant to wasting. Approx 300 children pass through the ward everyday. Many of them there for treatment or getting their blood drawn. Others staying over night, their parents sleeping on the floor. Sometimes there were two children to a bed. One even had three. This is only a glimpse into what I saw. I can't count how many times I cringed during the day nor can I begin to explain what the nurses there have to deal with. Funny thing though, many workers there were very slow in dealing with things. Frustrating to say the least, even more so if I were to work there.

Tomorrow is supposed to be another day at Mulago but Karla and I are very tired. I think things are slowly catching up with us and a good day off might just be needed.

All in all, things are still allright. We head off to see Sunday's family on Friday. This will be a whole new experience as they live in an IDP camp. Anyways, as always, thanks for the support and for reading! Thanks also too for all the facebook messages. Hope all is well in Canada! Thinking about home at times....:) not forgetting you at all.

Please pray for continued health and energy. Many of these people here, especially children have so much energy. I am lacking..sometimes even at the best of times. However, I am learning! Always. To God be the glory.

Yalamah neu! Thank you very much! Have a wonderful day!!

Youth Conference

This past week, our group was included and involved in a Church of God youth conference at Bukasa church in Kampala. We first got a taste of the conference on Friday morning. The set up for the conference included three large tents. The guests and youth leaders got to sit under one tent while the youth, approx. 200, sat under the other tents and in the shade of a building. :) The music was phenomenal. Most of the churches presented a number and many times other people would join in and dance along. It was wonderful to see their enthusiasm through song, dance (we even saw some break dancing), playing instruments and even through a skit. Some of the guys were fantastic dancers and could be part of a boys band dance group! The girls also danced well and sang beautifully. There was speaker upon speaker and many of the kids seemed restless. After only ten minutes of playing-skipping, soccer, frisbee or badminton- the sessions continued. Team members spoke on Friday and included Chris, Tania and Eric. The group got to sing one song in front of the youth, majesty. Our song was very short and involved only singing and playing the guitar. :D I'm sure they thought we were quite stiff and very unenthusiastic. On Saturday, Karla and I prepared our speech in the morning. We eventually got to speak to the group about abortion. At the end of our talk, we gave everyone a piece of paper. Many youth responded by writing questions for us to answer. The question period was very enlightening to me. I'm not sure that abstinence is widely accepted for these youth, that getting pregnant is a real reality for many of the girls whether through rape or through "love". It made my heart very sad. Some of the questions were very funny, while others were very serious and saddening. All in all, I thought our talk went allright. After a few more speakers, each child was given a child's Bible. This was an exciting time, however there were a few swindlers who came back for seconds and even thirds. Kinda discouraging but so much a part of the culture and very common.

After the conference on Saturday, the group was invited to Sunday (Glenna's drivers) place for supper. Sunday and his wife Grace did a fabulous job and I had the best meal there. The beef was the softest I've had and it was so great to end the day with their company. Their little son Daniel is the sweetest little boy in the world. He loved Walter and held his hand and hugged Walter despite Walter's protests. :)

Oh, and on Thursday we had a slower day. My day included going on Jaja (Oma) visits. These visits involve visiting a grandma who is taking care of her grandchildren because her children have passed away. The second visit really struck me as the grandmother was very interested in us, loved all the presents we brought and blessed us on our way out. After the visits, we had lunch at Kasubi. This is were the Church of God has a school, church and the offices to Kinderhilfswerk child sponsorship program. There had just been a sponsorship conference and many children were around..talking, laughing and playing instruments. At around 3:00pm, we venture over to Heritage International School. This is a school that the Stevensons had a great hand in starting. The grounds are absolutely gorgeous and I am looking forward to showing those pics. Children who attend the school and generally from missionary families, etc. Felt right at home. After wandering through the school buildings, the group returned to the STevensons for some RnR.

Today the rest of the girls head home. Karla, Vince, Walter and I will be heading over to Glenna's to settle in and start a new adventure. The plan is to go to Matungo (?) Hospital on tuesday and Wednesday. Then we will venture and meet Sunday's family on the weekend. Something is always going on here and I really enjoy the quite time I get while writing these updates.

A few highlights over the past couple days:

-music at the conference

-Godfrey, Philip playing the dungu while us girls sing

-still the stars amaze me every night

-God's faithfulness in keeping us safe and fairly healthy (a few have had stomach problems but no malaria. I have over 15 bites and wonder if I will get it!)

-speaking with the Stevensons about life as Missionaries, and just about normal life

Thanks to all who read! Be blessed.

Safari Life

On Monday, the group left for safari. The van's arrived early at around 7 am and we jumped in after breakfast at 7:30 AM. We stopped for lunch at city called Masindi. The resteraunt was quant and I believe is owned by an older english lady. The food was very western and I had a ham and cheese sandwich with fries. The sandwich was toasted and simply delicious after a week of village food. It's not that I don't like village food, it's just that we received the same food for lunch and supper for the five days we were there. Get's a tad boring after awhile. I'm wondering how it will be when I stay for five WEEKS! Should be interesting.

We finally arrived at Murchison falls around 3PM, dropped off our stuff and headed out on an afternoon drive. The weather was beautiful and warm. The top of the van extended upwards and we were able to stand on the seats of the van, looking out at all of the beauty. Animals seen included a leopard, elephants, cobs, bucks, and giraffes. After a few hours, we headed back to Red Hot Chili's. This is where we stayed during the night. I was so tired that after a super of curry and rice, I headed off to bed and was asleep by 9:30PM. Had a great sleep under a musky smelling mosquito net. Jessica was my roomate.

At around 630AM we headed for another drive. This drive allowed us the privilage of seeing baby leopards...three of them, a lion and many more birds, giraffes, etc. Great time for pictures and bonding with the group. After lunch, we hopped on a boat and trucked down the nile. Hippo's winked and crocs snapped their mouths at us. We also say birds, monkeys and elephants. Being on the water was just where I wanted to be. The boat was a 14 seater and the guides were very knowledgable. We stopped at the bottom of the nile for some beautiful pictures and then headed back down the river. The day was very warm and swarmy. After the boat ride, showers were taken, supper was eaten, games were played, notes were written in our journals and eventually Jess and I went to bed. At 2:30 AM, a storm migrated just over us. The rain was incredible, as was the wind, lightning and thunder. The cracks seemed right on top of us and the lighting seemed to light up our rooms. The rain lasted well into the night and into the morning. The rain stopped us from seeing the top of the falls, but our drivers decided to take us home via the scenic route. With the roads being muddy, we venture out of the park. After a couple hours on the road, we came across a bunch of stopped cars. People were stuck all over the place. The mud is like driving on ice. In the end, a few guys helped push people out, most people walked a km or so to lighten the load on the vehicles. Jess and Tania walked down the road in bare feet. Karla and I walked in our sandels and I just hope that I don't have any jiggers. Let's just say it was a great adventure and we met many locals on the way. :) It's funny what bonds people together. The roads finally dried up a bit and we were clear to drive fast. We got to Masindi for lunch between 2-3PM. Ate a ham and cheese sandwich again...it was yummy once again. Then we drove back to the Stevensons.

So far the trip has been interesting. Getting to know the crowd has proven both encouraging and discouraging. But more positive than negative. I am finding that I am getting more used to the culture faster. Don't feel totally out of place, however I still have trouble with the villagers who are so curious that all they do is stare and/or wave. It's a different experience for sure. Some in the group are getting sad to leave. Which makes me glad that I am not! Still have so many more adventures to live and be apart of. I am looking forward to them.

More later!!!

Village Life

The last five days have gone by in a blur. On Tuesday of this week, the group ventured to the village of Bosiro. The trip to the village is approx. 200km and it takes 4-6 hours. On this particular day, it took us only 4. The village is a spread out city. Many people live in the village, however many are farmers and have land to work on. We had our first taste of Ugandan quesine. Posho (maise), mandazi's (donuts), chipati (thick crepe), irish potatoes, goat meat, beef liver, cabbage, plantain's, ground nuts, tea, and some other types of food. The week was full of work mainly on the church. We broke down old walls, moved rubbish, painted a roof, swept the church, worked on a black board, hooked up solar panels and electrical was added to both the school and the church. We also got to partake in soccer with the locals. The guys who played are quite something else. They like to play without shoes on and are quite amazing. They were kind enough to let even us girls play. It seemed like most of the village came out to watch us girls play and it wasn't uncommon to hear laughter coming from the sidelines when a girl touched the ball. Also, I had an experience in this village that I have not had before. We had swarms of children look at us, surround us and want to touch us. When I mean a swarm, I mean upwards to 100 kids. Tania and Jackie decided to teach them my name and soon you could hear many kids just calling out my name. Not sure they really knew what they were saying. Other highlights. Dance party in the middle of a field. The locals thought it was the funniest thing. Showering with bugs and lizards on the walls....but it was dark so I really don't know. The stars are still amazing here. The locals still as beautiful as ever and ever so hospitibal. Our group received a turkey from the locals as a thank you. I'm thinking we might eat it very soon.

Tomorrow we are off on safari. I wish I had more time to update, but laundry is calling my name. I am just glad that we have water at the moment to do all the stinkyness. Sweating for hours in 35 degree humid heat can be deadly!! :) Have a wonderful week folks!!

Yalameh neu for reading the blog! (THANK YOU)

Off to the village

Hello all!

Today we leave for the village. We will be there until Sunday. The project there includes working on consturction of the school there. I'm wondering how are team will do in very rustic circumstances. It will be an adventure.

Thank you all for your prays! They are certainly felt.

A quick update

Hello Everyone!

So, we made it safely in Kampala yesterday. Amidst feeling like I spent most of the day in the wavepool, from lack of sleep, the arrival went without a hitch. We have all our luggage and things in the airport went smoothly.

My first thing I noticed was the smell of Uganda. On the airplane, I saw many small fires. The smell in Kampala is somewhere between the stench of burning gas and diesel. It is memorable to say the least. The bus ride to the Stevensons was full of questions and picture taking from the rookies on the trip. After eating supper and a shower, we all settled in the bandas/huts on the property owned by the Stevensons across from their main compound.

Today, we had church. I had the privelage of going with Pastor Christ and Eric. It was a very small church and very poor. We had the opportunity to sing a hymn...very randomly but I thought we pulled it off quite well. As always, the kids loved our cameras and enjoyed seeing their pictures on their screens. We had lunch at Sam's where people ate buck meat and other exotic meats. I had fried telapia and it was delicious. Now we are just hanging out, sorting bags of stuff and doing devotions.

Natalie! Today I thought of you. I miss your presence here!

Anyhow, love to you all! Write back later.