Events

I have been encouraged lately to make sure I am journaling through this process of living in a culture that is not my own... a language that is not my own... and a people group where I stick out like a sore thumb... (to the point where Hannington gave directions to find Nabisooto... drive to Busunju and ask the boda driver to take you to the village where the muzungu lives). 

I am not one to sugar coat what is going on... this journey is difficult... but it is also wonderful!  I have been in the village for two months with very few tears ... however the last week has been taxing emotional.  Coming to terms with I can't be savior of the village...  Jesus came to do that... but if I can give a hope and a future to one child... then I will do it.  My heart is so heavy with emotion as I want to share what all is going on but setting emotion aside at least temporarily,  I will go throught the event of the last two days... 

Monday...well I now have an official office that I spent Friday setting up... was in my office by a little after 7 to get the exams ready for the teachers to give... this week is set aside for exams to see what the children have learned this year... their school year goes February through the end of November... all the children  including the baby class (age 3 and 4) take pencil and paper exams...CRINGE...walked from class to class monitoring as the teachers gave the exams and to make sure that all the posters from that days exam were down or covered...  after exams the children all went out to help out on the property...the girls swept the dirt while the older boys slashed the grass behind the school with their pangas or machetes.... the children were sent home at 1 so the teachers had time to grade exams... one by one the teachers brought their graded exams up and itgave me a chance to chat with them... after 2 months they are starting to open up a bit... offer suggestions... and ask questions (which thrills me to no end)...  met with all the teachers on classroom discipline, making exam times as stress free for everyone (these teachers have the cultural fear that if their children do poorly that they will get beaten by the administrator).  They are begiinning to realize that I don't rule with a big stick but lead with willing hands.  As I flipped through the exams, I realized how biased the grading is and how not develpmentally appropriate these are for our little ones!  Stepping down off my soda box!

Tuesday... had to go to Kampala to get some supplies and check on what is needed for my visa...went to immigration and got the run around...every person I spoke with gave me a different response ....so I am going to Kenya over Christmas break to visit a friend...when I come back into the country I will pray they will give another 90 days...if not then I have 1 week to get my visa extended.  God has a plan and at this point I am not sure what it is but I will trust him.  By the the time John, Hannington and I had gotten back Kimberly had had a rough day with noticing that a couple of our children had jiggers.  This prompted her to be in action mode to figure out how to get shoes on their feet now.  With jiggers they come from the dirt ... they are little bugs that bore into the skin and suck blood... the females lay their eggs in the skin and then you have an infestation.  Not only do they need shoes and socks, they need to wash their feet, spray jigger killer all over there property and then using a needle and peroxide dig the jiggers out of the skin...like getting a deep splinter out.  Not a fun process.

Wednesday.... got up to the school and arranged to have the lady from Bata come to campus tomorrow to measure feet.  Proctored exams.  The teachers gave me a list of those children with jiggers so we took them to the clinic to start cleaning and to go on home visits.  Will blog more on this later.  Spent time sorting the graded exams and asking a lot of questions about how children eith special learning needs are handled.  Lots to be done.  Will add more info layer.

Common sights in town

Every trip to Kampala brings a new sign or experience that growing up in the US would not afford.  Today we are driving in downtown Kampala and as usual while waiting at the intersections we are approached by street beggars.  Our windows are tinted so it makes it hard to see in but once they see the buzungus (more than one muzungu) they start trying to sell their goods or gain sympathy for a few shillings.  We have witnessed young mothers with babies pinching them so that they are crying to raise the sympathy factor. 

Today a young lady with a beautiful baby girl on her hip approached Hannington's window and starts with the cordial greeting.  After a couple of minutes of ignoring her... I tell Hannington I will take the baby... Hannington proceeds to roll down the window a little and tell the lady we will take the baby... just put it in the boot.  The young woman looks at him confused so he says... you are out on the street begging... you don't provide for the child.  Why are you producing? 

This is not the first time Hannington has done this but it still catches me off guard and I find it funny as he calls it like it is.  The last time it was a boy out selling wears in the middle of the day... Hannington told him why wasn't he in school?  There are schools he could be in but he refuses and runs away because he doesn't like the rules.  The boy was probably glad to see us move on.

It is moments like this that I am glad I am in the village and get to work face to face with these children.

"Mamma said there'd be days like this"

Today was just one of those days where knowing about certain situations within the village just makes your heart ache.  Children covered with scabies...numerous children and workers with malaria...older kids that go to other schools wandering around because their parents won't/can't pay school fees...children as young as 4 years old being left at home by themselves while the mom leaves for several days at a  time...

Here I had been upset at one of the staff because he had not been doing what I was told was his responsibility.   As I searched out the situation I found out that he was not being given the information needed in order to do what was expected.  So spent some time giving individuals specific directions instead of general instructions where no one picks up the responsibility

A day that was supposed to be fun and enjoyable was taken too seriously and the children were upset and angry as a result of the teachers stress.  Culturally corporal punishment is a way of f dealing with all kinds of issues including not writing neatly ... so after witnessing several instances today of harsh reactions to minor infractions... I know what we are going to be discussing at Monday's staff meeting and what will be written in the policies.

The situation also came up of one of the teachers pretending not to understand me and not working with me or the rest of the teachers in providing a quality education for these children.

To top it off Sheba killed mouse number 2 this morning while I was up at the school.  By the looks of it the mouse had gotten into the poison we put down in the shop so when Sheba got the mouse she got really sick and just cried with her tummy all puffed up... she ended up vomiting all of her stomach contents under my uncle's bed which thankfully is just concrete floor and easily cleaned up.  At one point I found Sheba in the clinic on one of the exam tables seeking treatment.  Thankfully after all that she is back to her playful self.

And that was just Monday...  this week has been a difficult week filled with situations that can only be defined as spiritual attack.  I know I am supposed to just let things go but after being bombarded in battle for 7 days my heart is heavy and I am physically tired.

Here are the things you can be praying for...
@Christmas shoes... after days of trying to get the word out and computer issues and internet issues...finally got posted and have 10 pairs of shoes sponsored ... great start but still alongway to go especially within the next two weeks!
@computer... seems like each computer on campus is having issues.  Mine has been on the  verge of a crash for the past month... finally crashed this week... my uncle put in a new hard drive and started loading programs back on it and it crashed again.  Time for a new computer and really have no way to get one at the moment.
@Strength to do what God has called me to do for today and peace to wait on his timing for the future
@Wisdom to know how best to help this community... there is so much need that one person can't alone do it and there are cultural issues that break my heart that I alone cannot solve.
@Health and God's protection from things like scabies and ringworm. 

Thank you for your prayers and the words of encouragement.  I have really enjoyed the snail mail letters! (Hint, hint) 

"Mamma said there'd be days like this"

Today was just one of those days where knowing about certain situations within the village just makes your heart ache.  Children covered with scabies...numerous children and workers with malaria...older kids that go to other schools wandering around because their parents won't/can't pay school fees...children as young as 4 years old being left at home by themselves while the mom leaves for several days at a  time...

Here I had been upset at one of the staff because he had not been doing what I was told was his responsibility.   As I searched out the situation I found out that he was not being given the information needed in order to do what was expected.  So spent some time giving individuals specific directions instead of general instructions where no one picks up the responsibility

A day that was supposed to be fun and enjoyable was taken too seriously and the children were upset and angry as a result of the teachers stress.  Culturally corporal punishment is a way of f dealing with all kinds of issues including not writing neatly ... so after witnessing several instances today of harsh reactions to minor infractions... I know what we are going to be discussing at Monday's staff meeting and what will be written in the policies.

The situation also came up of one of the teachers pretending not to understand me and not working with me or the rest of the teachers in providing a quality education for these children.

To top it off Sheba killed mouse number 2 this morning while I was up at the school.  By the looks of it the mouse had gotten into the poison we put down in the shop so when Sheba got the mouse she got really sick and just cried with her tummy all puffed up... she ended up vomiting all of her stomach contents under my uncle's bed which thankfully is just concrete floor and easily cleaned up.  At one point I found Sheba in the clinic on one of the exam tables seeking treatment.  Thankfully after all that she is back to her playful self.

And that was just Monday...  this week has been a difficult week filled with situations that can only be defined as spiritual attack.  I know I am supposed to just let things go but after being bombarded in battle for 7 days my heart is heavy and I am physically tired.

Here are the things you can be praying for...
@Christmas shoes... after days of trying to get the word out and computer issues and internet issues...finally got posted and have 10 pairs of shoes sponsored ... great start but still alongway to go especially within the next two weeks!
@computer... seems like each computer on campus is having issues.  Mine has been on the  verge of a crash for the past month... finally crashed this week... my uncle put in a new hard drive and started loading programs back on it and it crashed again.  Time for a new computer and really have no way to get one at the moment.
@Strength to do what God has called me to do for today and peace to wait on his timing for the future
@Wisdom to know how best to help this community... there is so much need that one person can't alone do it and there are cultural issues that break my heart that I alone cannot solve.
@Health and God's protection from things like scabies and ringworm. 

Thank you for your prayers and the words of encouragement.  I have really enjoyed the snail mail letters! (Hint, hint) 

All I want for Christmas is shoes and socks....

Every year near christmas when I hear the song "Christmas shoes" by NewSong my eyes mist with tears at the simple gift that a pair of shoes can make.  Living in the village of Uganda, a simple pair of shoes can be a life saving gift.
 

What is on the christmas list for the children in your life?  Toys? A new game system? What if your child just wanted a pair of shoes and socks so they don't have to travel the rocky, mud covered roads in their bare feet to get to school?  Or bust open their toes while playing futbol?
 

I currently have 60 little brown eyed cuties with this one simple request... a pair of shoes and socks for christmas.  But for one of these children to ask their parents for a good pair of shoes that won't fall apart after the first time of being worn, it is more than many of these parents make in a month.  It would mean a sacrifice of food and all the basic needs for the entire family.
 

Hannington and I have worked out a deal with Bata shoes in Kampala to come to the village (2 hours away), measure these little feet, and bring shoes and socks the next day.  This is not only assisting the families and children in the village but also the local businesses.  These shoes are high quality and will be a treasured gift to the children.
 

As much as we would like to do this, we can't do it on our own... we need your help... will you help us put shoes and socks on these little feet?  Will you provide Christmas shoes?
 

$25 will provide one child with shoes and socks
$100 will provide for 4  children
$1500 will provide for all 60 children
$3000 will provide for  all our current children plus the ones starting in February as our enrollment for the new school year will double to 120 children
 

A friend recently sent me a message wishing she could teach her children to be grateful for the simple things of life like the children I was blogging about.  Most American chIldren could care less about clothes or shoes but those are the greatest desires  for these children.  Christmas time is a great time to teach others about giving rather than receiving.   Let this Christmas be a time when the children in your life reach out to a child in need to provide Christmas shoes!
 

One last story that made needing shoes evident in my mind... the P1 class was learning about the local Uganda currency... their highest note is 50, 000 UGX or about $20 US.  One of the older boys was looking at the actual paper note and I asked what he would do with that if it were his... he thought for a moment...then his eyes lit up and he said... I would buy new shoes!
 

Please partner with us by making an online donation at..https://app.etapestry.com/onlineforms/InTheFieldMinistriesITFM/donate2.html ... put in the comment line "Christmas Shoes".  The goal is to have someone from Bata come to campus on November 26th to measure feet and give the shoes out before the school year ends on November 29th.  We can only do this if these little feet are sponsored for Christmas shoes!

Mpola Mpola

In Luganda this means "slowly, slowly"... which is a perfect description of our day as well as life in Uganda.  Life on Molokai prepared me somewhat for this ... but this is moving it to the next level.  Take today for example... had to run some errands today and get some supplies from Kampala... here was our time table....

6am ... take the cat out... make coffee and breakfast... get ready... load the car... and wait for Jospehine to come to work to drop Sheba off with....  Hannington visits with Mulongo and the crew to see how the countertops are coming along... John walks up to the top of the property to inspect where they are starting a house
8am... leave the house and drive almost an hour and a half to get a generator... once there they had to pick out a decently made generator... test it out... find the right oil and prime the fuel... dikker on the price... and then wrap it in a box and load it into the truck. (Morning coffee set in and I need to go to the potty but only urinals were found)
10:45... head to the bank to pull out money for the supplies we had to buy... Hannington and Kimberly went in while John and I sat in the truck... there were only 2 people in front of them in line but it took almost 40 minutes (and I really needed to find a potty but the outside toilets were in process of being cleaned) 
11:30... leaving bank headed to XingXing furniture store...get stuck in traffic behind the presidents motorcade... finally get to the store...we are dropped off to find furniture for the administrator office while Hannington gets a boda to find some hardware...cooking pots for the new school kitchen... and hire a big flat bed truck to take back desks and chairs for the new classrooms, furniture for my office and other big furniture... waited for them to find cardboard to wrap the furniture ( and I finally found an inside potty to use and even though it was a squatty potty I could wait no longer)
1pm... go by with the flat bed truck to pick up three sets of welded bunkbeds for our workers who are currently sleeping on the floor of the shop and then head to Oasis mall where there was very little security compared to the past few visits... Hannington dropped us and the car off... hires a boda to go to three locations looking for furniture and supplies while we had lunch ... walked over to Garden city,.. found ink cartridges for the printer...office supplies...airtime for phones ... looked at appliances for the new house the walked back over to Oasis to grocery shop at Nakumatt...find Hannington... met with the manager of Bata shoes for Christmas shoes for the little ones ... had ice cream... and went back to Nakumatt to pick up cold items
5:45pm...  by this time traffic is getting really bad...took us almost two hours to get Kgas for the cook stove... then run by Tuskers to pick up dinner... and head home...
10:30pm... arrive back to Nabisooto

We had no idea that it would take us this long but thankful we are  home safe and sound.

Family dynamics.... following Rosemary

Since Kimberly has been here I have had a walking buddy to cruise around the village. So we have been walking daily visiting with families in the village. Friday night we walked over to Rosemary's house... the 9 year old that we took to Kampala.
Rosemary lives in a mud hut with her mother, grandmother and two younger sisters... Paulina (4 to 5 years of age) and Teopista (almost 2).

(Ages are really difficult here as birthdates are not recorded and due to malnutrition children are much smaller than their American counterparts. Many time when we ask how old a child is there is much confusion and they ultimately guess.)







The mother has epilepsy and has difficulty taking care of her girls. Just recently she had an episode and fell into the cooking fire burning her hand quite badly. She has been receiving medical treatment at the clinic and the hand is healing but still she is in pain and it looks really bad.





Rosemary (P1) and Paulina (baby class) attend Integrity Primary School which ultimately gives them hope for a brighter future. The goal is to break the cycle of poverty that these children currently live in. The only way of doing this is to provide a good education and the love of Jesus! Because the school is close to where they live, in the case of an episode with their mother they are close enough to run home.
As we walked up to the house the older two girls were out preparing the beans for their supper so I sat down and helped them. The mother and grandmother are very grateful for taking Rosemary to Kampala and continually bow and thank us. While I was helping the girls, the grandmother brought up stools for Hannington and Kimberly to sit on as customary for their culture. Kimberly took pictures of the “new” chicken coop as well as Teopista (the baby).



The mother didn't believe that the camera actually captured the image so we took several pictures of her to show her that they were different. Her expression is priceless.

 

Today the girls were at church without their mom or grandma... all dressed up in the best clothes they have. Many of these children have 1 “nice” church outfit that gets worn until it is thread bare. Even when the zipper won't go up or buttons won't button... they still wear it unzipped or unbuttoned. Clothes are expensive and hard to come by!

These children are so very precious and not like some of the children that greet us with “give me ____” . They have very humble hearts and quiet spirits. I pray that they will continue to grow to follow Him in all they do and that they will follow wherever He leads!

The "new" chicken coop.  Rosemary's house looks about the same ... it is just on the ground!

The inside of the chicken coop

Picture from Saturday's home visit to Mamma Jordan's house.

This little lady captured my heart!  So precious!