Month: April 2016

You see these mats everywhere, they are made from palm leaves that are sun dried and then dyed. Then they weave beautiful patterns into them. Mostly women but the plain mat I have was made by a man and it is plain by my request. They are used mainly to sit on so that you don’t have to sit on the ground, some are used to sleep on in huts. I am getting quite a collection of mats, people come to my door often wanting to sell me a mat. They sell for 10,000 shillings each, most of the time. That is $3 USD give or take a few cents. I did get taken when I first got here by a lady that was giving me a “deal” at 20,000 shillings! I buy them to use here on Sunday’s but I have given a couple away, gave one away at the hospital a couple of weeks ago. Patients family have to sit on the floor at the hospital so they bring mats if they have them. Mainly I try to support those who are trying to support themselves. For me $3 isn’t much but to them 10,000 shillings can go a long way. They put a lot of time into them, and I have seen some very intricate patterns. I wondered at all the powdered food coloring in the supermarkets, especially since cakes and cupcakes aren’t a big thing here, but found out that is what is used to color the leaves. I think maybe one day I will have to have someone teach me to weave mats!

Sunday School went great yesterday. The children even had answers about last weeks story and we could tell that some had thought about the story during the week, which is very encouraging. Derek helped me greatly, again! At the beginning of the week I give him a copy of the story we will be telling on Sunday and it is evident that he studies it. I tell the story with him interpreting but he also knows how to talk to the kids in a way they understand, and has a gift for asking the right questions. I was amazed at the participation of the children this week. I told Derek I had prayed for an interpreter to help me and God answered that prayer with so much more. Derek and another lady are going to a five-day teaching conference for Sunday School teachers and children’s ministry workers. I pray in the future, they will be able to tell the stories and lead Sunday School.

I am asking for help, for any donations to help Derek finish high school. Because of his grades and high exam scores, the school has offered him a scholarship of sorts, his tuition will all be paid for the final two years, but he needs help with books, uniforms and rent for this year. He has missed about a month of school this term because of lack of money. He previously has had to work on holiday and after school to pay for his education but has had trouble finding work lately. He has come over everyday and volunteered to paint and never asked for anything in return. It was just in conversation yesterday that he told me he has been praying for God to show him what to do about school, or to help him get a job to pay for it. His counselor told him if he can get the money he could still start this term. He needs $20 for two uniforms, $30 for books and approximately $10/month for rent for ten months. He is paying rent to stay off campus 1) it is a lot cheaper to not board but he is now staying with his brother 30 minutes away 2) he can leave on the weekends and come to service on Sunday. That is only around $150/year for this boy to finish school. He is smart and very polite and loves Jesus very much. Also, he wants to take a computer science class and it would be helpful if he had a laptop. I am looking into that but I think it will be close to $300 to get him one. If there is anyone out there that would like to contribute to Derek’s education let me know and I will give you the info on where to send it. I promise 100% will go to him and I know that it will be well worth investing into this boy’s life. I am giving him enough to get back in to school since he has helped me so much this week. (He has made the smallest mess while painting AND he cleans it up!) I believe in him and that he will take this opportunity and use it to better himself and to help others. If you can’t contribute, please pray for Derek. I know God has great plans for him.

Smokey enjoyed the story – he patiently waited for snack time!

She is the nursery care worker!

The nickname a lot of the guys have for Raelee is Carella. She gets irate at times and it only makes them do it more. I let it go because she is always messing with somebody so it is only fair for them to mess back. She is learning the language so fast. People love it when she spouts off a phrase, they laugh. She definitely knows the phrase “come here, I will beat you” Kimuli and Sharifu tell her that all the time. She informed me today that mazungu’s don’t say that, and I agreed that is probably not something we would should say to just anyone here! But I did tell Kimuli and Sharifu that Raelee taught me new words today and then in their language said it – they got a kick out of that. Especially since I only know two words in lusoga and still get it wrong as to when to say each. I usually answer people with one or the other and a question mark at the end!

Today, I heard a baby cry and cry outside so I went to see what was the matter. The boy was probably 15-18 months old, pantless, walking around our property crying. Sharifu had took him to the guard-house and dumped him on Kimuli and Kimuli put him back outside. I went and picked him up even though he clearly let me know he didn’t want me to pick him up, and I said very loudly, “Hey, that’s enough of that” He immediately quit crying! I asked Sharifu who this kid belonged to and why he was here all alone. Well, the mama was at the well earlier getting water and Raelee was playing with the baby and told the mama to leave him here so she could play with him. Then Raelee’s attention went somewhere else and she just left the baby. He lives right on the other side of our fence and I know his mama could hear him crying because I hear him crying all the time from my house. Sharifu had already gone to the fence trying to get her, I don’t know if she didn’t hear him or just was enjoying her freedom! So I carried him home. I told Sharifu AGAIN that they all have to learn to tell Raelee no. Sunday, the lady with twins was begging to go home but Raelee wouldn’t let her have her baby back. I tried to explain to Raelee today that people don’t want to say no to her, she is a novelty here, a little mazungu child that runs around just like they do (except fully clothed) and that is a new thing to them. And they love for us to give attention to their children. But it has gotten out of hand when she is kidnapping other people’s children. It was one thing to bring stray animals home, but children? I must put my foot down!

Yesterday we had to run errands in town and while Christian was in the hardware store/shack a very little girl – probably around four – came running to the truck. I opened my door and asked her how she was today and she said “I am fine” and held her arms up for me to pick her up. Christian was gone for a good twenty minutes and that little girl just sat in my lap silently while I talked to her. At one point she laid her head down on me and I thought she went to sleep. Her mama was nearby and a guy I assumed was her father was watching and smiling. When Christian came back he asked if she was going with us! I carried her back up to the sidewalk and she ran to her (father?). It was very sweet, especially when there are so many of the children who are scared of our light skin.

In the beginning of our adventure here, when we turned off the highway to come home there would be so many kids that get so excited, waving and yelling to us either “mazungu” “byee”  or they would yell “Wes” (the person we replaced). It’s like we are celebrities. Now when we drive down the road, they wave and laugh and jump up and down yelling “Raelee”! Seems like everyone knows Raelee, the crazy and fun mazungu girl! She is thriving here, and loved by just about everyone that comes in contact with her. Love her or shake their heads at some of her antics! I believe wholeheartedly that she will  grow up to reach the hearts of many, many people whether here or wherever God puts her. She is an amazing kid that is following right in her amazing brothers’ footsteps. We didn’t do her a favor taking her in – we are the ones that received the greatest gift. She can definitely be challenging, and as many people here say “stubborn” but well worth it!

A note about being pantless or even naked. I just went to check on my painters and there was a totally naked baby standing at the door squalling. His mama was nearby getting water and thankfully Raelee had other kids occupying her. Most babies do not wear diapers or pants. I have found that this is because 1) they can’t afford disposable diapers or even cloth diapers and 2) this saves on laundry and the water it takes to haul to do the laundry. Easy to potty train I guess, since they don’t have toilets anyway. Easter Sunday while we were in the church building I watched a little girl go right out the door by a tree and she looked left and right and then pulled her dress up and did her business. There was nobody to see her on the left or on the right, but everyone inside behind her could see her! Even older kids do not wear underpants. Let’s just talk about underpants for a second. Either you buy secondhand underwear, don’t wear any or spend outrageous prices to get new ones in Kampala! Now, I will wear previously owned dresses and skirts but I have to draw the line on secondhand undergarments! Ah, life here is so very interesting!

Today we had close to sixty children come to hear the Bible story. I used the flannel board that was graciously given by an anonymous donor. To him I say thank you so much for your gift. It makes it so easy to tell the stories and the colors and details keep their attention. Even when Christian stood in front of them with the camera taking pictures, they didn’t even look up at him. That is amazing in itself because whenever any of them see a camera that’s it for anything else. They all want to get their pictures taken! The story today was of Adam and Eve walking with God, about how beautiful the garden was and all the animals that Adam got to name. I learned something today – I told you we learn something new just about everyday! When most of us think of Africa, we automatically think of the animals: lions, tigers, giraffes, and I even hoped when I learned we were coming here that we just might have zebras walking around our property! But in actuality most of those animals are kept in preserves to protect them and also, here anyway, it is a way for the country to bring in revenue. Safari’s are very expensive here, running anywhere from $500 to $1000 per person. But I learned that because they aren’t common, when I showed the children a lion they didn’t know what it was. Crazy huh! But they aren’t educated, they aren’t exposed to TV or the world. I think that made the story even more interesting to them. Derek, my interpreter is so loving being able to be a part of teaching the children and I don’t think I have to worry anymore about having someone to help! He has come by the house everyday since Easter and he asked me today if he can come by this week just to talk about the Bible. He is the one that has been playing the Bible in their language for whoever will listen! Even Sharifu told me he enjoyed the story very much and he was a great help in serving the kids. He also was a great help with the board, it rained this morning and the wind kicked up and kept blowing the story pieces off. So he held onto parts of it for me.

Raelee was the best helper today. She helped prepare beforehand and she got the kids in line for the snacks we had prepared for them. There is a bread here, it looks like a hushpuppy on steroids but it is sweet, and deep fried. And very inexpensive! Mandaze are what they are called and we had forgotten to call her until last night but she still had them here, 100 of them by 9 am. We paid about $7 for all. She has come before when we had workers, she walks around the village to sell them everyday. Obviously at that price she doesn’t make a whole lot of money and she is a pretty elderly lady. I asked her if I pay her would she bring some everyday and 100 on Sunday, and she was overjoyed at that arrangement. I told her that there was only one problem with that that I could see and it is once word goes out I may start needing twice that on Sunday! She was very okay with that thought, and I don’t mind paying for it if it brings more kids in. They may come for the “doughnut” but they will hear about our God and God says:

“so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth;
    it shall not return to me empty,
but it shall accomplish that which I purpose,
    and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.”  Isaiah 55:11

It is seeds planted and it is not up to me whether the seed takes root and grows, God will take care of that. He just asks of all of us to plow and plant and if it is His Will we will also  reap the harvest. After the story, Ms Betty asked me how we know God more. I explained salvation again (I think I will need to do this every week) and most of the kids came forward. Partly because Ms Betty prompted, pulled and pushed them to! And that doesn’t matter, I still had tears in my eyes when I prayed with them and they repeated the words because I know that if only one really begins to seek Him then this is all worth it. We may not be able to affect many adults, but my prayer is we can with the little ones and their lives will be honored and blessed by God. I was also asked “what if I am an orphan and have no mother or no father?” That one really got to me, but I told them they can have a heavenly Father that loves them and wants His very best for them. I told them I am not saying it will be easy, but it will be worth it. They all said they loved the story and asked if I will tell them more next week. There were so many people that were coming to the well that also stopped to listen, and many hung out after. I think it was 2:00 before I got lunch for us made, but it was good, very good!

I had the best assistants!

There was no talking or messing around – they were so intent on the story and the pictures

Ms Betty. I would not want to be on her bad side! She herds these children so well!

Raelee sang Jesus Loves Me all by herself, Christian had already taken my camera inside so I missed that. I told her she would have to do it again next week. But she taught the children to sing part of it and they sang it with her!

Today Raelee, Christian and I went to Jinja for the day. We just walked around, ate, bought fabric for our couch, which to find what I really wanted in an environment that believes colors and tackiness is just the greatest was a miracle to me! I went to different fabric shops in our town and it cracks me up how they tell me what I really want. I don’t want denim blue, lime green is what I would like. And when I said no, they said my cushions would be ready in two days. “It’s okay?” No, it’s not okay! “Oh, we will surprise you and you will love it” Thanks but no thanks! So I put out a message on some expat Facebook pages for Jinja and two ladies told me a good place to go. They were right! It wasn’t exactly what I had in mind but close enough. And no lime green in sight! Then I went to the paint store, looking for a denim color and a couple colors that need to be for exterior. They had a color chart that they gave me to choose from but it all came down to the four colors they actually have! And none were in the realm I was thinking. Here, you get what you get and should be happy about it! Anyway, we got groceries and came home. It was just a good day for us to be together and at peace.

We still haven’t found out what has happened with the man that needed the amputation. We’ve asked Kimuli (his son) everyday and he says he doesn’t know. We gave him a few dollars to travel to the hospital to see. It’s so different here, we just can’t grasp the dynamics with family and friends. How can a son not know what is happening to his dad? They all have phones. Kimuli said he has called and called but the phone isn’t in service. I think some of it has to do with the wife that is with his dad currently. Two wives were at the first hospital, one went with him to the other hospital, Kimuli’s mother went home. I’m not sure we will ever get it.

So I have a song today. On a particularly bad day at the beginning of the week, I was sweeping our mess in the new home and feeling pretty sorry for myself, I had music playing and this song came on. It made me cry but it also changed my whole perspective back to where it should be. I don’t want to get jaded at all the corruption, or be bitter to people who are only doing what they have done long before we came here. I don’t even think most of the time the things they do are personal to us. I hope you listen and read the words and maybe have your perspective changed today. We have decided this is our theme song, and if we need to we will listen to it everyday to keep the perspective that God wants us to have. It’s only by God’s grace and the love of Christ our Savior that I am who I am today and been given Grace enough to forgive.

PS … I have had great help this week and on Monday the house will be mopped and ready to start the fun of painting and decorating and moving in! I have been encouraged in many, many ways this week. The young man that interpreted for me on Sunday has come by everyday and talked with us. Part of the reason I haven’t done more with the kids is not having interpreters. So he has agreed to help me tomorrow with our new flannel board and story telling. Also from that Sunday and movie, Kimuli and our day guard who are both muslim stood and listened and watched the end of the movie with Christ being crucified. This week I went out to the guardhouse to tell the day guard, Sherifu, something I needed him to do and they and three other guys were listening to the bible on one of their phones in their language. If that isn’t encouragement enough to keep going, then I need to pack it up! Please be praying for our continued persistence, grace and strength. Pray that this curiousity grows with these guys and God will open more doors for us to be able to witness to them. And pray for me tomorrow with these wild kids!