Hot Showers

There were questions following our last post about the shower on the island.  A ladder leads to the top of the shower where water is poured into the black barrel.  The heat from the day's sun warms the water throughout the day.  Prior to taking a shower, heated water is poured into the barrel and the shower head delivers a toasty warm shower.  This is definitely a necessity because there is lots of dust and dirt.  Actually, we've never been as dirty as we've gotten during a day of walking on the island.

Missionary George is an engineer and he has creatively made the island accomodations relatively comfortable.  We have solar power so we have lights and can even use our computers. 

 

The dirt and dust is everywhere.  To the left is a termite mound.  Termites are everywhere on the island and pose a continuing problem in maintaining the buildings on the compound.  The buildings, unless they are brick,  will need to be replaced after about 4 years because of termite damage.

“Wusuze Otyanno”

Luganda for “Good morning”, literally means, “How did you spend the night?”

We have been in Uganda for one month. Many things have occurred since our last blog but we are adjusting to our new home, community, culture and country. James has had the opportunity to preach/teach, with the aid of a translator, each Sunday since arriving in Uganda. He has preached within the State Prison twice and has taught several Bible studies for men and youth. Sonya has been involved in teaching women Bible classes and ministering to children. She has worked with the team leader to assist in the organization of the ministry’s medical clinic, planning for upcoming volunteer groups and with other administrative duties. We have seen six people come to faith in Christ.   Pray for two orphans on the Island who are homeless.  One has been a good student, in the past, but might not be able to complete his education because he has no family or support. Both children, about age 13, need to go to boarding school but there is no money for school fees.

We have had to make many adjustments since arriving in Jinja. James had his first auto accident the same day we received the 1998 Toyota RAV. I am happy to say the push mower survived the crash, and the automobile was undamaged. When we first got on the streets of Jinja, James used only the 1st and 2nd gears. He is now able to drive in 3rd and 4th gears but hasn’t driven fast enough to utilize the 5th gear.

It is difficult learning to drive a manual transmission automobile while also learning to drive on the right side of the road with no marked lanes, dividers, few stop signs, or street signs. The biggest challenge with driving here is that automobiles share the roads with, numerous buses (fourteen passengers vans filled with people), boda-bodas (motorcycles with passengers); piki-pikis (bicycles with passengers and crates), along with pedestrians all sharing the same narrow, rutted streets at the same time! A trip from Jinja to Kampala is approximately 97 kilometers (60 miles) and takes over 2½ hours, with an hour of stop-and-go traffic. (While in O’Fallon a trip to Springfield, IL was approximately 90 miles and took about 1½ hours to travel). Any extensive travel is very taxing physically and emotionally. This is why very little travel takes place after dark. There are few street lights and the driving and road conditions are dangerous.

We are learning how to get around in Jinja, our new city. We are now driving to the markets and negotiating prices. Food and other items here are very expensive, comparatively speaking to the states. The local supermarkets are often poorly stocked with foods with extremely long shelf lives and questionable expiration dates. Anything made in the US is especially expensive. Produce purchased at the open air markets are affordable and abundant. Thank God for that, so we can afford to eat!

We have started language lessons. We are “speaking” Luganda as toddlers. “Tuyiga Oluganda mpola mpola”. We are learning Luganda slowly, slowly. God Bless.

Island Ministry

We have had a busy two weeks of ministry here in Uganda. James has been to the Island twice and has taught men in the Bible School and also preached at village churches both weeks. Sonya stayed in Jinja, the first week but went to the Island this past week. This week was pretty grueling on Buvuma Island with lots of teaching and ministry activities. James and missionary George both taught the entire week at the Bible School and then alternated accompanying Sonya and missionary Geraldine to the villages where the women did "hut to hut" evangelism and Bible studies with women and children. Sonya and Geraldine also worked to clean the medical and dental clinic on the island which was a big ordeal.

Much thanks to the Island support team who handle the cooking and other chores necessary for "Westernized" island living. On the island, our days begin early with breakfast around 8 am. Mary, the cook is there at 6 am. (See our island kitchen facility above). Island student workers or men collect water from the well for breakfast. We have morning devotion and prayer and then head out for various tasks, leaving Mary and the other kitchen helpers to start the evening meal. We travel to a nearby village by boat (35-45 minutes) or walk several miles. We conduct Bible studies, and/or evangelism in the villages returning to the mission compound about 4 pm. Mary is still cooking the evening meal which is not ready until about 7:30 or 8pm. This week we had the same foods at every dinner: cabbage, white potatoes, yams, beans, rice and fish (twice) and posha (sp). After dinner, we discuss plans for the next day and then shower. The island shower is great. It is a cube shaped building behind the kitchen. Water is heated and poured into a drum with a shower head. Aside from the occasional bull frog or two, the showers are fantastic! We generally are in bed by 9 pm (Photo of where we live on the island) . This week we were on the Island from Sat.-Thurs. Our schedule will be modified because we begin our language studies soon. We will have a private tutor work with us three days a week.

Please pray for us that we grasp Luganda so that we can speak to the people in their heart language. Also continue to pray for our 3 sons, 2 of whom are in the military and stationed in Iraq and Korea, and our extended family in the States.

As a side note for those of you who are interested in the cats, they are doing well. They initially attempted to get outside to explore the beautiful grounds where we live. After hearing the many wonderous sounds and seeing the amazing sites (such as the Marabou Storks about 4ft tall), the cats seem content to observe the happenings through the many windows and doors of the house. We are screening in a portion of our porch so they will enjoy this when it is completed.

We've Arrived!

We reached Africa with our two cats! Our original plan was to check the cats but because of the extremely cold temperatures, we had to travel with the cats as carry-ons. Very special thanks to Skip and Joanie who took us to the airport and our long-time classmates and friends, Randy and Alice who met us at the airport. We could not have made it without their help!We had 11 pieces of checked luggage, 4 carry-ons and 2 cats in separate carriers. It was wild but things went well. The most difficult thing during this travel was managing so many pieces of luggage getting on and off the plane. The cats were perfect. They stayed in these two soft sided bags for about 24 hours. They did not eat (we forgot the food in the rush to change their carriers from the hard ones when we were going to check them). We attempted to give them airline food but they wouldn't eat it. They refused to drink water also. (I did find out that travelling pets often won't eat and this is a natural occurance). We've been spending a lot of time with the other missionaries, who are helping us get the house in order and get us acclaimated to the culture and job. Please continue to pray for us as we immerse ourselves in the work we are here to do.

Merry Christmas 2009!

As we reflect on God's blessings for 2009, We would be remiss to allow the year to end without acknowledging God's grace and mercy toward each of us and to our family throughout the year. In fact, God has been most gracious over the past decade even as we look back at the losses we have experienced as a family. Both James and I experienced the deaths of siblings within 2 months apart a few months ago. We have also witnessed the homegoing of one aunt, 2 uncles, 3 cousins, an infant nephew and several friends and loved ones over the past several months. These deaths remind us of how important family is and the importance of cherishing these relationships while we have time. There is a song from my childhood that emphasizes this point. It states: "Give them the roses while they live, striving to cheer them on their way, for useless the flowers that you give, after the soul has gone". We therefore give the flowers to my parents, our sons and their wives, our siblings, aunts, uncles, cousins and other family members. We also acknowledge the outpouring of support and care to our family by other very special persons in our lives. Much respect and thanks to our pastors and mentors :Lawrence Hudson, Doug Munton and Skip Leiniger. Thanks also to special friends who helped us through these last few months of transition: Ella Duncan, John and Charlene White, Johnnie Johnson Day, Gailyn Moore, John Black,Monica Haynes, Renee Krebel, Elizabeth Adams, Bill and Joan Malone, Terri and Nina Dunning, and our friends at Jerome Lane Baptist church. We thank God for every rememberance of you... Merry Christmas and a happy and prosperous New Year.

Here are some pics from past trips to beautiful Uganda!

We Go Because Some are Seeking Before They Die

She had travelled a distance into the village, an old lady stooped over and walking with a cane was a seeker."I came to find you", she exclaimed to the ladies who were part of the mission team. "I heard you were here telling the Good News. My husband did not tell me this before he died, but I came to hear the Good News before I die." That day, the old woman heard the Gospel and received the Lord Jesus into her heart. There are others still seeking in this old woman's village. Please pray for the mission team serving the people on Buvuma Island in Uganda East Africa.