Getting the lay of the land

I was expecting to spend my first full day in and around my new home, but instead a good part of the day was spent in the nearby village of Mapuordit. It seems that due to lack of good cell phone service and other means of communication you don't have much warning when visitors may drop by. Such was the case this morning.
We were having morning devotions when a car pulled up and two people got out. They were Fabio, Italian director of the Rumbek School of Nursing and Dr. Francine from the Netherlands who is assessing the needs of the nursing programs in S. Sudan. She is a representative of the European Union Delegation who is considering sending $900,000 to develop and increase the amount of trained nurses. In  other words she's a big wig! It was interesting hearing about her 25 years of experience with different agencies all over Africa, although I did find it  hard to pay attention at times as we hit big pot holes and had to hang on for dear life, or we were waving at small children o the roadside as we passed by. It took an hour to drive 30 kms!

The hospital is quite an amazing place.  We were given a complete tour by Dr. Rosario who is the doctor in charge of this Italian funded facility.
I met a Slovakian doctor, a Mexican anesthesiologist and even an Australian nurse. Definitely an international flavor.

Here's a photo of a typical ward.  Note there is no privacy screen between patients.
Each bed has a mosquito net hanging overhead.

I found it interesting that each ward color codes it's patients. For example if you are a patient in the medical ward you are given a blue gown, if you are in surgical, a green gown and so on. Most people are happy to be given anything as usually they own very little clothing.

I can imagine the uproar trying to enforce this in one of Houston's big hospitals.

Here we are all set for question and answer time with the nursing students.

Of course we had been served tea and biscuits ( cookies) before the meeting, like any civilized people would do. One is more willing to listen after tea.

The students when asked if they had any questions were well prepared. They stood and introduced themselves and then produced a written list of their requests.

Some of the requests would have amazed you, as it did me. For instance they asked if they could have meat, maybe once a week. Several wanted toothpaste and toothbrushes and then lots of requests for a better way to communicate with family. No phone service is available in this village and internet is not reliable.

This sure is a super cute iron but can't say I would want to use it for bed sheets, gowns, or hospital uniforms.

For those reading this who weren't born in the dark ages, hot coal goes inside to heat the iron surface.

I could continue with pictures of this visit but it has already been 2 weeks ago that it occurred and I have much more to tell. It has taken me a week to write and upload photos. Enjoy.

Side trip

After spending one night in Akot last Monday night, I joined the ongoing flight to Nasir to pick up our director, Peter, and see how our two interns, Blake and Mason were doing. Our pilot Simon checked on the landing strip conditions and got the thumbs up, so we gave it t try. There was a lot of water all over the ground that made us a bit skeptical so Simon went for two low passes overhead before committing to land. I think Peter was praying hard as he watched us circle.

Once we landed, we off loaded some much needed supplies for Blake and Mason and all the radios that we had picked up in Uganda. Transportation is challenging in Nasir. There aren't many vehicles and walking is always first choice but it's very difficult when the temperature hovers around 100, it's a mile walk to the compound and you have heavy supplies. All these things are made worse by very sticky, muddy conditions.

So when in Rome, do as the Romans do , right?
A donkey cart was hired and the bulky stuff was loaded on. I felt sorry for the little donkey as he trudged off with his heavy load.

After giving Blake and Mason some pep talks like every good mother would, we prayed for them and set out on the next leg, over to Aweil.

Notice the mud splattered on the under belly of the plane and the rubber boots (aka gumboots) that Blake and Mason are wearing.

The German U.N. police officer that took the photo unfortunately cut off Martyjn to my right.

Once in Aweil, the men set about attaching the satellite dish to a new stand, since the old one blew over in a recent storm.

I enjoyed a brief visit with the ladies who are with  Cush for Christ, a mission organization that we partner with in Aweil.

I actually went with one of the women to the hut of a very sick little 18 month old. She has problems that most likely happened at birth and are now compounded by life in S. Sudan. We prayed for her and her family.

The men spent the night at the radio compound and I stayed with an American teacher who is spending a month of her vacation helping in a nearby school. We flew out around 9 on Wednesday morning.

Journey to Akot

Bright and early Monday morning we set out to fly to S. Sudan. By "we" I mean, pilot Simon, who is Swiss, Mechanical Engineer, Martyjn from Holland, Kerry, Every Village director in Uganda and myself ,plus 931 kilos of cargo!
We flew from a small airstrip known as Kajjansi to Entebbe airport to get hand-held radios out of customs so we could deliver them to Nasir which we hoped would  be our first destination. We stopped to refuel in Juba, the capital and found out that we could not land in Nasir due to recent rains making the dirt runway too muddy.

So we moved on to plan B. We flew straight to Akot, about 1 1/2 hours from Juba. We were greeted by Dr. Clarke who runs Akot Medical Mission. After a lunch of rice and beans it was time to set up my new home.

Before we could set up the new we had to remove the old, which was falling apart. There are a total of 4 available concrete pads and this site was the best location under the big shady tree.

Here's one of my new found friends. He's sporting a red racing stripe down his side and best of all he's hauling off a scorpion!

The next step was putting up the fly. It is quite heavy and required all hands on deck. Several of the student nurses that are doing a one month rotation here jumped in to help.

And now for electricity!

Lastly the finishing touches.  Kind friends cleared the path to the bathroom for me with some shovels and meanwhile shelves were found that needed a little clean up before I took them inside.

What a wonderful team of helpers.

That's all for my first Akot blog. It has taken me 3 days and many attempts to  complete. My internet connection is very slow and my patience is very short.

I have lots to tell so hang in there with me.

Inside the old tent we found some PVC pipes that had been strapped together to make beds! As the old tent was removed we found many critters living underneath, not the least being half a dozen scorpions!!!!

Time for the broom and bringing in the new poles.

The time has come!

After 10 days back in Kampala getting ready for going into South Sudan, I think I am almost done with packing, organizing etc. Packing has been challenging to say the least. I don't really know what to expect in terms of conditions or needs and also the exact amount of time I will be staying.

This time I am taking my accommodation with me.  You may recall, Paul, the missionary in the Bible was a tent maker, well now I  have 2 things in common with him. I am also a missionary and will be living in a tent!  Yes, you read correctly. I'm sure many of you have camped and have had experience setting up a tent for a few nights. It's quite another thing to actually contemplate living in one. After some research, Kerry, who is Every Village's in country director for Uganda, found a company to make a tent for me.

 Excitement was building Friday when the tent was picked up and we got to see it for the first time. It is huge, weighing in at 150 kilograms!!!

It took up almost the whole of the back of my car.

Now to unload and see if all the parts are there. Once we get to S. Sudan it's too late to send out for missing pieces.

I decided to go inside and see if there was a place to hang anything and just generally get a feel for it.

 It has that new car smell, or I guess that new tent smell.
The color is great for hot climates and there are plenty of windows.

So now stay tuned for the actual set up and placement in Akot, Southern Sudan in a few days.

Departure is scheduled for early Monday morning and we'll  criss cross the country to work on some projects for Every Village before I settle into my new home.

Not sure how long before I will be up and running with internet so please bear with me.

Back in Africa

Well after a couple of months of not posting any blogs, here I am back at it.  I arrived in Kampala just about 36 hours ago. As always after the flight I was exhausted but looking forward to moving into the next phase of my journey with God.

I am currently staying at Adonai guesthouse. For those of you who may not be familiar with this word it stresses mans relationship with God as our Master, Provider and Authority. My room is named Elohim. This word too has a strong meaning. In Genesis 1:1 it says Elohim created the heavens and the earth.  Elohim is used when God interacts with his creation, that's me! So you see I am in a good place to begin.

I am featuring a couple of photos I just took of the guesthouse for 2 reasons. 1. So you could see where I am and 2. So I could practice using my new camera :-)

My car is the one on the left and directly in front of it downstairs is the window to my room.

Front Entrance for Adonai Guesthouse

I will be staying here until the 6th, when I will move over to a team members house as they will be going away on vacation for a few weeks. It's the same house I stayed in all summer last year.

While at their house I will be preparing to go into South Sudan on June 11th, where I will stay for the next several months.
 This preparation is multi faceted. I have to consider many things as I get ready. What clothes are appropriate? Too many, not enough? Emotionally and physically I feel the need to rest and stay quiet before God as He infuses me with His strength and speaks to my heart as He leads me in this new phase.

I am also excited about taking my new home with me! By that I mean I am having a permanent tent made here in Kampala. I'll leave you wondering about that so you will have to check back later for updates.
I will write randomly while here in Kampala over the next  10 days and then more consistently when I am in Akot, South Sudan.

Sunday in Launceston

While home in Launceston I have been busy helping my parents with things around their home that need attention which due to aging they are not able to do. Sundays however are spent much the same as I would spend them in Texas, South Sudan or Uganda. I go to church in the morning. This past Sunday was no different.

This is St. Johns Anglican church. It was built in the mid to late 1800's. The stained glass windows are magnificent.

 It was not my church home as I grew up but I have felt very welcomed here over the last several years. In 2005 I was living here for 6 months and I became involved with the congregation.

After lunch out with my parents, my mum and I decided to enjoy the beautiful, mild autumn weather and visit one of my favorite places around town and that is the Cataract Gorge.



This photo does not even come close to doing the place justice but it's all I have for now. I took this photo standing in the middle of a swinging suspension bridge. If you stand on the bridge as I am and look left you see this.

If you look right, you see what is known as the First Basin. In the foreground you can just see a swimming pool. I used to swim there often during my late teenage years on warm, summer days.

 Of course I was keen on getting a tan back in those days, that was before we all learned of the risks of skin cancer.
 The lawn space was where I spent many hours in primary school during sports day participating in a sack race, three legged race and the like.

After crossing the suspension bridge and walking up a short path you are surrounded by all kinds of flora and fauna.
We stopped at a cafe which a popular place for tourists, but the local peacocks like it too. There are many peacocks that make their home here and have done for many years. I have fun memories of my children running among them and almost getting their fingers bitten when offering food to them. This little guy was eyeing my ice cream.
Their feathers are magnificent.

Some of my favorite flowers are hydrangeas. About a month ago these would have been in full bloom. They range in colors of lavender to deep purple and varying shades of pinks and blues. They are all part of the garden that sits just below the cafe.
It is such a relaxing and lovely place to visit.

Okay don't be fooled as I was, but look carefully. On top of the rock you see in the center is what looks like another rock, but it's actually a seal!
 We were walking over the suspension bridge when another person drew our attention to it. In all my years of living here and then visiting I have never seen a seal.
Well I hope you have enjoyed your virtual visit to one of the best tourist spots ion Launceston.

Trip to Hobart

I think my last blog post I said to check back in a few days for an update, well, a few days has actually turned into a few weeks. If you were waiting with bated breath, I am sorry :-)

If you are not sure exactly where I am let me fill you in a bit. I am from the city of Launceston in northern Tasmania. I have been asked many times if Tasmania is part of Australia and let me make it clear now, it definitely is a state of Australia. It is an island state, just like Hawaii. Not that I am biased or anything but Tasmania is known for it's beautiful, unspoiled scenery, unique animals and more laid back lifestyle that almost always involves outdoor activities.

Last Wednesday my mum and I drove to Hobart to see my aunt. I remember when I was a little girl this journey seemed like it took forever. Now it's just over a 2 hour drive if you go straight through. One of our favorite stops has always been the historic town of Ross. There is a bakery here that serves the best vanilla slice in the country. This is s popular treat to have with a cup of tea or coffee.

The town of Ross is steeped in colonial history. Most of the town's original buildings were constructed in sandstone between 1820-1870.
Ross bridge is one of the oldest and most beautiful in Australia. It was built by two convict stone masons who were granted freedom for their work. It's hard to see at this distance but there are 186 panels, each decorated differently with Celtic symbols, animals and faces of notable people carved into the sandstone.

As we neared Hobart, which is the capital of Tasmania, we could see Mt. Wellington which  towers over the city and surrounding areas. My aunt lives just above where I took this photo. The actual city is just beyond the bridge.

The River Derwent flows out to the Tasman Sea. If you keep going south you would wind up in Antarctica and to the east is New Zealand.

My son is familiar with this view as he graduated from the University of Tasmania.

  

We picked my auntie (she has the orange jacket)  up from her self contained unit at a nursing home and took her to lunch. My aunt is 94 and my mum is 92. I felt so young this day!

We enjoyed views of the river and mountain while we ate. Lots of fresh fish on the menu including prawns or shrimp, scallops and Trevially. Since Tasmania is an island, fish is abundant and so good. Of course there are many not so good fish like Great White Sharks lurking in the waters that surround us.

The drive from Launceston to Hobart is down the Midlands Highway. There are gently rolling hills and lots of sheep. Did you know there are more sheep in Australia than people?

There is is an annual meeting for people all over the world that come to class the wool and arrange for exporting the sheep and the valuable wool. Japan is one on the biggest buyers.
I am a sheep collector. I wonder how that happened?

As we made our way home we were treated to an extraordinary sunset. It was the perfect ending to a lovely day.

Outbound

Well as the old song goes " I'm leavin' on a jet plane don't know when I'll be back again ( yes I do)
My bags are packed, I'm ready to go, standing' here outside the door"  etc, etc.

This is just a partial collection of my Ugandan stuff. Seems I have things here, in Australia and Houston. Sometimes it's hard to remember what is where.

For example if you opened my purse you might find currencies of many different countries. I also have 3 phones with chargers and internet USB sticks to use wireless in Uganda and Australia.



Toady I begin my journey back to the U.S.A via Australia. I will be traveling through Ethiopia, Thailand, Malaysia and finally Australia. I probably won't blog for a while so I can rest, get over jet lag and enjoy time with my parents. Glad you have been with me thus far, check back in a few days.

The Nile Retreat

Yesterday the Aid Sudan team/family drove roughly 2 hours east of Kampala to the town of Jinja. Just outside the town is the place that is thought to be the source of the Nile. In 2008 I went to the actual site but this time my visit here has s different purpose. It is the first Aid Sudan Retreat for the staff on this side of the ocean.. Our Executive Director, Peter, is with us.

We gathered for a team meeting in this bungalow while the children played nearby in and around the pool.

Afternoon tea was a highlight with chocolates and cookies from the U.S.

Here's the early morning, misty view of the Nile that I can see from the porch in front of my tented room.

I was here in June 2011 before they dammed the river. Sad, no more sounds of the falls below to help lull you to sleep. Lots of frogs noises last night and also monkeys jumping on our roof!

As I sit here and have some quiet time the view I have is the photo above.
Aaah! So relaxing.

Breakfast on the porch overlooking the Nile, monkeys playing in the trees above, sipping African coffee.
 The world out there is a long way away.

Sunday morning drive

Hello again. Bet you all thought I had fallen off the face of the earth. Well I have resurfaced briefly with some updates and tidbits of information.
Yesterday as I drove to church I saw a funny site that reminded me of back home in the U.S.A.

Well not quite Walmart as I remember it, but good try.

There are other stores here that are take offs of places in the U.S, for example Chicken Tonight is Uganda's version of K.F.C. although again, not quite.






Another thing that I saw on my way to church that wasn't funny and I don't have a photo unfortunately, was when, due to traffic problems, a boda (motorcycle ) driver thought it would be okay to go the wrong way up the street. He was between me and the median. He drove up to my driver side window and said "Hello Muzungu". I was just flabbergasted and said "what are you doing?" After discussing this with friends we decided this statement could be used a hundred times a day in all situations.

Well, I just drove on as it's just another one of many incidents that make life shall we say " interesting " here in Kampala.