Follow up from 10/14

Late yesterday afternoon I was headed back to my apartment and saw Rebekah's sliding glass door open. I was about to just go upstairs to my place but something made me go and say hi. As I approached the door I saw a man sitting on her sofa. I quickly apologized and said I'm sorry to intrude. They both immediately invited me in. So in I went, sending up arrow prayers as I sat down.

For the next hour I got to know Rebekah's "husband." I listened intently as I sipped some sort of hot drink. It was not coffee or tea, just can't really describe it, but very sweet. Of course it didn't help that I put 1/2 tsp sugar in before I even tasted it. ( Kerrie, what were you thinking? )

I will call him Mr. X. It turns out he is in his 40s and has a high position at his country's consulate here. He became a Christian as a child through a priest in the Catholic church in Khartoum. This same church was one started by the Camboni's back in the 1600s. If you look back at my blog from June you will see I visited a hospital in Mapourdit. This hospital is also affiliated with the Camboni's. Mr. X started a church there!  He speaks, Dinka, Nuer, Arabic, English and Swahili. He had much to tell me about the history if his country, politics, religious beginnings from the land of Cush and much more.

We will visit again in the future as he wants to share with me health teachings he wrote for the radio. He also has a degree in Journalism and International Relations. A busy man for sure.
Was this a chance meeting? Absolutely not. Can't wait to see where it will all lead.
Stay tuned for the next episode coming soon.

Thoughts from a hurting heart

Have you ever had days when your heart just hurts? No, I don't mean like a heart attack, just a sad and heavy heart.
It's still wet season here in Uganda and this morning, just before dawn, I heard the sound of distant thunder rumbling, lightning was flashing through a gap in the curtains and not long after I heard the familiar sound of the rain against the window. The skies have remained threatening all day and the dark clouds have released their loads a couple of times. I would not do well in Seattle, where's the sunshine?

I still managed to find a short time that I could go onto the balcony and enjoy the birds. Between rain showers they sang their morning songs of praise. I liked the idea of praise even when I didn't feel like it, so I put on my new favorite CD by Selah and sang along. Even though my voice would not be considered a crowd pleaser, I believe God was pleased.

There is so much happening in the world that it's enough to make you miserable on any given day. All the news stories from the BBC ran around in my head, the elections, Syria, a 14 yr. old in Pakistan, 10th anniversary of Bali bombing and on and on. I finally turned it off and turned to God with all my worries and burdens. I prayed for each and every member of my family. I prayed for all the things going on with my organization, Every Village. I prayed for friends and world events. I released all these things to God, after all there is not a thing I alone can do about anything.

Later on when the rain seemed to be done for the day I decided to take a walk. Not exactly a smart idea since the dirt roads are now slippery and muddy. Not sure why, but it seems that boda drivers can't resist trying to knock you off your feet. I can't figure out if they are so busy staring at the Mzungu that they misjudge how close they are coming or if they think they are better drivers than they actually are.

While I was walking, I came across a little girl, probably about 4 years old. She was standing in her raggedy clothes, no shoes and sucking her thumb. At her feet was a baby I'm guessing around 12 months old. She was equally poorly dressed as she supported herself to stand, by holding onto the older girl's hand with one of her little hands  and then grabbing on to the girls lower leg to steady her own wobbly legs.  I looked around for an adult. No one was in sight. My heart ached. I had moved to the other side of the path as I passed them as the baby looked like she was going to cry at the sight of the Mzungu. Unfortunately this is an all too familiar picture around here. Actually, I wanted to take her photo but didn't want to violate her privacy. I want to remember these moments. Children taking care of children.  I think of my own grandchildren who aren't allowed in the enclosed back yard without supervision.


My body and my mind  move on from this scene. I think about all the unfairness that I see here. I feel the anger rising up. Why don't all children go to school, why is there no access to clean drinking water for everyone, why is there so much sickness and poor medical care, why does filthy garbage litter the streets, why is there corruption in government and terrible road conditions?
The answer to all this and more is?
It all started back in the Garden of Eden. God provided everything and it was good. If Adam and Eve had only obeyed that one little rule. Thankfully, He made a way out in His great mercy and grace. So many people all around me need to know that same God so instead of pitying looks and a hurting heart I must continue pray to the One who can change things.
I wonder why you see around you and what are you doing about it?

Bird Watching

As I think I mentioned a few weeks ago I am becoming an avid bird watcher. I love sitting on my balcony, especially around 4-5 pm and watching the birds perched on nearby roof tops, in trees and flying by right in front of me. I get so excited when I am able to spy on them a little closer with my binoculars and then note distinguishing marks so I can look them up in my picture guide to East African Birds. I am placing check marks by the ones I have seen.
Here's what I have so far.

Isn't he beautiful?
This is the Splendid Glossy Starling. I would say he is splendid indeed. There were about 7 or 8 of these guys in a nearby tree. What a brilliant flash of color as they flew off.

Meet the Glossy Ibis.
When I first saw him on a roof top, I kept blinking as I thought the sun was playing tricks on me, but nope, his wings are a glistening green. Such a striking fellow!

So amazing and intricate are his colors and markings.
This is the White-Throated Bee-eater.
I was fortunate enough to see him and a couple of his buddies perched on a tree branch in a small park down by the lake when I went for a walk a few days ago.
I took a few photos but they weren't nearly as clear as this one.

The Black Kite is easily identified by his yellow feet and beak. As a bird of prey he's always on the move overhead. I frequently see him with his feathers outspread and his wedge like tail soaring by.

The last bird on show today is the Pied Crow.
He is very common, but I don't think his appearance can be termed common. What a commanding presence!
He's great at cleaning up litter and likes large insects. I'm all for that.

Well, I hope you have enjoyed getting to know some of these beautiful birds. I just don't know how people think they could have just evolved? Only God could have created such variety with colors and distinct markings.

Morning rush hour drive

I was just comparing early morning drives to work as I made the dash  across town this morning to get to my Bible study class by 8am. In my hometown of Launceston, Australia I would just head up and over the hill and I was there. In Houston I left the house at 6 in order to clock in no later than 6:43 at Memorial SW Hospital. There was a little traffic when I merged onto Hwy 59 but nothing significant.
Driving to get anywhere on time here is quite another story.

Yes, we have longhorns in Texas, BUT they are not on the main roads in traffic!!!

All the while I am having intermittent conversations with myself and God.

Can they pile that truck any higher?
Is that coal? Oh my gosh what a load.

Oops better watch out ahead that no one tries to overtake me here.

Well if you have to be stuck in traffic might as well do a little window shopping.

Well, the window is actually my car window.

 Let's see what size pot do I need, glazed or unglazed?

There is one particular stretch of the road that they display sofas, patio furniture and bed sets. These items are out all day and night in all kinds of weather. The only way you really get to look at them is driving by slowly in traffic.

Now here is one of my very unfavorite parts of the drive. The boda drivers are everywhere, coming at you in all directions.

 They seem to have an entirely different set of road rules than the rest of us. (or maybe no rules at all is more like it)

They weave in and out of traffic and expect you to stop even if they brush within in inches of your car on purpose as they try to push past.

As long as we're on the subject of poor drivers, let me mention those who make 2 or 3 lanes when there is only supposed to be one.
Very frustrating. I am so glad when right on time at 8, I pull into the parking lot. Thank you God for getting me here safely and on time. Oh and by the way if you wonder how I could take photos as I drive that's because sometimes traffic comes to a complete standstill and you even turn the engine off until it's time to roll again.

Hospital and kitchen in Akot

Back in June I spent 3 weeks on the compound that encompasses this facility.

The compound is situated on a large area of land. Towards the front is one of the main buildings that houses the clinic rooms, pharmacy and offices for the Malteser Ministry that is responsible immunizations.

There is also a dentist room complete with chair but no dentist present at this time, although it is available for any visiting teams.

The hospital is one long, rectangular building which is broken up into two sides, with usually 12 beds in each area.

Above every bed hangs a mosquito net. Each bed is supplied with one sheet and one pillow.

Monday through Friday the doctor  makes rounds on all the patients, getting updates from the nursing staff and monitoring the course of treatment. The doctors here are pretty much on call 24/7 as they live just across the compound.

During the time I was in Akot, most of the patients that were admitted had malaria.

 This means they came with at least one of the following, but not limited to, high fever, headache,stomach problems sometimes, such as vomiting and diarrhea and general weakness similar to flu symptoms.

Typically, depending on the severity of symptoms they would receive IV or oral anti -malarial medications along with some fever reducing tablets. In most cases they would be feeling better in 2-3 days, although there were some persistent symptoms that would take up to 5-7 days to finally abate.

Unlike many hospitals in rural Third World countries, the patients here are fed by the hospital.
 Each morning hot tea with a ton of sugar is served. (this is the way Sudanese like to drink it)
Some patients at this time may also receive porridge. ( like oatmeal)
The next two meals that are served will be the same, rice and beans.
The photo on the right is the kitchen where all the meals are cooked. As you can see the goats like to check out what is on the menu too!
Big pots sit over hot coals for hours during the day and once served the bowls are carried to the bedside.

This is where the staff gathers for their meals of beans and rice . It's just next to the kitchen.
During my stay we had 4 nursing students in residence who always had interesting things to say about their home communities. One of the students came from the Nuba Mts. in the north where there is presently much fighting.
Breakfast was around 7am, lunch anywhere from 2-3pm and supper between 7-8pm. Tea and coffee all day as needed with lots of filtered water available on those hot, steamy days.


Well I think that's a good overview of the hospital and meals etc. You may wonder why I am writing all this, as it may not be very interesting to readers but it's like my personal memory book. I did keep a journal while I was there with my own private thoughts and feelings but the blog, especially if I print it, will be a great visual to jog my memory.

Rules to live by

The apartment I am living in came fully furnished. On the whole I am pleased with their choices of furniture, appliances etc. I really like the one and only wall hanging.

What comes to mind when you see this? Do you think of childhood days and rules that you had to obey?

I wonder what home rules you have now as an adult, parent or grandparent?

Perhaps there is no written list but instead an unwritten code or such that everyone in the family is clear on.




Below are some other house rules that are very fitting, maybe these apply in your house hold.

Even if I don't have anyone here in my home to be accountable to, I can still apply these to my life and how I treat others.  These rules are hanging on the wall opposite where I sit and eat. This is a great reminder and definitely something to "chew on". I hope that they help you too.

Shea Tree

Well after a few recent posts from around my new home I think it's time to go back to South Sudan and continue with some of the things I found interesting and new there during my stay in June.
In earlier postings I think I briefly mentioned the Shea tree, or as it was known locally, the Lulu tree.

The correct name in Latin, I believe, is Vitellaria Paradoxa.

This one is huge. It was on the grounds of the hospital in Mapuordit that I visited for the day.

As you can see it's also a wonderful shade tree in the hot African sun.

We spotted this woman cooking under the tree.
It was in a way, a strange sight. She was using what looked like an almost new teflon pan.  I never thought of using my teflon to cook over hot coals!
When we first looked her way she had a metal spatula and was tossing the beans around with it.
Horrified we suggested, through a translator, that she use a wooden tool. She took our advice :-)

These two ladies have been collecting the shea nuts. They contain a pale yellowish fat that is extracted to make the shea butter.

The butter is used in cooking by the locals. I understand it works well but has a very different taste than other butters and fats.

There are a lot of women here who could make a decent living if they were able to market their shea nuts.

Check out your cosmetics and lotions labels. I'm sure many of you are using it. Well that's a wrap for my Shea story. You never know what you are going to get on this blog, history, geography, theology, nutrition and random thoughts. Thanks for reading and check back later.

A walk around Gaba ( aka Ggba)

Today I decided to step a little more into the local flavor of the community that surrounds me.

It's an easy walk down the hill on a dirt road. It's definitely uneven and therefore always a good idea to watch where you are stepping. I have   my walking shoes on and am always amazed to see young women in high heels!

I enjoy watching the people go about their daily life. It's definitely an assault on the senses though.

Sometimes there's smoke floating across your path from a roadside stand that is cooking some kind of food or just someone burning rubbish. (trash)

There are so many interesting things to look at. I keep my sunglasses on to keep out dust but it also allows me to look at people without them thinking I am staring. Oh, before you think I 'am rude for staring, I get plenty of stares and comments like "hey momma" and "muzungu."




I am fascinated by some of the stalls and stores that I pass by. I must admit the signs sometimes crack me up.

Now here's a sign, actually 2 bright yellow ones that really caught my attention.
The place is called the Classic Inn. You can see it's pretty classic alright!
They are having a price cut for their guests. Resting is only 3,000 Ugandan Shillings ( $1.25) and to spend the night is 5,000 USH ($2)
I didn't have the least interest in doing either.
 I only happened along this pathway trying to locate the "beach resort" that was advertised.  It never materialized.

I did come across the local mosque with it's big loud speaker on the top. Could this be where I hear the call to prayer from? Surely not, it's too far to be so loud.

Today happens to be market day so a all kinds of things are displayed on both sides of the street. There are a lot of used clothes and shoes that look like they are from the U.S or somewhere in Europe.

This is probably one of my favorite encounters of my walk. I noticed this man earlier selling his pineapples but I lacked the courage to ask if I could take his photo. I was walking back towards home a little later and decided to go for it.

I can't tell you how many pineapples he had tied to that bike and then the clear plastic bucket on the front holds freshly cut pineapple if you are so inclined. That thing has to be so heavy to push!

Next is Jonathan. He is in the shoe business, heavy duty, rubber shoes taken from car tires I think.
I asked if he was making money. He said, yes.
So many people working very hard for very little.

A little off the main drag is an open field the overlooks where fish are dried, smoked or whatever it is they were doing that smelled nasty and looked even worse. The big guy in the foreground is a Maribou Stork. They are everywhere around here.


Well that's mostly it. There are so many other photos that were screaming out at me to be taken but I am not bold enough to just whip out my camera, I am after all trying not to draw attention to myself, but just blend in with the crowd.

Neighbors

Today is a dreary day of sorts outside. It started during the night with the gentle rain coming down, it seemed continuously, and some occasional thunder. No morning sun on the horizon across the lake when I pulled back the curtains at about 6:30. I am thankful that there is no loud call to prayer from the nearby mosque, however they make up for it around 12:30, 4 and 7pm.

At first I was really annoyed that they can make as much noise and disturb the rest of us, even if I don't want to hear it, I have to. I could actually hear the guy breathe over the microphone! I had to quickly get over this attitude because daily life would be miserable. Now I just use it as a reminder to pray to the ONE, TRUE, LIVING GOD. If they can pray at least 4 X a day, so can I.

My neighborhood is quite diverse. There are rich and poor, Muslim and Christian, Caucasian and Black or Indian. I haven't ventured out today to explore the neighborhood due to the weather, but I have been watching out my windows. I have a small balcony on the side, off my bedroom. From here I have a good view of Kampala University, Gaba Campus, but that's not where my attention is drawn.

 Just over the fence from our compound there is a small, mud building with cracks in the wall covered by a tin roof that doesn't look like it is capable of withstanding high winds. I suspect drenching rains may be a problem inside. The building is bad enough, but that's not what I find so disturbing.

There are several children who live here and none of them seem to go to school. I have watched them run around the house in a game of chase and what may be Hide and Seek. They play in the dirt or help  their mother with chores, like digging or fetching water.

Life here is unfair, unequal and unjust. Education is so necessary for change to occur. My mind drifts to South Sudan,just to the north of us. Here, young girls in particular,  are  very often denied an education. Instead they tend cattle or goats, carry and care for children who are smaller than themselves, gather food and firewood and haul huge amounts of water for the rest of the family. If they are fortunate they will be acquired by a kind man who is not a decade or more older than them and will have the opportunity to be a person not just an object.
Well anyway, back to the family over the fence, what can I do to help? My heart aches for the injustice of it all. I can and will pray for them and for the government to be aware and pro active in understanding their responsibilities in educating ALL of Uganda's future generations.

New Digs

After being back in Kampala for 12 days it was time to get out of the Henderson family's hair. They are always such gracious and hospitable hosts.
Everyone was keeping an eye open and a listening ear for possible places for me to rent or house sit. Many families are just now returning from summer breaks back in the U.S. or in Europe so nothing was coming up. I decided to look online and found a place of interest. A Ugandan realtor named, Lynn, responded to my call. As it happens she got her real estate license and training in Dallas ( I didn't hold that against her) She understood very well the wants and needs of the Mzungu. (white person) God also knew what was best for me and provided magnificently as always.
Lynn took me to 4 places but the second one captured my attention and heart immediatley. Long story short I moved in on Monday 27th.

My apt is #1 on the 3rd floor. It's the one on the left of the screen. It is very modern by Ugandan standards. There is a high fence and good security so I feel safe.

That's my car in the foreground. Let me tell you it's quite a walk from the car to the apartment. Actually there are 151 steps to climb!

Looks like I'll be getting lots of exercise :-)

Here's the view from my balcony. Not bad eh?

Before you go getting any ideas, this is not a beach resort. The body of water you see in the distance is Lake Victoria. It looks pretty but looks can be deceiving.
 There is a disease called Bilharzia, that is fairly common here. You can get sick from any kind of water activity in this lake.
I'll just enjoy the view.
If you want to locate me on Google look for Spear Rd.  I am between Kampala University and Wentz Medical Center. It is in the area known as Gaba.

Now before you go thinking I live in some ritzy neighborhood let me show you the view from my back balcony.

This is the scene literally right below the apartment building. The main building shown does not have running water, in fact you can just see a yellow jerry can inside an open cement block. This is where they wash clothes etc.

There are several chickens that I have seen come and go inside the doors. I don't think there is electricity either. They get their lighting as it spreads over the fence from our building. No zoning laws in effect here!

One of the reasons I love this place, beside the view, is the location away from the usual hustle and bustle that is Kampala. It's great to wake up in the morning hearing the sounds of abundant bird life. In one of my umpteen flights recently I saw the movie "The Big Year". I think I could really get into "birding" I just found out recently that Uganda provides one of the best opportunities in the world for bird watching due to the ridiculous amount of species found here. I can't remember the exact amount, but I think if  I am going to do it, now is a good time.