May 11, 2011

• It is now May 11th.  We have missed several birthdays and Mother's Day (and Verlander's no-hitter!).  It is becoming painfully obvious that this will not be easy.  However, we have an awesome group of friends and family that are keeping in touch with us and we really appreciate that!

  Liz and I have been getting quite the chuckle lately.  Here, it is not offensive to state the obvious.  For example, if someone is "slightly husky", they will just say "That person is FAT."  It was really funny showing pictures to some folks here, and that is all they would say.  It makes me laugh just typing this.  We are obviously struggling to hear stuff like that and not take offense.  Actually, the worst thing is that I have been challenged to race some people here.  It has come up in conversation, when talking about our interests, that I was fast'ish.  The immediate response is, "No, you are not fast.  You are fat."  So I have been challenged to two races.  The really sad thing is that they are with women.  I am pathetic.  But you know my ego is too big to let them talk trash without taking them up on it.  They will go down!!!

  On another topic... the children here are extremely well behaved.  They are amazingly responsible and aware.  I have seen 4-5 year old kids walking on busy roads (crazy busy) weaving between cars trying to cross.  I am terrified to be near the road and not have our kids hands in mine.  Granted, my fear is partly due to our children never being near traffic.  We have lived in the sticks every since the children were able to walk.  So that places the blame on us.  Now on the other hand, I compare these children to my own.  Let me re-emphasize how well behaved the children are here.  Now lets think about my kids... do I have to say much else?  Lets just say that Isaac is not Ugandan.  Comparatively, he is actually a little terror, seriously.  (He is lucky he is cute!!) 

  Yesterday, we met with a man who has made the decision to single-handedly attempt to get a school/clinic built in his village where he grew up.  This place, called Pallisa, is located about 5 hours east of Kampala, the capital city near where we are staying.  The village was a central location for refugee camps in the mid-80's during the civil war.  Since, the area has stabilized, the focus has not been on improving the community.  Instead, the families who average 10 children, focus on farming rice and fishing.  The nearest school is about 4 miles away!  There is no church, no clinic... no means to allow for the community to prosper.  So this man met with us to see how we could partner to get a school built in this area.  It is really exciting to be involved with this!  This is what we came here for.  I expect to go out there in the next couple of weeks to assess the property that he has acquired and discuss a means for the construction that WE have so much high hope for.  Please pray for this man's courage and success.  He is very determined, but he needs the backing of the community or the project will be a bust.

  On a similar subject, Liz gets her first opportunity to see a prospective building site on Friday.  We are traveling to Mukono.  It is the city that is about 1 and 1/2 hours east from us.  There are two schools that are expected to receive teams there.  So we will visit both sites, together.  We plan to meet with the schools' directors.  We then have to figure out all of the logistics of how teams can be received in this area.  Please pray for our foresight.  We really need to make sure we cover all of our bases and get the appropriate information to convey to WWCS-USA so they can start raising teams.

  It is getting a little confusing now on what we post on the blog versus facebook and email.  So I want to quickly summarize some of the topics that have been common in our communication abroad...  The rashes have cleared!  We found out that they are due to physical contact with caterpillars.  Apparently they are harmful to touch here.  Lesson learned!...  Grace is fine from falling about six feet, in her sleep...  Liz has lost over 16 pounds.  I have lost over 25 pounds.  Our plan when we come back to the US is to start the Ugandan Weight Loss program.  I am pretty sure we will become hundred-aires!... The political problems still remain, quietly.  The main activist is due back to Uganda later today.  So most people are refraining from much travel.  We too have made postponed travel arrangements due to his return... We did celebrate Mother's Day.  We went to the American Club to go swimming.  Then we concluded the day with some pizza, soda, and brownies for desert.  It was positively divine!

  Peace out!

  • 5:56 am
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