May 21, 2011

  • Izzy is walking

    So Izzy finally made the decision to walk full time.  It has only been three days since I posted the video of us coaxing her to walk.  Even then, that was a spontaneous instance, where she was still "practicing."  Now, in walking full time, she looks as if she has been doing it for months.  She does not walk all cautiously like a newly walking baby would.  She carries stuff, dances, and when she falls she stands right back up and walks.  Evidently, she is a stubborn baby/toddler.  She is just like... (insert name here)!

    After dealing with the late delivery of Lydia's goat, partly because we had just gotten to Uganda, we have been thinking well in advance of what to get Grace for her birthday.  Our philosophy is to avoid the "middle child" syndrome as much as possible.  So we are thinking of getting her a gift just as grand as Lydia's.  As of yesterday, the options had only been narrowed by not getting a monkey.  So we were still considering a goat, dog, or chicken.  For a reason I will describe later in the blog, we were leaning toward getting her a puppy.  A neighbor of ours has some puppies that are for sale.  So we went to go take a look at them.  There are three puppies (muts).  Two of them are boys, and one is a girl.  In looking at them, two of them were instantly shot down.  They were sickly looking and not very inviting.  Two things that rank pretty high on our list of traits a dog should not have.  So the last dog that they had available, happened to be the most cute also.  He was a black and tan dog, a little chunky, and really friendly.  We asked them if we could buy him.  After much discussion, we found out that that dog was not for sale.  Apparently, the family who owned the parent dogs (owned is a term used loosely, they look like strays) said that he has already been BEWITCHED.  At this point, we had to have Azeda come interpret.  The father refused to sell the dog because he had already done some ritual, using "black magic", to him as they had intended to keep him.  What does that mean?  If he wiggles his nose do I get a wish?  Clearly, as we mingle with that man's children, we need to impress on them the saving grace of Christ.  Pray for that family!

    So at this point, a dog does not seem to be in the works.  Unless there are some other options around that we are not currently aware of.  Personally, I am not too fond of having another goat.  I do not think our yard is big enough to feed two full grown goats.  Nor do I think that milking two goats is feasible.  You can bet that I am not putting my man-hands on a dwarf goat's teats.  Sounds like a chicken may be the answer... we will see.

    So I want to explain why we are fond of the dog idea.  The day after our friend arrived, Sarah Dielman, from the US, their house was robbed.  In the night, some thieves climbed their fence and using a long pole with a hook of sorts on the end, they managed to take a bag that was left in their sitting room.  The bag contained their brand new portable DVD player and her brand new cell phone.  She had just purchased that phone earlier in the day.  There was never even a call made from it.  Now you have to understand, their home is not nearly as protected as ours.  Their window was already broken, making the thievery that much easier.  But because of this situation, Liz and I would feel a little better having advance warning of intruders, via a dog.  Sarah has since made the decision that they no longer want to live there.  Please consider them in your prayers as they try to sell their house and find a new one.  Their house doubles as a ministry for children who need schooling/counseling/medical assistance.  Right now, there are between 6 and 10 people living there.

    Since we have been here, our ministry has been limited to meeting with people to discuss the schools they want to build.  I have volunteered to assist in the design of the schools as well as the general construction consulting that I can offer.  So this past week, I have been working on some drawings for a school in Mukono, Kingsway Primary School.  It is semi-enjoyable!  I have found a program, free online, called Google Sketchup.  It allows me to draw 3D renderings of what the school could look like.  I will try and post a couple of the renderings that I have started.  The program is limited, but I am excited to present these drawings because it is way more than what they would have otherwise.  It also puts in perspective that the physical construction of these schools is a ways off.  So any effort I can offer to expedite this process is a blessing as far as I can tell.  I hope that we can agree to some plans and get the ball rolling!

    Being deprived of our normal junk food, I think my creative thoughts are thriving.  Lizzy mentioned how she saw some make-shift solar oven on a PBS show some time ago.  So I have been thinking about making a homemade oven, using the charcoal stoves as a heat source.  Lizzy thinks the drawings I have been doing are a waste of time, but I will show her.  I am pretty pumped.  I have to print out my plans and go talk to the metal shop at the bottom of our hill.  If it is not too expensive, I am going to have them make it.  If it is too much, I have alternatives instead of metal (cardboard box and tin foil).  But it is pretty exciting for the nerd in me!

    Ta ta for now!