I know that at least one person reading this thinks that I have found a male roommate for while I am a way in the village.  Well that is gross and not funny!

Actually, this is a more serious subject.  Lately we have been doing a study in our church about the book of Joshua.  Everyone knows the story of Joshua and the battle of Jericho.  But that is not what made me want to write today.  This week we have been talking about the people of Gibeon.  If you don’t know this story, you should read it.  Basically, Joshua was told by God to decimate all of the people who currently resided in the promise land.  The people of Gibeon (a group who lived in the promise land prior to their arrival) had a decision to make… live or die.  Well they chose the likely option, they wanted to live.  So in doing so, they chose to disguise themselves to appear that they had traveled great distance to get to Jericho.  They then convinced the Isrealites that they were from a long distance and that they needed to have a treaty with the Isrealites.  Long story short, it worked and Joshua found out.  So rather than breaking a promise of the treaty, he chose to punish them by basically making them slaves.

But that is not the part of the story that struck me this week.  My thoughts have been about the sequel to that story.  What was it like to live with the people who openly lied to you and caused you to sin?  What was it like to be constantly reminded of how you failed to follow the direction of God with liars, con men? 

For the first time in my life, I have finally connected with a bible character.  Now I am not saying I could lead the chosen people in any way.  I do however relate with having to live with people who deceive and lie.  Now I imagine that the Gibeonites gave up on their outright lying once they were chosen to live.  But I would imagine that the Isrealites were a bit bent and bitter toward them for a long time following, as if they were still lying to them daily.  And that is the one of my huge struggles here.

It is a constant personal battle mostly.  How do you react to lying and still represent God?  Do we correct them?  Do you accept that it is the WORLD and that evil is always present?  My personal problem is properly reacting and knowing when its necessary.  There are times when the lies need to be addressed and there are times when you need to just accept that it is something that is harmless and allow it to pass.  I know that.  But honestly, its only human to get stressed and bothered about it.  I really need prayer about this.  It is not horrible most of the time.  But there are moments when you just want to get angry and yell.  Man, this is a hard one!

I will admit, not everyone is a pathological liar in Uganda.  There are some good people here and praise God for them!  But the percentage of people commonly cheat to prosper is so much higher than what I am used to in good old, conservative Grand Rapids, Michigan.

On a separate subject, Halleluiah we have a new house!  We moved in two weeks ago and are absolutely loving it!  The space is the part that is most enjoyable.  Not having to worry about the weather and knowing we can travel regardless, is absolutely priceless!  It is all around improving the kids’ moods, Liz’s and my own.  Just driving home is a wonderful reminder of how the Lord provides.  Thanks to everyone who supported us with prayers.  It was a bit stressful, but totally worth it in the end!

The kids are excelling at school.  I am so proud of them.  They are really trying hard and it is really paying off.  I want to give props to the teachers and administration of Acacia Classical Academy.  They were a blessing poured out to us from above.  I am quite certain that it would be impossible to continue the ministry with the burden of home schooling still.  Their willingness to work with us financially and their heart for quality education is life changing to us!

Chad Neeley

Volunteer Construction Coordinator – WWCS USA/Uganda

For the past couple of weeks, everyday has had some sort of house hunting included in it.  If you have ever had this opportunity, it can be fun and depressing.  Not to mention it can also be frustrating, hopeless, and when it is all done, exciting.  (I can’t wait for that!)

I really want to settle on a house.  However, settling requires compromise.  Compromise requires acceptance of the status quo.  And that is really hard lately, for some reason.  Early in the process, we wanted to have our options left open, believing that we could find a couple we liked and make a choice.  As this week started, we had really narrowed down our houses we liked.  We had a plan… check out one last house, if it was no good, move on another.  So how did that work for us?  Well, that is a fun story…

Lets first say that our first two selections that we liked were picked off the market just as we made our choice.  That was a bit sad!  So this week, we had a realization that given the correct terms, we could improve our prospects.  So a house that was previously unavailable to us became available.  So when that was realized, we said that we would move on that house.  So the next day, I asked the broker to setup an arrangement to meet with the landlord.  Then he tells me that that too was taken.  The next day, we were taken to a lovely home.  One where the landlord already knew our budget and invited us for a viewing.  We were quite excited, because the house was perfect for us.  Then negotiations ensued and greed got the best of the landlord, taking that option off the table for us.  So we are at square one… again.

This whole process is confusing and frustrating.  But I have to say, without friends here who have helped us cope with the situation, it would be unbearable!  We really need prayers to find a new place, and quick!

On a really positive note, the kids are all doing great!  We had a bout with some fun tropical parasites that wiped them out pretty good.  But thankfully, by God’s grace they were healed and are crazy as ever!  If anything, they have gotten a little more energy.  There is no more dragging the kids out of bed in the morning to prepare for school.  They are up, at it, and ready to go.  That is really nice!

This coming week marks the 50th anniversary of Ugandan’s independence.  Yay Uganda!  I am really looking forward to the Jubilee party and celebrating such a momentous occasion in another country.  It is completely foreign to me, literally and figuratively.  It was funny… the other day the newspaper had an article of the president here, Museveni, who quoted that Uganda will soon be a first world country.  His claim was that by 2030 Uganda will be equal to Europe and USA.  That made me chuckle. The next page of the paper had a letter from some college professor that stated that Ugandans are looting their own country (referring to corruption).  Yet Museveni did not even mention corruption as an issue for the country.  Needless to say, one, the paper is quite entertaining to read.  Two, there are different perspectives everywhere we go.

I am happy to say that the last update I got, the block making machine will hit the coast of Kenya in ten days!  We expect it to get to Uganda a week or so later.  So we should have the machine in our hands, not literally as it is 2400 pounds, by the end of the month!  I am sooo stoked!  The prospect of this machine has expanded our ministry so much.  Actually having it can only do so much more!  So now, pray that we are able to utilize it as best possible and that there are no customs issues as it hits land!

And now… a funny story that you would only experience in Africa.

So this last trip to the village had us finishing the fencing project for the massive school build that is next.  In doing so, we had to clear the perimeter of the land so that the fence did not have obstruction as we stretched it.  Well in Uganda, especially in the village, properties boundaries are marked with a special type of tree.  It just so happens that when you cut this tree, it saps a very runny white glue type substance.  Speaking from experience, it is horrible cleaning it out of any sort of hair.  Well according to the locals, it is even worse, meaning actually harmful, if it is ingested or when it makes contact with bodily fluids, namely mouths or eyes.  Well one of the workers, Cyrus, was working very hard.  And it just so happened that he got some of that stuff in his eye.

So first of all, Ugandan men are just like any other men… they cannot show pain or fear.  Well Cyrus was trying his best at that.  From what I could tell, this situation was pretty bad.  The tears running down his face seemed uncontrolled, which only suggested that there was pain.  (typically a good indicator)  The fear was noticeable when he explained the extent of which he would go to ‘cure’ the issue.  So apparently, the village cure for this situation is to put breast milk in you eye.  Yes, I said breast milk.  So Cyrus ran off and sought after treatment.  Upon his return, he was remedied of the pain and uncontrolled tears.  His detail of the cure was entertaining… in that he had to get the freshest breast milk available.  So he found the nearest nursing mother and requested that she assist.  He then laid down and had her apply the antidote directly to his eye.  Enough said… no visual needed there!

I had to promise Lizzy that I would not fake this problem!

As an update, the fence is complete!  It is remarkable!  Now we are in the process of digging the 4600 square foot foundation for the primary school.  My hope is to start on pouring the foundation at the end of the month!  Pray for perseverance and wisdom!

Chad Neeley

Volunteer Construction Coordinator – WWCS USA/Uganda