Bumpy Roads and Dusty Floors

This title sums up our day pretty good sometimes.   The route that I take to school each day has fairly good roads, most of which are paved but they also have a number of speed bumps.  The dirt roads have their natural bumps and pot holes as well as speed bumps that the locals build up to keep the traffic driving slower and therefore keep the dust down in front of their houses.  I think I would be building these bumps in front of my house or shop too when I see the amount of dust that can come from a vehicle driving by.   

This is the road just as we come out of our gate.

 

Driving here has taken some getting used to and although I was quite stressed about it at first, I have become more comfortable driving to school as well as to one of the groceries stores that is about 10 minutes away from our house.  The traffic can be very random, but we also noticed that it flows well for the most part.  People letting you merge into a busy road or, stopping to let you turn.  If I feel like the road is too narrow for me and the oncoming car to pass, I simple stop in the wide section having moved over as far as I can and then let them do the squeezing by.  So far it has worked out great. 

(Traffic on one of the main roads on our way to school)

We have seen a bit more rain these past couple weeks, usually a passing cloud or thunderstorm and then it clears.  It is always a highlight for the kids to go out and play in it. 

 

 

Our daily temperatures are in the low 80'sF (mid 20'sC) but we enjoy a great breeze up on our third floor apartment.  We really feel the heat as we drive home from school each day, as currently the air conditioning in our van is out of commission.  Definitely an item on the do to list.  

But when it is dry, it is dusty.   Even after sweeping each day and washing the floor every few days, the dust is always there.  Just part of living in Africa.  During our orientation one of our speakers talked to us about the aspects of living overseas that are different and could therefore be a point of frustration.   She encouraged us to not let it get to us but find a way to turn it around.  So in this case, as I clean my floors each day, I pray for each of my family as I clean around their beds, or their chair at the dinner table, that God would continue to grow them in their walk with Him and give each of them a heart to serve Him.  It takes a mundane task and makes it purposeful.

 Some have asked if we have found a home church yet, and if we are settling in.  Yes we are settling in but finding a home church has been a bit of a process as we visit different ones with various styles of worship and teaching, some with children's program and some doing great outreach.  It also seems to be our pattern that each new church we try, is not having a regular service that first week we are there, so we go back for a return visit and scope it out again.  So far we have visited 3 different churches and have liked different aspects of each but our hearts desire is to find a balance between familiar and connection for the girls as well as purposeful involvement with the Ugandan people.   Continue to pray with us that we would have wisdom and clarity in this area.

Thank you for continuing to lift us up in prayer, we greatly appreciate and know that it is making a difference.  Pray that we would continue to connect and that the opportunities to engage and invest in the people around us would be many.