A Piece of Culture

A couple weeks ago a friend and I, and our kids, were invited to visit a Ugandan lady's home and little chicken farm.  Her 6 children eagerly greeted us and were so lovely.  They live in a simple concrete home and have a small building beside them where they raise chickens.  Some are meat birds and others are laying hens, both provide a means of extra income for school fees and supplies.  Our kids loved holding the hens, seeing what they feed them and hearing that when the hens are let outside the kids have to sit out around the edges of the grass area and watch that they don't run away.
(I wasn't able to get a picture with the hens because it was too dim in the barn.)

Then her children asked if we wanted to go and get water with them.  Our kids were very enthusiastic about this, so we walked down to the local spring, with jugs in hand, ready to fill.

 The spring has been capped so everyone places their jugs under the pipe for easy fill ups.

It was a busy spot and I think we drew a bit of attention, being a group of white people fetching water. 

Although the walk was not very far or hard, our kids gained an appreciation for the task that these kids do on a daily basis and how we take for granted that we have running water in the house.

The whole morning gave us a little glimpse into the lives of the people around us and how even though their daily chores may be different, and they live in different houses, they are also very similar. 

 I pray that God will continue to give us experiences like this, to interact with the people around us and for our kids to continue to desire to try new things and get to know the people as well.

Christmas in Uganda

We knew this was going to be a Christmas of new traditions and a new style of celebrating and we prayed that even though we were far away from family, that we would be able to embrace where God has placed us and celebrate with the people around us.   We are thankful for the way that those prayers were answered.  We still missed our family but we had a good day.  

Our celebrations began Christmas Eve when we spent the evening with the other families on our compound enjoying a BBQ together, followed by singing and scripture, then ending with desserts up at our place.  

Tropical Christmas BBQ

Some of our neighbours

Some pre - dinner crosswords and colouring

Our Christmas Eve service together with carols, scripture and candles.

And yummy desserts up at our place.

Then Christmas Day we enjoyed a quiet morning at home before we headed out for the afternoon for dinner with some of the other MAF families. 

Christmas Morning pancake breakfast

Dinner outside on the porch with friends

After dinner entertainment from each family.  

The girls represented our family and did the "Laughing song"

Of all our new traditions I think Christmas Eve was the highlight.  As we sang carols and read the account of Christ's birth in Matthew, surrounded by new friends, we were reminded that it doesn't matter where you are, the message is still the same.  That God sent His Son to the world, to be our Saviour, the greatest gift of all.

Monkeys, Milestones and the Pope

Monkeys

We recently went with some friends to Entebbe Botanical Gardens. It was just under an hour drive from our place and was a beautiful and peaceful spot to spend our Saturday morning. City living is a big change for us and it was refreshing to find this place and enjoy the quiet and green space.

The kids enjoyed seeing the different flowers and trees, as well as seeing who could find the biggest termite mound.

(Our friends Jonatan and Samuel, kings of the termite hill)

 Of course the monkeys were a big hit too and it was fun to see how close we could get, before they ran away or growled at us for being to close.

It was a fun morning and we are thankful to have a place like this that we could explore and enjoy with friends.  

Milestones

Last week we stepped over the three month mark of living in Kampala, and we realized that it is now the longest we have lived in one place outside of Canada, with Nampa, Idaho now in second.  We praise God for his continued presence and comfort in times of missing our friends and family.  We are so thankful for the friends we have made here and pray that these friendships would continue to develop and deepen.  

The Pope

You may be wondering why we are including this in our blog, but right now it is a big thing here in Uganda.  Pope Francis is coming to visit Kampala this weekend, which in any place would mean lots of people and congested traffic, but you would simply avoid those areas and continue on with your plans. Well, it's not quite like that here.  Congested traffic and road closures take a whole new meaning here in Kampala, where traffic can already be crazy and when some roads are closed there are no alternate routes. So we planned ahead and were sure to have enough groceries and the girls get to enjoy an extra day off of school.  We will be hanging out at home this weekend enjoying the extra time to bake and do some Christmas crafts.   Not a bad way to spend an extra long weekend.  

The week ahead is going to be a busy one with Christmas concerts at school and Hannah and Jasmine preparing for their term exams.  If you think of them specifically in the next couple weeks, pray that they will have peace about this new experience, and that they will have clarity as they study and write each exam.

You just never know

This morning started of pretty normal, getting the girls breakfast and making a mad dash to get out the door by 7:10am. It was a little overcast, but it would likely clear up so I threw my load of laundry in, ready to hang up when I get back from the school drop off. I was on for car pool this morning, so we drove over to the other family's house and picked up their three girls. All seemed to be going fairly smoothly, and we were well on our way by 7:22. We drove down a few small roads, took a left down the hill and onto the short bumpy stretch, before turning onto our first main road. It looked a little more backed up than usual but most days when we passed the entrance to the other school, it thins out and is fine. Well..... not today. Today was the day for people to have car trouble and stop their cars in the middle of the road. The first was on what we call "Rainbow Road" because that is the name of the school that accesses onto that road. The traffic was backed up halfway down the road making our quick little drive, now more than 15 mins just to get to the corner. The older girls in the car were starting to get a little concerned that they were going to be late and therefore build up too many late's and get a detention. I assured them that we were still fine and as soon as we got to the corner and onto the next main road it would get better. Well, not exactly. There was a second car that had stopped in the road forcing traffic in both directions to have to make their way around it. Thankfully that stretch of road can handle 3 cars wide but it made for some interesting diversions. The rain was picking up a little at this point but we successfully cut through the long traffic line and made our next right and had smooth sailing the rest of the way to school. Although, by this time it was 7:53 and we were stopped in the cue waiting for the guards to check our car and for the traffic line coming out of school, to stop so we can be let in. At this point the big girls decided they would get there faster if the ran the last bit, so out they went and jogged down the last stretch of road and into the school parking lot. Oh and it is still raining :-) But they did make it on time and I then parked and took the younger girls to their classes and headed home to hang up my laundry. Well, maybe not just yet. But I was really hoping that my drive home would be less eventful, and for the most part it was. It was still raining and the cars were still stalled in traffic, but since I wasn't on a time crunch, I wasn't worried. The traffic was even more backed up on our first main road stretching from one corner all the way to the other, but it was mostly the other side, so my drive was fine. So what did I learn....? Not to wash laundry when it is over cast! Ha,ha. And that you just never know what your morning will be like. Traffic and weather can be so unpredictable but I don't need to be stressed when I can't change it anyways. Living in Uganda is an adventure and we just need to take it in stride. Although tomorrow I might leave the house at 7am though just to have the extra time. Sorry there are no pictures to go with this post. It would have been fun to show you the traffic in the rain, but I didn't think to bring the camera on the school run.

Family Conference Weekend

We had the joy of attending the Family Conference this past weekend that was put on by MAF US.  It was primarily the families involved in the East DRC program but also the US families here on the Uganda program.  It was just a great weekend to connect with these families and enjoy some Bible teaching, as well as fun activities.

A team from Rose Drive Fellowship in The States came to do the kids programs, as well as lead in worship and teaching.  They were so wonderful.  They were full of energy and our kids loved everything they did with them.  They even brought yummy treats which was fun too.

Our energetic kids

 The kids were able to do a pottery project, thanks to a church sponsor.

Fun meals with friends.  

Talent show

 The team brought all the toppings and treated us with ice cream sundaes.  

Relaxing in the pool

Intense volleyball games

It was a wonderful weekend of relaxing and renewal and we are so thankful that we were able to get to know our team better which enables us to specifically pray for them as they serve in the DRC.

Ladies Retreat

I know it has been a few weeks since I have posted an updated and I was trying to figure out how time got away on me.  My conclusion has been that life takes work here.  Even the everyday things.  I know I don't have to wash clothes my hand or even bake my own bread but most things just take more effort.   I think I have mentioned before, that even just getting groceries can be a long process.  That and it has been birthday season in our family and the little extras that we try to do to make their day special also fills up the days.  I'll post a blog about our celebrations next time.

I did want to share with you some highlights from a ladies retreat that I had the opportunity to attend a couple weekends ago.  It had been organized by a few of the missionary ladies here as an encouragement and refreshing time for ladies who are serving here in Uganda.  There were 50 of us, mostly from the Kampala area, but also some from the more northern regions, all desiring to seek God fully in a time of retreat and refreshment.

Some of these women serve in hard places and have been through some deep struggles, but all of us needed the reminder that when we walk in faithfulness to God, we will grow to know Him deeper and fuller.   We may not see the full results of our serving, even in our lifetime, but God is still at work and will be faithful to do all that He has promised.

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.