Who is that at my gate?

I was talking with Godfrey, my neighbor, when another neighbor showed up at my gate?

Who’s that knocking at my … gate?

Okay, it did not exactly knock.  Cows and goats are frequently led to the brush near my property.  Usually they are tied to a tree or a sturdy stock of a plant.  Occasionally the herder lets the young ones roam free as he did with these calves.  They do not hurt anything; if anything, they help keep the plants from growing too big although the kids roaming the area in search of firewood would probably do it too.  (I am using propane for my cooking, so I do not participate in the scramble for firewood.)

The herders will gather the goats and cows in the evening and lead them back to the compound of the owners.  Somehow they know which ones they are responsible for.

For Everything There Is A Season

The restrictions to hinder the spread of the corona virus continue to prevent gathering at the church for services.  Therefore, pastor Moses of Calvary Family Worship Center is visiting each family that attends or has visited recently.  Yesterday he made arrangements to visit the Ray family today.  They invited me to come and I accepted.

We talked about how things were going for each other, for the community, for the church as a community and for those we are praying for in the United States.  It turns out that he knows people in the United States, but he has not traveled outside of Africa, yet.

We also discussed scripture, spending a fair amount of time with ‘for everything there is a season’ (Ecclesiastes 3:1).  We may not know the time this season of corona will end but we can pray for it to end.  We can also note the blessings.  Pastor Moses mentioned several people who do not normally come to church have asked him to come so they can pray.  For me, it has given me time to focus on developing material for prison ministry.  It has also given me time to settle in.  The plan had been for me to travel down country (to Entebbe) at the end of March to help with the Hope for Restoration Initiative office move and to become familiar with what the other branches of the ministry are doing.  Because of the announcement of pending restrictions, we put that off.  What a blessing, otherwise I would have been stuck in Entebbe unable to make the final arrangements on the house (first week of April) or move in (Good Friday, 10 April 2020).  I would still be in Entebbe; I would have missed out on preaching on the radio in Koboko and the walks to / from town that resulted in conversations where a member joined the prison ministry team.

Like everyone else, I appreciate the blessings, but I am eager for a new season.  Let us pray that it comes soon.

Woodwork

It has been three weeks since President Museveni (of Uganda) made the first easing of CoVid-19 restrictions by adding to the list of businesses that could open. (Wood shops and metal shops were among the businesses that were added.)  Two weeks ago, I went to a wood shop and placed an order for my kitchen counters and shelving that would become my pantry.  Here in Uganda tables, shelving, etc. are custom made.

I received my new kitchen counters and shelving, built to fit my house, two days earlier than estimated.

Kitchen counters

Pantry shelving

I do not really have a pantry; however, there is a little space between the door and the wall.  This set of shelves was custom sized to fit that space.  Dust is ubiquitous so I store cups and plates face down.

Water filter

The Charismatic Church makes water filters as part of its ministry.  Half of the filters are distributed in the refugee camps at a greatly subsidized cost to help them get safe drinking water.  The other half are sold at a reasonable price to support this ministry.  (The cost is still within the amount I was told to budget for when I visited three years ago.)

I have been getting my drinking water from the Rays.  They have one of these filters and it works great.  (Note: these are not your backpacking filters.  At 200 pounds (estimate) after the filtering material is added the filter stays where it is set up.  Fortunately, the filter does not need cleaning, nor changing.  The good microbes eat the bad, so it takes care of itself, provided I follow the directions.)  I have planned to get one; however, I could not do it when I moved into the house due to CoVid-19 restrictions.  Now it is possible because manufacturing businesses are allowed to re-open.  To my surprise the wait I was told to expect (one month) does not apply right now.  My filter arrived the two days after it was ordered.

My new water filter arrived

Clothing

I have been asked what they wear in Uganda.  The styles are similar.  I do not see new fashion and suits are rare; however, “western” casual wear is quite common.  Unlike the Gambia, I see very few kaftans.  I saw a few kaftans during the month of Ramadan (Muslim calendar), but only a few.

Walking back from town today I saw a lady wearing a Cub Scout T-shirt.  It was yellow with blue text where a left shirt pocket would go.  It had the Cub Scout logo and the words ‘Pack 26, Carnation, WA’.

Outreach

Yesterday I was talking with Amanda and the conversation shifted to the proverbial ‘how are you doing?’  She wanted to know my feelings now that I have been on the mission field for three months (and because of the impact of corona virus restrictions).

I am doing fine.  I am settling into my house and it is becoming my Ugandan home.  I will always claim a USA home too.  The thing is I am at home here too.  I have been meeting the neighbors.  Sometimes they stop by, sometimes I am taken to meet my neighbors.  I am trying to make a conscious effort to meet the neighbors and greet them in Kakwa if possible.  The cultural setting is very communal so the idea of just moving in and keeping to oneself does not go over well here.

I also mentioned that I missed going into the ministry field – visiting the prison, helping with discipleship in Alipi and in Mugujai.  Amanda reminded me that becoming part of the culture and meeting my neighbors is ministry too.

Be careful what you wish for.  Today I went shopping in the afternoon.  Shortly after I returned Margaret (a neighbor and wife of a prison team member) came by with three neighbors I was not acquainted with (yet).  She thought I was still in town but the neighbors she was about to introduce had seen me return and followed the route I had used.  It took them up the hill and over one block and then back down which is where they met Margaret.  I am just a little further down the hill.  They were looking for me to pray for their son and share scripture with them.

Afterwards they invited me to visit their home.  There is a direct trail (not a road, I have been sticking to the roads unless I have a guide to show me which trails to use).  Eventually I will use the trails on my own.  It is just that some of them come close to houses.  The direct trail to their house is a good example.  To a Ugandan it is just a trail that connect my road with theirs.  To my US American eyes, it looks like it cuts through their family compound just before connecting with their street.  They made a point of saying (several times) that I am welcome to use it, anytime.  We prayed again and then I used the trail to return home.

Garden

The neighbor above me (on the hill) planted his garden in March.  That was when the first rains came, and, we all hoped, would continue to come.  Those who own the land below me weeded their fields and planted after I moved in.  That was April. 

It took time to get the yard under control.  In the process, Moses, asked for permission to plant a garden in my compound.  I said yes.  It is now May and the garden area has been weeded and planted.  Rain continues to be occasionally (once a week or every other week) which is not good.  I wish we could claim some of the excess rain in the south of Uganda.  (It is not that far away, approximately the distance from Eugene, OR to Seattle, WA.)

Garden planted 18 May, 2020

Before (picture taken 15 April, 2020)

Neighbors

A brother (cousin but he refers to him as a brother) to my watchman visited yesterday.  He lives near-by with his family.  When he offered, I accepted the invitation to visit. 

It was a short walk across the creek and into the neighborhood east and then south of me.  His family rents a tookel.  I knew the population density was high but wow.  Four kids, his wife and himself in one tookel (maybe 4 x 4 meters, probably a little less).  He introduced those staying in the near-by tookels.  Again, the number per tookel was 4 to 6 people.  There is not a lot of space between tookels, maybe 3 meters.  Gardens were anyplace a foot path and a tookel was not.

It was fun to meet some of the neighbors. 

Ants

Rain came!  We had a couple of heavy showers a couple of days ago (5:30 a.m. and again at 6:00 a.m.) but nothing since.  It put some water in the water tank (collected from the roof) and watered the garden.  Moses, my watchman, ask and I agreed to let him plant a garden, so he was out weeding now that the ground was softened.  Our neighbors did not have to excavate their yards from an over-grown construction site, so they were able to dig and plant gardens in March (the normal time) when the first rains came.  Their plants were suffering from weeks of dry weather (only a few drizzles).  Their plants look better now.

The day after the rain the ants came out.  I knew ants were around, but I did not know I had so many ants.  Nor that many kinds.  It looked like a map with all the freeways drawn in.  Some of these ants bite!  I did not have very many enter the house, but it was hard to walk outside without some of them climbing on me. 

I had visitors in the evening.  They told me they spray their compound for ants and promised to have their watchman tell me what he uses.

The next day their watchman did tell me what he uses.  Unfortunately, the shop that sells it was closed.  Fortunately, the ants were scarce.  I still want to make the solution and spray the yard.

Prison Ministry

God is moving!  Several members of the prison ministry team have been approached by people who heard we are involved in prison ministry and they want to get involved.  God even used our time on the radio to move a heart and prompt that young man to volunteer.

We had an orientation for a few of these new team members.  We did not want to hold just one orientation and hope everyone could come on that date at that time.  Why, because CoVid-19 restrictions on group size remain in place.  Multiple smaller orientations make it easier to respond to questions and address concerns too.

The meeting went well.  When restrictions are lifted, and it is possible to go into the prison again we will be incorporating the new team members a few at a time.  (There are limits on how many team members we can take in each week.  Also, we want to allow new team members an opportunity to be in a support role before asking them to lead a Bible study session or help with translation.)

We will hold orientations for the new team members that were not part of the last orientation – again, respecting the reasons and limits mentioned above.