Speculation

The number of corona virus cases in Uganda has jumped the last two weeks.  Prior to that there had been only one thousand two hundred cases in Uganda in four and a half months.  Two weeks later the total number of cases is 2,847, an increase of one thousand six hundred cases in two weeks.

There are rumors and open speculation, especially on the radio, that another lock-down is coming.  Uganda just held their third National Day of Prayer (29 August).  (The others were in March and May.)  President Museveni spoke at the end of the prayer service.  He indicated that he would be talking with members of his task force regarding the nine recommendations (all focused on schools, churches, and mosques) on Tuesday (1 September).  Some are speculating that they may open with strict standard-operating-procedures. 

From another lock-down to more easing of restrictions.  The speculations are there.

Shoe repair

I was warned before I came, the environment is hard on shoes.  I have been camping and backpacking, so I thought I knew what that meant.  Wrong. 

The tropical weather melts the glue used to attach the soles to the leather (or canvas) top.  Fortunately, there are many people around who have learned how to sew them back together.  The repair work is inexpensive, especially when compared with buying a replacement pair.  I prepared by bringing an extra pair of shoes.  The first time my shoes needed sewing, I was offered a pair Boaz, one of the sons of missionaries Leroy and Amanda, had outgrown.  From the look of them, he did not wear them very much before he outgrew them.  They fit me so I now have more pairs than I did in the US.  This includes a pair I was going to get rid of in the US because they needed new soles and I bought two new pairs for less than the 100 USD (per shoe) the repair shop in the US wanted for resoling the shoes.  I was told it was easy and inexpensive to do in Uganda, so I kept them.

Godfrey and Queenie

Godfrey and Queen Sheba

Godfrey comes over almost every day.  He has been helping me with Kakwa.  He had just used a sentence that I did not pick up on so he is writing it down so I can study it.  Queenie has become accustom to him because he is one of the few that comes and sits down near her daily.  (Godfrey is learning 10 fingers typing, MS Word, MS Excel, and MS PowerPoint from me.)

Queenie likes to sit on laps.  Preferably mine, while draped over an arm so I cannot use it.  She thinks it will keep me there longer.  Instead I need to get up and get things that I might otherwise reach and use if I had the use of both arms (like writing notes).  She has climbed my back before; however, this is the first time I have seen her climb someone else’s back.

_{Picture taken with Godfrey’s permission.}

Baby goats

Growing up I remember having problems with the squirrels eating the garden before it had a chance to grow.  When I was living in Seabeck it was deer that would eat the garden if it was not fenced high and low.  Here it is the neighbor’s goats.  Most of the neighbors have ropes tied around their goats (homemade leash).   One of my neighbors has baby goats and has not seen fit to provide them with leashes and to tie them someplace where they can feed.  They come in almost daily and it is a Laurel and Hardy routine to chase both back through the slots in the gates at the same time.  Fortunately, I have not lost very much of the garden to them, yet.

Loring

Last night we had a going away dinner for Loring.  Loring is returning to the United States to attend running start at Pierce Community College.  He has spent most of his life as a missionary kid growing up in various cultures and languages.  He has a great command of both.  He will be missed by all.

Charles and Loring

Leigh

One of the risks with living on the other side of the world as a missionary is not hearing about some things when they happen.  I sent a newsletter out at the beginning of June.  By the end of June one of the newsletters had been returned to CTEN as undeliverable.  I have been trying various communication paths to find out what happened since then.

Today I received an e-mail from another friend that included “you have probably already heard that Leigh Price passed away.”  Regrettably, no, I had not. 

Leigh and I were in the same Cursillo reunion group.  For those who have not been to a Cursillo, that is a group that meets to encourage each other to keep growing in the faith.  Those who have been to Cursillo will say I left a lot out.  Yes, but how do you do that justice in a short blog entry? 

I remember Leigh as a kind soul who had her own perspective.  She cared about people deeply.  May God bless her soul and comfort her extended family.

Yellow Fever Vaccination

This week the health department of Uganda is undertaking a campaign to vaccinate Ugandans age 9 months to 60 years in Yellow Fever endemic areas.  I do not know which areas are and which areas are not Yellow Fever endemic areas; however, I do know that Koboko is included in the campaign.

There are several bits of good news in this.  First, I was required to have my Yellow Fever vaccination before entering Uganda.  Second, everyone, not just me, who has already had a vaccination does not need to get one this time.  The World Health Organization has determined that the vaccine stays in the body and a booster is not needed (and does not raise a persons resistance any further).  Third, the government of Uganda health department is requiring everyone to wear their face mask and to keep social distancing.  Why is this good news?  Because Koboko district had not received their government issued face masks yet.  Since it is included in the Yellow Fever campaign the masks were sent – arriving at Koboko hospital yesterday. 

Koboko has been waiting for the face masks to arrive.  Still the government issued face masks are for Ugandans.  Prisoners and refugees are not included.  I received a few donations to help people with face masks.  I used them to purchase face masks for (arrange for face masks to be made for) the local prison. Those were delivered in early August. I am using the remaining funds to purchase face masks to be given out at the hospital. On Monday I gave the hospital administrator 220 face masks to give to those who will not receive a government issued face mask (refugees).  Side notes: a) there are a lot of refugees living in Koboko, b) the services at the government hospital are free so that is where most of the population, including refugees, go for health services.

Face masks being turned over

Queenie

Queen Sheba (Queenie) likes to lay in the dustpan.  I think she likes the feel of something pressing against her.  She discovered it because she was getting into everything she could and playing with anything she can.  She likes playing with the small broom that goes with the dustpan.  She can pick it up and carry it out into the middle of the floor.  I tried to get a picture of her lying in the dustpan, but she does not wait for pictures anymore.  As soon as she sees me, she comes over and begs for me to sit down and let her sit on my lap.  (She starts out wandering over my lap and trying to chew my shirt buttons, but I do not let her.  Eventually she lays on my arm thinking it will keep me there longer.)

Here are some older pictures.  I will keep trying to get a picture of her in the dustpan.

Internet

Normally the internet is good on Sunday mornings, but not today.  Since we cannot go to the church building the Ray family has been streaming part of a service from the USA for part of our home church.  Today the feed kept freezing, waiting for sufficient bandwidth to continue.  Eventually we gave up.  I hope I will be able to connect for tonight’s zoom meeting with my home parish.

Culture

In the United States, if you are meeting with someone (in person) one would hope that you would let a phone call go to voice mail and continue to meet with the person.  Here the phone takes priority and a person excuses themselves, even from a scheduled meeting, to step away and take the phone call.

I was meeting with a friend, a pastor and refugee from South Sudan, about learning Kakwa.  It was a scheduled meeting, but he received a phone call.  The caller asked him to go to an office for an impromptu meeting.  We agreed to reschedule my meeting until the afternoon.  That is just the way it is.