Kakwa

Recently the Church Teacher said that after the lock down is lifted, he wants to have me read the lesson in Kakwa for a church service.  I think I could – if I have the text in print and time to practice.  Kakwa has only one language root so there are very few exceptions and I have learned many of the pronunciation rules.  (I hesitate to say all, how would I know?)  I mentioned that I might be able, but I would not understand what I am reading.  I would just be sounding out the words without understanding them (except for the limited number of words that I know).

I am trying to get a Kakwa Bible so I can read the lessons in English and Kakwa.  It is my hope it will help me learn the language.  I learned that the Kakwa Bible is out of print.  They have been hesitant to print more because they want to update (fix) the translation. However, no one is currently working on an updated Kakwa translation.

Most people only speak Kakwa.  Only a limited number of people can read and write Kakwa.  That helps me understand why the Church Teacher wants to have me read Kakwa.

Prison ministry

Unlike prison ministry in the United States, you are allowed to bring things to the prison here.  It is even an expected part of the ministry.

In the United States bringing items into the prison was considered contraband.  There is a set way through which the prisoners may obtain items.  It allows the officers to keep a handle on what is inside the prison and verify that nothing else was smuggled in with it.

In Uganda, far less is provided for the prisoners.  Visitors and prison ministry groups are expected to provide the rest.  That is everything from laundry soap to playing cards.  When I visited the Officer in Charge (OC) of the prison this week, he said there was, ‘No change in the lock down status and could we help them with a box of soap and some games?  The prisoners have nothing to do.’

A box of soap is 10 one-kilogram bars that can be cut into smaller pieces.  They are marked to be cut into eight pieces per bar.  I expect they will be cut into 16 so that one box can help 160 prisoners.  Playing cards are also cheap.  Members of the prison ministry team knew how much they should be, it seems I was quoted a “white man” price when I bought them as a birthday gift.  I thought I had a good deal at 2,000 UGX (about 57 cents); it turns out it should be about a third of that.

It was an inexpensive ask and it allows us to get a message to the prisoners, during lock down, that Jesus cares and there is a Christian prison ministry team that is thinking about them and praying for them.

Toys?

Some time back, I wrote about the model cars and trucks that they make and play with here.  Today I learned that some take it several steps farther.  This person made a model truck out of scrap material, painted it, even wired it with lights that could run off a battery.  It was for sale.  He had approached other members of the prison ministry team while we were on our way back from praying for patients at the hospital.  They showed it to me and allowed me to take pictures before returning it to the seller.

All Ugandan license plates start with U. The highest “number” seen so far is UBH so this is a future license plate.

Birthdays

The other missionary family in Koboko has several people with birthdays within 7 weeks of each other.  We are just beginning to enter that 7 week stretch.  Also, one of our mutual neighbors (Benja, turning 10) has a birthday close to Leroy’s (adult).

Benja (behind shirt) received a shirt

Benja also received playing cards

and a car

Leroy received a chocolate bar

and a homemade card with money

Brother heart

Yesterday I had an opportunity to eat brother heart.  Many people here like it.  I think it is too sweet.

It is a tree fruit.  The outside looks like an odd shaped melon with prickly stickers.  It slices like a watermelon.  Once picked and cut, it needs to be eaten the same day.  It does not keep.  I am told, ‘even if you have refrigeration, it will not keep.’

Barbecue

A while back Leroy made a barbecue for himself.  I have not seen any for sale here in Uganda, but I am sure you can have one made.  He made his own.  For his birthday party, he decided to barbecue pork.

Leroy and his homemade (in Uganda) barbecue

Chickens

Several people in the area are raising chickens.  I saw the chicks poking their heads out from under ma-ma wings and I decided to take a picture.  There are five chicks and they all showed at least their head for the picture.

Eid al-Adha

This is an Islamic feast day celebrating Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice anything God asked for, even his only son.

Some of the locals chose to celebrate it at night with a party despite the local leaders saying on the radio and anywhere they could, “Follow the SOPs.”  The SOPs say no more than 20, keep social distance, and obey the curfew (7 P.M. to 5:30 A.M.).  Obviously that last one says NOT AT NIGHT.  They did it anyway.  At 2 A.M. the music suddenly stopped, and a boisterous crowd made their way down the street to their homes.  Fortunately, my home is far enough away that I only heard the loud music and that suddenly stop.  The other missionaries were not so lucky as the crowd passed by their house.

Nathanael

Baby Nathanael woke up sick today.  Unfortunately, that is not uncommon.  It is one reason people have large families here.  They do not all survive.  Fortunately, it was something that can be treated, and Moses obtained the medicine from the clinic.  I am told Nathanael is fine, now.

Slashing

I should probably begin by saying I am talking about how the term “slashing” is used in Uganda.  I am not referring to clearing a forest or creating a fire break.

I have learned that weed whackers do exist in Uganda, but only those with exceptionally large areas to maintain own them.  Most use slashers.  They will slash a field, even a field as large as one acre, by hand before turning the soil.  It is also how the lawn is “mowed”.

A slasher looks like a modified one-handed sickle.  Modified to have a straight blade instead of a curved one.  Modified to have a long handle so the user can stand up and still slash along the ground.