More Activity

This week there are several things going on that are not part of the normal routine.  Stephen Awayi, a local evangelist, just returned from ministry that took him well past the boarder into D.R. Congo.  He came with another member of the Church.  Denis comes from Busia on the boarder with Kenya.  He will be staying here (Northwestern Uganda) and learning the work of an evangelist for a while.  He is also interested in prison ministry, so he has joined the team.

The head of our children’s ministry is a refugee.  He is registered in one of the camps.  (I am near the border, but all the camps are at least 50 miles from the boarder to make it difficult for warring factions to disturb them.)  He would stay in the camp, except he requested to stay with another member of the ministry (who agreed) so he would be available to work with the ministry.  He needs to return to the camp periodically and this is one of those times.

The South Sudan Evangelical School of Theology holds classes in Mugujai for a week at a time (intensive studies for current and prospective clergy in the Free Charismatic Church).  They do this several times within the year.  This week’s class will end with the annual graduation.  Because several of the bishops who lead the school also participate in (or request the ministry of) Truth is Light, I have been asked to give the sermon for the graduation.

Meanwhile, all the regular activities continue.

Kudu

Last night (really it was early this morning) we had rain (kudu).  This was a big rain (heavy or lots of rain) at times and lasted for several hours (which is unusually long).  I think we needed it.  It was 7 days since the previous rain and the water tank was low.  The farms were looking dry too.  The roads were dusty, like it was dry season, which goes to show that we have not had enough rain to thoroughly soak the ground yet.

A few days ago I was talking about rain with some of the refugees in the area.  They were telling me about the roofs on the tookels (thatched roofs) leak during heavy rains and those inside dread when the night rain is heavy.  He described holding a saucepan above his head in bed to stay dry.  I was surprised.  I thought thatched roofs did a better job (than that) of keeping the rain out – if they are thick enough and not too old.  He said no.

Multi-language environment

I managed to get a public car back from Mugujai (to Koboko) quickly this week (unusual).  A little farther, the driver stopped to fill his last seat.  He spent some time talking with the family members that were seeing the passenger off.  As we drove, he asked her, in English, why she wanted to go to Gulu so late in the day.  Vehicles leaving now (from Koboko) would not reach Gulu today.  She explained that a family member was sick, and she was called to come help.  She had been doing the same thing in Mugujai and had to wait for the family to release her.  The family in Mugujai is Kakwa, but the members in Gulu are from another tribe, that became part of the family by marriage.  I have the impression that the reason the family members spent so much time talking to the driver is because she does not speak Kakwa, only English and the language of the tribe in Gulu.

Kittens

The kittens are six weeks old now.  They are more active than a week ago.  They are also beginning to eat for themselves.  Queen Sheba, my cat, and the mother of the kittens has decided it is time for them to start eating meat.  She brought a large mouse (called a rat by the Kakwa’s) into the house.  I do not allow them in the house and took her, with the mouse in her mouth, outside.  As she prepared to try and come back in, I took the kittens to her.  Then it was okay.  The kittens could not bite hard enough to do anything (soon but not yet), so Queenie finally bit into it and let the kittens have the pieces.

All the kittens have been spoken for, in many cases because they want a cat to deal with the field mice.  They will be ready to move to their new families soon.

Athletics

When I walked past the school today, I was surprised that they were not gathering on the field for morning assembly.  Looks like a smaller number of students assembled around the school flagpole for the posting of the colors and announcements.  Coming home from devotions, I passed many of the students going home. 

Athletics in Uganda is part of the curriculum.  It is not an after-school activity, it is like P.E. except at this time of the year it interrupts the classroom lessons and takes the whole day.  Over the last couple of weeks the students have been competing within the school.  Now the school champions will compete in municipal-wide competitions.  Those not selected to represent the school can go home. 

Farming

The wet season has returned, and we are receiving at least a drizzle four times a week.  We have been blessed in Koboko; the rain is frequently during the night.  The farmers, which is not everyone, but it seems like it is, are up early working the soil.  I have seen a tractor in town.  Usually it is just sitting in front of a bank.  Most of the farmers work the ground with a heavy bladed hoe.  A quarter acre, full acre, it does not matter.  They just invite family or neighbors to help, and in turn they help them.  Breaking ground that has just been softened by the rain, weeding, second weeding to remove the now dried weeds, planting, all by hoe, not a shovel, nor a tractor.  A few patches of ground already show plants, planted from a nursery bed, mostly the landscape is freshly turned soil right now.

Eclipse

Holy Week included a Bible reading about darkness coming over the land for three hours, not just a few minutes.  The prison ministry team has reached that part of the Gospel in their study of the Gospel of Mark.  They did discuss the difference between the eclipse that will occur in North America and the darkness prophesied in the Old Testament and experienced in the Gospel.  The team seemed to understand the word eclipse; however, there did not appear to be any experience of one.  Perhaps that is why the solar eclipse was not even been mentioned in the media, even when they mentioned events in other parts of the world.

Kittens

The newest litter of kittens turns 5 (weeks) today.  Yesterday Queen Sheba brought them a mijita (mouse).  I was not happy about her bringing it into the house, but she had already given it to the kittens by the time I saw it.  I guess they are ready for solid food.  Each of the four kittens took a turn gnawing on it but I did not see them make any significant progress.  The next time I looked, it was gone.  I believe Queen Sheba ate it after the kittens gave up.

Today one of the kittens settled down for a nap beside me.  Some of the others are still nervous around people, but they are doing better.

Kittens at 5 weeks.

Network

I schedule these blog entries in advance.  That is why some of them seem to be up to a week late.  The primary reason is because I do not always manage to get online.  Sometimes it is because I am traveling for the ministry (like days spent serving in Mugujai).  Other times it is because the solar power is low.  Lately it is because the local phone network is not providing internet service.  It is common for there to be network issues.  People just take it in stride, like we used to take static on the radio, and snow on the TV in the 1970’s.  Meanwhile, I will keep writing these blog entries in an offline mode and post them when service is restored.

Deceiving Day

I was offered a ride to Mugujai for Easter Monday.  The Yata children and Livingstone’s two boys who are attending school here in Koboko municipality all went to Mugujai to be with Livingstone’s family and with the Yata grandparents (who live next door).  He was planning to pick up some materials from the farm and the kids, so he offered me a ride.

His work in Mugujai took longer than anticipated, as a result, he was still there when I finished teaching computer skills.  I was offered a ride back.  On the way back one of the Yata girls said something and after a moment he said, ‘Oh, it is deceiving day.’  To my surprise, no April fools jokes followed.