MISSION: Uganda Blog Update 12-21-2010
Greetings! It's nearly Christmas, and my how the year has flown by! The ministry continues well here in Mbarara. I preach every week, and either
Anna or I teach the Children's class at one of the two preaching points (Juru and Ngarama). Now that our vehicle is fixed, we're planning to begin regular English and literacy classes starting in January. Pray for us as we begin this interesting and completely new endeavor. We are, of course, still working on Runyankore. I'm trying to get my first Bantu dialect nailed down before I move on to another, probably Swahili (a great need at Nakivale).
We're into the Christmas season now, so the kids are off school, and we're doing family things and what not around here. Last week we went to the capitol to get some shopping done. We try to limit these trips to every other month (it's expensive), but it gives us an opportunity to get some things you either cannot get in Mbarara, or get them cheaper. We usually stock up on things like bacon, saltine crackers, pepperoni and anything else that looks good (found Dr. Pepper this trip!! YEEHAW!)Anna had another medical checkup. Both her and the baby are doing great. We're all looking forward to meeting Brennah in 10 weeks. The kids are beside themselves with excitement. This will be the first time we've had an infant in the house where they are old enough to appreciate and remember it. Keep praying for the impending birth, that all will go smooth, and that we will miss any nonsense around the election time.
On Tuesday night, the night before we were to head back to Mbarara, Ethan, John and I came down with the plague. We got the works: high fever, chills, aches, vertigo, dizziness, weakness. I drug out of bed in the morning after little or no sleep for both me and my spouse, and I still had to get us back home. Not cool. We finally got loaded up, and were underway. I managed to keep it together for 3 and a half hours, but finally, it was getting so dangerous for me to drive that I had to let Anna drive. This is not a problem, I mean, she can do it, but she hasn't had a lot of experience yet cause of all the car problems we've had until just lately. This was her trial by fire. I knew if I didn't let her try, I was either going to hit someone head on, or roll the vehicle in the ditch. She did great. It's not easy shifting with your left hand when you've spent half your life using your right, but she managed it and we got back home. I and the others collapsed into bed, and she and the healthy ones got the car unloaded. Always plenty of excitement and high adventure on the mission field, let me tell you.
Keep praying. We've got big plans for 2011, and are looking forward to all God intends to do here in Uganda in the coming year. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all of you!