Ugandan Cultural Immersion Day

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Yesterday, James took a trip to Kampala on the bus. The day started early for him – about 6 AM which is before sunrise here. He got up and dressed and then got ready to meet Osbert and Dennis – two Ugandan men – at the gate here to go to the bus. He arrived right on time and so did Osbert but Dennis didn’t show up right away. Finally, at about 5 after 7, Dennis arrived. Then they went to the bus. No need to have worried about time. Hehe. The bus driver wasn’t going to leave until every seat was full. So the bus that was to leave at 7 AM didn’t leave until 7:45.

They rode to Kampala and Dennis got the title for the vehicle we bought from him. James got some money exchanged. Then they went to Uchumi’s (pronounced “you chew me”) and got three of the appliances we need. But they could NOT find a stove or a dryer. They had the stove we wanted but the only one left was the display stove and they couldn’t find the oven racks anywhere. They found a dryer but it was half the capacity of the washer so would have required doing two loads in the dryer to every one in the washer. They looked in a couple different stores and still found nothing.

Then they drove back. It was late in the day and the roads are terrible. It also started raining and rained for several hours. Thankfully, the man whose truck they were using had a tarp over the appliances so the boxes weren’t completely destroyed by the water when they got back. On the way home the men got into a political discussion. It seems that the Muslim Bugandan man from Kampala whose truck they were using disagreed with the two Runyunkore Christian men from Mbarara. It got quite animated with lots of discussion. James said it was like being at a Spilger family meal where we discuss things and get louder and louder, even though we aren’t arguing. Finally, they switched to Runyunkore and lost James then.

They got back at about 12 AM this morning. Thankfully, the rain had stopped so they were able to get the truck unloaded without getting soaked.

The children and I went to church for the first time here, yesterday. It was quite an experience. The services are done in both English and Ruyunkore. It was fascinating to listen to the interpreter and I even figured out a couple words on my own, though I’m pretty sure one of them changes form based on usage. Gaelin didn’t know how to handle the whole thing. He thought he could wander in and out of the service as he wanted and found the pit latrine quite interesting. He made at least three trips over the course of the morning. Heh. 😀 Once, when he wandered off, I found him sitting in front of the church on a bench out there.

After church we went to a local restaurant where we had Ugandan food. We got to taste posho, matoke, sweet potatoes, beans, and rice. It was all good! I’m going to have to learn how to make matoke and posho. Gaelin thought the beans and rice were really good and ate it right up. The rest of us also tried their pumpkin and beef.

Finally in Africa

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We’re here. After many long months and years of preparation we’re finally here. 😀 A week ago yesterday we loaded our container and it shipped. Monday morning we drove up to Chicago and then flew out of O’Hare International Airport. Tuesday night we arrived in Entebbe, Uganda at about 11 PM. We were worn out from not sleeping on the plane but we were here. All our luggage made it there with us and in one piece. Praise God! We got our visitor’s visas and then got our luggage and then met Matt Stensaas. He had arranged for a driver to take our luggage to Mbarara and then he took us to a hotel in Kampala. We got there about 2 AM.

Early Wednesday morning we got up and got going. We went to Uchumi’s to look at appliances (you say that “you chew me”), picked up some groceries and some lunch and then drove to Mbarara.

The last couple days have been busy, especially for James. He’s been to class at the Bible Institute here. We also went around and found a house. It isn’t finished but it will be nice when it is. Then he has been going around pulling things together for that house – like mattresses to sleep on until the container comes and other things. He is off again to meet a man to look at a vehicle and is going to look at gates until he hears from him. Great times!

I’ll be glad to get into “our” house and be able to unpack a little. That will be nice. 😀 I found almost all the school books but can’t find the math books. Hopefully I can find them before we need to do school on Monday.

MISSION: Uganda Blog Update 3-25-2010

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Greetings from Uganda! Our flight to this beautiful African country went well. We survived the 22 hour flight, which is every bit as tedious as it sounds. I managed to handle the fatigue pretty well. I used the strategy of staying awake nearly the whole time, except for short cat naps, and went to bed at night once we got in country. We all slept very well last night, and seem to be adjusting to the new time zone just fine. I personally feel great and not at all jet-lagged. All of our luggage made the trip (all 26 pieces), and seems to all be there with nothing broken or missing. Didn't have to stop at Customs, or pay any fees, other than the $50 a head you pay for 90-day visas once you get into the airport terminal in Entebbe.

We spent our first day in Uganda with Matt Stensaas and Tom Tracht running errands in Kampala. I got our American currency (carried into the country in a special law-enforcement shirt with pockets for pistols and worn under one of my Hawaiian shirts) converted to Ugandan currency. I immediately became a millionaire ($5,000 turns into a little over 10 million Ugandan shillings). The trip to Mbarara went well. We got here just before dark, and just in time for church to let out.

We all slept well, and seem to be adjusting to our new timezone well. Today, we looked at houses, and got one for only 700,000 Ush a month! That's just $350 a month for rent! What modifications are needed will be taken out of the first year's rent. When we get it all squared away, we will have 5 bedrooms, 3 baths, and room for an office for me. The yard has an elevated garden area with fruit trees (avocados, mangos), where we can plant strawberries and anything else we desire. We are walking distance from Bryan and Cheri Stensaas, up on a quiet hilltop neighborhood.

We are buying some of the super comfortable VitaFoam mattresses to use until our container arrives with our American beds, and will likely have to make a run into Kampala to buy appliances soon. It's so exciting!

I'll let you know more when I get some more time to sit and write. Keep praying about a car. We will need one eventually. Also pray that our Property Manager back in the States will find a buyer for our house in America. She seems to think that she can find a buyer, as opposed to just renting it. She is capable of both however, and we will do what is needful to deal with our former home.

MISSION: Uganda Blog Update 3-21-2010

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Greetings! This is it. Our last email from America (for awhile). Our stuff's packed. Our container is shipped. Tomorrow we will be flying out of Chicago on our way to the field. It's a day long in the making, and we are very grateful to God for making it happen.

Some answers to prayer: God provided both our shipping, and the money we needed to bring with us for setup on the field. Thanks for praying.

That just leaves the $12,000 we will need for a vehicle, and a vehicle to buy, once we get there. At the moment, everyone is healthy, and, as far as I know, everything got done that needed to be done before we left. Keep praying.

Our flight information is as follows:

BRITISH AIRWAYS       22MAR CHICAGO IL     LONDON         610P    645A
BA 294               MONDAY O'HARE INTL    HEATHROW               23MAR
N ECONOMY                   AIRCRAFT:      BOEING 777-200/300

BRITISH AIRWAYS       23MAR LONDON         ENTEBBE        1045A   1010P
BA 63               TUESDAY HEATHROW
N ECONOMY                   AIRCRAFT:      BOEING 767-200/300

This will be my last communication for awhile. Once we get over there, get setup with internet, get a mailing address, and a house, I will update everyone with the pertinant details.

Praise the LORD, and thank you for your prayers!

MISSION: Uganda Blog Update 03-04-2010

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Greetings, no longer from the deputation trail! We finished up our final meeting in Roswell, NM last week, and all that remains now are final preparations to leave for Uganda on March 22! We had a great series of meetings in New Mexico, in First Baptist Church of Edgewood, Santa Fe Baptist Church, and Roswell Baptist Church respectively. They were all great missions conferences, and praise the LORD, all three churches are supporting us! We still need a bit more support, so keep praying that God will raise that up shortly before or after our departure.

Three churches have contacted me about supporting us and all I have to do is get them our DVD and prayer cards, and they are going to represent us in their missions conferences, so praise the LORD about that as well!

Here's a list of extremely specific needs you all can pray for:

$9500 for shipping a 20' container from here all the way to Mbarara, Uganda. We have a little better than half, and need the rest next week.

$16,000 for outfit (vaccines – just found out that's going to be $1900, work permits, six month's rent for a house, stuff for the house and any improvements required, and anything else we're likely to need on arrival). We have about half, and need the rest by the time we leave on March 22.

$12,000 to buy a vehicle, and a vehicle to buy, after we get to the field.

These are the deadlines, and the needs. I bring them up because God loves meeting deadlines and answering specific prayers. I'm not particularly worried, because God has never failed us and I know of no reason why He should start.

Good news! We may have a house! Dr. Ron Bragg and Matt Stensaas found one that sounds perfect for our needs. The landlord is wanting $600 a month. Pray he'll come down in price, to $450 a month perhaps. I have not seen the place, so it may turn out to be no good, but honestly, 4 bedrooms and an acre-and-a-half of land with fruit trees sounds pretty good to me (this would give us room to house guests).

There is much to do in the weeks ahead. I marvel that I can finally measure my time remaining in America in weeks. It's so exciting to finally be done with the necessary missionary polishing and preparation phase (deputation) and be moving to the next phase, deployment. God has great plans for Uganda, and I am so grateful to be included in them.

Keep praying folks, and God bless!