Cooking??

This Christmas the baking fever hit me big time. Miriam and Rachel, Florence's daughters who stay here too, wanted to learn to cook Muzungu style. So....among us we made 10 different kinds of cookies, maybe 20 dozen altogether. Many of the recipes I had never made before, so it was an experiment. I never thought I'd be really cooking here in Africa. Believe it or not, I have even held cake baking "classes" for some who wanted to learn.
At this point, most of the cookies have been given away to neighbors, boda drivers, a church party, family, service workers, etc. Well....OK....we have eaten quite a few too.

Today we are making just 4 kinds more, favorites of ours from the initial baking. Most of these will be for sharing too.

What a fun way to celebrate the holiday.

Ruth, update

Ruth has finished the first term of her last year, working on a degree in Public Administration. She consistently finishes in the top 10% of her class and is looking forward to her second internship this next summer.

She really wants to go on for the Master's degree and has been searching out scholarships and grants, but with no luck as yet. If anyone knows of a funding source please let us know.

As you can probably tell from this photo, she is also doing some big work at home. This, her second child, will arrive between the second and third terms. She has already made arrangements for a trusted worker to come from her village when the baby comes. She will have all the work of nursing and of bottles. I don't envy her that at all. Guess I'd best get to work on the baby quilt. April will be here before we know it.

Ali, the student

Ali has finished his first year working towards his O (ordinary) level exams. His grades keep improving and his teachers see good potential in him for even more. He is very excited to be learning so much and surprised that his science grades are his best! As much as he loves politics, and can talk on it for hours, it isn't his very best subject.

One more year of study, then he will take the final exam and compete against the youth from all over the country as there no longer is a separate exam for the adult learners. One test for all now.

Turkeys on my Farm

Turkeys are a lot of work and have to be kept confined or they will wander off. The hens are good at hiding their eggs and really, really hate being messed with on their nest when they are sitting.

The chick that we raised up from last year is setting and may hatch babies around Christmas. There is a lot to learn about the care and raising of these birds. The mothers don't take particular good care of the babies, not like hens. We will have to have a “nursery” area. And did you know they get minuscule bugs called mites, that can end up weakening the turkey so much they die?

Now why did I want to raise turkeys? Seemed like the thing to do to have good size fresh turkey for Thanksgiving. So far, no home grown turkeys on our table. Maybe next year.

At least these turkeys can mate naturally and artificial insemination isn't needed as it is for the Butterball turkeys in the US markets. Don't think I'd be up for that.

When I drafted this note in Nov, I had 3 adult turkeys and one chick. Both turkey hens were sitting on 10 eggs each. One hen died Sat and we didn't find her till Sund. Too late to save any of the eggs. The other hen is doing OK and hopefully the eggs will hatch out Mon or Tuesday.

Christmas and kids and pageants all part of the season.

Moses was a lion and then a soldier in the chapel program put on by the two to four year olds at Heritage School. He was part of group also reciting a memory verse.


Family
Chad and Shanthi, Nathan with his best friends, Chesna with a new haircut and Miriam pondering what prayer is all about anyway.

No move needed

It is Final!!
The land lord came by and signed the two year lease contract for this house. I don't have to move, be further from my grandkids, lose house mates or staff or animals.

God is very good....all the time.

What a great day. now...I still have to fast till 23 Jan and clean this house. Small price to pay, eh?

God's Sense of Humor

Sept: Landlord gives me notice to move out so he can move his family into this house.
Oct: begin prayers, tell others of the need to find other housing by Jan 1.
Oct: begin weekly fasting and prayer.
Nov: check out a house, 2x more than I can afford; look at another place, not available till late next year.
Nov: Ali finds a house for the right rent, great landlady, only a km from here, BUT people in house refuse to move even though have not paid rent for 3 months and water runs off hillside into back door of the house
Nov: Landlord comes to see me to say he wants to rent the house I am in for 500,000/= a month, more than I can afford. He has a job, so doesn't need to move in. I keep looking.
Nov: Landlord's mother learns he has given me notice. She meets with me and 2 friends. Talks her son into renting me the house for 400,000/= per month for 2009, 450,000/= per month 2010.
Nov: Shanthi and Chad announce they are planning to go Stateside in June or July next year, if adoption is finalized and new EMI EA Director is found.

I can hear God laughing through all of this. Plans we mortals make all are dust in the wind. All that is important is that we trust God's plan for us and be willing to do whatever it is.

When I got the notice, I had to release all the following:
hosting a weekly house group; sharing housing with Florence and her adult children; having goats, chickens, turkeys, dogs; having grandkids spend the night once a week; having hot water and my own bathroom; having a garden; being near to the Gambles for their last year in Uganda. And God asked me to fast and pray one day a week. Now, the new contract for the house begins Jan 15 so I still have 7 more weeks of fasting and prayer to go. What a wonderful outcome for all this change.

God is good, all the time.
Whe

New goat

Here is a birth photo of Hope, the newest goat on my farm. Born to Step just about 30 days ago, she was a singleton. Step had twins last year. We don't know for sure who the dad is. But she is growing fast. Maybe a new photo of her when I get snaps of the baby chicks and turkeys.

Baptised at 64-

This past Sunday, the first Sunday of Advent, I was baptized by my current pastor, John Wilison and Alastair Taylor in a pool filled just for the purpose behind the place (school cafeteria) where Kampala International Church meets.

One of 3 people baptized, I gave a short testimony about how I came to this point. The talk went something like this:

21 years ago (on a Maunday Thursday just before Easter) Diane Chocolat, who did the childcare for my 2 girls, invited me to come for lunch. This was unusual for her to offer, and surprisingly I had an open calendar for that day. I accepted and we shared a tuna fish sandwich. (You do know that the fish is a symbol for Jesus, don't you? I can hear God laughing.) When she asked me if I had accepted Jesus as Lord of my life, my answer was No. When she asked why, I explained that I had made so many mistakes in my life that I knew God couldn't accept me. I was trying to become better so that then I could ask. She told me that Jesus had already made the way for me, taking on all my imperfections so that I could go to God. I realized the truth of that, invited Jesus to become my Lord and cried (of course). (Even in the telling of this story, I cried...in front of the entire church.)

Just a footnote: Diane later told me she was surprised to be inviting me to come and eat. I was surprised that I accepted. Must have been a Holy Spirit thing...

I went on to share with the church family about the time a few years later when I asked God why He made me cry when He was near me. God laughed, actually laughed, and told me that my mind was always so busy and that I was so hard headed that he used my tears to get my attention. Besides, He said, he was always with me, it was just that I didn't always recognize it.

Things I have learned from my 31 years walking with God: Everything I call mine, my life, my house, my things, my kids....all are really His, to do with as he chooses. All I need to do, is to live fully where I am and do what He asks me to do.

This is my testimony. Now we will see what God brings for the next half of my life in Him.