Why do I have staff?

Good question. When I moved here, I was determined to not hire staff to cook and clean for me although that is very common here. But, when I looked at the house I first rented, there were 3 staff there, recommended by the family who were moving back to the States. If those 3 staff didn't have jobs to earn money, it would be difficult to find work and feed their families. So...I entered into new territory, being an employer and supervisor. The second part wasn't new to me, but being responsible for payroll, determining benefits, making decisions about hiring and firing (which visibly affected people I knew) was a new area.

The positions were cook/cleaner, day guard/gardener and night guard. When I moved into that house, the guards were working 12 hour shifts, 7 days a week and the cook worked 3-4 days a week. What a shock! Coming from a time and place when work hours and conditions were prescribed by law, to this place where people needed work so badly that they would take almost any work just to take care of their families. And the conditions they had with the family before me was so much better than other places around, they were happy with what they had.

For my last 20 years in California people who had lived with me had provided cooking, cleaning and gardening services in exchange for rent. This was the first time that I'd had to pay for the work to be done. First we changed the work hours to include days off, and shortened shifts. I figured out how to budget for it and developed the habit of setting aside the wages for the next payroll as soon as I received by retirement monies. Slowly other benefits of vacation, sick time, meals during the work shift and education were added. I had to go back to 12 hour shifts for the guards when my "farm" got so big that I needed help with it. Once the animals all left, the guards went back to 8 hour work shifts for night and 6 hours for days.

Today, Grannie Mc's Ministries has 5 employees, with a payroll of close to $500 per month. In this next year there will be one more business start-up and another employee going for university level schooling. 4 people have completed their education plans. In addition, 3 others have begun their small businesses with assistance or support from GMM. Not too bad for just a short time. Wonder what else God wants to happen here?

Everything old is new again

When I was 6 years old, my grandmother walked to the neighborhood market to get some staples for the kitchen, had milk, butter and cheese delivered to the front door and was on a first name basis with her neighbors and the people who ran the local businesses. When I left CA 4 ½ years ago, the neighborhood markets were a thing of the past, home delivery didn't happen for food, unless you ordered from Safeway over the internet, and I didn't know most of my neighbors or the people who waited on me at the bank, the market, etc.

Here, I shop at a neighborhood store, Christine's, for household staples, have milk and fresh fish delivered each week to my gate and know many (not all) of the people around me. However, my staff and housemates do know all the neighbors and what is going on in the neighborhood. It is a very good way to live.

What I love about living in Uganda

The friends I'm making, the new foods that come my way, life in the villages, time to talk with people and get to know them and their heart for God, the ability to pass along blessings received from God to people He wants to bless.

If life is about adventure and new experiences, living in a different part of the world certainly helps with that. If life is about service and making a difference in the lives of people, you can do that where ever you live. It is just much easier here than in CA for instance. (Well, once you learn to really listen to your heart and ask lots of questions, so that you do no harm in the interest of doing good.)

Here, an adult can attend university for about $1000/yr for tuition, fees, books and transportation. A small business can be set up for anywhere from $500 to $1000, depending on the business and its location. It can also be done for $200, if the person is working on the street or out of their home (e.g. Selling air time for cell phones).

Cooking in the "rough"

Came home for lunch on Tuesday, the day Ruth is here to cook for me. She was outside cooking on the small propane cylinder (it has a burner and grill). Usually I have a back up gas cylinder for when the current one is empty, a once a month occurance She didn't know where the spare was kept, so simply moved to the outside one. Better than cooking over the small charcoal stoves, but still not convenient.

When we checked, it turned out that I had not refilled the backup, so no gas in the house at all. Problem solved with the assistance of one of my boda guys who took the empty to the store and exchanged it (along with some money of course) for a new full one. Now just have to remember to fill the backup the next chance I get.

Spiritual Disciplines: Forgiveness

How do we learn to forgive others completely? To understand more of God's forgiveness?

This past 18 months there have been money thefts from my home 3 different times: from an ATM connected to an account for Nasser; from an ATM for my VISA card; and most recently from the Church's Charity box which is kept here.

Now the thefts could have only happened because of my carelessness, leaving PIN numbers with the cards, leaving the extra key to the lock box with the box. So, the blame goes to me first. Since I do have the resources, thanks be to God, to make up the replacement funds, no harm comes to others by the thefts.

But what is the best response to the one who steals? I know in my heart who it is. I can't prove anything that would stand up in court. And the thefts would not have happened if I had been prudent.

So now I struggle and find that I begin to glimpse some tiny bit of what God goes through with us. I steal, lie, fornicate, lust, worship idols, turn from others and their needs....all of which are sins and put distance between me and God. God wants to hold me close, in love, but I have to confess my wrong doing in order to begin to believe how loved I am. There is much in my life I have confessed to God and some things still not given over. God is always patient and loving towards me, knowing all I have done and quick to forgive when I ask.

With this one, who has taken money, I am trying to act as God would want: to be patient, to forgive in my heart before it is asked for but waiting for the confession, continuing to bless and not punish. It is difficult, but Spirit is assisting. Also the lessons learned during the fasting time help too as the material things of this world are not as important as they used to be in my life.

The journey continues. Someday I will be the person God made me to be, until then may Grace and Mercy surround me and all those who are in my life, near and far.

Spiritual Disciplines: Fasting

So what is so wonderful about fasting??? And why would anyone want to do it?

If you read my short blogs from Sept 2008, you read about my beginning with fasting one day a week. The fasting I did was in response to a direction from God. I had been praying about where to live as the landlord was boosting the rent to a level i couldn't afford. God's answer, in part, was to tell me to fast until I was in the new house for 2 weeks. I was also to read 3 chapters a day of Isiah. When Isiah was finished, I got to continue at 2 chapters a day of Daniel, Ezekiel, and some other books.

Now fasting is a decision, and different from missing a meal because of work, forgetfulness, etc. It is meant to provide more time with God. My version of fasting was this: eat Monday dinner, skip all day Tuesday and then eat Wednesday breakfast. I took water, tea and sometimes fruit juice during the Tuesday time. I read the Bible chapters some mornings before I got out of bed (wasn't as routine with this as I might have been).

There were a few times that I would do well, and then take a snack and have to begin the fast all over again. Also there were a few days that I skipped altogether. After a time I noticed that some fast days were very easy to do and lightened my load a lot. Some days were a struggle, not helped by some books I was reading which had extended feast descriptions!

The landlord recanted his rent increase in Nov, but I felt that the fasting and reading was to continue. In March there were rumors he was going to build another small house in the compound where I was staying, a very unsettling situation. So the fasting continued.

In May I negotiated for a new place to rent, but couldn't move in. So the fasting continued. August 1 saw us in the new house, but I needed to continue for a bit. Then we were to go to Kenya in early Sept. I realized that it was almost a year since I'd started the fasting. So I added extra days to make up for the missed ones and a few more to cover the two weeks of our trip.

By the end of September I had averaged one day a week of fasting for an entire year. Not a bad start.

What did I learn?
First that I wasn't "starving" during the fasting time. The struggle was with my mind and expectations and habits, not my body.

Second, that food had a huge hold on me, my time and thoughts. (yes, from my size others might have seen that, but it is different knowing it for yourself).

Third, and most important, that fasting set me free in a big way from the hold the material things of this world have in my life. Now, there is room more for people than ever before. I have given all my possessions in the US, except the house, to my daughters. There is much more appreciation for beauty of the natural world and less covetedness in my heart.

Next steps: my housemate fasts the entire month of January. This year I will join her. I doubt I'll do the all night prayer sessions with her at her church, but I really don't know what God will lead me into. I trust Him completely to show me what I need to do and when to do it.

And the house I am now living in......is so much better than what I had before, it could only have been found by God. The rent is affordable, the landlord's easy to work with and life is very very good.

Pantomime: A play like no other

This very British form of drama held early in the Christmas season is beloved by most of my friends from the UK and leaves Americans a bit bemused.

Usually loosely based on a commonly known children's story, the play reflects on local culture, politics, and business foibles, has the male lead played by a young woman and a main female character enacted by a man. Plays include roles for many children and teens as well as offering beginning parts for persons wanting to try out their acting skills.

The interaction with the audience includes line-and-response i.e. "Oh no you don't." "Oh yes you do!" or "Behind you." With the audience giving one or more of the lines at the "proper" time with some guidence from one of the characters. Usually there is a time in the play where candy is thrown to the crowd, or audience volunteers participate in the action, only to get a pie in the face.

Frequently there are singing solos, to showcase real talent, lots of plays on words/phrases and puns along with slapstick kinds of humor enjoyed by children of all ages. The political satire keeps the adults focused while the children wait to see what will happen with their hero.

Of course, there are all the behind the scenes jobs and tasks as well: setting and managing the lighting, costume design and fitting, props creation, location and management, publicity, stage direction, orchestra and choreography practices, painting of backdrops and more.

The spoken lines of the play and the gestures or pranks of the actors are enhanced almost daily to incorporate local events and news, with each performance being somewhat different from the one before. On the last night, the actors begin to improvise, in keeping with the play of course, as part of the fun.

All in all, it is great fun. If you have a chance to see this part of British culture, grab the opportunity (but don't volunteer to go on stage unless you are dressed for it).

Organized Chaos

My bedroom is filling up with cloaks, fabric, trims, "rat tails", masks, assorted fabric pieces. Every week we are closer to having all the costumes for the Pantomime play completed. Hopefully, we can find/borrow or make everything for the 40+ member cast, at least 10 of whom have 2 costume changes. The play begins the second week of December so there is a little time still to make sure all the pieces are there, and fit the players who have to wear them. Now, if I can just figure out footwear for mid-1700's England we'll be OK.

Red Bananas

Here are my 2 red bananas. The first photo shows them in August, two stalk-looking things with a small leafy plant (Bird of Paradise) in between. The yard looks pretty open at this point.


This shot was taken in late October. The red bananas are now over 3' tall, with corn in the background against the wall topped with a yellow bouganvillia. You can also see the Bird of Paradise has also grown.

It may be as long as 2 years befor we harvest any. These are my favorite of all the bananas and are not readily available here in Kampala.

How do you know when rainy season has arrived?
Thunder and lightning, big fat rain drops, heavy rain squalls that drop 2" in less than 90 minutes....all that with sunshine again within a few hours.
The rains often come in the night, leaving the days wide open for gardening, walking, whatever you have planned.

Temperatures range from low 60's to high 70's. Everything is green and growing.

working again

I thought my days were full and busy. I had discovered on-line gaming (Travian first, then FarmLife) and facebook and the new-to-me used bookshop was getting some business too.

Then, Janet, a friend from eMi, asked if I would consider being House Manager for them. The full time staff are more than busy and there was no one available to fill this position. I said yes, of course. It is through eMi EA that I am able to obtain my visa to stay in Uganda. I met with the management team, and we agreed that I would take over all the issues with the rentals (an apartment with 4 interns and a duplex unit with 3 interns and 2 Heritage teachers). The initial work has been to smooth out the relationships among the people and clarify the basic work standards.

It has evolved into connecting the repair persons to the jobs quickly, i.e. Stopped up sink in the kitchen, non-functioning hot water heaters, etc. We have also labeled shelves and drawers in communal use areas so everyone can put things back into the same spot. We have also created a clear job list for the workers, so they know what all to do, and the tenants know what to expect.

It is fun! And I am at eMi EA at least part of each day, 3-4 days a week. The people are wonderful to work with, and sometimes I am able to do some of the repairs myself. All that home ownership comes in handy.