Florence

Florence came to live with me 31 Jan. She and Ananda shared a room for a bit. I don't know how long God wants her to stay with me
Florence just had her 50th birthday. What a great time we have together. She shares a lot of information and insight about the culture and peoples here in Uganda whilst learning about Muzungu foods and habits. She frequently says she has traveled to America without a passport or plane ticket.

She loves flowers - these are from our garden.

She wants you to know that in any bad situation there is something good in it. For example, when she was given a move notice in January to leave her room, with no options she had sleepless, worry filled nights. Then God worked this miracle. An invitation came to live here with Maggie. "I am much happier now than I have ever been." See Rom 8:28 All things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.

I'm on the Road Again

Well, after much deliberation, I decided to purchase a motorcycle, 100 cc. engine, made in India. This is a Bajaj Boxer 5, red, just like Chad's bike, which is blue.

Great gas mileage, 41 miles to the liter. Good thing too with gas prices getting higher.

Total cost: 2.4 million Ugandan shillings, plus 100,000/= for 12 months of comprehensive insurance (third party, injury, theft, damage, etc.) A great buy!!

Want to come for a ride??

Thanks to my friends at RCRC for the helmet !!

Common/Uncommon activities

Here is a typical day at my house. See how much is like yours


Look out window, it is dark
listen for roosters, morning bird songs
Up at 6 am, still dark
heat water for tea
Fill water filter canister
Greet Simba, the night guard dog
Turn off outside lights
Check email and news by computer
Power goes off, shut off computer/internet
Put rug in front of frig to catch defrost water, just in case
Make tea, put balance of water in flask (thermos)for later
Greet Ali, night guard, discuss animal care, feeding for today
Play with Tiger, the dog who will be out all day
Give dog bones to the neighbor's guard to cook for their dogs
Breakfast today: milk and corn flour (like cream of wheat)
Visit with housemate, Florence
Say good-bye to night guard; take rechargable torch and flask
Plug in torch; clean flask
Call boda for bank trip to ATM; greet boda driver
Buy new chimney for kerosene lamp
Go to local market for carrots, rice, beans; greet vendor
Play with Moses, Miriam, Chesna who are finished with school for this year
Lunch time: take kids back to their house, visit briefly with Shanthi
Sew on quilt project for me and for Florence (power back on)
Take a nap
Chase the goat that got loose; tie up at feed area
Check on-line for latest news from home, email, etc.
Make dentist appt for next week and plan for lab visit
Feed rabbits and chickens/turkeys
Greet door to door vendor and decline to purchase anymore crafts
Heat water, fill flask, put with drinking water and torch for guard
Greet evening guard, Samuel, to discuss changes since he last worked
Heat left-overs for dinner
Turn on outside lights and inside ones
Make sure the matches, candles and lamp are handy in case of power off
Play 3-4 hands of Rummy with Florence and Samuel
Lock house, turn off lights, give thanks for electric power
Go to bed and arrange mosquito net so it keeps the "mossies" away
Sleep well

A Time to Every Season Under Heaven

Life is full and death is present too. In our modern culture in the States we are somewhat insulated from the ups and downs of death, seeing it frequently only if we live on farms with livestock or poultry or occasionally experience it with our own immediate family and friends (this more often as we ourselves age).

There has been a joke here that you'd best not be a chicken on my small holding. Most of my chickens never reach maturity. There is something like a 90% mortality rate here. Chicks are taken by hawks, killed by other hens, succumb to disease, drown in a water dish, other things too. The adolescent chickens who survive all that can be taken out by a wandering, invisible disease. And of course the adults usually become dinner for someone sooner or later. Yes, don't be a chicken here on Grannie Mc's farm.

But in Africa, death is prevalent and all around. You can't miss it if you tried. Most Africans have frequent, personal encounters with death, in all its forms. 1 in 7 mothers die in childbirth or shortly afterwards. Young children get malaria, meningitis or other diseases and die because they don't receive treatment or because the treatment was too little, too late. Accidents on the road, at work, from inadequate buildings, from devastating floods, rebel armies, all take their toll.

Animals, especially, don't live long lives. Most dogs only get to 4 to 5 years of age. Cats live even shorter lives. One of my 8 month old goats ate some cloth and cassava peels and died. Another goat that was visiting here ate some part of a plastic bag and died from that. Good enough, there was a vet to investigate so we would know for sure the cause of death. Otherwise the meat would have been wasted.

In my head I know that everything/everyone has to die. But I still don't have to like it. My heart is not settled about it, despite my belief that there is a life in heaven with God. And, yes, I believe that animals are in heaven too but it doesn't say that in the Bible.

Eccleiastes can be a depressing read, unless you are already surrounded by death and loss. Then the words of hope there stand out in great relief: Ecc 12:13-14(The Message) "Fear God. do what He tells you. That's it. Eventually God will bring everything that we do out into the open and judge it according to its hidden intent, whether it is good or evil."

I have always liked "there is a time to every season under Heaven" part of chapter 3. But the parts that urge focusing on God, regardless of what is happening around us, somehow didn't register. (Maybe because there wasn't a pop song about that part.)

Now I find the need of comfort again after learning that my friend, David, has been given only a few weeks to live because the cancer is rampant throughout his body. He is ready to die, most of the time. He has buried two wives, one died from cancer, the other from complications of Alzheimer's disease. His parents, brothers, sisters, in-laws are all passed on. He is ready....and I am not wanting him to leave. I will miss him terribly and yet I will be glad for him to be released from this body and move on to be with God and his other family. He had likened this passage to graduating from high school without knowing for certain what lies ahead - a time of excitement and nervousness. He is not afraid and is working hard at making his passing easier for those he leaves behind.

If you are lucky enough to know this kind and gentle soul, you have been blessed. Please send him prayers, a card or stop by for a brief visit.