Christmas Eve Day

It's still the 24th, but I thought I'd tell you how my day has gone so far. It started at 6am. Yes...6am. That's cause at 6am in Kampala it is 7pm the previous night in Vancouver and my family was having Christmas dinner at me aunt Candis'. We arranged for them to "Skype" me so I could talk to the whole family. Oh my, it was wonderful. I saw and talked with my Grandma for the first time since I left my family at the security gate at YVR. I cried, of course. Not because I missed them so much I wanted to be home, but because it is still amazing to me that I can see and talk to my family and friends even though we are so far apart. Of course I miss them terribly, especially right now. But as I've said, I am embracing my African Christmas and loving it.

After I got off with my family and dried my tears, I jumped back into bed and watched A White Christmas. I watch it every year, usually as I wrap presents. I am very behind in my Christmas movie watching so today is catch up day. When the movie ended I strapped on my runners and headed out to walk to the butchers to pick up our Christmas steak. It's about a 30-40 minute walk down the hill, and I even extended my walk to the Embassy Supermarket a little further down the road. It was so funny all the people from church I ran into. It made me smile. It was just like being in the Save On Foods in Lynn Valley and running into a half a dozen people I knew. It reminded me of how much Kampala is becoming home.

I forget to mention...it's really hot here! I think it is one of the hottest days since I've been here. Hold on for a second and let me check the temperature...28 degrees. And 29 degrees later this week. When I was at the butcher they had ice cream, but I was looking for a popsicle. Non to be found unfortunately =(

Now I am home after a 2 hour walk. I have to start getting ready for going to church at 4pm today and I still have two Christmas movies to watch before I go to bed. I promise to update this blog with the rest of my day later tonight.

Better Late Than Never

OK Dad, I will sit down and write in my blog!!!

Sorry it has been so long. December has been a really busy month here. First it was the 100 Christmas cards I had to write before my friends Kenny and Julia flew home to the US on the 13th. Julia mailed them from Phoenix for me. That was a lot of cards and I spent most evenings working on them.

Then it was work. I think I have mentioned a few times that we ended the 2007 fiscal year in September and started a new fiscal year October 1st with a new version of Sun Systems and a whole new way for the fields to process their monthly accountabilities. It has been hard work training the field staff, and most have limited computer knowledge. It’s a good thing I love to train as I have already had three training sessions and will be going back out to the fields in January to train some more. December also brought with it auditing of the 2007 fiscal year. For me this meant trying to figure out all the old codes and the old Sun Systems, while still trying to follow up with the fields about the current month’s accountabilities. Making your head hurt following this…me too!

Friday the 21st was our last day at work; it was also our Christmas BBQ and gift exchange. We had drawn names for buying Christmas presents, and I had to buy for James in communications. I was so happy to have drawn James, cause there were two things I new about James: he plays the guitar and he loves to mock me when I am wearing my t-shirt that says, “What’s the Point?” So I had a t-shirt made for him that said, “What is the Point?” (apparently Ugandans do not use apostrophe s). That was the easy part of the gift. The hard part was that I wanted to get James a guitar songbook. Unfortunately I finish work after 5pm everyday and have no idea where to shop for a guitar songbook. So I decided to make one. Every night last week, I stayed up past 1am copying songs with guitar chords and tabs, pasting them into word, then adding pictures and bible verses. It was over 100 pages once I was all said and done.

So now it is Sunday December 23rd. I have finished shopping and wrapping and am ready for Christmas. Tomorrow I am going to Kampala Pentecostal Church for their Christmas Eve service, then will head home for a glass of wine and a Christmas movie. Christmas morning will see Jiin and I off to Bruce and Sonya Nisely’s for brunch, a viewing of It’s a Wonderful Life, games and BBQ dinner with their children and Luke Runyon from FH US. I truly thought I would be homesick this Christmas. I am always the one organizing the holiday season at home. I thought I was the glue that held them all together. I have to give props to my brother for carrying on the traditions in my absence. But instead of being sad, I have decided to embrace this African Christmas. Instead of a pine tree with multicolored lights and a variety of decorations, I have a fake tree, with white lights and red and green decorations. Instead of turkey and stuffing, I am having teriyaki steak and salad. It is turning out to be a perfect Christmas. Of course I miss my family, but I have a new family here that I would miss if I wasn’t here.

What else…that’s all I can think of right now. If there is anything you would like me to blog on in the New Year, please leave me a comment and I will work to be more diligent in my blogging. New Years resolution #1…blog once a week.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Christmas in Bufukhula

I made it back to Bufukhula last weekend. Moses and Andrew invited me to come to the village for the CDP children's Christmas Party. This is a party to celebrate the children, the teachers and the parents and for the children to have a nice meal and receive a Christmas present. The plan was originally to take the bus (a first for me). I had a taxi arranged for 5:30 in the morning to take me to the bus park. The bus left at 6am (hopefully!) and should arrive in Mbale be 10am. I was very excited and nervous about the bus trip, I even had the office pray about it during devotions. (We often pray for people who are travelling) But alas, Luke the CDP Manager had one of his supporters in town and wanted to show her CDP in action. So he arranged a private hire and the three of us headed off to Mbale. It was such a funny trip. We started late cause the driver was late. Then he got lost on the way. You start on the highway that goes to Kenya, but in Inganga you turn off and take the road to Mbale. I was sitting in the front but chatting with Karen (Luke's supporter) in the back and wasn't paying attention to the road. When I turned around I realized something wasn't right. You see the road was terrible; pot holes galore. The road to Mbale is absolutely perfect once you make the turn off the main highway. I said something once, but the driver didn't respond. So after a minute or so I said something again. This time we stopped and found out that, yes, we missed the turn. But there was a short cut between the two highways. Well, it wasn't a shortcut but it sure was fun.

We arrived in Mbale an hour later than I would have had I taken the bus. But then we had to check into the hotel and drop a Fourth passenger off at the bus depot in Mbale so he could go back to his CDP center in Soroti. By the time we reached Bufukhula we were really late. They didn't start the program until we arrived at noon, although it was supposed to start at 9am. Luke, Karen and I sat at the head table with the other guests of honour. There was the LC1 (local leader), the Head Master of Bufukhula Primary School (Bob!) the Head Mistress of Makhai Primary School, the School Inspector and us. One of the fathers, a Muslim who has begun attending church, was the MC. The children began with songs welcoming the visitors. There were scripture readings, poetry and plays by the children. Of course there were speeches, by the LC1, the School Inspector, the Head Master, the Head of the PTA, the Head of the SMC Committee??, Luke, Karen, Myself and finally by the guest of honour the Head Mistress of Makhai Primary School. In between speeches and children's performances was Christmas music played by the hired DJ! Finally it was lunch, three hours later. The guests and leaders had lunch in the same room that was our lunch room last year while the children lined up and spread out for their feast. After lunch we all headed over to the soccer field to watch the Primary School Boys vs. the Secondary School Boys. It was great to see the two teams wearing the uniforms donated by Cap Church. The players take so much pride in themselves.

The children were to receive mosquito nets as their Christmas present. However, there was much debate over whether or not they were going to arrive in time on Saturday to distribute to the children. Thankfully my friend Vincent in Kampala was working overtime to ensure that the nets arrived. And they did. It was so comical watching the children stream off the soccer pitch and rush to the Head Masters office as the taxi arrived with the nets. It still amazes me at how organized the children become when they are asked. They were all removed from the vicinity while the nets were counted and while we opened the packages (to prevent them from being resold). They got into their class groups and were brought in class by class to receive their net. It was so organized. Each child had to stamp their thumb print next to their name to acknowledge that they received their net.

I had such a wonderful experience with my three sponsor children at the party. As I was sitting at the head table I kept scanning the children to see if I could spot Dianah, Ivan or Ben. After a few scans I found Dianah. She was sitting in the second row right in front of me. Her friends figured out that I had found her and kept poking her and telling her that I was looking for her. I waved at her and caught her eye a couple of times; she was so embarrassed. Later Ben was sent up to greet me; it is always so good to see him. He's the only one of the three who seems comfortable around me, but I suspect that is because he was my only sponsor child last year and he is used to having me around. But later, the children were dancing to the music the DJ was playing. The song is Calypso and as I have learned since I came to Uganda, it is a very popular song here. I joined in with the children, and Dianah was right there next to me dancing and smiling. It was so awesome! When it came time to receive the mosquito net, Dianah came to me to thank me, bending down and bowing in that humbling way the children greet you in Bufukhula. I took her outside and made sure I got a picture with her and her net; I also had pictures taken with Ben and Ivan. I can't fully express how it felt to be there as there celebrating with the children. It brings tears to my eyes even as I type this blog.

The next day we went on a home visit to Dianah's before we attended Sunday services at Bufukhula Church of Uganda. It was so great to visit her home. It was a surprise visit so her mother was not there as she was off getting water.(these are done so the family does not prepare something for the guest that presents a burden to the family). Dianah's father indicated that he knew me very well from my visits and was so thank full. He also expressed a desire to have me back so he could entertain me in Ugandan custom. I promised him that this was only a short visit, but that as I am living in Uganda for three years I would have many chances to spend more time with him and his family. I also met Dianah's grandmother and sister. Their home is small, only three rooms. But they have several cows which indicates a small amount of wealth for the family. For those reading this blog who have been on home visits in Bufukhula, this was the farthest home visited so far. You have to take the back road that leads to Makhai, get off the main road then walk through fields to find their homestead. It was very comical as it was obvious the distance we were travelling was going to make us late for church and there was every reason to suspect that Dianah and her family might not be there. Ah Africa!!!!

After the home visit we rushed back to the village as we were late for church. Of course it didn't start on time and went much longer than we were told. Apparantly 4 hour services are the norm and not just reserved for when their are guests (We had Andrew instruct the community that they were not to do anything different because we were there). Unfortunatlely we had to leave before church was over so we could get back to Kampala at a reasonable time.

It was such an extraordinary weekend for me. I love being in Bufukhula. I feel so at home there. It is nice to get the attention, but more than that I feel like I am accepted, just not as a visitor but as a member of the community like the FH staff. I had a wonderful conversation with my friend John Mukhooli and he kept asking when am I going to be back. I desire to spend as much time as possible in Bufukhula. Now that I know how to catch the bus, and a cheap place to sleep in Mbale, it is my desire to visit at least once a month. My next trip to Bufukhula will be in January when Elaine comes to visit. I am counting down the sleeps, not just for Elaine coming but also for my return home to Bufukhula.

A Little Bit of This and a Little Bit of That

I had a rough week last week; nothing so bad…but a rough week nonetheless. I liken my week to being on the downside of a roller coaster, a cultural stress roller coaster. The week started out great. My internet was installed only two weeks after I signed up (although even that is not sorted out as they installed more expensive hardware and service than I signed up for) and the engineer who I hired to come fix some things around the house finally came over to go over what needed to be looked at. So Monday was a pretty great day. I came home from work and talked to my parents on Skype for 2 hours.

Then came Tuesday; if there was a plane leaving at 2:30 in the afternoon I would have been on it! It has been hard transitioning into my work life here. I came at the exact moment Food for the Hungry changed its entire financial system. It has been chaos here for the past two months. We also have a Korean Finance Manager, so I have had to adjust to both Korean and Ugandan work cultures. That has caused several moments of work stress for me. On Tuesday the stress came to a head for me. Nothing earth shattering, just upsetting and frustrating at the same time.

Wednesday went down hill fairly fast, although it ended with a banana split! The engineer came to fix several things around the house and put some things up for me. After my experience with the holes in the wall when trying to have a towel rod installed in the bathroom, I wanted to have the landlords engineer do any work in the house that involved putting holes in the wall. I had three mirrors that needed to be put up in the bedrooms and living room, as well as two wall hangings I had purchased. When the engineer came on Monday, we went through everything, even marking x’s on the wall where the screws should go so the spears that hold the wall hangings could sit. When I came home to check on the progress I found the following…the concrete used to fill the holes in the bathroom was so dark that it would take several (5 or more) coats of paint before you wouldn’t see the patches, the paint is a lighter shade than the wall color, the mosquito net was not hung by the center ties but the outside ones so the net did not hang evenly over the bed (It has since fallen down), the mirror in my room was not put in the marked location, the replacement door handle was not installed in the same spot as the broken one leaving gaping holes on the side of the handle. And the kicker…he screwed the wall hangings directly to the wall right through the fabric loops that hold the spears and not even on the x’s he and I marked together on Monday. I think that is what sent me over the top and down the stress roller coaster. I refused to pay him his over priced fee until he fixed the wall hangings, the unnecessary holes in the wall and the mosquito net. But to top it all off, I discovered the next day that my butcher knife was missing. He has said he will replace it, but no word on that yet.

I do realize that there are homeless and starving people living in Kampala and throughout Uganda. Holes in my wall are not a big deal, holes in the loops of my wall hanging are not a big deal (the loops can be replaced). I am blessed to have a roof over my head and furniture in my house. But it is stressful nonetheless to have shoddy work done, work that I could do on my own at home when I am not worrying about an entire wall crumbling down at my feet. Wednesday night was great though. I had dinner with the gang who run the youth group at a fancy restaurant and topped the night off with a banana split. Yummm!!!

Thursday and Friday were OK, although I was in a bit of funk. We had an awesome storm early Friday morning which caused flooding throughout the city, damages to my hedges and the top floor of our office flooding. Blocked drains and a broken gutter caused the patio to fill up and flood the finance, Go-Ed and Bringing Hope departments. But the upside was that Sang Hoon thought that in light of the flood in the morning, we would stop work at 3pm and watch Evan Almighty before heading out for the weekend. It was a nice way to end a frustrating week.

The nice part of the cultural roller coaster is you don’t stay down for long. There is the fun and anticipation of the uphill climb to look forward to.

Mbale and Bufukhula

Two weeks ago I was finally able to make it out to Mbale to visit with Moses and Andrew and to make the trip out to Bufukhula. Ostensibly, the trip was for training. We left Kampala on Wednesday afternoon arriving in Mbale by dinner time. Bruce, who runs the Go-Ed program, also went along on the trip as he was visiting two of his students who are doing their practicum there. It was so wonderful to see Moses and Andrew at work in the Mbale office (I had seen them a month ago here in Kampala) I even got to visit with Patrick, Livingstone and Molex when they came in from Makhai to do some work. It was really wonderful to be able to see where Angela spent so much of her time and to meet Vicki who holds a special place in Angela's heart.

Thursday was a full day of training. The bookkeepers from Kapchorwa, Kumi and Soroti came into Mbale to join Andrew so I could follow up with all the changes that have been made in the accounting system. The account codes have been changed, new codes have been added and new forms have been created, and this has thrown everyone for a loop. They are overwhelmed by the changes and seem to think that more has changed than actually has. So needless to say, there was a lot of training to be done! Then, as is the norm all through Uganda, the power went out. We came to a dead stop in our training. My only hope was that they understood enough to go back to their centres and complete the monthly reconciliations correctly. They didn't!

Friday morning dawned with much anticipation for me. I was finally going back to Bufukhula. I was nervous and excited all at the same time. We went first to the FHI office and met up with Andrew and Apollo! It was so good to see him. He still has only two children and is practicing family planning. We then made our way to the village proper. It has changed so much since May 2006. The school blocks are finished, painted with their respective Capilano Christian Community Block and Lynne Block, and full of children. The school has 730 students, 180 of them if grade 1! There is also a new teachers office, where we went and spoke with the new Head Master of Bufukhula Primary School. It was wonderful to hear him talk of the pride and ownership the parents have of the school. It isn't FHI's or even Cap Church's school, it is their school. The Head Master took us to each of the classrooms. There were so many familiar faces, although only a few children remembered me. Paul also joined us as we were visiting the Head Master. I was so happy to see him and be able to congratulate him on his wedding and pending fatherhood. He looked wonderful, although he was suffering from pneumonia.

When we finished touring the school, we went under the mango trees and met the health committee in charge of the new clinic. Both Samson and John Mukoli were there. And they both greeted me with Mwanguisi. I wanted to cry. It was so amazing to be welcomed back so warmly and remembered. It must be the same to them as I greeted them with rememberence of their names. The health committee took us first to the church so I could see the framed panorama photo of Cap Church placed in prominence near the altar at the front. Andrew joked that Cap Church was inside praying at that moment! We then went and toured the health clinic. Work is going on daily to get it completed, although currently, the grade 7 children are sleeping in the unfinished rooms so they are close to the school for extra teaching as they prepare to write their exams to get into secondary school.


The health committe and the Head Master toured us around the village. There are such big plans for the community. Behind the clinic is land set aside by the community to build a residence for doctors and nurses. Behind the Primary School is land set aside to build a secondary school and teacher's residence. The community has a very good chance of receiving the secondary school from the government. It is between Bufukhula and another nearby community; the government is leaning towards Bufukhula because of the work that they have been doing to improve their community. The spirit of improving the community extends beyond the role that FHI plays in the community. The trenches have already been dug for another four room school block and bricks have already been brought into the community. And the school block has yet to be put into the FH budget for 2008 and the next team to visit isn't until Cap comes next May.

The best part of the morning, however, was sitting with my three sponsor children, Ben, Ivan and Dianah. We waited until lunch and brought the children over to the mango trees so we could meet again and have a conversation. Dianah and Ivan were very shy, but Ben was all smiles. He even told his mom that I was coming and she made the 30 minute walk to the village to see me. This meant so much to me. Last year, she seemed awkward and overwhelmed by our presence at her home. However, this time, she was all smiles and we had a wonderful conversation. I hope to make many more visits over the next three years and get to know her a little more. Soon it was time to leave Bufukhula and head over to Moses' house for lunch. It wasn't as hard to leave this time as I know I can come back anytime and will be welcomed back with open arms.

Having lunch at Moses' house is always a treat. Grace was at work and could not join us, but Peter was there along with Grace's mother and Moses' sister. We left picked up Faith and Emmanuel from school so I could see them again then went back to the office in Mbale to wait for my ride back to Kamapala. Grace joined us there and it was wonderful to see her again. I am looking forward to the time that I will be able to go back to Mbale and have more time to visit with Grace and my friends in Bufukhula.

A Quick Update

Sorry it has been a while since I posted. It has been a very busy two weeks. I will blog more on these past two weeks, but not until the weekend, so I'll give you a quick update. I spent three days in Mbale last week and visited Bufukhula and my three sponsor children. So much fun! This week had been extremely busy trying to get the month end financials organized since we changed to an entirely new system that no one knows how to use perfectly. It had been very trying. I also have a new roommate for the next two months. Her name is Jian and she is from Korea Food for the Hungry.

I plan to tell you all about it this weekend, so until then hold on tight. Life is great here. I have a very busy social life, great friends and a great place to work at. And if you want to see some pictures of my trip to Bufukhula, go to the photo album on the right and have a look!

Help Name my New Friends

I recently discovered that I have a gecko living in my house. I thought it was a boy (no reason...just cause) until I met the baby gecko. So now I assume I have a mommy gecko. Anyway, they don't cause any harm, in fact they eat bugs. They come out at night, so far not together, and crawl around the walls. One night I watched as the mommy gecko lifted her tail and pooped on my floor!

So I've decided to let you help me name my gecko friends. Add a comment and let me know your favorite name for 1) Mommy gecko and 2) Baby gecko.

Rains Down in Africa (Thank you Toto!)

I miss the seasons. My uncle recently sent me a photo of the family cottage in Ontario and I was struck by the lack of leaves on the trees. I love fall! I love the colors of the leaves and the rain; those drizzly days when you can curl up with a good book or watch a movie. In Uganda there are two season, the wet season and the dry season. We are currently in the wet season. There has been so much rain in the North that it has caused massive flooding. President Museveni has declared it a National Disaster, his first ever declaration during his 20 years as President. (He did not declare a National Disaster at any point during the worst years of LRA terror in the North) The flood has devastated entire communities, caused several deaths, closed schools and clinics and now poses health risks due to flooded latrines. I read in the paper the other day that there are some communities that have been cut off for over 2 months without any assistance with food or supplies. FH Uganda has been working with other aid agencies and the UN to provide basic supplies like jerry cans, bedding, mosquito nets, etc. Please pray for the rains to stop, the floods to recede and for assistance to flow into the affected areas.

Coming from Vancouver, I love the rain. I really love storms and watching the God's awesome power. And I have seem some good rain storms in my life, both in Vancouver and at the cottage in Ontario. But they are nothing compared to some of the rain storms we have been having in Kampala. The thunder rolls for hours sometimes. From the window of my office I watch the clouds roll in, dark and ominous. When the rain comes, it comes down HARD. One day the wind was blowing the rain so hard it drenched my computer and desk through the open window. Another time I awoke early in the am to the beating of the rain on the roof and the garden. My favorite, though, is the thunder and lightning. Sometimes at night, the lightning pierces the black sky; it's beautiful. And the thunder. The other night I was awoken suddenly at about 4 am by the loudest crack of thunder I have ever heard. I bolted from bed I was so spooked; I'm sure it cracked right over my house. Then last night, I was woken again at 4am, this time by wind so loud I thought I was in a wind tunnel or the edges of a tornado. This morning, the sun was shining bright and the rains started. I was sure there would be a rainbow, but I was running behind and had to get ready for work. Sure enough, Bruce said it was the most beautiful rainbow he had ever seen.

The weather in Uganda is not always kind. Rain comes and comes and comes then goes; scorching heat takes over. But through it all, God's power and the beauty of His creation are showcased for me here everyday.

Facade

I'm glad everyone has had a chance to see my house here in Kampala. I absolutely love it; it already feels like home. It is my oasis from the stares, the comments, the drivers, the dirtiness, the culture stress. But like many things, what you see on the surface is not always what it appears.

The house is old. It has bad plumbing, crumbling walls. Since I moved in the toilet has leaked (luckily with the clean water not the dirty stuff!). It was "fixed" once; it still leaked. I came home Monday night to find a flood in my kitchen. The water draining from the sink wasn't leaving the house, it was staying in the house! I have now had both toilet and sink fixed properly and hope that this is the end of the problems for now.

As for the crumbling wall...I wanted a towel rod installed in my bathroom. I bought the rod and hired a young man to install it. BIG MISTAKE. When I came home to the flooding kitchen on Monday I also came home to gigantic holes in the bathroom wall. The house is old; the concrete dry and crumbly. Thus when trying to install the rod, the wall crumbled. So I come home and Juma is bringing a piece of wood to install the rod on then attach the wood to the wall. Not covering the holes of course and up way to high. ARGHHHHH

Monday was definitely the first time the culture stress hit me like a brick. All I wanted to do was prepare my dinner, eat and relax. Instead I have a stranger banging an ugly piece of wood into my know hole filled bathroom wall and a flood in my kitchen. Not the best night I've ever had. However, Juma did do a fantastic job fixing the leak in the kitchen, and it's not really his fault the wall was in such bad shape.Although placing the rod so high up I do blame him for. This seems to be a Ugandan thing putting things high up, which is kinda odd cause they aren't all that tall.

In case you are wondering, the plan is to pull the wood off the wall, the rod off the wood, fill the holes, paint the wall and attach the rod properly at the height I want it at. At my expense of course! Lesson learned.

Did You Know?

1. Kampala is hosting CHOGM (The Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting) in November. It is a big deal here in Kampala. The first stop lights in the city have been installed, roads are being paved, new hotels have gone up and the city is being beautified. This also means that street vendors have been pushed out of the city and are loosing their livelihoods. It reminds me of the issues Vancouver is dealing with in regards to the Olympics.
2. That if you hang your clothes to dry on a line outside then they have to be ironed before you wear them. This is because mango flies will lay their eggs in your clothes and potentially hatch and burrow into your skin causing you to have to have them removed by a doctor. Yuck!
3. That one can easily get used to being sweaty all the time.
4. That everyone in Uganda carries a cell phone and practices flashing. This is when you phone someone and let it ring once so your number appears as a missed call. People will flash you to tell you they are at your gate, or ready to pick you up, or because they want you to call them so they don't waste air time.
5. That it is possible to ignore the daily stares and comments of "Muzungu! Muzungu!" You would think it would be hard, coming from a place where we say hi to everyone we meet, but it is possible to just walk right by people and pretend you didn't notice the stare.
6. That it rains in Kampala just like it rains in Vancouver. Not the amount, but the intensity. And Kampala gets wonderful thunder and lightning storms. Beautiful

Random Thoughts From the Week

This post is going to be a cornucopia (Happy Thanksgiving!) of information. I had a very busy week last week. On Monday I moved into my new house with nothing but a mattress, fridge and stove with no gas. Nothing really changed during the week. I was the victim of Canadian banking rules which state I can only withdraw a certain amount of money from my account in a week; since I had to pay $2400 US for my 6 months rent as well as $775 US for my fridge and stove I hit that weekly limit very quickly. In fact I was unable to pay the entire six months rent and had to wait 5 days before I was able to get another Ugandan shilling from the bank. But I am blessed to say that I have amazing friends here in Kampala who all offered to lend me money. I borrowed a little to pay my house help and to get a gas tank and hose, but managed with only 100,000 shillings for the week. That's actually quite a bit here in Uganda.

The other big thing that took up most of my week was preparing to train about 15 field staff on how to navigate through the new Microsoft Vista operating system and the basics on how to use Microsoft Excel. You see Food for the Hungry International has moved from a dos based Sun Systems platform to a new Windows based Sun Systems housed on the server in Phoenix, AZ. What this means is that all our files will now be entered into Excel and directly uploaded to the server in Phoenix. No more manual entry of each transactions. To give you an idea, I worked all day Monday manually entering 2 of about 20 journals. And I mean all day!!!! This new system will cut down on the amount of accounting work that is done, both in the field and here in Kampala. But there is a huge learning curve for the field staff, most of whom are entirely unfamiliar with technology and are now expected to use laptops, Excel and scanners. I am directly responsible for all the CDP (Child Development Program) centers as well as the HIV/Aids program and the GO-Ed program. I have an even bigger learning curve than the field staff as I have to learn the old way as well as the new way. Not to mention that there are a lot of zeros in Ugandan shillings (1000, 5000, 10000, 50000, 100000 notes) and the way Ugandans write zeros, sixes and eights can be very hard to decipher. Let's just say it is an adventure in accounting.

The best thing about last week was that it was my birthday on Saturday. I had probably one of my best birthdays ever. This is because people I have only known for 3 weeks went out of their way to throw a party for me, with cake, candles and presents. Sonya and Bruce and their children hosted and Luke and his mom came too. It was truly special; a birthday I won't forget in a long time. Then on Sunday after church, Luke, his mom and Brooke (Sonya and Bruce's daughter) went to Speke Resort. It is a very large resort right beside Lake Victoria. We swam in the biggest pool I have ever been in and went horseback riding. Then back to Bruce and Sonya's for waffles. It was a wonderful weekend.

The start of my week, yesterday, was of course Thanksgiving. I was very blessed to have been invited to attend a Canadian Thanksgiving dinner. There were around 30 people there, mostly Canadian, but with a few token Brits. There was turkey and stuffing and pumpkin pie. It was amazing.

On the church front, I am loving Kampala International Church. The worship is fantastic although there are lots of songs I don't know. (But it is fun learning the new ones) The head pastor, John is awesome. He has such character. Very different from Mike and Paddy at Cap Church. I have thoroughly enjoyed his sermons. I even found a home group to attend starting in November; it is only two gates down from the FH office and only an 8 minute walk from my house. God has been guiding and blessing me through this entire journey and He continues to amaze me with his steadfast love.

The New House

I moved into my new house yesterday! While I only had 5 suitecases and a fridge and stove, it took until after 6 to finally move in. This being because as always, I had to wait. The morning started off with a bang...literally! I awoke to the sounds of thunder and lightening and rain much like we get at home in the fall. It was a downpour! (Which I had been wanting since it had been 2 weeks without rain - but not on moving day) I got to the office and luckily, Jimmy the driver was able to take me to the guest house to pick up my bags and check out.

Side note...I have a lovely lady named Angela coming to live in my "boys quarters." The boys quarters is three rooms at back of the garage. The first room has a sink, toilet and shower; the other two are empty rooms. Angela and her 3 children are moving in on Wednesday. Angela will work 3 days for me doing some cooking, cleaning and laundry and will work the other two days for Sonya and Bruce. She is a lovely Catholic lady who has been out of work and is trying to support her children since her husband left her. I am very happy to be able to provide her with a job and a home for the next three years.

Back to the story...Angela came by the office right on time, and we agreed on a monthly amount and when she would start. (I thought Wednesday and she wanted to start right away!) Sam the driver, took us to the market to pick up supplies then down to the house so Angela could start cleaning. The plan was for Sam and I to drop her off, then go on to Game to return a kettle and to Uchumi to pick up my fridge and stove. But in Ugandan fashion, my friend Vincent in logistics called and Sam had to go back to the office to take Jane to the bank. So, instead of sitting around moping, I tagged along on the trip to the bank. I like driving around town and getting my bearings. I also get to have interesting chats with the drivers. We got back to the office, waited around for a while, then I went off again with Sam and Simon. This time we took Elsa to a meeting with the World Health Organization. While she was in the meeting we headed over to Game to get the kettle fixed and to Uchumi to pick up the fridge and stove. Success!!!

By the time we picked up Elsa and got through Kampala's rush hour traffic, it was around 5:30. (I forgot to mention that I didn't have time to eat lunch. I was running on the eggs and cereal I had at 8:00 am for breakfast!) We loaded up the truck with some of my bags and headed down to the house where Angela had been cleaning all day. Sam, Simon, Angela and I unpacked the truck, the boys drove Angela home then they went back to the office to get the rest of my bags and the bed that I will be borrowing from FH. By the time they came back and unloaded the rest of the stuff, it was well after 6pm.

Now I was all alone on my fairly large property. I locked the gates tight as well as the front door. I put on some music and started the process of unpacking. I discovered that there was no light bulb in the bathroom light and that there was no water in the kitchen sink (I learned this morning that this is affecting the whole area) But I had my headlamp and I plugged along unpacking suitcases. There was a screw missing for the bed, so I set up the mattress on the floor. Due to an issue with not being able to take any further money from the bank right now, I haven't been able to make any of the basic purchases for my house. So I have a stove with no gas tank or pots and pans and a fridge with no food. I have no furniture, no light bulbs, or even a mop and broom (I had to borrow that from the Go-Ed guest house). It sort of feels like camping in your own house! But my friends are supporting me and I am so happy to have started putting together my new life.

It was very weird to be all alone last night. There were new sounds and the problem of cars beeping at gates and not knowing if they were beeping at mine. I enjoyed a dinner of cheese crackers and Australian Shiraz while I unpacked. I brushed my teeth and washed my face with the light of my headlamp, then lay down to sleep. I was worried I wasn't going to be able to sleep, worrying about every noise. But God kept me save and let me have my sleep. And today is a new day. Still no money, but I love my house!

HOT!!!!

Before I came to Kampala, I looked at different web sites showing the average temperature in the city. Both the websites and the Brandt Travel Guide for Uganda stated that the temperature in Kampala was quite mild, between 20 and 28 degrees Celsius. I thought, well that can't be that bad. Well it is! It was the hottest it has been since I arrived 11 days ago. And of course, yesterday was the day that I decided I wanted to go for a walk (at 1:30pm) up a large hill and down to the Italian Restaurant Cafe Roma for lunch. I was a sopping mess by the time I got there. Then once I had cooled off, I had to do the walk all over again. Every time I go out walking I am always passing everyone on the street. I finally realize why Ugandans walk so slowly:so as not to over heat! It is my natural inclination to walk fast. To get somewhere quickly, for exercise, or because walking slow doesn't seem to accomplish anything. But here, it is the only way to get around without looking like a mess when you get to your destination. Ugandan lesson #1 learned!!

House Hunting

My most frustrating experience so far in Kampala has been finding a home. Being a single women with no means of transportation presents a particular problem both for me and for the logistics team here at FH/Uganda. The area that the office is located in is called Muyenga. It is the second most populated neighborhood with Muzungus (white person). It is a very safe area and one where I can walk at night provided the house is near the main road (Tank Hill Road). Now in order to find a house you have to work with a broker. And when you work with a broker you have to pay them a finding fee to have them start looking for you. A landlord only works with one broker. So as you can see, that makes it a difficult process. In order to look at a variety of places you need to use several different brokers and you have to pay each of them a finders fee. This can get a little ridiculous. In the past week I have looked at at least 10 places. Most of them have been too far from the office for me to travel to both during the day or the night if I am on foot or on bicycle. The only other way is to travel by Matatu (public taxi - more like a small bus). I have found a few locations that are close for the day time, but would not be safe to travel alone at night unless I took a special hire (what we think of as a taxi). The reality is I should have had a car in my budget. That would widen the area I could look at. I've actually found the most perfect apartment. It is brand new, spacious and has views of lake Victoria. It is in lower Muyenga and is perfectly safe to walk during the day time, but not at night. Having a car would allow me to take the apartment right now. Not having a car means I have to wait. But I am trying to remember that God has a plan and that He is working on finding me the perfect place, and that it will be in His time not mine. I read this verse today in daily devotions and it seems to have a special meaning for me as I keep looking:

Trust in the LORD with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways submit to him,
and he will make your paths straight. (Proverbs 3:5-6)

Moses

For all those who have been to Bufukhula, you will understand how excited I was to see Moses yesterday. He was in Kampala for two days of training. He knew I had arrived and came to find me as I was checking emails at the GoEd guesthouse (which is on the same property as the office). I was overjoyed to see him. He brought news that our friends in Bufukhula remember me and are waiting for me to come visit. He also told me that work on the clinic is progressing. But most of all he brought news of Peace and I have been diligently passing that information along to Angela. Peace is doing great. She recognizes all the FH staff and smiles and tries to talk to them when she sees them. Sylviah and Andrew are in charge of her care and they have made sure her grandparents are getting trained on the proper nutrition for her and for her regular medications. She has undertaken some tests to see if more than just malnutrition is a factor, and plans are in motion for her to stay some time with the FH staff to ensure feeding and medication is administered appropriately. But Moses assured me she is doing better than great.

I was able to send Moses back with some Christian books and a bible, as well as my old mosquito net and some CFHI T-shirts that were too big for me. I know he and the Mbale staff will be able to use these items. I am anxiously waiting for the chance to visit my old friends in Bufukhula and to answer again to Mwanguisi.

Meeting New Friends

I have been very lucky here in Kampala. There is a SIS (Seconded International Staff - that's me) from the US named Luke Runyon. He had been in Kampala for about a year. Also, FH US runs a semester abroad program called GoEd. The program in Uganda is run by Bruce Nicely and the students are managed by Julia and Kenny. Bruce is married to Sonya and they have three children. These people have been absolutely amazing and have made the transition here so much easier than if I was the only SIS at the office. Julia and Kenny, of course, picked me up at the airport, but Luke has been helping me find a place to stay. There are also 13 GoEd students here for their semester abroad, all ladies. I've had dinner at the guest house with the students, at a great Indian Restaurant with Julia and Kenny, a grilled cheese and Settlers of Cattan night with Julia, Kenny and Luke, and an evening of making pizza and chocolate chip cookies with the GoEd students at Bruce and Sonya's house. Then there have been trips to the American Recreation Club (an ex-pat country club - although not super posh), shopping trips with the ladies and a BBQ at the church with members who live in the Muyenga district (this is the area the office is located). It always seems strange to me when there are a lot of Muzungus (white people) congregated in one place. But it was neat to meet other people with a passion for missions here in Uganada. And such a range of people. There were Brits and Aussies and Kiwis and Americans. And everyone has such facinating reasons to be in Uganda. I made some great contacts among the ladies. The BBQ was held at the Heritage School. It is an ex-pat school and also the location of Kampala International Church. This is the church I will be attending (I'll post more on that later). But one of my favorite new friends is Janet Shaver, I had met her at Cap Church on her last trip home, but she is down from Kitgum right now and we are getting to know each other better. In fact we had a girls night last night and I slept over. It was like a little holiday for me and a chance to tap into her knowledge of being a single Canadian Girl in Uganda. So as you can see I have been keeping busy and starting to form a social circle. I am looking forward to meeting more of the ex-pat community here in Kampala. While it is important to make Ugandan friends and experience Ugandan life and culture, it is also important to surround yourself with a group of people who understand your frustrations and concerns and with whom you can just be yourself.

Arriving in Uganda

I'm on day 5 of 1095 days in Kampala...and so far so good. God has provided in every way since I left Vancouver, actually before I even left Vancouver. If you have ever had to pack up your life and move it for three years then you may understand the difficulty. My new life in Kampala turned out to five suitcases! However, since I was only allowed three by British Airways, I had to pay for the extra two to a tune of $512 dollars. But God had anticipated this problem and provided a last minute donor who's donation covered this unexpected cost. I was also a little anxious about the travelling to Uganda, the flights and layover as well as getting through customs in Entebbe. Again God anticipated and provided the company of a family of four from Mission travelling to Uganda for a three year mission. I was overjoyed with God's gracious provisions. These two instances combined with my smooth sailing through customs made for a great start to my trip. But it only gets better. I was met at the airport by Julia and Kenny (Americans working for the Go-Ed program run by FH US), not Jimmy the driver as I was aticipating. It turned out that there was some confusion as to the date I was arriving so there was no FH driver available to pick me up at the airport. There plan was to send a random taxi driver to pick me up. Julia and Kenny, bless their hearts, felt that this was not the best impression to make on a single women arriving scared and unsure, so they volunteered to pick me up. Again God provides. We came straight to the office and broke into morning devotions for introductions. I met most of the office staff and sat down with Sang Hoon Lee the country director and Jung Jin the new Finance Minister. Then it was off to the Guest House with my five very heavy bags. Of course my room is at the top of two flights of stairs. It is comfortable enough if a little small. I had no hot water for the first few days, but that was only because the power was off and the generator does not heat the water, just keeps the lights going. Such is the problem in Uganda. Power is a luxury and is not a very reliable one at that.

13 Sleeps.....

With only 13 sleeps to go the countdown is on. It's hard to contemplate, sometimes, packing your life into 4 suitcases. (I visited the rest of my life packed in the basement of a friend's today...I miss it already!) I keep thinking I have everything, then I find something else I need. I know I will probably be able to find it in Kampala, but there is some security in knowing you have everything you need right off the bat. There is still alot of uncertainty, like getting through customs, hoping that someone is there to pick me up, not knowing where I will be staying for the first few weeks. It's comforting to know that I have everything I need to "live" my life the way I know it, at least until my supplies run out.

With only a short time left at home, I have finished work and am "working" at trying to spend as much time as possible with family and friends. As much as I am excited about my new life in Uganda, I am already starting to miss home. I guess that's normal. I try not to think ahead to my birthday and to Christmas as I get too sad. It will be interesting to live between two worlds: making a new life in Kampala yet still keeping my foot in the door at home. I was never one for psychology, and now I feel like I will be living in a life sized psychology experiment.

I am truly looking forward to making Kampala my home. I am most looking forward to the everyday presence of God in my life. It is so eay to leave Him in the background here at home where everything is familiar and comfortable. But to rely on Him each day, to talk to Him each day, to have Him be present in my work life, this is something that I have been dreaming about since I came home from Bufukhula last May. I give thanks to God and my supporters each day for this amazing opportunity.

Almost Famous

Sharing Number Sense in Uganda

Caroline Skelton, North Shore News

Published: Sunday, August 12, 2007

Kristee Watson, 32, says she would have helped out in Uganda by taking out the garbage.

But with her accounting background, it will be her way with numbers that she brings to a three-year stint as a volunteer in the country.

Watson will be taking a break from her Canadian life to help out in the finance department of Food for the Hungry in Uganda, reporting all major donors, handling all the funding that comes in to make sure it's recorded then allocated out to different regions.

"It's not as glamorous as nursing or doctoring or being an engineer, but those projects don't get done if there's nobody there," she says.

Considering Uganda's record of troubles with fiscal responsibility, she says, she looks forward to bringing with her both good accounting practices and a sense of financial ethics and accountability to her new job.

Watson learned accounting while working with the Earls restaurant group during the last decade. Starting out serving, then moving into the head office, and finally being hired on as assistant controller for the Joey Tomato's restaurant chain, Watson says it's not just a knowledge of accounting that she'll take from these experiences.

"I think that what I gained with Earls was an ability to go into a situation and not be afraid of it and learn as you go," she says.

Watson is still in the process of collecting funds before her departure, as Food For the Hungry requires volunteers to secure all their funding before they leave.

These funds, explains Watson, include living expenses, transportation, training and an emergency evacuation fee, as well as savings for home, so that volunteers will have funds to return to.

But Watson says she has already received no shortage of support from the community, especially members of her church, Capilano Christian Community, which already sponsors 300 Ugandan children.

Watson was first inspired to volunteer in the country after she helped out in a short-term volunteering excursion last May with a work team from the church that helped in a building project in a Ugandan village.

While there, she was impressed by both the Food for the Hungry staff and the Ugandan people.

"I think there's the perception that Africans are poor, that they have nothing, that they must be miserable and sad all the time, and that is just not the case," says Watson. "I've never been in a place where there's so much joy."

So while her life here is rich with "(a) great job, great friends, great church," says Watson, "there's just something about Africa and the opportunity to go and serve the rest of the world that I think is important for a person to do."

To donate to Watson's volunteering effort, visit http://www.givemeaning.com/proposal/UgandaBound.

cskelton@nsnews.com

God Said No!

I asked God to take away my habit.
God said, No.
It is not for me to take away, but for you to give it up.

I asked God to make my handicapped child whole.
God said, No.
His spirit is whole, his body is only temporary.

I asked God to grant me patience.
God said, No.
Patience is a byproduct of tribulations; it isn't granted, it is learned.

I asked God to give me happiness.
God said, No.
I give you blessings; Happiness is up to you.

I asked God to spare me pain.
God said, No.
Suffering draws you apart from worldly cares and brings you closer to me.

I asked God to make my spirit grow.
God said, No.
You must grow on your own, but I will prune you to make you fruitful.

I asked God for all things that I might enjoy life.
God said, No.
I will give you life, so that you may enjoy all things.

I asked God to help me LOVE others, as much as He loves me.
God said...Ahhhh, finally you have the idea.

So Much to Tell

I apologize for the lengthy delays between postings. This is due to the fact that I don't have a computer at home, so have to sneak posts in during work or at my parents on the weekends. That will change soon as my laptop for Uganda has been ordered by CFHI.

So...the big news is...I am leaving for Uganda in 12 weeks! Can you believe it?!?! What started out as a small seed God planted last May in Bufukhula is now bearing fruit.

Only 10 More Sleeps!

How excited am I to be heading of to Peru in 10 days? I will be spending 3 weeks training with staff from Food for the Hungry International and missionary candidates from the US and Great Britain. While I am not looking forward to the studying, I am looking forward to meeting the other candidates and hearing how God has been working in their lives to get them to this point. Not to mention the three weeks of hot summer weather!

Why the Voice of Truth?

I was looking for a great title for the newsletter I knew I would have to send every three months for the next 3 - 4 years. I spent hours pouring over bible verses and quotes from inspiring people, just hoping to find the words that would convey what I have been feeling since I came home from Uganda in May 2005.

I was sitting at the computer, tired and fed up, when the song Voice of Truth from Casting Crowns came on. That was it. That’s the name of my newsletter. That’s what I want to convey to my family ,friends and supporters.

My promise to you is that for the next four years I will echo the voice of truth to you in the pages of this blog and in my newsletters. As I keep hearing God’s word on my heart while I pray during the months of preparation and while I am fielded in Uganda, I will attempt to share these words with you. I want you to feel that this journey is yours; I want you to own my dream with me.

Oh What I would do to have

The kind of faith it takes

To climb out of this boat I'm in

Onto the crashing waves

To step out of my comfort zone

Into the realm of the unknown where Jesus is

And He's holding out His hand

But the waves are calling out my name

And they laugh at me

Reminding me of all the times I've tried before and failed

The waves they keep on telling me

Time and time again. "Boy, you'll never win!"

"You'll never win!"

Chorus:

But the voice of truth tells me a different story

The voice of truth says, "Do not be afraid!"

The voice of truth says, "This is for My glory"

Out of all the voices calling out to me

I will choose to listen and believe the voice of truth

Oh what I would do to have

The kind of strength it takes to stand before a giant

With just a sling and a stone

Surrounded by the sound of a thousand warriors

Shaking in their armor

Wishing they'd have had the strength to stand

But the giant's calling out my name

And he laughs at me

Reminding me of all the times

I've tried before and failed

The giant keeps on telling me

Time and time again. "Boy you'll never win!"

"You'll never win!"

But the stone was just the right size

To put the giant on the ground

And the waves they don't seem so high

From on top of them lookin' down

I will soar with the wings of eagles

When I stop and listen to the sound of Jesus

Singing over me

I will choose to listen and believe the voice of truth