July update

Okay, it’s been way too long since the last update, and I’m sure I’ll not be able to give accounts of all that’s happened since March (I think that was my last post), but some reporting is in order.  First the excuse:  most of the time I haven’t felt like posting.  Between the schedule we keep, and the things that happen here, I haven’t wanted to post, though it may have been therapeutic…  Here’s some things that have gone on:

Homes of Hope:  I have nearly completely removed myself from the program, and, though not because of that, it is not going well.  There is not enough committed staff, so keeping the program going locally has been fitful.  There is still the insistence on using foam blocks, but it’s rather difficult to manufacture them when the molds were stolen, presumably to be sold as scrap.  (They were manufactured and shipped here at great expense, and each is made of machined cast aluminum with steel hardware, and weigh around 400 lbs.)  There is an ongoing effort to duplicate them locally and produce new blocks, but there are still pre-existing technological challenges, as well as some new ones which have prevented that from happening.  The team which was scheduled to come next month to build the next house has cancelled, citing security concerns…

I have spent much of my time doing a bathroom remodel, effectively building a new one actually.  I have done most of the work myself, and it has been fun to take on some new ways of doing things; learning and occasionally teaching.  Progress has been painstakingly and frustratingly slow, but I think the end is near, maybe even by the end of next week?

Beth continues to be involved personally in many of the lives of other staff members, some of the students, and even with some of the visitors who pass through.  It’s really a gifting, and I know a big part (probably the most important) of why we’re here.  We’ve become aware that most of the staff have very little financial support and struggle to get by.  We’re thankful that they have places to stay and food to eat, but they all struggle to pay staff fees (most can’t), school fees for their children, or for their basic needs.  Most teams and visitors, especially those from ‘the west’, come to Uganda and see poverty and needs in the surrounding communities, and want to ‘do something’ to ‘help’.  They don’t recognize the people who are serving them at the place they are staying have many of those same needs.  Beth has nearly completed interviewing our staff, and is putting together a binder where visitors can go and see what some of the needs are, and help out, if they feel led to do so.  No pressure, just awareness.

In the middle of June the girl’s VTS graduated, then two weeks later the SBS (School of Biblical Studies) graduated.  Meanwhile the DTS (30 people) was away on outreach, and the base was down to a skeleton staff and their families, and was ghostly quiet, and nature was taking over.  But within the last week a team of three families arrived for their outreach, the DTS returned, and a new family of five from Korea has joined the staff.  The place is bustling again, maybe nature can be held at bay.

With the departure of the girl’s VTS (we miss those students, but get updates and occasional visits), we’ve been focusing some on the upcoming boy’s VTS.  So far it’s weekly meetings as well as some personal time spent, but I’m beginning to feel it’s a reality.  We’re shooting for beginning in September, with an initial group of no more than ten students.  After my experiences in building and maintenance, the program will be ‘general construction’.  There is growing interest, and we’ll have to turn away many who want to be students.  The same can’t be said for staff, so far it’s me. 

Rainy season has pretty much come to an end.  For me it was very interesting to see the cycles of insects during over different periods.  There were days of different flying ants (termites), various crawling bugs, flying bugs, a week of millipedes, then later centipedes.  And the soldier ants, also known as ‘no pants ants’.  You’d wake up one morning and there would be a new column of thousands stretched in lines over several yards.  The columns would last a few days, literally carving out paths through the mud and grass, then abruptly disappear.  Then a new column(s) would appear somewhere else.  The reason for the name ‘no pants ants’ is that if you stepped or paused on or near a column you would have dozens of them from head to toe in and out of your clothes biting fiercely.  People will strip off their clothes to remove the ants.  Beth had the experience one early morning in the kitchen as she was going to help prepare breakfast, and I think everyone can report being bitten on several occasions.  There were a few times where I found myself rescuing some small children as they stood screaming amongst a swarm.

In May we went to visit a YWAM base near Dar es Salaam, Tanzania with a boy’s carpentry vocational school, and a successfully operating clinic.  We took the opportunity to travel by ferry to the island of Zanzibar for a few days rest and leisure.  It’s a beautiful place, and we enjoyed nice accommodations and good food, and hope to return someday.  We also had the opportunity to treat one of our staff to his first plane ride, and a much needed break from his duties here. 

Kailey was able to visit us for the first two weeks of June, and we all enjoyed her time here.  Because of the limited staff and our obligations, we weren’t able to get away as much as we would have liked, but being together is what was important, and we were able to visit Musana and go to town a few times.   From here she went to Paris for a few days to be with her friend, Lauren, then home. 

Beth will also be going home next month.  She’ll be spending time with family and friends, and someone named Lucy.  (Okay she’s family, too, but it’s different.)  I’ll (mostly, hopefully) be preparing for the upcoming VTS, and doing other things, but will be there in spirit, and via Skype.

Much more has happened, and continues to happen.  Please remember us in your prayers.

Zanzibar

guests of honor at girl's VTS graduation

the ants go marching...

Kailey time...

the cobra killed in our neighbor's house

How's the weather?

When we were home in Colorado I paid too much attention to the weather.  The weather forecasts actually, and the discussions about weather.  I also had the ‘news’ playing on the TV and radio enough to be reminded of how much of the broadcasts are dedicated to weather.  And I allowed myself to be influenced by them, making and changing plans based on the forecasts of cold and snow.  I was again frustrated by how much time and energy we spend on something we really have no control over, and why do we (I) allow it to be the topic of so much of our (my) conversation?  Well it’s not just in the US, it’s here as well.  When we returned it was the beginning of the ‘rainy season’.  But it wasn’t raining.  So many of the conversations were about, or included the need for rain. Even on the drive from the airport; our driver was very soft spoken and hard to understand so we didn’t talk much, but when we did it was about rain.  It also influences the behavior here; preparation for planting, what to plant, where to plant, when to plant, as well as how to navigate the roads.  Well I’m happy to report the rains have (mostly) come, planting is occurring, and navigating is interesting.

a rainy season garden

It’s been relatively quiet since we’ve been back.  There’s not a lot happening with Homes of Hope, the next building team isn’t scheduled to come until August.  Also, I’ve made it known I don’t want to be as heavily involved, so I think that will be respected, but for now I’ll be part of the planning and logistics until roles are more defined.  Which is the reason for weekly meetings which happen on Mondays: except when they don’t, because some or all of those scheduled to be there don’t show up; as was the case last week.  The next order of business is to get feedback at an all staff meeting (Wednesdays), and maybe get a clearer idea of the way forward for Homes of Hope at Hopeland.  We’ve also begun weekly meetings (Tuesdays) to work on establishing the Men’s Vocational School which is where my heart is.  It’s been said that YWAM may stand for youth with a meeting; which may be based in reality, but if it results in action that’s okay.

 

The last week Beth and I were pretty sick, and for Beth a trip to the hospital was in order as she became very dehydrated.  (First we had to navigate the road from the base which was ‘suffering’ from the first rains, and required maneuvering around a mired bus.) There are many ‘clinics’ and several ‘hospitals’ to choose from; we chose the brand new Nile International Hospital.  It is run by Turkish doctors, is very modern and boasts four floors with an elevator, and several departments including; L&D, radiology (with a CT scanner), emergency, a surgery theatre, pharmacy, and even a cafeteria.  We’re still in Africa, but it really was impressive.  I think most clinics use a dart board to diagnose (“You don’t need stitches, you have malaria.”), but I’m pretty sure this place uses a modern Wheel of Tropical Diseases which they spin to get their diagnoses.  Actually the consulting physician suspected Typhoid which was ‘confirmed’ by the blood and stool samples taken and analyzed in the lab.  Beth then spent several hours in an ER bed receiving IV fluids and medicine, after which we were sent home with a round of antibiotic and two additional meds.  The total cost for the doctor’s consultation, lab work, in patient care with IV fluids and meds, and prescriptions from the pharmacy was 75,000 Ugs, about $23.  (At that rate we can afford to drop our health insurance, right?) Though we’re pretty sure we didn’t have Typhoid, we do suspect a water or food borne illness, as several others here have had similar symptoms.  We hope we won’t be needing medical services again, but should the need arise we would return to that hospital to take another chance on the Wheel of Tropical Diseases.

Missionaries

Used t’be I coont even spell it, now I are one!

As a child, up to the age of about 13, I attended Catholic church and Catechism with my mother and brothers and sisters, and I remember hearing a lot about missionaries.  I was also raised in California, and the fourth grade curriculum included California history which was full of information about Father Juanipero Serra who established missions along the California coast.  (We got to build sugar cube models of some of those missions, and even took a field trip to visit one.)  I’m sure it was in that context that I formed my perceptions about what a missionary is.  I had, and still have, to some extent, this vision of priests and nuns going into unchurched native cultures and converting the population.  That was accompanied by then ‘civilizing’ that population; meaning forcing them to give up their native beliefs and practices, put on clothes, adopt western ways, and be ‘Christian’.  My early days in the evangelical Christian community did little to change my perception of what a missionary is, except now in my mind a missionary didn’t wear frocks and collars or a habit, but rather they were a conservatively dressed white family who were civilizing the natives.  Because of this perception, for most of my life I’ve struggled with the term ‘missionary’.  Yet now, as it comes up in conversation, we refer to ourselves (and others do, as well) as ‘missionaries’.  Not because we feel like we’re missionaries in what our traditional perception of what that means, but really because it’s easier.  Rather than try to explain why we are in Africa and what we’re doing, it’s easier to say ‘we’re missionaries’.

But aren’t we all missionaries?  Whether it’s actively or passively, we’re all representing someone or something we believe in.  And by our words and actions we demonstrate our allegiances.  You won’t find the word ‘missionary’ in the Bible, but you can find ‘ambassador’.  It’s actually the word I prefer for what we’re doing here, Beth and I are ambassadors of what we believe in.  As Christians, we’re all certainly called to be Christ’s ambassadors, wherever we’re at.  For some it means ‘going out on the mission field’, the way we’ve been taught to believe (like going to Uganda or some other foreign place, wow), but I believe your mission field is wherever you’re at.  I know that what we’re doing here is what we are supposed to do, but it’s no more important than what anyone who is following Christ is doing.  It’s easy and tempting to say ‘I’m a missionary in Africa’ (maybe even impressive to some), but really we’re only doing what we know we are supposed to do.

Sometimes we hear how what we’re doing must be ‘so difficult; missionaries, in Africa!’  I probably haven’t done much to dispel that, but it’s just not true.  First, when you’re doing what you’re supposed to, God is not going to let it be too difficult.  That said, life here (for us) is not difficult anyway. Often frustrating, inconvenient at times, even mystifying sometimes (“really?”…), but overall pretty simple.  Uganda, and Jinja in particular, is easy.  Jinja is home to hundreds of missionary and humanitarian organizations, which means a large western presence, which results in a cottage industry catering to the westerners.  Restaurants, supermarkets, recreation, tours, and etc, are all available. And while Beth and I try to integrate ourselves with the local population, we certainly take advantage of those things.  On the YWAM base itself we have all the comforts of home. (They’re just not very comfortable, or well done. Actually what I’m hoping to change as part of my ‘calling’.)  What we’re doing is not for everyone, but it is for us, and it’s not hard.

Which is why, as of yesterday, we are back in Uganda.  After a great visit ‘home’ we’re back to a much quieter base than when we left.  The VTS girls are gone on holiday before going to their internships, the performing arts DTS is away on outreach, and there are no visiting teams.  On Monday we’ll get back into our routines (or maybe start new ones), but the weekend is for getting over jet lag, and reconnecting.

Thanks for all who made our visit home special.  It was great spending time with the family and friends we were able to, and apologies to those we missed.  The generous hospitality and sharing of time and resources we received is greatly appreciated.  The perks of being missionaries…

Suffering through another missionary meal  (At one of the restaurants we frequent in town) while playing peek-a-boo with a child at another table.

January

It’s already February.  Time flies when you’re having fun, or at least when you’re staying busy, which we have been.  Homes of Hope still consumes the majority of my time, and Beth continues to be involved in many of the happenings on and around the base.  By using a standard of ‘at the end of the day, point to what you have accomplished’ our productivity sometimes might be considered low, but sometimes the work we do can’t be measured in tangible units.  There are many things which impede ‘work’ here, and as someone who values work and productivity, it can be extremely frustrating.  But hopefully I can learn from them, use them as teaching opportunities, exercise patience, and sometimes help to change them, if appropriate. 

There was a DTS team here at the beginning of January from Tijuana (YWAM Baja/San Diego), the home base of Homes of Hope, who were here to ‘build’ the home for which we had prepared the foundation.  In my opinion, things didn’t go well.  ‘We’ didn’t have all of the materials and tools needed, there wasn’t reliable transportation, and things got rushed.  But at the end of their allotted eight days of building time the walls were up and (mostly) plastered and painted, part of the roof was on, a door and shutters were hung (so they could get their pictures) and they prepared to leave with the feeling of a job well done.  Some of the team leader’s last words as they gathered for the pictures and ‘presentation ceremony’ were: “Don’t worry, they’ll finish tomorrow” pointing to me and the two ‘students’ I’ve been working with.  ‘Tomorrow’ was nearly four weeks ago and we’re getting close to finishing.  And ‘finished’ is another relative term.  We hope to be to the point where the family can move in to the home in the next few days, and I suppose that’s what we’re calling finished.

This whole project has certainly given me plenty to think about.  It’s the subject of many discussions, especially between Beth and me.  There are many philosophical considerations, and of course the practical implications.  I’m not going to try to spell all of those things out here, but here are a few:  Is it ‘right’ to give a home to someone?  Should there be conditions?  What is the impact within their community?  What technologies and materials should be used?  Should it be done by outsiders?  What about follow up?  I know a lot of people participate in ‘short term’ mission trips, often for building projects (I have), these are things I think should be discussed as part of the preparation for those trips.  I’m still trying to sort out many of these things myself, meanwhile there are more teams scheduled to come to build more homes (of hope).

Meanwhile we get involved with other things.  Beth has gone with visiting teams as they go to minister at different places.  She also went one weekend to Soroti, about four hours away on a bus, where she visited Amachek; a home for children with AIDS and other serious diseases whose families can’t care for them.  This week she went to a village clinic primarily providing pre and post natal care to women.  Beth also spends a lot of time with the girls who are here for vocational training.  There are ten of them, mostly from difficult backgrounds, and they really value the ‘family’ time Beth and others spend with them.  We really enjoy getting to know them and being a part of their lives as well.

Next week we’ll be going home for a few weeks visit.  I’m not looking forward to Colorado’s weather, but of course we’re excited to see family and friends.  No offense to anyone else, but Lucy sits at the top of the list of those we’ll spend time with.  I think I’ll even be able to work on our taxes with her around…

We’ve already purchased our return flights (really affordable, this time), and I’m already anticipating our time back here.  I feel like we’re leaving many things undone, and I have plenty of ideas about things I want to do when we get back.  In spite of the many frustrations, this is where we belong for now, so even though we look forward to the break, it won’t be too difficult coming back.  We’ve got a growing shopping list of things to bring back as well.  Things we want to have for our ‘home sweet home’ away from ‘home sweet home’.

The 'finished' home the team left...

...with much left to do.  

With some of the VTS chefs

Wedding, HoH, Christmas

It’s been a long time since the last post.  It feels like we’ve been busy, because we have, but it’s hard to say what has been accomplished in that time.  I think it is part of our western culture; we’re goal oriented, and we set about our tasks with specific objectives in mind.  I’m that way to a fault, often at the expense of my relationships.  That’s not the way things are here; between Africa time, lack of resources, lack of motivation, relationships, and distractions; we can feel busy, but outcomes are different.  That said, here’s some of what has been happening in our lives.

The beginning of The Introduction.  Bride and her attendants are huddled together, plenty of speeches to follow...

The wedding is about to begin.

After the washout at the introduction, bride and groom meeting remaining guests.

Building a foundation and 'pouring the slab'.  Use those hammers to make big rocks smaller.
  Kitchen and existing home are behind.

Boy: "Can we burn the ends of your hair?"
Girl:  "It doesn't work with their hair."

Christmas dinner.

We attended our first Introduction and wedding.  There is a couple here on the base, he Canadian and she Ugandan, who were married two weeks ago.  She is from western Uganda, so that’s where the ceremonies were held.  The Introduction is a big deal and is more traditional, while the wedding is important, but has become more ‘westernized’.  We left here at four in the morning for the seven hour drive (three small rental cars, five people in each, no more comfortable than the other modes of transport…) to the bride’s hometown so that we could get there in time to clean up before the introduction which was to start at one(ish).  The introduction ceremony was held at her parents’ cattle farm which is very nice and scenic.  There were over 1000 people there, including friends, family, and nearly everyone from the local village.  It was a catered event (as was the wedding reception), so first everyone was fed; buffet style and quite the spread.  (Apparently in this part of Uganda the food comes after the ceremony, but there it was the other way around.)  Once everyone had eaten and was seated the introduction begins:  There is an emcee (I’ve learned that microphones and PA systems are well liked here) who speaks continuously as the families, special guests, us included, and the groom come ‘in’ and take their seats.  Finally the bride and her escorts, all covered to disguise their identities, are ushered to a mattress in the center of the crowd where they squat down and will remain for most of the rest  of the ceremony.  The groom is then presented with traditional gifts, which of course are explained as they are presented, and then the ‘speeches’ begin.  The speeches are given by family members, pastors, friends, that guy in the market that may have seen the bride or groom one time, and seemingly anyone who might have something nice to say, hand them the microphone.  I’m not sure when they were going to end, but after 2-1/2 hours the sky opened up with a deluge, and that was the end of the ceremony.  There was supposed to be some fanfare of the groom trying to pick his bride from amongst the covered bridal party, but instead everyone scattered into the rainstorm, and the gifts and other things that could be gathered into cover were.  When we tell people who weren’t there the ceremony was cut short by a rainstorm, without exception the response has been: ‘That is a blessing’.  I take it to mean the speeches probably would have continued indefinitely, but some say the rain is a good omen for the marriage.

The next day was the wedding which was to start at ‘midday’ in the church.  Some said midday was around twelve, others closer to one.  I’m still not sure, but when we arrived around 12:15 the church wasn’t very full, but there was an emcee trying to fill the time with explanations of what was happening and what would happen.  And at 12:50 the bride and groom were standing together ‘at the altar’ before the preacher.  It was a very typical wedding, except that anyone with a cellphone or camera was welcome to photograph every aspect of the event and were continually around the couple, getting between them and the preacher and the ‘official’ photographer and videographer.  The reception was held at a hotel about five miles away, and we rushed there right after the wedding since our driver was the emcee and wanted to be there before the guests and wedding party arrived.  It wasn’t really necessary though, since the reception wasn’t done being set up, and it was about three hours before the emcee was needed.  More speeches, the children’s choir singing and dancing, gift presentation, etc.  We eventually got on the road about 7:30 for the long drive home.

I’ve still been busy with Homes of Hope, much of the last ten days ‘helping with’ the foundation and slab for the home a team from the US will be building next week.  We don’t do ‘em like this in the states.  Let’s just say ‘work smarter not harder’ wasn’t in play on this job, and it’s a good thing this isn’t going to be a complex house it’s not going to be subject to a lot of stresses.  Also be thankful for delivery of proper materials and concrete, because that doesn’t happen here.

 

This was our first Christmas abroad and the first without any family.  The climate and environment don’t really set the ‘Christmas mood’, but through the efforts of some people on base, it was actually very nice.  On Christmas eve we visited one family’s home for tea and snacks, then later another’s for more refreshment, and then that evening there was a bonfire, caroling and sharing of scripture with several families represented.  We started Christmas day with calls to our children and Lucy.  Later we had lunch with a Ugandan family, then went to another home for dinner.  Those hosts, a Canadian couple who are running a school here, outdid themselves for all of us (another couple and a couple of students and staff from their school).  Stuffed chicken, veggies, mashed potatoes, and several desserts, all served with special attention and cheer.  It was a very nice day with barely enough time to miss home.

Most of the base is ‘shut down’ for the holidays, which means normal activities are suspended, but there are still some schools running and plenty of people who didn’t leave, so it’s quiet but not dead.  I’m still busy preparing for the HoH build, as well as other projects and repairs that come up.  Beth has spent several afternoons watching movies with the kids on base, and has kept busy with other things as well.  We are learning we don’t need to constantly push to get things done, but it’s hard to change a lifetime of habit and culture.  Change comes slowly…

Forward steps, backward steps

The more you see, the more you know.   As we spend our time here, we’re seeing and hearing more and more about YWAM, the base, and its operation.  It’s not Utopia (darn), and the challenges and frustrations are probably more than we anticipated, so we try to remind ourselves of why we are here and move on.

It’s a big base, with lots of big plans and ideas (vision), but not enough resources and manpower to follow through.  Not enough, really, to maintain what’s already here, so it seems to be the source of a good deal of frustration.  Of course, there are plenty of opinions about what could and should be done, including my own.  But it also presents opportunity for positive change, and I think that’s what Beth and I get to be a part of.  It also means that the men’s vocational training school and health clinic aren’t immediate realities, the resources just aren’t available for either and it wouldn’t be wise to start another project which can’t be done well.  I believe we’ll see those things at some point, but for now we are filling other roles.  The biggest is building relationship; with staff and students and others we meet and interact with.

One of the successful programs here is a girl’s vocational school.  Most of the girls come from backgrounds which would make it very difficult to finish their education or develop useful skills which would allow them to become self-sufficient.  Many are orphans, or have had to drop out of school, or lived in situations which put them at risk for failure.  They come here to live for a year while learning skills; hospitality, cooking and baking, and others, as well as participating in the base community. We (primarily Beth) are building rapport and spending much time with the girls.  It’s part of the mentoring role which we play and is really the bigger reason for being here.

The most time consuming thing for me has been to try to keep the Homes of Hope block production going.  Unfortunately it’s not been very successful.  Equipment breakdowns, power failures, having to relocate have all interrupted what we’re trying to accomplish.  Basically we’re trying to make giant legos from expanding foam (the kind you seal gaps with).  It requires a consistent high amperage electrical supply for the air compressor and heating elements, specific chemicals for cleaning the equipment, and a clean and organized work area.  None of which are available here, so we try to make due.  We’ve now set up in a chicken coop, but because of breakdowns haven’t got much done in the last two weeks.  It’s obviously not the appropriate technology right now, but since there is a group coming in two weeks to build a home, and the equipment and chemicals are here we’re going to follow through with production for now, and re-evaluate whether to continue the process once the remaining 55 gallon barrels of chemical are gone.

Between the times spent on that I’ve taken on the task of trying to clean and organize some of the storerooms on base.  I’d done one when we had to relocate the HoH operation, and unfortunately it became the catchall for that.  There seems to be a tendency to throw things which are broken or not known what they are, or for, into locked spaces where they get buried and become home for rats, mice, wasps and other critters.  Anything of value or usefulness disappears because of a lack of accountability or knowledge of what’s there.  It’s our hope to restore those things.  Meanwhile I get to go on treasure hunts, and have already used many things to improvise on other projects.

Last week the School of Sustainable Agriculture that was here finished up.  Since the leaders and four of the students were American, and because graduation coincided with Thanksgiving, they decided to treat the base to a Thanksgiving feast; complete with green beans, mashed potatoes and gravy, pumpkin pie, some local dishes, and beef.  (Turkey and chicken were too expensive.) The girl’s vocational school did all the cooking and serving, and it was excellent, and everyone really enjoyed the evening, including the music and dancing after the graduation ceremony and meal.

This week we’ve moved into what should be our more permanent home.  We’ve taken over the space previously occupied by the Ag school leaders, and prior to that another couple close to our age.  It’s basically a one bedroom apartment with a small kitchen and (terribly executed) bathroom.  The other couples have done a good job of stocking it with kitchen supplies and a few furnishings, so we have only a few things to do to make it ‘home’.  Both the other couples have tentative plans to return, so it will be interesting to see how we’re all situated if we’re here together.

"That is a snake!"  (almost as big as the spiders)

some Thanksgiving desserts

some Thanksgiving caterers- vocational school girls

Homes of hope block making arrangement.  Chickens on the other side of the screen aren't happy.

One night in the other place I found a snake in the kitchen.  It was small, maybe sixteen inches, dark in color, and kind of pretty, but we didn’t know what kind it was.  Rather than kill it, I caught it in a bucket to let go because I prefer harmless snakes to mice and some of the other critters that snakes eat.  There were some people in a common room next door and Beth went over to ask if anyone could identify the snake we’d caught in our room.  One young man said he knew about snakes and came over to help us out.  When he came over and looked in the bucket he declared:  “That is a snake!”  We’ve met a lot of people, and I don’t know all their names yet, but I’m calling that man Sherlock.

Homes of Hope

 It’s been a busier week.  There is a YWAM ministry based out of Tijuana called Homes of Hope.  Their mission is to build homes for the poor; efficiently using cost effective technology, and locally available materials and labor.  One of the technologies they’ve been using is foam building blocks encased in plaster and concrete.  Last year they shipped most of the equipment needed to make the foam blocks here, and then built a home in Kakira (see last blog).  Dr. Tim, the Hopeland director, has a vision to build several homes in the area, including a long range vision of building an entire community and sees Homes of Hope as a logical fit in that vision.  Last year HoH shipped molds, other equipment, chemicals, and many other materials for producing the foam blocks.  They also sent a couple of guys to set things up, and later a team to build the home.  They’ve also purchased many tools and materials here, and have trained a few young men in the process.  Two guys from HoH have been here for the last week to try to get it going again in anticipation of building more homes beginning next month.  There have been a lot of problems with the equipment and very few blocks have been made so far, but it seems most of the kinks have been worked out and there may be better results moving forward.  Since I’ll be working with young men to develop vocational skills, I will be heavily involved in this project.

setting up for block building

celebrating....

Beth has had a busy week as well.  One day she attended a meeting in town to meet with several medical professionals from various organizations which have different ministries in the area.  She met another nurse there who was able to spend a day with Beth giving a crash course in HIV/AIDS, and its treatment methods here in Uganda.  On Friday she was planning to go to visit Musana and some of the people there, but first she and some of the other ladies on base met with the Women with Hope group.  Turns out one of those women had died, so the whole group walked to her home in a nearby village for the pre-funeral viewing.  Beth and one of the other women here have also begun an early morning exercise routine twice a week which they are hoping others will join.  She also was asked to administer IV drugs to one of the vocational school girls who had been to a clinic in town, and diagnosed with a serious infection for which she had been given several meds.  Beth and I have also been asked to take on a kind of mentoring and parenting role to the vocational school girls, which is something Beth had been feeling called to already.  When we move into our ‘permanent’ quarters it will be near where the vocational girls are housed.

On Saturday there was a big celebration on base.  One of the staff members and her husband are celebrating their 25^th anniversary, and that’s a big deal here.  It started with a special service at their church, then a parade through town, followed by a procession to the base.  There was a marching band, much pomp and circumstance, speeches, dance performances, bubbles, gift giving, and a feast.  There were hundreds of people in attendance, typical I understand, for such events.

This base is very peaceful and somewhat secluded, but we have been warned last time here and this, that it’s not safe to be out after dark.  There have been rapes, murders, and robberies are common.  We’ve also been warned to always lock our room because ‘even though YWAM people are mostly honest, there are a lot of people who move around on and through the base’.  It’s okay though, because the base is mostly fenced, and there are large gates at the two road accesses, one of which is guarded most of the time.  Of course we noticed that one of those gates and much of the surrounding fence was missing when we got here this time.  Also, when we returned to the base one evening at about nine, it took several honks from the boda driver to wake up the guard to unlock the remaining gate and let us in.  I guess we could have walked the hundred yards or so, to where the other gate had previously been.  Before it was stolen…