I haven't written about what is going on here so here is the skinny since it is raining today and life closes down when that happens. It has rained the past 3 mornings and the rains here are heavy washing away roads and saturating the soil for an hour or 2. No sewers run over as most people have pit latrines and I am not sure where the flush water goes that we use for the house. Not going to find out as don't want the guilt... Anyway, 2 weeks ago Conor and a friend Sean Anderson were coming back from a Saturday night outing in Mlps and his friend went across the street ahead of Conor and was struck and run over by a SUV. He broke 3 rib and lacerated his spleen with some other abrasions and contusions. Conor was watching and terrible shook up. The boys were about 6 blocks from Hennipan County Medical Center and that is were Sean spent a week healing. He is now home making his final recovery and looks like it will be a full one. Thank you Lord! Conor is still processing but has decided not to ride motorcycle to the 4th of July gathering his buddies have yearly at Park Rapids.
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| On the river where all the dead bodies from Rwanda came to Uganda |
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Katie's company in DC has a 1 month position in Kigali, Rwanda she is going to fill. She starts the 2 of July and Rwanda is 22 hours by bus south of us. She has a young man in her life(Dylan) she met just after we left. He is from California and goes to school in DC. He is doing some summer work in Kenya which is 12 hours E of us but off limits for us because of the random grenade attacks in Nairobi and capturing of foreigners and killing them in the resort destinations so we are all meeting in Uganda on the 16th and traveling for a week together .He attended a wedding with Kate in Phili for Tom"s side and was well received so he comes with good reviews. We are going to the South of the country up in the mountain region and the freshwater lakes that are so cold you won't get shisto from them. The pics look like the boundary waters, or the closest thing to it for Africa, so I am excited. Just 2 weeks to go....
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| Typical village still looks like mud hut with grass roof |
Tom had a sebaceous cyst that got infected and we spent last Thursday and Sat on the bus again to Kampala. He had it removed and I had a crown fitted on our day in Kampala we ate bad food that cost too much and that was about it for the excitement of Kampala. We have to figure out how to get around better so we aren't just looking for coffee shops... While we were gone Tom's mother had a stroke and Tom's brother in law (who's son is getting married the first of Aug) was hospitalized for blood clots in the lungs and else where. Since we just found this out because the power came on and we could email we are waiting for AM for them to find out more.
Me, I have had a month off as the students are on break. Hooray! But this is the last week of the break BOO WHO.
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| School | |
In the time off I finished a grant proposal (what a pain) for 3 30,000liter rainwater catchment tanks for the school since the ground water is contaminated with worms and the city water depends on the river level which is not there now, and comes and goes during the year. Students cannot bath or wash without water. So, this is a hopeful project to use the roof space and capture the pure beautiful water here for daily use.
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| Daily fetching water 40# balanced on your head |
I have gone to a local honey processing plan to see how this is done and want to put up a hive at Tom's work site and learn about bee keeping. The honey place is where Geo a volunteer is assigned which is St Josephs Catholic school and vocational training. The Catholic cathedral is there too. The catholic radio station that our friend Sherry is manager of is next door and the Camboni's run that. They are an Italian mission. Tonino the head of it here brought grape vines from Italy back when he came and he has a huge vineyard that produces 2X a year and he makes wine from the grapes since refrigeration is a problem. Tonino is in Italy on medical leave now but the picking and processing has started. I went up to learn what they do and spent a couple days observing and helping with the extraction of the juice. I was shown how to prune and plant. Richard the chief gardener gave me some vines and I planted them at NACOWLA in our kitchen garden space.
I met the Camboni nuns that run the health center at the same site and they have a large garden with citrus trees. The head sister is from Eritrea and was delightful. She loves a debate and we had a long talk about faith and how we view it. She also sent me home with 6 heads of lettuce from there garden. I took her up some purple basil a couple days later and hope to show them how to make the tomato salad with balsamic and fresh basil when I have the energy to ride up the hill again.We have had friends over for meals and I have worked in the garden eating our first beans, lettuce, kale cucumbers last night. Thank you to all who gave seeds that are coming great guns. The peas should be ready at the end of this week too. Yum, I share all the new foods with the ladies at Tom's work site and we sit and talk over how to grow things. The only thing not growing great guns is the sweet corn it looks sickly and small compared to the cattle corn the ladies are growing.
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| Prisoners going to make bricks |
My bike got a work out and then I got the rapid transit for a few days. Another great weight loss plan. I kept drinking the re-hydration salts that taste like Epsom salt water but seemed to work and now can eat again. Riding a bus with rapid transit is not fun and I am always glad when I don't have to think about that. (Rapid transit is you eat & you transit the food out in a short amount of time) The rain is abating so I will get my shoes on and head out to the farmers I shared seed with to see their gardens.
Life is good we are healthy and praying for our family back home. MORE TO Come when I know. Thank you all of you for your packages and emails to keep me up to date on your lives. I have one confirmed "I AM COMING" for next mid June. This is the perfect time for me to show you this little part of Africa so please decided you want to see it with us. I am planning a 2 week tour of the beauty and wonders I have seen here. My break and the break in the weather is in June so plan for the mid part. Traveling together saves money on the car and fuel so think about it and watch the prices of tickets. Love you ALL. IN HIM, Marc
