November at mid service

  

I think these are for storing casava. No wait they eat that right away. What do you think are in these? Missles? Feed the Future corn. These are the only ones I have seen in country and the ground around them is cultivated with a tractor. Also not seen here most gardens are small and dug by hand

MID SERVICE conference OUR DIRECTOR Locine Hayes from Romania giving us a pep talk in Kampala.

Last one is how your tax dollar is spent. A 2 day buffet for 34 volunteers (down from 46 who started) a nice hotel with a pool, hot shower and lights that work. Just like America...At least for a few days

My table mates are Bryan from TX who works as a mountain guide now, Marianne N Calif was a lawyer now works as a farmers advocate near Queen Elizabeth. She advocates for the farmers to get some of the gate fee to pay for the crops that the wandering “wild” animals devour so the farmers don't kill them and the park no longer has the “Wild” animals

Dorthy from Chicago was a Walmart logistician now is helping Afro Pads (reusable menstral pads) go public to the country.

Thanks for paying your taxes.  TIA Marcy now back in Arua

Blessed: This Greek word is derived from the root word mak, which means “large” or “lengthy” and means “fortunate” or “happy”. The Greek word was used in Greek literature in the Septuagint (the Greek translation of the old testament ) and in the New testament to describe the kind of happiness that comes from receiving divine favor. The word can be rendered happy. In the NT it is usually passive; God is the One who is blessing or favoring the person.

A birthday, a day to be the queen and be special! (provided you have a willing partner to wait on you and be part of your special day Thanks Tom!).

We had 25 invited guest with us and 40 who just showed up. The living room was moved to under the avocado tree in the front yard, the empty room became the game room for kids. Wild rice soup was served cooked over a charcoal fire with a chicken in it,(thank you for those who are keeping us supplied in the rice, it reminds of home) and egg salad sandwiches. 3 friends with ovens baked cakes and there was enough for all who came and some to send home for those who were out on a rescue mission with a unimoger getting a vehicle out of the mud. The grand kids were not the same as at home but they all hugged me, sang for me, & called me Honi. That made me feel like I was home .To have a little one wrap their arms around you and linger as they hug like they mean it, what a boost to endorphins. (things in your body that keep you healthy).

I wanted to share about my friends here: only 4 Americans were invited. Why? Because where but Africa would I have meet these others who have embraced us so well to Arua. 

 

CHRISTIAN AND KATIE from Seattle and Chapel Hill here for a 6 month discipleship training course at the YWAM base. Recent grad and returning to the states Kate to medical school and Christian is not sure LATOYA, Peace Corp Volunteer Teacher from New Jersey, last taught in Philly inner city school A woman of substance 

DAVID OF DAVID, EMMA and Amily, ALSO YWAM graduates from Edinburgh, Scotland and staying in Arua to work in agriculture. Aart & Geesja's son Rueban 

FAMKE AND NAOMI from Netherlands Famke worked at a orphanage in Jinja and adopted Naoimi a month ago after a year of court cases. Lisa is next to me Ruebans sister, and next to Kate is Anna from Congo leaving for school in Kampala in Jan. 

BRENDA Professor at Los Cruces, New Mexico. Here helping set up a satalitte sewing workshop for life stitches an hour N of here.(3rd row 2nd person on L)

HEIDI AND CHRISTOPH from W Germany WORK AT THE GERMAN RADIO STATION DIGUNA( back row R corner) BROADCASTING THE GOSPEL ACROSS THE EQUATOR

ADAM & HELEN From Britain sign language teachers and work at the YOUTH WITH A MISSION (YWAM) BASE HERE IN ARUA WITH THE DEAF (below Heidi and Cristoff)

GEESJA, CHILDREN, AND SISTER (sitting on couch and sis at end of 3 row L) FROM THE NETHERLANDS HERE WITH THE IRISH MISSION SOCIETY FOR 5 YEARS THEY LEAVE WHEN WE DO(husband  on the rescue mission too sister just visiting )

 MARIA AND HER 2 GIRLS from E Germany(husband and son were on the rescue mission) Husband is the manager of the DIGUNA station They had a song for us Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path and had a skit with it. 

Since the party was outside a woman with a baby on her back and a little girl at her side ( you can see her next to & behind Maria in the blue shirt) stopped and asked us for food. Tom got sandwiches for them and thought they would leave. Nope, they sat under the tree too and ate, so he bought them out some soup, then we cut the cake and I passed that around. Then, when that was gone she asked for money. What the heck? Doesn't hurt to ask , Right?

 The kids you see all gathered around the periphery some we knew most we didn't but with all the cake they wanted to know us better.... The last picture is the one of where it hit me! My dream of being in Africa, my dream of being surrounded by friends and family, my dreams of continuing to learn as I mature, to hear Happy Birthday sung by people from other places in the world and when the last line is sung rather then Happy birthday to you,  but, MAY GOD BLESS YOU! I knew what that felt like. I hope you can see it from the photo. I hope each of your birthdays can be BLESSED like mine. Until I get my final notice that I have to leave this body. My love comes from Beautiful ARUA, Marc

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MARCY

WHEN I AM OLD I SHALL WEAR PURPLE

DO I QUALIFY AS OLD YET?
AS I PONDER MY LIFE TODAY I AM GRATEFUL FOR EACH OF YOU WHO WOULD READ THIS AND YOUR LOVELY GIFTS OF FRIENDSHIP THAT YOU HAVE GIVEN TO ME.  I CAN THINK OF NO FINER PLACE THEN BEAUTIFUL ARUA TO SPEND MY CELEBRATION OF 57 YEARS ON THE EARTH.  I AM MOST GRATEFUL FOR THE PHONE CALL ON MY 45TH BIRTHDAY THAT TOLD ME OF THE CANCER.  IT SEEMED LIKE SUCH A ROTTEN THING TO HEAR BUT WITH EVERY BIRTHDAY SINCE, I HAVE A DEEPER FAITH IN THE GIVER OF THE YEARS AND I THANK HIM FOR ALLOWING ME TO BE HERE AND IN GOOD HEALTH.  TODAY I WANT YOU TO EACH RECEIVE A GIFT FROM ME.......

LOVE YOU ALL,
MARC

This weeks happenings

Having a Hero

These 2 little boys got capes and t shirts from the used clothes market. I am surprised they still look this good coming from America. My boys wore theirs out. They have been flying around the yard all month. They do share with the others.They do like to head up the concrete road that has a pitch next to our house and run down it so the capes will fly behind them. They have a cement block that they all congregate on and the other afternoon they had the capes on with their buddies and were singing the Ugandan national anthem

Oh Uganda! May God uphold thee

We lay our future in Thy hands

United free for liberty

Together we'll always stand

Oh Uganda! The land of freedom

Our love and labour we give

And with neighbors all

At our country's call

In peace and friendship we will live.

Oh Uganda! The land that fees us

By sun and fertile soil grown

For our own dear land

We shall always stand

The Pearl of Africa's Crown. . They all have beautiful voices and it was a precious moment for our collection of memories here.

The next photo was the big news here on the compound Saturday

“Kennedy got a really big pig. And it is at his house”

House here at the Hospital quarters means different things for the different staff. Kennedy lives in the nursing quarters which are a long row of 4 room apartments that open in the back to an open roof kitchen as the cooking is done over a charcoal segeri. There was the pig. He was huge too like the ones that are in the hog barns back home. The “free range” pigs here are the small more like the pot belly kind. And because the town has a large Muslim population there are no pigs in the township itself and no pork sold. So he may have had it in his kitchen to protect it from his Muslim neighbors and from thieves. Which is a problem for livestock here. That is why chickens are kept in kitchens at night so this is a picture of the gang and us going to see the pig .....

Next pic is for mom...

You always said when we were kids and being loud that we sounded like fish mongers...I never knew what that was until walking in the fish/clothing market last week. At 3 pm everyday the fisherman from the Nile bring the catch to the used clothes market clear out the first 6 stalls and set up shop and as you walk in flys and men are asking begging telling you to buy. They put out there sign and I took a picture. I should have taken a pic of the fish too. A nile perch can weigh up to 100+# they get as big as tuna and the meat is really good cooked in coconut milk with spices that I make. But they are a plague. Brought in to rid the lake and river of a predator fish they over produced and now eat the talapia that are the best fish. 

Couple weeks ago we rode out of town to this ministry to have fried chicken and mashed potatoes and gravy with the couple that have been here 11 years and run it. We stopped for shade on the way and this is a drinking circle.

 The ladies make a home brew in a large jug and the men buy it and sit with straws and drink in the evening (sometimes in the day as they don't have a lot else to do). So this is a drinking circle. It had a sign posted on the tree but was in Lugbara and our skill could not translate. These people stopped and wanted their pic taken too so you see some of the locals too

. Sorry no pic of Marvn and Jewel. I will leave that story for another day. But the chicken and potatoes were so delicious... Tom thought he was in heaven...With no fridge meat is hard to prepare and keep until time to cook. And you have to think ahead so you can get a bird and get it plucked and cleaned and then prpare... I don't think that far ahead...

Last picture I leave you with is Noel or Joel never sure what I am hearing sometimes. He hangs out with Herbert and brothers I think he is about 5 as he is over here at 8 every morning so I don't think he is not in school yet. He is sweet and Friday he was here without the other boys. He came to the back door and sat on my fire tending stool while I cut up pineapple for the guests that night. The cores here are so sweet and soft that you can eat them like the outer part but I cut it out and give to the kids. He got all the pieces and sat with juice dripping down his arms just enjoying the day and the time with me, or the pineapple.... (kids don't get a lot of fruit unless it is mango season and they climb the trees) 

 That is all for this week. Next week we are in Kampala at our mid service conference for 2 days and then I am hosting a craft show to showcase the West Nile tribes crafts that are different then the other areas of the country. Home on Saturday to sa good bye to a good good friend who is returning to Germany to be with her mom as she lives out her days with pancreatic cancer. Will send pics. Love to All from Uganda the Pearl of Africa's Crown