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