Week 2 Continued

The dust was so thick in the air on the road to Wikus today that it was like fog. We spent a long time (4 hours) getting all of the students sorted out into 3 classes: Speaking, Reading and Writing. I did a little sample teaching in each. Hopefully, James, will follow through when he meets the classes on Friday. I don't go back until next Tuesday.

Wednesday - January 25

We have been without power almost 24 hours now. This becomes a problem for food stored in the refrigerator. There are very strong, gusty winds this morning. A couple of buildings behind our compound may lose their roofs in this wind - they flap alot, making much noise. They are metal sheet roofs.

Went to Smile Africa and sorted 69 women into 3 class levels by interview. Oh my - a long, drawn-out process.

There were 3 young women there from BRR video-taping testamonies of the women. Don't know the organization or what they were doing. Will look them up on the internet. I have some concerns regarding exploitation.

On my first trip to Romania we met the matron of a House for Children whose parents suffered from TB. She didn't want any cameras because a group had come in and taken many photos, went home and raise funds from those photos and the House of Children never saw any of the money.

Will leave off for this week and start next week with Thursday's activities. Blessings to all of my readers.

Week Two

Friday - January 20

Spent the morning getting email answeredm cooking beans, cleaning veggies, and doing dishes. Then tried to publish my first posting on my blog. Frustration!! Had to get ready to go to Wikus to observe the teacher there. However, Pastor Peter called - he would be late so decided to use the time to once again work on the blog - I got it figured it out. I was so excited to have posted my first report that I felt like ululating like the Ugandan women do when welcoming visitors.''

There has been no rain for over a month so the red dirt roads have loose dirt an inch thick which, when vehicles traverse, creates huge clouds of dust covering all the roadsie plants in a thick layer. To drive with the windows closed is stifling, so the interior of the car and its contents (us) are also covered with red dust. When my hair looks pink I know it is bad.

Observing the classes went well. Greeting each student individually gave me an opportunity to do a little evaluatiing. Following the class I met with James, who is a trained teacher (he has also been a policeman).

INTERRUPTION/ANNOUNCEMENT!!!! The power just came back on! I am now writing with electric light rather than by flashlight! Whoopee!!

Anyway, getting back to James - we will try to team teach for the next two months. I have a few ideas I would like to gently introduce that could benefit the students. Fortunately, when I asked Pstr. Peter for his thoughts (before sharing mine), I discovered we were in agreement in our assessment.

The really exciting thing today was seeing all of the documentation and the resultant actions taking place regarding the "Tyler Dirks Savings and Credit Co-Operation Wikus" - a savings and micro finance organization - my grandson, Tyler's 21st birthday gift. I received copies of everything - saw the ledger and saw people making their deposits under a tree, which happens every Friday. I have to shout with the Ugandansm "God is good" and the response "All the time!"

Saturday - January 21

The day started really well. I was able to send all the emails with the blog info. Hopefully, they all got through. I do have one "little" problem with the computer - I can't open any of my documents on the Word application. I will need help with that - but think I will wait until I get home. Next, I got all of Sue's and my expenditures figured out and balanced. Two big jobs done. Really good.

In the afternoon I had a request to meet Pstr. Godfrey from True Vine for a private talk. The story he shared with me was so difficult to hear when one is not able to help. His second son (young man in Senior 4, like high school) was killed in a car accident in March. Following this event there were major issues with his wife's emotional stability and very severe financial problems. He had to leave his phobne with a shop keeper to get food for his family as he had no money. And on top of all that he now has the new school term starting and school fees and supplies for 5 children to pay for.

Here in Uganda, among these people, this is one of many stories. At the meeting in Smile Africa, the women were sharing their "testamonies". One woman told how her husband tried to sell her to a wealthy man who would use her for a sacrifice, to gain more wealth, so she ran away from her husband.

The really wonderful thing today was observing the classes Pstr. Alex of Juba is teaching in English, Reading & Writing. He has the English class talking. Also, they can write their names. He teaches with lots of visuals, demonstration, much speaking and encouragement. He has the students supporting one another - all very positive. The other class of Reading & Writing is also very good - expanding correct useage. I was so very pleased!

Sunday - January 22

We went to church at Tororo Pentacostal Church - Pastor Ruth's church. Got there around 9:45 and left after the service at 1:45. Their services are looooong. As usually happens, visitors are invited forward to introduce themselves and make a short address to the gathered. This is the 4th time I have been to this church but the first time it had a roof. I often wondered what they did during the rainy season. It was a fine experince except the sound system was so loud I left feeling there had been damage done to my hearing.

I had a lunch date with Babra (a young woman who has been a special friend since my first visit in 2004) to hear how she is doing - no answer on her phone alll morning - checked at True Vine following church (where she is a member), went to her home - finally gave up and switched my evening appointment to noon. What a surprise! My young friend, Alex, brought a wife along. He got married last April. I heard another difficult story. He is the sole support of his mother, 3 sisters and his wife, plus 4 school age children whose father died and whose mother abandoned them. He drives a taxi for a living and with gas prices so high there are many days he has no fares at all but still must pay a weekly rental for the car he uses. The poor world economy has really hurt the people here. They just have no wiggle room when things get tough - they are living so close to the edge all of the time. This is my 9th time here and I have never seen people in such dire straits except for natural disastor or war. I have been here just a little over a week and have already had 4 requests for financial help. It is difficult for people to be "begging" to feed their families.

Finally connected with Babra for dinner and heard of her relationship difficulties over the last year. Got home to a cool shower - how wonderful, even with the power out again.

Monday - January 23

Sitting down to dinner was another bit of Africa. I had cut up a cucumber for a salad, made some rice and beans, took a plate from our open-to-the-air trolley where they are stored. When I sat down to eat, I noticed what looked like dirt under my wet cucumber and thought "where did that come from?" Then I looked more closely at the plate and realized the whole plate on which my food was sitting was covered with a fine layer of red dust - so I ingested some of Uganda with my dinner. We now know to store all of the dishes upside down and cover the cuttlery with a towel.

This morning I went to True Vine for my Bible Study/Prayer/Support Group. I had 6 people. Four of them have requested other services. One wants English, one wants to learn to read, and one wants to improve his writing. One is well educated and requested a novel to read about God. I had loaded Walt Wangerin's book "Book of God" on my kindle so will bring that for her to read. It is a truncated version of the Bible written in a novel format. So she can have an hour to read it each week.

Pstr. Aggrey and I had a long conversation about divorce, marriage customs in the US and Uganda. He was trying to convince me the bride price (they call dowry or appreciation) was a good thing. If there is trouble in the marriage the woman will stay or her family has to repay the money (or cows, etc.) which may have already been used - so she will think twice before abandoning the marriage. I was not convinced.

Got home late afternoon, cooked and tried to get my computer to work. The internet seems very slow that time of day. I will try again in the morning.

Tuesday - January 24

Our "town Crier" just went by - he is my alarm clock. In this neighborhood where we are situated, there is a mentally disturbed man who wanders around the area "preaching" in a very loud voice. He usually walks by our compound at around 7 every morning - one morning it was 6.

Within our compound is an unfinished 2 unit building and there is our 2 unit building. The compound is enclosed by a high wall. Grass has been planted but so far has not grown much, so there is much red dust constantly being tracked in or blowing into our unit when the windows are open for a little cool, fresh air in the morning.

The air is so dry right now that my nose is reacting like it does when I go the higher elevationns in Colorado - dry to the point of some little blood.

Teaching in Uganda

January 10 to January 19, 2012 - Journey to Uganda

Tuesday,

Left home at dark o'clock. My grandson, Jesse, took me to the bus station and helped me load my bags onto the bus to take me to O'Hare. Following a sleepy ride to Chicago, I arrived at the KLM/Delta terminal. When trying to check in my bags I found I was overweight on both of them. Anything over 50# has an added fee of $75.00. On top of that the maximum weight the airlines allow is 70#. One bag was 78 and one was 65, so I had to repack to balance each bag at 70# and the rest I had to try to shove in my backpack. Unfortunately, one of the things I stuck in my packback was a jar of peanut butter they would not let me take through security - it was a "jell". However, after all of that fuss all I lost was a jar of peanut butter. Pretty good!!

My plane left Chicago at noon and arrived in Detroit at 2:30 where I met my mission partner, Sue Miller, a teacher from Ohio. Our plane took off for an overnight flight to Amsterdam at 3:30. No sleep all during the 8 hour flight. We then spent 4 hours on the ground in Amsterdam and left on Wednesday morning at 10:00 for another 8 hour flight to Entebbe to arrive there at 10:30 p.m. No Sleep!!! We were picked up by the hotel shuttle - very light sleep. Thursday morning my friend Pastor Peter Obbo arrived to drive us to Tororo - a five hour drive. On the way to Tororo we stopped to change money, buy Sue's phone, and some household items: a 2-burner gas plate for cooking, bed linens, bath towels, dishes, cuttlery, and a few odd kitchen utensils and most importantly, PILLOWS. The pillows in Tororo are as if they are stuffed with cotton batting (or is it batten?).

We stopped in Mukono to deliver a small package to a bee keeper from a member of McFarland Lutheran. We finally arrived in Tororo and had our first viewing of our new home. Pstr. Peter had some of his church members there cleaning up for us as it is new construction. Sooooo we found 2 beds with mattresses and an overstuffed chair. We had the few things we had purchased so we put sheets on the bed. Then went to town to purchase our internet service. Got back home - the power went out, we had little water pressure and a high wind. That first night we slep lightly because of so many unfamiliar noises.

This whole first week as been trying to set up a household so that all necessities are working, meetings here, there and everywhere with directors of the ministries we will be working with, their pastors, head masters and teachers. Meeting old friends with much joy and excitement and meeting also many new people - all a bit overwhelming, especially for Sue. This is her first time in Africa.

Pstr. Peter used the Genesis creation story to describe "beginnings": the earth was without form and empty and gradually God added all of the details to make life good JUST LIKE our new house. Oh Fun!!!!

Talking with Pstr. Charles of Busowa yesterday, another lesson was learned by this muzungu (white person). This congregation has 5 treadles sewing machines sitting, gathering dust, literally. Why? Some good-hearted muzungu raised the funds, bought the machines and had them delivered to Busowa. What he/she failed to understand is that no one knows how to use them and no one knows "tailoring". They have to make their own patterns to make any garment. SO the machines are sitting unused because no one can afford to pay a teacher to teach the women/men who might be interested to learn. Thus, we muzungus need to ask questions and listen carefully to the answers to learn how best to help AND how to best spend the money we have to share.

Next week we will finally begin setting up classes for adults. Sue will be meeting teachers as the children are on holiday until the new term begins January 30th.