WEEK 6

Friday - February 17

We had another brief, gentle rain while I was teaching at Smile Africa. My interpreter did not show up for my English class so it was a bit of a struggle to explain the Valentine project. One of the women from my Writing class was there early. She attempted to help and did her best, but the language the other ladies had in common was Swahili, not a language for which she had fluency. But it all worked out okay. They made their Valentines and the interpreter and I wrote messages in them. At the end they received their Valentine sweets.

Saturday - February 18

Today we had Valentine projects in Juba. Everyone seemed very pleased with their T-shirts. Pstr. Alex and I wrote the kids' names on the shirts for the English class. For the Reading & Writing class I showed the ladies how to make "God's Eyes". These little craft projects are made with sticks in the shape of a cross and then variegated, brightly colored year is wrapped on the cross in such a way as to make a lovely diamond-shaped pattern until the arms of the cross are completely covered. Pstr. Alex caught on quickly and was able to help some of the ladies who had several false starts. They all seemed very pleased with their handiwork and enjoyed their treats of candy hearts. Thank you Jesse, for teaching me how to do this craft.

Something I noticed today is the very good English a few of the very young children had. There were about 5 children popping in and out of my classroom before class began. The oldest was 7, the youngest, probably, 4. Their English was very impressive. We could easily understand each other. They had very little of the local accent. I am very curious as to where and with whom they are learning to speak.

Sunday - February 19

We had several passing rains during the night which were nice as it cut the heat a bit and made sleeping more comfortable.

Well, I found the mosquito that got inside my net and kept buzzing in my ear last night and gave me several new bites AND guess what? I squashed him!!!!

We went to church at Sacred Heart with Alex (cabbie) and his wife, Harriet. After church I had him drop me at TLT, hotel restaurant, where I was to meet a friend from True Vine who never showed up. I spent 3 hours waiting. I will try once more to make that contact and it if doesn't happen, it won't be because I didn't try. This is a person Pstr. Ruth particularly asked me to make contact with, which I had intended to do anyway.

Monday - February 20

Today I was able to reach the woman I was supposed to lunch with yesterday. She was ill and didn't have my phone number. There is alot of sickness - mostly malaria but pneumonia also and today someone told me she had been diagnosed with typhoid. Not sure about that. I had one person at my Bible study today, a new person. This is actually someone who has been here since I've been coming to Tororo. He told me today that he was one of the pillars of the church. He's been here for ten years, since before they had water at the site. His English is very good. He also writes in 3 languages. He told me he went to school as far as P7 and he is 56 years old. He is a helpful, good-natured man. There is so much to learn from these people. The only other person who came today was my English speaking non-reader. We are struggling but he is persistent and has been here every time. He had on a shirt today that was literallym in tatters and he sits there trying so hard to learn. I have so much respect for him and for many people here.

Tuesday - February 21

Happy Birthday my dear sister, Terry. Pstr. Peter drove me to Wikus today. I have a very high level of frustration with the teacher there. He is constantly interrupting me trying to be helpful. It is such a struggle for my students to get the sound of English vowels in their ears to try to say them. In their speech they use what I term "Italian vowels" which are used in Swahili, Lugandan, most of the local languages and, of course many other languages as well, BUT not English. So I am trying to get them to hear the differences and then say them. James, the teacher, is correcting them with his version of English vowels (short sounds, especially) which he speaks exactly the same as they do. It takes all of my patience to remain calm and civil.

On the way home we had 3 passengers coming from the funeral of a 3 year old. The child died because his "stomach swelled up". What could this be? What occurs to me is parasites. I know a swollen stomach can be a symptom which many children have, of intestinal parasites. The health department tries to regularly "deworm" the children, but it is an ongoing problem.

On this trip to Wikus, on a dirt road through many villages a common sight on the return between 5 and 6 p.m. is a gathering of men sitting in a circle with very long straws (reeds) around a jerrican of "home brew". Only very rarely, can be seen a woman or two. This consumption of raw alcohol is, in most cases, very destructive to a sound, healthy family life. In the churches one hears many "testimonies" of overcoming an addiction to alcohol.

Wednesday - February 22

Happy Birthday Brother Dale. Today is Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent. The end of my devotional this morning spoke of our individual "messy houses" with the following admonition: "If the house is messy, why not clean it up, why not make it into a place where God might wish to dwell?" A good question - one which I will strive to answer this Lenten season.

Today was a Smile Africa day. I am there twice a week so my Reading and Writing classes get twice as much attention as any of the other locations. We seem to be zipping along. I felt like I made good progress today with sounds of the alphabet in the Reading class. The Writing class had barely gotten started before we had to stop as Pstr. Ruth wanted to meet with all of the ladies.

No electricty all of today.

Thursday - February 23

How sad - the grandson of Peter's cousin was killed - hit by a taxi walking home from school, the baby class - this means a 3-4 year old. They walk all over by themselves. By the time a girl is 5 she is carrying an infant sibling strapped to her back. Sometimes it seems that life is not valued here. I know that this is not true, but precautions are so cavalier.

I went to Busowa for belated Valentine projects. That went well - people left happy with their T-shirts and "God's eyes". Pstr. Charles told me one of the men who made a God's eye, showed it to him and very happily told him he was taking it home as a Valentine gift for his wife.

We have about 20 T-shirts left so when we are handing out the rest of the pillowcase dresses, we will give the boys the T-shirts. This will be in a village of Peter's choice.

Our planned photo safari for this week-end is finally coming together. We are going to Queen Elizabeth National Wild Animal Park in western Uganda, on Saturday. Sunday we will see the park and return home Sunday night.