Hope you are all having a great Thanksgiving weekend! Not a holiday here - tho' tomorrow may be a holiday - it's another one of those movable Muslim holidays that depend on the moon....won't know till tonite!!! Came to type and check e-mails and blog and it's taking a long time. Wanted to send a small proposal, but couldn't type in Nkokonjeru - our printer is out of ink and the one you can use for hire isn't working because they shop didn't pay their electric bill!!!! After I'm done here will go on to the graduation ceremony of our outreach worker, Moses, from his training program - it's just in the next town, but I'm getting late (got going this morning later than expected - matatu was slow to fill in Nkokonjeru - and it's slow going here)....but I expect it will start late. This blog should be mercifully short - don't think I'll get back for the weekend because of the Christmas Program on Sunday so will get it done now!
Marathon get-together last weekend was fun (if you didn't run)....it wasn't as well organized as last year and the the route was different...last 3 miles were uphill!!! Was surprised by all the begging children around - apparently they have "handlers" who hide in the bushes and these tiny kids hold up their hands (especially to muzungus).. The police are all around just watching!!! No social services here!
Got back to PH on Sunday in time to catch the Christmas program practice. Sr. Juliet was reviewing and cut a bunch of songs - it was WAY too long and she cut the popular lip-synch ones - the kids were upset, but she said "It's a Christmas Program, not a disco show!". Keyboard man continues to be unreliable, but great when he comes!
On Monday the kids slaughtered 150 chickens and we took them to Kampala to sell. Several of the previously sick ones Sister bought from Sula died and one of hers died so she decided to cut her losses and take them. None of our layers have gotten sick (thankfully) - no common people working on both groups so I'm hopeful!
I went to Kamapla w. Sula (and the chicken bodies) - I volunteered to accompany Nususla to see the plastic surgeon at CoRSU Hospital for a review. She's the 15 year old who, several years ago, had a huge tumor behind her right eye; it was removed very badly and she had more plastic surgery in August to try to cover the hole. She was upset because it's still oozing some pus, but the plastic surgeon (from the U.K.) said it looked "fantastic"!!! It's still really ugly, but it's healing nicely. She has a big bandage on it all the time and it has to be irrigated and dressed daily. I felt bad for her on the matatu (we took one from Kampala to Entebbe) - people just turned and STARED! She handled it well but was glad to get back to the truck in Kampala for the ride home.
We had company when we got back - Adrian, who is a British Airways pilot and donor to Providence Home - his small group bought the truck, part of the boys' dorm, the generator, etc. Nice guy and fun to talk to. However, when I got to my apt. (6:30) someone had stolen by good Eddie Bauer capris! That's all they took off the clothes line on my veranda - and they even replaced the clothes pins!!! Bummers - I was going to leave them here,but wasn't ready to part w. them yet! Went back to dinner and we all talked till 11 p.m.!
Tuesday Sister J, Nelson, Jasmine and I went w. Adrian to Kavule - the convent overlooking Lake Victoria - it is absolutely a breathtaking view! Went down to the lake and stopped by Sr. Juliet's home. Fun afternoon.....more talking at dinner. All this social time is wearing me out!
Wednesday a.m. Adrian left and Sr. Juliet and I worked on a proposal (I typed and sent today) to the Church of the Latter Day Saints in Uganda who may be able to donate some wheelchairs and tricycles (heavy three-wheeled chairs that operate w. crank handles). Then we went to a Grand Opening of one of the new handicapped accessible latrines at a village school - big event. The money was donated by the Rotary of Ireland and U.K. and co-ordianted by Cheshire Foundation.... Lots and lots of speeches in which everyone took credit for the building of the latrines at 10 district schools!! The National Chairman of Cheshire Uganda told everyone that every disabled child should go to school (good idea) and that if there children were too disabled they could send them to Providence Home for rehabilitation and surgery (Cheshire does not provide any funding for PH)....I asked him afterwards if we could send him the bills - he laughed, nervously, and said "no way". PH is still called (by some - and it's on the letterhead) Providence Cheshire Home, but they haven't supported it for 7 years!!!
Animals are doing well - the girl, Sara, who's helping w.the chickens WAY overfed them and we were out of food 2 weeks. The boys were giving the food previously and watched the amounts, but Sara felt the more the better!!! Fred talked to them and we're back to the boys measuring the feed - till Sara asserts herself again!!!
Things are winding down for classes - report cards "should" be done today and to Sister for her comments. Program is Sunday - we are setting up a "display room" with all the things the kids have made so parents can see them. Costumes are all made and ready to be given out.....I'm instituting a signout book for costumes so we are a little more sure they may be returned after the program!
Next week I start on my year end reports and then December 13 - 17 I am going to Rwanda to see my sponsor children. Nothing special for Thanksgiving....Holly and Shari have been on the move and we thought about eating at PH, but Sr. Goretti is sick - she's waiting for surgery to have her appendix removed and there's been several postponements at the hospital - hopefully, it will get done next Monday. If we eat there she'll try to cook and she's really not well enough. So plans change!!!
Hope you all are full of turkey - next year I intend to really go for it!!! Am so thankful for family and friends, faith, and especially for good health (when you see the effects of poor health all around it really makes you appreciate it). It's been a great 22 months, but I'll also be VERY thankful to be back in Minnesota!!!
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