Sunday, February 21, 2010

CONGRATULATIONS JEAN AND KODY!!!!

It's Sunday a.m., February 21! Jean and Kody called yesterday a.m. to tell me they had gotten engaged - YEA!!! Wedding in 2011 - plans still uncertain. I was really excited to hear the news!! AND, I'll be home in plenty of time!!!

It's been busy week - I'm still procrastinating on PC paperwork - bottom of the "to do" list! When I blogged last week I was coming back to Nkokonjeru after a day away (a great break). It was fun to see all the PC "kids" in Kampalaand hear their travel and future plans - lots of uncertainty, but we've learned to face that here.

Came back into the chaos of PH - Sr. Juliet was really sick w. malaria. The new Sister, Sr. Seraphine, is working out well - she's a take charge kind of gal! Sr. Goretti leaves PH for good tomorrow - I will miss her quiet reassurance a lot.

On the way back I stopped at the PO and got a package from Mary Brahs and am catching up on news (people getting back to the US seened shocked at the "nastiness" of the political rhetoric...bummers). Got the box from church too - such great stuff - THANKS! I feel very humble to be included in the "service people" - it's a LOT tougher in the military!

One of the two older female pigs had had 11 piglets but 6 died - no known reason - Fred thinks she may have had a fever at some point - not good, but the six are doing well.

We had scheduled a meeting of our new disciplinary committee at 2 on Saturday and I was back and eating lunch when Fred called me at 2:05 wondering where I was! What have I done...he expects to start on time??? We went over the rules, procedures and punishments. The punishments are mainly extra work, but someone really has to follow through. Caning (beating) remains an option - to them it's esppecially effective if done in front of a group of peers!

Fred had just found out that their youngest son, Tony (2) may be deaf! When Mark (5) was home they didn't notice, but now that Mark's at boarding school they could tell! He's really concerned. We'll see what the Doctors in Kampala say.

Juma came back (we took him home 3 weeks ago for bad behavior - he's an 18 yr. old in the vocational program). He just waltzed back in (if you can "waltz" in sitting in a wheelchair)....don't think he'd told him folks at home that he'd been dismissed! I asked Sr. to give him one more chance - it's all he's got....we'll see if he pulls it together.

On Valentines Day I gave everyone a Valentine and a candy - wrote them out and put them on their beds w. Proscovia's help (13 year old girl)....can't remember who sent all the valentine stuff,but THANKS - they loved it! Corky called (early - before my coffee - that's dangerous)...good to hear from home.

On Monday Josephine started teaching English and appears to be doing a great job (what I expected)...Sr. J wanted me to sit in for a few classes so I pop by but don't want to appear to be hovering! When I got to PH one of the pigs was out in the compound - Gerald,the vocational student,is having trouble taking care of them....he's a nice kid, but really slow and not sure it's going to work out. I checked them and the pigs had NO water - even the new mom. Fred came over and we got them water and greens, but Gerald's heart is definitely not in it...I really think he's afraid of the pigs. Now to go to Plan B (there is no Plan B, but we'll have to make one up).
Josephine

Didas wanted to go to Kampala to get glue etc. Tuesday - he really wants to stock up before I go and the shoe money I have at my apt. goes to the Sisters - I think Sr. Seraphine will keep it intact for shoe supplies, but he's nervous. Then back up to my apt. to get the Church money for Sr. J because the guy was coming w. the posho flour (corn). It's hard to fathom how much having that food in the storeroom has eased her mind. We also got new locks for both the stores - big problem w. keys out to who knows - the Sisters give someone a key to get something and then forget to get it back and eventually there is only one key and no one remembers who has the others and things start to "diappear".

Sr. Goretti and I both went to Kampala - she went to the Head Office to get her new assignment letter and I went to have lunch w. Sandy, an older volunteer, who's going home this week. Lots of talk about what will happen when we hit the U.S. Who knows?

Woke up early Tuesday a.m. by another bat, more cockroaches and a tiny colorless frog on my wall. Couldn't get the bat, "Doomed" the cockroach and took the frog out in the dust pan! We (Becky and I) took a large group to CoRSU (orthopedic hospital)...Mulondo - to get the pins out of his broken wrist; Review of Moses (new resident- 20 - w. bad osteomyletis); Justine; a little 3 year old boy w. badly bowed legs and was having surgery and a new resident (16 yr old girl) who has one leg very bent (Seraphina - she came as a caretaker for another girl who is microcephalic but that girl has never had a caretaker before - we think the family begged to send her along so PH would "fix" her). It was super crowded at the hospital and it was quite a hectic time w. X-rays, visits, Mulondo getting his cast off, etc. Mulondo stayed w. Moses as a caretaker, little boy and his mom stayed for surgery and Justine stayed to FINALLY get her leg brace taken out - she's had that metal screwed in her leg for 10 mos!!! New girl will go back for surgery after Sister talks to her parents.

On the way out of town we picked up Rachael (Becky's friend Jenny's daughter) who is here doing business for their charity, Mikwano, and Verity (also from the UK) who is the wife of the BA pilot Adrian, and who wanted to see PH and get ideas for their charity, Uganda Children's Trust. Verity is staying w. me till Monday a.m. in my tiny apt. She's really a peach - I'm picking up lots of "Britishisms" - she's really open-minded and flexible, necessary qualities here.

Wednesday was a crazy day (like Tuesday wasn't?). The Public Health teacher came and gave notes to Alex and left (I called him and told him never to do that again); The Ag teacher spent his entire class period working alone w. the pigs - I think the kids scare him! No students showed up for Crafts and I had to go through the dormitories threatening to send everyone home - phew!

Rachael is here to do some observations and is also going over a grant for a chicken project Sr. J put together. Lots of good quesions re: care and record keeping; we called in Fred and she was impressed w. his knowledge. But when we went to see the chickens we discovered the girl working w. them had taken the keys to school and they hadn't been fed (she just started school Monday), two little (8 wk old) chicks were dead in the room and Fred said that since the girl (Beatrice) started school Monday she's been slacking and eggs are getting eaten by the chickens! Not a great impression, but they are still considering the grant. We got the keys from school (Sr. J went); Fred called the vet and we got the little chickens treated and he fed and watered and collected eggs! It's a never ending battle!

I think I mentioned the old man who was a Congolese refugee who's come to PH and is really crabby and demanding? His neice and a grand nephew came to visit him Wednesday. (Sr. J had called them - found their numbers in his stuff) - but they dont' want him either. Guess he really was a general in Mobutu's in the Congo (Zaire) army and at one point had a LOT of money and power; apparently has two or three sons in Europe who have no contact w. him. Becky is spending much of her day working w. him - changing, cleaning etc. It's hard work and not much appreciated by him!

Verity is working w. Nelson and his two OT students from Mulago Hospital...she's impressed w. all that he does in a day! To top the day off, a baby goat was born; boys pointed him out just a few minutes after birth - pretty exciting!

Thursday was another busy day (seems to be a pattern). Lots of small requsts and disturbances that took up time. Sr. J and I met w. Moses (CBR worker) to plan 2010 but they are not very optomistic about how CBR will continue w/o the donations I've been lucky to receive (thanks all)....hopefully the eyeglasses will come soon and they will get some cash from that - I'm a bit concerned about who will manage the money they do get. Moses likes to spend on outreach - have to dole it out carefully!

Then we had some more visitors from the UK - they run a school for small children w. Cerebral Palsy in Kampala and they sponsor Nelson (our OT) at PH. They are the ones officially doing the chicken grant, so there were more questions, Fred came again...but this time when we visited the chickens, we had keys (new locks) and the little ones looked great (vet visit paid off). Much more impressive!!! Now Fred and I have to re-work the figures to include some new items - training, salary etc. Fred was excited about working w. the grant (if we get it) - I'm glad for him. Got some typing done on the bakery computer (still no ink in our printer); Verity and I went to town for a soda (Becky had gone to CoRSU to pick up Mulondo and Justine)...nice dinner w. all at the convent!

Not sure why things seem so busy (they are?)...Friday the classes went well - Josephine was doing a great job at Math - had them figuring out a budget. Another baby goat was born, but his was to a first time mom and not doing as well nursing. Then we "lost" the older baby goat - had gone under some bushes for shade! Kids and the old man, Mafalanga, that cares for them, looked for a long time! We were afraid some dogs may have gotten him....

Jasmine, our German Volunteer who was here Sept.-Nov. stopped back to visit. She's working w the CP school in Kampala but wants to come back to PH! She's a great worker and got on well here so I hope it works out...also, since the new Holland OT students arrive Monday (22) and will use the apt. at PH, she may take my place and I won't have to move anything - YEA!!!

Verity is fitting right in - she's "adopted" Frederico, the 23 year old who's in bed all day - is blind and hydrocephalic and has very deformed limbs. She is washing and caring for him and helping Becky w. the elderly plus working w. Nelson. Into to Uganda - power was out, we had a huge, black bug in the apt. at nite - and my little albino frog was back! Doomed the bug, and took the frog back out (he was back in on Sat. again).

Satuday was really crazy! Rained hard in the a.m. - nice for the new banana trees! Went down to work w. Fred on the chicken figures and we got sidetracked by another project. There is a possibility of funds coming to finish re-modeling the small building Sr. would like to use as office space, so we had to discuss and measure that! Just as we got started on the chicken numbers the guy came who was to talk to the residents about tree planing. He's from Trees for the Future - I'd heard about the group at our PC conference last June, but had trouble making connnections and we finally got him scheduled for Sat. He was really good and the kids liked him and the idea of planting trees...he got down to their level w. his "lesson". They planted some seeds in a demonstration plot and then he gave us more. Cutting trees for firewood and charcoal is, to me, a HUGE problems in Uganda and resulting in rapid deforestation.

After he left (1:00) we got organized for our big dinner (courtesy of St. John Sunday School). It was planned to inaugurate the new dining tables and benches donated by Verity and Adrian's charity. Kids were SO excited....had beef, fish, matoke, rice, ground nut sauce, cabbage, pineapple, bananas and sodas! Lots of food and quite the feast. We delivered food to those that don't walk and then made the others come to get their food by tables - slow for them but very "civilized". Then, they had elections for Head boy and girl and all the Prefects (kids in charge of various areas)....finished that about 6 and then we handed out Operation Christmas Child shoe boxes! We were a little short of boys boxes and some boys got girls but they were all thrilled!!! I hope to show pictures to you all when I get home - just a great day....got back to my apt. at 8!!!

Today is much quieter - took Verity to the Sister's mass and then on a little walk; will work w. Fred later to finish the chicken project. Some are going to the convent at Kavule (by the lake) but I may pass - I love the place but was just there w. Holly's family. And a quiet day sounds awfully nice!!! Tomorrow Verity goes back to Kampala, Sr. Goretti is going to her new assignment, and the two new Holland girls come (I'm not going with - truck is full and I need to get some things done here).

Hope everyone is well and surviving the winter - is it warming up some? Yesterday was very cool (for us) and rainy but today is very hot again! Good for growing tho'.

Thanks again to everyone - it's hard to describe how much people appreciate all the donations you have made.....they are well used and lots of prayers are coming your way!!! They kids sing a song that includes the line "we have nothing to give in return, but only prayer"...and they really do! But prayers are great, too!

See you soon - less than 5 weeks to go!

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