Saved a copy of the Kampala Newspaper from Tuesday - one of those "where were you when...." days! Lots of coverage and hype here. 50% of Ugandans polled think there will be benefits for Uganda - I think he'll have his hands full trying to make things better in the U.S.!!!
When I started blog notes last week I was complaining about HOT, DRY and DUSTY...but the last three days it's rained every day and much nicer and nites are cool! Don't expect it to last since all say the "rainy season" doesn't start till late March, but it's a nice break!!!
There are two university students from Holland in Nkokonjeru - one is at the hospital (she's in pre-med) and the other is at PH. They went to another site first but the site folded and they found us. Sanne is at PH - very nice girl and all gung ho. She's taking psychology and drama therapy but wants to change to midwifery! Nice having some new enthusiasm. Friday I was in town getting some things and saw her coming down the street taking Ferdico for a "walk" - he's blind, paralyzed and hydrocephalic (22) and she had him in a wheeled hospital bed going down the street with another little boy holding an umbrella over his head to keep off the sun! I'd never even considered that but he was loving getting out of his room! She's going to try to work with the kids in the a.m. - so far has been tough getting organized, but she's a hard worker!
Sr. Immaculate from Stella Maris Primary (up the hill in Nkokonjeru) was in the U.S. in December as a guest of a sponsoring agency, Caritas, based in Milwaukee. She came dow to PH to tell us about her trip and she went on and on about how wonderful the U.S. is. She asked "How can you live in Uganda knowing what you left behind?" She was impressed with things that work, the ease of travel, washers and dryers (I do miss my washing machine), just everything. "You people come here and say that living here is 'just fine' but how can you say that?". I said "because it is"...it really is fine here - it's not the U.S. but the U.S. has problems too. She thought AMericans wer SO friendly - so are Ugandans. I was a bit embarrassed!
Really having a slow time at "work" - two months is too long a break from school and Sr. Juliet has been gone a lot so we're not getting the paperwork done we'd planned -and I'm REALLY slowing down in the heat!! Saturday Holly invited me along while she taught the hospital nuns how to make pizza in her "2 pot oven" and Sunday we took a puzzle over and tried to work on it w. the elderly nuns (about 20 of them) - didn't take into account that many of them can't see well and it was a 1,000 piece puzzle!! A few stayed just for the novelty, but think we need a new activity. It was fun tho' - many of them remember the founder of the order and many schools and hospitals, Mother Kevin, who came from Ireland in 1903 and died in 1957...fun stories.
Sunday at Mass they sang "I The Lord of Sea and Sky" - almost cried, but made it. Reminded me of mission trips.
Monday I found a BINGO game in Nelson's room and Sanne and I played w. the kids...took awhile but they enjoyed it - had hard candies, pencils and stickers for prizes and made them choose one. They make so few decisions in PH I wanted them to have to make one. Lunch & dinner is always beans and posho or beans and cassava. Clothes come from charity. They got the idea quickly tho'! Will try that with the elderly nuns.
I got to watch the Inaugural on the Sisters TV. Power had been out for 3 days and didn't come on till 4 p.m. on Tuesday (8 a.m. in D.C.)...so I was a bit nervous, but all worked out well and it was fun. The Sisters had lots of ?? e.g., "what does "inaugural" mean?" "Is that his house?". They were again very impressed by the orderliness of the transfer and how short the ceremony was (Ugandans would have gone over 3 hours w. speeches they said). It was very impressive, if strange, to watch 8000 miles away from home. I really loved the last minister - he was great!!!
Right as it ended Sr.Goretti saw a rat streak across the floor and she and Sr. Sara started to chase it with sticks, under furniture, around the walls - screaming the whole time. It was hilarious! Don't know where it went - probably died of fright!!!
Yesterday I joined the Sisters for Supper again - a farewell for Sr. Melody. She's going for 6 months of spiritual study (?) and then will most likely get a new assignment! Several of the nuns have been reassigned...the headmistress at St. Anthony's Secondary, Sr. Mary Ruth, Sr. Immaculate of Stella Maris and the head of the convent, Sr. Felicitus...I'm really sad to see them go, but they move a lot I guess...mostly bigger jobs!
I really want to say THANKS to St. Johns Church (my church)...they are donating two years of Mission funds to PH and we're going to build a new shed for our pigs....we've been using an old shed at a nearby farm and it's falling down and a big pig got stollen recently. Fred, the new farm/business manager, has designed one that will work into an extension of our present wall and be adjacent to PH so much easier and safer. Also, we're hoping to use some donated $ to buy some new piglets - better breeds - and try to start a really viable income generating project. It's great to be able to do this for PH - again, thanks much everyone!
Hope you are all well. I hear the weather has been up and down with some DOWNS in Minnesota!!! Stay warm...that I don't miss!!! I'm anxious for our school to start again (Feb. 9) so I'll have to follow a schedule...when I'm not forced to be busy I can get pretty lazy, and then also seem to get down on being here - not that I want to come back but small things bother me - the Ugandana propensity to not want to try to new things or to be satisfied w. things that don't work when there is an answer....but I'm sure we Americans have our quirks - we do, don't we?
All in all, things are going well. Saturday Sister and I will pick up 18 wheelchairs donated by the Rotary....will be great for kids whose chairs are really wrecked or who never had one. Great addition!!! Thanks again for all your prayers and thoughts. Couldn't do it w/o knowing you're behind me!!
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