It's Picture Time!

Ronald Mugulusi with his dad.

Ronald Bwana with his son, Alex


Jeff had just given Maanda Wilson some new soccer balls for his men's ministry.


Greeting Mugulusi's aunt and cousin at their home in Magogo.

Welcome Hom--we're home

Welcome backto us andjiggity jog.We;re all pretty exhausted and Ithink I'm falling asleep at the keyboar so I won't make this long.... We;re home! Got in about 11:30 easteeeern DJ and Jeff have already gone to bed and I;m abuttttow

will send more tomorrow sometime, love you all

...i can drink tehwaterout of the faucet now and i csn go lie down and sleep in my own bed.

We just got back from taking Rachel and then Gerald to their first day of school for this term. Rachel who’s still in what we’d call kindergarten, will be home this evening when we get back. Gerald goes to a boarding school in Iganga, about a 45-minute drive away so we told him goodbye. David gave him a watch as a gift, bought him new black leather school shoes last week in Kampala, and we’d already given him a soccer ball. He’s such a nice kid and a lot of help with the younger children. He’ll be missed.

This afternoon, David and Jeff have gone with Roy and Ricky to the Njeru Parents’ School where the ISAC kids are enrolled. It’s their first day back to school after holiday also and David was taking pens and soccer balls as gifts to the school and teachers.

Yesterday was a fun but busy, long day. We had already made plans to spend the whole day with Irene and the kids after getting back from church (around 3pm) in Musima. So we went swimming at the Palm Tree Guest House overlooking the Nile and then got to visit for a bit with Surj and Danyne and hold baby Jag. We didn’t get to the pool til 4 so the sun was no longer shining on the water and it was a little cool but the kids wanted to swim anyway so David took turns taking Zach and Tyler and Rachel into the big pool. There were even times he had all three of them at once I think. Then we all met Bobby and Candice at the Sunset On the Nile Hotel/Restaurant for supper.

Now, let me describe just a little bit of Super Sunday at Musima. I suppose there were people from maybe 4 different village churches and the Jinja town church. People start gathering under the pavilion near Moses Kirya’s house around 10 am-ish. So we got there at around 11 and most of the benches were full. Zach had already fallen asleep but woke up. There were only seats left that were actually in the sun but that was too hot so I ended up squeezing in next to Candice. Rachel went to sit with Bwana and Alex and we took turns holding Tyler and Zach since they were both tired. Bobby did a great job preaching! He picked some volunteers out of the audience to act out Luke’s story of the Good Samaritan. Thankfully, Gerald was chosen as the hurt man, since Gary Selby, the Pepperdine prof, was chosen to get down on all fours and be the donkey. It will be a great visual for such a profound but simple message of caring for our neighbors/all of

God’s creation. Then we had communion (fanta and chipati) and then lots of singing, introducing visitors, dancing, clapping and afterwards everyone had a meal of posho and beans. It’s absolutely exhausting.

I know I’m sorta going backwards but….. Saturday morning, we drove with Joan Talibow and Ronald Mugulusi to Mugulusi’s village, Magogo about an hour or so from Jinja. It was a blast. Saturday was Jeff’s favorite day in a village. We got to Mugulusi’s auntie’s house around noon, greeted everyone and I do mean everyone—12 to 15 of the auntie’s grandchildren who’ve been orphaned, mostly due to AIDS, another man who’s a cousin to Ronald, and a couple more of the auntie’s daughters who are still living nearby. After a bit, Joan and I went to sit with the ladies as they were preparing this huge pot of steamed matoke. I’d never actually watched anybody put the peeled bananas all together in this pot lined with banana leaves, then it’s covered and mashed together in the leaves before they steam it. The cousin was showing David and Jeff all about the new ‘cho’ (pit latrine) that was being built. The workers had dug a pit of about 10 feet (it will eventually be about 40 feet deep) and were laying local bricks and cementing to build the support/foundation around the actual pit. It’s hard to describe but I have pics if you should actually be interested in such things.

Ronald decided we should go ahead and visit another widow before we ate so we drove to a nearby trading center and to the lady’s house nearby. It had gotten windy and started to get cool like it might rain. When we went inside this lady’s house, her orphaned grandchildren had a couple of songs prepared to sing to us. It was just wonderful and it’s all very moving. Overwhelming at times. Oh and we were such big news that the whole trading center cleared out and came and peered through the windows into the house. By the time we left, it had started to rain but we got back to the auntie’s house before it started to storm. Oh my goodness, what a storm—the rain was beating and the wind was just whipping the trees and pounding the crops!! I’m just so thankful we were inside the house—at one point, I ducked and screamed because I thought that flimsy tin roof was going to cave in. It was actually a big branch of one of the trees behind the house that had hit the roof and bounced off. The top of a jackfruit tree at the front of the house broke off, too, and as Jeff was filming. David says it’s the worst storm he’s ever been in. We didn’t eat lunch (matoke, rice and goat) until after the storm about 3and thankfully the area is pretty flat so we could still drive on the clay/dirt/mud roads back to the main highway.

As soon as we got back to town, we took Irene home and then went to the Bugembe trade center where Grace Nyanga was waiting to guide us to his house for supper and to visit. I’ve mentioned this before, but Grace and Goretti have two of their own children and then take care of somewhere between 15 and 20 orphans, some of them are children of Grace’s two brothers but others are just kids they’ve taken in. Edith, their oldest child, is about 10 now and she still has a crush on our Zach. When I mentioned that I’d brought a picture to give her of Zach and Ryan with their girlfriends, she was so embarrassed that she just took it and hid her face. Today, I gave her another picture to keep for herself since I think her baby brother, Emmanuel, had bent that one. Goretti had been working at a craft market all day so some of the older children had made the final preparations for supper. The food is always wonderful at Goretti’s place. We had great cabbage, beans, rice, watermelon, sweet pineapple, chipati and small irish potatoes that were battered and fried whole. Really good food!

So we’re wrapping things up here. I’ve been shopping for some gifts today and hanging with Irene since we have to leave in the morning. Bwana just came by to tell me that he can’t take me bike riding today like he wanted, but we’ll go tomorrow morning. Spencer Bogle just brought us the last of our malaria medicine. I buy some to get started in the states but buy the rest here. DJ and I have to keep taking the weekly pills for four weeks after we get home. Jeff is taking the daily pill that’s supposed to have fewer side effects. I don’t know how long he has to take those. Irene and Joan are totaling up my purchases in the craft area. David and Jeff just got back from their trip to the school and DJ is meeting with Roy and Ricky again. Then we’ll go by to see a gentleman’s rental property that’s near Bugembe, not too far from Irene’s, and we need to go get one of our suitcases at the Garners’ house. We’ll fix spaghetti tonight and pack our bags then have a terrible crying time at the house in the morning when we leave Tyler and Zach and Rachel. I have gifts to leave them but they’ll still cry. Irene is riding with us to Entebbe so I can delay that goodbye for a little bit. We don’t usually have internet access in Entebbe so Tuesday morning here is probably the last time I’ll check my messages. So, write me if you need to know anything before I go, I’ll check in the morning before we leave. We get in to Atlanta on Thursday around 1:30 Eastern so we should be home to Montgomery by 4 or so. I just got an email from Emily that she’ll be flying in on Friday from Ohio and that Ryan will be coming to our house probably by early to mid-afternoon on Friday. Can’t wait to see them! Then as soon as I get home, we’re gonna start looking at getting Zach and Julia back to the States for a visit or longer.

Love to all, mj

Friday afternoon, May 23

I don't think I have much time but just in case, I'm starting a note of random stuff again just so I don't forget this stuff.

This afternoon has been a lot of fun. I spent the morning writing that earlier message and then helping Irene unwrap all her purchases from yesterday and chatting with Bobby and Ben while DJ was in another meeting. Then we went to the Bogles house to visit with our good friend Ronald Bwana and his son Alex and Zach's former dog, Libby, who shed all over me. Ronald told us about his chicken project. He was part of a group that made a group proposal to us last year. We didn't loan them the money. As a matter of fact, DJ basically told them that it wasn't a good idea for the group to make one loan for one thing like chickens--literally not putting all your eggs in one basket. Well, they did anyway. As a group, they bought some of the local chickens to raise. They each had a particular job to do and assignment. I don't remember them all but one of them was supposed to be in charge of the chicken's health. But the project failed because one chicken got sick and then they all did and their whole project was wiped out because as Ronald said, one of them was lazy and didn't do the job. He said they'd learned their lesson and so now he's raising chickens with Spencer Bogle.

Ok, gotta go, so the rest of the afternoon we spent on the banks of the Nile at the Ginger Restaurant drinking sweet tea with ice cubes in it! I've never had that in Uganda. We met some of the missionaries there to visit about what we're doing. Bobby and Candice, Ben Langford, Spencer and Emily Bogle. It was great fun, incredibly relaxing and we all hated to leave but we had plans already.

now, random....

ugandans end most words with an extra ee or ah: bye-ee, zach-ah, gerald-ee

Last week at Jinja church, when we were singing about the 20th verse of "I'll be somewhere working for my Lord," I leaned up to Bobby and Candice and told them that I needed the words to change and that I'm really rather it went like this.... "I'll be somewhehyah relaxing, I'll be somewheyhah relaxing, I'll be somewhehyah relaxing for my Lord, yes for my Lord...."

Friday morning, May 23

Congratulations to us! We made it to Kampala and back in one piece and had a good but busy day. David is a really good driver but the roads and the driving conditions are much different here. I’d say traveling once we’re in country is the most dangerous thing we do. (Of course, to avoid the real dangers, we do take malaria medicine and stay away from unboiled/unbottled water.)

Yesterday on the drive, I was reminded of what a beautiful place this is. There is luscious vegetation, almost “ Jurassic Park ” style so there’s an abundance of fruits and vegetables--sweet bananas, pineapples, tomatoes, avocadoes, squash, cucumbers, fresh beans. The drive to Kampala takes us through Mubira Rain Forest Preserve, past huge tea plantations where workers are hand-picking the leaves and also past large sugar cane fields. (These are real plantations as opposed to when we go to the village and someone shows us his banana plantation and we find three plants.) The tea is David’s favorite. It’s such a beautiful green across the valley and hills.

We also drive through a trade center that’s known for it’s fast food—chicken on a stick. I’ve never had it. If you pull your vehicle over, the guys selling the chicken run up to your car windows to get you to buy their chicken. Irene got sick once after eating one so she won’t eat it. It’s one of my Zach’s favorite things so I’d really like to try it sometime.

I need to take and upload a pic of my favorite tree here. I call it the Dr. Seuss tree because it has these long skinny elegantly twisting branches with a green ball of leaves at the tip of each branch. It reminds me of something you might find in “Cat in the Hat.”

Two quick updates: 1. We ran into Danyne Randolph and her mom outside the Source the other day so I got to hold baby Jagpal (I’m not sure how it’s spelled but it’s pronounced like Jag Paul). It’s an Indian name since Surj, his dad is an Indian and it’s one that Danyne’s family from Texas can pronounce. I don’t think we’ll have time to go to the Palm Tree Resort that Surj owns/runs but we’ll probably see them Wednesday at the airport since we’ll be on the same flight to Amsterdam with Danyne’s mom. The baby is absolutely gorgeous, beautiful. He has amazingly white skin and lots of black hair. I told Danyne that he was whiter and even more beautiful than I expected and she laughed and said the baby is whiter than his older sisters expected too. Danyne adopted two Ugandan baby girls either while Z was here in 03 or right after that. Then she and Surj were married a little over a year ago.

2. I forgot to tell you what Bobby told us on Wednesday about the beehive they hung the other day. The afternoon after we were at Agri’s place, he called Bobby and in his very slow, monotone with long pauses to build the drama, said, “Boehbbee, I am standing in front of our bee hive. (long pause) I am watching bees fly in and out of our hive.” So, looks like there’s a good chance this first hive will be a success and once that happens, they can hang some more of them. Bobby said the first have only had about a 50% chance of drawing any bees.

I haven’t said much about what we did in Kampala yesterday but we went to the Garden City Mall just briefly to get cash out of the ATM there and look at the expensive craft store, Banana Boat. Just to get ideas about what they have to sell that we might want to look for at the craft market. Then we drove to the craft market to do the real looking/shopping. There are maybe 40 outdoor stalls surrounding a small grassy that carry lots of jewelry, clothing, carvings and stuff like that. Irene was buying ceramics from one of the stalls there for the craft shop at the Source and since she was buying things wholesale, I was able to get a few things cheaper than I would have otherwise. So, I bought a ceramic water pitcher with a couple of cups and really struggled over whether to buy the tray in the shape of a fish that’s flat and easier to pack or the casserole dish that’s in the shape of a fish with a lid. I liked them both but was really in love with the casserole dish and she was willing to come off the price a little more on it than she would the tray so that’s the one I bought. I told Irene that I’ll get the tray the next time. She didn’t even buy the fish tray because the girl wouldn’t bring the price down enough for her. I haven’t looked at the ceramics website but here it is http://www.mukisa-uganda.com/. I’ll have to bring that stuff back in my carry-on probably so I may regret my purchase at least on the day we travel.

Ok, ok, yes, I did buy a nativity set. Just one. The barn is made out of banana-fiber and I think the figures are corn husks. You’ll have to come see me to see it. DJ shops for things to resell for the Victoria Nile crafts business that helps fund African missions stuff but I shop for me and for gifts. Are you surprised? Yeah, I don’t think so.

I’ll try to tell you one funny story before I close. I’m sure the humor will be lost in the translation but I’m gonna try. A few days ago, Jeff and David had been meeting with Roy and Ricky all morning. Roy and Ricky are Ugandan and we’re around mostly Ugandans. Even though there are a good many bazungu (white-folks) here, we still stand out in a crowd. Ok, so the other day, David, Jeff, Roy and Ricky are walking down the sidewalk to a restaurant for lunch. David’s just talking away, telling Roy all about something while Ricky and Jeff follow. David’s got the hand motions going and the whole bit. Jeff just stops on the sidewalk and bends double laughing because he looks up and sees DJ talking but that’s NOT Roy. That whole time he’s been walking alongside some other tall Ugandan man with a striped-shirt who hasn’t even been responding to David and NOT Roy ! Finally, DJ looks up and realizes he’s been lecturing to some stranger and he turns around to see Roy, Ricky and Jeff all laughing at him.

Maybe I should’ve had Jeff tell it and maybe I should just delete it but I’ll leave it just in case you enjoy it anyway. DJ has more meetings today and we’re gonna see another one of my very favorite people, Ronald Bwana, and his son Alex. Ronald works at the Bogles house here in town so we’ll just stop in to see him sometime today. Then this afternoon we’re meeting with Ben and Bobby at the Langfords house so I’ll get to see Kym. She just got back on Tuesday from her grandmother’s funeral in the States. I like Ben and Kym a lot and just love their son, Eli. He’s just a hoot! Their younger son, Noah, was just a newborn when we were here last year. I think we’re going to this new restaurant for a soda and to visit. It’s called Ginger on the Nile and I think it’s right down on the water. Then tonight we’re eating at Joan’s place. We’ve never been there and spend the day in the village tomorrow and Sunday. I may check in again tomorrow if we get home early enough.

Ok, one thing is that David hired a carpenter to make and install some screen doors for Irene. They sleep under mosquito nets but that only helps after you’re in bed and asleep and that’s not usually when mosquitoes like to fly in through the door so we’re hoping that will help cut down on the mosquito issue. We haven’t actually had many at all. I think the first night we were here, there were some in our bedrooms and then maybe two nights ago, I got a bite. Oh and Zach, Gerald is just loving the Manchester U shirt you sent him especially after their big win the other night. We didn’t watch the game because it came on too late—9:45 and we left early at 7 am for Kampala . It’s gotten cooler here the last week or so. Much nicer than when we arrived and it’s raining every two or three days a little bit so that’s making it very pleasant for the most part.

Love to everybody there, I’m sure I’ve forgotten something I wanted to tell you but I’ll try to tell it to you later.

AIDS Hwy in Njeru, Uganda just outside of Jinja

More pics

This is the 90ish lady who we saw out working with her hands in her garden in Kainagoga.