Wednesday, June 27, 2007

Ok, I think the village visits are over and we ended with a bang! Actually had my first vehicle breakdown in Africa ever and it wasn’t bad at all. We lost some nut off the tire/wheel when we were going very slowly over one of the many speed quadruple bumps here on the roads. We weren’t too far from Irene’s place or Jinja town and we were near a trading center so about 10 guys came over immediately to look. Seth, self-assured male that he is, was the only guy around who didn’t feel the need to huddle around and help. He was also at the time in charge of Tyler, Irene’s 2-year old that we’d decided to take with us for the day. While DJ was calling the mechanic, Abraham, whom we’ve come to know quite well on this trip, someone went off to try to find another nut. So before Abraham could get there, the wheel was replaced and we were on our way again.

Today’s visit was to Butwaaswa, the home of one of my most very favorite of Africans, Ronald Bwana who works as a nightwatchman at the Bogles’ during the week and then goes home to his wife, Tape (pronounced ‘toppy’) and son Alex on the weekends. Sometimes Tape and Alex come stay with him during the week too. They’re expecting another child this September. We were supposed to just spend the morning with Ronald and be back in Jinja for meetings at 2 and 3. Instead we got back to town around 4ish, not quite as dirty or tired as the day before, having had a good visit with Ronald and his family and had a meeting with Ronald’s group of agemates who are requesting a loan to start a poultry business. I’ll attach a pic of DJ and Ronald outside the chicken house they’ve already built.

On Monday of this week, David and I met with Ronald Mugulusi and Irene about establishing a school scholarship program to honor both Moses Kimeze and Adam Langford. We’ve named it the Kimeze/Langford Memorial Scholarship Fund. Ronald who works at the Source Cafe has stepped in and helped us with loans, etc. since the loss of Moses and wants to help us implement this scholarship.

After that meeting, we spent the afternoon at Richard and Ida Bazanoona’s home just outside Jinja near Njeru. Ida is loads of fun. I’ve mentioned before I think that she works in the Source Monday thru Thursday and then goes to minister out in the villages on Friday and Saturday. Ida also plans to start a preschool in their home before too long and she makes some of the paper necklaces that we sell through MDM and will bring back with us. Last year, we loaned Richard and Ida the money to buy their own motorcycle. They make payments through their salary checks and I think will have it paid off in a few more months but they’ve already been able to save a few dollars each day just in transport back and forth to town. Lexie and I helped her cook our lunch and also picked beans in her garden to take back to Irene. David, Richard and Seth talked business (actually Seth fell asleep on the couch).

Tuesday was a long day visiting Musima village again with Moses Kirya but very important since our pilot group loan village program will be with the people from the Musima church and the nearby Kainagoga church plant. We had a lot to get done so Kirya was working very hard to keep us on a schedule. We got a late start because the car needed to be worked on first so at the first lady’s house, we met 3 ladies, 2 of whom make baskets. When we were offered tea, Kirya regretfully turned them down saying we were very pressed for time but we said we’d take eggs with us thinking they would be raw ones to carry back home like the last time. We were wrong. They brought out boiled eggs, roasted g-nuts, roasted corn which we tried to eat very quickly and then pray together before going to the next stop.

We visited the Musima church preschool again. Guess what? They had a program planned for us that included their school chorus! J We were served passion fruit juice that had been made with bore hole water which they say doesn’t need boiling but since we weren’t too sure about that, we didn’t drink it. The director told us that as part of the program, he would read us a brief history of the school that would only take 15 minutes. Both DJ and Kirya said ‘No! we are so sorry but we are very behind schedule” and Kirya said he could have 4 minutes.

After the preschool, we went to Kirya’s home to meet with the folks that are requesting loans to talk about how that will work. We also took some video footage of Zipporah weaving one of her baskets. One of the most memorable moments of the day for me was when Lexie was playing around in Zipporah’s dark sitting room and moved a clock on the wall only to find a very large gray spider and jump out of her skin while Seth and I watched and laughed.

Daniel, the preacher at the new church in Kainagoga met us at Kirya’s to take us to visit a few of his church members who were requesting loans. (We’re trying to take pictures of all those requesting loans so we can have those on the website later.) I think that instead, Daniel took us to the home of EVERY one of his church members and showed us where they meet—under a mango tree. I’d considered bringing Tyler with us for the day but had decided against it. Several times during the day, I was so very thankful he wasn’t with us.

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So it’s actually Thursday morning now. (Kirya called this morning to tell us that his father whom we met on Tuesday had passed away.) Irene has taken the day off and we’re getting some paperwork done here at home before going to Jinja market to shop, lunch with Surj and Danyne and then part of the afternoon at the Nile Resort swimming pool with the kids. We kept Rachel home from school today. I think we’ll stop to see a lady who makes handwoven cloth. Also, Ronald Kizito from Fort Portal is coming in this afternoon for a couple of days to meet with DJ.

David has to go into hiding at the end of the trip because a lot of people, some that he doesn’t’ even know, want to see him just one more time. Irene runs defense for him when she can at the Source and we screen his phone calls. I think he’s having a meeting tomorrow with folks about the loan program that Ronald Mugulusi will be handling on site.

We also have to start trying to pack all the stuff we’ve bought into the suitcases we have. We’ll only be bringing back a few personal items—only what we’ll need on the trip. I usually leave most of my clothes to give away and had told Lexie that I shop at Goodwill before I leave so I can do that. This time, Lexie and I will leave our clothes with Irene to maybe use again next year—and for her to use until then if she wants.

Now I’m going random…..Irene has started calling me “M” and she calls DJ “Mussai” which probably means “Old One’ but is used to show respect like Teacher or Wise One—at least that’s my interpretation. DJ calls Irene the Lusoga word for Little Daughter. We’re going to miss the chai and chipati. We had Zach’s First Birthday party last Sunday. I didn’t write about that. It was a scream. The kids loved the balloons and bubbles that Lexie got out. Irene invited ALL the neighborhood kids. There are some very poor children who live nearby. It was fun to be able to love on them, give them cake and soda and cookies and watch them play together.

We leave Jinja around 2 on Sunday so we’ll be without a phone then and won’t be emailing after Saturday until we get home. We arrive at JFK on Tuesday morning around 7:30 Eastern then go through Customs. I’ll call Ryan and the moms as soon as I can from JFK—I don’t think our flight to Atlanta leaves until 3ish that afternoon.

Ok, one of the pics needs a little more explanation. Som of the Musima preschool children had a contest for the ‘visitas’ to watch—I’ll call it the spitting contest. Six children gulped water from their cups and ran back and forth with mouthfuls of water and then spewed as much water as they could into their assigned soda bottle. The one to fill her bottle first, won. The two young ladies on the left of the pic finished first and second. Is it possible it’s harder to spit into a Krest bottle than a Coke one? Maybe.