Uganda Flashback

Ya know how they say sensory experiences trigger memories? Like when you get a whiff your mom's fabric softener and it makes you think of when she did your laundry? Or when you catch the aroma of a long-ago date's fragrance and you're instantly transported back to another day and time? Well, I had a sensory triggered flashback Thursday morning--only it was tactile and the time frame wasn't that long ago. Right about the time I got up to brush my teeth, our power went out. I had planned to work out, get the kids off to school, then shower before going to work. Plans change.

I first had to go into crisis management mode. Were the two teenagers up? Had my son taken his shower? What was my daughter going to do about her hair? (And that turned into a major life crisis--yearbook pictures were that day and she didn't want her children and her children's children seeing her without her hair straightened [she actually said that!!!] She ended up going over to a friend's house to get ready for school. She had less than a half hour for picture-ready primping.

Okay, now to the Uganda connection. My son used all the hot water, and there was no chance for it to recup before the power went off. I really woke up to a cold shower with the get wet, wash up, take a deep breath and turn the water back on for a rinse technique. It made me think about Uganda, where the shower was cold, and really appreciate our guest house hosts at Nyaka, who boiled water over an open fire twice a day so we would have warm water. They would bring in 1 or 2 yellow plastic "gerry cans" (sp?) of water, like you see in the picture, and set them in the bathroom at 6:30 am and 4p. We could then pour them into a plastic basin and use that water for more comfortable clean-up. (Those yellow water cans were EVERYWHERE in Uganda-you'd see women carrying them on their heads and even children carrying them from the nearest water source to their home. They are very heavy! The younger children carried smaller containers that looked like an 1 gallon anti-freeze jug.)

Nobody at home boiled water over an open fire for me that morning, even though my husband was home. ;) Welcome back to America!

Sun "burn" ?????

The first Sunday we were there, we made the 2 1/2 hour, trek (45-ish miles) from Nyaka School to the Kutamba building site for the dedication. Kutamba is the second AIDS orphans school of what is hoped to be many schools like Nyaka. That was the most beautiful, most adventurous 4 wheel drive ride I have ever taken. It was our first exposure to the green, lush, mountain terrain of southwestern Uganda. We wound around, up, down, back and forth on hillsides, often with very little shoulder. It definitely was not for the faint of heart (or anyone with a fear of heights!) In many places, the road had washed out and 4-wheel drive was the only way to get through. Our driver was very skilled in navigating this this terrain. We were grateful!

Behind me in the picture are several boys who showed a curiosity about this mzungu (white person). We were there on this hillside for a couple of hours during the dedication ceremony, festivities, and pictures. Figuring this light skin was on the way to a significant burn, I got out my sunscreen and started to apply it to my arms, face and neck. The boys were walking past me, gave me the strangest look, and stopped to watch. I tried to explain in simple English with some actions that the hot sun makes my light skin "burn." They giggled and walked on. Later, they were sitting behind me as I talked to the woman on my left. They were having a conversation, but not in English. She said, "The boys behind us are still talking about your skin." I said, "Really??" After she confirmed it, I turned around and extended my arm to invite them to touch light skin. They were hesitant at first, but then all of them did eventually. We sat there talking a while longer. Right before we left, I turned around to them and pushed on the skin on my arm for them to see the pink color it had gained. They giggled some more. That was not a usual sight for them!! They were intrigued. I wondered later if their understanding of the word, "burn" may have complicated things. Perhaps they thought I was preventing my skin from catching on fire! No wonder they were curious!

"Facilities" Questions

It appears that one thing weighing heavily on some of my friends' minds about my trip is how rugged it got when it comes to practical matters like restroom facilities. They know that was one concern I had since I'm not the primitive camping type (startling revelation for some, I know). I would have to say that either there was some major coincidence about the timing or God was again faithful in taking care of me in another manner on this trip.

After arriving at the Entebbe airport late Wednesday evening (I'll have to give you the travel schedule sometime, too), our driver, Stephen, picked us up and took us to Hotel Equatoria in Kampala-about an hour drive. We ate dinner there (chicken and fries :) ) and then went to bed. Recognizing that this might be the last chance for a hot shower and flush facilities, we all aimed to take advantage of it before we left in the morning for a day's drive to the school. I was the only one that had hot water for a shower. The "boys"were quite jealous when I reported it to them at breakfast.

The way the lunch and fuel stops worked out, I, unlike the boys, could get along without a stop along the road (which Stephen labelled "a short call" and they adopted that term). The longest time frame with unavailable "facilities" was the last leg of the trip to the school that evening. Stephen kept saying, "We're almost there." I learned he would say this before I would have on any trip. His idea of being close to the destination and mine were a little different. By the time we arrived at the guest house that evening, I was ready to live the semi-rugged life--even looking forward to a latrine visit (which turned out to be an outhouse with a toilet frame to sit on). I was prepared with my flashlight and the roll of toilet paper that stayed in my purse the whole trip. When we got out of the van, Brittany, (the I.U. grad who was there to teach English for 6 months) greeted us. I asked about the latrine and she said words that were an unexpected blessing to my ears, "Latrine? You don't have to use the latrine. A plumber just left 2 hours ago after installing a flush toilet just down the hall." Are you for real?? I wondered. Sweet!!!! Wonderful! Fantastic! This experience was already going to be easier than I anticipated. Thank you God!!!

We did use the latrine some during the day, expecially the day the house ran out of water because a farmer up the line was diverting water onto his property. That was addressed and we were back in business. I learned that it was good to kick the latrine before using it, to dislodge the flies and avoid an improper "buzz."

We did travel other days in some rugged territory, but it always worked out that restaurant and gas station stops were enough for me to stay civilized.

As far as showers, cold was the only option from the tap.. . . . . .but. . .. .. . .. ..the people who hosted us at the house-who cooked for us and did our laundry, went out every morning and afternoon and boiled 5-10 gallons of hot water over an open fire for us to use. We would then pour some in a plastic tub, step into the shower stall, "sponge" warm water over us, lather up, and rinse off either with more warm water or cold. I'm glad to report that I was able to keep up the leg shaving routine the whole time too. I had purchased a battery powered razor just in case. I know, some of you might not be able to fathom the lengths one must go to to appropriately consider all possible hygienic needs in a third world country. For a prissy girl like me, it was important to keep the legs smooth for the dresses, shorts, and capri wardrobe. It was also important, since I was on a hair appliance fast (at one point, I nearly suffered from delirium tremens), that make-up and specifically, lip stick was regularly applied to at least look like I'm trying to look my best. Hair options were the head band or pony tail (although, my hair was just long enough for a high one. I looked like a sumo wrestler because it was a short tail!). Rumors that I kissed my blow dryer and straightener (and facilities after disinfection) upon my arrival home are completely unfounded.

More to come as time allows. I promise the next post will contain a bit more depth :)

Lucy

"Facilities

First Day of School

Number estimates varied, but this is a sampling of people who came to apply for a P1 (primary 1 or first grade) spot at Nyaka for a child in their family. Remember these are all grandparents or aunts, uncles, cousins, etc., of the children. Almost all children at Nyaka are double orphans because of the AIDS pandemic. There were 26 openings for P1 (four children were being held back) and at least 90 children vying for a spot. They were there all day for the screening process. If there was another child in the family attending Nyaka, they were not as likely to get in. Some might balk at the system, but they're trying to assist as many families as possible, so they try to spread the educational opportunity around.

The school year runs February to November with several weeks off in the middle and a long holiday break at the end. I knew they were coming back to school while we were there; I just didn't realize it was a new year, not just a holiday vacation. The school has grades P1-P7. After P7, the kids take a national test. If they pass, they can go on to secondary school (if they can afford tuition). One of Whitney's goals is to get a scholarship fund going to help these kids go on in school if they pass the test. He is working with someone to create a video to be used to promote donations to this fund.

After 3 years (I think) of secondary school, they go to college (more like high school), then they go to "university." One has to be careful if you talk about "college" students because that means something different to them. My roommate in the guest house had just graduated from Indiana University, but couldn't say she just graduated from college. I explained that my daughter will be attending a university in a year and a half.

There are 250+ kids between the 2 schools--Nyaka and Kutamba--and it only takes $145 to support one child through the school year. Leave me a comment if you'd like more info about doing that--that's a quite reasonable sponsorship! You'll see more pix of kids from both schools and the groundbreaking we attended for Kutamba(it's in a temporary facility now) ---coming soon. I can't wait to share more of my experience with you!

"Stuck In the Middle (of the earth) with You"

I don't know who sang that song, but "stuck" is not really the term I would use for spending time with this great team. As you can see, I'm the only female on this 5 person mission team. Otto is behind me, then L-R, Whitney, Eric, and Brad. This was our first real "tourist" thing to do. We crossed the equator as we travelled from Kampala (where we stayed at Hotel Equatoria--after arriving late in Entebbe, then traveling with our fabulous driver, Stephen, to Kampala Wed. night) to Nyaka AIDS Orphans School. (By the way, the guys intiation into roughing it began at the hotel--none of them had hot water for a shower--I did though!! Thanks, God!)

Did you know that north of the equator, water drains clockwise, south, it drains counter clockwise, and right on the equator, it drains without swirling?? I didn't! An amazing little equator factoid for you--you're welcome!

Anyway, I wanted to give you a glimpse of the team. I'm a visual person, so I like being able to picture people and things as they're discussed.

Sorry for the delay in starting the trip specific blogs--we had internet trouble at home for a few days--maddening timing!!

Must sign off for now--more coming soon!!

Home---and jet lag hasn't hit--yet. . .

Thanks to all of your for your prayers, resources, support, organization, family care, and all the other things you did to make sure this mission trip was a fantastic experience for both me and my family! We felt very well cared for half way across the world from one another. I got back to the church yesterday (Monday afternoon) at 5p. Long travel, but so completely worth it. The school visit, cultural observations, tourist sites, and travel were all educational experiences for me, not to mention the spiritual aspect of doing mission work and living with a team. I'm sure I'll be processing things from this trip for a while---maybe even until next time (wait--did I say that??---yep, I did--I want to go back!). My family might even look forward to it. The children's ministry team I work with at the church brought them meals every second or third day I was gone. They feasted on excellent food--put this mother/cook to shame! Thanks again Janelle, Vicki, Kristen, Mark & Marilyn, and Sherry. Claudia, second mom and mentor, also slipped lasagna and rolls in there, too.

I journaled every day, so I'll be posting selections from that along with pix when I get them. Brad, the missions minister, downloaded all my pix to his laptop, and he'll be giving them to me soon along with his. Eric and Whitney also took a boatload of pix and video which they'll be sharing--so there will be no shortage of visual remembrances of this trip. (In my vanity, I must say, you'll see me looking pretty "rugged" with no hair appliances and electricity available, I could not look my preferred best--I'm sure you'll continue to love me anyway and understand my limitations.)

Here are the other players you'll hear about and see:
Brad --Sherwood Oaks Missions Minister--a staff member with me.
Whitney--SOCC attender and Rotary Club representative. He first heard about Nyaka when he and Jackson Kaguri (Uganda native and school founder) were in Rotary together. He and the Rotary have been active supporters of Nyaka. He went not only to see and assess the needs of the school, but also to gather video so that a documentary can be created which will be used to solicit donations to send Nyaka kids who pass the national exam on to secondary school.
Otto--SOCC attender and friend of Jackson's during his stay in Bloomington who initiated Jackson's nomination into Rotary (forgive my use of perhaps the wrong terms there) & long term supporter of the school
Eric--SOCC attender interested in the school and the country, commissioned to chronicle the experience for an SOCC video about the mission.

I must get to bed now, but be checking back frequently as I'll be posting journal entries and impressions.

One quick thing to share. We attended a 7th Day Adventist Church on Saturday while we were there a mile or so down the road from the school. They translated the sermon into English for us (there is a local language, but the national language is English since Uganda gained its independence from Great Britain in 1962--yea!). Near the end of the service, the translator said "God is Good" We responded "All the time." She then switched it around--there was a connection to America--I have done that same response (and sung the song) in my church experience before--
God is Sooooooo Good--
Lucy aka Cynthia