Life

Life is always busy here. It is so different to our life in Australia, busy in a different way. For me there is really so little order. We do try to get up about the same time each day, which has actually gradually got earlier and earlier. We have breakfast and look at facebook and emails (and football results for Ron). From there, life usually takes many different turns. Oh, that is right, there is always the washing up and the sweeping of the floor first thing.

Some of our life is mundane. There is building work that Ron is heavily involved in both in supervising, buying materials and doing some of the work. There has been a lot more pressure in this regard lately because we have Roger, Sandra, John and Judy arriving next week (tomorrow now as I wrote this a week ago!) and people here, especially Robert are very keen that they are able to stay there and have all they need. Not sure how much will be done but that is all part of the adventure. The rush and pressure has been good though because it will be good to have the house finished so that other things can be done here in the village. Life will be very different for us when we live there. There will not be the constant interruptions (we assume) and we will not be so available. I am finding it hard to think of moving away from the village. This has become a life and though we know people nearby at the house it will not be the same as having the children around all the time. We will still spend days at the village (when I am not teaching) and be involved, just not sleeping etc. The teaching for me has been a great experience. I have learnt so much about Uganda, the way children are taught here, how they learn and so many of the struggles. Unlike Australia, the responsibility to learn is almost solely on the student. To have many students failing an exam is to be expected and failure is just another thing that students have learnt to accept. I had better not write too much about my thoughts in this regard until I have put them together in a more appropriate place. It has and is a fantastic opportunity though to be accepted into a school and have the chance to teach children.
So, the less mundane. Quietly playing a game(Settlers of course) with Ron and hearing someone calling for Luke (and then us). It was the neighbours. The little boy has Sickle Cell which at that point meant that he was in great pain. He was calling out for us to come and pray for him. His family were in tears and wailing, he had fainted a number of times and they thought he was dying. We went in to see him and pray. We too, could understand their concern. He wanted them to stop crying, his father (God) was going to heal him. We prayed with him and Ron was able to take them to the hospital. An experience that no one would want to have, the hospital is not in any way like ours in Australia. Beds can be shared, if a child dies then it is up to the family to take the child home. We heard of a baby dying in the night and the mother waiting with the dead child all night to take it home. Peter has now been seen (after a number of days), pain killers have been bought (from elsewhere by Luke) and he has a swollen chest that is being xrayed. Please continue to pray for him. One night in hospital he called for a group of us because he was going to die and go to Jesus. (Praise God he came home today for which we are so grateful, we now will be praying for complete recovery from sickle cell.)
Not all our experiences are fortunately so dramatic but if you think about them too much you can become overwhelmed. I have come to know quite a number of ladies who have HIV and are being treated. It is vital with the treatment that they eat well. Of course, due to their illness many of them are not working. So, they are forced basically to beg help of people. It does not bear thinking about that if you don't give them some food or money for food that they too could die. It apparently happens quite suddenly if this is the case. Certainly, we hear very regularly of the deaths of people.
When I was writing the previous I had problems with the computer and it did not save the rest of what I wrote. Perhaps that is best, sometimes I can think too much about things. I am aware that many people are able to be blessed by us being here but it is also such a blessing to us. We love the people and appreciate being accepted by them, the simplicity of so much is great and then we get to enjoy 'treats' all the more. It is hard to know that we are so privileged but so good to be able to help in some small ways. I think the best thing that we do is encourage people that there is hope. There are so many people that believe they deserve not to have what we have and that death and poverty are inevitable. By coming and being their friend I think some people can come to believe that they too are worthy of quality of life in all regards.