Happy 29th Birthday

Twenty nine years ago on Easter Sunday, Watoto Church began (it was called Kampala Pentecostal Church in those days). God called Gary and Marilyn Skinner to plant an English speaking church in the heart of Kampala, Uganda. We have been privileged to hear some of their story throughout the time we have had a relationship with Watoto. It is incredible to hear the stories of what they went through during the Idi Amin era and in the years following. To quote Marilyn, “God has to test those He plans to use.” Believe me, they were tested and now they are being used in a mighty way!
Watoto Church is just one church, but it has ten celebration points: Suubi village, Bbira village, Laminadera village, Gulu, Juba and five sites in Kampala (Central, North, South, East and West). Over 20,000 people praise God at these celebration points every weekend. God has brought this church and this organization a long way in just 29 years. Check out Watoto Church website at watotochurch.com. You can see all the exciting things that God is doing and you can listen to sermons that are being preached here in Uganda.
Once the church was well established, God called the Skinners to start the child care ministry. Today thousands of children are “Watoto kids”- some are young and are still living in the babies’ homes or in children’s villages, others are now grown and are working for Watoto or elsewhere. The impact of this ministry cannot ever be measured- so many lives have been saved and changed for eternity.
The sustainability project is one of the things that attracted us to this organization. Watoto has numerous farms- vegetables, goats, chickens- that help to feed the villages and to generate revenue.
Living Hope is a program that exists to transform the lives of vulnerable women. There are so many amazing stories of how God has changed these women’s lives and futures.
Watoto has so many other amazing ministries and so many stories of God’s healing and transformation. Check out their website watoto.com. You will be blessed.
Wow- look what God has done in 29 short years. He took two ordinary people (Marilyn’s description, not mine) and called them to start a ministry here in Kampala. They were obedient. They were tested and they continued on in obedience to God. Now God is blessing their obedience and is giving them much fruit for their labours.
Is God calling you to do something today? To step out of your comfort zone and do something for Him? Take the plunge today. You never know what God will do with your obedience. Maybe 29 years from now someone will be telling the story of what God did when you chose to obey Him.

This is Africa

We’ve had a very busy week- working long hours and lots of activities in the evenings.
Lorenda continues to be at the babies’ home five days per week loving all the beautiful babies. The nannies often ask which is her favourite baby. They are all so gorgeous, how could anyone ever choose a favourite? Every single one has something unique about their looks or their personality- they are all beautiful!
Greg has spent a lot of time out at the various Watoto celebration sites. They are all doing expansions to accommodate the growth that every church site is seeing. Greg has been part of the team that is discussing the expansions with the contractors and he has had some input into the way things will be done. Unfortunately, he didn’t use his sunscreen while touring the sites so his face, forehead and head are glowing red with a white strip across his eyes where his sunglasses were. He has been feeling the effects of all that sun so spent most of yesterday resting.
Greg also spent some time teaching this week. He has introduced a new paperwork plan to the team so he needed to spend some time teaching the method and the expectations of this new plan. He also had the opportunity to do some mentoring as he worked alongside some of the team doing a few small jobs.
We went out for a short walk yesterday morning and had an experience that we knew would happen to us sometime while we were here. Really, we are surprised that it took this long for it to happen. As we were walking along the road, someone tried to sell us a live chicken! This is not an uncommon thing in Uganda and you would know that the meat is fresh, if you bought it that way. We politely said “No thank you” and carried on our way. We want to be part of the culture here, but there are some things that just are not going to happen!
We are doing very well here and are very thankful to all of you for joining us on this journey by reading this blog, e-mailing us and praying for us. Thanks so much for being part of our journey.
Happy Easter everyone
Jesus is risen!

Happy Easter

Thanks for staying with us. Sorry that it has been a few days since our last post. Our internet is by mobile modem and we have to keep loading more “time” onto it. This has been a very busy week so we have not had time to get into the mall to get it done. Today we were caught in “the jam” big time- we were literally not moving an inch for close to a half hour. We were only about 300 meters from the mall so Lorenda decided to run to the mall to get the internet time and then run back to the car in the jam. It was a good idea except for the fact that this occurred in the middle of the worst downpour we’ve had since we arrived- dripping hair, dripping shirt, orange water running down the streets to mid-calf, BUT we got the internet time and can communicate with you!
Well it is Easter week and it is a real celebration here (as it should be). On Monday and Tuesday evenings there was revival meetings at Watoto Central. Over 1000 people attended each of these services. Wednesday night all the cells (small groups) meet and on Thursday evening there is a huge praise rally that several thousand will attend. They have started putting up a huge screen (I think) and a sound system in the parking lot because the church only holds 1500 people and they will need room for 3-4 times that many people.
Friday evening many of the churches have joined together for Night to Unite. An outdoor service that will be held at one of the universities- I don’t know how many people they are expecting, but I am sure there will be many.
We pray that you have a blessed Easter as you celebrate the resurrection of our Saviour.

Whatever you have done for the least of these...

Hi Everybody. It’s Lorenda here again.
Today was another great day. We are so thankful for God’s goodness and protection every single day. We don’t ever want to take it for granted! Please keep praying- we need your prayers every moment of every day.
Greg was working today since he found a problem yesterday, but didn’t have the parts to fix it so he had to go back today. I needed to get out and get some exercise (because hauling babies around 10-12 hours a day 5 days per week isn’t enough!) There is an Italian Supermarket that we have driven by many times and it seemed pretty close to our apartment when we were driving so I decided to walk there today. It really isn’t very far, only a 20 minute walk each way. The problem is that everything in this city is uphill -remember those stories about our parents walking uphill both ways to school, it’s real here! On the way to the supermarket, I had a long, gradual incline for about 2/3 of the way and then a steeper downhill leg to get me to the market.
However, on the way home the steeper part is uphill and I really wasn’t looking forward to it on this hot, humid morning. Sometimes God chooses to distract us from ourselves and our pity party though. Just as I was starting to feel sorry for myself and my quads, God started to show me what was going on around me. There was the cart that I buy my pineapples and mangoes from- I thought about buying some, but didn’t want to carry them in addition to the purchases I had made at the supermarket. (Side note- I need to learn how to carry things on my head. It seems like a far more efficient system!)
As I continued on up the road, I saw two children and their mother standing in the drainage ditch that runs along the road. These ditches drain away the water when it rains. I don’t know if they are supposed to have sewage in them, but sometimes, they are pretty gross. Fortunately, the one they were in was quite clean, but the children and mother were in clothes that were dirty and not in the best repair. As I was walking by the Lord prompted me to stop and talk with them. I spoke to the older child first and asked her how she was. The mom translated to the child and told her to say “Fine”. I asked the mom what each of the children’s names were and also asked her what her name was. She seemed surprised that I was even interested and had even stopped to talk to them. I then noticed that she had a small stand of bananas that she was selling. I asked how much for the bananas- 5000 shillings (less than $2.00), which was very overpriced, but I didn’t care. After I bought the bananas, she asked if I had any work that she could do for me because she and her husband needed money. I told her that I was sorry, but I didn’t have any work for her, I thanked her for the bananas, said good bye to her and the children and started to walk away. I got about three steps further up the hill before the tears started rolling down my cheeks.
I have read all the books about how we are not helping anyone by just giving them things, but it is so real here and it is so “in your face” ALL THE TIME. I so desperately wanted to run back and give her all the money that I had with me. Please pray that we will know how to react in these situations. The Bible tells me, “Whatever you have done for the least of these, you have done for Me.” How do I balance that with not enabling people in bad behaviour?
Please pray for this woman, Susan and her children, Jocelyn and Vicky. Please pray that if I am to do something more for these people, God will cause them to cross my path again and He will show me what I am to do for them.
I was worried a while ago that I had lost my compassion for the people here because driving down the street didn’t upset me the way it did on our previous visits. I now know that was God protecting me from being an absolute basket case every day for ten months. Now I just need to know what to do when He does bring these people specifically into my path.

Introducing our newest granddaughter

                                                          Apollo, Judith and Elise


On our previous two trips to Uganda, we had a host named Apollo who looked after our every need and answered all our thousands of questions.
Tonight we had the privilege of having supper with Apollo, his beautiful wife Judith and their gorgeous baby girl Elise. We had a great time visiting with them and catching up on the last year.
Lorenda and Elise spent lots of cuddle time together- she is so cute and cuddly. She has so much hair and is so happy- she's only just over two months old. By the time we left there, Elise had gained another Jaja (don’t know if that is spelled right, but that is how you pronounce it- that is what Ugandans call their grandmothers).
So, we wanted to introduce you to our newest grandchild and show you how gorgeous she is. The parents are pretty cute too!

Some days...

Even thought we know that God has called us to be here in Uganda, some days it is tough to be away from family and friends. Usually when we write the blog, we try to do it more in the third person. Today is a very personal post so I (Lorenda) will be writing in the first person.
Today is one of those tough days as it is the third anniversary of my dad’s death. Thanks to modern technology, I was able to speak with my mom. She is so amazing and has become such a strong and determined woman- I am so proud of her. Still, it is a difficult day and I wish that I could be with her instead of just talking to her from half way around the world. However, we know that God has called us here and He can care for my mom way better than I ever could.
Also, my “mommy heart” is breaking as I wish that I could hold my little girl and her husband (Charissa and Justin) in my arms. In November they found out that they may not be able to have children. Last week, following an appointment with a specialist, the diagnosis was confirmed and they will not be able to have children. As a way of funneling that pain and also to chronicle their adoption journey, they have created a blog. Check it out if you are interested in hearing their story and learning about the journey they are now on. The address for the blog is howtobuildafamily.blogspot.com
As we prepared to come here, we saw how God built up communities around each of our children. They all have amazing friends and church communities. Our daughters both have great husbands who have wonderful families that provide them with support. So when Satan tries to tell me that I am a loser mom for being here when Charissa and Justin need me, I can praise God for Justin’s parents, Ken and Jo. When Satan tried to tell me that Courtney and the kids couldn’t do without me while Cam was in India, I could thank God for Cam’s parents, Terry and Thelma and for my mom who spent some time with Courtney and the kids. God has us here for a purpose and I am not going to allow Satan to take away from that purpose by feeling guilty.
Thank you to all of you who are part of the community supporting my mom and each of our children. We love you and we thank God for you.

SNOW?! Not really

For all our friends and family in Regina and area, we have some news that may make you feel a little better. The ground was white here today, just like there. OK so we didn’t have snow up to our necks, but it did rain really hard and then hail today. Of course it melted almost instantly, but it was actually very nice- cooled things off quite well.
We are really starting to get onto this shopping on the way home from work. We pull up next to a cart (actually it is more like a large wooden wheel barrow) and buy whatever they have that we need/want. Today we bought another delicious pineapple, a papaya and some tomatoes. I already used the tomatoes to make spaghetti sauce for supper- it turned out great and tasted almost like what I make at home (minus the celery which I haven’t found here yet). Our next new adventure will be going to the market where we will be able to buy all kinds of fruits and vegetables and the cost will be even lower than at the carts, if you can imagine that!
All the new produce comes into town on Fridays so we will wait until Saturday to go to the market. Watoto has farms where they grow food to feed the children in the villages. They bring the excess into the church on Wednesdays so we are hoping to get some vegetables from there this week, as well.
They informed us today that mango season is pretty much done so the mangoes that are for sale now are the last ones. The good news is that it will be mango season again in June- if you heard a loud cheer just then, that was our kids. They are coming in June and they will be very excited for the mangoes- especially Carlen!
We’ve had another great day here in Uganda. We trust that wherever you are, you are having a blessed day as well.

Psalm 118:24
This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.

                                                                   Lake Victoria

We really are glad for this day that the Lord has made. He has been teaching us so much every single day. Some days it is exhausting and we feel like our heads are going to explode and other days, we just can’t stop smiling.
Yesterday we were out for the day with our friends, Randy and Judy. We started with a great lunch at a nice, little coffee shop- it is so good to go out with others so they show us these little treasures that they have already found. We then did some shopping at several different stores, many of them were places that we hadn’t been yet so it was great. Judy is like a human GPS! We are getting to know our little corner of the city and our usual routes, but she seems to know how to get everywhere. Maybe some day we will get there.
Today we decided to go out exploring on our own and it is one of those days where we just can’t stop smiling. We started off the day celebrating with our brothers and sisters at Watoto Central Church. When we came here with building teams in the past, we always felt like we never really “fit in” here, even though everyone did everything they could to make us feel most welcome. This time is different- we feel like we are the same as everyone else. It is like we are surprised when we look in the mirror and see that we are different than most of our friends here. Lorenda is getting a little tanned, but still has a very long way to go. Greg…well, we just won’t talk about that!
Kampala is located on the west shore of Lake Victoria (second biggest fresh water lake in the world). We drove down to the area that goes along the lake and explored a few different neighbourhoods. There is a large resort on the shore of the lake that is absolutely beautiful. It is like when you are visiting a Caribbean country- you drive through the countryside where the people are working very hard just to make ends meet and then you arrive at this huge amazing resort. There is a marina on Lake Victoria, numerous paths through gorgeous gardens, a horse stable, beach, pool- it really is quite beautiful.
We also had another new adventure today. We stopped at one of the neighbourhood street carts and bought some fruit for the first time (see picture below). We could hardly contain ourselves long enough to get home and cut them up (as you can see by the look on Lorenda’s face). One pineapple and two huge mangos- with the current exchange rate we paid $2.08 for all of that. We haven’t tried the mangos yet, but the pineapple is sweet, juicy and yummy. We are going back tomorrow to get more and to try the papaya (po po, as it is called here).
Everyday is a new and exciting adventure here. Please keep praying for us as we continue on this amazing journey.

The JAM- not the kind you put on toast

Good Morning- well, for us it is 9AM Saturday- that makes it midnight for our family and friends back home. Hope you all sleep well.
Sleep is an interesting thing in Uganda! With it now being rainy season, the temperature is a little cooler so that is helpful. However, there are many interesting sounds that sometimes make sleeping a bit of a challenge. We are getting used to the crickets- they really are a soothing sound that actually aids slumber. A new addition the last few nights has been what sounds like a very large frog. If the tone and volume of his croak is any indication, he must be about the size of a Dalmatian! Greg’s “favourite” sound at night is what he refers to as the “dog choir”. Many people have dogs within their compounds and there are also a few strays. One will start off with a solo of howling that lasts about 5-10 seconds. Then the others join in with a chorus of barking, yelping, howling- it really needs to be heard to be believed! Thankfully, it doesn’t go on for very long, but they do several encore presentations throughout the night. Greg decided last night to keep the windows closed so we could get a good rest-that kept the sounds out, but with the heat and humidity, it felt like we were sleeping in a large plastic bag!
We are starting to become quite the socialites- we have been out after dark two nights in a row.
On Thursday we were invited to the home of one of the Watoto team members. Their home has a beautiful, big yard with all kinds of trees and flowers- it is like a park. We had a delicious meal and a great time of visiting with wonderful people.
Last night, we were out later, more out of necessity than pleasure. Greg got tied up at Watoto Central in a late day meeting so he didn’t get to the babies’ home to pick Lorenda up until 5:30. There is this thing that happens in Kampala starting a little before 5:00 and lasting until nearly 9:00- it is called “the jam” and we got caught in it yesterday. We have said a little about the traffic here- we promise we will get you a picture to help you better understand it. When we were here in 2010, one of our team members journaled, “The only way to describe the traffic here is that it is indescribable.” And we never, ever got caught in the jam on that trip.
Back to our trip yesterday…the distance from babies’ home to Garden City Mall is about 800 meters. That “drive” (better word would be crawl) took us 30 minutes. We decided to exit out of the traffic at the mall, eat out and pick up a few groceries. When we finished at 8:30 PM, the traffic had thinned out enough that the remaining 3.3 km to our apartment only took us 30 minutes. We were exhausted, having left before 7AM and not returning until 9PM. It was a shower and straight to bed!
Thanks to those of you who have been commenting on the blog or e-mailing us. It is a great encouragement and we would love to hear from even more of you.
Have a great day or night, depending where you are and when you read this.

Rainy season

Well, rainy season has arrived here in southern Uganda.
Most nights we get rain, but none during the day so far.
The thunder and lightning are very intense- there were a few times last night when it felt like the thunder was going to shake us right out of our bed. Doesn't make for a real restful sleep, but at least it is much cooler now since the rain has started.
It is 6 AM for us. We just read our grandchildren their bedtime story and we will be heading out the door soon for another busy day.
Good night to all our friends and family in North America.

The people

We’ve been here nearly three weeks now and our days have started to become quite routine.
Prior to leaving home, Lorenda promised our grandson that she would get up at 5:30 every morning and read him a bedtime story via Face time. He has a children’s Bible and Lorenda has the same Bible so they can read together everyday. If we are lucky, our granddaughter hasn’t gone to bed yet and we can also connect with her at that time. Otherwise, we just talk with her on the weekends. Lorenda was finally over the jet lag and settled in enough to start fulfilling that promise this week.
After the Bible story, we get ready for the day and leave the apartment around 7:00 AM. Traffic is not too bad at that time of day so we get to our destinations in good time. Greg leaves work sometime between 4:00 and 5:00, picks Lorenda up and we usually arrive back at the apartment between 5:00 and 6:00 PM. Supper, dishes, a little down time and bed!
Even though our days are getting pretty routine, we don’t want this blog to be (we don’t want to lose you) so today we want to introduce you to some of the interesting people we have met.
Lorenda continues to work at the babies’ home and has met some very incredible people there. Two of the nannies she regularly works with are Acholi women and are two of the kindest, warmest, most genuine people on the planet. For some of you Acholi may be a new word so let us tell you a little about them. The Acholi people live in northern Uganda. Some of you may be familiar with the name Joseph Kony and his rebel group the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA). For over 20 years this group attacked the Acholi people in northern Uganda- it is a horrible part of Uganda’s history, but God has prevailed.
Back to the two nannies…because of our interest in Uganda and its history, we have read many articles, books, viewed movies and documentaries about the Acholi people and the conflict in northern Uganda. However, all of that pales in comparison with the experience of sitting down with these women who are willing to share their hearts and their lives. Every single Acholi person has been affected by the conflict in northern Uganda in one way or another. One of the nannies described to Lorenda how her husband’s youngest brother was kidnapped by the LRA from the boarding school he attended. She described how this young man’s parents searched and searched for him for several months. As a parent, I can’t even imagine that. After a few months, another boy who was in captivity and managed to escape, confirmed to them that their son had been killed.
These women told story after story of the inhumane and often bizarre behaviour exhibited by the LRA. The stories that they relayed are not the kind that we have ever read in books or articles. They are the real and personal stories told by those who lived it.
After hearing all of these horrific stories, Lorenda asked about the big, huge smiles that Acholi people always have, even after all they have been through. The answer was a simple one, “That’s who we are!”
These women described Acholi people as strong, hard working people who love to sing and dance. One of the nannies described the deaths of two of her grandparents and her mother who literally were singing praises to the Lord right up until they took their last breaths. What powerful stories they were! The nannies also described Acholi people as loud (no wonder we love these people so much!) She described weddings in northern Uganda- as the bride walks down the aisle, people are hooting and hollering and cheering very loudly.
Resilience is also a word that is used frequently when discussing the Acholi people. After all the years of conflict in northern Uganda, these people still have their beautiful big smiles and still love to sing and dance!
The greatest part of all in this discussion came when the nannies described how the Acholi people have turned to the Lord. Throughout the conflict and since it has ended, churches have been popping up all over and people have been handing their lives over to the Lord. Many of you will recall a story Lorenda shared after our last trip- the story of a woman who had countless family members kidnapped, raped, murdered, disfigured. Yet this woman told Lorenda that the conflict had to happen so that God could be glorified. Basically, the same story was told by these two nannies. What incredible people they are- I wish you all could meet them!
Please pray for our Acholi friends and all the people of Uganda.

Sunday, Sunday

Sorry we missed updating you yesterday. We access the internet via a mobile “stick” which we prepay to have loaded- we were nearing the end so weren’t sure if we would have enough to complete a post.
On Friday we told you that we were planning an adventure for Saturday. We had thought about leaving the city and going out to explore somewhere, but we didn’t do that.
Our friend Christine (who lives in Regina) has family here and we had an envelope to deliver to them. We contacted her sister and met up with her in the morning- turns out that we live very close to each other. That is great since we will be working on a project together while I am here- don’t worry you will be hearing more about that in the future!
We then took our first solo trip to the mall. Did a little shopping and then had lunch together- the first meal out we have had together since we arrived. It was nice, but not such a big adventure as we had originally planned.
Greg has been busy planning for what needs to be done at the Watoto churches. There is much work to be done and much excitement about all the growth at each of the church sites. People are coming to know the Lord every week at each of these churches and the size of the buildings has not been able to keep up with the speed of church growth- again, a great problem to have. Please pray for Greg as he seeks to give leadership and guidance to this very capable team.
Lorenda continues to cuddle babies everyday- it really is hard work (as I am sure any mom of young children can confirm). A lot of time is spent sitting outside with the babies on mats on the grass. Sitting on the ground for four or five hours a day is not as easy as it used to be.
It just occurred to us that we have not done one single plug since we arrived here. So….are you sponsoring a child in an underdeveloped country? If not, you need to go on Watoto’s website (www.watoto.com) and check it out. You can sponsor people at all stages of life: children, post-secondary students, teachers, moms or you can support the babies’ homes or Living Hope (program for vulnerable women). For just $35 per month you can make a huge difference in a person’s life. We have been asked several times if the money really gets to the people it needs to. Let me tell you about the first time we met Jovulyn, the Watoto mom that we sponsor. She held our hands, looked right into our eyes and with tears streaming down her face, thanked us for the difference we are making in her life. Do you think the money is getting to where it needs to be? Please consider sponsorship, if you are not already doing so.
Also, there is a Watoto choir traveling across Canada right now. They are going to be in Regina in two weeks so they are likely somewhere in Alberta or Saskatchewan right now. Check out the Watoto website to see when they are going to be in your area. If you have never seen them before, you are in for a real treat. If you have seen them before, you already know that.

Our first Ugandan holiday

First of all, we want to thank all of you for reading our blog and journeying with us. It means so much that so many people are invested in the work the Lord has called us to do here. Thanks so much for your comments, e-mails and most of all, your prayers. It means more to us than you could ever know.

Today is a holiday in Uganda. We don’t really know why, but we have a three day weekend and that is always a good thing!

We experienced our first Ugandan thunder storm this morning- lots and lots of thunder and lightning, but not much rain. It is that time of year when rainy season is starting so I guess anything can happen- it sure has been cooler the last few days (25 degrees instead of 35) and that has been a welcome change. Lorenda even got up in the night a couple of nights ago and put a blanket on the bed- what is up with that?!

Greg was out cruising in his new vehicle today. He had to go over to the two Watoto guesthouses and fix their washing machines. Lorenda opted to stay and clean the apartment- that wonderful red dirt that Uganda is known for gets everywhere. I’m sure you could dust and sweep three times a day and still not get it all.

Before leaving Canada Lorenda was in our local Christian bookstore and she came across a visor clip to put on the sun visor in your car. The clip says “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not unto your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct your paths.” Proverbs 3: 5-6. When Lorenda saw it she thought it was so appropriate because God has been teaching us to trust Him and not ourselves for the last year as He has prepared us for this journey. She thought it was a good reminder so she bought it to put in our car here. God has such a sense of humour- once we got here we realized that it was the “He shall direct your paths” (or as another translation says “He will make your paths straight”)- that was the part God was stressing to us because the roads and paths here are anything but straight! We need God’s directions to get everywhere because we have already described Ugandan directions to you in an earlier post! Greg’s directions to the guesthouse today included the phrase “Turn by the banana tree”. Do you have any idea how many banana trees there are in Uganda? I’m sure glad God is directing our paths.

We are planning to go out exploring tomorrow- such freedom now that we have a car! We haven’t decided exactly where we are going yet, but we will update you tomorrow.

Here is a photo of typical Kampala traffic. See why God needs to make our paths straight...

New things...

I feel like our theme song for this week should be “I’m a Big Kid Now”- except for the fact that was a jingle used as a potty training commercial.
We have learned some new things this week and have ventured out of our comfort zone a few times. Not an easy thing to do, especially for the one of us that is a control freak (not mentioning any names, of course).
Yesterday Lorenda walked all the way from the babies’ home to Garden City Mall all by herself (Kelsey, stop laughing now). Okay, so it isn’t very far, but she had to cross two streets by herself and that is a hazardous task in this city!
This morning Lorenda tried her first “street food”- something we were never allowed to do when we were here with building teams. Turns out she regretted that decision a few hours later!
And the biggest feat of all…today Greg drove from Watoto Central to the babies’ home to pick up Lorenda and then got us to our apartment without a single wrong turn. He purchased a map for our GPS before we left Canada- best investment ever! When any of the Watoto drivers drove us home, they took some convoluted route with lots of turns and it always took a long time. Today we took a very direct route and were home in record time. He navigated two traffic circles and managed to remember to drive on the left side of the road. Turns out having a right hand drive vehicle for the last few years has been good training. Greg felt it really helped him here- I guess God has been grooming us for this for longer than we realized. Lorenda only had to use her “imaginary brake” once so that we would avoid hitting a pedestrian.
I know when we told you that we paid 20 million for the vehicle, you were all thinking that we bought a Maserati or a Lamborghini- no, it is a 1995 Toyota Rav 4. Here is Greg and his new wheels!

We're still here

Hi All

Sorry we have neglected to send you any info the last couple of days. Monday and Tuesday were very long days! Arrived home late, ate and went to bed!
Tonight we actually had a social life. An American couple who both work at Watoto invited us to a gathering they were having with their group of friends. They are all missionaries working with different organizations here in Uganda. Most are from US, one couple from Australia and one single Canadian woman. It was great to get out and socialize- we have been so busy since we arrived.
Thanks for your continued prayers.

More differences...

Yes, we know the post today has a similar title to yesterday, but we are not just repeating ourselves. Today we want to talk about the differences we have observed in Uganda from our first trip in 2010 until now. We also want to talk about the contrasts that exist within this country, city and even within neighbourhoods.

Each time we have traveled to Uganda, we have noticed changes- some subtle and some quite dramatic.

One of the first things we noticed on our second trip was the number of new, large buildings that were being built in downtown Kampala and throughout the city. Hilton and Sheraton Hotels are now part of the landscape in downtown Kampala. When you get out into the suburbs (where we live), there really is a huge contrast in every neighbourhood. Right across the street from our apartment building is a HUGE house- it appears to be a single family dwelling, but is large enough to be a guesthouse or hotel. There are many other nice homes and apartment buildings that we can see looking in every direction from our place. Just a few metres down from us there is a path that looks like any path through a park or schoolyard in Canada (except that the dirt is red). If you go about 100 steps down that path, you are in Africa as we North Americans imagine it to be. Families sitting outside their brick homes cooking over a fire, children playing, clothes hanging on clothes lines, goats grazing nearby, chickens running about and roads that are really dirt paths badly damaged from erosion during rainy season. Friendly faces greet you, children wave and yell “Mzungu” as you walk by. It really is hard to believe the huge difference a few steps makes in this neighbourhood. Yesterday was our first walk through the neighbourhood, but we want to do that on a regular basis so that we can get to know our neighbours while we are here.

Another difference, over the years, has been in the style of dress of the Ugandan people. In 2010, most women were dressed very traditionally- beautiful, bright, colorful dresses in various styles. Each trip since that time, we have seen more and more western style dress, even in the older women. On our first trip here, several of the locals were laughing and pointing at the men in our group as we walked down the street. Of course we had no idea why until our host told us that men don’t wear shorts in Uganda- it is considered childish. Since our arrival on this trip, we have seen some Ugandan men wearing shorts. It is not that common yet, but is certainly a change from our previous trips.

In 2010 and 2012, as we watched our Ugandan brothers and sisters work very hard and often walk many kilometers in a day to get to work, we commented on how there was no need for gyms here. Daily we now see people in exercise gear walking or running down the street and gyms have popped up throughout the city. Today on our drive to church there was a race (marathon maybe) taking place. There were hundreds of runners and walkers, but I think the ones that hopped on a boda boda (motorcycle taxi) are going to get disqualified!

Throughout Uganda (and all of Africa, I am told), people are hungry to know Jesus. Church attendance and involvement continues to grow. One of the issues Greg is dealing with is the need for expansion at all five of the Watoto churches in Kampala. Watoto Central holds over 1500 people, has five services and still the place is jam packed at each service. All the other Kampala sites (and I believe Gulu, as well) are all dealing with similar “problems”- too many people wanting to know Jesus. We need some of that “problem” in Canada!

John 14:6
Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

Later the same day...

Just realized that we didn’t put a picture on with today’s post so here is a picture of Lorenda and some of the babies.

Today has been a very hot day. Greg was outside with his temperature probe at 11 AM and it was already 35 degrees. Fortunately, it was only 28 in the shade so we could sit out there and have a cold drink (by cold drink I mean water with an electrolyte tablet in it!)

We went for a walk around our neighbourhood today and we didn’t even get lost- that is quite an accomplishment with the maze of streets. 

Thanks for all your e-mails and your prayers- we appreciate more than you can ever know.

 

Differences

Well, it is Saturday and we are very glad. We are exhausted from the heat and a week of hard work. Our bodies have finally realized we are on the other side of the world and we have slept well the last two nights. Praise the Lord!

After being in Uganda for a little over a week now, we thought it would be fun to paint you a picture of our life here vs. our life in Canada. What are the similarities, what are the differences?

We’ll start with the similarities- it is a short list!
The best news is that we still serve the very same God- He is the same no matter where we are or what we are doing. We are very glad for that!
We also continue to breathe in oxygen and exhale carbon dioxide. That is about the end of the similarities list. I guess we do have some other bodily functions that remain the same, but we won’t go into all of those. Lorenda does have to comment though that life without Malarone is a beautiful thing!

Now the differences in our lives and they are many.
The obvious one is that we live a long way away and miss our family very much. Modern technology helps to close that gap some and we are very thankful for that. Greg’s brother and his wife are coming to visit in April and our kids are coming in June so we are looking forward to that.
In Canada we own a home, with air conditioning, that we have lived in for more than 22 years. In Uganda we rent a very nice apartment in a new building without air conditioning (too expensive here!). We have some of the conveniences of home (running water and a washing machine), but we use a drying rack to dry the clothes. Once we are home, we will never take our air conditioning for granted again!
A ten foot stone wall that has broken glass and razor wire on top of it surrounds our apartment building. We have an attendant in our compound during the day and an armed guard at night.
As we look out our living room window right now, there is a man cutting grass with a machete- not something one sees everyday in Canada! On the other side of our building is a vacant lot and during the day our neighbours bring their goats there to graze. Our neighbourhood has many roosters that like to make sure we don’t sleep in. There is also a mosque that is not far away so we hear the sounds from there every morning starting just before sunrise.
When we leave the apartment each morning, we are in serious traffic- the traffic will need to be a post of its own and will be mostly pictures because there really isn’t words to describe it.
Lorenda has been working at the babies’ home for the last several days and has learned many things. The word “silly” means something entirely different in Uganda than it does in Canada. When Lorenda called one of the babies “silly”, Sandra (one of the nannies) asked Lorenda what that word meant in Canada. It turns out the word is a real insult here and one of the nannies actually said that would be abuse to call a child silly. Note to self- do not use the word silly!
Another misunderstanding occurred when one of the nannies asked Lorenda something. We still sometimes have trouble understanding some of the accents and pronunciations here. The nanny repeated what she had asked and Lorenda still had no clue what she had said, but took a chance and asked the nanny if she was asking how many children we have. The nanny laughed and repeated the phrase more slowly “How do you make it?” Turns out that phrase means “what time is it?” We have a lot to learn!
Greg has seen many differences in his work here compared to the way things are done in Canada. Ugandans and in particular, Watoto, are interested in changing the standards of their building maintenance. This, of course, will take time, but the desire and commitment is there so the change has already begun.
Our diets have changed dramatically, but we do shop at the Mzungu supermarket so there are many familiar foods there. When cooking at the apartment, we eat simple Canadian type meals, but lunch at Watoto each day is definitely Ugandan. Lunch each day consists of matooke (mashed green bananas) with or without peanut sauce, sweet potatoes (nothing like Canadian sweet potatoes), rice, chicken, beef or beans in a sauce, greens (cooked) and another dish which I can’t remember the name of (it was described to us as being like corn bread, but is not the consistency of bread, at all). There is always pineapple for dessert (yum, yum) and right now you can purchase mango juice for 1500 shillings.

These are just a few of the differences that now exist in our lives. This post could go on for a very long time if we outlined every detail that is different. Future posts will continue to describe our lives here so this theme will be ongoing throughout our time here.

As we stated at the beginning, God is the same in Canada or in Uganda and we are very glad for that. The first few days here were rather overwhelming, but God reveals Himself when we need Him. One day we were out with a Watoto driver and getting all the things done that needed to be done. We were tired, hot and feeling discouraged. Just then a van drove by with Jeremiah 29:11 on the back window. God is good and has a plan for us here!

Jeremiah 29:11
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”