Keepin' Busy

We are in the midst of busy days- so much going on! Thanks for all your prayers because that is what is getting us through these days.
Greg has been busy this week in meetings regarding the expansion of the Watoto Central building. It is a very old building (sorry I don’t remember the year it was built, but Greg could tell you) that used to be a theatre. Then it was taken over by the military prior to Watoto acquiring it so it was in need of some TLC. Watoto has done some things to make it look good, but we have outgrown the building.
Every weekend at Central there are six services- one on Saturday and five on Sunday, each one packed to the rafters! The building needs to be expanded so that more people in this area of Kampala can be reached for Christ. There are four other Watoto celebration points in Kampala, but getting around the city to another church isn’t as simple here as it is in NA. Watoto South opened a new tent in May that is double the size that the old one was. Watoto North is also full to bursting and the plans are in place for yet another Watoto location in northwest Kampala. People need Christ!
Anyway, back to the meetings…this week a team of architects from the US is here to look at the expansion plans for Central. They have been meeting for many long hours each day because they are only here for a short period of time and have a lot to accomplish! Greg has found the days to be very long (especially with his sore back), but full of lots of great information and much anticipation regarding what the Lord will do.
Greg left the church shortly after 7PM last night, but at that time the traffic is very bad so it would usually take about two hours to travel the 5 kms (roughly) from church to our apartment. However, sometimes there are other “obstacles” in the way and it takes even longer.
Whenever the president of the country moves about, the roads are shut down ahead of him so that his path is always clear. This happens every night when he leaves his office in Kampala and moves to his home in Entebbe. Last night for some reason he was heading back into Kampala and Greg had to wait for about 40 minutes at one corner. I have never seen this “parade” of vehicles, but I have been told by Greg and others that the president always moves with about 20 vehicles, including an ambulance and much security, accompanying him. Interesting the way things are done in different countries around the world.
I have been busy this week creating first aid manuals and attempting to assemble first aid kits for the guesthouses and the maintenance department. Last week I taught first aid to the staff of the two Kampala guesthouses. That should be pretty simple right? I have been a nurse for 29 years and have taken first aid many times. However, not once have I ever been taught what to do if a venomous snake bites someone. Also, in all serious situations, the first command from a first aider to a by stander is “Call 911”. Yep, yep, yep- no such thing exists here. Not all hospitals have anti-venom, or rabies vaccine, or can treat a person having a heart attack. First I had to learn what to do, then figure out where help could be acquired, then decide the best means of transport (and yes, with a snake bite where time is of the essence- that would be a boda) and then teach this to the staff. When I am teaching or speaking on a particular subject, I like to know the subject well and feel confident as I speak. That really wasn’t the case on Thursday, but hopefully the staff learned something new! I sure did- I’ll have to tell you about black stones some time.