We have a steady stream of unemployed people visiting our gate to inquire after guard or maid or cook or gardener jobs. One chap came yesterday who asked if he could guard our house and live in the guard quarters, which is a 1.5 metre square room with no cooking or cleaning facilities. I told him I was the guard but his English could not grapple with my words so I just had to say no for the 100th time. Thousands are unemployed in our area alone and must find any means to earn enough to live on. NZ social welfare system is a huge rich blessing to many – pity some take it for granted. Inflation here is soaring because money has been sucked out of the system to keep MPs happy. The country is borrowing heavily to make up for the lavish spending on election parties, swaying party members to stay loyal and promotion activities. The time of reckoning is fast approaching as people suffer even more from rising food and petrol prices – petrol is now 3550 shillings which about $2.20 NZ per litre and diesel is just a little less. My good friend next door got an infection in his foot – in fact 8 years ago he got two nails embedded in his foot but they did not remove them properly or fix the tendon damage and so now he struggles with recurring pain. We sent him off to the dreaded public hospital with enough money for transport and medicine. He is extremely poor. The public emergency department demanded money for an xray – which he did not have – we are shocked – if his foot deteriorates Sharron is going to force the issue and storm the hospital!!!! It is worth the wait in our NZ emergency departments!!!
We have just yesterday finished school for the year – I do not know where the year went but it was a very rich and rewarding year with many learning curves all rolled together. Our Lord has been very gracious to us through our supporters in NZ in enabling us to carry on with our adoption plans for Denis and Nicholas. We have enrolled them at my school in faith that the Lord will help us financially. We spent a lot of thought and time investigating other school options but we wanted to be together as a family in one school, Ambrosoli offers the best environment, setting, teachers and programs for our children. We go to pick them up in one week after we establish beds and other furniture for their bedrooms – shared with Pauline and Moses. We had thought of moving to get more bedrooms but rents are rocketing up as inflation soars. We are happy where we are and will simply adapt – should be cosy!!
I was hunting through corrupt car yards searching for a Toyota Super Custom but everything was a rip off and the sellers untrustworthy. But God had other plans and a parent at school is selling their older Landcruiser which sits 7 or 8 for a low price. With 6 in our family our 5 seater Carib is a little small so I need to sell it. It is interesting that as you submit all needs into the hands of Jesus, if you accept his timing the best is around the corner. The problem is our human tendency to want to take over the timing and in fact take over full stop!!
Today Pauline has been diagnosed with Malaria so we are all resting and recovering from a busy party filled end of year school splurge which was fun as we fare welled precious friends and students to other continents and African countries. There is the annual influx and departure of ex pats which really affects International Schools. I lost two precious children to Nicauragua and Bolivia and another to Papua New Guinea shortly. My school certainly knows how to farewell in great fashion.
Our family is about to change dramatically with the arrival of two precious orphan boys. Sometimes I am a little nervous because of my age and small income but as we take each step towards this dream God honours our faith with amazing miracles of support and encouragement from friends. I can feel Gods deep love for children who have been abandoned or left parentless – his favour flows over us and others as we plan their adoption. I am reminded by Jesus daily to have fun – play and play and enjoy being yourself – I love outdoor activities and plenty of fierce attacking sports which boys just love – I will have to improve my low tackling skills sometimes I hit a bit high and get red carded!! I am setting up the yard with football/soccer goals, swing set, trampoline and maybe badminton. We have the soccer and basketball goals set up and the trampoline – just need a swing set. I am planning to make it with the help of a welder neighbour but the price of steel beams and pipe is crazy high!! I may consider wooden beams and posts.
Moses and I went for a haircut at my favourite barber guy. He is situated in a run - down little shack with old 2005 calenders, newspaper wallpaper and old electric razors and blunt scissors but he does a great job. Mine is easy – just number two thankyou but Moses great shock of red hair is a different story. He attracts a watching audience as they want to see and touch his golden locks as they fall to the ground. Moses wanted a Mohawk design as something radical – it looks pretty cool!
Pauline is doing really well as we work on her English language – she is slowly building her vocabulary and recognising text words more readily. I am working with her using computer programs to aid her spelling and phonics. It is amazing to watch children acquire language properly but it requires daily activities and consistent one to one follow up to check soundings and reading. I am setting up all the linguistic phonic resources needed to help Denis and Nicholas when they arrive. Pauline will be able to support them and interpret using Luganda which she speaks fluently. Both boys struggle to speak English and interpret our spoken English but they can write clear neat sentences in English. Just watch how fast they pick it up – I will keep you posted.
Hi it’s the other half who has spent all morning in the clinic sorting out Pauline. She is usually full of energy but woke this morning with a fever, sore throat and cough typical signs of malaria. The doctor said we caught it early as they could the number of parasites seen per 100 and she was in the 1- 10 range. We are really impressed with the clinic which has a lab attached. I had severe food poisoning last week and was taken care of for two days by two competent loving male nurses. I was delirious and probably said some dumb things. I couldn’t stop vomiting and they were going to give me an IM in the buttocks as no one could get an IV in. My stubbornness prevailed as another nurse had a go and was successful to my delight. They wanted to hospitalise me and I refused as Steve and the nurse carried me to the car. The doctor said I will have built up an immunity and that the bugs here are really savage. Thankyou AAR for your wonderful care and Gods angels for watching over me.
Haven’t been to Mulago for a couple of weeks but had the most amazing visits before I got sick. My neighbour Ken has been going up during the week. He took a Ugandan bible to a murderer who had asked if God would forgive him. It must be an incredible struggle of forgiveness for those in the beds next to him as He was burnt along with others in a house fire which he started. He was handcuffed to the bed and was at the mercy of others to give him food. I really encouraged the others to have mercy as we have all done bad things. I first hand have suffered the loss of a brother. To this day we are unsure whether he was murdered or died as result of suicide. This man has since gone to prison for a literal life sentence with his Bible and the love of Jesus forgiveness. Ken encouraged him with the story of the apostle Paul’s journey of murder and forgiveness before he left to serve his life sentence. However because of the cross he will be free in eternity.
Another miracle was of a woman who really disturbed me. Her sisters and I were on our knees crying out to God. She had acid thrown over her. Her entire face was a black crust and we really thought she was dying. Ken has been visiting and praying with her and she has survived. Her children will live to enjoy their Mum. For the first time I felt fearful about living here. It’s such a hideous act and I am told that people often pay others to do it.
Pray for those who have been burnt by lightning strikes here. Over 30 people have been killed and scores injured due to soil erosion. During storms many stand under trees, but many school children were struck in their classrooms. They are now trying to educate on how to stay alive during a thunder storm. I have never seen storms so violent and destructive of human life. Breaks my heart over and over to hear of the heart ache they are causing.
Thank you to a few of you gorgeous friends who sent some money so we could purchase 25 packs of scrapbooks, pencils and crayons for the kids in the childrens’ ward. They were absolutely ecstatic about their gifts and the place was alive with chatter and laughter. Pure joy to see their little faces delighted.
We are on holiday now. We had our farewells this week at school. I will be working in year 1 next year. I am excited about the learning curve I will be on and that I can use what I learn to teach our children who have English as a second language. Nicholas and Denis visited two weeks ago and were lovingly embraced by the school. We know we are making the right choice for them being with us and the amazing opportunities this school can provide. God is providing and will show us his mighty miracles for our boys. Please know our family and friends who are helping, you are so precious and may you be blessed as you are blessing.
We have been in this house 9 months and have collected all our plastic and glass bottles. We were unsure what to do. We have seen people searching the rubbish on the sides of the roads where there are huge dumping stations. Steve headed off with a car load of containers and to our delight our neighbour who Steve stopped to talk to took everything and danced in delight. Jaja is deaf and has this wonderful laughter. I was reminded of childhood memories of visiting the dump with my Dad. Yes we were delighted as we found toys while sifting amongst the rubbish. I’m proud of my dad who supplemented his low income by collecting wire, copper and bottles every Sunday at the dump so that we could have a roof over out head. People do the same here to survive. I’m proud of these people who work hard to support and feed their families.
Better say tata for now and feed this family. Home made pizza I think. Love to you all who take time to read and please email and let us know what is happening for you and your family.
Sharron
Photo of Pauline Moses and Amos on our way to church in a Matutu/taxi on Betrayal Sunday
We seem to be in the middle of Gods cleansing actions – it’s just very hard to walk through the emotions and grief of betrayal – a Judas in our midst for eight months. We befriended a difficult and troubled boy called Amos (10 years old) known to be a local thief last year. We established at the beginning clear conditions that if he stole from us he would break our relationship and face the consequences. So began many weekends of including him in our family activities, swimming, trips, birthdays, sports, lunches and dinners, education in reading. He appeared to be developing and maturing. Like so many stories here watch out for the wolf in sheep’s clothing. I fathered him and wrestled with him and Moses was a normal physical brother – football and trampoline fights. He loved going to our toilet because it had a tap and soap. I/we (very gullible trusting persons) presumed the lengthy times in their were to enjoy the comforts of a nice latrine rather than a stinking drop hole at the back of his tiny broken down mud and corrugated iron hut the size of a small shed. A few months ago I had a hot argument with Sharron that she was missing money I had given her for groceries – she said no and I put it down to something lost or simple misplacement – we never assumed theft. There were further disagreements over minor amounts which appeared to be missing from our purses/wallets which were hidden in carry bags in our bedroom!! Then last weekend the bombshell and the huge disappointment. We had saved some money to buy a bunk bed for the Denis and Nicholas who we are adopting – we go tomorrow to collect them. We had Nicky from NZ visiting with her special friend Steven – other local kids over, Amos riding the bike we purchased so he could flex his muscles, football going on, general laughter and chatter on the trampoline. I became aware that Amos was missing so I ventured inside to find him appearing from the direction of the toilet and he confirmed he had been there – silly me so gullible and naive – he smiled and went outside to play and then later eat with us, learn how to read, play and go home as usual. It is a weird feeling, mixed anger and grief to think that he was sitting at our dinner table with 300,000 shillings stashed on his body. He left our home and went straight to his gang leader who controls the theft ring and unloads the cash in return for a 1000 shillings and lollies!! Well organised and run by an adult employing kids to do his dirty work. Still no excuse for our Amos! That night I discover the theft from concealed compartments in our bedroom – the penny drops – he has been accessing our funds for a long time but only small amounts to conceal the theft but he made a big mistake – taking the whole lot. So I go on the war path and track him down that night in a very poor neighbourhood. I force him out of bed and he completely denies – stalemate. Sharron has a go and the same denial. The mum is in shock albeit faked! Next morning I catch him and drag him to his school principal and after 1 hour of intense interrogation Amos pulls 2 fifties from his pocket – it took another hour to get confession and facts about his controller. The community finds out and African village justice kicks in – put the tyre around his neck and burn him. Sorry not my way so with the help of interpreter neighbours we take Amos to the Police. So begins two intense wearying days of police interrogation – the gang is rounded up with my help and dragged into the police station for interviews with myself and local police detectives. The police apply a bit of pressure – slaps to the head and twisting noses and ears until there are tears. Juvenile prison is going to be the sentence which will be the end of Amos. The head of the police and I discuss for hours and hours the outcomes and possible pathways of consequence. Village justice is out although the police chief did say that if it had occurred out of town there would be nothing left of Amos accept charred remains. I met the parents of the other gang boys and we have an impromptu community meeting in the middle of the local road to discuss outcomes and consequences. The main gang leader adult boda boda driver has done a runner and the police and community are hot on his tail. There will be little mercy for him if caught be either party. Police and community - with me in the middle - decide that juvenile prison is out and we set up a process of consequences for Amos to be supervised by Police and community. Amos is to appear every morning at the police station – 6 o’clock – to wash the floors and sweep the yard. I am going to establish a curfew with the local community. We forgive and grace is extended so now we hold out hope that our Lord will do a miracle of inward change as Amos faces the wrath of the community, hard labour, and rejection by friends who have been isolated from him. He has been a thief all his life and knows nothing else – the result of poverty and an absentee loser father who leaves mum with nothing but a mud hut and kids to fund. We will wait and see now how Amos responds with the hope that grace and consequences bring change and renewal. We pray continually for his revival from such deception. Sharron and I have been reprimanded by police for being so gullible and leaving our bedroom unlocked – they are right – lessons learned but emotions still playing havoc. I am not a person to ever give up hope in the power of prayer and forgiveness. We hope the consequences lead to deep reflection on his part.
Today is a new day to begin again and prepare for the arrival of Denis and Nicholas two lovely boys starving for family and a Dad and Mum. Life has its bumps and curves but in everything we see the magical thread of Gods saving purpose for those who are walking with him. When you stretch out and open your doors to the poor there is usually a bit of a mess on your floor to clean – but it is only temporary and then there comes the miracle of positive change as we glance back and reconsider the meaning of suffering with the destitute and wayward. No wonder Jesus said “ I did not come to save the righteous but ..............
And the blessing of God arrives, our New Zealand friends Peter and Danielle missionaries here in Uganda, have given us some bunks. This family is at the coal face caring for orphans and a whole community. This is Africa......
