Musings From Home

People keep asking "Is it good to be home?"  Or stating, "Must be good to be home!!"  When I hear this I feel the need to say "yes", and yet I find myself pausing, unsure of the answer.  I don't want people to feel I'm not happy to be here, as there is definitely much to be "happy" about being home.  However, I loved our time in Uganda.  I loved the sounds, the sights, the people.  I loved watching my kids enjoy themselves,  play, and make some great friends.  I loved having people around all the time and walking out at any time of the day to find the Mama's working away at something.  I loved seeing the kids walking up the hill as they returned from school and the excitement that brought for all of us that "Yay, they are home!!"  I loved getting 52 hugs every night, and more during the day. I liked driving on the bumpy roads either on the back of a Boda Boda or in the back of Crazy Jonny's van. I just loved it, plain and simple.   Owen wandered upstairs about 10 minutes after I had put him to bed last night and collapsed on the couch in tears proclaiming "I miss Uganda and my friends there".

On the other hand, I have to admit that there are things I am enjoying about being home.  I like having toast in the morning.  I like not having to sleep under a mosquito net.  I don't miss brushing our teeth with bottled water using a headlamp for lighting.  I loved watching my kids see a few of their friends and the excitement that brought for them.  I've liked seeing some friends and getting caught up.  Tonight I even enjoyed the chance to see a few clients and hear about their lives these past couple of months.

I have not liked the television, the Wii,  the lack of space for our kids to play, not hearing little voices outside my window in the morning, wondering "what is on the agenda for today?" or how we will spend our time.  I have also disliked the ridiculous amount of time and space taken up by stores and consumerism, the grumbling I have already been privy to about trivial things or things that one could actually be thankful for.  I did not like having to say good-bye to Scott and the kids as I left for work.  I love my home, but even that feels like it's all too much....a fireplace? shiny countertops?? Three bathrooms?? Comfort.....that is the word that keeps coming to mind.  In Canada we have a lot of it.....but I am not convinced it is always good for us.  Has it made us both less resilient to discomfort and simultaneously less able to enjoy the comforts we do have??  These are things I wonder.

I also wonder when I will get back to Uganda.  When will I see those 52 children I love so much?

There are other things that I have mixed feelings about like not having to scrub my kids feet (or whole bodies) every night, feeling I should shower everyday, using a blow dryer, having a phone and high speed internet, Starbucks,  flushing the toilet after every use (did I really train my children to do this?? ).  Oh yes, my closet of clothes and my kids toys.   I say my feelings are mixed because I would have thought these would be unquestionable LOVES for me, yet I find myself ambivalent about such things.  Hmmmm.

On a more practical level,  at least one of our kids continues to be up by 5 am which makes for long days, and my own body and mind feel completely confused about when to be tired, hungry or even processing where I am waking up in the morning, or if I ever left here.

In the midst of it all I am incredibly content.  God has been so kind to us.......as have others.  We are Blessed beyond what we deserve.

Home Sweet (& sad) Home

Weird Blog Title, I know.

But that's the feeling now that we've arrived back home.

Sweet: Hot water out of a tap.  Hot showers.  Familiar bed. Toast from a toaster.  Quick internet.

Sad: Missing the kids & workers in Uganda. Goodbye to simplicity.  Less learning experiences from the great Ugandan people.  Lack of adventure.

Those are some of the first initial thoughts from my clouded mind this morning.

We've got more to say in the next few days as we process the experience as a family....and we still have a "lessons learned' blog to post (haven't forgotten)...but that will have to wait.

Just wanted to let you know that we're back home safe and somewhat sound.  Thanks to all of you who kept us in your prayers....one last blog to come...

S&T

Reality Check

From the moment I woke up yesterday I kept thinking "I need to go see Joyce and find out how Faby is doing".  Joyce and her husband Amos live here on the ten acres with their two daughters Juliette and Faby.  Amos takes care of the grounds and security at Zungway (the 10 acres).  Developing a relationship with them over the past 6 weeks has definitely been a highlight for me and I have grown to care about their family very much.  Both of their daughters were born with genetic abnormalities, the most obvious of which is that one (or in the case of their youngest Faby both) eyes are covered over with skin.  Juliette has one good eye that she is able to see out of however, it is very uncertain at this point if Faby will have vision out of her one eye.  Besides the emotional toll on these young parents, there is the financial difficulty of how to get proper care for their girls.  This is some background information....let me continue.....

Joyce and Faby were on my mind and finally at around 3 or 4pm I saw that they had come up and were sitting with the Mama's, so I made my way up to say hello.  I had barely sat down when I noticed Faby was wimpering and so I took her from her five year old cousin who was holding her and right away I knew she was not well.   The wheezing sounds coming from her, combined with the fact that she was extremely hot set off warning bells in my head.  I quietly spoke to Joyce asking "do you think she needs to see a Dr.?"  Eventually Joyce told me that "yes, she does, but we do not have any money today to take her". After quickly conferring with Scott, we called a Boda and Joyce, Faby and I headed to the "Double Cure Medical Clinic".  For 3 years I have chuckled at the name of this clinic and now I was going to get a chance to see it first hand.  

We arrived and after a short wait we were taken into a room where a nurse checked Faby out and suggested that the first order of business was a Malaria test.   I was skeptical about this, but what do I know.  We then went to the "lab" (a room across the hall with a microscope that looked like one my sister got for Christmas when we were children).  Within moments I was whisked away for a "tour", which turned out to be a proposal for us to get our 52 kids into their medical program.  If they only knew that I have absolutely no say on any of these issues, but as a white person there is often some special treatment often followed by a plea for some sort of help.  Eventually I was reunited with Joyce and Faby and we were told that Faby had "severe malaria".  By this point her breathing was getting worse and she had begun to vomit.  Faby is 7 mths old.  I kept asking about her breathing and was repeatedly told that it was just from her "cough".  I asked about Pneumonia and soon enough we were told "yes, she also has pneumonia".  I am still unsure if this was my diagnosis or theirs, and the Dr. out for the day, nonetheless, we were told she needed to be admitted and be given IV meds for both the Malaria and Pneumonia.   I soon realized I did not have enough money to pay for this and Joyce was covered in vomit so off I went back to the 10 acres for money and clothes.  In my trips back and forth we also dropped off and picked up 3 other kids from here that also had come down with Malaria yesterday.  That is a whole other story....these kids, some as young as 5 yrs old are dropped off at the clinic by the boda driver, they see the Dr. on their own and then are picked up by the boda driver and taken home, a small envelope of pills in hand!!  By 7 pm I felt like I was in a daze.  I was uncertain about leaving Joyce and Faby at the hospital....would they get the care they needed??  What if she got to the point where she wasn't able to get a breath at all??  She had a high fever, vomiting and difficulty breathing.....I was worried, but I also knew I needed to get home and that there was no way I could spend the night in this hospital.  I told Joyce that if she thought Faby was getting worse or had any concerns she needed to get the nurse right away and then I said good night.  Cartenday (my favorite boda guy) took me home after picking up two of the kids on the way and by the time we arrived at the 10 acres it was dark out and everyone was heading to bed.

I had a restless sleep, waking every few hours wondering "is Faby okay?"  Finally morning came and I was able to find out that Faby had made some improvement through the night.  I was relieved.  However, one cannot walk this path with a friend and not ask themselves a lot of questions.  What would have happened to Faby if I had not noticed how sick she was?  How can I leave this mom and child at a clinic/hospital that I would never take my own child to??  What would it be like not to have $1 to take my sick baby to a Dr.??  The total cost for 2 days in this private hospital, plus all the medication both in the hospital and upon release came to $25.00  That is all.  For this family, that is half of their months wages.  They could never have afforded this and some weeks I drink this amount in coffee's.  I want to help these people.  Both those who have become my friends and those who are strangers.  Last friday I sat in the home of a beautiful young mom and listened I heard that her 2 yr old son had just died of Malaria.  She cried and my heart broke.  The need here just amongst those I have met is bottomless.  Everywhere you turn there is another tragic story of loss, poverty and sickness.  The sad part is that if each of us would sacrifice (if you can even call it that) just little, we could relieve SO much suffering.  What would it be like if you couldn't afford to keep your child alive??  That is life for most here.  I am lost in my thoughts and I watch person after person become ill with malaria.  I am so thankful that for our 52 kids here they are able to get the medical care they need.  Thanks to all of you who have helped to make this a reality.

A Time to Reflect...

It’s hard to believe, but our time in Mpigi is quickly coming to an end.  We are in Mpigi this week, and then on Sunday 28 Bazungus (a group of white people) will head up to Jinja for 2 days.  There I will get the chance to go rafting on the Nile….very excited to do that…I have foresaken last year’s birthday and Christmas presents to get the chance to experience class 5+ rapids and I can’t wait to get dumped out of the boat!

After Jinja, it’s just 4 days at Mpigi and then we’re off to Kenya for a three-day layover in which we’ll do a safari…and then it’s home.  All said, we’ve got just 11 days left on the 10 acres that has been home for the past 6 weeks.

As we start to approach the last part of our trip, I’ve been a bit more intentional about chatting with the kids about ‘lessons learned’ (and trying not to cross the line of being the ‘annoying dad’!).  Last night, as we walked in the dark into town to watch the World Cup final, Owen brought up how things would be easier in Canada now.

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“Like being crowded in the car won’t bug me anymore,” He replied…”and I’ll be able to eat things that I wouldn’t eat before and if I don’t like it I’ll still be able to eat it….and I’ll be more thankful to get to go to school after seeing how hard those kids have to work in the rock quarry and how tough school is here…”

September is a long ways away so there’s lots of time to forget this school statement….but these are the kinds of life lessons we have prayed for and want to continue to nurture within each of our kids (well…Beckham at least….Paisley, we’ll just have to see what sticks in her brain upon our return!!).

Tracey & I have also learned things…it’s not just the kids who need to learn!....and we’ll try and reflect on some of those things in an upcoming blog.

Today Beckham lost a tooth.  In Uganda they don’t have a tooth-fairy but a ‘tooth-rat’ that sneaks under the pillow to give the child some money….we’re not going to play up the Ugandan version or I don’t think Beck will sleep much tonight!  Besides, Beck knows the whole thing is a farce because last month the ‘tooth fairy’ forgot to come three nights in a row….and on the first tooth he lost nonetheless!

Anyways, today and tomorrow are quieter days with the Biffarts visiting the Rhino sanctuary, the Whites in Kampala and Lydie in at a Baby house for 2 days.  We’ll attempt to enjoy the family days….right now it’s 50/50…..we’ll either enjoy them or the kids will beat one another….we’ll see which way it goes! 

We'll try and get some new pics up on Tracey's facebook in the next day.

Peace

School Days

It has been too long since I have had a chance to write.  It has been busy here with people coming  and going, but I think now we have settled in with the Biffart’s and White’s for the next couple of weeks.  We had a great time with the Kasten’s who as I write are on the plane back to Canada.  I can say for certain they all fell in love while they were here.

Today the boys went to school.  At 6:30 am both were up having breakfast and by 7am Beckham was all geared up with his backpack in place, ready to go.  They were escorted by 52 children and so excited that neither of them even said good-bye.  I will just say it was an experience for them.  Both had to take a test, as well as  witness school as they never will in Canada.  Some might think I am crazy sending my kids off this way, but I knew with 52 African friends with them they would be well looked after, which of course they were.

In other news, Owen has begun to pick up a facial expression that the kids here use.  We noticed it tonight and had to laugh!!  I’m sure those of you who see him when we return home will notice it.  He has made so many wonderful friends here and has begun harassing us about extending our stay.  We continue to be asked if we could stay for good and today when we replied that our work is in Canada, we were told we could learn to grow crops!!  Can you just picture us??? 

The other thing we have been doing for the past couple weeks is helping the kids carry water.  There are 3 large water tanks on the property, however, they have run dry which means that everyday water must be fetched from a spring.  Old water jugs and yellow Jerry Cans are carried the 1km walk where everyone waits their turn to fill their container and then make the 1km uphill walk home.  Each child is required to do this two times.  We have enjoyed this time with the kids each day and are all likely a bit stronger for it, however, this has meant that it is 7pm before the kids are eating dinner and even having a chance to think about homework.  Therefore, tomorrow we will purchase a truckload of water that will fill one of the tanks that they can draw from.  We are so thankful we have been here to help during this dry season.    It is hard to believe there are millions in our world who would give anything to be able to walk two kilometers and find clean water.

As I write tonite the men have all gone into Mpigi to watch the Germany vs Spain soccer game.  They took Pastor Geoffrey and Mulumba with them so they should be okayJ  I am off to bed to read!!!

Hello Again...

Wow….where to begin?  It’s been a while since writing.

A few weeks ago our good friends from Kamloops, Tim & Debbie and their three kids, came to visit us at Mpigi. It was great having them here for 10 days.  They did manual labour, they did home visits, they played with the 52 kids, and we did a road trip together.

Both our families piled into a van and we drove 2 hours north of Kampala to a park where Rhino’s are being introduced back into Uganda after being hunted to extinction.  It was a fun 2 day trip.  The kids enjoyed the monkeys, bush buck (deers), giant spiders, and other assorted creatures that shared the 3 acre areas where the guesthouse is located. 

But the best part was heading out on foot in the morning and walking with a tracker (who, incidentally, is unarmed!) to find the Rhinos.  I’ve been on a lot of safaris in 3 different African countries, but I’ve never had the chance to approach any animals on foot.  It was cool!  The  highlight was getting within 20 feet of a big mom who then proceeded to lay down so her baby could nurse.  Perhaps we got a little too close because at one point she sat up suddenly and snorted at us….amazing how that ‘flight instinct’ kicks in at that moment…although we all remembered the instruction to not run!!

Hoping to get some pics us on Tracey’s Facebook later this evening.

Friday morning Cam and Michelle Biffart and their three kids arrived….and on Sunday Tim & Debbie departed and Brent and Jack White arrived….so there’s been lots of coming and going in the last few days.  We have now arrived at Monday morning…

Our kids continue to enjoy their time here—each of them have made particularly close friends among the 52 kids, and it’s neat to watch those relationships continue to develop.

We continue to enjoy good health and appreciate your continued prayers for our family….it’s hard to believe that we’ve only got 20 days left here….unless Paul and the church leadership decides to ask us to stay longer….Paul?........Paul?........Paul?.....

Ok….looks like we’ll be heading out in 20 days.

Grace & Peace,

A Bit of Excitement!!!

We continue to enjoy our time here in Uganda!!  Lots of people around to spend time with, so of course I am in my glory!!  Yes, this is Tracey writing:)

Our friends Tim and Debbie Kasten and their three children arrived here on Wednesday to spend about 10 days with us.  They are dear friends and it has been wonderful to share this experience with them.  As always, much of the time is spent laughing....especially during our evening card games!!!  Scott and Tim are two peas in a pod so you can only imagine!!!  Their kids have jumped right into life here and are enjoying themselves as they get to know the 52 kids!!  Tim is busy building things, putting in ceilings and digging!!  Deb is great, helping out wherever is needed.

Today began with "helping out the Mama's"!!!   The ladies did laundry with them (during which time I got demoted to 2nd rinse due to a need for "more effort"!!!  Hey, I thought I was rinsing, but apparently I was supposed to be scrubbing still).  All our kids filled the water bin and jugs which meant when the Ugandan children arrived home from school they didn't have this daily chore to complete!!  

Lunch was approaching....which is when our short span of excitement began!!  We wanted some pineapple for lunch so Deb, Riaja, Danika, Lydie and I hopped on Boda's and headed to town.  On the way we passed some a group of people cheering and a couple of nice cars that appeared to be carrying some important people.   It turned out that the lady in the car was an MP campaigning in Mpigi for the upcoming February election.  We got what we needed in town and decided to walk home, which turned out to be a good choice (or maybe not), as  along the way we came upon some men digging who had found a small snake (we think).  They weren't killing it, but they were not sure if it was dangerous or not.        After passing on his offer to put the snake in my bag so I could take it home to use as a decoration in my house we got some pictures as proof and headed the rest of the way home.  We arrived home to some pretty jealous boys who wanted to see the snake and a father who was happy to oblige them and walk back down the hill to see if it was still there.  The snake was nowhere to be found, however, there was a dog that decided it was not happy and began to chase Owen!!!  Pretty afraid, O ran and the dog ran after him.  Tim lined up to punt the dog and Scott yelled at Owen to stop running (which he did....not sure I would have listened to that advice myself).  Meanwhile, in the midst of the excitement Beckham turns to look and gets hit my a Boda (motorcycle), knocking him to the ground!!  In the moment there were tears and fear, but by the time they all got home it had become a GREAT story to tell their mom!!   Of course we are thankful that no one was hurt!!!  I truly don't ever think about safety when we are here as I feel 'watched over' by our Ugandan friends living here.  However, today was likely a good reminder to us that we do need to be careful.  The son of a lady from the church here was hit at the bottom of this same road two nights ago and is in critical condition in a Kampala hospital!!!  Please just continue to pray for safety while we are here.

Once we had polished off the 4th Pineapple in 24 hours we went up and gave the Mama's, Joyce and Rose all pedicures!!!  They of course love it and wanted LOTS of pictures taken!!  I will try to post them soon.  Our day ended with the youngest children doing a rendition of "The Macarena "...it was too funny!!!

Tomorrow there is a medical clinic running here for which people will begin to line up at 5am.  The Dr. will arrive at 7:30 am .  We will help with this by doing some education with people as they stand in line about how to prevent Malaria.  The rest of the day will be spent with the children here; playing, visiting, lots of soccer and maybe some beading!!! 

Soon I will start to introduce you to some of our friends here....until then I'm off to try to sleep with the little critters that insist on crawling on me and making me crazy!!!

Random Facts

It has been awhile since I have written and now I don’t even know where to begin.  I am thinking this is going to end up being a “random facts” blog!!!  One more day before visitors will start arriving in Uganda and while I am VERY excited to have everyone here, I am sad because it means that our time here is passing too quickly.  We are enjoying the deepening of our friendships with our Ugandan friends and I feel I am finally able to speak a tiny bit of Lugandan with them which is a major accomplishment.

On Saturday mornings I have been making my way down to Rose and Geoffrey’s home (He is the pastor at the church here).  It is now tradition that I will bring coffee for Rose and myself and we will visit while she does her laundry and her daughter Praise sits on my lap.   I have such respect for this woman…..she exudes strength and gentleness all wrapped in one!!  Each day she can be found down at the church with Mama Sophie praying for up to 2 hrs at a time.  Although we know very little of each others language, we visit for a nice long stretch on Saturday mornings and we learn from each other.  She is lovely.

On a different note, we had a visitor show up at our home today.  He was very intoxicated and insisted that Scott was “Joseph”.  Other than his motioning for something to drink, and his outstretched arms to hug me, we were understanding very little of what the man was saying.   He was also sporting a rather large Machete so I started to wander up to find someone who might be able to talk to him.  However, before I got even 10 steps Malumba (the man who manages this place) was on his way.  I think part of the reason I feel so safe here is that they ALWAYS seem to know what is going on for us and are looking out for us.  He was able to lead this man away and then we all had a good laugh as he told us the man had been speaking Swahili to Scott.   

Our kids continue to thrive here.  Owen is fully immersed in life here and has made some wonderful friendships.  Tonite, I found him walking arm in arm with his friend Kato.  Really, is this our Owen???  Whenever the kids are around, Owen is amongst them and we learned tonite that was he hasn’t been doing is getting clean underwear as he informed us he’d been wearing the same ones for 6 days!!!  And backwards at that!!!  What a kid!!!  Of course, his father was proud!!!  Beck continues to enjoy being the life of the party.  However, yesterday I found him at the older girls home teaching them songs!!!  There he was, surrounded by a group of girls singing his heart out.  He had come and gotten song sheets for them and I suppose was giving them Demo’s of the songs!!!  Pais is still sticking close to mom and dad, but is venturing out more and more!!!  She continues to kneel to greet the Mama’s, which they find so funny!!

I did two days of Counselling Training last week with 16 people.  We will continue to meet weekly for the duration of our time here.  I love teaching them and learning from them.   On Sunday Michael encouraged the whole church to come out, so we shall see what happens!!!  Just good to be able to share some of what I have learned with them.

We continue to be so thankful for the chance to be here and already I wonder how we will ever be able to leave!!!  

Malaria & Other Assorted Sicknesses

“I wonder if this is what it feels like to have malaria?” 

That’s what I was wondering last night at about 2am as my body ached.  10 minutes on my back, then 10 minutes on my side, then my front, then my other side…start the process again.

There’s no question I’m quite wimpy…and I’m sure dealing with malaria is much worse that what I was experiencing (thankfully, by the end of the next evening I was feeling much better).   But it got me thinking about all of the people around me who are suffering from malaria….it is literally everywhere you look at this time of year in Uganda.  But Uganda is not unique.

There are a reported 500 million cases of malaria each year resulting in 1.5 to 2.7 million deaths….many of these are children.  But death is just one negative aspect to this disease.  Parents & grandparents with malaria can’t work to provide for their family; students with malaria can’t study.

But it doesn’t have to be this way…there are medicines available that, when administered on a timely basis, can stop the progression of the disease.  Unfortunately, most of the people suffering from malaria are also the poorest of the poor and therefore cannot afford the medicine.

That’s where people like you and I come in.  It’s amazing how small of a donation (from our perspective) can actually change—if not save—another person’s life.

Since being here in Mpigi we’ve watched 6 of our kids head off to the hospital for malaria treatment….treatment that they otherwise would not have had if our church wasn’t financially invested here. 

Whether you’re involved in our church or not, you are able to give through Peace Portal Alliance so that kids continue to get the life-saving medicine they need.  It doesn’t have to be much to make a difference.   And here’s some good news for those of you who are a bit skeptical of giving to religious institutions (perhaps a bit too much of Jimmy Baker in your past!): 100% of your donation gets over to Uganda to make a difference.  I know, because I send it each month.

I know there’s lots of good causes to put your money towards—I’m not trying to guilt anyone.  It just might be that right now is the right time for you to get involved in something like this.  If so, I and the 54 other kids who depend on support from Canada say a big, ‘thank you!’

Kibaale Visit

It's been great having a few days to visit with the Dyck family down in Kibaale.  We drove about 3 hours south-west from Mpigi to Pacific Academy's school in Kibaale.  Here, about 750 kids get a great education.

Our accommodations were certainly a 'step up' from the Mpigi guesthouse, and Shannon cooked us great meals!  The kids played all day with the Dyck kids....we barely saw them!  Last night, we celebrated Sean's birthday with a delicious chocolate cake cooked by his wife Jamie (another missionary couple from PPAC).  All in all it's been a great 2.5 days.

Yesterday, we piled all the kids into the back of a truck and did a few home visits.  This is the first significant 'perspective-building' opportunity for our kids as they met families in significant need.  The picture of the mud house is the new house that the family can now enjoy.  We could see the boys processing the fact that this home was an improvement for them....hoping for a few conversations in the next few days to hear how they are processing it all...

Today we head back up to Mpigi with Sean and Jamie.  Lydie (our French friend who is staying in Uganda with us) is not feeling well today and is staying here in Kibaale until Sunday.

Here's a few pics (hopefully) of our time in Kibaale...

More Pics

A Few More Pics for Those of You Not on Facebook...

A Visit to Kibaale

This morning Jeff drove up and picked us up to take us to Kibaale...the location that they have called home for the past three years. We're enjoying a few here with them before heading back up to Mpigi.

Sean & Jamie Davis, another couple from our church, also call this place home...so it's good to be here!

Another benefit of being here is quicker internet! So....Here's some pics of some of our friends in Mpigi....

New Pics on Tracey's Facebook

Sorry we can't post here...makes for a pretty boring blog, I know....but some new pics are on Tracey's Facebook for those of you who are interested.

We had a good day yesterday.

We took public transit into Kampala to do some grocery shopping. Wanted to do this at least once with the kids as it is often an 'experience' to be crammed into a van with numerous people and/or various animals. Our ride ended up pretty tame....18 of us in the van at one time...nowhere near the 22 people and 3 chickens that is Scott's personal record!

Had lunch with Jeff & Shannon at a nice restaurant that is unfortunately located in a parkade and then got a ride back to Mpigi with them.

That's all for now....

Construction Work

Those of you who know me know how handy I (Scott) am with my hands. Both Beckham and Paisley were having trouble staying in their beds (and mosquito nets) throughout the night...which equals me having trouble getting a good sleep. The bunk beds, which don't have a ladder on them, were pretty 'mobile' and squeaky too.

Enter Scott the handy man.

I don't want to bore you with the details......just a few quick points:

-Two six foot 1x4 pieces of wood purchased in Mpigi town

-One pen to measure the wood flush to the bed frame (didn't end up flush)

-Some duct tape (which was actually packaged and called Duck Tape!)

-One hand saw compliments of Pat Kenyon

-One hammer

-Eight nails

End result? Two new 'bed guards' on the lower beds to keep Beck & Pais where they should be and the bed frames that no longer move.

Or in other words: Problem solved.

I don't want to brag...It was nothing really.....no big deal....just another day in Uganda working with my hands.

Now off to deal with a plumbing issue...

Supplies needed: One screwdriver

Signing off,

Scott 'tool-time' Dickie

Ants, Opulence, and Amos

The Ants came marching in, and in and in!!! And then they crawl on you and bite you. One would think that something so little could not cause much of a problem, yet these little critters are becoming the bane of my existence!!! Doom (Insect killer) works for when they come en mass, but for those little one’s that escape and find your skin you must just endure the little bites and pray you don’t lose your sanity!!! The other night as we got into bed we discovered a couple hundred had made their way en route to a dead bug that we discovered under our bed!! I’m sure all the Doom we sprayed may destroy our lungs, but I will take the risk rather than share my bedJ

Opulence – This one was brought up this morning by Scott who is wrestling with the discrepancy between how we are living here, and those living so near to us. What would true solidarity look like for us here, if the truest act of love is indeed living in solidarity with others?? We can tell ourselves many things about this that make us feel better, such as “but look, we are really roughing it compared to our North American life”, or “at least we are here doing ‘something’”, but are we just deceiving ourselves?? It is a fine line that we will likely always struggle with, and to be honest, I am thankful really for the struggle and for a husband that seems to always push further than I might on my own. Scott wrestles with this from a theological and practical lifestyle point of view…..and both of us think about it from a parenting point of view: How much do we push them? How much do we make it comfortable for them so they like Uganda? How much is too much like home? Tough questions…but we feel like we’re striking an OK balance so far.

Amos is the grounds keeper here at the 10 Acres. Early this morning he was out raking the grass, which the kids then picked up behind him. He was barely done before we heard a knock at our door…he wanted to help us with our laundry. Had he seen our poor results from the first time around? Or just feeling sorry for us poor Mzungus? We had been planning to do laundry today and had actually been gathering up towels and clothes that needed washing so we headed outside and acquired MANY new tips to help us along. First; we should soak our clothes overnight before washing them, Second; When the wash water gets dirty you move all the tubs down the line and only need new water for the final rinse – this was revolutionary to us in our water use. Third,; there is a strategy to ringing things out (very different from the haphazard way we had been using; Fourth; Hang your clothes inside out so that if they fall off the line they don’t get dirty again; and Fifth; he asked if we could do laundry every second day (apparently it was a lot to washJ). Amos did not come wanting to be paid…..he simply came to help. We have a lot to learn!

June 7: Monday's Musings

After a fun weekend with the 52 kids playing soccer, teaching them American Football, reading books and just hanging out, we arrived at today: Monday. The weekend was great….but it left the two younger kids over-tired which led to a bit of a rough Sunday evening….it is not all utopia in Uganda…just pretty close!

This was our first day in Uganda on ‘our own’, meaning Jeff & Shannon (and their three kids…and our kids playmates) were back in Kibaale and the 52 children here were at school for the day. We wondered what our kids would do with this time and would not have been surprised if they were asking us “What can we do? When will the kids be home?” etc…throughout the day. Once again we’ve been pleasantly surprised. We began our day with a bit of school work (our dumbed down version of homeschooling), then headed out for a walk around the property to deliver cards, pictures and quilts that people from home gave us to hand out. All was received with incredible gratitude (the moms LOVED the pictures Cheryl!!).

We then hopped on 3 Boda Boda’s (motorcycles) and headed to town for the first time. To say the kids loved it would be an understatement. Beckham, who last night had told us he wasn’t going with us because he was afraid he would fall off, rode the whole way waving to everyone we passed by (never one to shy away from some attention). We had a coke, picked up a few groceries, the boys got smacked on the bum by a man passing by in the market, and then we were back home, just in time for a Ugandan downpour.

Enter our Water Engineer/Conservationist: Owen Dickie. Scott and I were up helping Mama Rose rescue the clothing out of the rain and putting it away (and having lessons in Lungandan, which Mama seems determined that I am going to speak ). When we returned we found our kids, headed up by their big brother, collecting water off the roof. Since arriving Owen has been heard to say things like “Mom, it’s going to be strange going home and seeing people waste water” and “Paisley/Beckham is letting the water run too long”. During our brief but intense rainfall the three of them ended up collecting 35 litres of water that they plan to use to bath in later today or tomorrow. It’s impossible to determine what lessons the kids will pick up from being here—and the importance of water, which is the primary challenge/concern of life for billions of people—was not one that would have been on Scott’s or my ‘radar’. But these are the things we delight in as parents - the learning that leads to taking responsibility. We can see that Owen is taking everything in, processing it and trying to find a place for it in his life. He is SO happy here and is the one to try everything -this morning the mama’s gave him some Jack Fruit to try which he loved.

Myself, I am enjoying a quiet day. I spent most of it thus far sitting and talking with Aunt Harriet and the mom’s, feeding my family and now writing…..Life is good….I feel blessed. Thank you God!

At last a quiet moment to sit and write - where to begin...?? Three days into our time in Uganda and I feel like I've lived here forever. It is so very comfortable to be here, which I attribute to the incredible hospitality and love of the people here.

We have just finished dinner - rice, corn and cucumber!! At this point we don't have a refrigerator which makes keeping meat difficult, but amazingly the kids are not complaining - they simply grab a spoon and dig into the peanut butter when they get hungry!! Having Lydie (our friend from France who lived with us a few years back) here to help with the cooking is truly a blessing - much less responsibility for me and I'm happy to be the dish washer!

Our kids have been the biggest surprise - I have barely seen them!! They rush through meals in order to get back outside to play with the kids. Owen has played I don't know how many hours of soccer in the past three days - he should be in the shape of his life come football season this Fall. Beckham, well he makes his rounds - soccer with the big boys, games with the younger kids, joining into games with the older girls (I'm not sure invites were given), really he is in his glory here!!! For those of you who have been here, Beck is often found hanging out with Cissy....they are very cute!!! Paisley is having a blast as well - she is shy to speak with the older kids who try desperately to make conversation with her, but she has found 3 young boys who she loves to play with - she taught them 'Ring around the Rosie' today, they tickle each other with grass, and basically have a blast together!! Those who know these kids will not be surprised that these buddies of hers are Martyn, Wasswa, and Kato!!

The Ugandan children are such a joy....I am sure I could sit with them and never tire of their company. Today my friend Rebecca came to me with a piece of sugar cane for Paisley and I to share. I figured this had been found on the property, but asked anyways where she had gotten it from. My heart melted when her friend spoke for her saying that she had bought it with money she had been given by her grandmother. These children do not get money often, nor is she likely to being seeing her again anytime soon. I have much to learn about generosity from these children. My heart is full when I am here. Tonight we will go to the girls home to hear them sing and dance - they love to perform!!

A highlight for me is spending time with Pastor Geoffrey and his wife Rose. Geoffrey wanders up for coffee and cookies most days and I SO love to sit and talk about books, God and life in Uganda with him. Today he shared with us that his family has been struggling with a lot of sickness. He had just spent last night at the clinic with his eldest son who is very ill with Malaria and was admitted to receive IV Malaria medication. As well, shortly before we arrived his wife Rose ended up with complications from medications she was given for Malaria and almost died. I had a short visit with her today and she is doing much better. One of the things I most look forward to this summer is developing my friendship with her.

For the young boys who are interested, we found a LARGE spider in our home today which Beckham packed up and took outside to show off. He returned awhile later with a millipede and many other critters he had caught. Owen on the other hand is our gecko/chameleon guy, for which I am thankful as I'm not really excited when they are walking around my feet while I am cooking dinner. I did learn tonight that they drop their tails to divert their predators........Owen was the predator and stood holding a flapping tail, it was lovely!!!

We are so VERY THANKFUL for this time in our lives and all who have helped to make it possible. Loud singing has just begun to drift through our window which calls to me so I must go join in for the post-dinner singing/dancing.........

June 4: We Made It!

It’s 6:45 in the morning as I write (though this won’t be posted until later). The sun has just come up, the 52 children are spread out over the property picking up the leaves that have fallen off the trees during the night, roosters are telling us it is time to get up, an assortment of insects are completing their symphony that goes on throughout the night, and here I sit with a cup of coffee from our French press. Those of you who have been here know how awesome the mornings are in Uganda.

After lots of flights, layovers, and security checks….we made it to Uganda! The kids did totally amazing! Their great attitudes, your prayers for us, and some Melatonin (sp?) all combined to make the trip here as good as we could have hoped for….thanks for remembering us!

We were picked up by Jeff & Shannon Dyck (missionaries here in Uganda that are from our Church) at 7:30pm on Wednesday evening and began the two hour drive to the 10 acres. We got in about 10:15pm because of heavy traffic and quickly unpacked our 10 bags of luggage. As we unpacked, Beckham walked around the little guesthouse that we will call home for the next two months and asked me, “Is there just one level on this home?” The adjustments to a new culture began quite soon!

We all had great sleeps and enjoyed our first day in Uganda on Thursday. One bonus for us was that our 52 kids (in the three Children’s Homes on the property) were off school for a holiday so it was a day filled with introductions and lots of playing!

The highlight for Tracey and I so far has been watching our kids engage here. You never know how the change of culture etc…. will affect your children….but it was incredible to watch each of them jump in with both feet—initiating games, starting conversations, playing soccer, joining the Ugandan children’s crafts—we are so proud of them! The four Dyck kids—Joel, Avin, Finn, & Mazzy helped with that transition a lot too….thanks!

Our internet is not working in Mpigi at present…..thus the lack of posts. We’re in Kampala today and hopefully will be able to solve the problem.

For those of you haven’t seen it yet…..here’s a few pics of our house in Uganda and some of the kids on day one.

(editors note: sorry....tried to upload pics and couldn't do it here at Mpigi....will keep attempting to over the next day)

And for you praying-types….here’s some specific requests:

-Beckham has an infection (that started the day before we left) that needs to be dealt with. We have just started him on antibiotics…please pray for a quick restoration of health.

-Paisley is struggling to adjust to the time change (the boys have had no problem) so she’s been up a couple of hours each night between 3am-5am….please pray for her internal clock to adjust!

-For open hearts and minds to soak this all in, to learn the lessons we are meant to learn, and to serve here in whatever way God designs.

Time To Fly!

After a lot of anticipation, we're finally heading out! After a half-hour drive and a half-hour check in, we're already one hour into our trip.....piece of cake! Yes, Tracey had to stand outside of the men's washroom at YVR and call for Paisley who hand wandered in.....but we wouldn't expect anything else from Paisley!

We're heading out. We're excited, we're a bit nervous about how the next 40 hours will turn out, we're thankful for the people who have supported us to help make this a reality....and the ones who are supporting us with their prayers even now, we're ready to get to Uganda and see what's in store for us as a family!

The best part about blogs are the pictures, I know.....so we'll be sure to start including some over the next few posts.

For those interested...here's our flight schedule:

BRITISH AIRWAYS 31MAY VANCOUVER BC LONDON 835P 140P

BA 84                MONDAY INTL       HEATHROW 01JUN

                            RESERVATION CONFIRMED         9:05 DURATION

BRITISH AIRWAYS       01JUN LONDON         JOHANNESBURG   915P    905A

BA 57               TUESDAY HEATHROW       O.R. TAMBO INT         02JUN

                            RESERVATION CONFIRMED         10:50 DURATION

SOUTH AFRICAN AIRWAYS 02JUN JOHANNESBURG   ENTEBBE        200P    705P

Going to Uganda...the long way!

Well....the good news is we're getting to Uganda in spite of the strike going on with British Airways. The not-so-good news is we will need to fly from London all the way down to South Africa (read: fly right past Uganda) so we can fly back up to Uganda (another 5 hour flight back up). We haven't done the math around how many hours of travel....I don't think we want to.

This will be real fun with kids.

The silver lining is that we're hoping to be able to see our good friends Daryl & Nikki Mulder (and their new little one) for a few hours at the airport in Jo-berg (unless Tracey can convince South Africa Airlines to let us stay in South Africa a few days longer!).

In all seriousness....I'm not complaining....I'm more amused than anything.

It really is all about perspective.

How does one complain about flying halfway around the globe for such an experience? In fact, I think it should be a legal offense in North America to complain about the hardships of travel. If it's so hard....why don't we give the 2.5 billion people who live on $2 a day a chance at it to see how they handle it?

(I really hope I remember this blog post 35 hours into our trip to Uganda! I'm well aware that I'm going to have plenty of time to actually practice what I preach from June 31 - July 2!)

Enough preaching....all this to say: we're heading out on Monday as planned! Appreciate your prayers for continued peace and proper perspective as we leave.

Peace.

Strike Two...

Just 11 days until our departure...maybe.

British Airways has been scrapping with the cabin crew union for a while now, and they were scheduled to go on strike on May 30 (we are supposed to fly out on May 31). Then the British court ruled the union could not strike....then today they over-ruled that ruling....are you getting confused yet?

So....we are waiting until next week to see what will happen to our flights....whether delayed or re-routed....and we'll go from there. This would not be more than an inconvenience if it wasn't for the fact that we have rented our house out on May 31 for two months! So we may have some figuring to do!

We're busy packing the house up....packing bags up...and Tracey is working a lot as she tries to fit in clients prior to our departure. Truth-be-told she is too busy....and if you think about us, you can pray for extra endurance for her over the next 10 days.

That's all for now...

Things To Think Through....

"What does one do on sabbatical?" you might ask...

Apart from some increased kid-time, I've had the chance to read, listen, and learn through the following...

"The Throne, The Lamb, and The Dragon" by Paul Spilsbury. When else would I ever read a book about Revelations but on sabbatical!?! For those of you who want a general overview of the book that also challenges some of the assumptions that Tim LaHaye and the "Left Behind" series have popularized....this is a good read.

"Strengthening The Soul of Your Leadership" by Ruth Haley Barton. This has been my 'reflection' book and I'm asking God to refill my tank as I read through this book that follows the life of Moses.

A Pastor's conference at Regent College that was encouraging thoughtful interaction between science and Christianity. While broad in it's scope...a few of the talks are essential for those of you who are 'closet' Theistic-evolutionists or those of you who are strident creationists!

"The Glory of Preaching" by Darrell Johnson. Those of you who call PPAC your home will be thrilled to know that I finished a book that is meant to improve my preaching (time will tell!)

A Evening Lecture at Regent College by Rod Wilson with the provocative title, "Why is Emotional Intelligence Missing in so Many Christian Communities?" An interesting presentation that briefly addressed the question from the Psychological, Theological, and Neuro-scientific perspectives.

And now I've just started a book entitled, "The Hole in Our Gospel" written by Richard Stearns. Although only 1/4 of the way through it, I'm already thinking it's a must-read for the future team-members who will engage in Short-term missions trips from PPAC. In fact, I suspect by the end of it I will be wishing all PPAC would read this one!

Aren't I a party animal?

Nonetheless it's been both beneficial and insightful for me!

PS. I also got out to Iron Man 2 for some mindless entertainment. Pretty lame from my perspective (as far as action movies go). I'm all for the conflicted/authentic hero genre....but in a movie geared towards Owen's age and up?.....that's the role models they get to grow up with? Bummer for them.

Hoping for something far better this next week with 'Robin Hood'!

Grace & Peace...

Church...a new experience

Today was our first Sunday on sabbatical...our first chance to visit another church as they gather together for their communal worship service.

Being a guest at another church is bit of a strange experience. You certainly view things from a different perspective when you're on the 'outside'. That's one of the benefits of being on sabbatical....seeing things from a different perspective...as well as simply seeing how other churches are living out their faith in the midst of their particular community.

All that equals new insights to take back to PPAC when we re-emerge there.

One bonus for us this Sunday was that the church had planned a free BBQ afterwards....so we got to enjoy some good food after the service! I thought we might phone the rest of the churches we are planning on visiting to see if they are doing something similar and, with some good planning, maybe we won't need to worry about Sunday lunch for the month of May! Shallow, I know....but I'm a sucker for a good burger!!!

Have a refreshing sabbath...

Confessions of an Activity Junkie...

Day 2. 7:40am. Wake the other 2 kids up. Make lunch. Get them ready for school. Drive them to school....then get on to the other list I've made up for the month of May: Yard, paint, Uganda details, etc, etc, etc...

Hello....my name is Scott and I am an Activity Addict.

Sabbatical is not meant to be 4 months at an all-inclusive beach resort (hmmm?)....but I realized yesterday as I drove to Langley at 9:05am with my list in hand that simply switching my work 'to do' list for my sabbatical 'to do' list would be a serious mistake.

"Step away from the list....there's nothing to see here"...

One of the ironies of getting ready for a sabbatical is that you're so busy preparing to leave that you don't have a lot of time to actually think about the sabbatical itself. I know I'm going to visit other missions pastors at other churches and take a class at Regent...I also know I'll still have home responsibilities as dad and husband...but the specific details of how I'm going to ensure this time is most beneficial is yet to be painted out.

Enter Ross Hastings and lunch (yesterday) at Cactus Club. Apart from catching up with each other's lives, Ross gives me great advice about how to use my sabbatical (Ross being the local expert on slowing down!....read: sarcasm).

So, my old list is gone, my new 'to do' list for this week is to sketch out a more detailed plan on what these four months will look like...particularly May and August. The books to read, the disciplines to engage in, the topics to address, the times to relax & be with family....I'm hoping to sketch something out (but not be manic about it) to ensure that I squeeze every drop of benefit out of this experience.

But first....kids have to get to school...

5 Days And Counting...

It's the last week of work for me (Scott). A few people have asked if I'm 'counting down the days' yet. Despite the misleading title of this post, I actually haven't been. What I have been counting is the number of items on my work 'to do' list so I can leave with some semblance of peace.

I certainly couldn't do that (leave feeling peaceful) if it wasn't for a great group of people who are holding down the fort for me while I am away. So I need to say 'thanks' to a few people:

-the Elders Board for allowing us this unique season in our lives

-the Pastors who are sharing some of my work load

-the Leadership teams who will continue to move ahead in my absence

-the people who have committed to pray for us throughout our sabbatical

-the people who financially contributed so we could go and do ministry in Uganda

Thanks to you all. Now, before this gets sounding like an Oscar acceptance speech (too late?)...I'll sign off.

This coming Sunday is my last day of work. We'll be in front of the congregation in both services and we'll let people know about this blog address. After that....I won't be back at PPAC until the end of August. Until then...

Reality is beginning to set in......

Well, I am officially a blogger! I never planned to have a blog as I have always felt it was something for the "younger" generation, and as I will be celebrating my 40th Birthday this summer in Uganda, I do not fit that category. Nonetheless, in an effort to provide some form of communication for our friends and family........Blog I will!!!

In less than 24 hours Scott will once again be en route to one of his favorite places to see some of OUR favorite kids!! And if I'm honest, if it wasn't for the fact that I can picture the huge smiles and feel the excitement of these kids as their Canadian friends arrive, I would likely be much less willing to let him go this time. So, Scott's departure, combined with the fact that we have booked our plane tickets and the fact that the kids got 3 of the 4 needles they will need to travel has worked together to make the reality of this adventure we are embarking a little more real.

The kids are talking more and more about Uganda.....Owen has begun memorizing the names of some of the kids (although he has complained that it is difficult when they all look the same!! If he only knew they think the same about us:)), Beckham is already dreaming about the new soccer moves he plans to acquire while in Mpigi and Paisley is wondering about the "bad men" (although she does that here too so that isn't really new).

All of this to say, we are excited, a bit anxious (20 hours on a plane with Miss Paisley is not an appealing thought) and most of all thankful for the way God is slowly but surely bringing the pieces together for us!

I will work on my blogging skills to try to make this at least slightly interesting, but I have a feeling most of the interesting stuff to write about will be happening post May 31, 2010!!

Needles Anyone?

Happy New Year! Even though it still seems like a long way off...our planning for Uganda took a serious step forward this past week with the reservation of plane tickets (exciting) and immunizations for the kids (not-so-exciting). It's too bad that the kid's first real experience concerning Uganda is getting poked in the arm three times....but that's just the reality of travelling overseas. The experience did, however, prompt us to look at pictures of our past trips to Uganda to remind ourselves of why we are doing this in the first place.

The kids did great with the needles...no tears. Their mother--ever vigilant of making sure her kids don't throw up--switched one immunization shot for the seasonal flu shot....so they have one more visit to the travel clinic for one more immunization shot for Uganda (Paisley has two). Deep down I'm sure the kids are thankful...way deep down.

And we're thankful for your interest and support of our trip.

Blogs will increase in frequency in February or March.....or when Tracey takes over...whatever comes first.

Peace.