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!