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
Hi Scott and Tracey,
ReplyDeleteI have a question for you while you're still in Uganda. The Bujagali Hydropower Project on the Nile will be completed and operational sometime in the near future. It should provide reliable power for all of Uganda. I imagine that many Ugandans do not yet have electricity due to the present cost and unreliable nature. I imagine the increased availability and low cost of electricity will create more demand for it as many people who do not have it will want it because it is more affordable and useful. I imagine many people would want their systems upgraded or new systems installed. Homes and businesses running generators would want to switch over to the cheaper electrical grid.
Do you think that it would be wise for some of the young people where you are to take electrician training so they will be able to offer an in-demand service when the new dam comes online? Is this something you would be able to find out more about while you're there? Come to think of it, there may also be an opportunity to buy up some cheap unwanted generators and redistribute them to places that have no electricity.
I appreciate any thoughts you have on this.
Thanks,
Morgan.