December 22, 2007

Christmas Greetings from Uganda! I have not updated the blog as frequently as I had hoped to in recent weeks due to an extremely busy schedule. I am happy to report that our internet has performed flawlessly since we had it installed about a month ago. We have been skyping our family and a few friends. We have been using the webcam and have even been able to see Pamela’s dad and my parents. We would love to Skype with others, so please let us know (by email) if you also have Skype and we will make a connection.

I have a few random stories to share with you and promise to update more regularly in the future.

Uganda Marathon
Pamela ran the 10K portion of the Uganda marathon on December 9th. She keeps promising to write a blog about her experience so I will not say too much other than she was one of 6,500 runners. She had a great time. Check out the Ugandan version of "where's Waldo" in the second photo and try to find Pamela. Picture number one was taken by Pamela before the race at 5:30 am. I was still asleep.

What Corruption Looks Like
A good Ugandan friend of ours had a terribly disappointing experience last week. He lives in a nice house with a wall surrounding it. Almost all nice homes have a walled compound for security purposes. A car was driving by his house and lost control and crashed into and through his compound wall. They must have been driving extremely fast through this residential area to crash through a block and concrete wall. Five people were in the car and two died instantly, and another was badly injured and screaming for help. The other two passengers jumped from the car and ran for fear of “mob justice”. Mob justice is a common experience here. If someone is injured and the people determine (rightly or wrongly) that it was your fault, then they will beat or kill you on the spot. They sometimes douse people in gasoline and light them on fire. Other times, they put car tires around them and light the tire. They may beat with sticks or stone someone to death. It is a very common thing. They caught a thief in our neighborhood recently and the community beat him to death. Therefore, the two passengers feared that they would be killed because of the injuries to the other passengers, and they fled even though they had a friend dying in the car and screaming for help.

Our friend was at home and went outside immediately after the crash and found the injured woman. One of her legs was almost severed and the other leg badly injured. He was trying to help her and at the same time people in the community were coming to rob the dead victims (another common phenomenon). They stole items from the car and even took the stereo system from the car just minutes after the crash. Because the wall was smashed in close proximity to his gate, he could not drive his car out without first removing some broken concrete blocks. However, people were busy looting instead of helping make a way. He finally was able to get her in his car to drive her to the hospital. When he arrived at the hospital, the people saw him with this badly injured lady and thought that he was responsible. A crowd gathered and they were ready to execute mob justice on him. Fortunately, he was only badly scared and not beaten. They did steal his watch and wallet. Later, the police came and tried to charge him with a crime. This also is not unusual. All of these reasons are why people constantly tell us to NEVER help an accident victim, because it could cost you your life.

The sad part in all of this is that this is a county that is supposedly in revival and where over 70% of the residents proclaim to be Christian. Yet, scenarios like this happen every day. It makes me think of Steven Curtis Chapman’s song where he asks “what about the change…what about the difference?”.

I have had two instances where I could easily have been a victim of mob justice. The first was when we had only been here about three months and I “struck” a child of about 18 months with my vehicle. I was on a very busy street and I still suspect that the mother of the child may have pushed the child into my vehicle. My car was very dirty at the time and it was evident that the contact occurred on the side of my car between the front and back doors. I was going straight, so I did not run into him; rather, he ran into me. I immediately stopped the car and got out to see if he was ok. A large crowd of at least 100 people encircled us within a minute demanding that I pay the lady. It was apparent that the child was not seriously injured and he had already stopped crying. I gave her some money to go to the clinic and I left. I was very fortunate to get away so easily.

Another time I was at a shop and a motorcycle that was traveling too fast struck two pedestrians. This all occurred less than 20 feet from where I stood. The pedestrians had obvious head injuries from striking the pavement and were lying in the street. I was going to help them and/or take them to the hospital. My Ugandan friend warned me not to go. After a few minutes passed and they were still in the street, while traffic just drove around them, I started once again to go help. This time my friend sternly warned me not to intervene. Now, I understand why he felt this way.

Driving is a crazy and scary thing here! We know of two missionaries who were killed in hit-and-run accidents. Three of our friends have been hit by trains while traveling in town. A family of seven was killed a few days ago by a train. There are seldom warning signals at train track crossings. Please continue to pray for our safety as we move about since it is a constantly treacherous thing.

Ebola
I don’t know if you have seen the international news about the Ebola hemorrhagic virus outbreak in Uganda. Thus far, about 40 people have died, which is about 20% of the people who have been diagnosed with Ebola. This is a less lethal strain and the most lethal strains have killed up to 90% of those infected. Ebola is a gruesome disease that seems straight from science fiction. There is no cure and you can only pray that you do not die if you contract it. It causes internal hemorrhaging and destruction of your organs. People bleed to death from the inside out in about 21 days from onset of symptoms. They believe that three men eating infected monkey meat in Western Uganda near the Congo border started this current outbreak.

Experiencing God
I have been taking a group of eight male university students through the study of “Experiencing God” this semester. We have seen God do wonderful things! The testimonies of the students have been amazing, and their increased understanding of the Bible has been encouraging. As a result of the study, one young man from Rwanda had been praying that God would reveal where He was at work on campus. After praying one morning, the young man met a classmate who was drunk from being out on the town all night. He felt led to help the young man back to his room, which caused him to miss class. He followed up with the student the following day after he was sober. He continued to meet with the other student and two weeks later led him to salvation.

We had a great time this semester. We meet on Friday nights at 6 pm, and we routinely met until 9 pm and sometimes 10 pm. They were so excited to share about what God was teaching them that they did not want to leave, even on a Friday night! We had very open and honest discussion and drew closer to God and each other. I am so appreciative of the Home Group in Knoxville for providing us the books for the study.

Earl
You have seen pictures and read about Earl in past blogs. In case you have forgotten, Earl is an African Grey Parrot. Earl got very sick recently and we took him to the veterinarian three times. He even had to get injections of antibiotics. Unfortunately, Earl did not recover and died. We were all really sad and miss him. We hope to find another parrot to replace him. It seems oddly quiet without his whistling and talking echoing through the house. The vet told us that it is very unusual for parrots to get sick but once they do, that they rarely live.

OUCH!!
Yesterday I was at the gym working out. They continue to remodel and work on the gym and things were a mess. While moving some weights around, I accidentally dropped a 22-pound steel plate on my big toe from about four feet up. It hurt like crazy but I didn’t realize how badly I injured it until I got home and removed my shoe. My sock was soaked in blood. It sort of ruptured the toenail at the base, which is separated from the toe. It struck my toe right at the base of the nail and that is where the main damage is. It still hurts and continues to bleed. I am sure that the nail will come off and I just hope that a new one grows back.

Merry Christmas!

Ok, I realize that this is an odd assortment of stories, but it is what is going on in our lives right now. We are preparing for Christmas, but it will be very simple this year. We did not buy any gifts for our boys, though Pamela did bring back some movies and video games when she went to America in October. We gave them those gifts when she arrived returned to Uganda. My parents also sent a Wii game with Pamela’s dad that they received in September. So they are not deprived by any means, though Christmas will be without gifts this year.

We are planning a party for our neighborhood kids on Christmas day. We are going to show a movie and give some small gifts, candy, and cookies. We spent last year at an orphanage, but decided it was better to be with kids that we see all the time. We have some very poor houses very near to our house. We can see them from our balconies. We know these kids and our boys play with them, so Christmas is a good opportunity to give something without creating expectations of us giving all the time. It is a difficult balance trying to help but not creating unrealistic expectations. Some people just stop giving all together because once you give many people will begin to come all the time asking for help. It becomes easier just to say “no” every time than trying to discern when to help or not.

As we enter into this Christmas season, we wonder where we will be for Christmas 2008. If America, where? Or will be still be in Uganda? We really don’t know at this point but we are seeking God as to His will for our lives. We would appreciate it if you prayed with us.

Christmas can be a sad time as we miss our families and our friends. We enjoy being away from the materialism but we miss the fellowship of those we love most. We hope that your Christmas is blessed and joyful and that even in the midst of the American chaos that has become Christmas, that you will worship our Savior in spirit and truth.

Merry Christmas from the Ironside Tribe!

Random Musings

CHOGM
This acronym probably means nothing to you but to those of us in Uganda it has become a common term. They say it like a word with a long “o”. It stands for Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, which was recently hosted by Uganda. It was quite an honor for them, and they took it very seriously. The Commonwealth is all of the countries that were once under British rule but now independent states. There are 53 countries in all and it includes much of Africa. Most Americans are familiar with the Commonwealth Games held each year, which is also based on the British Commonwealth. They hold this meeting once every two years and so for Uganda to host it was a really big deal. Each country sent their respective Head of State and many delegates. Queen Elizabeth and Prince Charles were also in attendance. Security was super tight for obvious reasons.

We were directly affected by CHOGM because the road that takes us to our neighborhood is the only route to the venue where the meetings were held. We were limited on our travel for several days due to road closures, brigades, and many practice runs. Some country (I think Britain) sent hundreds of new BMW motorcycles and cars for the police and dignitaries, respectively. I think that the officials were so excited about their new “toys” that they had extra practice runs, which involved driving up our main road at high rates of speed with sirens blaring. This is extra scary here because of the massive number of people on the road walking, riding bicycles, driving cars, and hauling goods with very slow trucks.

We were also affected by CHOGM because the resort where they held the meetings is also where we go swimming and I work out. We were entirely shut out for two weeks, and we also experienced limited access in the months leading up to the event. The whole place was under construction and a huge mess. I really doubted that they would be able to finish the work in time to properly host the event. They waited until the last possible moment to initiate much of the construction, which was really confusing since they had known that they would host the event for two years. Many hotels that were being built in anticipation of the event did not get completed while others were partially finished.

They did their best to clean up the city and improve the roads and did an admirable job, though much of it occurred at the expense of the public due to the many major inconveniences associated with construction and road detours. They removed garbage dumps and repaired roads. They installed streetlights and did landscaping. They completely renovated the airport and it looks amazingly different. The city looks much better. We are all just hoping that it will be maintained for the long term. It was a bit chaotic while the preparation was going on, but all is over now and we are glad to have it behind us. Now I have to get back to they gym and recover all that was lost during the layoff.




Thanksgiving
Well, we now have two African Thanksgivings under our belt. It is not a holiday that is celebrated by Ugandans, but we have American missionary friends here that we were able to feast with. In some ways Thanksgiving 2006 seems like it was last month, and it other ways it seems like it was years ago. During our missionary training, we were told that being a missionary was very paradoxical, and I think that how time passes is part of that paradox.

We had a very traditional meal with turkey, mashed potatoes (or smashed potatoes as they are called here), sweet potatoes, green beans, corn, dressing, and cranberry sauce. Most of those items are common here, though turkey is very expensive here and cranberry sauce imported only for the Americans. We had a very nice day and spent it with our friends at World Gospel Mission. They have taken very good care of us and allowed us to be part of their team and included in their events.


Christmas
Christmas in Africa is just plain weird to me. December is the hottest month of the year here, which is part of the oddness but only part of it. It is so strange to hear Christmas music in stores. They are songs that we know but sung by people that we have never heard of and they do not sound the same. The decorations are not as elaborate but they are there. It just does not feel right. Now, as a missionary, I am not supposed to be concerned with how it feels, and should be celebrating the Advent season. However, I have to be honest and admit that it just feels strange, and I don’t like the feeling. I really do not like hearing Christmas music, as it just reminds me of the weirdness. Last year Pamela was constantly playing Amy Grant’s Christmas album. So far, she has not yet played it this year and I hope that she can hold off for at least another week.

Last Christmas was pretty depressing. We were at the four-month point and had endured a lot of disappointment and frustration already. We had finally settled into our home and were in a lull in ministry because the students were on Christmas break. It was a very slow time, and there was too much time to think and analyze. We were homesick, lonely, and not feeling very effective in ministry at that point. A lot has changed in the past year. We are looking forward to a bit of a break after being VERY busy these recent months.

So, as we enter this Christmas season, I am hoping that it will be a time for family and reflection. We don’t have to worry about buying things because there really isn’t anything to buy, and if it is there, it is two or three times as expensive as it would be in the States. I am thankful to be away from all of the rampant materialism in America. I am thankful to be able to slow down for a couple of weeks. We are thankful for the many ministry opportunities that we had in the past year.


Scooby
Scooby is a 15-month old female German shepherd that will soon be ours. She currently belongs to a family from Sri Lanka that will be moving to Australia in January. We are buying her from them. She is a pretty dog and great with kids. We are all very excited about getting a second dog. It also really helps security to have more than one dog, which is the main reason that I am getting it. We have not had any problems while we have been here, but you just never know when it could happen.

Speaking of dogs…When we visited Kenya, I saw the biggest dog that I have ever seen. It was half Rottweiller and half Saint Bernard. Monstrous and scary looking dog and I would love to have one. We would never have to worry about robbers coming to our house with those dogs around.

Earl
Earl is our African Grey Parrot and he is very sick. I have taken him to two different vets and they are both very concerned about him. He had what appeared to be a sinus infection so we got him an antibiotic shot and he was getting better. However, yesterday he started acting really sick again. He is sleeping all the time and not eating well. We are hoping and praying that he will recover. The vet that I saw today said that it is very unusual for a parrot to get sick and that when they do they often die. We have no idea how he caught anything since he is not in contact with any other birds or animals.

Internet
Hopefully our internet problems are finally over. In July, we finally decided to pay for a good service. It was almost $100 per month, but we were so frustrated by everything else that we had tried (and those were around $50 a month) that we decided to bite the bullet and pay for the “good stuff”. You have to keep in mind that even the good stuff is very slow (about 16 kb/sec). We were having so many problems in communicating and especially sending or receiving attachments that we knew that we would have to pay for the more expensive service.

So, we paid over $300 to have it installed and signed up for the service. Two days later it quit working. I tried calling the company but no one would answer. I then found out that they went bankrupt and were being bought out. I could not believe our misfortune. Apparently, they went bankrupt the same day that we had it installed.

We recently found out who bought the bankrupt business and were able to reestablish internet in our home. So far, so good. It has worked every time we have tried it. It is reasonably fast for here and it is compatible with our Mac. All this for the low price of $90 per month.

If this keeps up, then I will begin regularly posting blogs again.