The African Times........
The Funnies:
So I am sitting, well squatting, in the latrines… you know going to the bathroom!! well, I feel this wet drop on my arm and thought it must have just been water from the ceiling (its dark in the latrines so I couldn’t see what it was). Anyways I walked out of the latrine into the light only to see that either a small mouse, rat or lizard thing had pooped on my arm!!! I couldn’t believe it, and it wasn't a solid chunck this thing diaherated on my arm!!! So as I shared my horrific news with karina, a girl from the U.S. who’s heart is to stay permanently on the islands, she told me of an even worse story that happened to her. She was in the latrine and a rat (big one) fell on her head than slide down her body into the bottom of the latrine! Okay, suddenly I didn’t feel so bad!!! Than she proceeded to tell me that when the old latrine was almost full, she would often times have a rat peak its head up through the hole that you go into!!!!! And if that is not bad enough…. Okay, I can’t tell this next one, my mom reads these blogs! let me just tell you, I will never use a latrine that is almost full!!! Why is it that at times other peoples pain makes us feel better?
There is a time to laugh and a time to mourn…
After waiting an hour for the public taxi-bus to fill (4-people to a row with kids and luggage all on our laps… believe me these taxi-buses have the same width of a regular size car… but much less comfortable seats!), we headed off in the taxi bus on the way to the funeral of Uncle Samsong’s Mother; Me, Robert, pastor Moses, Uncle Shem, Uncle/Pastor Samsong’s wife and two Kids. Our vehicle soon came to a hault as the electrical wiring of the vehicle started smoking. We all jumped out as quickly as possible and obviously refused to get back in. We sat only for a few minutes before another vehicle came and we all boarded. I took Dora (age 3 or 4), Uncle Samsong’s daughter on my lap along with my bag. We were off for Mbale. Dora was quickly sleeping in my arms, Just over an hour I felt as though Dora has just messed her pants or at least something just happened down there!!! I told Robert, that I didn’t know what just happened but something happened, only to be sure of my next statement! “Dora just su-sued (peeed) all over me!!!!!” I couldn’t believe it! My legs are dripping with warm urine, Dora is still sleeping, the taxi of course is till driving on, and here I am with no where to go so I just smiled and laughed, what else was I going to do?! Thirty minutes later the vehicle came to a stop, our tire is out of air! So we all get out again, on the side of the highway… my skirt soaking with urine, I find this half-built, non-inhabited hut, I went inside changed out of my skirt and put on a wrap that I had in my bag, that I had intended to use as a blanket for the night to sleep. We were off again to Mbale. We finally reached 3-hours or more later to a village deep inside of Mbale. It was beautiful; a huge mountain off in the distance, lush green-bushes everywhere. We walked down to Uncle Samsong’s home to find about 50+ men and women just beginning to enjoy a dinner feast. We had missed the actual burial by about 30 minutes, due to all of our delays. People seemed to be in fairly good spirits; as good as you can be when a loved one dies. I walked over to the grave and prayed for the woman and her family. Later, all the village kids kept smiling at me because of my white skin… I can only take so much fame :) so Robert and I walked around to see the land. On our way back I could hear this loud wailing off in the distance. What was that?! I asked Robert…. A woman, who had arrived late, had gone over to the grave and started wailing very loudly. This I find out is an African tradition, to wail loudly when someone dies and than immediately after you are done you go on like nothing happened. Traditionally when a parent dies, it is the oldest son’s responsibility to feed all family and visitors for one month, to sleep outside for the month, to shave your head, and not to have any relations with your wife if you have one. Many people still do it like this today, but times are changing. Uncle slept outside for the first night, he is in charge of feeding I think for about a week, and he will not shave his head (well maybe, but I was told some people don’t anymore). Following a talk from Pastor Moses, it was time for bed! The women gathered their mats, curled up together and slept for the night outside. Because I was a visitor, I was escorted into one of the mud huts. I got to sleep in a bed (honestly I was expecting the floor, I didn’t know, so I was so thankful!!!) with kids next to me on a mat. The whole day was quite an experience. And I learned a lot about the African culture (by the way pastor Moses gave me a blanket to sleep with!!! Thank you Jesus!
The heavy news:
The gov’t is refusing to budge on the $1000 on my work permit. I thought I would just cross the boarder and keep crossing the boarder until my time is up…. But since my permit is approved and they have enough technology at the boarder to check and see that I have been approved, this action is not advisable. So…. I am unexpectedly on the mainland right now, obviously because you are getting this blog entry, because of the funeral of one of the pastors mother. On my way to Mbale for the funeral, I received a phone call from the national office informing me that my plan to cross the boarder is not going to work. So here I am. I will be on the mainland, until I don’t know when, since my current visa is expiring soon, December 1st. Uncle Sam (he is the Ugandan national leader for YWAM… but he has taken a year sabbatical) is helping me to work on this. We have tentatively set for this Friday to go down to speak with the authorities in charge . So I am unsure of exactly when I will be heading back to the islands. So the authorities will tell me one of three things… give me an extension while I raise the money (pray for at least a 3-month extension), send me out of the country December 1st… was I really a math teacher because that is only two options!
I think you may know that my heart is to stay and finish this year…not because its some great and noble accomplishment but because I feel that is what God called me to. I’ve been brought to tears twice in the past day even thinking about leaving. And even typing this email my eyes are welling up. But I have to trust God. I have told myself regardless of what happens God has used me these past six-months and he has done much in my own life. I don’t know what God has intended for me right now… I do see closure for some things but at the same time I see new life. come Dec. 5th, teachers, students and even most of ywam will go home for the holidays….i wanted to take this time to confirm some things I felt God spoke to me concerning the next phase of my time here. I really felt like there were things he has planned. Time will tell.
thank you all who continue to check in on my life here! i love you.
mandy
So I am sitting, well squatting, in the latrines… you know going to the bathroom!! well, I feel this wet drop on my arm and thought it must have just been water from the ceiling (its dark in the latrines so I couldn’t see what it was). Anyways I walked out of the latrine into the light only to see that either a small mouse, rat or lizard thing had pooped on my arm!!! I couldn’t believe it, and it wasn't a solid chunck this thing diaherated on my arm!!! So as I shared my horrific news with karina, a girl from the U.S. who’s heart is to stay permanently on the islands, she told me of an even worse story that happened to her. She was in the latrine and a rat (big one) fell on her head than slide down her body into the bottom of the latrine! Okay, suddenly I didn’t feel so bad!!! Than she proceeded to tell me that when the old latrine was almost full, she would often times have a rat peak its head up through the hole that you go into!!!!! And if that is not bad enough…. Okay, I can’t tell this next one, my mom reads these blogs! let me just tell you, I will never use a latrine that is almost full!!! Why is it that at times other peoples pain makes us feel better?
There is a time to laugh and a time to mourn…
After waiting an hour for the public taxi-bus to fill (4-people to a row with kids and luggage all on our laps… believe me these taxi-buses have the same width of a regular size car… but much less comfortable seats!), we headed off in the taxi bus on the way to the funeral of Uncle Samsong’s Mother; Me, Robert, pastor Moses, Uncle Shem, Uncle/Pastor Samsong’s wife and two Kids. Our vehicle soon came to a hault as the electrical wiring of the vehicle started smoking. We all jumped out as quickly as possible and obviously refused to get back in. We sat only for a few minutes before another vehicle came and we all boarded. I took Dora (age 3 or 4), Uncle Samsong’s daughter on my lap along with my bag. We were off for Mbale. Dora was quickly sleeping in my arms, Just over an hour I felt as though Dora has just messed her pants or at least something just happened down there!!! I told Robert, that I didn’t know what just happened but something happened, only to be sure of my next statement! “Dora just su-sued (peeed) all over me!!!!!” I couldn’t believe it! My legs are dripping with warm urine, Dora is still sleeping, the taxi of course is till driving on, and here I am with no where to go so I just smiled and laughed, what else was I going to do?! Thirty minutes later the vehicle came to a stop, our tire is out of air! So we all get out again, on the side of the highway… my skirt soaking with urine, I find this half-built, non-inhabited hut, I went inside changed out of my skirt and put on a wrap that I had in my bag, that I had intended to use as a blanket for the night to sleep. We were off again to Mbale. We finally reached 3-hours or more later to a village deep inside of Mbale. It was beautiful; a huge mountain off in the distance, lush green-bushes everywhere. We walked down to Uncle Samsong’s home to find about 50+ men and women just beginning to enjoy a dinner feast. We had missed the actual burial by about 30 minutes, due to all of our delays. People seemed to be in fairly good spirits; as good as you can be when a loved one dies. I walked over to the grave and prayed for the woman and her family. Later, all the village kids kept smiling at me because of my white skin… I can only take so much fame :) so Robert and I walked around to see the land. On our way back I could hear this loud wailing off in the distance. What was that?! I asked Robert…. A woman, who had arrived late, had gone over to the grave and started wailing very loudly. This I find out is an African tradition, to wail loudly when someone dies and than immediately after you are done you go on like nothing happened. Traditionally when a parent dies, it is the oldest son’s responsibility to feed all family and visitors for one month, to sleep outside for the month, to shave your head, and not to have any relations with your wife if you have one. Many people still do it like this today, but times are changing. Uncle slept outside for the first night, he is in charge of feeding I think for about a week, and he will not shave his head (well maybe, but I was told some people don’t anymore). Following a talk from Pastor Moses, it was time for bed! The women gathered their mats, curled up together and slept for the night outside. Because I was a visitor, I was escorted into one of the mud huts. I got to sleep in a bed (honestly I was expecting the floor, I didn’t know, so I was so thankful!!!) with kids next to me on a mat. The whole day was quite an experience. And I learned a lot about the African culture (by the way pastor Moses gave me a blanket to sleep with!!! Thank you Jesus!
The heavy news:
The gov’t is refusing to budge on the $1000 on my work permit. I thought I would just cross the boarder and keep crossing the boarder until my time is up…. But since my permit is approved and they have enough technology at the boarder to check and see that I have been approved, this action is not advisable. So…. I am unexpectedly on the mainland right now, obviously because you are getting this blog entry, because of the funeral of one of the pastors mother. On my way to Mbale for the funeral, I received a phone call from the national office informing me that my plan to cross the boarder is not going to work. So here I am. I will be on the mainland, until I don’t know when, since my current visa is expiring soon, December 1st. Uncle Sam (he is the Ugandan national leader for YWAM… but he has taken a year sabbatical) is helping me to work on this. We have tentatively set for this Friday to go down to speak with the authorities in charge . So I am unsure of exactly when I will be heading back to the islands. So the authorities will tell me one of three things… give me an extension while I raise the money (pray for at least a 3-month extension), send me out of the country December 1st… was I really a math teacher because that is only two options!
I think you may know that my heart is to stay and finish this year…not because its some great and noble accomplishment but because I feel that is what God called me to. I’ve been brought to tears twice in the past day even thinking about leaving. And even typing this email my eyes are welling up. But I have to trust God. I have told myself regardless of what happens God has used me these past six-months and he has done much in my own life. I don’t know what God has intended for me right now… I do see closure for some things but at the same time I see new life. come Dec. 5th, teachers, students and even most of ywam will go home for the holidays….i wanted to take this time to confirm some things I felt God spoke to me concerning the next phase of my time here. I really felt like there were things he has planned. Time will tell.
thank you all who continue to check in on my life here! i love you.
mandy
posted by Amanda at 12:13 AM
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