Kag and the Hog

Since I've had a few requests to see the picture of the warthog and me . . . here it is.

Divided I Stand

So, here I am standing in the Northern and Southern Hemisphere at the same time! Pretty cool huh? How about you? Where are you standing today? Are you "standing fast in the liberty by which Christ has made us free?" (Galatians 5:1). King David wrote: "He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand". (Psalm 40:2). Jesus said: "I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me" (Revelation 3:20). If you have not already done so I hope you will open the door and let Him into your life today.

Random Observations & Cultural Traits

Nobody seems to think there’s a problem with putting 30 or more passengers in the back of a small pick-up truck (at one time).

Bicycles are used for transporting anything and everything you can think of including but not limited to TONS of Matooke (green bananas), firewood, refrigerators (smaller than the American fridge, but still), and occasionally a corpse. Carol is always willing to turn her Suzuki into a hearse when necessary. Fortunately such occasions are rare but it does happen.

I'm pretty sure that nobody in Uganda is O.C.D.

Heterosexual men hold hands sometimes and nobody thinks anything of it. Yes, really.

Some children literally get on their knees to say thank you when receiving money for tuition (every school has fees so many families cannot afford to send their children to school).

Women rarely wear pants and never wear make-up.

Taking pictures of people and places in town is not always appreciated by the locals.

Polygamy is a widely accepted practice.

Black exhaust spewing from vehicles is ubiquitous.

Since there is no such thing as waste management, people burn their rubbish.

Goat meat doesn't taste as bad as I thought it would.

When driving through villages, the children wave or run toward us shouting: "Muzungu! Hallooo! How ah youuuuu?!"

Fort Portal has one, yes one, police car.

Much of the foliage is the same as or similar to what you find on Maui in Kihei, Makawao, Haiku and Kula.

Children will walk for an hour or more to get to school.

Doctors and nurses are among the lowest paid professionals in Uganda.

Teenagers appear to be younger than they are because their growth is often stunted by malnutrition.

My new friend, Atwooki, told me that he praises God for the long life he has been given. Atwooki is 45 years old.

a Future & a Hope - Manna Rescue Home

I had the privilege of visiting the Manna Rescue Home twice in the last two weeks. This home was opened in January 2008 by Y.E.S. Uganda to provide shelter, food, medical care and God’s love for thirty HIV/AIDS afflicted orphans who have no care-giver. Sadly, these children and others with this disease are like modern day lepers in Uganda. They are the outcasts of society and are considered worthless by many. Some believe that investing in them is a waste of time since “they are going to die anyway”. A few have even been denied food by their own families for this very reason. Carol says it is remarkable how these children begin to thrive within this hope infused environment as their dignity is restored and as their value is affirmed. Showing the children’s version of “The Jesus Film” to these kids was one of the highlights of my visit. I was unsure if this film would hold their attention especially since most of them do not understand much English. Our translator, however, did a great job and it was obvious that the kids were riveted. Most of them eagerly expressed interest in receiving Christ as their Savior after the gospel message was presented at the end of the film. I felt honored to lead these precious kids in a short prayer of salvation with the help of our translator. But I did not need a translator to understand the joy on their faces or their warm hugs, handshakes and laughter. It is comforting to realize that God knows the number of their days and their times are in His hands.

To learn more about Manna Rescue Home or to make a donation, please visit the Y.E.S. Uganda website: www.caroladamsministry.com

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. (Jeremiah 29:11)

One Banana, Two Banana . . .

Carol took me to Queen Elizabeth National Park last weekend and this is just one of the characters we encountered. This guy was just sitting on the side of the road eating bananas when we found him. Carol slipped him two more bananas (quickly) out the window. When she was new in Africa she made the mistake of opening the back of her Suzuki with some baboons nearby. One of them promptly jumped in her car, unzipped her bag and helped himself to a sandwich. We arrived at QE Park Sunday afternoon in time to have lunch and get settled at Mweya Hostel where we found a warthog helping himself to the grass, if you please, right inside the compound! I inched my way slowly toward him for a picture. He didn’t seem to mind and then all of a sudden . . . he did mind . . . and started after me! Carol captured the moment with my camera. From there we walked to the dock for a two-hour boat trip down the Kazinga channel where we saw hippos, hippos and more hippos! We also saw water buffalo, crocodiles, an elephant, many species of birds and a fishing village. The next morning we met our guide, Jack, for the game drive before the sun rose. Within the first two minutes of our drive we were thrilled to see two hyenas right in front of the car! In the next three hours we saw a lion cub, herds of Ugandan cobb, water bucks and water buffalo. I had my heart set on seeing some elephants and Jack was determined to find a herd. Carol did a great job maneuvering her Suzuki over some pretty tough terrain and then finally. . .there they were! A whole herd of elephants with two calves about two months old! I could have watched them for hours. “Many O Lord my God are Your wonderful works which You have done!” (Psalm 40:5).

B.Y.O.M. - Bring Your Own Mattress

Imagine needing hospitalization and being required to bring your own mattress and caregiver. Imagine a ratio of one nurse to every sixty patients. Imagine overflowing latrines, rats and the prevailing stench of human waste within an overcrowded ward. Carol Adams does not have to imagine it. She has lived it. She has been both a patient and a caregiver in three different Fort Portal hospitals. Carol recalls spending three days and three nights in one hospital caring for a 14-year-old orphan dying of Rabies. Peter was relieved to see this familiar and well loved muzungu (foreigner) affectionately known by her African pet name, Adeyri. “Oh, Adeyri! Thank you for coming! Now I know everything is going to be alright! You are my second favorite person!” “Who is number one?” Carol asked. “Jesus, of course!”. With frequent convulsions and no pain medication available, this young man bravely faced a horrific death with the help of His God and Adeyri. Before dying he begged her to look after his sisters and then said: “the avocado is falling on me!” Since he was delirious, Carol did not wonder too much about this bizarre statement. She wrapped his dead body in blankets and put him in the back of her Suzuki. A coffin was built and she prepared him for burial. As the memorial service was concluding, and he was being lowered into the ground, an avocado from an overhanging tree branch dropped onto the lid of the coffin. Carol says it sent chills down her spine. We sometimes question how a God of love could allow such suffering. This has been one of the greatest theological dilemmas for many generations. I don’t pretend to have the answer but it is interesting to me that, with all of the suffering experienced in Uganda, those who know the Lord are full of praise and thanksgiving. Perhaps they understand better than we in the western world, that God has already shown His great love by sending us His only Son, Jesus, who also died a horrific death, paying the price for our sin on the cross so that we could live forever. “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 3:23). “And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes, there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away”. (Revelation 21:4)

The Jig is Up!

I know it looks like Rose is giving me a pedicure in the picture above but what she’s really doing is digging a jigger out of my big toe. Jiggers are very common here and typically like to burrow their way into your skin where they lay eggs which hatch into flesh eating worms. They especially like to live under the toe nails. Are you grossed out yet? The key is to get the egg sac out before it hatches. Rose is the official jigger digger here and did a great job of removing the sac without breaking it. Thank you Rose! Because the children here go barefoot they often have jigger infested toes and feet which are unfortunately neglected and therefore develop into painful, unsightly and sometimes dangerous conditions. I saw one child’s jigger eaten foot a few days ago and wondered how he could even walk at all. Many natives have no toenails whatsoever due to extensive jigger history. I can pretty much guarantee that I'll never forget this!