August 27th

August 27

We are so sorry that there are a number of days missing from our blog. We were told in preparation that we would need to be flexible so we have been learning in all things to be flexible. We may also say that we have learned a little more to depend upon the Lord and know that He is dependable. Let me explain just a bit.

First: Somewhere in my mind I had the idea that internet access would be relatively easy. Well, it is, but only after you learn how to go about it. It seems the college where we are working has a grand total of one computer that has access to the internet. There is no such thing as a wireless network on the campus. Silly me. What made me think students here would even come close to having computers and a need for wireless access to the internet. What we learned is all you have to do is ask the right question at the right time. The right time to ask questions is often when Kennedy is around. Kennedy is a wonderfully helpful man who always has a solution. I think his solutions also include a way he can make a few shillings (the Ugandan currency) but that is okay as well. It is a survival skill in this country. One worth having. Kennedy has graciously provided us with the USB stick that connects us to a cellphone server and by that to the internet so we are now as connected as we can possibly be. (we did pay for the service for a month since Kennedy wasn’t able to but its really not a big price to pay and we are glad to aid him in this small way. Praise God for internet service. The things we have learned we would rather not do without!

Now for more stories of flexibility. Where to continue? Oh, yes.

Second: We were prepared for the fact that here we get 12 hours of light and twelve of dark so we didn’t have to adjust to dark at between 6:30 and 7. We were also mostly prepared for the type of accommodations we would have so our room, which actually is quite reasonable, was not a shock. We have adjusted to cold showers with a hand held shower. (It does help that my hair is now very short) I have also resisted some of my strong urges to scrub things, but not all. I am also glad that I grew up in a home where it was perfectly okay to use certain articles of clothing that have served their purpose and you are willing to part with as cleaning cloths. (Read into that as you must and you will probably be right.) Insert by Susan: I have decided to close my eyes to the dirt. It is such a large task with so little equipment. The red soil just walks in with us all the time and is everywhere. We do not even have a broom in our room so much for cleaning.

Third: And this brings us to Monday. I adjusted, because I had no other choice, to the fact that my expectations about the class I was going to teach were somewhat wrong.

I assumed 20 to 30 students, or even 10 or 15. I have 3. But I have come to love and respect these three wonderful men of God who have such a deep desire to learn. They have taught me so much already.

I assumed I was to start teaching on Wednesday and would be teaching until September 15. When talking with Patrick, the Principal, on Monday I saw my three students sitting in class waiting for me. I was graciously excused from beginning immediately. I officially started teaching on Tuesday but I did get to meet all three men on Monday evening and have a wonderful time of interaction with them. This has also become a regular evening practice and other times as well. Long, very deep and stimulating conversations can occur when you simply allow for the time. Our evening meal starts around 7. Tonight we returned to our room after 9 because of the blessing of conversation.

Back to teaching. I started teaching on Tuesday. On Thursday I noticed a schedule on the bulletin board that listed my class dates as beginning the week before we arrived. So I wasn’t just a day late, I was a week late. But not according to my schedule. I also noticed the end date for my class was set as September 6 so I went to ask Patrick and discovered that I was in deed expected to complete my teaching time by that date. Shift into high gear!

I think I was also under the assumption that I would be teaching for 3 hrs each morning and another 3 hrs in the afternoon. That isn’t the case and I am glad for that. This week we met from 9 am until 10:30 and then had tea break for about 45 min. We then resumed class until 1 or a little after. Sometimes we are having such a wonderful discussion it is hard to stop.

I have done a lot of talking but that’s okay. You all know how much I love to talk anyway.

I had also assumed that it might not always be easy for my students and I to understand each other. I was right although they seldom have a problem understanding the things I say at times I have a problem understanding them. Let me share two things about that. First, they have a wonderful way of speaking for one another when they sense I have not heard or understood something. When this happen one of the others, most often Moses who I never have a problem understanding, speaks up and says
“I think you have not understood what ..... is saying” This has been so very helpful and the other brothers graciously accept this as something good.

Second, there are times I just have to listen and hope that what I have misheard will become clear. That happened today as one of them was telling a story. I heard “rich doctor” and wondered about people going to see the “rich doctor” It didn’t seem to make sense until it dawned on me that they were saying “witch doctor” and then the story made perfect sense.

The English spoke here is actually much better than I had assumed but accents can sometimes cause us to pause to consider what has been said. It’s actually fun and we have also learned that people here love to laugh.

I think I am now up to number four on the list of learning to be flexible, if I am mistaken please be flexible, laugh about my mistake and move on.

Maybe I should mention Susan’s work here. She was prepared to be truly flexible on this since we had no idea what they would find for her to do. The one option that had been presented was helping to reorganize the library, and this is what she is doing. This work involves the Librarian finding catalogue information for each book on an internet based program. This is a slow process made slower by the computer, the internet speed, the time that the internet is down and perhaps the Librarian. When she finds the information on 10 books she can print a sheet of labels. She can do this when the printer has ink, which it didn’t have at the beginning of the week and that would have remained the case had it not been for our willingness to provide the funds to buy a new cartridge for the printer. Oh, and we think this is the only printer on campus so our donation made a few others happy as well. We don’t plan on asking to photocopy anything because we assume it has no toner, or something worse. Occasionally we are told about certain things and do get the feeling that it may be a way of asking if we might be willing to help. As an aside, we are very thankful we read a book entitled “When Helping Hurts” before coming. It has been a blessing to realize that the answer to every problem is not throwing money at it. Our brothers and sisters here are not always truly blessed by depending on others and we are not a blessing when we promote dependancy. Now back to Susan’s work. It moves slowly but she is enjoying what she can do and the people with whom she is able to interact as well. We both feel it to be a blessing that we can share this time together.

This is not the kind of experience you can have and then go home and tell your spouse all about it. We hope you are getting a sense of what we are experiencing but we know that there is simply no way to convey everything nor is it wise to convey many things until you have turned them over in your mind. We are glad we can do that together.

One more item on being flexible is knowing when to quit and move on to something else. I believe I have come to that time for now. This post is already quite long and there is far more to write but it can wait till another time.

Tomorrow we plan on an extended walk/hike. I will tell you about our walks either before or after that one.

For both of us: George