Work, Dirt, and What I Had For Lunch

June 12^th-13^th :Friday and Saturday 

Work here for me means from 8-12  and 1-5 Monday through Friday. We also work a half day on Saturday morning. Friday we began tearing down a mud and cow dung house. Friday morning we got up on the roof and tore the tin slates off the top. In the afternoon we began to knock down the mud on the walls. The structure is built by sinking posts vertically and connecting them with bamboo like wood horizontally. The entire structure is about 20 feet by 8 feet and 10 feet tall at the center of the roof line. Saturday morning we continued to tear at the walls. Tim, Dan, Johan, and I worked with about 7 0r 8 Karamojan workers. 

Friday for lunch we ate beans and rice. The beans are unlike anything we have in the states but resemble kidney beans and the rice is plain white rice. Also there was groundnut or g-nut sauce and guacamole. I loved the guacamole; it was fresh and delicious. They way meals work here is Monday-Friday lunch is provided, beans and rice. Breakfast is always on our own and we generally eat cereal or oatmeal. We have community dinners about once a week and at least twice a week the short term people will eat at one of the missionary families. 

After work Saturday afternoon Jim took Tim, Dan, Johan, Joshua Tricarico, and me on a hike into the hills. We met several people on the road and then struck out cross country to climb a hill so we could see around. About 15 to 20 kids between ages 6 and about 10. All these little kids would scamper around us and run circles around us. They were mostly barefoot and hilarious. At the top of this hill we could see for miles into western Uganda. It is such a beautiful country. 

I love how in Africa you can go all day without showering and you get dirty and sweaty and wear the same cloths day after day and no one cares. Everything and everyone is just dirty here and it is very nice not to have to worry about whether you are sweaty and grimy.