Matany, Moroto, and Much Much More

March 26^th-28^th: Friday- Sunday

Since I will be leaving here in a few weeks Jim and I wanted to visit Logiel Mark before I left. Jenny and Heather wanted to come and see Matany and visit Mark as well so after work the 4 of us along with JB and Okwai Moses set out for Matany. As we pulled out of the gates it began to rain ominously. thunder and lightning. a killer stalks the night.

All this proved notwithstanding though since the rain soon left and although the sky remained cloudy the roads up to Moroto were clear and somehow smooth. We stopped for petrol in Moroto and continued on to Matany where the road became a bit more dynamic. Upon reaching Matany we drove to the hospital and back to the guesthouse where located out rooms and learned that dinner was still in progress. Jim, Moses, JB and I went to go find Mark. We met him just outside of the surgery ward where he is working; it is good to see him. We went back to his quarters and he changed his cloths and then he returned with us to the guest house. /he had to leave to go to dinner and we ate some decent although rather odd food including pizza and fish noodles. after that we watched some satellite TV and then went and visited Mark. we got to talk and pray with him for a bit and then returned to the guesthouse where some went to bed and others did email and I slid around on the floors in my socks.

Saturday morning was really fun. Mark had classes early so we toured the gardens and Jim was able to buy some plants for his house and Moses got to spend some time in the lab and Heather got to see all the agriculture that Robert, the Italian missionary was doing. We got to go into town for a bit with Mark and have a soda and I bought a nice plastic red mug with “ok” written on the side and everything was just ok. we had lunch and met/talked with some of the missionaries working there and played “mobile” the most confusing African game I have ever played. after lunch we left and went direct to Nakipiritpirit where we planned to spend the night and meet Salim a Bangladeshi working for concern there and have some Bangladeshi food. unfortunately he had just gotten back from a trip so we drove the 45 minutes to home after Moses, JB, and I had a fight with some small fruits.

that evening the Baumgardeners came over and we made naan and paneer tika masala and watched slumdog millionaire. and I had tea out of my “ok” cup and the whole evening was just ok.

Sunday the morning was cold and cloudy and every one was late for church but almost everyone showed up so it was fine. That night Jim and I and the singles went over and hung out at the Wrights were we talked and looked up engrish.com a website with funny English spelling and grammar mistakes from all over the world.

In Which Some Fathers Teach Me About Correction and Cleaning

March 20^th-22^nd: Saturday-Monday

Saturday Jim, Rachel, The Baumgardeners and I went to Namalu and visited Guliano and the catholic fathers. It was really cool to meet all these different guys. Guliano was out in his fields trying to plant corn but since it had rained the night before he was having a lot of trouble with mud clogging the machine. The Fathers were eating lunch which they invited us to join in. some of the best food I have ever had. there is one Italian father residing in Namalu and a Spanish priest who is living their as well. the last guy is this funny old Italian guy who comes every year for a couple of months and helps out. He is installing the sound system in the church. The fathers being catholic and Italians have been making wine here and they had some of the distilled grapes or something. Basically like grape moonshine. They added it to their coffee as a “correction” because “there might be a mistake in the coffee and this will ‘correct’ it.” they also used it as a “cleaner” by taking shots of it in their empty glasses to “help out the dishwasher.”

That night after community meal Jim and I watched a Bollywood movie called Kuch Naa Kaho which means “don’t say anything” or something. it is kinda a chick flick but it was pretty good. Jim and I laughed the whole way through.

Sunday afternoon we had music at the ward. Not as many people showed up which was good since only English speakers came but also a bit disappointing that a lot of the English speakers who came last time didn’t come this time. still it was really encouraging and fun.

Monday Jim and I went for a run after work. we went up and around and at one point I just stopped and looked at Kadam and Karamoja and realized how much I will miss this place and how much I love it.

That night for guys night Jim made beef with peas again which unfortunately wasn’t as good as the first time he made it. Laurie, the proctors teacher came up from Mbale with here 3 siblings and cousin. Her two brothers came for dinner and we talked about forgiveness and what that looks like.

Blue Band Baby

March 17^th-19^th: Wednesday-Friday

Wednesday I did school with the Wrights after last weeks break. Everything went well. Later that afternoon I went over to the clinic and visited JB’s new baby. Joyce seemed to be doing pretty well and the baby seemed healthy. He is so little. I have already remarked on the odd custom of completely wrapping the babies in huge blankets with many layers and little knit caps and stuff until the age of about two when they go to the other extreme and just go naked or at most a shirt. One thing I didn’t know about though is how the mother will take blue band and smear the baby with it. Joyce says it helps keep the skin soft. ok.

while I was there Rachel, Maria, Josh visited along with a visitor, Josiah, who is a Geneva student studying in Rome. We stayed and talked for a bit. Josiah is an interesting guy; the next night at Stella’s dinner I got a chance to talk to him a bit more. he is in the army and has toured Iraq.

Thursday night we had a celebration dinner for Stella since she was married a few months ago. Some of the clinic ladies came and prepared the meal and all the clinic staff was invited. it was really good food. Chicken, pocho, cabbage, soup and tomatoes. for dessert all the missionaries came over as well. It was a really fun night.

Friday Jim and I made fish tacos and had the singles over including Rachel and hung out and talked for a bit afterwards.

Just a Short Blog Where I Return to the Homeland

March 15^th-16^th: Monday and Tuesday

Monday we resumed drilling at Yeroen’s. Dave and Bob have combined their two methods of drilling and Monday Bob used one of Dave’s hammer bits and his air compressor to drill with foam. The foam is the consistency of shaving cream and made of soap and water. It constantly gushes out of the hole as it is pumped through the system and creates a huge mess. After set up we drilled for about 5 hours and got through more than 40 feet of rock but only hit a little water. That night we ate at the landmark again.

Tuesday Martha decided to go back up to Nakaale and I came along as tire-changer man. We stopped off in town and collected some few groceries and food from Yeroen’s. Rachel and I went in and got to say goodbye to him. The trip up was uneventful. The road was horrible and we say a Tank sitting by the road along with a couple bored looking army officers.

It had been more than a week since I was last in Karamoja and I was glad to be back. It makes me realize how much I really like it here and will miss it when I leave in a few weeks.

Of Boda-bodas and Food of the Baumgardner

March 14^th: Sunday

Jim and Jenny needed to drive back up to Nakaale for church so we all left Sipi early and they dropped us at the junction again where Milton picked us and brought us into Mbale. He dropped us at the Proctars where we had breakfast and then we went to church with them. This was our second Sunday in Mbale and it was kinda nice to see everyone again.

After church we returned to the Wingaurds house and I caught a boda-boda into town. I had an infection in my leg which was paining me so I wanted to get started on the drugs. I went to Andy Co. After taking a boda-boda back I had lunch which was this pasta with spicy tomato sauce and naan and some calzones Heather had made. She is amazing.

That afternoon Heather and I went to the same bible study that Jenny, Rachel and I had attended the week before. This time it was at Yeroen’s and Eid’s gave us a ride out there. Not so many people sowed up this time but people I had met that week and knew from last week. It was really cool to get to know some more people in Mbale. We had a really good discussion and then some great food. The Eid’s gave us a ride back into town as well where we got to see the Wrights and here how things at the Irish Ball went.

Sipi Agua

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

Friday morning the Wrights left for Kampala. They are playing at the annual Irish Ball on Saturday night while Justin, Heather, Laurie, and I are meeting Jim and Jenny and going to Sipi. Friday we spent hanging out. Justin and I walked into town and got some food while Heather stayed back. We ate at Yeroen’s shop and had some yogurt and chapatti. After that we wondered around Mbale town for a bit and were mistaken for Asians.

Milton gave us a ride from Mbale up to where the tarmac ends and the road to Sipi splits off. Jim and Jenny were waiting for us. It is good to see them again. We drove up to Sipi and checked in at the Crow’s Nest. That night we ate at Sipi River Lodge and then hung out afterwards. Right before we started dinner JB called to say his wife is in labor.

The next morning we went hiking having lunch at the top waterfall. After hiking a few of us went on a “coffee tour”. We got ripped off. We had been told that we would be able to participate in the process and stuff but they just showed us some coffee plants and gave us a cup of joe.

That night we ate at Sipi River lodge again and spent the afternoon hanging out there. I was able to get online and watch a few You tube videos and do some email. The food that night was as good as the night before. pumpkin soup with fresh bread and cottage pie with some mango thing for dessert. wow. We heard that day Joyce, JB’s wife, had given birth to a little boy.

Rafting on the River Nile

March 6^th: Saturday

Saturday morning we got up before dawn to drive up to Jinja to go rafting. Rachel wasn’t interested in going rafting again so we dropped her at Kingfisher and then went to the rafting place. We paid and then sighned our lives away and had breakfast. there were about 40 people rafting that morning. after a pep talk we went and got our life vests and helmets and then loaded into two trucks and drove down to our launching point on the Nile. Out group was all loaded into one raft and we started off. to start out we practiced falling out of the raft, climbing back in and reflipping the raft.

After several kilometers we began to encounter the first rapids. The support kayaks would go first along with the support raft and then the rest of us would follow one by one. The first time we flipped was at the 3^rd rapid. We got stuck in the rapid and were whirled around for several second before we finally tipped. I managed to drag myself aboard the support raft. Many of the rapids as you approached you could see the raft ahead of you simply diseaper over the top. During one rapid we paddled into it and then swept down where we met a wall of water well over our raft. The second time we flipped over I managed to hang on to the saftey rope and road out the rapid with the raft.

Over all I got the worst sunburn of my entire life and had a pretty great day of it. That night we stayed at the cabins provided by the rafting company and stayed up late and talked with some people we had gone rafting with.

Rafting on the River Nile

March 6^th: Saturday

Saturday morning we got up before dawn to drive up to Jinja to go rafting. Rachel wasn’t interested in going rafting again so we dropped her at Kingfisher and then went to the rafting place. We paid and then sighned our lives away and had breakfast. there were about 40 people rafting that morning. after a pep talk we went and got our life vests and helmets and then loaded into two trucks and drove down to our launching point on the Nile. Out group was all loaded into one raft and we started off. to start out we practiced falling out of the raft, climbing back in and reflipping the raft.

After several kilometers we began to encounter the first rapids. The support kayaks would go first along with the support raft and then the rest of us would follow one by one. The first time we flipped was at the 3^rd rapid. We got stuck in the rapid and were whirled around for several second before we finally tipped. I managed to drag myself aboard the support raft. Many of the rapids as you approached you could see the raft ahead of you simply diseaper over the top. During one rapid we paddled into it and then swept down where we met a wall of water well over our raft. The second time we flipped over I managed to hang on to the saftey rope and road out the rapid with the raft.

Over all I got the worst sunburn of my entire life and had a pretty great day of it. That night we stayed at the cabins provided by the rafting company and stayed up late and talked with some people we had gone rafting with.

Drug Running, Traffic Cops, and Forgiveness

March 4^th and 5^th: Thursday and Friday

Thursday morning Jim, Heather, Jenny, Leah, Rachel and I left for Kampala for a drug run and then for rafting on the Nile on Saturday. Bob and Justin followed after us driving down the Dina for a supply run. The last several days it has been raining so the entire road down was muddy and rough. Jim’s new Prada though did fine throughout it all. At one point there was 21 marble trucks stuck in a row. We managed to get around them all though. We met Bob and Justin for lunch in Mbale at the landmark. We drove for the rest of the afternoon to reach Kampala. It rained on us. Jim was stopped once by a traffic cop. the conversation went something like this

Traffic Cop, “hello, are you Ugandan?”

Jim, “I’m an American but I live up in Karamoja.”

TC, “Even me I’m American except for being black.”

Jim, “Oh, where are you from in America?”

TC, “Colorado”

Jim, “Oh”

TC, waving to the four girls in the back, “These ones are excess, leave one here.”

Jim, “haha”

TC, “ok, you are free to go.”

That night after we checked into the cornerstone guesthouse where we were staying we went to an Ethiopian Restaurant. I have never had Ethiopian food before but it was delicious. We sat outside underneath an umbrella tree and ate by candlelight. After dinner we went to Garden City and watched “My Name is Khan” a new bollywood. The first hour was hilarious then it got really sad and kept dragging on and on.

Friday Jim and Jenny went and picked up drugs in the morning while Leah met a friend of hers and Heather, Rachel and I spent the day at Garden City. I spent the morning on Jim’s computer. I did some email and tried to apply for college and figure out some stuff for Jim’s and my trip to Scotland. Had lunch in Garden City with Heather. I got a couple Lebanese sandwiches, schuarmas (sp?) or something.

Then we had to go meet Bob and Justin to drop off the drugs and pick up Justin so he could go rafting with us. Jim got pulled over twice in about two minutes by some traffic cops. They were just looking for bribes and Jim just kept saying he was willing to pay the ticket which is more work for them and they don’t make any money so he was forgiven. Went to a stupid movie that night, Percy Jackson and then went out to Thai food at like 9. Great food. God bless Thailand.

In Which There Is Much Singing In English

February 28^th- March 2^nd: Sunday- Tuesday

Sunday afternoon instead of having the usual singing and teaching at the main house we went to the ward at the clinic. We arrived early and Jim played his bagpipes while Jenny Heather and I opened up the ward and set chairs up inside. The entire clinic staff came along with several of the workers and some of the people from just around. We sang a bunch of English songs with guitar and everyone seemed to really enjoy it. Al gave a short devotional sort of thing. We had planned to have it for only English speakers but someone asked if we could translate so Al and Lokwii Paul were really cool about it and translated it. We sang one song to end the time with. The entire thing was really cool. Afterward I went to JB’s and spent some time hanging out and talking with him along with some of the Wright kids.

Monday was a rainy and cold day. For devotions at the clinic I went over with the Wrights and Martha and Rachel played guitar and we sang English songs. The clinic staff seemed to really like it. That night at guy’s night Jim made beef with peas on rice and it tasted really good.

Tuesday at work Justin and I worked on the roof for the new meeting banda on the main compound. We wound rebar around the frame so they could put the grass on. He welded it all together while I helped maneuver the rebar. It started to rain though so we had to stop early. They guys from the clinic came and we played football. I think we may have won but I don’t remember actually.

I Like Chocolate Milk

February 26^th-27^th: Friday and Saturday

Friday night Jim and I had the Wrights and the singles over for dinner. Jim made pork with apples. It was really good but very strange since it spelled a bit like apple pie but tasted like sweet pork. Very nice though. After dinner we talked a bit about the difficulties of missions and different aspects of the mission here.

Saturday morning I went to work. Justin and I loaded up Bob’s truck and went over and helped the work crew put the last of the iron sheets over Al’s office. Al is very allergic to mold and every time it rains the roof leaks and new mold sprouts up. Because of this Bob and Craig decided to simply extend the iron sheets out and over. Every thing went very well although it took us a long time. The work crew only works tell 1:00 on Saturday so Justin and I finished up on our own. After putting the last sheet on Justin was standing on top of the scaffolding looked at days work when the scaffold tipped under him. He managed to catch the roof and then springboard off one of the cross braces of the scaffold as it fell and landed on his feet. Dented the roof a bit though.

Justin and I finished around 2:00 so I headed home and had lunch. I made a toasted cheese sandwich with pickles and Jim’s special mustard. Then I made some bread and snickerdoodles at the same time which generally never works for me; I generally end up burning something but everything went well except that when I pulled out the bread and flipped it upside down to let it cool one of the loafs completely collapsed. The entire center was doughy.

Before the community meal Jim and I went on a quick run. The food at the community meal was amazing. Al made the meat and Heather and Jenny made some amazing potatoes plus some salads and stuff. And of course for dessert we had snickerdoodles, mmm…tastes like home. On the way home Jim and I stopped at the Wrights and talked a bit and I realized how little time I have left here. Heather and Jenny came over for a movie and Jim made some drinks with his chocolate milk. Jim bought two huge packs of chocolate milk in little juice boxes about a month ago because the guy gave him a really good discount. Well the expiration date is tomorrow so Jim realized this a few days ago and he and I have been drinking about 4 of these a day ever since.

Jungle Jim Returns

February 21^st-22^nd: Sunday and Monday

Sunday morning around nine I was loafing around in my boxers, thinking about cleaning up the house before Jim got back and this shining Prado comes rolling into our gates. Crab cakes and tartar sauce. I helped Jim unload the car which was laden with snack foods from far off Kenya, plus luggage and other less important stuff. Jim helped me clean the house a bit and then we headed off to church. A bunch of guys from the clinic came to see Jim and we all sat together during church.

After church Joseph, the head doctor from Takora came over for lunch along with Leah, Heather, and Jenny. The Baumgardeners made lunch and dessert. It was good to have Jim back. I was kinda freaking out.

Jb came and visited us that afternoon and Jim and him got to talk a bit. We drove over to devotions since JB is still pretty beat up. Jim talked after devotions about his trip to Kenya and some of the stuff he learned and saw. He told a great story about visiting his Maasai friends and fleeing from berserk buffalo. Jim and I spent a quite evening at home. we got to talk and pray.

Monday I did school in the morning and then helped to acid wash Jim’s walls; to remove the excess cement from the stone. Moses, Albert, Lokwii, Robert, and some friend of Lokwii’s came over to play football. We started playing as it continued to drizzle. For the first time I felt as though I was actually playing alright. The teams were pretty evenly matched and we had a lot of fun. Jim got back from his run and I helped him make dinner. He made this amazing beef with peas on rice witch tasted really good. Bobby, James, and Justin showed up and eventually Robert, Moses, and Albert came back as well. We have kinda been going through the young peacemakers on Monday nights so we discussed consequences which went pretty well.

Of Bicycles and Thunder Storms

February 19^th-20^th: Friday and Saturday

I got up early Friday morning and did devotions and did some few excercises. that morning I did school with Bobby and then did science with him and Anna. after eating lunch at the main house I took Jim’s bicycle for a spin and headed over to the clinic to see JB. the bikes here are all old school full metal bicycles and somehow they are incredibly unstable. I’m not sure why but you seem to have a really high center of balance and little control. however I enjoyed my bike over to the clinic, the sun was shining, the men where under the etule tree, the women were working.

I stopped in the clinic to see if JB was around. I sayed hello to Moses and Susan who made me try some “cookies”. flour with sugar fried in oil. Like a sweet mendazi. I biked back to JB’s house. he took a spill coming back from Takora visiting his wife and his knee is all infected and he may have broken his inky finger. A kamakazi goat got him. He seemed a little down. Losike is in Namalu with the grandmother. we talked for a half hour and he had me try these little seeds that pack an incredible unch, nasty and bitter.

After 5:00 Moses, Robert, and Albert came over from the clinic to play football. Moses had to be on my team, poor guy. After a bit Justin showed up and played with Robert and Albert played sides.

That night all the singles and the kids came over here to eat dinner and hang out. Jamie and Rachel blasted music and we talked and hung out tell ten. it was fun and stuff.

Saturday was a bit of a strange day. I got up and went over to help Craig and Bob. I helped Craig lay tiles all morning tell lunch. I made lunch and dark clouds starting rolling in and thunder sounded. Just as I finished it began to rain. It poured rain for nearly an hour. After wards I went over and Craig and I finished putting down the Jim’s master bedroom.

After work then Albert, Robert, and Moses came over and we played football in the mud tell I had to go shower for community meal. Dinner was delicious and after wards the Wright kids came over and we watched Wallace and Grommet: Curse of the Were-Rabbit at the tricarico’s.