Monday, 7 November 2011
Home
I'm back in Australia.
Thailand was a great experience! My plans to head north had to be scrapped due to heavy flooding, forcing me to spend most of the week sun-bathing on the tropical islands of Koh Phangan and Koh Tao. A very hard life. I also met a nice Scottish couple, and we spent a few days hanging out together.
Now its back into work, and looking forward to University next year.
Thailand was a great experience! My plans to head north had to be scrapped due to heavy flooding, forcing me to spend most of the week sun-bathing on the tropical islands of Koh Phangan and Koh Tao. A very hard life. I also met a nice Scottish couple, and we spent a few days hanging out together.
Now its back into work, and looking forward to University next year.
Sunday, 2 October 2011
The End
My time in Africa is rapidly drawing to a close. Tomorrow (Monday) is our last day in Uganda... We have successfully completed our work on houses 5 and 6. They have had the walls sealed inside and out. They have got shiny new window bars, window doors, window sills, and doors. They have got a brand new kitchen with a roof, toilets, and washrooms. They have got new concreted areas outside the doors, and new concrete drains. Tomorrow we will complete our landscaping by planting many fruit trees and plants. God has blessed us with unity and a great working team, and the results are excellent. Many teams come over and put up the basic walls for a house, which is great. But the smile on Ron's face clearly illustrates the importance of our work... of completing two houses for 16 new faces, and doing necessary repairs in the Village.
On Tuesday, we leave for Kenya at 4am. We arrive at our safari in Masai Mara late that day, and stay for two nights. The park has an excellent reputation, and everyone is very excited. Late Thursday I will leave from Kenya and head to Thailand for a week of backpacking and relaxation. Please pray for my safety, as I am travelling solo in a foreign country!
So this will probably be my last post until I get back to Australia. Once I return (lord-willing), I will post up some final pictures. I praise God so much for this incredible experience. My health has been almost perfect, apart from some initial stomach adjustments and the Doxycycline-induced dreams. We have all been kept safe in our travelling and our work. We have made fantastic progress on the Village infrastructure. We have made many lovely friends and been touched by the children and staff at the Village. I hope we have been able to encourage them too. We have had our eyes opened to the sovereignty and majesty of God. We have been amazed and encouraged by the number of Christians and their vibrant worship. I have been able to sponsor a young man's University education. My love for God has become more real and personal. And my initial desires of working in Africa one day have been confirmed. Praise God.
On Tuesday, we leave for Kenya at 4am. We arrive at our safari in Masai Mara late that day, and stay for two nights. The park has an excellent reputation, and everyone is very excited. Late Thursday I will leave from Kenya and head to Thailand for a week of backpacking and relaxation. Please pray for my safety, as I am travelling solo in a foreign country!
So this will probably be my last post until I get back to Australia. Once I return (lord-willing), I will post up some final pictures. I praise God so much for this incredible experience. My health has been almost perfect, apart from some initial stomach adjustments and the Doxycycline-induced dreams. We have all been kept safe in our travelling and our work. We have made fantastic progress on the Village infrastructure. We have made many lovely friends and been touched by the children and staff at the Village. I hope we have been able to encourage them too. We have had our eyes opened to the sovereignty and majesty of God. We have been amazed and encouraged by the number of Christians and their vibrant worship. I have been able to sponsor a young man's University education. My love for God has become more real and personal. And my initial desires of working in Africa one day have been confirmed. Praise God.
Friday, 30 September 2011
Random Remarks
I thought I'd just write a post about some of the things that interest me and amuse me:
The other day when our African worker sneezed, Gladyce said "Bless you." He replied, "A-men!" Obviously not familiar with that term.
Ugandan roofing iron is so thin, it can be torn with bare hands.
A woman who sometimes cooks at the Village is called Elizabeth, and we have begun to call her "Queen Elizabeth". The other day she was at our house and introduced us to her son, David. Rob greeted her as "Queen Elizabeth" and then asked what David's name was. Without a moments hesitation, he replied "King David." It was funny because he is so shy, yet his response was instant, witty, and biblical.
We worked an 11 hour day today, and have finished nearly everything. Tomorrow we take the day off and listen to the footy final on the radio.
Food at Subi house has been incredibly good. Last night Ron and Anne made us deep fried banana and pinapple fritters with ice cream, and tonight we had fresh and fluffy sultana scrolls.
I have taken 8gb of photos.
On average, we only have power and water half the time. Apparently the government is trying to save resources (thankfully we have solar power for our lights).
Last night I was lying in bed and suddenly thought, "I am actually lying in bed somewhere in the heart of Africa!" Sometimes life here becomes almost normal... yet so drastically different at the same time. People still eat, sleep, work, shop, and study... but all those things are done totally differently.
My talk at the school went really well. I definitely enjoy public speaking (still no nerves), and they seemed to appreciate the message. It was amazing to see such genuine and godly faith being publicly displayed by a group of teenagers. It simply wouldn't happen back home...
I get up at 7 o'clock every morning. (For those who don't know me very well, that is VERY early!)
Safari will be amazing... the park is top notch, and good photos are guaranteed!
I am now tired and going to bed. Adieu.
The other day when our African worker sneezed, Gladyce said "Bless you." He replied, "A-men!" Obviously not familiar with that term.
Ugandan roofing iron is so thin, it can be torn with bare hands.
A woman who sometimes cooks at the Village is called Elizabeth, and we have begun to call her "Queen Elizabeth". The other day she was at our house and introduced us to her son, David. Rob greeted her as "Queen Elizabeth" and then asked what David's name was. Without a moments hesitation, he replied "King David." It was funny because he is so shy, yet his response was instant, witty, and biblical.
We worked an 11 hour day today, and have finished nearly everything. Tomorrow we take the day off and listen to the footy final on the radio.
Food at Subi house has been incredibly good. Last night Ron and Anne made us deep fried banana and pinapple fritters with ice cream, and tonight we had fresh and fluffy sultana scrolls.
I have taken 8gb of photos.
On average, we only have power and water half the time. Apparently the government is trying to save resources (thankfully we have solar power for our lights).
Last night I was lying in bed and suddenly thought, "I am actually lying in bed somewhere in the heart of Africa!" Sometimes life here becomes almost normal... yet so drastically different at the same time. People still eat, sleep, work, shop, and study... but all those things are done totally differently.
My talk at the school went really well. I definitely enjoy public speaking (still no nerves), and they seemed to appreciate the message. It was amazing to see such genuine and godly faith being publicly displayed by a group of teenagers. It simply wouldn't happen back home...
I get up at 7 o'clock every morning. (For those who don't know me very well, that is VERY early!)
Safari will be amazing... the park is top notch, and good photos are guaranteed!
I am now tired and going to bed. Adieu.
Tuesday, 27 September 2011
Me - with the slop that looks like melted chocolate.
"Oompa Loompa, Loompa-dee-doo...
I slop the walls with my choc-o-late brew."
The church drums
The Source of the Nile - moderately attractive but terribly touristy
Picturesque - on the Nile
Some local school boys who took a liking to our hats
A back-street of Jinja
Selling his wares on the streets of Jinja
Women at work - tough as nails
Robert - One of my favourite Village faces!
My little shadow - can't work out his name!
Rachel - a pretty face
David, our worker - who has worn that t-shirt everyday since I arrived
One of the six Village puppies - full of worms and horribly in-bred
Herding down the road
Some lovely orphans
Me and David - the man who I'm sending to University
The kitchen with the roof frame going up
Saturday, 24 September 2011
One Week in Africa
Hey there! I have now lived in Africa for 1 week... And mercifully the time is not dragging or flying. The work on the houses is going great. We have put up the roofing frame for the kitchen, completed the wall-mudding in one house, finished the window sills, and installed window bars and doors on both houses. Initially I felt that our team was a little small, but we have found that less actually means more, which is good. We are working along side some native Ugandans, who prove to be steady and faithful workers. They have mastered the leisurely level of exertion which is necessary to survive the African sun. We are coping too, but slip-slop and water are essential. It is not massively hot (about 30C), but the sun pours down consistently and can be quite intense, especially with humidity. Amazingly, God is giving me good rest at night, despite it only dropping to 25C. Other members of the team are not do lucky, worsened by some bouts of diareha(?).
My souvenir shopping has commenced and is good fun, although I have resolved to do minimal bartering. After all, I would only save about 50 cents, yet that money is so important to them. My speaking engagement had been confirmed for Tuesday night at the school. It is not clear whether I will be speaking only to the 50-odd Christian students, or the whole school. I am not too fazed, but your prayers would be appreciated, that God would use my words to encourage them and inspire them.
Tonight we went to the village after dinner and gave each child a bottle of blowing bubbles. This was VERY well received, as you can imaginr. Then we joined everyone for "devotions". We started with everyone singing together, accompanied by drums and clapping. Then everyone prays to God at the same time, and the kids take turns to give a testimony. This means they stand up and give a reason to praise God. For example, "Praise God..." Everyone says "Amen!"... "I praise God for the gift of knowledge." Everyone claps. Then Glenn and his son Rubin did a cute puppet show, followed by a reading of Psalm 23. Then I played the guitar, and we all taught them how to sing "My God is so big" with actions. Our night was concluded by everyone getting glow sticks and dancing around in the dark. They are incredible fun to play with, and very sincere in their love for God.
I think I'll call it a night... More photos are coming as soon as I get on a laptop. (this is typed on an Ipad). God bless!
My souvenir shopping has commenced and is good fun, although I have resolved to do minimal bartering. After all, I would only save about 50 cents, yet that money is so important to them. My speaking engagement had been confirmed for Tuesday night at the school. It is not clear whether I will be speaking only to the 50-odd Christian students, or the whole school. I am not too fazed, but your prayers would be appreciated, that God would use my words to encourage them and inspire them.
Tonight we went to the village after dinner and gave each child a bottle of blowing bubbles. This was VERY well received, as you can imaginr. Then we joined everyone for "devotions". We started with everyone singing together, accompanied by drums and clapping. Then everyone prays to God at the same time, and the kids take turns to give a testimony. This means they stand up and give a reason to praise God. For example, "Praise God..." Everyone says "Amen!"... "I praise God for the gift of knowledge." Everyone claps. Then Glenn and his son Rubin did a cute puppet show, followed by a reading of Psalm 23. Then I played the guitar, and we all taught them how to sing "My God is so big" with actions. Our night was concluded by everyone getting glow sticks and dancing around in the dark. They are incredible fun to play with, and very sincere in their love for God.
I think I'll call it a night... More photos are coming as soon as I get on a laptop. (this is typed on an Ipad). God bless!
Wednesday, 21 September 2011
Hard at work
Work has commenced at the Village of hope, and things are looking good. House five and six have brick walls and a roof, but they still need many hours of work in order for them to be ready for more occupants. A mix of mud, sand, lime, bitumen, and water is used to coat the interior walls... But it requires strenuous application using brooms. The shoulder muscles are growing, and at the end of each day, I have the appearance of an orc! We have now completed 3 1/2 rooms, taking about 7 solid hrs. 4 1/2 to go. Back home i would consider it to be a miserable job; but in Uganda it is so rewarding to work for an obvious good cause.
The team consists of three men, three women, and two boys. Jobs and time-spent-working are distributed at appropriate levels of capability, and everyone is coping. Health is generally good, although some meals have been producing interesting effects on one's stomach. Also the malaria tablets bring on occasional light headedness and travel sickness, adding a fun dimension to life! The mission house employs an amazing cook called Lucy, who is preparing a lovely mixture of African and Western meals. Sometimes we eat a meal at the Village, which is great... The natives have an enormous appetite, and even the kids are eating as much as me!
Highlights so far have included riding on a boda-boda (motorbike), buying beautiful carvings in the town of Jinja, taking some good photos, experiencing African church, and meeting numerous awesome children who are so happy, friendly, anc beautiful. Ron and Anne are the current missionary's over here, and they have been very welcoming and helpful. Anne is lining up speaking engagement for me at the school (180 ppl, yeeks!) where I will probably give a devotion and say whatever else comes to mind. God also seems to be opening a door for me to potentially sponsor the education of a 19 yr old man, which would be very exciting.
In closing, i will mention my experiences concerning culture shock. To my suprise, i have felt very at home and at peace here, and in many ways i feel better about this country than my own. I did not expect to feel guilty for not feeling guilty! There is much sadness concerning poverty, hunger, and sickness which cannot be undermined... Yet our culture has many of its own short-fallings as well. The positive way that Ugandans approach life is inspiring, and the sinmplicity of life is rather appealing. To conclude, I have not been overly swamped by pity and guilt concerning Ugandan life. But there is a great need here, and I would LOVE to do more work here in the future.
The team consists of three men, three women, and two boys. Jobs and time-spent-working are distributed at appropriate levels of capability, and everyone is coping. Health is generally good, although some meals have been producing interesting effects on one's stomach. Also the malaria tablets bring on occasional light headedness and travel sickness, adding a fun dimension to life! The mission house employs an amazing cook called Lucy, who is preparing a lovely mixture of African and Western meals. Sometimes we eat a meal at the Village, which is great... The natives have an enormous appetite, and even the kids are eating as much as me!
Highlights so far have included riding on a boda-boda (motorbike), buying beautiful carvings in the town of Jinja, taking some good photos, experiencing African church, and meeting numerous awesome children who are so happy, friendly, anc beautiful. Ron and Anne are the current missionary's over here, and they have been very welcoming and helpful. Anne is lining up speaking engagement for me at the school (180 ppl, yeeks!) where I will probably give a devotion and say whatever else comes to mind. God also seems to be opening a door for me to potentially sponsor the education of a 19 yr old man, which would be very exciting.
In closing, i will mention my experiences concerning culture shock. To my suprise, i have felt very at home and at peace here, and in many ways i feel better about this country than my own. I did not expect to feel guilty for not feeling guilty! There is much sadness concerning poverty, hunger, and sickness which cannot be undermined... Yet our culture has many of its own short-fallings as well. The positive way that Ugandans approach life is inspiring, and the sinmplicity of life is rather appealing. To conclude, I have not been overly swamped by pity and guilt concerning Ugandan life. But there is a great need here, and I would LOVE to do more work here in the future.
Tuesday, 20 September 2011
Sunday, 18 September 2011
Arrival in Africa
34 hours, from door to door. Quite a long journey, matched only by the length of my cramped legs. In the past I have always considered myself a competent sleeper, but airplanes don't appear to be my strong-point; I think I got about 3 hrs in total. But the scenery made it all worthwhile! Entering Africa and watching the Dubai desert turn into rolling green hills was amazing, and the famous red ground in Uganda is very striking from the air. The highlight for me was flying over the Nile River: wide, winding, and long. To think that it once flowed with blood in the time of Moses just blew my mind... It makes history seem so real.
Entering Uganda was magical. I knew that developing countries were very different from home, and I had seen photos of what it looked like. But nothing can prepare you for the complete cultural difference. Red dust... huts everywhere, made out of mud and sticks... motorbike taxis (boda-boda) weaving in and out of traffic... endless people... a buzzing hive of simple ingenuity and beautiful poverty. The friendliness of the people is particularly special. They will stare without shame as the bus-load of white people passes... but as soon as you smile or wave, they break into a grin and return the greeting. Quite a refreshing change from our Western snobbery. After 5 hours of grinding traffic in our vintage bus, we arrived at Suubi House (the mission home) and went straight to bed.
Waking to the crowing rooster, we headed up the red mud road to meet the orphans at the Village of Hope. Initially shy, they quickly warmed to us and we were soon holding hands and making 32 new friends. They are simply beautiful: black, gentle, and incredibly happy. I thought that the general population was friendly, but these Christian kids beam with joy. With kids hanging off every available limb, we headed to church. African drums, dancing, singing... simple faith and love for God. There were about 60 people there, and 80% of them were children. Everything is translated, and the local black pastor spoke for about an hour. (I did my maths and figured that's only about a 30 minute message, but in two languages.) Hearing the united voices of these struggling Africans singing, "let our poor say 'I am rich'" was very moving.
Lunch at Suubi house was followed by a visit to the local town of Jinja, about 15 minutes away. I explored many souvenir shops selling everything African, a derelict market of fantastic foods and scary meats, and took an awesome ride on a boda-boda. Heading back to the Village, we had a great dinner of Irish potatoes and boiled goat. The kids gathered round after the meal to sing, drum, and clap. We finished the night by blowing up a big bag of balloons, to their immense joy. It has been an action packed first day, and words do not do justice to the things I have seen and experienced. God is truly amazing and truly loved by the believers over here. His glory seems so much greater when you travel to the other side of the world and find hundreds of other people praising His name.
I'll end here. We are all tired but in good health and loving every minute of it. Your prayers would be greatly appreciated... for us a team, but mostly for the beautiful people of this country, who are so rich despite their physical poverty.
Entering Uganda was magical. I knew that developing countries were very different from home, and I had seen photos of what it looked like. But nothing can prepare you for the complete cultural difference. Red dust... huts everywhere, made out of mud and sticks... motorbike taxis (boda-boda) weaving in and out of traffic... endless people... a buzzing hive of simple ingenuity and beautiful poverty. The friendliness of the people is particularly special. They will stare without shame as the bus-load of white people passes... but as soon as you smile or wave, they break into a grin and return the greeting. Quite a refreshing change from our Western snobbery. After 5 hours of grinding traffic in our vintage bus, we arrived at Suubi House (the mission home) and went straight to bed.
Waking to the crowing rooster, we headed up the red mud road to meet the orphans at the Village of Hope. Initially shy, they quickly warmed to us and we were soon holding hands and making 32 new friends. They are simply beautiful: black, gentle, and incredibly happy. I thought that the general population was friendly, but these Christian kids beam with joy. With kids hanging off every available limb, we headed to church. African drums, dancing, singing... simple faith and love for God. There were about 60 people there, and 80% of them were children. Everything is translated, and the local black pastor spoke for about an hour. (I did my maths and figured that's only about a 30 minute message, but in two languages.) Hearing the united voices of these struggling Africans singing, "let our poor say 'I am rich'" was very moving.
Lunch at Suubi house was followed by a visit to the local town of Jinja, about 15 minutes away. I explored many souvenir shops selling everything African, a derelict market of fantastic foods and scary meats, and took an awesome ride on a boda-boda. Heading back to the Village, we had a great dinner of Irish potatoes and boiled goat. The kids gathered round after the meal to sing, drum, and clap. We finished the night by blowing up a big bag of balloons, to their immense joy. It has been an action packed first day, and words do not do justice to the things I have seen and experienced. God is truly amazing and truly loved by the believers over here. His glory seems so much greater when you travel to the other side of the world and find hundreds of other people praising His name.
I'll end here. We are all tired but in good health and loving every minute of it. Your prayers would be greatly appreciated... for us a team, but mostly for the beautiful people of this country, who are so rich despite their physical poverty.
Wednesday, 14 September 2011
Sunday, 11 September 2011
Days to Departure: 5
Vaccinations: tick
Malaria Tablets: tick
Bible: tick
Nervous excitment: tick
Only 5 days till I leave for the Village of Hope in Jinja, Uganda.
It is home to many African orphans, each living in a house of 8 children and being mothered by a Christian widow. We hope to assist in the building and maintenace of their homes, and to participate in village life any way we can. Lord willing it will be a fantastic 3 weeks of challenge and encouragement, both for us and them. Your prayers would be greatly appreciated.
Malaria Tablets: tick
Bible: tick
Nervous excitment: tick
Only 5 days till I leave for the Village of Hope in Jinja, Uganda.
It is home to many African orphans, each living in a house of 8 children and being mothered by a Christian widow. We hope to assist in the building and maintenace of their homes, and to participate in village life any way we can. Lord willing it will be a fantastic 3 weeks of challenge and encouragement, both for us and them. Your prayers would be greatly appreciated.
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