Chapter XXIV
18 September 2007 - Tuesday
This day began with another pouring rainstorm. I brought the laundry in (still damp) last night and I guess I won’t be putting it back out today. Fr. David was gone somewhere and breakfast was sitting out covered with a net. We ate and had coffee and watched the rain pour down. I was wondering how we would visit three different places up winding, muddy mountain roads in this downpour which had no appearance of stopping any time soon. Fr. David finally returned and sat down to eat with us. He explained that there was a clergy meeting at the cathedral that he needed to attend at least for a few minutes before we went visiting. We had an appointment with the attorney at 11:00 and were supposed to be at the school at Nyabushabi at 13:30. It was now 10:00. I asked David if we could come to the clergy meeting with him so we could just proceed on from there. He lit up and said he would love to have us come and observe a clergy meeting here in Kigezi. He said he had not asked because he thought we “feared” the rain. So we tromped out to the car in the rain. Rick and I both sat in the back seat because the passenger side window in the front seat was stuck in the down position and rain was spraying in. By the time we got to the cathedral it had let up to at least normal rain. We were introduced to several priests as we walked in. Fr. David asked the Sub-Dean, who presides over clergy conferences, if we could attend. He said yes, of course, and then joked with us that however most of the proceedings would be in what would seem like a “heavenly language” to us. The agenda turned out to contain, as item #4, the discussion of transfers of lay readers within the Diocese. This is a huge item as the lay readers can be reassigned by the Sub Dean each year and some are known to be much better than others and campaigning goes on to transfer away unwanted ones and get the good ones. So it was very important for Fr. David to be there because his Lay Reader, Richard, is one of the best and he didn’t want to risk losing him by not being there. When we realized how important it was, we told him to be there as long as he needed. So, we arrived at our 11:00 attorney appointment at about 15:00 because the clergy meeting went on until 13:15 and then they insisted we stay and have lunch with them. Fortunately we didn’t eat much because we then came home for lunch before proceeding on to the attorney’s office. We had to collect the property owner first. He owns a shop in the large marketplace so we had to drive back in through the narrow, muddy streets crowded with people walking, bicycles, motorcycles, delivery trucks and an occasional goat. After picking him up we went on to the attorney’s office. The attorney has his office in the third floor of a building just off the main road. We walked up several flights of very steep cement stairs and through a very interesting medley of odors. The attorney had the papers ready so we signed, took pictures, and accomplished a major step toward beginning the orphanage. From there we dropped the owner back at his shop, where Fr. David purchased two area rugs as a surprise for Constance to spruce up the sitting room and also because the Bishop and his wife will be coming to dinner tomorrow night. We discussed the best way to arrange the rugs – Constance wanted them side by side to form a square, but David insisted on putting them end to end through the middle of the room. So, we put them end to end. We had a little ceremony celebrating the new rugs where Constance and I danced down the length of the new rugs followed by David and Rick. A little later, David and Rick left to meet with an architect and a surveyor. While they were gone, Constance and the girls rearranged the rugs into a square (much better arrangement in my opinion) and they will most likely remain that way.
Fr. David and Rick arrived home several hours later having accomplished quite a bit. The architect will begin to design the orphanage per our desires, and the surveyor surveyed the plot and will register it and get us a plot number. This turned to be quite and unexpected expense. I hope there won’t be too many of these!
19 September 2007 – Wednesday
With urgent business taken care of, it was the day to have fun giving gifts. When we first woke up, the humidity was horrible. The sheets were damp. I took a dress off of a hanger and put it on – it felt like it was wet. Rick and I were also waking up with strange insect bites on us which I believe may be from bedbugs. These, along with mosquito bites, were itching and burning. I was so miserable I felt like crying. Again I began to wonder – why am I such a wimp? Other people seem to be able to work right through all their miseries and aches and pains, but when I am physically miserable I can’t even think. So I prayed to God to give me the grace to be a blessing to others even though I felt miserable and grouchy. God is so wonderful! About ½ hour later, the sun came out, and a breeze began to whisper through the eucalyptus trees across the road. I walked outside to put the still damp laundry out once again and it was so beautiful I stayed outside sitting on a low brick wall, eyes closed, praising the Lord for His mercy and grace and His love for me.
Soon, it was time to leave and go to St. Luke’s. We drove up, up, up over bumps and ruts. Fortunately, after Rick showed Fr. David how to clean the air filter on the car, it began being able to climb hills again. We had been concerned because it had been gasping and stalling every time we started up a hill the day before. So, we arrived at the beautiful Lake Bunyoni area. We were supposed to have been there yesterday so they were surprised we were there but immediately set about beating the drums to summon people to the church. While we were waiting, a young man named Andrew arrived. He is one of the students sponsored by someone at St. John’s Roseville. He was dressed very nicely and so happy to meet us. He spoke good English. He is very thankful for the opportunity to continue school. His parents have both died and he lives part time with an uncle and part time with his ancient grandmother, Beatrice, whose only son was Andrew’s father. Beatrice wanted to meet us so we walked down the road to her house. She greeted us leaning heavily on a walking stick and moved so slowly toward us I decided to go to her. By now she was trembling with effort. We greeted her and helped her to sit down on a small stool. As she tried to sit, she cried out in pain. Andrew explained it was her hip which has begun giving her a lot of pain recently. We laid hands on her and prayed the Lord to ease her suffering and heal her body. How she lives there alone most of the time I don’t know. There is no running water or power and she can barely get around. Family and friends do come to help regularly, but she must be very lonely. She blessed us repeatedly for helping Andrew. He said he wants to be an engineer or a business owner.
This day began with another pouring rainstorm. I brought the laundry in (still damp) last night and I guess I won’t be putting it back out today. Fr. David was gone somewhere and breakfast was sitting out covered with a net. We ate and had coffee and watched the rain pour down. I was wondering how we would visit three different places up winding, muddy mountain roads in this downpour which had no appearance of stopping any time soon. Fr. David finally returned and sat down to eat with us. He explained that there was a clergy meeting at the cathedral that he needed to attend at least for a few minutes before we went visiting. We had an appointment with the attorney at 11:00 and were supposed to be at the school at Nyabushabi at 13:30. It was now 10:00. I asked David if we could come to the clergy meeting with him so we could just proceed on from there. He lit up and said he would love to have us come and observe a clergy meeting here in Kigezi. He said he had not asked because he thought we “feared” the rain. So we tromped out to the car in the rain. Rick and I both sat in the back seat because the passenger side window in the front seat was stuck in the down position and rain was spraying in. By the time we got to the cathedral it had let up to at least normal rain. We were introduced to several priests as we walked in. Fr. David asked the Sub-Dean, who presides over clergy conferences, if we could attend. He said yes, of course, and then joked with us that however most of the proceedings would be in what would seem like a “heavenly language” to us. The agenda turned out to contain, as item #4, the discussion of transfers of lay readers within the Diocese. This is a huge item as the lay readers can be reassigned by the Sub Dean each year and some are known to be much better than others and campaigning goes on to transfer away unwanted ones and get the good ones. So it was very important for Fr. David to be there because his Lay Reader, Richard, is one of the best and he didn’t want to risk losing him by not being there. When we realized how important it was, we told him to be there as long as he needed. So, we arrived at our 11:00 attorney appointment at about 15:00 because the clergy meeting went on until 13:15 and then they insisted we stay and have lunch with them. Fortunately we didn’t eat much because we then came home for lunch before proceeding on to the attorney’s office. We had to collect the property owner first. He owns a shop in the large marketplace so we had to drive back in through the narrow, muddy streets crowded with people walking, bicycles, motorcycles, delivery trucks and an occasional goat. After picking him up we went on to the attorney’s office. The attorney has his office in the third floor of a building just off the main road. We walked up several flights of very steep cement stairs and through a very interesting medley of odors. The attorney had the papers ready so we signed, took pictures, and accomplished a major step toward beginning the orphanage. From there we dropped the owner back at his shop, where Fr. David purchased two area rugs as a surprise for Constance to spruce up the sitting room and also because the Bishop and his wife will be coming to dinner tomorrow night. We discussed the best way to arrange the rugs – Constance wanted them side by side to form a square, but David insisted on putting them end to end through the middle of the room. So, we put them end to end. We had a little ceremony celebrating the new rugs where Constance and I danced down the length of the new rugs followed by David and Rick. A little later, David and Rick left to meet with an architect and a surveyor. While they were gone, Constance and the girls rearranged the rugs into a square (much better arrangement in my opinion) and they will most likely remain that way.
Fr. David and Rick arrived home several hours later having accomplished quite a bit. The architect will begin to design the orphanage per our desires, and the surveyor surveyed the plot and will register it and get us a plot number. This turned to be quite and unexpected expense. I hope there won’t be too many of these!
19 September 2007 – Wednesday
With urgent business taken care of, it was the day to have fun giving gifts. When we first woke up, the humidity was horrible. The sheets were damp. I took a dress off of a hanger and put it on – it felt like it was wet. Rick and I were also waking up with strange insect bites on us which I believe may be from bedbugs. These, along with mosquito bites, were itching and burning. I was so miserable I felt like crying. Again I began to wonder – why am I such a wimp? Other people seem to be able to work right through all their miseries and aches and pains, but when I am physically miserable I can’t even think. So I prayed to God to give me the grace to be a blessing to others even though I felt miserable and grouchy. God is so wonderful! About ½ hour later, the sun came out, and a breeze began to whisper through the eucalyptus trees across the road. I walked outside to put the still damp laundry out once again and it was so beautiful I stayed outside sitting on a low brick wall, eyes closed, praising the Lord for His mercy and grace and His love for me.
Soon, it was time to leave and go to St. Luke’s. We drove up, up, up over bumps and ruts. Fortunately, after Rick showed Fr. David how to clean the air filter on the car, it began being able to climb hills again. We had been concerned because it had been gasping and stalling every time we started up a hill the day before. So, we arrived at the beautiful Lake Bunyoni area. We were supposed to have been there yesterday so they were surprised we were there but immediately set about beating the drums to summon people to the church. While we were waiting, a young man named Andrew arrived. He is one of the students sponsored by someone at St. John’s Roseville. He was dressed very nicely and so happy to meet us. He spoke good English. He is very thankful for the opportunity to continue school. His parents have both died and he lives part time with an uncle and part time with his ancient grandmother, Beatrice, whose only son was Andrew’s father. Beatrice wanted to meet us so we walked down the road to her house. She greeted us leaning heavily on a walking stick and moved so slowly toward us I decided to go to her. By now she was trembling with effort. We greeted her and helped her to sit down on a small stool. As she tried to sit, she cried out in pain. Andrew explained it was her hip which has begun giving her a lot of pain recently. We laid hands on her and prayed the Lord to ease her suffering and heal her body. How she lives there alone most of the time I don’t know. There is no running water or power and she can barely get around. Family and friends do come to help regularly, but she must be very lonely. She blessed us repeatedly for helping Andrew. He said he wants to be an engineer or a business owner.
Labels: Uganda Chronicles
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