Summer craziness

In America, summer holidays are often full of camp schedules, Vacation Bible School, family trips and other things. Parents who are at home with kids are remembering that a break from school is anything but a break for the parents. Life often gets hectic and when there are long periods of unscheduled time, we find that there are many behavioral and heart issues to address with our children. 

For the most part we do not have busy schedules here in Uganda, but life has certainly been full! As a teacher, there have been many things that I put off until the school year was over. (Mostly paperwork) This first week after the end of the school year has been full of trying to meet deadlines and take care of things like that. The summer is also busier with many teams visiting GSF. Since our teams coordinator has recently returned the U.S. for a time of rest, each member of our team here is picking up some aspects of her job. It is great to have visitors who come to encourage, help and support our work here, but it also adds a bit to the schedule.

In addition to all of this we have been wanting to do some follow up with people who were diagnosed with cataracts by our friend who is an optometrist when he was visiting. This week we were able to take two of those people to a local hospital to find out if they would qualify for a free surgery. One of the patients does not yet have severe enough cataracts that they would do the procedure, but the other was scheduled for surgery the next day. That meant that we needed to scramble to find someone to go to the hospital with her. No one in her family was available on short notice. Here nurses and doctors care for your medical needs at the hospital, but you always have to go with someone to care for any other needs and help with paperwork, communication, payment, etc. We were thankful that Esther Hannah who usually helps with our children was willing to go along and care for this Jajja. Esther is very gentle and patient which are great characteristics for a setting like this. They spent the majority of the day waiting, but finally the procedure was completed. Then they were told that they needed to come back the next day for a follow-up visit. Here we are as David was helping her back to her house at the end of a long day. 

That evening Zeke came down with a fever and cough, so we decided that David would stay home with the boys, and Esther would come with me as I would drive Esther Hannah and Jajja into town the next day. I also had a few errands related to the paperwork that needed to be finished. It was good to have a date with my girl.

This time their appointment went very quickly, but we decided that we would also take this opportunity to take Jajja for a medical check-up. It sounded as if she was laboring to breathe and she had a bad cough. She also had many body aches and some swelling in her ankles. At the clinic they diagnosed her with pneumonia and we were able to help her get treatment. As I returned home, I was able to finish organizing all of our paperwork and send the necessary emails by the deadline!

Saturday proved to be another full day. Elijah has written a blog post about coming with me and my Bible study group to visit a sick, elderly woman in a "nearby" village. Here is a link to that post if you have not yet read it.

Today is Sunday. This morning, we received a message that Jessica, a girl who lives at GSF, might have broken her foot and needs to be brought into town for an x-ray and to see the doctor. Since the Gwartney family spent yesterday taking another child, Precious, who had a broken leg into town yesterday, we volunteered to take Jessica today. Here is a photo of sweet little Precious. Please pray for her!

So here we are in Jinja waiting... Jessica has already gotten the x-ray and has been waiting several hours now to see the doctor. Our family has been able listen to a sermon and some worship songs in the van, and now we are sitting at a cafe in Jinja waiting for her to be seen.

While life is always busy, I had some strange thought that things would slow down once the school year was over. I know it has only been one week, but that expectation has certainly not come to fruition. As we are busy with things other than our usual routines, I am asking God to give me energy and strength for each day. I'm remembering that in my weakness He is strong. And I am keenly aware that the brokenness in this world around me far exceeds my ability to handle it. But our God is is gracious and compassionate. This morning I read, "In your goodness, O God, you provide for the needy." (Psalm 68:10) and "Father of the fatherless and protector of widows is God in his holy habitation." (Psalm 68:5) As our lives are often "interrupted" with the needs of the fatherless and widows, I am thankful that our God has given us the privilege to be a small part of his care for them.

Elijah's village visit

The following story was written by my 11 year old son, Elijah:

Thirty minutes after leaving, I was beginning to regret my decision to visit a sick Jajja in the village with my mom and her bible study group. I think the only thing that kept me going was the vain hope that there was only "seven more minutes" like our guide, Anthony, said. Surely it must be just around the next corner. But sadly, no.

Ten minutes turned into twenty which turned into fourty which finally turned into an hour. As I was stumbling through sugar cane field after sugar cane field, l tried to wrap my head around the fact that many people do this daily. During the third mile while l was mentally writing my will, I realized we had reached our destination. 

The sick Jajja looked, well, sickly. I heard her rasping breath, the intervals growing longer and longer. We sang a few hymns, read Psalm 23, said the Lord's Prayer, prayed for her and her caregivers and left gifts for them. The people from the Bible study brought beans, flour for posho, sugar, sugarcanes, and gifts of money.

As we left, I wondered how much time the Jajja had remaining.

The walk back was more enjoyable. We took a shortcut that led us over a very steep hill and back home much faster. When we got back, I was in awe of how much hardship the Ugandan people go through daily and yet they are still the most happy  people I know. I definitely don't regret going and am thankful for the opportunity to encourage someone in need.

Celebrating our 3rd school year!

Yesterday we wrapped up our third year teaching here in Uganda! It is hard to believe all that has happened during these 3 school years. Yesterday was a big day of celebrating God's grace to us as we acknowledged ways in which the students have grown in knowledge and maturity. 

We began the morning with the students setting out samples of their work from this year to prepare for the program for their parents. 

All of those books along the back of the table were read by our Omnibus students!  We are encouraged and amazed at all our students were able to do this year! 

And of course there had to be a snack table too! The students made doughnuts, cakes and other treats to help celebrate! 

Here is a photo of all of our students at the beginning of the program reciting John 14:6 in English and Luganda. After that all of our students presented something they learned or produced during the school year including songs, creative writing, reciting poetry and acting out a movie scene translated into Shakespearean language. We have such an amazing group of kids! It is a privilege learning together! 

Since this is the beginning of summer break we wanted to plan some fun, celebratory activities for the evening. We decided to make two separate plans, one for the elementary students and one for the middle and high schoolers. The younger children all came to our house for pizza and a movie and a sleepover in the living room. The girls enjoyed helping make the pizzas. (We had a few extra friends who are siblings of one of our students join in to add to the fun.) 

They were all the most excited about the dessert pizza! Not our most healthy day of eating... (Many thanks to our team from Faith Presbyterian Church for several of these ingredients!)

The kids were setting up for days trying to figure out where everyone would sleep, making beds out of cushions. Here they are in the morning after a few hours of sleep.

Our babysitter stayed with all these kiddos for a few hours while David and I took the middle and high school students out to dinner. It was a very nice time. We went to one of our favorite places, the Rainforest Lodge. It is a peaceful, beautiful place with delicious food not far from where we live! 

We are thankful to have completed this school year and are beginning plans for the next one. Since we will be adding 7 more students, we are busy ordering curriculum and planning schedules. We are still praying that we will be able to find someone to help us teaching next year. Please pray with us and if you have any leads on another teacher, please contact us ASAP! We have seen God's faithful provision for the last 3 years of our school and we look forward to seeing how he will provide for us next year! 

The gift of 40 years!

This past week I celebrated my 40th birthday. As I was approaching this milestone I often would joke that I was now counting years backwards and getting younger each year. As I shared my age with one of my Ugandan friends she responded by saying the Luganda word for "gift." She was saying that 40 years is a gift! 

As I reflected on this several things came to mind. Here is Uganda the life expectancy is in the 50s. It is also a culture that respects and values the elderly. Each year is a gift! 

My scare with the abnormal cells on my tongue was really a wake-up call. It made me realize that none of us are promised tomorrow. When the doctor said something to me about wanting to take care of the problem on my tongue so that I can see my children grow up, I was shocked to think about that. (Since then I have had the abnormal cells removed and have not had any indication of the problem recurring, worsening or spreading.) Having had that scare has helped me see that each day is a gift. I want to be thankful for each day and make sure I am using my days and years for things that will last. 

While one of my students thinks that I am so old that I may have gone to Kindergarten with Jesus, I am celebrating this milestone! God has blessed me with 40 years and I praise Him for that gift!

Here is a photo from celebrating with our missionary team. I love that we use a cross between fireworks and candles to celebrate here! 

The Jewelry Business

I have recently decided to get into the jewelry business. Well, that's not exactly how it went... Several women and teenage girls in Buwundo village were meeting weekly to study the Bible with me. During our prayer request times, some of these women would share about someone who was sick but didn't have the money for medical treatment. Many others were requesting prayer for a way to provide school fees for their children, grandchildren or themselves. Most of these women work in their gardens, but they grow just enough food to feed their families and sometimes a little more to sell and then buy soap or medicine when they are sick. As we gathered to pray, I would ask God to meet their needs. I did not want Bible study to become the place for handouts, but I also would pray for wisdom about how these needs might be met. In order to support these women, I have often bought chickens, woven mats, and other things they have been able to make.

Recently, I found a few women in the village who knew how to make beads out of scrap paper. They also have learned how to take those beads and make some beautiful necklaces. Since there were others who also wanted a way to earn money for school fees, I bought the supplies and offered that others in my Bible study could make these necklaces too. 

Since it was a break between school terms for the Ugandan school system, many families were looking for a way to earn money for the next school term. I began expanding this project to include others, but soon found that I was regularly having people show up at my house asking for supplies or asking to sell their necklaces. Remember that I am a teacher, a wife and a mother of four. People were coming before school as we were getting breakfast or waiting at my house when I got home from school to ask for more supplies or to sell necklaces to me. I quickly realized that this was not going to be a good idea long term. During my day away to pray last week, one of the things I prayed about was how to proceed. I didn't want to shut down the project, but neither did I want to spend every spare moment managing a business on the side. 

As I prayed the idea came to mind of selecting one of these women as a business manager. She could manage the supplies, and I could purchase the finished necklaces once a week on the day of our Bible study. As I prayed about it and then discussed this idea with David, he was supportive of not having our home become a trading center. He also suggested having the women buy the supplies in order for them to have some ownership and use them wisely. After organizing all of my thoughts, I called for a business meeting. I thought the ten or so people who were already coming to my Bible studies and who were currently making necklaces would come, but it was more than double that. I had a friend come to translate whenever my Luganda was not sufficient in order to make sure everything was very clear. He also served as a secretary to help keep our records straight.

I was concerned that the women would not be happy that now they were going to have to purchase supplies when I had provided them for free at first. But when I explained that I was selling them the supplies at a fraction of what I am paying, they broke out in applause. When I explained that we need to pray that we can find a way to sell these necklaces for them in order to continue this project, they prayed. When I explained that they would be only be able to sell to me once a week, they all understood. I was very encouraged about the desire of the women to study the Bible, worship and pray together, which we do each week, but also about their desire to work and save half of what they earn toward school fees for their children.

Today was my first day to buy necklaces from the larger group and the weekend before the start of another school term. The women and teenagers have been working hard in order to sell enough to pay for their next term of school. It was exciting to celebrate with them as they brought many beautiful necklaces, some earrings and a few bracelets to sell. Young children even tried to make some necklaces as they were hoping to earn money to buy snacks or school supplies.

As you can see from the photo, I now have many necklaces! Some of the women are starting to make earrings and bracelets too. While I was wondering and praying about what I would do with all the jewelry that I would buy, a friend connected me with a woman in Jinja who wants to help sell things to support local ministries. I doubt that we will be able sell all of the things I buy at that one store, so I am also sending some of these back to America for some friends to help either sell or distribute for me there. If anyone wants some handmade jewelry and wants to contribute to the needs of my neighbors in Buwundo village, Uganda, let me know!

A day of rest

Our wise Heavenly Father set apart one day a week as a day of rest. We celebrate that day on Sunday, the Lord's Day. But for those who live, work and worship in a cross cultural setting, this rest can be challenging to find. Today is Sunday and before 8am, I have already had someone come to my house asking for assistance to buy a uniform that she needs for going to school tomorrow. Yesterday I had 3 requests from neighbors about helping them in various ways today. Last Sunday David preached. Some weeks I teach children's church with 40-70 children of 3 different language groups in one room. Our worship service is a cross cultural experience that requires a lot of emotional and physical energy to engage. These are all wonderful opportunities to serve, but they can also be exhausting. 

In order to find some time to rest on Sundays, we do close our doors for a few hours in the afternoon and do not receive visitors. We have stopped inviting people over for Sunday lunch because we have realized that our family needs the time to rest. Even with setting these boundaries, it has become evident to me that I need to set apart other times for rest and extended times of prayer and worship in order to be spiritually, emotionally, and physically healthy. 

On Thursday of this past week I took a day away for worship and rest. It was very refreshing and the day flew by. I went to a place nearby called the Rainforest Lodge. True to its name, it is located in the midst of the rainforest. It is a quiet peaceful place with a trail for a walk, benches to sit and rest and a restaurant with delicious food. It is one of my favorite places to go for some peaceful time away. Here is a photo of me on my walk through the forest. I didn't catch any of the monkeys in the photo, but the trees are beautiful!

I am thankful that I was able to take the time away to pray about several things that had been swirling around in my head recently. I also was able to spend a great deal of time thanking God for his many blessings. While sitting on a bench in the rainforest and singing songs of worship, I was overwhelmed by God's loving care for me.

As I looked up at the beautifully diverse canopy of leaves, I saw God's love through creating and sustaining this amazing world. As I read the Bible I was reminded of God's love through his faithful care for his people. And as I wrote in my journal, I remembered the many ways God has shown his loving care to me throughout my life. It was a wonderful day of resting in God's loving care for me! I hope that you are also able to set apart some time to rest in Him! 

"Come to me all who labor and are heavy ladened and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls." Matthew 11:28-29

What a couple of weeks!

It is hard to believe everything that has happened in the past couple of weeks. I can't share everything, but it is amazing to see what God has accomplished and brought us through in these past few weeks. If I were to go into detail this post would be way too long so I will just hit the highlights.

A team of friends from our home church in Georgia came to visit us. This team was comprised of 4 adults and 3 children. They brought many very useful supplies and experienced life with us here in Buwundo, Uganda. One experience was helping David to catch and kill the rat that was driving me crazy! 

In addition to rat catching and general encouragement, they came to do computer training, medical training and an optometry clinic. They saw nearly 400 patients, providing over 100 pairs of glasses for those who needed them. Several people commented that they could now read the Bible since their vision has improved! We are so grateful for this amazing blessing and service they were able to provide. Here is a photo of students waiting for their vision screening to determine if they need to be seen by the optometrist.

After assisting with 3 days of clinics, we taught children's church, took our friends to the source of the Nile, and to see reptiles. Then one of my children started having fevers and was achy which turned out to be strep throat. He was up in the night feeling very ill. He was diagnosed the day before we needed to take our team to the airport and say goodbye.

That night our neighbor boy who is 8 years old and has a seizure disorder wandered off and did not return. His family called me at 11pm after they had already been searching for hours. I prayed with them and supplied some back up lanterns and flashlights since their batteries were running low. It rained extremely hard that night and all I could do was pray most of the night. The next morning one of his aunts found him in a field. He was extremely cold! Here is a photo of another aunt warming him with tea. Praise God he seems to have returned to his normal! 

After our friend was found, we needed to leave to take our team to the airport. Since I was checking on my friends, I needed to quickly pack up and prepare to go. We planned to take them to the zoo and out to eat before dropping them off at the airport. We had a great time and they got to see several Ugandan animals up close and personal. Since their flight was leaving very late at night, we had planned to spend the night at the zoo and then return home to GSF the next day. We made all of those plans before realizing that it would be the day before the presidential inauguration and there would be difficulty driving back. In Entebbe we were diverted to a side road. Since it was raining heavily and the side roads were dirt roads, we moved slowly. We finally reached a point where we were supposed to rejoin a paved road, but there was a big truck stuck in the mud ahead of us. Instead we ended up traveling on back roads all the way around to the west of Kampala in order to take a bypass to the north in order to eventually head east to go home. A normally 4-5 hour trip took about twice that time. At least we did not pass through the part of Kampala where there was tear gas that day. During the bus ride, 2 of our other children began feeling sick. By the time we reached home, I realized that one or both of them also had strep. Cue another 2 nights of kids not sleeping, fevers, etc. David had to drive to Jinja the next day in order to get antibiotics for my other kids. In the meantime we were on a social media block by the Ugandan government. The social media block and road blocks were attempts to prevent riots or terrorist activities during the inauguration. 

While all of this made for a few crazy weeks, the icing on the cake was when I walked out my back door and found my dog playing with something that looked a bit unusual. At first I thought that she had a dead rodent or something. It obviously had fur and she was tossing it into the air. I called David and we walked closer to see what she had. It was goat testicles. Yes, my dog was chewing on and playing with goat testicles. You can't make this stuff up. Our neighbor had slaughtered a goat and our brought us some meat. Then our dog had found the testicles to use as a chew toy.

At the end of these crazy couple of weeks David and I were scheduled to speak at a conference for high school and college students who grew up at GSF. They are in between the first and second terms of school and it is a way for them to connect with each other and those of us here at GSF. We were glad to be a part of the conference, but we also had a full day scheduled. 

We needed to go to Jinja to run a few errands and to celebrate Esther's birthday with some  friends in town. One of Esther's closest friends here in Uganda has a birthday one week before Esther's, so we met at a pool to celebrate together. Actually in the last month 4 of the girls in this family celebrated birthdays. Here is a photo of the birthday girls.

Since the mom is also a friend of mine and she celebrated her birthday while our team was here, her husband offered to keep all 10 of the kids from our 2 families while David ran errands and I took my friend out for a birthday dinner. He may win a dad of the year award for this.

 It was a great end to a very busy couple of weeks! We are praying that today will truly be a day of rest! We only have church and an evening Bible study with neighbors on our schedule. Praying that is similar to what God has planned for us today!