Well, it's hard to know where begin after going through several rather eventful weeks without visiting my little blog site. Best to just dive right in...
After my terrifying trip down the Nile and before my birthday Melissa and I had the chance to head up to northern Uganda to the SP office in Lira. If the words Lord's Resistance Army, "night commuters", or Invisible Children ring a bell then you have heard about the situation up north. Over the last two decades the LRA has internally displaced massive amounts of Ugandans and gained a reputation for its routine practices of child abduction (often to be given as wives or trained as soldiers) and many other attrocities. SP began working in northern Uganda several years ago in partnership with the World Food Program in order to give food to people living in refugee camps. Around Lira the camps have pretty much diappeared as a measure of stability has allowed people to return to their homes. SP now works in resettlement and rebuilding activities. We visited a women's vocational program. I loved it. I love programs like that. I have more I could say about this, but maybe I'll save that for another time.
While in northen Uganda we joined forces with the American SP interns (a married couple about my age) and we headed to a game park for the weekend. We saw a LOT of giraffes and camped at the top of one of the world's most powerful waterfalls. There were a number of hippos about and I was afraid one of them would step on my tent while I was sleeping and I would become the owner of a very embarrasing eulogy. My fears were unfounded.
Then it was back to the capital and then back to the village. Our country director asked Melissa and I to do a survey of homes who received water filters in 2006/2007. This turned into a task that more or less consumed our lives for the past three weeks and involved a lot of trekking down little paths and plunging my arms in filters full of
murky water in dark corners of mud hut homes. All in all, it was great. Wonderful to be working hands on with the filter again after doing office work for the past while, and great to see that the water project has been successful. Now all the data is in and the report is (almost...oh, so close!) done.
The water project is also wrapping up their current cycle and looking ahead to the next few years. Staff has been busy collecting survey data in possible operation areas and Melissa and I have been keeping the home fires burning. This has entailed drinking a lot of chai and entering thousands of surveys into spreadsheets. We are now in the process of writing a proposal for funding for the next several years. This, (together with the 2006/2007 survey and planning the staff Christmas party- pictures to come, I'm sure), has kept us rather busy for the last month. This is great. We have learned so much and we have loved it, but we are VERY excited for our upcoming Christmas holiday.
Oh! In the midst of all the data entry, etc, our lovely boss came all the way from Canada for a visit! It was lovely, and provided us with a great excuse to go back to our favorite national park. We miss you, Raiji!
We also had another Children's Hygiene Fair. It was great. Sorry to overuse the term "great" in this post, but, it's been a _____ month!
(As a note, only 10% of the thousands of homes we surveyed had an improved water source. This is awful and makes me feel sick at heart. The water project out here is so needed and it is a priviledge to be a part of it for this short time. When I was doing the 2006/2007 survey I was amazed to hear people talk about the difference the filter has made in their lives. One lady even did a little dance. It really does provide clean, safe drinking water in a user friendly and environmentally friendly way. It's wonderful technology and I think God for it. If you have thought about becoming a part of the Samaritan's Purse Turn On The Tap campaign to raise money for filter projects around the world, I would highly recommend that you get involved.
Water is life, as we like to say around here.)
This week Melissa and I are headed to the capital city and won't be back out in the village until January. On Friday I am going solo all the way to Nairobi to see my dear, dear, dear to the point that I should capitalize "dear" friends, Clayton and Esther who are volunteering in Kenya for a few months. I am so excited to see them for a few days, and then it's back to Uganda in time for Christmas Day. Then...December 26, 2008. A day Melissa and I have been dreaming of for months...the day we fly to Zanzibar! We are going for a week's vacation to what we hear is a lovely island with white beaches and yummy seafood. We are so excited. Then, we are back to Uganda for our last 2 1/2 weeks! Can it be? Where did the time go?
I'm not thinking too much about leavning Uganda because it makes me quite sad. Instead, I am thinking about seeing so many dear people in Canada...and having a belated Thanksgiving dinner (mom, I am serious about that. I need, not want, need
cranberry sauce).
Monica is doing so well. She has adapted beautifully to having only one hand- it is really remarkable. After talking with a surgeon here in Uganda and a physician in Canada who has a wealth of experience working in Nigeria, we have decided not to pursue a prosthetic for Monica. There are a lot of reasons, and it was a hard decision, but in the end I have a lot of peace about it. I talked things over with Monica's family the other day and I think we are all on the same page. Please pray for her grandfather, if you think of it. He has congestive heart failure and when I saw him last week he had really gone down hill. In addition to the heart, I suspect that something serious is going on with his liver and his lungs are full of fluid. I am thinking that we might try to get him to our local hospital this next week; he is so miserable right now and there is nothing that can be done for him out in his village. Hard stuff.
To close, here is a photo of two highlights of the last month:
My friend braided my hair, and we got a cat (not in that order).
