April has indeed brought on the rains and we are so thankful! Our homes do not have air conditioning. We rely on fans and open windows which give us some respite from the heat, but also lets in the dust.
Our home is just off of a busy road. Some parts of it are paved, some are a mixture of dirt and corroded pavement (or tarmac as it is called here) and some is just pure dirt, which is what runs in front of our house.
Before eating each meal of the day we have to wipe down the table and sometimes the plates since they are stored on an open shelf in the dining room.
The rain brings a much awaited coolness, but can also make traveling a bit more difficult; as we saw on our recent journey to a Women's Retreat in Kenya. We have found many times in Africa that the more difficult the journey, the more sweet the fellowship when we finally get there.
We hoped that by getting out of the van (in the rain) that it would lighten it enough to get through this patch. but thankfully some men came to our aid, pushed the van out of the rut it was in and then told the driver a different path to take to go around it.
We made our way, slipping and sliding through the mud (I took off my sandals and just walked barefoot with the mud squishing through my toes) and then thankfully piled in and continued on the way to the retreat.
Uganda like many nations in the continent of Africa has such contrasts that it keeps you on your toes. We can go to the supermarket and see dried minnows for sale to eat (a delicacy here) and in the next aisle, Oreos!
We can see a young man tending cows as he walks beside them talking on his cell phone. Poverty, yet uninhibited giving when there is a need or a time to bless someone who has had their first child.
Here in Mbale, Muslims work side by side with Christians. Some of the most powerful testimonies are of Muslims who have become Christians, even though it meant estrangement from their families.
Prayer Requests:
1) We are thankful for the open hearts of so many here in Uganda and for the baptisms we've had this month.
2) Thanksgiving for the generous donation that we received that allowed us to finish an addition to a church member's home. They now have a working toilet and a separate room for the boys, a room for
the girls and a separate room for the grandparents.
3) Prayer for our continued health.
Before eating each meal of the day we have to wipe down the table and sometimes the plates since they are stored on an open shelf in the dining room.
The rain brings a much awaited coolness, but can also make traveling a bit more difficult; as we saw on our recent journey to a Women's Retreat in Kenya. We have found many times in Africa that the more difficult the journey, the more sweet the fellowship when we finally get there.
We hoped that by getting out of the van (in the rain) that it would lighten it enough to get through this patch. but thankfully some men came to our aid, pushed the van out of the rut it was in and then told the driver a different path to take to go around it.
Uganda like many nations in the continent of Africa has such contrasts that it keeps you on your toes. We can go to the supermarket and see dried minnows for sale to eat (a delicacy here) and in the next aisle, Oreos!
Here in Mbale, Muslims work side by side with Christians. Some of the most powerful testimonies are of Muslims who have become Christians, even though it meant estrangement from their families.
1) We are thankful for the open hearts of so many here in Uganda and for the baptisms we've had this month.
2) Thanksgiving for the generous donation that we received that allowed us to finish an addition to a church member's home. They now have a working toilet and a separate room for the boys, a room for
the girls and a separate room for the grandparents.
3) Prayer for our continued health.
