Travelling Blogger Mari

Hi All, Sorry about the big gap in my reporting, but been a little bit busy. Generally speaking my weekly programme falls into Monday (if I am not away on a trip) catch up with washing, sort out Bible Studies for the coming week, and generally help around the house if needed. Sometimes I go into Kampala with Emi and I get a chance to use really good internet facilities with a fast connection. I am usually there 2 hours catching up, the journey takes about one hour each way, and sometimes Emi and I have to meet with various Pastors about this or that, so much of the day is gone.
Tuesday, sometimes into Kampala if I haven't managed to do it on Monday, then in the evening I usually go with Emi to the Bweyogerere Bible Study Group, where usually I have done the lesson. We get back home about 8.30 p.m. and by the time the meal is served and eaten, prayer and worship with the family, it is time to fall into bed! Recently on Wednesday I have been travelling to the village of Butinindi to help the nurse with mini-medical missions. The village is about and hour or more in the car. The road can be really bad if it rains - and it usually does. A few weeks ago we went there in a hired taxi (normal saloon car). There was Flo, the Nurse, and me and the driver Fred. About half way there, the main road became a large mud-pat and the driver had a terrrible job just keeping the car out of the ditch. We managed to visit quite a few of the old people and treat kids and ladies along the way. The return journey was even more scarey, but Fred got us through. Butinindi is the village where Flo and Emi have a small plot of land and they grow food there to feed the whole of Bweyogerere School as well as various poor families. Flo goes there most Fridays to collect all the food in the pick-up truck. They also have a house there and occasionally Flo stays the night - she loves being close to the land and having the quiet of the village, if only for a short while.
The next week we went there with 2 nurses, Flo, me and Fred - bit of a crush in the car! We ministered to 130 people, and could have been there still if we had not had to get out of there before the rain! Once we got passed the worse part of the little village road, the driver said to me - Can you drive?...... Yep!...... ok come and drive, I'm tired!!! But I don't have the right Driving Licence. Fred looks dazed...... "but this is Uganda!!!". Oh well, it was a challenge, so off we went, and we got some really funny looks that a Mzungu was driving 4 Ugandans. I drove for about 45 minutes and didn't crash his car, so he was pleased.
Yesterday, I made the journey again in the pick-up truck with Henry the driver for the school. There are only 2 seats and an area to carry vegetables etc. in the rear of the vehicle. The weather didn't look promising so we knew we would have to be quick. We managed the last part of the really narrow village road, until we came across a large lorry blocking the road. The driver advised us to leave the vehicle there and go on foot. Which we did, fortunately not too far, but very muddy. We got to Wilson's house, the elderly man who has a nasty ulcer on his foot. Unfortunately the dressing the nurse did the previous week had come off and it was open to all the dirt etc. I managed to redress it and bandage it firmly. There was another old man with a similar injury on his lower leg. A local man offered to take us to his house, but as we set off, the rain came pouring down and Henry and I were soaked to the skin before we reached the vehicle. We decided we could not chance going further to set off back to the main road, with the vehicle skidding and sliding and finally coming to a halt by a mini-river of water and a deep rut. There was nothing for it, I had to get out and push. Within seconds, I can covered with mud from head to foot as the back wheels spun around in a vain effort to move the car. I then stepped into the little 'river' which went over the top of my boots (knew they would come in handy!). After a while we got it out only to come up against the lorry which had moved its position! Again we laboured while the lorry driver sat in his cab looking on. Finally 3 young men came to our rescue and we virtually lifted it up onto the bank and guided it passed the Lorry. I returned home about one and half hours later. When Florence opened the door, she was totally speachless.... my clothes are still lying in a basin waiting to be washed and I am wondering.... is it easier to through them away? What do you think folks?
Thursday, its either Kampala for emailing, or sorting things out at home. Also Bible Study as I usually go to Sonde Church in the evening to lead their meeting. Not a lot of people come, but those that do seem to have got a lot out of it, and anyway, it gives me the chance to see my grandaughter - Marie - who kindly did a poo all over me last week!!
The last few weekends I have been away from Friday to either Sunday or Monday. I think Beki has told you a little about our visit to Soroti and the camp where the people lived after the flooding last year. Originally there were about 400 people, but around 200 had returned to their own places. The remaining people have built mud houses and burned it into a little township. The Pastor - Samuel - was an older man (well, probably a bit younger than me!). About 80 people came to the church to meet us. They are great worshippers (even without drums). I got some film footage which I hope will be good. Beki and I both spoke, with Pastor Francis translating. We had a meal with Pastor Samuel and his wife and family afterwards. Everyone was so grateful for the assistance we sent last year.
I HAVE A HORRIBLE FEELING I HAVE ALREADY TOLD YOU ALL THIS, IF I HAVE FORGIVE ME.
Sunday we attended Pastor Francis Church. We both spoke. There were some other Mzungu's there. A family from USA, a young couple with 2 little daughters (5 and 3 years) and the lady was pregnant. They have already been in Soroti about 1 year and intend to stay for about 5 years. From time to time they go back to the USA, as they will soon for the delivery of their baby, and they hope to return about a month later. The man helps disciple Pastors in the surrounding area and does a lot of work with the blind, of which there seems to be a higher than average amount, he also does the Sunday School. I believe the lady is involved in widows projects etc. Apparently there are over 200,000 widows in that area! Seems unbelievable. The lady we stayed with (also a widow around 35 years) does a lot to mobilise them, organising conferences, bible study, prayer meetings, etc. She has also got a "slot" on the local radio.
Pastor Francis and his wife Maggie, were lovely people, they have 2 sets of twins and a single child born in between. We went to their house on the first night for our evening meal.
The journey to and fro was a bit of a nightmare. Going wasn't too bad as Beki, Baby Charles and me sat on a 3 seater. On the way back Beki and I had to share with a lady, who was next to me..... well almost sitting on my lap most of the time, and what with her 2 chickens under my seat, I hardly moved for about 4 hours and was stiff as a board when we came to our destination..... ho hum..... all in a day's work!
RWANDA -
I had a few pre-conceived notions of what it may be like there, but none of them were vaguely near the reality. We set off last Friday around 6 a.m. as we were worried about getting through the traffic in Kampala, which is a nightmare by about 7 a.m. Consequently we got to the bus station too early - well, better than missing the coach which was due to leave around 8.30 a.m. Pastor Emi and Isaiah, dumped their bags by me and Flo and said to each other, "lets have a cup of tea" and left us standing there! Flo and I looked at each other and she said.... "Marie, men are very difficult, that is why I am waiting for Jesus to come back!" (and so say all of us!!!) An Asian company does the run to Rwanda and they left on time. Well the next 10 hours are a blur, mainly because we were travelling at speeds exceeding 80 mph. He made a few brief stops for people to jump off for the loo and if they were lucky by something to eat (I didn't get off). The palava at the border has to be experienced to be believed. We had to get off the bus, leaving our main luggage, and queue up to get our passports checked and stamped. Some people ended up in the wrong line, so there was a lot of pushing and shoving - We then had to walk across the border - about 50 yards. Then go into the other sides passport office etc. etc. When we returned to the bus all the bags are on the ground and we each have to open our bag and they check for who knows what, but mainly for plastic bags (or cavera, as they are called here). They are NOT allowed into Rwanda. People returned to the bus with all their worldly goods in paper bags.... fortunately we had already heard about this and had not packed any. Think about it.... what do you do with a wet flannel, or toothbrush, or dirty shoes??
Another 2/3 hours and we reached Kigali (Chigali). Pastor Joseph was there to meet us. He had taken 2 days off work and borrowed a car so that he could host us properly. I had already been impressed by the tarmac roads everywhere, the place was so clean you could have ate your dinner off the pavement. There were surprisingly few people around compared to Uganda where the population seems to have "exploded" literally. There were proper "pavements" unknown in Uganda except in Kampala. We had a meal at his home. His wife, Dorothy, was a gem. If you read Proverbs - The good women, think its in the last chapter, you will have some idea of what she was like. The food was good and plentiful, they went to a lot of trouble. We were lodging in a sort-of convent place, run by Catholic nuns. It was very clean and quite, so a real refuge after that long journey. We had our breakfast there each day, but our other meals with Pastor Joseph's family. He had 4 children - 3 boys and a girl - but one boy was killed in a car crash. All the children were involved in the church, were so respectful and helping around the home, it was so lovely to see them. The oldest boy seemed to run the worship group and plays the keyboard and sings. Their girl - Mercy - was in the choir and can also do a pretty mean Rwandan traditional dance (more about that later). About lunch time on Saturday we visited a church that Pastor Isaiah encourages. The choir sang and each of us brought a little greeting - but I was "sort-of" the main speaker. I spoke about shining for Jesus and as the church was set on a hill (of which Rwanda has many) the point was not lost on them. Pastor Joseph then took us to the Genocide Memorial, which I couldn't go into here, I still feel so emotional about it, but perhaps when I return, I can share it with those who are interested. After about an hour, I came upon Joseph standing quietly staring into space. I asked him if he had brought many visitors there. He said "many". I said it must be very upsetting and emotional for him.... and all he said was "we lost all of our families". After that I just couldn't stay there any longer. Florence had already gone out to sit in the gardens, where the remains of many of the victims are buried. We felt it was best to call it a day. In all the time we were there, I only saw about 3 people over the age of 40 years. Apparently the average age is about 15 years.
On Sunday we went to Joseph's church for the morning and evening service, both lasting around 3 hours, with lunch in between. There were choirs, preaching, speaking, more details on my return. One very interesting thing. There was a man there who I can only describe as a tribal "wise man". He was traditionally dressed and had his hair cut in a tribal style (I have a photo). He sung a song (in Rwandees) and narrated a poem, both of which he wrote just to welcome us. He was a fascinating character. Later 6 or 8 of the younger girls did some traditional dancing and suddenly pulled Emi and me out the front.... well we did our best, that tribal man really knew how to dance and I just copied him as best I could. Florence was "spitting feathers" that she had not recorded it!!! ME - I'm glad!!
We travelled back early on Monday morning. We were on the coach about 10 hours including the time at the border - and I had to pay about 25 pounds to re-enter Uganda - cheek! When we go to Kampala, we hired a private taxi as the traffic was so bad, but still ended up in 2 hours of traffic jams. So all in all we were on the go about 14 hours during which time, neither Flo nor I went to the loo (mainly because they hardly stopped), and we travelled on a boiled egg, 1 bottle of water apiece, and a coke. By the time we reached home, I could hardly stand, my body was shaking so much, I had to lie down and have a cup of sweet tea, kindly made by Beki. Well, folks, think thats about enough from me...... off to Bugiri tomorrow until Sunday, hope to update early next week. Mari, reporting from Uganda