Going back...

So, I got an email from Kris on Sunday, telling me if I want to come visit then April 19 is my arrival date. Lord willing, I'll get to spend about five weeks in Karamoja then. I've been considering this for a long time (well, since last summer), but kept thinking of reasons why it wouldn't work out. Now I'm going back and forth between fearing that things will just be different and weird for some reason (irrational) and just being really, really excited and thankful. I guess I'm just worried because I don't really know what I'll be doing...but that's unreasonable because there'll be plenty to do, and I'll be quite happy doing whatever! And guess how many lists I've already made for this trip? It's sad. Anyway, I'd be grateful for your prayers that God be preparing me now...especially to trust his strength in my weakness and to have a heart and head to serve.

Here's some excerpts from Martha's general email of what to expect in Karamoja:

Nakaale is the name of a little townland just outside the trading center/town of Namalu. If you're looking at a map, Nakaale is roughly halfway between Mbale city (3rd largest city in Uganda) & Moroto town, in Nakapiripirit District, South Karamoja. (You will probably not see the name 'Karamoja' itself on any modern maps, as it was the name given to the entire region under the British, but now the country is broken up into districts, so you have to look for Nakapiripirit to find the modern district name.)

Most people in rural Africa like to greet others & appreciate being greeted. As you are walking along, you may pass people who will say a quick 'ejok' or 'ejok nooi' (hello/good/very good - all meaning basically 'hi'). You may shake hands or not, depending on if you want to stop & say hello, or if they appear to want to. Otherwise you can raise a hand in a 'hi' sort of gesture & just say ejok (pronounced roughly 'eh-JAWK'). (There are many greetings in Karimojong, but that one is adequate.)

WHAT ABOUT CRITTERS & VARMINTS?
You probably won't be sorry to hear it, but gone are the days when the missionaries in Nakaale played rat hockey in the living room...The little lizards you see climbing walls & windows are mostly geckos & skinks & are not only harmless but actually probably helpful in that they eat insects.

The word for 'snake' in Karimojong is "emun" (pronounced like "eh-moon"), but most everyone understands the English name too. Usually if you shout "snake!" every Karimojong within earshot will come running and pulverize it before you can even get close to it.