Books, Bob, and Martha

Last week my sister and I went to a book discussion of Peace Like a River (a very good book, by the way). It's partly thanks to Martha that we were reading it. Judy (from Billings) went to Karamoja about four years ago and when her mom sent her Peace Like a River back in the states, she got a copy to Martha. Then I went and visited, and saw it on the bookshelf. Since Martha said it was a good book, I read it when I got back last year. And I told my friend Melodee about it, who passed it on to her sister-in-law, who told our pastor's wife about it. And she told everyone else; hence the book group....

That wasn't the only book Bob and Martha (and Rachel) got me hooked on, though. I've since bought Roald Dahl books (Boy was 2,000 shillings - about $1 - in a Kampala bookstore!), Nigel Barley (I finished The Innocent Anthropologist on the Tube in London in 2004), a Seamus Heaney collection, and more.

And now I'm reading Emma's War, recommended by Kris. Also Stalking the Wild Dik-Dik, which is made all the more enjoyable because I read the author's blog before she published her book. "One Woman's Solo Misadventure's Across Africa" is just too interesting to pass up! I'm not as brave as Marie, though - travling by myself is somehow stressful, although the Africa part was the easiest. (Of course, I've always been met at the airport....)

Sunshine

The Okkens just got back to Uganda after a year-long furlough in the states. Since then Sunshine got malaria and something else, and for maybe the last week has been in the hospital in Kampala. This is about the worst reintrodruction you get to Uganda (short of dying). This is what Katie says:

Update on the Okkens: yesterday when Amy and Dad visited Mrs. Okken in the hospital she was supposed to be released today. She still so sick though and sore, that she has definitely not recovered completely. Her kids are terrified of her since she was full of IVs and stuff, so that's discouraging. Then last night Pastor Dave went to a cafe in Kampala to get Mrs. Okken something to eat other than hospital food. He didn't park for long, but long enough for thieves to break into his car and steal his suitcase and laptop and Mrs. Okken's wedding rings. Keep them in your prayers.

Bugs (Of the Pathogenic Sort)

Malaria tests are fun!

I wasn't meaning to post anything like this, but looking through 2004 pictures for something at the clinic, I came across this and think it's too funny not to share.

The reason I wanted a clinic photo...Jake, who just got back from Africa last month, has been battling malaria. It recurred after he got back to the States, so that must be pretty tough. (Especially as school is starting up again.) Also, the clinic in Karamoja is really in need of prayer - right now it looks like it won't be opening again anytime soon, although God can certainly work things out differently. After looking into it, Kris found out they need to get certain certification, and they need to find a doctor and maybe some other things in order for that to happen. There's an American doctor who wants to go to there, but has two years of residency left.

But maybe there's someone in Uganda who, like Kyalo and Elizabeth (who willingly left their nicer home in Kenya to come to Karamoja and learn to care for the people there), has a heart for giving medical care to the Karamojong.

Traveling

Please pray for some visitors who are coming to Karamoja in the next week - with all these travel restrictions now, it must not be very fun. Can you imagine arriving in Africa with no carry-on and then finding out that your luggage didn't make it?? (I recommend not flying Minneapolis-Chicago-London if you want your luggage to arrive with you, by the way.) So pray that their bags get there, too!

When I left in May, Bob and Rachel were going to take me to the airport on a Tuesday, but the disarmament in Tekora caused a change of plans. So Sunday night I frantically began packing (after 5 weeks a lot of stuff accrues...) and then watched a last few episodes of Lost and made a midnight snack with Rachel (who was spending the night, since she couldn't go to Kampala) and one of the Wrights' two visiting friends who was going to leave the next day, too.

We got dropped off in Mbale the next day, where we ate at the Mt Elgon hotel (good food, but we had to watch part of Jersey Girl and Dogtown while we waited). Then we got a ride to the capital in the CURE hospital ambulance, which was the first time I've ever ridden in one. (It was stuffed full of people - not sick - and luggage, and there wasn't much leg room, so the novelty wore off pretty fast. But still...) That night we ate pizza at an Italian outdoor restaurant and slept in a guest house where there were candles and matches beside each bed. Which was a good thing, because my room happened to not have electricity even though it was a night with power. :)

The next day one of the other visitors and I went shopping at the craft market and loaded up our suitcases even more with all kinds of fun stuff, including mzungu t-shirts. We also hung out with the Proctor family at the ARA, which was fun - I hadn't seen them at all on this trip but had stayed with them for a few days before. Then the Wrights' friends got dropped off and Charles, the director at CURE, and I got rooms at a luxurious hotel on the shore of Lake Victoria - although I would rather have done without the luxury, as it was rather a shock to pay almost 200,000 shillings ($100) for a hotel in Uganda, and that was with a CURE discount. Still, having hot water was nice!

So everything worked out well in spite of my being sure it would be awful having a change of plans like that. :-P Everything went extremely smoothly and according to plan with my overnight stay in London (which including seeing Les Miserable in the theater...although sadly I dozed through parts at the end). And then in Chicago there were weather delays. So I missed my flight in Minneapolis (another reason not to make an extra US stop, no matter how much cheaper!), and was, with jet-lag and all, a very disappointed girl. It's hard to come grips with the fact that I can't control everything, no matter how well I think I've planned things! But thankfully God doesn't have a plan B - this was in it all along, and it ended up being okay. I didn't make it home that night, but got on another flight into Bozeman that arrived at 11:30 pm (thanks to more weather delays). But at that point I didn't care anymore; I just was glad to be back in Montana. If you can't be in Uganda, that's the other great place to be. :)

The Best S'more

A friend from America sent Rachel some marshmallows while I was there, which she generously shared with the rest of us girls at Bible study one night. We had a marshmallow roast over candles in Amy's banda. Amy warned us strictly not to set any on fire, but I think everyone did...there were several burning ones waved wildly to put them out, but nothing caught on fire, so it was all good. Rachel had never had s'mores before, so thanks to some leftover "biscuits" (cookies the closest you'll get to graham crackers in Uganda) and melted Reese's chocolate easter candy from Chrissie, we made some very tasty ones.

Updates

The LRA has declared a ceasefire!

The clinic in Nakaale now has a clinic officer and new lab tech, although the two nurses they hired decided not to come to Karamoja after all. If you would, please pray that the clinic licence will be renewed without any hitches, and some nurses will be hired who really have a heart for working with the Karamojong (or are K'jong themselves!).

Peace Talks

The peace talks between the Ugandan government and the LRA are continuing - so far not enough high-ranking men from the LRA have been willing to meet to come to a final agreement, although Joseph Kony himself came to one meeting. It really sounds like something could be worked out, if the International Criminal Court doesn't interfere (since they have warrants out for top LRA guys) and Uganda can grant amnesty. When you're fighting an army full of child soldiers, what else can you do? I think many Ugandans really would be able forgive, too.