Saying Goodbye

Goodbyes are never easy, especially when you feel like you may never see the person again.  Andrew & I have thoroughly loved our time here in Uganda, truly enjoyed the people and all the new relationships.  Now we have said goodbye to most of our new friends and are readying ourselves for the long ride to Kampala.  So far the toughest farewell has been to our friend/nanny Winnie, who cried for over an hour before we left. It was at the moment that we realized how much of a difference we had and are going to make in her life.  Anyway it's time to pack our luggage onto the bus and head out! See many of you soon!
~M

Last Night In Camp

Just taking a quick break from dancing with the crew to let you know that tonight is our final night in camp. Can't believe it!!! Five more days and we will be on a plane...incredible!  We had an amazing last day, filled with love, laughter and great food!  Closing this chapter on our lives will be bittersweet.

~M & A

Winnie

       I have had numerous requests in the past couple months to introduce you to a woman that has become a big part of our family here in Uganda; Theo’s nanny Winnie.  We first met her in October of last year and the only English she understood was “How are you?”  Since then, we have grown to love and appreciate her for who she is and welcomed her into our family with open arms.  And as of this weekend, we had the privilege of meeting her beautiful family.
 

       Winnie was born one hour outside of Mbarara in 1993 in a district called Isingiro, to loving parents Joseph and Justina.  She was the youngest of five, with 3 brothers and one sister.  Her father also had five other children with his other wife, who Winnie lovingly refers to as her step-mother.  Her family was Catholic and regularly attended church, although they never had the money to own their own Bible.  When she was still a baby, her father died of malaria and at the age of 5, her mother died of what they believe was cancer.  Her eldest brother Richard was 12 at the time and he took on the role of parent, raising 4 little ones, along with the assistance of his older step-siblings.  Her father’s land was divided between the sons and the daughters were left to fend for themselves or get married.  Richard lovingly accepted Winnie into his home and she has lived there ever since.  She helps in their plantation and takes care of her nieces and nephews.  In return for her work at home, her brother sent her to secondary school for two years, but then could no longer afford it.


Winnie, her brother Richard and his family, in front of their home
(We stayed in the room on the right)

Theo & Gifty

       Richard is now 27, married and has four children of his own: Jordan (7), Ignatious (6), Gifty(3) and Promise (1.5).  He maintains the land his father gave him, keeping a couple goats, chickens and Theo’s favourite, a little piglet.  They are the most beautiful little family, full of laughter, determination and appreciation for what little they do have.  We also had the privilege of meeting Winnie’s brother Gerard (2^nd youngest), who lives in the adjoining plot of land.  He is only 23, loves to dance and can’t wait to have a family of his own someday.  Theo was particularly taken with him, much to the jealously of all the neighbor ladies that wanted to carry him, haha!  Our visit actually made a little history in her area as we were the first Muzungu (white people) to ever pass through, let alone stay overnight in a mudhome.  What an experience!

Andrew, Gerard and Richard, outside their home

       Winnie is a beautiful woman, full of spirit and purpose.  She is a tomboy in disguise, with her love for fashion and makeup, side by side with her love for football (soccer) and card games (quite a masculine thing here)…a girl after my own heart!  She has dreams of becoming a tailor and having a family of her own someday.  She hates cheese and is quite picky in the North American food she is willing to try.  She is fearless and it shone through when learning how to swim in Nairobi and her willingness to move to camp to help us out.  She is kind, gentle and patient with Theo, chuckling as he screams in her face, or calmly singing to him when he is hurt.  Winnie is always grateful and never complains, even though she has to hand wash poopy diapers day in and day out.  We can truly say that living in Uganda without her would not have been the same, and that we are blessed to have her in our lives.

Win introducing us to her best friend

       As we head back to Canada in a month, Winnie will also have to leave camp and the many friends she has made there.  For the time being she will move back in with her brother, but only for a short time.  We have arranged through ACTS to send her back to school to learn to become a tailor and hopefully purchase a sewing machine.  We are currently still researching the best school and where she will stay, but we are sure it will all fall into place over the next month.  Supporting her into a worthwhile career is the least we can do for all the love and support she provided my boys while I got the chance to live out my dream.

~M~

5 Down, 1 To Go



Jumping into Lake Bunyoni

       I can hardly believe I am saying this, but in one month we will be back in CANADA, the GREAT white North!  The last 5 months have flown by and now we are preparing to say good bye to this wonderful country, full of eager people and gorgeous landscapes. We have been blessed to make so many new friends, honoured to have worked alongside them and ever thankful for this opportunity to share our passions with them.

A dug out canoe on Lake Bunyoni
(Bushara Island)

       Our January month end trip we went to visit Bushara Island Camp, established by ACTS and the Church of Uganda as an ecotourism site about 15 years ago.  The island is gorgeous with its clean waters, hundreds of species of birds and quaint accommodations.  The restaurant served a good variety of Ugandan and International dishes, so we got our fill of grilled cheese, samosas and quesadillas.  Andrew and the boys spent the majority of the weekend relaxing with a beer in hand and attempting stunts off of the rope swing.  Overall it was a great relaxing weekend to enjoy the unique beauty of Uganda.  This month end trip we will visiting Winnie at her home in Isingiro District; it is sure to be an interesting experience for us considering none of her family speaks English.  We’ll keep you posted!




A great afternoon on the water

The left hand was still functional

      February has been a rollercoaster of a month for us, leaving a bittersweet taste in our mouth.  In November we met a widow named Melon who had lost her husband just one year before when he was murdered over a land dispute.  Miraculously she learned she was pregnant with his child two weeks after he passed and gave birth to a beautiful little girl.  The baby got sick in December and our team provided her transportation to get some help. Unfortunately, at the beginning of this month we were informed that her sweet little miracle had died.  Please lift your thoughts and prayers to this poor woman who has lost almost everything she has ever loved in 2 years.  On the brighter side of things, ACTS was able to help an adorable little girl that had fell in a fire the year before and now had club hands due to the way they had bandaged her up.  ACTS was able to send her to Kampala to get surgery to separate her fingers so that she can use them once again…we are still waiting to hear the final word, but none the less, praise GOD!


The right hand was the worse

Our new source that can feed over 20,000 thirsty people

       As for my work, we have been busy little bees the last month.  With our time here drawing to a close, there are a lot of projects that we need to clean up and prepare for the next interns that will arrive this fall.  Our Ugandan work team is hard at work building the reservoir tanks and laying the pipeline in Ngomba.  As well, the construction of the tanks on the Kishami project is now underway, with the second phase of pipeline ready to begin.  Our engineering team has had the opportunity to work and live in the Ibanda District the last 2 weeks, to design a gravity flow system to serve the Nsasi Sub-County.  We are currently staying in a guest house with great food, friendly staff and most importantly, HIGH SPEED internet ;)  Andrew, Winnie and Theo joined us and have been enjoying the accessibility to cartoons and cold sodas.  Our rooms are basic with chairs, table and a bed, not to mention a shit-shower-&-shave bathroom.  That’s right, you heard me correctly…our bathroom is the shower, so well you’re on the john you can wash your hair and pluck those unsightly nose hairs!

Let's play "Where's the Muzungu?"
We had the privilege of speaking at this school's assembly.

       We want to say thank you to all of you that have continued to follow and support us along this journey.  Your prayers, comments and mail have been a blessing to us; they encourage us to continue with our work and inspire us to show God’s great love to this world.

~M

Andrew's Blogggggggg

       I have been really enjoying my time here in Uganda and I am so glad I encouraged Melissa to apply to ACTS as one of their engineering interns.  With her working, we agreed that while we are in Africa I would be the primary care giver for our son Theo. So for the last 5 months my main job has been to care for my little guy. Back home I was working and Melissa was the stay at home mom, so this whole role reversal thing took a little bit of getting used to. For all you men out there that are tired when you get home from work and just need a break, I am going to let you in on a little secret…your wife needs one too, probably even more than you!

        As I said, getting used to my new role was not easy. Before we came to Africa often times I would only have to change one diaper a day. Sometimes if I was lucky I could even see a few days pass without having to change a single diaper. My wife was so good to me! Now I do the dirty…literally. On top of that when we first arrived here in camp we did not have our helper Winnie around to do our laundry. The first couple weeks I was not only changing stinky diapers, but also hand washing them. I was not thrilled about cloth diapers at that time; however I have to say I did feel a sense of accomplishment every time I finished a load. On a side note I just want to say thank you Jesus for Winnie!

       Though I have just devoted a whole paragraph to diapers, among the many things I had to get used to, diapers was actually one of the easier ones. I learned very quickly that caring for a child full time requires an incredible amount of patience (I assure you I am still praying for more of it every day). Tasks that appear so small sometimes turn into Mission Impossible.  I did not know changing Theo’s clothes could be such a battle at times. Probably one of the toughest things for me to get used to was waking up in the night with Theo. You see, back home I never had to. Theo was a nursing baby and Melissa always covered that (again, my wife is so awesome!). However, my lack of reciprocation in this department originally when we arrived in Uganda lead to an unhappy wife some nights…I was in the dog house a few times on that one.

       I will admit with any change comes some challenge, but I feel like I am really getting the hang of being a full-time dad and husband. In fact at one point I felt that my job here was not quite as important as Melissa’s, but now I realize how entirely untrue that is. Raising a child is one of the most important jobs anyone could have. Like in any particular job you have your ups and downs, but on those good days, when you experience your child learn something new or do something amazing, it is such a life giving feeling and so rewarding. Theo and I are having a blast together and I am so proud of what Melissa is doing over here. It has been a dream come true for all of us.

       As much fun as it has been hanging out with Theo, God has placed a few people in my path over here that I have been able to help, and develop friendships with. There are so many needs over here and I understand that I can’t help everybody, but it is encouraging when God works through you to touch one person’s life at a time.

       Overall, I have really enjoyed just being a full time dad. I might not ever get an opportunity like this and I am thankful that God has given us the faith to pursue our dreams according to His will.

I love and miss everyone back home, can’t wait to be back!

Andrew

Breaking Ground

Hundreds of community volunteers out to dig for their reservoirs

        This week marks the beginning of our Living Water Project Phase II, and more importantly the approval of our CIDA funding!!!  Come Monday, our whole team will be returning to camp to begin work on both the Kishami & Nyarubgumba GFS projects.  Our new Mobilizer DJ has done a fantastic job recruiting hundreds of community volunteers to hand excavate more than 250m³ of solid dirt/rock to make way for our new reservoirs.  I went to visit the site yesterday and was shocked at the progress they have made, considering they only began work 5 days ago.  With this speed and dedication, we will have the site ready to build tanks by next week.



Checking out new sources for a new system

       With the CIDA money in hand, it also means that ACTS’ other Uganda community projects can proceed.  These programs include the land & goat co-op for widows, the school program for 40+ students and the sanitation education programs aimed at bettering the health & life expectancy of the communities we work in.  We praise God for the blessing of these funds, and pray for patience as we work towards fulfilling CIDA’s 90 day stipulations (ie. creating a gant chart, finishing our data surveys, etc.).  We are not through with the bureaucracy difficulties yet, but with the money in hand, we can at least get started on the much anticipated projects.

       We are all doing great this month, enjoying being back at camp with our Ugandan crew.   Our director David left at the beginning of this month and was replaced by his counterpart, Richard, who brought his wife Jenny along.   As well, my supervisor’s wife Nancy is camp, which I really appreciate with all this testosterone around J  Andrew is loving life here and taking advantage of it to the fullest.  He is still playing soccer in Kahija 4 times a week and most recently has been working with Rachel (widow co-op organizer) attending land owner meetings and visiting widows that ACTS has helped in the past.  Theo is happy to back outdoors and with his friends.  He is 18 months tomorrow and has really become quite the little person.

Daddy went swimming...

...and Theo soon followed!

       With each passing month, camp feels more and more like a real home. We still struggle with the food and since it is now dry season, the bugs have become a continual annoyance, but we try to make the best of it.  Derek and Andrew most recently decided we needed a swimming pool, so they cleaned out an old rain water harvesting tank and it is now the best way to cool off!  Even some of the Ugandans gave it a try and loved it!!!  Nancy also brought with her some new sports equipment, like volleyballs, baseballs & gloves, which we have never been so happy to play with.   The guys often go out into to town at lunch to hit around some baseballs, which draws quite the crowd.

Happy 25th birthday to Andrew...loving your new shirt!

Anyway, back to work for me, lots to prepare!!!

~M~

Reality Check

HAPPY NEW YEAR from Africa!

       We hope and pray that this blog reaches you in the best of spirits!  We are so thankful to all of you that sent us messages, emails and cards over the holiday season, it helped us feel a part of your celebrations even though we are so far away!

Andrew's buddy from work and his wife, that we met in Nairobi

       We are home safely in Mbarara, Uganada after a wonderful vacation in Nairobi, Kenya.  My blogging hiatus was not intentional, but as you all know the festivities of the season can really become all encompassing.  Our first couple days away from camp were spent at Canada House, wrapping gifts, planning meals and just enjoying the time off.  I had a blast trying to be resourceful and make Christmas decor from the limited supplies I had...tape, floss and an old magazine...and it was all worth it when Theo walked out of his room and just stood there bright eyed and mouth open.  



A 3 month old giraffe that was very friendly

Our first taste of fast food in 3 months...heavenly!



We got to play with lions at the Animal Orphanage

       The overall trip to Nairobi was fantastic, with great food, big malls and real movie theatres.  The 17 hour bus rides were not our favourite, but at $35 a person you can't really complain.  Our apartment was better than expected, with 4 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, a swimming pool, a roof top patio and located literally right across from the mall.  We never felt unsafe and were protected by an armed guard from our doorstep to the doorstep of the mall.  Some days we went and toured, other days we just hung out at home, eating, reading and sleeping.  Our favourite outings included the animal orphanage where we got play with lions, the giraffe sanctuary where we got to feed the giraffes, and the village market where we got to shop the Masaii market and ride the water slides.  Theo's nanny Winnie had the time of her life and got to experience so many new things.  Overall this trip really refreshed us and got us ready to tackle the next 3 months.
 


Cheryl taught Winnie to swim

Cheers to a great New Year!

       This trip was also a reality check for us.  In the part of Uganda where we live, you are either black or white, rich or poor, Christian or Muslim; close to no middle ground.  You see, because we are white and our clothes do not have holes in them, most assume we are rich.  In the area of Kenya we were staying, it felt a lot more like Canada with a wide variety of different classes, races and creeds.  This was comforting for it felt like home, but it was also eye opening as we saw the clash between the developing and developed countries.  Kenya attracts wealthy tourists from around the world for its safaris, its child adoptions and its fine dining, but right smack in the middle of it all is the second largest urban slum in all of Africa.  What a stark contrast between those that spend $10,000 on a two week vacation and those that barely make $14 after two weeks of hard work.  This is a reality that I can no longer ignore. It is a reality that I must come face to face with and decide how my life in Canada will change.

~M



We even got to feed the monkeys!