I got comfortable going for lessons every weekday and little in between. I fix myself a breakfast, usually an egg sandwich, but sometimes I experiment with millet porridge. It is pretty good with lemon and sugar. I report for Acholi Luo lessons with Beatrice at 9am, we break at around 1:30, and Teddy, Beatrice’s helper, serves us a lunch so big I rarely need to eat supper. We wrap up lessons around 5:30, but often I hang around just being family until just before dark. 

We have had interruptions to our study schedule off and on. During this trip I gained a daughter, Janet, who started nursing school, and two other dependents, one in Senior 4 (10th grade), and another, Janet’s cousin Dorcas, in tailoring training. I am helping an American couple support another girl in Senior 5 (11th Grade), and our supplements to her tuition, room, and board tempt me to claim her as another dependent, though she is not really. In Uganda, most students are in boarding schools, and the custom is that, on visiting day, the families and their students meet, usually in their Sunday best, and do their best to impress one another, the students with their report cards, and the parents with all the goodies they can carry. I have missed a few visiting days, but when I finally made it to one, recognized what an error it is to omit. The unvisited student sits neglected as her classmates enjoy treats and sodas from home for the next few weeks. 

In addition to these dependents, we have made student loans to several healthcare personnel, one nurse midwife seeking her diploma, one clinical officer (the Ugandan equivalent to a Physician’s Assistant) seeking ultrasound training, and one former nurse studying to become a clinical officer. These student loans are in keeping with our commitment to give a hand up, not a hand-out, so these precious Ugandan health workers can advance their credentials and continue ministering God’s abundant life here in Uganda. 

In addition to student loans, we have found a few others in need who were helped with micro-loans, one a single mother of two, abandoned by their father, and left to break rocks for the means to survive. We gave her a small loan which enabled her to open a small produce market stall near her daughter’s school. Another loan was to a truck driver who had to hire a Boda-boda (motorcycle taxi) every day to get to work. His family asked and we provided a loan for him to get his own motorcycle. 

With so many counting on us, I have had to take the occasional break from Acholi lessons to take the odd student to a clinic or go shopping at the open air market for necessities. Usually we make the most of even the sick days we get to spend together, and I take my little group to a buffet restaurant with local food just to see they get enough. I have gotten to like local food, though I do splurge on the occasional dinner of Indian cuisine.

I took a trip to see the “100-acre” lot in Minakulu. It was nowhere near 100 acres but more like thirty. Thirty would be good but this one had no real vehicle access, and was too ridiculously far from the main road to be practical. It was brought up that those in remote villages need care too, but I think that means TLCU may do healthcare outreach trips, but not set up permanent shop that deep in the villages. 

I have toured several health centers here in Northern Uganda, some impressive, others not so much. When I walked into one my mouth dropped open because it was just like the one I dream about. It had everything — emergency department, maternity, out-patient department (OPD), dental clinic, women’s independent living training center, guest house, and even (though I never dream of this part) a vulnerable children’s home and primary school. This place even had a similar color scheme to the one in my dreams, except mine is a Ugandan Red and yellow with black trim, and theirs is brown and orange with black trim. This place was founded by a German woman I am eager to meet someday, and maybe share design plans. 

Everywhere I go, my ability to speak at least some Acholi has increased my welcome. Everyone seems so excited to find a white traveler willing to learn the language. That is what this trip is about, and so far it has been a success.  Beatrice, my teacher, administered a series of exams to measure my progress. I managed to impress even her, though I know she is a lenient grader. She has done a great job with the time we have had, and I am going to miss being with her family after I “graduate” back to Florida.

I made some friends in the various villages I visited. Some even presented me with livestock. As of this writing, I have a kitten, a chick, a rooster, and a goat. Technically I gave the rooster to Beatrice since she is the one who gave me Chicken Little, a brown male chick. The goat, which I named “Sky” because of the cloudy white patches in her brown coat, will remain with her mother and sister until I return and get some land on which to keep livestock myself. 

Pray for us! When I return to the U.S. I will need to do some serious fund raising to bring our planned projects to life. Pray for our students. Pray for our organization, that we may get the proper credentials to do what God has called us to do. 

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I wrote the above entry two weeks ago but failed to post it. Now I am struggling with all the sad farewells that come with being a part of so many lives. Wednesday I will leave for the capital city, and Friday will board a plane, making my way back to Florida.