2021 Fall Uganda Trip: Volume 5

Monday, 11 October 2021

Today God has blessed Cindy and me with a Uganda home! Nurse Patrick accompanied me to Koro-Pida, sort of like a suburb on the southern outskirts of Gulu, the major city in the north of Uganda. There we met the real estate broker who listed the new six-unit apartment complex last June. He escorted us to the apartment, where I met my new landlady, Molly. The space was lovely, and I hit it off with her immediately. The monthly rent she was charging was 100,000 UGX (about $29) cheaper than I had planned, and so I was very eager to say yes. Molly agreed that we would meet again another day this week for the signing of the rental agreement and I would pay her for three months rent at a time then. When I shared the news with Cindy, she was so excited she started making all sorts of plans for the future. 

Patrick and I made a day of it, first visiting his home village and gardens, then doing some shopping at Cynibel, the supermarket popular with Westerners. We took two busses home, because we wanted to walk around in a village called Minakulu, the half-way point between Gulu and RG. It might be a nice place to do some mission outreach projects. Another we had hoped to visit was Villages of Hope, but I overshot it by one village, so I will visit them another day. 

When I arrived at RG I was so excited to share with everyone the news about my Uganda apartment, I almost forgot that there would be some who were disappointed I was not planning to live full-time at RG. Even the most disappointed were still encouraging, and happy to hear about my decision to live in this country as much as my visa and work permits will allow. 

Tuesday, 12 October 2021

When I went to work this morning, I was greeted by a nursing student from Arizona. She is here with the troupe traveling with Ms. Karen Abercrombie. They are facilitating dental exams and cleanings for all the RG kids. Genny, however, is studying to be a nurse, preparing for her clinical rotations, so she accompanied me around the General Ward, until the early afternoon, when I was needed in the out-patient department (OPD). 

In OPD, I got my first practical lesson in infant immunizations. Brenda, who is my main midwifery teacher, helped me to understand the process of administering and documenting child immunizations. The big ledger book of data is transferred into a single laptop computer with no network access. When I expressed my concern about there being no data backup, Brenda lifted the ledger and simply said, “It is here.” Simple solutions for my complex imagination! 

When the babies come in, there is no infant scale, so we have the mother step on a digital scale holding the baby, then step off, hand the baby to me, and get back on the scale. The difference is the weight of the baby. This is an example of the resourcefulness of the people here, but I also include this description of events to make Cindy jealous. Yes, Uncle Todd got to hold all those tiny babies! One was only 1.9 kg (4.18 pounds) at 7 days old. 

After my baby-playing experience was over, I returned to the General Ward to find Genny taking lunch with the nurses. I had given her the hint that was one sure way to gain respect with them. She even ate the beans that had “small fish” (tiny dried minnows) in it. Good girl, Genny! She scored major points with the Ugandan nurses. 

After lunch, I escorted Genny to see the nurses’ quarters. More specifically, Charge Nurse Miriam invited us into her home. The mere fact that Ugandans can do so much with such a small space is yet another tribute to their resourcefullness. As usual when I approach the nurses’ quarters, I was attacked by the little ones, who love coming to get their hugs, high-fives, or bonga (fist bump), depending on their wariness of whites. It is funny to see kids check their knuckles for white residue after a fist bump. 

I visited the library Wi-Fi hotspot to help a few friends with their technical difficulties. While I was there, I met a new Miriam. This one is an adult RG kid who studies fashion and design in Kampala, the capitol city. She was delightfully friendly, and even offered to accompany me to the Kamdini, the town to the north of Karuma, so I could get fixed some of the handheld devices I had brought from America. Robert, the resident IT expert, advised me it was the only way to repair the phones, and Miriam is the only adult I know here at RG who has neither classes nor work tomorrow, so I was happy to accept her offer to accompany me.

When I returned to Team House, I found several visitors already waiting for me.  My little family has gained a member. Since our trips to Karuma, Olivia has added herself to those who are comfortable visiting me at Team House. Others there were Hosman, Shalom, Prisca, and Janet. I shared what food I had with them, and we had a great time sharing stories and laughing. They all were exceedingly happy about my apartment and each had some advice for me about living in Uganda. 

Wednesday, 13 October 2021

I rose in time to meet Miriam for our trip to the Kamdini phone service center, but we must have been on Africa time, because 7am turned into 8:30. It was just as well, because she needed my signature to get an RG gate pass. You know how kids who go on field trips in America have a permission slip that says something releasing the school from liability? This was similar, except it states the chaperone will assume liability for the student. That was a weighty burden to assume, but Miriam’s company was worth the risk. We had to wait for the Child Care Officer, who was in conference with the house mother of the baby house so, once again, I got to play with the babies. Sorry you’re missing out on this, Cindy! Once the paperwork was signed and in hand, we were off. 

We called Fred, our trusted Boda man (motorcycle taxi driver), who took us both to Karuma. He was not comfortable hauling us both so far to Kamdini, so he hailed a friend to split us up. Miriam was the one to suggest we take Bodas all the way to Kamdini rather than wait for a long time for a taxi van to fill up. She told me the experience of crossing the Nile over Karuma Bridge on a motorcycle was unlike any experience you can have in a car or van. She was right! 

There was something about traveling the road that approaches Karuma Bridge on motorcycles, where the baboons and monkeys are close enough to touch. I was happy they didn’t touch us. I recalled the incident where a baboon jumped on our car once and tried to relieve Cindy of her camera. These kept their distance and allowed me to enjoy the majesty of this river like I never had before. Karuma Bridge crosses the water very near Karuma Falls, where the current is so rough the water splashes stories and the roar is nearly deafening. You cannot help but be in awe of the power of these currents. God’s creation is so magnificent! The air was cool with the mist of the torrent and the deadly bridge gave even this experienced motorcycle rider a heightened sense of excitement. 

To add to the sense of danger, there was an overturned cargo truck on the slope down to the bridge on the far side of our crossing. The men were busily collecting what looked like rags. I wondered why anyone would transport a load of rags, but when we returned more slowly, I observed they were not rags but animal skins. I could only imagine what would happen to the driver of the truck once the owner of those skins found out he had wrecked the load. 

Miriam and I found our destination with the help of Fred and his associate. The technicians were able to help me with one but not all of the phones, so I will leave someone disappointed, with no means of contacting Uncle Mucungwa once I leave. Wednesday is Market Day at Kamdini, so Miriam and I took advantage of the opportunity to buy some goat meat, some oranges, and Janet’s favorite — entula, or simply “Tula” as it is called here. When Fred needed to stop in Karuma as we returned, I took the opportunity to buy a large watermelon, which all the kids love, and I really enjoy sharing. Any American would love to buy such a watermelon for the price of 7,000 UGX, because that is only about $2. 

I visited the Cessnun home, on an errand to return a borrowed ice chest. When I arrived, I was a distraction from the 8 home-school kids living there, and I thoroughly enjoyed their company for longer than they should have taken a break. When I excused myself, they seemed genuinely happy to have entertained my visit. 

I spent the afternoon sitting on my porch, writing, and watching the monkeys dancing in the trees over the Nile. Every once in a while, an eagle swoops down after one of the smaller birds, and I get to enjoy the chase. 

As I reflect on the majesty and sheer power of God’s creation, I am awed by the One who made this all, fashioned us with His loving hands, and breathed into us His breath of life. I have lost count of the number of times I have reaffirmed in conversation the value of each Ugandan life. They seem to have been trained to believe that one visitor is worth 100 Ugandan men and 300 Ugandan women. I am a voice of equality and inestimable value, repeatedly calling out, “Your Creator thinks you are worth dying for,” a message we all could stand to hear.