Tuesday 10 September 2013

Ten Days In....

It seems to be a long time since I wrote anything on my BLOG, so.... where was I?

Wow! I was still in South Africa, therefore the first thing I need to do is publicly thank Vaughn and Chiana Hutchinson, Jude and all the family (including the dogs, cats, cockatoo, mother-in-law (or mum or May depending who you are). It was a truly amazing fortnight. Pastor Michael drove me back to Johannesburg Airport on the Tuesday morning - it takes about an hour - and I enjoyed browsing round the terminal building. 

Jo'burg Airport has followed the pattern of several other international airports in that, being Africa's busiest, all incoming flights channel passengers out of Terminal 1 and all outgoing passengers go to Terminal 2. They're next to each other but it's a bit confusing when it appears you're going in and out of two seperate terminals. I reality the Entebbe flight left from Terminal 1 but all check-ins are in Terminal 2. 

Confused?

Tough!

Kampala

So, back to Uganda and, as it was an evening flight in, I splashed out on a £20 private taxi journey to Adonai Guesthouse in Rubaga where I was staying for three nights. That's about 25 miles. I understand that Heathrow to the centre of London is up to £100 - 20 miles! 

It was so good to see my "African daughter" Susan again but it was a shame not to see Sarah Mirembe who is now at Adonai House. Also Cindy and Helen from Swansea, whom we'd met in February, were there and it was good to catch up. On the Wednesday I ventured into Kampala by myself for the first time. Going in was easy as Robinah, the owner of the guesthouses and the founder of the African Children's Choir, gave me a lift into town. I was able to draw some money from an ATM but knew I would have to go back the following day because of the daily withdrawal limit. Nevertheless it was good to have a wander round the city centre. I popped to an electrical shop in Entebbe Road for some bulbs that John had asked me to get for the property then spent a little time wandering round the parliament buildings area. I  then tried to find the African Craft Village - I sort of knew where it was - but couldn't find it. I found out why later!

I've got an amazing DVD called "War Dance" (filmed about 9 years ago when the north still had terrible atrocities happening) about the children of a small school in Northern Uganda who win the district final of a national schools' music competition and go on to compete in the annual national competition in Kampala - and the awards ceremony was hosted by Stephen who we'd seen in february at Ndere Cultural Centre. Well, on the week I was in Kampala this year's competition was taking place at the National Theatre. Thus there were gazebos, marquees and little encampments of schoolchildren all over the place and there was no way from the road anyone could see the entrance to the Craft Village. I walked past it twice and eventually asked a boda-boda driver. He just pointed to a little gap between a tent and a hedge. He was perfectly right! Then even in the Craft Village there were children everywhere, sitting, practicing, sleeping! 

But I got exactly what I wanted! A decent map of the city (I'd already tried two half-decent bookshops), a couple of "First Leaner" English/Luganda books and a Ugandan National Flag to send to Vaughn to be hung with the other flags of countries with which Joy Cantre has direct links.

But how do I get it to South Africa? Mmmm? Well logic says, "Put it in a big envelope and take it to the local post office!" So, I took it back to the guesthouse. Did they have an envolope I could have or buy? No! Was there a stationery shop near that might have one? Not sure! And then, where's the local post office? I searched the internet.

OK, there are only three post offices anywhere in the capital city of Kampala, one in one of the northern suburbs and two in the city centre. Even in Wrexham can you imagine the outcry if all sub post offices closed and everyone had to go to the town centre? Well, that's just how it is in Kampala which geographically is about the size of Leeds!

So, after meeting with Pastor Deo early in the morning, to geta suitcase full of stuff for the island that had been left with him, back into town on the Thursday with my flag - straight to the post office - envelope purchased and flag sent. The strange thing was that the difference in price between registered and unregistered for South Africa was only UGX2,000 (50p). Then into the heart of the old shopping area for a mooch round and a public taxi back to Rubaga - UGX 1,000 (25p) for about three miles.

Friday morning I was met bright and early by Pastor Semion, who comes from a small village about 50 miles west of Kampala and who had his wife Agnes with him. We spent some good time together then went to visit his new church in the suburb of Makinye where we went to the house of a lovely Mama who showed us great hospitality. Then on to Nakiwogo for the ship to Kalangala.

I've now been back on the island for ten days and it's been fairly busy - certainly for African standards!

I've been able to open a bank account, although funds can't be transferred directly from a UK bank to a bank on the island. I'll have to use Western Union. There's no ATM here either. I've opened a PO Box for Maranatha Gateway - It's such an easy address - Maranatha Gateway, PO Box 20, Kalangala, Uganda. Now I've sent a letter to Wrexham and Sue's sent one from Ross-on-Wye to me here so that we can find out just how long it actually takes! I wonder if Sue's card will get here before they do in the middle of October!

I've been back to Sozi to check on the land there and have managed to ascertain approximate positioning of the bore well.There is an ants problem as well but I think we've got a solution to that as well. Kaben, Florence and Enoch are well (Kaben's recovered from his bout of malaria).

On a ministry level I preached at GIOP (God Is Our Provider) Church on the first Sunday back because Pastor Fred and others were away at Pastor Vincent's wedding. Then on Thursday I visited the "official opening" of a church in the south of the island, about an hour away, where I spoke and on Saturday I was "guest-of-honour" at a fundraising day for a church in Bugoma about an hour to the west of here. That event started at one in the afternoon and managed to end at nine! Long day. And I only spoke for about twenty minutes! As guest-og-honour I had to open the bidding in their charity auction and ended up buying a nanny goat for £30 which I gave to a needy woman in the church on the understanding that the first female kid to be born is to be given to someone else in need. 

We're having a little trouble with the truck. The clutch pedal (as they often transpose "l" and "r" here it's the "crutch"), a local mechanic looked at it and didn't get anywhere so it's now in Masaka at a funeral! No, not for the truck!

Yesterday morning Pastor Fred heard that his nephew had died so today he's at the burial near Masaka and has taken the truck at the same time to get it fixed which has left me temporarily with his fuel-gulping Mitsubishi V6 Exceed.

Last night Pastor Vincent (the one who got married in Entebbe) was welcomed back to the island by the church and a party was thrown. It seemed strange welcoming the bridegroom without the bride (who has a job in Entebbe so has to stay there).

Other things have been happening which will I'll talk more about in the future. I'm in regular contact with home via text, Facebook and Email but there are still problems here at Water World with the WiFi. It worked last night then it wasn't working again this morning! I went through the system with the young man who runs the Internet Cafe attached to Water World, and who set up the system, and I found that the router (which hangs by a piece of wire under the eaves on the building next to mine) wasn't showing the LAN light. Now, if this was a landline system that would be easy - but it isn't! Not sure what he's going to do but one thing's sure - it's back to no WiFi! Dongle at the ready!

Please let me know what's happening where you are. I have updates from my special someone who keeps apologising that I must find them boring. Not so! I want to know what you're all up to - because of the internet situation I can't spend a lot of time trawling Facebook. My email address is mike.omulokole@gmail.com - please write. However, please understand that I can't guarantee answering - but I will try!

I'm typing this onto a word doc before pasting it on to the BLOG to save internet usage so I hope to add a couple of photos.

Here they are.... NO THEY'RE NOT!! I'll try again - just one more time....

Matooke being brought for sale at the auction

Pastor Fred

Me and a goat!

Now as there's been no electricity for most of the day I better sign off quick before my laptop dies!

Stay safe all!

Mike

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