Monday, February 18, 2008

Not too old...


Well as you can see 39 years old is still young enough to climb a tree. Yesterday Geoff turned 39 and had to see if 39 meant no more fun. Kintu has built a platform in the Jack fruit tree so they can climb up and sit in the tree while they eat and he wanted Geoff to come up and check out his work. As well today Geoff learned something else, the theives in Kampala are actually pretty clever. He was in Kampala doing some buisness and had someone zip open his back pack and remove an envelope while he was walking down the street. Good enough the envelope was just a quote from the transaction he just did, but it shows that you can't be to sure and that you should never carry valuables in the outside compartment of a back pack.

Wednesday, February 13, 2008

Kevin what happened????


Ok this blog is not for the grandparents, sorry. Well Kevin is at it again, it seems back when we were living in the U.S. Toby was the one needing to be taken to the ER all the time (3 times beofre he was 3). Well here in Uganda it appears that Kevin is the one (2nd time while living here). But here it is not the exactly the ER...Any way the picture gives you an idea. But hey where else can you call the Dr. on his cell phone and he says no problem come to my house, and then when it is all done the hospital bill is only $4? Well yesterday Kevin got a hold of an old aresol can that had been cut open and yes that's right it cut him open. All said and done he needed 3 stitches (I think it needed more but I am not the Dr.) and yes he is ok. Great opportunity for Mary to ask some questions, maybe next time (I hope there isn't a next time) she will do it her self. Grammie you notice the shirt he is wearing, he told the Dr. you bought it for him.

Sunday, February 10, 2008

A STRAIGHT LINE?



Yesterday we had an interesting confrontation with culture. We were doing some survey work to plan a road to a undeveloped portion of the property, (the area we want to build our home.) So try explaining to an African why you need to determine a straight line from one end of the property to the other. Everyone we explained what we were doing to just looked at us like “why do you need to do that?” In a place where roads just happen and you might bend a road to avoid a certain land mark, using survey equipment to draw a perfectly straight line seems a little silly. Doing things in an “American” way here in Uganda sometimes receives some strange looks and some strange comments. One guy thought we were planning the length of Noah’s Arc and that we were going to build a replica, go figure?

Just to show how cool God is, as we were walking through the area we want to build the other day with Jay and Gary Wood, Jay said that before we can start planning locations for new homes (ours) we needed to have the area surveyed so he knew exactly what we have. So Gary proceeded to email some folks in Canada and see when they could come out for the survey work. That night at supper he is telling one of the members of a team that is currently here form Ohio the plan and lo and behold this guy works for the public works department as a surveyor. So what looked as to be a delay of many months before we could build was solved immediately. The next day we got out there and began to measure and design.

We would appreciate everyone’s prayers as we are considering taking a child into our home this year. As the school year has began there is a need for those in P7 to stay on site in order to study the extended hours with their class mates.

Blessings…