Guest Blog by Dwight!!!!!!

TEAM BRITTON
L to R Front to Back Rows: Ruth, Kevin, Acacia, Marilyn.
Abbie, Toby, Mary, Shelby.
Mary, Geoff, Dwight, Amanda

My daughter Amanda and I along with 5 other team members recently returned from Uganda.  The following are 25 things that we did or learned during our trip. 

1. We ate really interesting/good Indian food ... in Africa!? 

2. Really enjoyed "Stoney" soda (a Coke product).  It tasted like a spicy ginger-ale. 

3. Saw more machine guns then I have seen in my whole life. 

4. Avoided the caterpillars.  Apparently they are like porcupines and can do real damage. 
   
   
   

5. Built a mud hut/kitchen for a widow with young children in her care. 

   

   Marilyn helped tie sticks for the kitchen structure.

   
   

   

   The girls learned that mudding can be LOTS of fun!

   
   
   
   

   

   Ruth expertly places the mud!

   
   
   

   

   Three days in the mud pit! Such fun, and HARD work!

   
   
   

   

   Dwight and Amanda inside the completed structure

   
   

   

   Jajja enters her new kitchen for the first time.

   
   

   

   In front of the finished kitchen. Not bad for three days work!

   
   

6. Amanda tutored in the New Hope primary school, mostly math.  The kids used pens instead of pencils.  I guess they don't make mistakes. She also oversaw the class for a time when the teacher wasn't feeling well and had to step out.
   
   
   
   
   

7. I taught students with little or no experience what a computer was used for.  There were some that had computers and, for the most part, were self taught. Tried to fit 6 months of college level Word and Excel into 2.5 hours.  Found out it really is not possible! 
   
   
   
   
   

8. Met the Loutt family from Harvey N.D.  Mrs. Loutt knew Vickie, my sister.  Small world. 

   

   It was a real treat for the whole team to meet the Loutt family. Mom is flanked here with her two daughters (both in turquoise shirts).

   
   
   
   

9. Took cold showers for two weeks.  It took my breath away every evening. 

10. Really slowed down and learn to relate to people outside of our culture. 

    

    We enjoyed spending time with the David Family in devotions each Wednesday. 

11. Saw how a good friend and missionary has to make huge life and death decisions every day.  During one evening at the Britton house, guests dropped in to discuss the fate of an infant born at Kiwoko Hospital with "hydro spina something " and the potential for human trafficking issues of one of their IY (Investment Year) students.  OK, the decisions that I make are not in that league! 

12. Amanda harvested G-nuts (ground nuts or peanuts) and almost killed a chicken, she "chickened" out, so helped clean it instead. 

    

    Ruth, amanda, Lucy and Nancy harvesting g-nuts

    
    
    

    

    Amanda, Acacia, Toby give Bubbly a bath

    
    

    

    Amanda giving her best on part of the chicken slaughter

13. Met some really incredible people that put me to shame spiritually and intellectually. 

14. The kids taught us how to play "Look out for the Bear".  I didn't think there were bears in Africa.  Oddly enough, I did not see any either, but I was looking out for them. 

15. Taught the Britton kids how to go really fast on a merry-go-round using Physics. 

16. Went on a safari.  And saw hippos, lions, giraffes, baboons, monkeys, elephants, pythons, and many more animals you could find in the San Diego zoo!  

17. We experienced the receiving end of an angry mob.  One less thing for my bucket list. 

18. Got to know what it was like to be racially in the minority and relatively speaking, excessively rich. The average person earned something like $15 per week. 

19. Bartered for a shirt and did not end up at a higher price than where we started like I did in Peru.  Amanda bartered for some things and did better than me! 

20. I was wet and I asked my friends why, they said I had jumped into the river, I disagreed, I was in De-Nile. 

21. Definitely renewed old friendships and made new ones. 

    

    Dwight and Kakande

22. Did not take malaria medication so we are waiting 14 days to see if we got it.  We also get to take de-worming meds! 

23. Amanda would disappear with the Britton kids after work and reappear at dinner time.  I am not sure where they went or what they did but she always came back with a smile or was laughing about something. 

    

    Amanda goes off on an explore with Toby and Kevin!

    
    

    

    Acacia and Amanda enjoying Brandy the cat

24. Re-learned that ALL of us are called to missions regardless of race, nationality, social or economic position.  The "great commission" is for everyone.   

25. Geoff Britton said that "New Hope honestly had more to offer us then we had to offer it."  He was right. 

Things that I learned about the Britton family: 

1. Learned that Geoff and Mary are really good at giving and really bad at receiving.  Lets see if this makes it past Mary's editing! (I let it stand, it is TRUE!)

2. The Britton house is on a major walking route through the center.  Small wonder they have no privacy. 

   

   The girls, Mary, Abbie and Shelby spent time most evenings talking via iPad to their families.

   
   
   

   

   Not only is their house busy, but we also went visiting to other's houses! Here we are with Sam and Irene Onyait in Kiwoko. Irene is due to have their third child this month and team members bought and carried baby clothes and items for them.

   
   

   

   One proper way to give a "Thank You!" in Uganda is with a live chicken. Here the two Abbie's are holding the gift, given by Abby Onyait and received by Abbie Bryan.

3. Toby, Acacia and Kevin are great workers.  I gave them all kinds of crazy things to do and they actually did them and liked it!  Such trusting souls.  ("Here Acacia, mix this mud with your head").   

4.  I am concerned about Mary's health.  The meds she was taking for her back made her loopy.  While this could be quite entertaining at times, it was not easy to watch her deal with the pain as she walked. (Update: I took a major turn for the better this week. My pain meds are mostly not needed anymore, the exercises are finally making a difference, and I can sit for longer periods of time without problems when I get up to move around! Thanks for your prayers as it seems the excruciating level of pain has subsided.)

5. Geoff has ignored his last two cancer checkups. I think a good email campaign is in order.(Ok, true we skipped some check-ups in the past 2 years sometimes due to machines not working anymore or being down on the day we had scheduled, but he did have a CT and lab work this Spring which gave an "all-clear" and we have plans to get the last and final CT and lab work requested by the oncologist in September. Maybe a good prayer campaign is needed so that machines are in good working order on the day we go to Kampala!!!)
   
   
   THANKS Dwight for sharing your insights on your experiences here in Uganda. We were blessed with the presence of "Team Britton'" and look forward to your next visit! 
   
   
   OUR last night together before team members started to fly away was spent together at our house in honor of Shelby's 19th birthday! Spending the time laughing, eating local food and finishing the meal off with birthday cake helped us to forget for a little while that soon we'd be having to say good-bye. 
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   Dwight and Bogere spend some time visiting at the dinner table.

   

   Shelby was elated to have her favorite cake, along with Spiderman decorations which all were sent in secret by her mom and hidden in Abbie's suitcase--well, the cake MIX, not the finished cake! It was fun to surprise her! Acacia and Mary decorated and Abbie tried to keep Shelby away from the house that last afternoon for as long as she could, but Shelby kept wanting to come over to visit! I am so glad that she enjoyed her birthday!

   
   

   

   The kids and Kakande had a lot of fun!

   
   

   

   Happy Birthday Shelby!

   
   

   

   The kids' table plus Junior!
   
   COME BACK SOON TEAM BRITTON!!!!!!!

Contemplative

Contemplative

I believe the word tends to be overused. Catch-all, smooth-sounding, alluring in a way. But, overused.

Of late, I must admit I've succumbed.

Can't help it. I'm contemplative.

Be it the departure of dear friends. The arrival of our very first team in all the nine years we've lived in Uganda, the current struggles of our friend Aunt Ketty in her cancer journey or the daily pain level I am experiencing. Contemplative is where I've found myself as I traverse across the New Hope property.

Or maybe, forget all that. Maybe it's just the prednisone burst I'm on right now for the big ol' backside pain that has been ailin' me since early June.  Makes me verbose of mouth and mind.

Whatever it is, I won't try to diagnose, but simply share out some of what I've been mulling and musing.

Look at the word. COMTEMP(T)plative. If I focus too heavily on the introspective I soon reach contempt. And sadness, sullenness.

Could be contempt for the situation I'm in. Contempt for those that presume upon me. Contempt for myself at how I presume upon others. Then the sullen, sad state takes over and I fail to appreciate the myriad of blessings that are present in my life's circumstances.

The prescription: thankfulness.

Thankful for our Father God who is ever present. He gives the perspective I need.

And what is that?

Thankful for the friends whose house I've just sauntered past. They are no longer there. They are now permanently gone from New Hope. But, they are still dear friends and the memories are warm.

Thankful for the friends who flew away this past week. All dear and close, but now temporarily far from here. BUT, they are coming back! Thankful for that!

Thankful for our "family" team that has been here for the past two weeks, yet heads toward home tomorrow. Having family here has been bitter sweet. I find myself falling into the rhythms of our days. Just enjoying their smiling faces entering my front door continually throughout my day and bringing their laughs and silliness. Yesterday, however, I realized I had gotten too comfortable and let their presence become commonplace. Today I am soaking it all in and thoroughly enjoying the gift of THEM!!!

Thankful, yes, that in the midst of cancer and trial, Aunt Ketty is coming home from the hospital today, to her children. She continues on in her struggle, full of faith and anticipation for ALL of God's goodness--whatever form that takes. And though we don't know His time table, we know Him to be true and faithful.


Thankful that we have had the privilege of not only receiving our family and friends for this short time, but in getting to talk and relate in a place they had only heard about, and until now, we felt they couldn't relate to--now they can, camaraderie is a blessing.

So, thankfulness replaces the downturn toward contempt. It lifts me again to the true perspective that it all belongs to Him and so do I.

Whether I am missing friends or struggling to soak in all their sweetness while they are present in the same place, He remains.

That's it. All I've got for now. (Actually, I have lots more, but I am very aware of the "prednisone effect" and in such a condition, self-control must be grasped and utilized.)

Blessings.