After a rather hectic agenda this week, we made a mutual decision that our Saturday would be a day to rest and recharge before we headed to Jinja on Sunday. All of us appreciated time the down time to remain at the guest house and relax.
In the morning, we walked over to the primary school to visit with some teachers who were busily attending to marking mock exams that their students had completed this week. One of the teachers, David, was present with his wife Arita and two children, 2 year old son Elisha and 2 month old daughter Serina. David and Arita were both wearing Canada t-shirts that they had recently received from the team, and they were proud to have their pictures taken in their Canadian colours.
It is soccer tournament time, and a large group of students were awaiting a ride to a neighbouring school for a day of competition. We were astounded that the entire group - about 25 children and coach - were all able to load into one single van! Definitely a tight squeeze! They arrived back later in the afternoon quite excited after a successful series of games!
After lunch, we enjoyed a nice extended conversation with Henry, where we compared some of our observations and understanding of Canadian and Ugandan cultural distinctives. This was a neat time to reflect and appreciate just what makes each culture so unique. We will all miss Henry - he is kind and caring, with a wonderful, witty sense of humour. He loves to tease and tell terrific stories and our room is always full of laughter when he is with us.
The skies opened in mid afternoon and we got a little taste of what the rainy season must be like in Uganda. Officially, one of two rainy seasons begins in August, yet we have seen a little rain almost every day that we have been here. After a good soaking, Henry took us on a walk down the road in front of the compound and then circled around back to have a closer look at the well that rests below the guest house where we enjoy our meals. There were several children there with bright yellow jerry cans, collecting water that they were manually pumping. The water came slow and steady as they pumped and pumped. A little further along, another group of children stood knee-deep in muddy water as they collected a steady stream that was pouring from outlet pipes that were fed by an underground spring. Green algae settled in the ditch that collected much of the water's outflow - giving evidence to the phosphorus that would be accumulating from those doing their laundry here. We have a tremendous appreciation for the convenience of fresh, clean tap water at home when we see what the residents of Buikwe are faced with. Trips to the well are part of the daily rhythm of life here, and we even see younger children carrying their own scaled down versions of jerry cans to collect what they can and contribute to the family's daily water needs.
After dinner, we enjoyed a visit from Pastor Herbert, who collected some food bags that we had prepared to share with some in his congregation. Augustine stopped by along with Jonah, an engineering student, as we worked on trying to fix a login complication that we had with one of our computers. A spirited game of Scrabble was also enjoyed by Glenna, Henry and Julie!
Now, we prepare for our journey to Pastor David's church in Jinja. It is an hour long trip and we will be accompanied by Pastor Justus! We are looking forward to a great day as we venture to the location of the source of the Nile River!
Sorry about the lack of pictures posted - it is a slow Internet connection and it has been a challenge to post them in the last couple of days.
Blessings to all of you,
Paul
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