Just a quick update to say "We're here!"...and very tired. So more later!
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One of the first things Alan told us after we arrived in Kampala was that he hoped we’d learn how to slow our pace to Uganda life – having (as he correctly assumed) had a very busy preparation period before coming. In some ways, we achieved this goal. In other ways – not at all! Certainly, the first couple days were devoted to resting and taking in small chunks of the city outside the house. However, we soon made contact with Denis, our language helper, and began devoting two hours a morning to Lwo lessons. Our errands around town then fell to the afternoons. It’s hard to believe, but we’re leaving for Pader tomorrow at 6 am, and we’ve only had just enough time to do all the errands we needed to do. Why have errands taken so long, and what are they? Well, the sorts of errands we’ve had include getting our final work permits (which we did on Friday – praise God!), getting driver’s licences, picking up supplies for living up North that are likely not available near Pader, practising driving around Kampala, and meeting with key people involved in the CHE ministry, including the CHE Uganda directors and the Bishop of Kitgum. These errands take longer than one would suppose for numerous reasons. For administrative errands, such as the work permits and drivers’ licences, the way the process is designed necessitates multiple visits to various places over multiple days. Actually the system is quite interesting, and works very well. Any processing charge or fee to be paid (such as the cost of a permit) is paid directly into the government bank account at the bank. You are given a slip of paper that tells the bank how much money to deposit and for what purpose, and then after the deposit is made, you’re given a slip to take back to the office to prove that you’ve paid. Then, if any pictures (or fingerprints!) need to be taken, you need to go somewhere else. All these steps include figuring out exactly what window you should be standing at, and then joining a line. Another reason? Traffic!! Kampala is unlike anything either of us has ever experienced before. There are motorcycle taxis *everywhere* (most do not wear helmets) that weave in and out of the traffic. To begin, there are no real lanes. Any semblance of lanes is quashed by the motorcycle taxis going between, around, and even towards the larger vehicles. They even drive on the sidewalk! Sometimes, there is also a group phenomenon whereby one side of traffic decides it wants to occupy lanes on the oncoming side. In addition to all of this, Kampala is full of traffic circles that are controlled by police directing traffic – and this can involve completely stopping flow from one direction to allow flow from another direction for 5-10 minutes. This is when we most feel the heat! The heat is the last reason it takes longer to do things here. Our bodies have not yet acclimatized to the 60-degree increase, and as such, we move a bit slower and our energy is drained a bit faster. January is the hottest month in Uganda (and one of the coldest in Canada), so it’s quite a shock to the system. However, we can’t really complain. For Marianne, it’s the nicest January weather she’s ever had! We’re thankful for the time we’ve had here in Kampala. It has allowed us to become comfortable with our surroundings, have meetings that have allowed us to start off on a good foot for working relationships, spend time getting to know Alan and Cheryl, get connected to a Kampala church and homegroup (that we can visit when we’re here every so often), and even start to learn Lwo! We even got to see a friend and friends of friends from Canada who were passing through Kampala! We know Pader will be completely different than this modern metropolis, but we’re eager to go North, meet the local staff, and start “getting our feet wet”. Think of us on Monday as we all do the long drive!
Diki, wan wabe cito i Pader! (Tomorrow, we will go to Pader!) Our trip started at Pearson Airport on Jan 9th. We arrived shortly after 7 pm with Mike’s Dad. Amazingly, all our luggage fit in the car. The Seabring earns special points for trunk size! We were met at the airport by Doug (EI’s International Director) and our friend Vicki. We trekked through the bag check line all together. Once our bags were checked in, they sent us off with prayer and lots of hugs (and a few tears on Marianne’s part). We journeyed overnight to Heathrow Airport in London, England. We were mindful of the short time for our connection (scheduled as only 1h45min), however even though we left Toronto slightly late, a good tailwind got us to London a bit ahead of schedule. Nevertheless, the connection time was short, and we walked off one plane, through the terminal, and straight onto the next plane. Or more accurately, onto a bus that took us to a faraway tarmac, and then onto our plane. It was on the plane we met Tom, our co-worker from England! We will be working together for the next 2 years. He sat about 6 rows behind us. We arrived in Entebbe, Uganda about 10:10 pm. As we stepped off the plane and the warm (slightly humid) night air hit our faces, we were met by a familiar smell that testified – “We’re in Africa!” It’s a hard smell to describe. It’s likely in large part the faint scent of wood smoke that hangs in the air from families cooking. But when you smell it and then return – you remember it! Our luggage all arrived in good time – no pieces missing! We navigated our way through many taxi and shuttle drivers awaiting passengers. One sign said, “Entebbe Flight Motel – Tom”. We figured that must be for us, and hopped in, along with another man from Tanzania, called Elisha. When we arrived, somehow the reception desk had misunderstood and made a reservation for “Tom and Marianne” – one room with one large bed. We were unable to get two rooms, but in the very least, we were able to switch to a room with 3 beds! No better way to get to know each other like sharing a room just a few hours after meeting each other! The next morning, we had breakfast at the Motel. The night before we couldn’t really see the Motel. As we looked around, we could see that the rooms were connected by outdoor pathways with various courtyards. All of this was inside a large, unfinished cement structure that looks a lot like a parking garage. We found out later that it’s likely hotel expansion. After breakfast, we got to meet Alan and Cheryl, the Emmanuel International Uganda Country Reps, for the first time. They came and carted us away with all of our luggage, down Entebbe Road and to their home in Kampala, the capital city of Uganda. And that was our journey!
Hi everyone!
Good news - we are now able to post to our blog again (after some minor technical diffulties!). This is just a very short post to say "We're here!" and "Doing well!" We'll post with some more substantial updates soon... Ubed maber! (Stay well) Unfortunately, we were not able to fully catch up the blog with the rest of Christmas/New Year's updates in time before flying off to Uganda tomorrow evening. For more pictures from other parts of our Ottawa and Belleville vacation, you can visit our 2011 Photos. Yesterday Marianne's parents drove from Ottawa to Belleville so that we could all be together before heading off to Uganda. They arrived yesterday afternoon and stayed for coffee time and supper. Mike's Dad prepared a wonderful meal of chili lime pork chops, followed by a delicious apple dessert by Evita. This morning, we all went to church together. Mike's Dad, who is the Assistant Pastor at their church, together with the Senior Pastor and head of the council of the elders invited us to the front to commission us for our journey. We feel blessed to have had so many sending prayers, also at our home church in Toronto, Marianne's parents' church in Ottawa, and with various fellowship groups that we are part of in Toronto. Marianne's parents left Belleville today after lunch. But if you've ever been to our house for supper or spent much time with Marianne, you'll know that there always has to be a group photo. (As above and below!) We will dearly miss our parents, as well as other family members and friends. We really thank everyone for all their support. It's so hard to say "so long" for 2 years, but we're excited for what the future holds. We hope to stay in good touch with those close to us!
Our next post will be from Uganda. As they would say in Malawi, until then - tsalani bwino! (stay well!) Christmas Day at Marianne's parents was nice and quiet. We started the morning slowly, with some banana pancakes. Just before noon, we headed downstairs to read Bible verses linked to Jesus' birth, and then sang some carols and opened our gifts...to the lovely glow of the fireplace....and the fireplace channel. (Eventually it became too warm in the room, so we switched off the real fireplace and left the TV fireplace on!). Now Marianne's parents have a Christmas tradition, and it is this: Every member of the family gets a new pair of pyjamas. (This exchange for many years occurred on Christmas Eve before going to sleep, but in recent years has taken place on Christmas Day). We proceed to change into our new pyjamas, and *STAY* in our pyjamas all day long. Mike has not had a pair of pyjamas...perhaps ever, but certainly since very young childhood. Thus, he was initiated into this ritual by the giving of his first adult pair of pyjamas, from Marianne's Mom! One gift that Marianne's Dad particularly enjoyed was a T-shirt from Marianne's sister that he first saw worn by Shannon, our niece. Apologies to our vegetarian friends... Note: The sporting of this t-shirt and winter jacket does not contravene the pyjama tradition, as he is still wearing pyjama pants... All in all, it was a lovely, snowy day spent inside with family. The only contact with the outside world was a knock on the door from our neighbour Nelson. His wife, Irene, had baked us her famous "best down-east" apple pie - with our monograms to boot! It was very tasty (but not tasty tasty murder...). A very tasty finish to a very tasty Christmas dinner, made by Marianne's Dad. Mmm...turkey! Merry Christmas everyone! And Happy 2012!
We moved out of our apartment on Dec 17th and went to stay with our friends Dawn and Jon until the 23rd (thanks guys!). During the days after moving day, we continued to work and tie up loose ends at our jobs, and go back to the apartment in the evenings to sort through our Uganda luggage and then do the final cleaning.
We will remember our first home together with much fondness. We are extremely thankful for our upstairs neighbours/landlords and friends - Ali and Maryam. We hope for as much joy for the next tenants as we enjoyed living at our "home on Maxome". |
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October 2021
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