Cooking with Fire…You want me to do what?
Ordering the people to sit down on the grass, He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up toward heaven, He blessed the food, and breaking the loaves He gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds, and they all ate and were satisfied. Matthew 14:19-20a
Somehow, the Lord always provides. Now, if you remember, Basunga is the town where I had to cross the raging river. As it had been raining non stop for the past three days, I was not to certain we would be able to forge across and might have to abandon the cooking plans anyway. Alas, the river was lower than the week before and I crossed without any assistance. Once again, we received the same warm and far too generous welcome from the local health team. Did they know that this could be a huge flop? For a girl who had never made pancakes or used a seguile (a Ugandan grill) for that matter, I did alright. It was not without much help from Spice, Angelight, Eva and many others, but it turned out pretty good. At least they seemed pleased. We made these pancake-like biscuits that tasted like peanut butter. All I can say is, YUM!
We never made it through the HIV nutrition lesson, I sure hope Stephanie will not be upset with me, but we sure did have fun. Nothing like cooking with Ugandans!
So, we repeated this process in Busaru and Nyahuka, each time improving a little on the recipe and my cooking skills. Maybe I could give Betty Crocker a run for her money…ok, maybe not! But has she ever had such an attentive croud?
As a side note, the journey to and from these locations continued to be a source of unbelievable thrills and new experiences. The day we went to Busunga, we once again took a boda there, but it was the journey home that was awesome. After forging the river, we walked to visit an old friend of Scott Will’s, Tomwebozi and his wife Eva. Tomwebozi has been Scott’s translator that last time he was in Uganda. As it turns out, Eva is a part of our nutrition classes and lives close by. When Scott learned she was Tomwebozi’s wife, we decided to visit. Tomwebozi and Eva were delighted to receive us and showed us through their village. Leaving on foot, we thought we might have to walk right along with a herd of cattle all the way back home. Much to our delight, a cocoa bean truck stopped and let us climb up into the back and ride home, without charge! I kind of felt like a festival queen in a parade perched on top of the cushioned and fragrant bags of cocoa beans waving to all the people we passed. All I needed was a crown and I really would have been a sight! The ride home from Busaru was pure laugher. I decided not to try a bike it again as I was no longer quite so cocky about my athletic abilities. So we took a boda there, but there were no bodas available for the journey home. And once again it started raining on us as we set out for home. Thankfully, a truck, this time loaded with people, stopped to pick us up. It seemed it was quite a novelty to ride in the back of a truck with a “muzungu” (white person) as they all stared and smiled at me. We were packed in so tight that there was almost no room to put my feet, let alone sit. But somehow they made room for me, and someone threw an orange tarp over our heads and we laughed and smiled at each other and the thrill of the bumpy, speedy, packed ride in the rain together. I just love these people!
And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I surrender my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing. Love is patient, love is kind…
1 Corinthians 13:3-4a
*Please note, I am not sure if I am always spelling the Ugandan words correctly. But someone once told me that most words in Lubuisi are spelled like they sound, so this is how they sound to me.
Rachel
The Myhres
The Bartkovichs
The Grays
The Massos
The Pierces
Pamela Brown-Peterside
Patricia Abbott
Stephanie Jilcott
Amy Hudson, Scott Ickes, and Kim Stampalia
Sarah Reber and Ashley Wood
Rachel Locker and Scott Will
Now Wed. was even better. How can that be? Just wait. Stephanie and I set out together, this time on bicycles, for Busaru. Now, mind you, we are at the base of a mountain range and there are hills everywhere. Not to mention that the roads are made of dirt with pot holes and rocks. Stephanie makes this ride every week, so of course I think no problem. Let’s just say, I had to almost push the bike about as much as I rode it. By the time we arrived, I was drenched in sweat. No one seamed to mind. Once again I listened to Stephanie and her translator, Angel Light, review the importance of nutrition and breast feeding, and enjoyed dramatic presentations of some of their nutritional experiences within the past week. I am loving this part of their lives! In the end, Stephanie and I set off once again on our bikes for the bumpy return home. Now here is where the craziness begins. On my way there, my skirt got caught in the brakes several times, making it difficult to peddle. So I got the bright idea of tucking my skirt into my shorts in both the front the back. Now, the return trip is more down hill than up hill and my helmet was not adjusted to fit my head. So, picture this, I come flying down the mountain with my skirt tucked into my shorts, bumping over rocks, my helmet is falling down over my eyes and as I near a curve, where a large group of people are standing, my helmet goes flying off and I nearly fall off my bike trying to stop and catch it. Needless to say, all were laughing, including me as a young man ran up to me with my helmet. But the fun does not stop there. Half way into the return home, it begins to rain, then pour and I have no choice but to ride on. And ride on I did. By the time I returned home, I was covered in mud from my head to my toes, skirt to underwear. I think I am beginning to like the mud! It looks good on me!
Thursday was tough! I start almost every morning in the pediatrics ward with Scott Will weighing babies and getting their charts ready for Dr Jennifer’s arrival. This morning was no different until Dr. Jennifer appeared delivering the news that a child we had seen only the day before had died that night. I remember the child well. She was a small girl about a year old who had been admitted for malaria. We treated her and truly thought she would do well, as she looked well that morning. What transpired that night we will never know, only to say that it was too much for her small body to handle. As this was the daughter of a friend of the Myhres, we were invited to the funeral. I opted to help care for the missionary’s children, as I had not felt well all day. But the funeral was only a few feet from where I was helping to care for the children and I could hear the wails of the mother as she mourned her daughter. I have never known pain as this mother is experiencing, but if I do I hope I wail too.
The mission from the air.
My back yard! Life's tough huh!
I made my first trip to New York City with my mother for her birthday. We went to see Hairspray, a story set in Baltimore. How fitting! We also got to spend time just looking around Baltimore and letting her get to know some of my friends here. The only problem, her visit was just too short.
Next, Olivia made a quick trip up to see me. We spent a day in Washington DC, wandering around and going through museums. I had no idea that Library of Congress was so beautiful. Liv and I also made time to get out and get ourselves lost in the woods. It is surely a good thing that we both have such a good since of direction, because we (mainly me) cannot follow directions!
Then, at last, my beautiful friend Rhonda came to visit! We goofed off in the woods, explored Baltimore, and celebrated hers and Chosei's birthdays! And a good time was had by all.
I only wish I had had more time to spend with each one. So much goodness packed into such a short time. I miss all of you! Come see me again!
I was given a few days off from work in order to fly home and meet my new, beautiful nephew Jackson Daniel Locker. He is Ryan and Mandy's first little one and such a delight. He was a little jaundiced at birth, but he will grow out of it. If only I had longer to just sit and hold him!
