I am sorry I have not written in a while. When you drop your computer and break the monitor, it makes it hard to write. That is because you have to wait to use someone else’s. Anyway, there has been quite a lot happen since I last wrote.
First, as we continued to meet the kids from Kigarama, we learned that the story was not as simple as it was first described. Therefore we, Athens and I, have been investigating to try to find out as much as possible. We did visit all of the secondary kids and interview them. We have been trying to piece together how they fit as a family. As best as I can figure, there have been deaths from 4 parents, inherited children, and inherited wives to make up the 12 kids. Until the investigation is over we will not know how many we will be able to support. I can say it has been a roller coaster of a ride. It was great meeting the kids and hearing their dreams for the future. So when everything gets settled you will get the whole story. Please pray that we make wise decisions as well.
Second, our time at ACTS has come to an end. Besides working to get the kids in school, my last two weeks there did not consist of much other than entering information into the computer. Therefore, I was able to treat the time as a spiritual retreat. It was great. I was able to have so much quiet time to read and pray. I was able to learn and discover so much. I finished studying I Kings, II Kings, Ezra, Nehemiah, Psalms, John, and I and II Thesolonians. I am so thankful for the opportunity to spend time resting in His presence. Our last day was Ryan’s birthday and so we had a wonderful night out. We even got to have pork, which we don’t get. Man, I love me some pig.
Third, Ryan and I have had some adventures as soon as we left ACTS. During the ride back to town a hose broke on the car so we sat on the side of the road for 3 hours. Construction slowed us down another hour and a half. We did eventually make it back after another traffic jam on the taxi to the new house. However, we did make the stop at the equator for the tourist photo.
On Monday, Ryan and I went to Jinja to get our visas extended. We had heard it would be easier than in Kampala. We also were planning to spend some time enjoying the things to do there. We took the two hour taxi ride and a boda to get to immigration. We walked in at 1:30 and out at 1:32 because the officer had gone to Kampala for a meeting and would not be back. We had been told to eat on Main Street because there were some restaurants with western and European flare. We found our way into a café and each had a cheeseburger. We discussed our options and decided we should just find a cheap place to stay and spend time enjoying ourselves. Our visas expired the next day and the fine is pretty heavy if you are late. The next 3 hours were spent hiking around Jinja looking for cheap places in our budget. Our second stop at the tourist information center sent us toward the cheapest place they knew of. We couldn’t find it, but we did see another guesthouse. The side of the building even mentioned massage, spa, and saunas. They showed us a room and gave us a price cheaper than we were told would be the cheapest. We were both tired from walking but feeling better that we had a place to stay. It had taken us so long to get things settled that we didn’t have anything else to do but go to Main Street and get some more food. We tried to take as much time as we could but found ourselves back at the guesthouse by 6:30. The accommodations were pretty meager but what could you expect. We spent about an hour splicing wires to the TV and trying to find a channel. We got one to come in through the fuzz but no sound. No biggie. I fell asleep by 10:30 thinking everything would be alright. I woke up at 1:30. Mosquitoes were everywhere. We didn’t have a net and these things were vicious. They knew exactly where your ears were. By 2:30 Ryan and I were both wide awake hiding with our heads under the covers, miserable. Next we hear someone trying to open our door very slowly. YEAH, pretty much wasn’t going to sleep after that. I spent a lot of time praying. After the next 4 hours with everything under the covers for protection, we realized that we had gotten the sauna for free. Dripping with sweat we got up and left as soon as we could. It was the worst night I have had in Uganda. We ate breakfast, you guessed it, on Main Street. As soon as 9 am arrived we were in the immigration office. They told us we needed a photo copy, back to Main Street. Photocopy in hand, back to Immigration. Come back at 11 was what they told us next. We didn’t really have anywhere to go so they we just sat outside. Eventually they told us to come in and fill out more papers. At 10:30 we took a seat on the bench. The officer was not there. At 11 he said he was coming, at 12 he was close, at 12:45 he was getting closer. Finally, at 1:30, he arrived. Getting into their office isn’t the chore it’s getting them to stamp your visa. We were worried that we would still have a lot of work to do and probably a bribe or fine to pay. Instead, he opened our passports and stamped them in less than two minutes. So we went to Main Street to get some food and then make our way through the rain to the taxi park for the ride home. When we made it back we were both worn out and very tired.
Now you know more than you wanted to know as usual.
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