We cannot believe we have been here
a month as of last Saturday! We are settling into routines. Here is a “Week in
the life”.
Our days start about 7 a.m.. It is a challenge
to make sure everything we need fits in our backpacks and that we don’t forget
anything for the day!
We leave for work about 7:45/8:00.
The trip takes about 20 minutes on average on motorcycle. We wave to people
along the way because it is incredibly important to greet. That is how Ugandans
decide if you are a good person or not. There are some beautiful views along
the drive that I cannot wait to stop and get pictures of along the way.
We arrive at GSF 8:15/8:30. Cody goes to the MK school to prepare for the
day, and school starts at 8:30. Katie
goes to missionary devotions at 8:30. The teachers (Lisa Fish, David Fish and
Cody) take turns attending devotions with the other missionaries and leading
devotions for the students throughout the week.
Missionary devotions start with singing a song/hymn usually acapella
unless Cody or Daniel are there to play and bring their guitars. Then someone
leads a devotional for the group. We take prayer requests, pray together, and
end with another song. We do this on Monday, Thursday, and Friday. On Tuesdays
the women meet to encourage and share together, and on Wednesdays the men meet.
Missionary devotions ends about 9:15, and everyone heads off in different
directions to work.
My schedule is completely different
each day and stays very flexible but very busy. Some of my responsibilities
include: checking on children, talking to the house moms, making schedules,
meeting with Childcare Team, working with the Special Education Team, doing
research, documenting, toilet training, making things for children like chairs
or props, corresponding with therapists and so much more. I work very closely with the Childcare
Director, Childcare Manager, and Nurse as well.
Cody’s day is pretty set. He
teaches 7th grade from 9:00-9:45 and then his preschool class from
9:45 till 10:30. He has a break from 10:30-11:00 and is also blessed to have a planning
period from 11:00 till 12:00. After his
planning period, he teaches 1st graders how to read until lunch.
From 1:00-2:00 campus shuts down
for lunch. We bring leftovers, eat with other missionaries, or eat the staff
lunch of posho and beans (posho is water and corn flower). We have learned to ask for lots of beans,
cabbage, and sauce, and just a little pit of posho because it goes a long way!
On Wednesdays the missionaries and Ugandan managers (childcare, social worker,
administrator, etc) meet for prayer during the lunch hour in the chapel on
campus to pray for our ministry as a whole.
After lunch Cody teaches 3rd
and 5th grade English (at the same time J) for one hour and then the
high school class from 3:00 to 4:00. Cody is finished with school at 4:00, and
he grades or gets other things done while he waits for me to be finished at
5:00.
At 5:00 we drive home and get there
about 5:30. We immediately light the stove and get the charcoal going. We have
divided up the responsibilities, and he cooks dinner while I work on finances,
correspondence, this blog and other “missionary stuff”. We usually eat dinner around 7:30/8:00ish (it
takes awhile to cook)! We boil water for warm showers, do the dishes, and take
time to relaxing (Me= facebook or reading, Cody=Computer Games, reading, or comics),
talking, watching a TV show on our laptops, or playing a game together.
I am usually asleep between 9:00 and 10:00. Cody reads for
school and falls asleep closer to 11.
Some evenings are little different.
*Mondays, I go for a walk around GSF with Lisa Fish after work before heading
home. *Wednesdays, we have missionary bible study/church at the Gwartneys,
where we sing, take communion, pray, do a bible study or video series, etc. The
Gwartneys host the off-campus people for dinner afterwards. It is delicious and
a fun time of fellowship! *Thurday night is street food night. Cody goes up to
the Nyenga Center for our favorite street foods rather than cooking. It is
wonderful to not have to cook or clean that night!
Saturdays are different each time.
We have made trips to Jinja, and Kampala for supplies and internet, stayed home
to clean, do laundry, and relax, and we have spent time on GSF campus for
events or activities, and we have kept some other missionary kids so the
parents could have a night off.
On Sundays, we do laundry in the
mornings and head off to Light of the World Church for the 11:00 service (which
goes to 1:00). Lisa and David Fish host us, along with Corrine and Daniel, for
lunch on Sundays. It is fun and always delicious. After lunch, we play games
sometimes, and then we have our Luganda language lessons from 4:00-5:30. Our
teacher is very fast! We have learned to greet formally and informally after
only 3 lessons, and there are many ways to do this. We head home after lessons
and hope our clothes are dry from the morning, and get ready for another week.
Funnies:
Katie went to the bathroom, and
there was a pile of dirt in there. She kicked the dirt down the hole and lost
her flip flop along with it. She called her mom and told her mom about it, and
her mom asked her if she went and got it!!! The answer: NO!!! Katie has a new
walk of shame—coming back from the latrine with one shoe on. J
Katie was sitting in Missionary
Church and lizard poop dropped on her head! She quickly and quietly cleaned it
up without too many people seeing! J
In Uganda, people usually knock on
the door and say “Co-Di, Co-Di” whenever they want to talk to someone inside.
Since Cody’s name is the Luganda equivalent of our English “Yoo-Hoo,” people
(especially one of the guards) almost always giggle when he tells them his name
for the first time.
We got a “rain day” from school
because it was pouring rain, and no one was getting out on the roads or out of
their houses. When it finally stopped raining about 10:30, everyone came in to
work and finished up the day like nothing happened. We got to sleep in and
relax that morning! J
I am a fan!
Recipe Found in REAL East Africa
Cookbook:
“Safari Stew
1 elephant
2 C salt
2 C pepper
2 rabbits (optional)
Cut elephant into 1 inch cubes
(allow approximately 72 days for this procedure), frequently adding pinches of
salt and pepper. Cook over kerosene or wood fire for about 4 weeks at 465
Degrees F. If more than 3000 guests are expected for dinner, two rabbits may be
added. But do this only if necessary as most people do not like to find hare in
their stew!”
For our friends and family in the
USA whom we miss and wish that we could be with
That we would prioritize God and
each other before the business of life
That we would communicate well with
each other.
That we will continue to establish
routines to make our home life successful together, specifically: quiet times,
chores, relaxation, and exercise.
Safety while driving to and from
work every day and into the cities.
Continued relationship building
with the other missionaries and our Ugandan neighbors.
Praises:
All of the children arrived back
from holiday without too many problems.
Great motorcycle that handles in
the mud like a champ!
Katie has a working phone!!!
Furthering relationships with the
other missionaries
Family that understands and is
supportive of what we are doing here
Katie is getting more and more
comfortable on the motorcycle.
