a year to indefinite: To my grandmas

Last week I finally got to visit our HOPE School in Nakivale Refugee Settlement for the first time since being back in Uganda. I had spent almost a year away from the school and had been hanging out to get back and see a few things, in particular the newly concreted floors, which I am told have, along with washing feet before going into the classroom after breaks, almost entirely eliminated jiggers. Now I'm told jiggers are small insects that burrow into the skin between your toes and start laying eggs inside your body becoming extremely itchy and painful. Not pleasant.

I also got to see the new latrines, built after earth tremors caused the previous ones to collapse.

It was lovely to see the students again and to talk with the first class of Primary 7 who will complete their primary schooling in only a few weeks. What will happen for the rest of their education I cannot guess but I pray that the little they have gained from attending primary school will help them in their lives. And I could not help but be impressed with their level of English as well as their interest in asking me questions.

Also on the day I was able to visit with some of the ladies who make beaded necklaces that we sell in Australia. The money they have earned so far has seen children continue in school, the purchase of medical supplies and treatment and other basic necessities. The process is amazing, cutting strips of paper, rolling them into beads and gluing them, varnishing, washing, varnishing, washing, varnishing, washing, and then assembling the necklaces or bracelets. The women I met even let me help roll the beads when I met with them.

But what I really wanted to tell you about today are my grandmas. Amazing ladies who I want to honour.

Grandma, Mum's mum, sends me a letter every month. You may think this is not much. But when you are thousands of kilometres away from friends and family, it's so lovely to receive something in the mail. Hers is the only mail I receive and is totally appreciated. Her letters contain news from home, about her life and what she has been doing. Nothing dramatic or exciting but comforting and makes me think that she could almost be telling me these things sitting at a café while having lunch with her and Mum in Victor Harbor. Apart from thinking about me she does an amazing amount of work for others and there are, I am sure, hundreds of kids who have a Bananas in Pyjamas knitted toy that Grandma has given them when they are born. I know that all the children of all my friends, family, acquaintances have them. She volunteers in a school library covering books and has done the same for years. She is one of those behind the scenes people who just gets on and quietly does whatever it is she is doing. She is happiest when she is doing something for someone else and her life is littered with people who have appreciated her care for them. Grandma's servant heart gives me a model of laying my life down for others - the Bible, John 15.

Gram (looks like the measurement of weight but pronounced 'grarm', the name that as the oldest grandchild I had the privilege of giving her whether she liked it or not. I forget sometimes that it's not a name that most people call their grandma), Dad's mum, loved the African HOPE beads we gave her made by the women in Nakivale. And so did lots of her friends. So she took some of the beads to church and various other groups she is involved with and raised over a thousand dollars in less than a month. I am so thankful for such support from my family, not only for myself, but for the organisation I am working with. Gram is also inspiring in other ways, playing tennis and swimming into her 80's, which I should follow but don't (regular exercise that is), and traveling all over the world. In fact when I first came to Uganda in 2008, during my stopover in Johannesburg we actually spent some time in the same city - although she was waiting in a plane on the tarmac. She had been on a bus and river tour of several African countries. Perhaps I have inherited from her my love of travel, of people and other cultures. When she is at home she is involved in many groups and if I happen to be in Adelaide I have to make sure she'll be around if I want to see her. Gram's love for life reminds me to have a bigger world view than my own small patch where I am comfortable - the Bible, Matthew 28:18-20.

Last but not least is Aunty Betty. She is not technically my grandma, but is Grandma's sister, and my mum lived with her from the time she was sixteen till she got married. And so Aunty Betty is my 'other' Grandma. Growing up, Aunty Betty's house was fun to explore, there were always chocolate biscuits in her cupboard and she let me stay up late and sleep in late. Staying with Aunty Betty was always an adventure, a place to gain some independence and she made me feel special. It is from Aunty Betty that I grew to love old movies, and almost all of the old movies that I have seen have been from her collection. I've spent many hours at her house sitting at the table chatting about anything and everything. She still always has a good collection of biscuits. She still always has time for me. It's Aunty Betty who always helped me out with bills I couldn't pay, when I hadn't budgeted well or when I hadn't realised how much it might cost to own my own phone, or when I needed somewhere to get away. I think my love of sitting with people and hearing their stories, of spending time with them has come from her. Aunty Betty's gift of time for me has shown me how valuable a gift it can be if I give it to others - the Bible, Matthew 5-7.