All by myself

It's been a while now since I've had significant chunks of time without Aussie visitors and I'm realising now how much this has spoilt me and how much my perspective changes depending on who I spend my time with. It has honestly been amazing having so many people stay with me or cross my path here in Uganda. I've made new friends, strengthened relationships and shared experiences that have challenged and changed me.

But at the end of the day, when I wave goodbye, I go back home and so do they.

This means that the frustrations I share with my Aussie friends, while they might understand and sympathise, fade into the back of their consciousness becoming a memory of their time in Africa, an amusing anecdote to share with friends who want to know what it's like in this culture. But for me these frustrations remain part of my daily life.

I've noticed it most recently when I've found something funny but can't laugh with my Ugandan friends because it's not funny to a Ugandan. And I think of my Australian friends who have visited here and who would be cracking up with me and I wish that for that moment I could share it.

I realised the other day that this never used to happen. Before I had the opportunity of shared frustrations, they were just mine and I dealt with them. I've discovered a side of me that now craves to share those frustrations all the time. Like I can't go back to those innocent days where it was all in my head and I could convince myself that I was making a big deal out of nothing.

This is one side affect that I had not foreseen.

It's come as a bit of a shock, this discontent, this desire that things be different. After all I am well aware that I am in a different culture and that I will not find everything as it is at home in Australia. I'm just surprised that my African 'culture shock' is happening more than two years into my time here.

I'm not sure that I had realised I felt like this until just now. Self revelation through blogging! No doubt in a couple of weeks I’ll adjust back to life as normal and in the meantime I’ll try to remember to rejoice and be thankful in all things.

Thanks for being a listening ear.

Blessings

bron

Lions and tigers and bears, oh my!

Okay so there aren't any bears or tigers in Africa but we were definitely on the hunt for lions a few weeks ago when Rob was visiting. We took two days out of a busy three week trip to go and visit Queen Elizabeth National Park and once again despite promising myself that I already have enough photos I managed to get a few more snaps and Rob enjoyed himself with his video camera.

Elephant kisses

Maybe no bears or tigers but there were elephants, hippos and crocodiles!

River cruise on the Kazinga Channel with Rob and Pastor Willy

It’s dry season and wherever you go you leave a cloud of dust. It’s worth being the car in front of the others.

The early birds catch the lions. A beautiful sunrise and a far off glimpse of a pride.

Beautiful Crested Cranes with their chicks and a Uganda Cobb. You can find both these guys gracing the Uganda Crest. The Crane even makes it to the national flag.

Far off mountains hidden by cloud. These mountains are part of the Rwenzori’s, snow capped mountains bordering Uganda and DR Congo.

Rob! Rob! Out the window! In front of us! Right there!

Just chilling by the side of the road

Beautiful regal creatures, even without their manes grown in

Handsome Water Buck and a family of elephants. Their may have been a few bars of Baby Elephant Walk to go along with this moment.

Despite not needing to go and see animals for a while there is something infinitely cool about seeing these creatures and wondering at the amazing God I believe in. The diversity and interdependence we all have as we cohabit this planet. God! You are Great!

Blessings

bron

p.s. I had the most amazing time with Rob. It was such a blessing to spend time with him, have him speak into my life and encourage me in my journey. Thanks Rob for everything!

All the small things

Bouncing around in a truck for two hours on my way home the other day I was complaining to myself about the discomfort I was experiencing. The first part of the road out of the refugee camp is bumpy and at times as the truck tilted I seriously contemplated my plan if the truck tipped over. Then Anne was telling me about how she used to have to use public transport. Not the organised, safe, runs on a timetable even if it is sometimes late kind of public transport that you probably have in your mind. I mean the Ugandan kind of public transport, a car or van (taxi) stuffed full of people and things. And full is not just a passenger per seat, usually more a ratio of 2:1. She described catching a boda (motorbike taxi) to a certain point and then waiting on the side of the road for up to an hour for a taxi to go past, waiting for one that wasn't already full.

And then my complaints stopped and I started thinking how good I had it in the truck. That I wasn't out in the blazing sun walking kilometres with a bundle on my head. That I didn't have to push a bicycle loaded with charcoal or maize or matoke. That I didn’t have to wait by the side of the road for 'public transport'. And as the road transformed from scary to graded to bitumen I reminded myself to be grateful.

We had been to Nakivale to deliver desks and books that were bought with funds raised by Aussie school children. It's unthinkable in Australia that teachers would be able to teach without students having desks and that any meaningful learning could happen without books or access to information. Yet this is a daily reality for many of our schools. We managed to give three class sets of books - a picture dictionary, an upper primary dictionary and an atlas. Each class set fifteen books. With seven of the ten classes having more than fifty students using the books might be an issue - but it's a start. When we handed the books out one of the kids asked if they got to keep the books. I'm wondering if he thought I just wanted to take photos and then take the books away again. And so, what may seem like a small thing to us who have everything, was accepted with great joy and wonder. That these things are now theirs.

This year HOPE is focussing its fundraising on Nakivale school, where we need to build new classrooms as well as finishing off the already existing classrooms. Imagine the joy of the students if we were able to raise enough that those classrooms could also be filled with desks and enough books purchased so that the current ratio of 1 book to 14 students is reduced.

If you feel you can help out in any way, with creativity, time or money please contact HOPE through the website or Jambo Sana in Nairne, SA.

Blessings

bron