This last weekend we set off for Nakaseke District (it used to be part of Luweero District and the famour Luweero Triangle so we still talk about going to Luweero when we go to the village) to visit Jane's dad and to start work on building him a new round house. His traditional house had fallen down, thus necessitating a new one. We packed up family and building material (which is cheaper here in Jinja than out there). We loaded our whole family, our two young ladies who help us, Ruth and Maurine, 10 bags of cement, 12 peiece of tine roofing, nails, and our luggage. Yes we were very well-loaded!Then we added more items once we reached Luweero Town: two 50kg sacks of maize flour, one 50kg sack of rice, two bunches of matooke (cooking banana), and some vegetables and beans.
Everyone was so happy to see us! Jane's dad who we call Papa is about 67 and stands about 6'4" is a typical Tutsi with a slender, lanky build. He was resting on the veranda of the main house in the shade. The veranda on a typical house here in Uganda is not really a shade or prtch area but a footing that extends out from the base of the houe about a foot and a half and rises about a foot or so above the level of the ground surrounding the house. Janes sister Esther was near the outdoor kitchen and quickly cam over with her children to wellcome us. The kids all tried there best at greeting us in English and we exchanged greetings with Esther (Jane's sister who has been living there since 08) and Papa in Luganda and Kinyarwanda. Mama Dan, another one of Jane's siters who is staying at the homestead with her children was there too. She came over and we exchanged greetings again. Jane started to cry as this was the first time we had seen Mama Dan since they lost their 13 year old daughter a few months ago while we were away in Canada.
We began offloading our cargo with th help of the many children around. Mama Dan (Paulina) has three girls and two boys -- her oldest being Dan who is 16 and is a handsome mild-mannered young man. Esther has 5 boys and one girl -- her oldest is Kamuhanda, a hard-working boy, who is 15. Esther has stayed at the homestead since May of 2008 when she lost her husband very suddenly. Tragically she lost her oldest daughter of around 10 years just a couple months later to an unknown sickness. Mama Dan is at Papa's as her husband lost his job recently at the exact same time as their second oldest daughter of 13 died very suddenly -- that was just a few months ago. Mama Dan's husband is currently culitvating their land a few miles away in a more secluded village, meanwhile his family is staying at Papa's which is about 1km from Kiwoko where they can school and have ready access to a good hospital.
We had a good time with some light-hearted moments as Jane's siters tried out some of their little English. We were mostly there to get papa's house built so I spent a lot of my time getting things ready for the new house, while Jane was able to get a lot of good time in visiting with her sisters. The builders came on Sunday evening after I had spent the day rounding up bricks and sand so that they would be able to get going immediately after they came. We had cleared the site of the old rubble from the wattle and thatch building where papa used to stay. The kids had cleard most of the rubble from where the centre of the house was, during the time I was out with Dan rounding up material. We left Tuesday Morning after having secured material and watching the builders finish off the foundationa and start the walls.
We would love for you to continue to pray for Jane's family. Jane's sisters are living in a lot of fear, understadably, as they have faced so much death over the past few years (both having lost two family memebers since 07). There is a lot of talk about some of the deaths being a result of witchcraft -- which could be true. Please pray that they will be released from fear and that they will experience God's presence and blessing in their lives. Pray that their children will be willing to read the Bible to their moms as they are both illiterate for the most part. Pray also for God's provision of a job for George (Mama Dan's husband) and provision for Esther as well. Also pray for their health and protection but most of all please pray that they will put their faith fully in Christ for slavation and protection and provision. They are wonderful women and do not beg or complain in the least. Very easy people to help -- if only more Ugandans had their spirit!!
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