Week 62 (22 – 29 Sep 2007)

Picture: James and our newest neighbour: Agabo Nissi Joel. But don't worry, Andrea had a cuddle too!

Sunday was the first church service of the term and we volunteered to organise it. In the last year it was the first Sunday service we have attended in Arua which did not use the “Come and Worship” booklets. This is a Church of Uganda liturgy specially designed for use in schools but all the local churches use it too. Apparently it is based on the Anglican 1662 service book. When we suggested doing something different both the staff and students were very worried but as the Patron (John, the Deputy Principal) seemed to be happy, they let us go ahead. I led the service and based it on the format of the service book but used different words e.g. a creed from Titus and we sang the Lord’s Prayer (led by John). John led the other singing too and Andrea gave a brief message. It seemed to go well and finished slightly earlier than the normal services. The disadvantage is that it is more difficult for the students to participate e.g. reading together. In the afternoon I took a trip to Kuluva Hospital to collect Brenda and her new born baby, Nissi and a car load of stuff.

On Monday we had arranged for an “electrician” to come to give us some advice and an estimate for putting the new solar panel on the roof. He was to come at 3pm but didn’t arrive.

We arranged for the solar electrician to come at 3pm on Tuesday – he didn’t come but phoned to say the heavy rain would make it difficult.

He did arrive on Wednesday afternoon to measure the solar panels so that frames could be made and did an estimate of the other lights and wires that would be needed. Unfortunately, while testing the circuits and current etc he managed to blow a “capacitor” (or other component) in our new controller. The controller monitors how much power goes in and out of the battery and hopefully gives some warning when things are not right. Now it doesn’t. My nerves were a little frayed when he proceeded to open the unit and cut out the offending piece. However, Manasseh does play the guitar very well. He tried on mine!

On Thursday morning my lesson was interrupted by a worried father. After 10 days John is feeling the strain! His wife Brenda was not well and needed to go to the hospital and was not well enough to go on the back of the bike. It was a slow 3 hour trip, partly because I left them at the hospital to go into town to get more fuel. We have had several unexpected trips and it was getting lower than I would have liked. Our solar electricians past us on the way and by the time I got back all the wires had disappeared into the roof space. Every now and again Manasseh stopped, looked thoughtful and spoke into the air as if he was praying. What’s more, he usually got a reply from above that we could hear too. The reply was of course in tongues, but at least Manasseh had the gift of interpretation as both he and Jesse his assistant speak Lugbara and English. At 2pm they said they were nearly finished, apart from the switch that was wired for Americans rather than Brits, but they had a few other problems as they tested the system and eventually left at 5pm. We spend a few minutes enjoying playing with the switches and for the first time since we arrived a year ago, were actually looking forward to darkness so that we could enjoy the light! It was very odd to use a switch rather than a torch or match. (Just in case you’re confused, we use the matches to light candles, not the torches.) I almost needed my sunglasses for the bedroom light. It seems silly to get excited about lights and switches but after a year it’s a big thing. We will have to wait until Saturday for the frame to mount the solar panels on the roof – no more lugging them in and out of the house each day!

On Friday we collected Phyl Penner, an AIM member from Canada, from Arua. She had spent three weeks in Congo where the roads are much worse than here and more comparable with those in Sudan. Phil was spending the day with us while waiting for the flight to Entebbe tomorrow. At the end of month Staff meeting Andrea did a brief overview of the plans for the Life Skills Day we are planning for the students in November. She got the teachers to do one of the tasks - making a tower from newspaper and sellotape in 5 minutes. We were split into two groups with the male and female teachers separate. It would take too long to record all that we noticed but it’s clear that they’re not used to this kind of thing – yet! The same exercise will be done with the students but one of the staff was a bit concerned “How will the students take notes on this exercise?” It took a while to explain that the experience was more important and that as it would not be examined, the notes were not necessary. I don’t think they were convinced. This afternoon (5.30pm Uganda time) Dad’s ashes were interred at the crematorium in Winchester. It went well apart from the heavy rain just as the short service began.

We took Phyl Penner to the airport on Saturday morning although it was really the chance to have a second breakfast of tea and samosas. I was ‘forced’ to have orange Fanta. Life is hard sometimes. On our way to the air strip our ‘electrician’ phoned to say that the frame for the solar panel would not be ready until Monday. Poo. (Laura’s expression, not mine.) So we did our shopping a bit more leisurely than planned. I even explored some new shops, found out the price of bicycles with gears – they seem to sell more without gears which is fine for around Arua which is flat. Ushindi doesn’t know what flat is. It was getting hot again so we stopped to buy some plants, like you do. Or I should say, I stopped, Andrea bought. But she did let me choose one small one! Odd to see UK indoor plants ready for planting outside here. I was just having a rest when the student in charge of the services knocked to say that the chaplain who was to take the service tomorrow had not been informed and could I “share something”. So much for trying to plan in advance. My immediate thoughts were not ones I would be happy to share anywhere let alone in a service. I have asked for forgiveness and reluctantly agreed to try to prepare something even though a cold swim would be much more agreeable – and necessary if my brain is to work at all. The excitement of having new lights, including one in the “bathroom” has been dulled somewhat.