Hello everyone! I've just been enjoying all the Facebook pictures of the amazing snow event in the South. Looks like quite a lot of fun, although I have to say I'm happy to be sitting on my porch 20 miles north of the equator where it's a comfortable 78 degrees. Not a big fan of the cold!
Things here are going well. We have found a house, and we have been busy getting the things we will need to live in it. This isn't quite as easy as it might sound. While there are a few large stores that sell many different things including furniture, they are pretty expensive and sometimes the quality is not the best. So for the last couple of weeks, we have been trying to locate a carpenter who can build our beds, tables, and chairs. We have talked to several, but the prices they have quoted have been quite high. Today we finally met with a guy who seems to do high quality work at a reasonable price, so we will most likely have him get started on our furniture on Monday. It will take him a couple of weeks to make everything, so we'll likely spend a week or so sleeping on mattresses on the floor until he is finished. We also met with our landlady today to pick out a paint color for the house. She informed us that the house will not be ready on Monday as planned, so we will have to stay here at the Hendersons for a few extra days. They get back to Uganda Wednesday night, so I'm hoping they won't mind if we all pile in here until Friday or Saturday!
Praises:
1. For good health for all of us. We've had a few minor stomache bugs, but no malaria yet!
2. That God has provided a house for us!
3. Elise had a fun-filled 10th birthday a couple of weeks back. She had 3 girls over for a sleepover, and they all had a great time!
4. For the Henderson's return this week.
5. For the strengthening US dollar at a time when we are purchasing many things for our house. This has been a real blessing and gives a lot more buying power!
6. My trip to Juba, Sudan has been postponed. As I had mentioned in a previous email, I was hesitant to make this trip given the insecurity in Juba and concerns over leaving Suzy and the kids alone in a new and still pretty unfamiliar place. So I'm thankful that the trip will be put off until after Kerry gets back.
7. Vince Ward from Cush4Christ, a partner organization that we work with in southern Sudan, stayed with us here in Kampala for four days this past week. It was great to visit and get to know him better, and he offered some great insights for moving forward with our radio programming.
8. We hired a girl to help in our house. Her name is Prossy, and she has just finished high school. She doesn't have a lot of experience, but she is eager to learn and is picking things up quickly. Prossy is hoping to go to college in the next few years, so we are excited to be able to give her some work experience and the opportunity to save some money for her future education. We'll also be providing a room for her to stay in as well as 3 meals a day. One thing that was quite funny was that Prossy did not know how to turn on the stove. We were surprised but after we thought about it, we realized that almost no one here can actually afford a stove. They usually do their cooking over a simple kerosene cooker. Stoves cost over a million shillings ($500) which is 4 or 5 months salary for the average worker. I paid Prossy for the first time yesterday, and she was so happy that she started to cry! It was moving to see someone be so overjoyed to receive what is to me a small amount of money. But I guess when you grow up in poverty and in a place where it is nearly impossible to find regular work (the unemployment rate is probably well over 50%), you are extremely happy and thankful to receive any amount of money.
Prayer requests:
1. We have a lot to do this week to get settled into our house. Please pray for things to go smoothly with the carpenter and also that we will be able to find the appliances we need at fair prices. Also, pray that the things we need (like a refrigerator, stove, mattresses, etc.) will be delivered to our house on time. And pray that our house will be ready by next weekend!
2. We still need to buy a car. Pray that God will provide one for us that Suzy feels comfortable driving and that fits our budget- we are still praying for a few thousand more dollars so that we can buy a quality 4-wheel drive vehicle.
3. Pray for the Hendersons as they fly back Tuesday and Wednesday.
4. Pray that God will help us to find trustworthy security guards for our house that can begin working the day we move in. We have one person we want to hire and will be interviewing at least one other guy this week. It is critical that we have security 24/7 so this is a top priority for us this week, and we need lots of wisdom to choose the right people.
5. Aid Sudan has three trips scheduled for March and April, but not very many people have signed up. As a result these trips may have to be canceled. Pray that God will give us wisdom on whether to move forward with these trips or not, and for God to raise up people to come if He wants us to move forward with these trips.
6. Sudan has elections in April. This will be a big challenge, particularly for the people of the south, most of whom are illiterate and don't have a very good grasp of the democratic process. The potential for violence is quite high during this time, and most organizations are pulling their personnel out of Sudan during the elections. (I suspect this has something to do with why we don't have many people signed up for our March and April trips.) Please pray that the people of southern Sudan will understand the importance of voting in this election, and pray that things will be peaceful during this time.
Thanks for your prayers and support and have a blessed week!
