It was so good to get our missionary we sent to South Africa back with the hiatal hernia and GERD diagnosis. He is happy to finally have a name for all the pain he has been in. Hopefully the treatments will work and he will be able to get back to work. That is what he wants and that is what we pray for. We spent a lot of time getting stool samples for a couple of other missionaries tested at the clinic along with other miscellaneous fun and exciting things.
We did volunteer to take some sewing machines back downtown that needed to be fixed. The Wallace's are the office couple and are always doing extra things for the people of Uganda. They did not have time to get the broken sewing machines back downtown before she was going to teach her next sewing class. They are trying to teach the ladies and the YM some skills for them to make some money on their own. Almost everyone in Africa is an entrepreneur and are always looking for a way to make money to make ends meet. Going downtown is not fun, you have to find a place to park and then carry the sewing machines a couple of blocks to the store. I did pay to have them carry one machine back to the car for me so I didn't have to make two trips. It is amazing how well the man who fixed the machines is familiar with all types of sewing machines.
While he was fixing the machines I took Sister Squire down to Owino market. It is a hodgepodge of people and stores selling second hand clothing and shoes. The sisters who work in the mission office will take the African Elders and Sisters down to purchase all the clothing they will need for their two years or 18 months in the mission field. The Africans do not have the resources to buy all their clothing so the mission funds their outfits. The clothing is 2nd hand and they spend about 300,000 thousand shillings for each missionary (around $125.00 USD). The market burned to the ground last year but in no time it was built back up and running. If you go after a storm the two foot trails around the market will be a mess of mud. It is an adventure!
This is the taxi park with Owino Market past the park and down another street. I have no idea how all the taxis get people in them and then out of the park. They are bumper to bumper here.
Another view of the taxi park
Here is a shot of the market and the shoes I just purchased. My exercise shoes were wearing out faster than I thought they would. You can see from this picture the exercise is working...
Another shot of the market. I should have got some other shots but I will next time.
We also went to one of the Government hospitals where Ugandans without money come and get fixed up. It is a real eye opener. The family has to wash their clothing and sheets and feed their family member who is in the hospital. I have no idea what happens if there is not someone to take care of the patient. You will see family camping out on the grass and the waiting rooms are packed with people waiting to be seen. They have a whole wing just for bodaboda drivers that get in accidents.
You can see the sheets and blankets out drying or with people on them.
Other times when we have been here the windows have had clothing hanging out the windows.
On Saturday (our off day) we went to see some of the tombs where the Kings have been buried. The first place we visited was the Royal Kings tomb (Kasubi Tombs). It was 130 years old and burned down in 2010 by someone because of an ongoing conflict between the President of Uganda and the King of Buganda. Highly suspicious but no one was ever arrested. They have the funding now to begin rebuilding the structure and it should be done later this year.
This is the guards entrance to get to the tombs.
They also have an eternal flame. Someone will come and feed the fire so it never goes out.
This was the first cemetery we had seen. Most were Christian graves but there were a couple of Muslim graves as well.
This was significant because it was the first use of cement in Uganda in 1930. Now it is used all over the country.
Get down and make some music!
This was the top of the entrance built in 1880. The circles are bamboo tied together and then bamboo slats covered with grass on top.
Here is one of the deadly bamboo snakes of Uganda. I had to take care of this one to protect my sweetie.
A look at the shell of the rebuild of the royal tomb. It will be a grass covered hut at the end of the year.
Like this one they are restoring.
Finally, as we were driving out to the tomb I took some pictures of the produce markets along side the road. I love how they stack everything so it is appealing to the buyers. You can see tomatoes, cabbage, potatoes etc.
People walking everywhere.
Melons
Everyone once in a while we have some down time so we finally made it back to Sanyu Babies, an orphanage here in Kampala that takes in babies that have been found abandoned. The police had just brought in twins that had been abandoned that were needing some love and food. I was in my shirt and tie because we were there for orientation but they put me to work chopping wood. I was sweating like anyone's business! We were not able to take any pictures of the babies but hope we will at some future date. There are currently 50 babies 4 and under, in house.
Here is a picture of a man from Australia that took 6 months off work to go and build a home in Kenya for kids. He had three weeks left and wanted to spend some time in Uganda before he headed home with his wife and two kids that were helping with the orphans. We had a bow saw and a couple of dull axes to cut and split the wood. Good Christians all over this world!
