End of our first week

So we have officially been in Uganda for a week now. The shock of being here is wearing off some, but everything still feels new and different. We have had such a good transition time thanks to Michael and Amanda and everyone else here who we have met. The hospitality that we have received has been incredible. It’s been a great week from being in Kampala and being welcomed into many people’s homes and for meals to coming to Masindi where we have experienced the same treatment. We have eaten already at all 3 of the Mazungu’s favorite restaurants in town and have very good and very different meals at each. We have plans this weekend to relax and go to a nearby pool for the day Saturday and then possibly cook out. Sunday there is a soccer match with a lot of local teams and PMI has a team, so we are going to watch that which should be a lot of fun and very hot. The weather here has been really nice most days but pretty hot. I am glad that we are in the rainy season though because it apparently is much cooler now than it will be by the end of the year. Last night our power went out so our new fan we just bought wasn’t running and it was very hot, but then the rain started and really poured and cooled down everything which was great. The rainy season also means that internet is often not working so I am actually typing this ahead of time and will not be able to post until the internet is back up and running. We went to visit the local Masindi Hospital today for the first time. Amanda walked around with Newman and me. I had heard horror stories about the local hospitals and luckily today it was not too bad, but it was definitely not somewhere I would want to be if I was really sick. There seemed to be a good amount of staff there which was good, but the environment was just depressing. There was no air flow, the air was stale and hot, and there were people packed into tiny shared “rooms.” I put that in quotes because they are not what we think of as a normal room. They are more open and part of the reason, which is good, is so that the staff can have a better view of the patients. There have been issues with staff not being trained to keep a close eye on their patients. When people here go to the hospital, their family generally comes with them. Health care facilities do not provide meals for the patients, so families come to cook for each other. Family means everything here. Although the family support is good, it makes for very crowded spaces. We peaked into a delivery room where a woman had just given birth. I know not everyone wants to read details about that, so I will not be too descriptive. Let’s just say it did not look like a sterile environment to me for what they were doing, and I didn’t see anyone wearing gloves. I cannot wait to see the impact that the PMI Masindi Kitara Medical Clinic Labor and Delivery unit has once it is up and running. I think it will be absolutely life changing for these people. So that’s it for today but I want to throw out a quick Happy Anniversary to my parents on the 25^th, Happy 1^stBirthday to our beautiful God daughter Elizabeth Klauber today, the 27^th, and Happy Early Anniversary to Bob and Lynn, Newman’s parents, tomorrow the 28^th!!! We are so very blessed to have you all as such a huge part of our lives and for all of the support and encouragement and prayers that you offer so abundantly. If the internet is working long enough, there will be some pictures in this blog, but if not I’ll have to try another time. Love to you all and thanks so much for all of your support!!
Below is a picture of the guest house where we are staying and the second picture is of some of the bota botas or motorcycles that are everywhere you go.