Cornbread and butter beans and you across the table..

So the other night after cooking dinner in the dark during a brief power outage Trish and I began to have a conversation about food.  I said that my first meal back at home over Christmas was going to be at Chick-fil-A, on James Island.  Trish, somewhat surprised that I would want that as my first meal after working there for 18 months, asked what I would get.  Now I don’t want to appear to be a glutton but my response was a 12 ct Nugget meal, valuesized, with Diet Dr. P and a Spicy Chicken Sandwich with pepperjack cheese.  This would of course include at least one of each dipping sauce.  These were the staples during my tenure at CFA however never all at once.  This led to more discussion of Triple Hashbrowns, covered, smothered, scattered and chunked from Waffle House, Yacht Club and Bishop Gadsden buffets, Blind Tiger lunches, and any number of other restaurants, homes, and dives that we used to frequent around Charleston.  One might believe that after reading this that the food here isn’t good but the truth is we eat quite well and healthy.  All the produce is locally grown, you can buy it all daily at the local market and know exactly where it came from since you recognize your neighbors selling it.  Meat is somewhat questionable locally but we are able to buy it in Kampala when we make the 3 hour trek to the capitol.  Of course storing food depends on power, which has been decent lately but is always questionable.  We find ourselves getting excited about meals though because obviously food= comfort.  We ate our last box of Kraft Mac-n-cheese this week for lunch but I think there is some coming in August through a courier system that I am referring to as my brother.  While we do have some of these comforts from home and there are larger super markets in Kampala it is exciting to try new things and find new foods that we both like.  I have to be honest though, Trish does ALL of this.  I try to help sometimes by slicing onions or cleaning garlic cloves or pouring drinks and setting the table but it is Trish that is keeping my waistline where it has been for the past few years.  Another advantage to Uganda is that we use the metric system so when I step on a scale it really looks like I have lost weight.  I must say that we are happy, and healthy and I owe this God, Trish, and the family at home that have supplied us with American staples like Mac-n-cheese, Hershey’s bars, and Wheat Thins.

A "typical" day

Some people have asked us, “what is a typical day for yall?” I reply, “there is no such thing.” When we wake up in the morning, we usually have some sort of idea as to how we foresee the day going, but it inevitably is never what we have envisioned.

Today: We woke up, got dressed, made coffee and toast, had quiet time and read a devotional, and headed out the door to the clinic. That part of the day is usually pretty much under our control, but once we walk out of the door, anything can happen.

I headed into the Nursing Room first per usual. I greeted Doreen, the head nurse, and asked her to update me on the patients currently in the room. There was the usual malaria of course and one case of bad pneumonia. I then treated a pregnant woman who had a UTIand malaria, and also gave some maintenance medications to patients. Once that room slowed down a bit, I decided to sit with one of the providers, Alex. I’ve been wanting to sit with him and observe him seeing patients, but it has been hard to find an opportunity. When we have pharmacy students here, they spend a lot of time with the providers. We have some coming next month, so I am trying to get in some time with the providers while I can.

With Alex, I saw a few expectant mothers. He did some ultrasounds, and that was the first time I’d seen an ultrasound of a fetus in person. I thought it was fascinating and exciting, but the mother showed no emotion. I don’t know if that is a cultural thing, or perhaps she has already done this a few times and it is no longer exciting to her. I was excited enough for the both of us. I thought it was so fascinating to see a human body moving around inside another person and seeing the heart beating. The ultrasound here is not as clear as the ones you see at home, but you could still see the skeleton and outline of the body pretty well. After that patient, we saw a young girl, about 2 years old, who was having abdominal distention and abdominal pain. We did a scan of her abdomen and saw that her bladder was enlarged, and she was experiencing urinary retention. After some searching, we found a small enough catheter to do an in-and-out catheterization. It was successful, and the child seemed to experience some relief.

After seeing a few patients, I got a text from someone saying that they were in need of some financial assistance. I told them I would meet them at the house to talk about it. I got to the house, and while I was waiting for my guest, I heard a small voice from the back door. There was a young boy, about 9 or 10 years old, standing there in his school uniform. We exchanged hello’s and how are you’s , and I asked him how I could help him. I figured he was just going to ask if he could get some mangos from our trees in the backyard like all of the other children that have been coming by. Instead, he said in a small meek voice, “I’m hungry.” I asked him, “Did you not go home for lunch today?” All of the children have a break from 1-2pm to go home for lunch. He said his parents would not let him come home for lunch and that they have been beating him. He said that he was late coming home from school last night, and before he had a chance to explain, they beat him. He showed me his arm which had some cuts and bruises, and his upper thigh which had some long thin welts on it. I asked him what they were beating him with, and he said sticks. I looked him over, and nothing seemed to be broken, but we asked him if he had gone to the clinic. He said that he was refused. We asked him what clinic he had gone to, and he told us Masindi Hospital. We asked him if he knew about our clinic, MKMC, just around the corner. He said he did, so we told him to go there, and he will not be refused. Newman wrote him a note on some paper explaining that we wanted him to be seen and told him to give it to one of the staff. I gave him an apple, some carrot sticks, and some crackers to eat. We explained to him that it is NOT ok for people to beat him, and that if he does not feel safe to go for help. He thanked us and began to walk away. Newman left the house shortly after that in the car and said that he passed the boy on the road walking to the clinic. He picked him up and took him to see Nurse Doreen. Newman was then able to get a little bit more information since there were people there to translate. Apparently he lives with his grandmother and uncle and they were the ones beating him. Newman asked one of the male staff members who were leaving for the day to walk the boy home and see that he is ok.  

After all of that, my guest showed up to explain that she had no money for food for her and her children. I gave her a small loan in exchange for her doing our laundry the next time we need it done. On her way out the door, she saw a broken suitcase in a pile of things we have to donate. She said, “Ah! Trishy! Where can I get a bag like that?” I said, “Well, this one is somewhat broken, but you can have it if you want.” She replied enthusiastically, “Sure!” (The word “sure” here means, “Really?” or “are you serious?”) I said, “yes of course.” So, off she marched with broken bag in hand and smile on her face. The phrase “one man’s trash, is another man’s treasure” is so true here.

So, now it is about 4pm, and who knows what the rest of the day will be like. I still have some work to do that I was supposed to get done in these past few hours of visitors, and Newman I’m sure will be running around for a few more hours. And then the power will probably go out, as it has been the past few days between 5 and 8. And who knows what we will have for dinner. My guess is some combination of rice, an avocado, and maybe some beans.

So even with unpredictable days, we are so thankful that we have food, a job, and a safe home.   

Driving

By Newman:

When I look back at how life was in Charleston I think about how much time I spent in a car.  If I needed to pick something (as they say here) I could easily jump in my truck and run across town and perhaps go to 3 or 4 places and still be home in a just a few short hours.  I often complained about traffic lights or bad intersections (Sam Rittenburg and 61) or the flow of traffic around 5pm.  Driving here in Uganda is a little different.  We have a nice, older, vehicle that is well equipped for life in Africa.  It is comfortable to drive, has power windows, and lots of space.  These are all good things for driving here.  Let me first say that driving in Masindi is simple if you avoid the potholes, and slow, thanks to the speed bumps every fifty yards.  Driving outside of Masindi is a little bit different.  First off, size matters.  Stay out of the way of buses or trucks.  They will not slow down nor will they get out of your way.  This sometimes leads to some very close encounters but I tend to lean towards the side of safety rather than risk a game of chicken that I know I will lose.  Second, size still matters.  Our vehicle is bigger than a motorcycle.  This is a little tricky though because a motorcycle is somehow more maneuverable than an SUV.  They can dodge in and out of traffic, speed up and slow down, and pretty much weave through anything but they do know their limitations.  They know that they don’t want to accidently meet the front end of an SUV so while they keep their distance, literally inches, they somehow seem to also have a safety bubble around them.  Third, stoplights, I think there are about 5 in the country.  They all work but that doesn’t mean people use them, especially motorcycles.  For some reason, during rush hours (about half the day) rather than use the stoplights the traffic police come out and direct the different lanes while paying no attention to what color is actually lit.  This is a good use of electricity…. since we had none in Masindi for three weeks.  While there are very few stoplights, there is no shortage of traffic circles, a great invention to keep traffic flowing.  Refer back to previous notes about size while imagining these traffic circles.  Most circles have two lanes, inner and outer.  The idea is that the inner lane keeps going around until it needs to exit in which case the vehicle moves to the outer lane and leaves the circle.  That is the idea, in theory size matters.  Lastly, for now, is the local bus taxis.  These are common in developing countries as a cheap mode of transportation and the ratio in Kampala sometimes feels like 1 of these for every non taxi.  They are typically a Toyota/ Hiace version of a 15 passenger van that is the size/ shape of a Volkswagen van.  They tend to have more than 15 people in them and sometimes have things tied to them as well.  They don’t seem to understand the size rules that everyone else follows and will stop anywhere, literally, if it means picking up an extra fare.  One of the best parts about driving in Uganda is that talking on a cell phone is illegal and results in hefty fines, unless you pay a lesser bribe.  Needless to say I follow all the rules, the actual legal ones, and have been a very safe driver.  We have had any number of adventures in the car and look forward to many more.  I would advise you, if you plan on visiting, to bring motion sickness pills, make sure your seatbelt is fastened, and keep your arms inside the vehicle at all times. 

Just the two of us

Hey Everyone!

So I know that it may seem like we’ve been on a vacation or something over here with all of the pictures of exotic animals, pools, and traveling but don’t let that deceive you. It’s easy for me to write about all of the excursions we go on and the fun things we’ve done, and it is a little harder to talk about REAL day in and day out life here. It’s not glamorous or easy, and some days I get into bed and just have a good cry, but when I wake up in the morning, I’m happy that I am waking up here.

Life just got very real for us after we dropped Michael and Amanda off at the airport and said goodbye. It was a sweet moment, and I feel so blessed to have gotten so close to this amazing couple over the past few weeks. It was hard to say goodbye, but I am so excited for what God has in store for them next.

I don’t remember if I have talked much about Wilson in the blogs yet, but he is a Ugandan from Masindi and he has been working for Michael and Amanda for most of the two + years they were here as their day guard/ home help. Just about everyone here has people who work in the house with them. At first this seemed a little awkward to me as I am here to serve, so having someone help me around the house seemed a little strange; however, there are many different reasons why people do this. First, life is hard here and everything takes a LOT longer to do than it does at home. It’s helpful to have someone around that knows how to do life here. Wilson was and is definitely a God send. He is sweet, helpful, knowledgeable, protective, and just fun to be around. He is in his late 20s like us, so it’s kind of like having another friend around. As a female here too, when Newman is up at the clinic and I am doing things in the house, it is nice to have a tall and strong man around. I feel very safe.  He is very friendly with all of the people who come by and all of the neighbors, but he is so good about knowing when it’s ok to have people over and when it is not. He is very sweet with all of the children that are around, but when they won’t stop peering into the windows and asking for things, he is good about telling them it’s time to go home now. Secondly, it’s very helpful to have someone around who speaks the local language and knows the culture. Wilson will go to the market with me and make sure that I am getting fair prices and not jacked up “mazungu” prices. Everyone assumes that if you are white, then you are rich so you can pay the higher prices. This may be true in general, but it is not fair. He does even better when I give him a list and some money and he does the shopping without me. If they don’t see me, then they assume the produce is for Wilson. For example, I sent him to the market with a list of items and 20,000 shillings, which is about $8.50. That doesn’t seem like a lot of money to us, but it’s a pretty good chunk of change here. Anyways, I thought he would spend at least 10,000-12,000 because that’s what it usually costs me to get a few items. He came back with my change and he had only spent 3,000 shillings or about $1.25. Amazing right? Lastly, and maybe most importantly, having someone work in the house is great because it provides a good job for someone in a place where good employment is scarce. It also allows us the opportunity to pour into someone day in and day out. Wilson was definitely a part of Michael and Amanda’s family and he is fast becoming a part of ours as well.  We take care of him like family. He was so sweet and wanted to escort Michael and Amanda to the airport, so he rode with us. He was definitely sad to see them go, and the days leading up to their departure he kept saying he didn’t like seeing them pack and he didn’t want to talk about them leaving. We had a sweet conversation with him in the car on the way back from the airport, just the 3 of us, when I asked him about how he entered Michael and Amanda’s lives. He also opened up to us some about his personal life and story. He, like most Ugandans, has already lived a hard life before they even reach 30. Ugandan’s are very resilient and strong, and he keeps a smile on his face every day.

So, with all of that said, we are now settling into our new home and life and finally fully unpacking after being in transition since March 30^th when we moved out of our house in Charleston. We spent our first night here in the house last night, and I think this it’s a very good sign that I slept through the night for the first time since we arrived. I’ve been having sleep issues for the past 2 months, but I finally feel rested this morning which is a great feeling. God has continued to challenge us and reward us throughout these past 2 months and there is no question that this is where we are supposed to be. Just when I think I will start to look online for flights home, he brings something or someone into my view that reassures me that I am not to go anywhere. Something as simple as having the power come back on yesterday when we were moving in after being out again for a few days, is the most uplifting and comforting thing. I praise God for that, because nothing is better than some cold water bottles from the fridge when you are moving in a house on the equator.  

I know that there will be many many more bumps in the road and tough times ahead, but I can feel us growing from these times, and each experience is causing us to have more faith and become more resilient. I’m so happy to be here with my best friend, Newman, and I am so blessed to have such an amazing man at my side. If it wasn’t for him rubbing my back when I’m in tears and wanting to go home at night, I think I might have bought one of those plane tickets. Thank you so much for your prayers. We can feel God watching over us and holding us up. I keep hearing from him, perseverance. It reminds me of the verse in Hebrews that says “…let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.” (Heb 12:1) We have a long road ahead of us, but we also know that the time will fly by. Between now and then, we will persevere.

P.S. I am including some pictures below that I JUST took of some monkeys in the back yard running around the mango trees. They are so funny to watch. They are like little kids tugging on each other and chasing each other. Just another cool gift from God on this first morning in our new house.  The other picture is of the front of our house.

Sweet Surprises and Saying Goodbye

Here is a little update on life these past couple of weeks. We have been very very busy traveling back and forth from Kampala to Masindi these past 2 weeks for different reasons. Last weekend, we headed down to Kampala on Thursday and stayed until Tuesday. Michael and Newman had some meetings as usual, and we also had some social gatherings with different groups of people which is always a lot of fun. We have been very warmly welcomed into many people’s homes for different functions and it’s been an unexpected blessing. We also had some nice down time last weekend where I got to relax by the pool, have some quiet time, and even a nice date night with Newman which was a very nice treat. We were back in Masindi for just a couple of days during which Michael and Amanda packed up the rest of their belongings in their home as it was their last week in Masindi. We had some really great evenings with them cooking out and enjoying each other’s company one last time. There was a small gathering Thursday evening at the clinic which was a chance for everyone to say goodbye to them and thank you. Some of the other Peace Corps and expat friends in town came as well. You could tell that the O’Neals will be sorely missed and were very much loved by these people. The staff sang for them which was sweet and obviously a tear jerker for me and Amanda. They sang “This is the day that the Lord had made” in three verses. One being “this is the day”, another “this is the hour”, and lastly “this is the place.” When they sang “This is the place that the Lord has made” I was really touched, because it is so true. This whole place (the clinic) was nothing but a big cassava field when Michael and Amanda arrived, and now it is a beautiful clinic that is still growing and thriving and employing several dozen amazing people. To be sitting there in that place, saying farewell to Amanda and Michael where 2 years before there was nothing is pretty amazing. We are taking them to the airport this Monday afternoon to send them back home, and I am so glad that they are still going to be a part of the PMI family. I know Michael will be back within the next year and hopefully Amanda will too.

Friday, the 4 of us went to this beautiful lodge called Chobe about 2 hours from Masindi as our last excursion together. It was a gorgeous day and we sat out by this amazing pool which overlooked the Nile and also enjoyed a great lunch beside the river. It is set on a very wide section of the Nile with rapids and small islands dotting it. It’s a very different looking section of the river than we had seen previously at the other lodge, Paraa, which we go to with the teams. You could hear and see hippos spraying water and grunting. There were tons all around us. As if the day wasn’t amazing enough, we were driving out of the park when Amanda commented that one thing she would just love to see before leaving Uganda, would be just one more giraffe. Chobe does not have a game drive yet, and so they are not known for their animals really, so we were not looking for or expecting to see any. She was just simply saying that, she would love to see a giraffe one last time. Literally 2 seconds after she said that, we were driving around a curve with some pot holes and she yells “OH MY GOSH, OH MY GOSH, PULL OVER RIGHT NOW! STOP THE CAR! STOP THE CAR!!” Newman thought that she was commenting on his driving through the uneven road and he was about to apologize, but Amanda was insisting that we back up. He backed up and two our left was not one, but an entire family of giraffes standing amongst the trees. A big group of them like this is known as a Tower. There also just HAPPENED to be a road to our left that we pulled onto and drove up to them. It was so amazing and totally unexpected. We got lots of pictures and just turned the car off and watched them. There were also some Cob walking around, which are similar to deer. It was a pretty amazing way to end our day and our time in that part of the country together.   

Saturday, we drove back down to Kampala. Newman and I had an amazing dinner at this Italian restaurant called Il Patio. I had a craving for prosciutto and melon, so I was hoping it was on the menu. Luckily it was but here you don’t know if you are getting honeydew or cantaloupe. I was hoping for cantaloupe, so I asked the waiter which one it was. He of course did not understand me, so I asked,” is it green or orange?” He said, “I think its green but let me find out.” He came back and said, “Tonight, it is yellow.” I took that to mean it was probably cantaloupe, so then we asked him, “Is it enough to share?” He said, “no, not really.” So we ordered another appetizer as well. When it came, it was a heaping portion of melon and prosciutto. He was luckily very wrong, because we were thrilled at how amazing it looked. And it tasted awesome too. You never know what you are going to get when you order food over here, but thankfully it was our lucky night and it was better than we expected. The rest of the meal was fantastic as well.

Sunday, we had a relaxing morning followed by a really fun poolside bar-b-que at some friends’ house who are also leaving tomorrow. There was great company, great food, and it was an overall fun last full day with everyone before they leave.  Tomorrow we will be helping Michael and Amanda with any last minute errands and then heading to the airport early afternoon. Then Newman and I are officially left to live life here just the 2 of us. Thankfully we have met some amazing people who we will still be able to get together with and get to know better, and we are excited about figuring out life here just the 2 of us. We will leave you with some pictures of our day at Chobe. Thanks for staying updated with us, and more to come soon!