Nov 19th - Monday evening update

I'm sitting on a comfy bed, electricity is working, there is running and water, and wait for it...wait for it...AIR CONDITIONING! I can't believe it! This is my first time to be in a hotel room in Uganda that has an air conditioner. Wow - the lap of luxury. Just wanted to share my joy with all of you. Don't know if I'll ever leave here ;)

Okay, on to the real business:

Mutwahiru

• Mutwahiru had his surgery on Wednesday. Pastor Rogers took him to the hospital (4 hours away from Budaka) and stayed till after the surgery, then came back to Budaka. On Friday, Abby and I were going to Masaka and had to go fairly near the hospital, so we were able to visit him then. Today, on our way back, we also visited him. Friday he was still in a lot of pain, but today he was happy and excited about walking. I have included a picture of him laughing today. He and his mom were sitting out on the lawn - such a rare thing here in Uganda (lawns, that is) - getting fresh air. We let him call and talk with several of his friends at Cornerstone. He was smiling and laughing with them. So great to see him happy! When Pastor Rogers left on Thursday morning, Mutwahiru began crying. He truly loves his family at Cornerstone. The contraption on his leg is the lengthener. He will move out of the hospital tomorrow or Wednesday and then be in the family housing area for 2-3 more days before he can come home. We're so excited to have him back! Thanks to all of you who have been praying for him. And to Papa Mark and Mama Sharon for loving this boy so much.

Masaka

• Abby and I traveled to Masaka District to the village of Bukoto to help out at another ministry similar to Cornerstone - a church, school and orphanage. The ministry is called Agapé. We spent time encouraging the teachers, the women who make crafts to support themselves, with the church leaders and with the orphans on Saturday. We began at 7:30am meeting with Pastor Ronald, the director of the whole ministry, and we were back at our hotel (not the air conditioned one!) at about 7pm that evening. Then on Sunday, I spoke at the service and Abby did kids' ministry ("we have about 20 kids;" 91 showed up!). Parents from the school were there as we immediately went into a graduation for the Top Class (kindergarten). Many are non-churched people, but were very receptive to the teaching at church, as well as the speech I got to give about parenting, education and God. After the graduation, there was a celebration for all children at the school and their parents. At the end of that, we spent an hour or so with the orphans, showing them videos and pictures from the last time we were there (in August). They have never seen themselves in pictures and videos, so it was great fun to watch their reactions! 
• We were the first white visitors to the ministry...and to many in Bukoto we were the first whites that they had ever seen stay in Bukoto for 2 days! (We slept in Masaka - a larger town with some extra safety in place for westerners, but we were in Bukoto from early morning till evening Saturday and Sunday.)
• There is a picture of the kids who are under Pastor Ronald's care. We fell in love with them in August, and it was fun to reunite with them again this weekend. Pastor Ronald is on the far left, and Abby and I are on the far right. The kids include boarders at the school and many children whose parents cannot raise them for one reason or another.

Special Food in Bukoto

• At the meal during the celebration, they brought several dishes to us to eat. Most of them we knew and enjoy here. As they were bringing each of the dishes, Pastor Ronald said, "The teachers have prepared something special for you. May they bring it?" You have a picture of what was in this special dish - any guesses? Those are grasshoppers - their legs are pulled off and they are fried. All in all quite crunchy and not too bad...I just couldn't think about what it was while I was eating it. So sweet of the teachers to think of us ;)

Travel

• On Friday, when we were on our way to Masaka, the bus stopped in the Mabira Forest...a rainforest in Uganda...for a "short call." That's the time you can get off and relieve yourself - no bathrooms, just find a spot. Anyway, we don't ever get off (as you might guess), but were looking at the OTHER side of the bus and saw movement in the trees. What a great thing - we were treated to a large group of red-tailed monkeys swinging in the trees. They are fairly small monkeys, but it looks like their tails must be at least 12-18" long. Their whole body is brown, but the tails are a very distinctive red color. It was so fun (and much more fun than trying to avert our eyes from what was happening on the other side of the bus!). We got some pictures, but it's really hard to see the monkeys :(
• This morning (Monday), we traveled on a coaster (a small bus) back to Kampala to visit Mutwahiru and to rest for the night before heading back to Budaka tomorrow morning. We were in the back row - very bumpy ride! - and I kept smelling the exhaust and had to use a handkerchief to be able to breathe well. When we got to the hotel here (WITH air conditioning!), I saw that my legs were black from the knees down. Apparently, I was sitting on the side where the exhaust was coming in through the back door that did not shut snugly. Wonder what my lungs look like...O, Uganda!
• Also, whenever you travel in Uganda on a bus, they stop periodically at places where you can buy some small food...well, this time of year, you can buy baggies of grasshoppers that have been roasted. Here's a picture of the guy next to our bus window trying to sell us grasshoppers. (We didn't buy any...had enough yesterday!)

I will post some pictures and videos on the Facebook page for any who want to see more of our adventures! We are at Cornerstone Uganda Ministries on Facebook.

Thank you to all of you who make the ministry we do here possible. Thank you for supporting us financially, in prayer and with constant communication through email, snail mail and packages. I am so THANKFUL to all of you this Thanksgiving week. Have a great holiday!

Love,

Laurie