It’s been a week since I arrived in Uganda.  The days seem to be flying by.  I continue to adjust to the conditions…electricity that comes and goes, etc.  Amazing how much we depend on it in the west…and take it for granted. Last night it went out around 8:00pm and still has not come back.  It’s about 2:00pm.  All my electronics with batteries have died except for the laptop I’m using now as I type this.  It only has about 30 minutes of battery left.  I didn’t sleep well last night because it was too hot.  It’s not that hot outside but there was no air flowing through my bedroom so I just lay there most of the night praying for electricity so the fan could blow on me.  I only slept about two hours. I think my body just needs to acclimate a bit and then I won’t have that problem.  I was up at 6:15am in order to be at morning chapel at 7:00am.  Afterwards I was formally introduced to the students, which was very encouraging.  Despite the effects of 20 years of war, they are happy and are always so warm and welcoming. After another hour of shadowing Sandra I came back to the house for some breakfast around 11:00am.  I have been dozing on and off.  A nice thunderstorm is approaching from the west and the winds have picked up, cooling everything off.  It’s nice.

I have met many people, including other mazungus (pronounced ma-zoon-gooz).  This is the word used for white person.  The original meaning was “one who wanders”, which referred to early European missionaries.  Now it just refers to someone with white skin.  I am meeting others on the Bishop’s staff as well as other Ugandan tutors at the college that I will be teaching alongside.  For the rest of this term (until the end of August), I will be teaching English, running the computer lab and sitting in on other theology classes so that I can observe Ugandan teaching methods.  It is important that I learn the culture so that my teaching will be relevant.  If I teach purely from my western worldview, it will not resonate with them.  So…I must learn a bit first and practice my storytelling in order to teach biblical principals that can be understood from their cultural perspective. Beginning in the fall I will most likely begin teaching at least one theology course…either Old Testament survey or New Testament Survey.  In the meantime, I will get to know the students and develop relationships with them.

Sandra has also asked me to get the college’s bookkeeping set up on Quickbooks.  This is another skill I have that will come in handy.  I’m going to set it up and then teach a Ugandan how to do computerized bookkeeping.  The Bishop has been away this week but I’m sure I will meet with him soon to discuss the role he would have me play in assisting with international communication.

There is a very unhappy goat outside my door right now.  Not sure what’s wrong but part of me wants to bring it inside, make it a pet and cuddle it.  Seriously…I miss my dogs but Lord, don’t let me get attached to any animals here!  It could be what’s for dinner! LOL!