Uganda Life

Serving in Bokoto 

City Campaign

We were involved in a campaign to cover territory in the city of Kampala. Not a special campaign, just simply because there's so very much to cover for a small neighboring congregation in Kampala. In the morning we covered about 4 city blocks. It's busy work, the shops are small and close together so catch your breath inbetween shops because as soon as you come out of one shop, you're already standing at the door of another. In the afternoon we worked on a mall. The mall was 4 stories tall with more than a hundred little compartments on each floor. But mapping it is hard because many of the compartments are used for storage and are not there, so you don't know whether it's a closed shop or just locked storage. Each compartment is only a few square feet, it's amazing what they can do with the space. A little packed store with every type of soap, or a whole restaurant crammed in each tiny dark cubby hole. Lights are only availbe at dark. So for lunch we had local food in one of these tiny cubical restaurants. I don't know how they can pay their workers, rent the space, buy the ingredients and gas, and make any money at all. It makes you sad to know how they must be struggling to provide so much for so little money. One serving was a plate filled with beef, green split peas, cassava, pumpkin, corn flour mash, plantain mash, yam, rice and sauce. A full plate and a glass bottle of coke for a total of $1.3oUSD! I asked and one boy helping me with hooking up my internet, he made about a dollar an hour, but that was at a ritzy mall, not this ancient dark, broken down shopping center, with cobwebs and dirty walls. Workers there are paid around 2 dollars a day! We were out in service from around 8:3oam-5pm, with an hour lunch break. Its a fun campaign, we will joing them in the heart of the city again next week. 

Edron

During the campaign this week we met Edron. He was a young gate keeper at an office building under renovation. He lives on site all week. He came to the gate happy to see us. True, he's probably bored to tears and happy to have visitors of any sort, but he was a happy spirit, bright and very spiritually minded. We presented the subject of the Kingdom and he told us "I have an idea but once you tell me then I'll know for sure" teachable and humble. So we shared him some verses and he got the point that it was a government in heaven. Then he told us that he had many questions that had been "burning" in him for years and started to rattle off some 6 questions to get our viewpoint. One was about wondering what 666 was and the research he had done thus far on it. And another was about the difference in teachings of the halleman, or the first man in east Africa, an evolutionary teaching, verses the first 2 people Adam and Eve according to the Bible and what he'd reasoned out about that subject. A few more questions I can't remember and then he told us how he couldn't equate that a God of love would burn people in hell fire. This young man had not only inquired, but taken the time to research these subjects at length. But he wasn't so set from his studies that he was satisfied, they were still "burning questions" for him for years. So we answered him with the Bible, one question led to the next and before we knew it we had discussed hell fire, the condition on the dead, the immortality of the soul, and the resurection, his eyes lit up when he understood the new truths and smiled as it was making since to him and he was fitting the pieces together. It was so refreshing to find a person that cares enough to look into these things. He said he would come to the Kindom Hall, look at our website and download the Bible. We look forward to meeting Edron again. I'll keep you posted if anything comes of this. So exciting. People here are educated and do their home work and they ask questions and grasp the answers. What an honor to get the opportunity to teach such ones! 

Lunch with neighboring congregation during the campaign at the inexpensive restaurant

Boda Bodas or Motor Bikes

We walked through the city, nerve racked to cross the street. Much more so than when on the busiest streets of Guyana. I was counting down the number of times I would have to cross the street for the day. The picture of boda bodas flooding through the city streets was a sight. They fill in ever square inch that the cars do not, they look like funneling beans. No waisted space. I have only had to take a few rides on them so far. I love it and hate it. The cool breeze in your hair and the thrill of it is exciting, but you're nervous as well. I take a taxi every chance I get which is usually .15c USD a trip. It feels better to be inside an automobile. I was only here a few days when I witnessed an accident. It was 2 adults with 2 babies probably 1 and 3 years old, on one boda boda. The man and the 3 year old had been pinned under and the mother and baby were on top. We went by quickly so I didn't see much but it had just happened so they were still in shock and were not yet screaming. The baby pinned under the bike had lifted his head up and was looking around so maybe he didn't break any bones but it sounded like they fell at a fast clip. So for 5 minutes I was crying on my way to meeting for that little family. It was also a wake up call to not use boda boda's unless absolutely necessary and only for short distances. 

Alternate Universe

Guyana to Uganda, even the names have a similar ring. Yes indeed, I feel as though I'm living an alternate universe. Many things are so similar to Guyana that at times I forget I'm in Africa. The demographic, like Guyana, is African, Indian and Chinese, so the people look similar. Then when you get on public transport you have the bus conductor sitting in the same spot on the same type of bus, just a lot more rickety in Africa, is for each trip collecting $1,ooo.ooUGX instead of $1oo.ooGYD and the conductors in both countries don't work on Sundays, only the drivers. The people in both countries are both very kind hospitable humble and gentle. Africa is more dirty and broken down, but it feels the same some times. I'm still in Guyana, until I see very African craft shops, hear Luganda spoken or see wemon carrying loads upon their heads. The markets people and travel is so similar in both countries you can see how things fall into similar operation with similar circumstances. I'm so happy to be experiencing these similarities and differences of culture with good friends and satasfying work to do in the field! One nice thing too is that we have culture food options, Lebanese, Thai, and Mexican and so on, and we have good coffee shops!

English 

One thing that is great here is that since the people don't speak a creol, but clear English, you feel more so that you are speaking right to the heart of the person, it only takes a few minutes for them to pick up your accent usually, whereas it seems sometimes that lonely English Creol reaches the heart in Guyana. So that part has been important to me and very exciting. 

Expressions

To raise your eye brows means, the affirmative. So the other day when we were crammed in a taxi Jasmine was mashed in the first row with several others and even when she got the opportunity to move she stayed put and the boys teased her that she liked to snuggle, so she just turned around and said, "as the Ugandans say"... and raised her eye brows. 

The congregation 

We only have about 45 publishers but we get an attendance of near 1oo. Many Bible students attend meetings. Many are reaching out and pioneering or have the pioneer spirit in the hall. The young ones are very adept at using the scriptures, flipping from one verse to another wielding their sword like pros. They have a lot to share and do it with the most beautiful happy spirit. They are a blast, I look forward to getting to know all of them.

Territory

I have found my first return visits in the territoy. Josephine Gladys and Olivia, are within walking distance of my house. Josphine invited us in to sit down. A dark empty tiled living room, we sat on a blanket on the floor, Josephine picked out the subject of family life. She was very bright and understood me clearly. It was a pleasant suprise to see how well we are understood here and how clearly people understand the points from the Bible. What a welcome suprise! I thought the English would be broken, but it is very clear, it has an Africa/English accent. One woman I found yesterday after showing her Prov 2:22 said "Oh, I had always thought that when the Lord returns people were taken to heaven." She listened attentively and seemed to enjoy what she was learning about the hope for the earth. People here always thank you for your visit and accept that you come to see them again. 

The work

Service here has been so wonderful. Jehovah gives us so much meaningful satasfying work to do. We are just thrilled with our assignment. Jehovah's people are so happy to work "while its day" since "night is coming when no men can work." John 9:4

Thank you amigos for reading! Talk to you soon!

Cortny Vee