Wanna taste Uganda?

We need so much help! The ministry is so wonderful. Everyday you might find at least 3 people that agree that you should call again and proceed with your discussion. If you promise to return to 3 people every time you go out in service, you can easily see how your schedule can become over packed and you may feel overwhelmed wondering how in the world you could keep up with all the interest you find in the territory. We only have a short time left so let's make these moments count! Instead of getting anxious about the amount of work to do, I'm trying to think of the example of Solomon who was told to not be overwhelmed by the vastness of the temple he was to build, but rather to go to work. Also Nehemiah at first when he realized the temple was in disrepair and needed loads of work done on it, while at first it saddened him, when he got to work that seemed to settle his emotions. So instead of being overly concerned about how much interest there is here and feeling over whelmed, I should just learn from their example and go to work. Since few of the houses are numbered and streets named. We draw little maps like this and check off the boxes as we work them. 

(Banana trees are probably not the best land mark to use since they are everywhere. Haha) 

Little Doreenie
Doreen is the little precious one who the first time about 1 1/2 ago we came to her house she went running to get a bench for us to sit and teach her. Jasmyne was her first Bible teacher and she recently received a letter from Doreen who thanked her for finding her, because she said she would have been a bad person because now she knows that Jehovah hates politics violence and magic. She's letting her little heart be molded by Jehovah. At meeting one day the WT conductor asked the young ones what their goals were. Doreen surprised me when she raised her hand and said that hers was to preach.* She also told me that since her aunt lives closer to the Kingdom Hall than her parents, she'll start to spend Friday nights with her aunty so that she can attend mid week meetings in addition to Sundays! She's making these precious sacrifices for the truth, and still asked when she can begin preaching. She has asked deep questions for a 13 year old as well. For example she wondered what Jesus meant when he said that those putting faith in him would "never die at all". (John 11:26) She also has asked a lot of other questions about soul and spirit and asked why Jesus loves sinners. Her precious humble spirit. She's enjoying and learning a lot from the Greatest Teacher book as well in her personal reading. She is one of my most progressive students thus far that has been found in the territory. The other day we were on our way to play soccer with the friends and bumped into Doreen and asked if she could come along. She immediately dropped what she was doing and came to the foot ball pitch with us, I was happy to see her visiting with one of our little sisters and hopefully making a close friend at the Kingdom Hall, that will help her to feel settled there. It seems she really wants to be a part of the congregation in all respects. She attended her first mid week meeting and when we walked her to her door she said "I'm so happy right now and I don't know why!" I look forward to seeing what will happen with precious little Doreen! She'll be able to attend the mid week meetings while on school break. Last time she saw me she gave me a pair of earrings, a note telling me that her favorite thing I'd ever given her was the Bible and some pumpkin leaves she cooked because I had mentioned once that I would've like to try pumpkin leaves! They were delicious! 

Precious Doreenie

* Another little one had impressed us with his comments, which he loves to give, to that question the young son of a woman who is studying (and has just been announced as a publisher!) when he raised his hand and let us know that he is working on becoming an elder. Currently at 11 years old, haha. His unbelieving father expresses concern about him that while he's not opposed to the truth he finds it a little disconcerting that it appears to him that the truth seems to be his son's only interest these days, because every time he opens the door to his room he's just sitting and reading one of our publications, the Great Teacher or YPA etc. Precious Isaiah. He's such a smart boy, asking deep questions and answering in such an intellectual way. I look forward to having him as a little publisher and brother some day soon too! 

Megan Barasa and me goin' to town 

Kids picking corn 

New friends from Austria Australia and Germany in a congregation near by 

Field service group out for break

Little Ugandan Home

So this is our little home in Uganda! For about 22o.ooUSD a month you can get a cute little aptartment like this. Self contained, 2 verandas, 2 bedrooms, kitchen, dining area, living room and bathroom. Hot and cold running water! (Exciting, my first time need greating with this commodity!) It's a relatively quiet place and very comfortable. So happy to be here! And it's also right next to Stella, described in the next post. :D Uganda on has about one Witness for every 5,ooo people. 

Stella

Stella

Today we went to study with Stella. She had studied with the Witnesses before and  had already accepted all of the Bible's basic teachings before we met her. She had finished the Good News and was in the Teach Us. She had been praying to Jehovah to find a KH and then a brother found her in the territory and he passed her over to me. She's been wonderful and passionate about everything she's learned so far. She keeps detailed and thorough notes of her Bible Study in her large journal note book. She is praying to find a job that can allow her to go to the meetings. Today we found Stella stressed, as her 4 year old boy had been missing for 4 days! He had been staying with her sisters house alone and had escaped from the house and had supposedly wandered off. She told us that during the time he was missing she didn't eat or drink. She said when the police finally called her to let her know he had been found and let her talk to him on the phone, she got thirsty and drank 3 glasses of water. She kept working during this time while worrying herself sick. She said she felt like she was going crazy for the four days. Her boss where she nannies and cleans said they would allow her to keep her son there. But she had already paid for boarding school for one term. I told her we would stop our regular study for next week and instead review family unity and how it is important to Jehovah that families stick together and that parents teach and train their children. Today telling us all this she had actually come out of her house ready for the ministry, she was planning to go preaching with us for a bit first and then go to pick up her son for the first time since he was lost. We explained the steps she would need to take before becoming approved for the ministry. We ofcourse didn't study with her but shared a few scriptures about Jehovah cutting off the wicked and about tranquility and security in the future. We encouraged her to make sure and get a medical examination of the boy because we don't know how he showed up so far away from home or how or what he was eating for those 4 days. She said he sounded unalarmed on the phone. We're hoping that was the case, that he was only lost and not stolen or abused. I told her, "You were so greatful to Jehovah that you got your son back that you wanted to thank him by coming in the ministry." I'm moving into an aptartment right by where she works and lives part time, partly because it is close by to her. That way we will have easy access to eachother and hopfully will be walking to meetings together if she gets free. I'll keep you updated on Stella and her son. 

Fred     

It was bitter sweet finding Fred today. We found him a busy business man at his house, frustrated with us that we had just showed up out of the blue. He prefered that we would have made an appointment, that's the one thing we could have done to "spice up" our ministry. Before long, it was clear that he was very disturbed with the condition of the world, worrying that we 'might even destroy ourselves before God came back'. When I explained that God would ruin those ruining the earth (Rev 11:18) he was very curious to learn more. I told him to look at our website that as we had many articles on the environment. He told us that he had tried many churches 7th Day, Pentecostal, Catholisism, had seen the born again scene, and to him it seemed like no one held to God's standards. He had seen the leaders of the churches doing bad things and was disillusioned with religion and would just stick to praying himself, it seemed he had given up, but he had recently asked God to lead him to the right religion. He said that maybe we were it, and that it seemed that we were following Jesus closely. He was an artist and was involved with a tree planting business since he was concerned with they environment and the future for the earth. While we were talking a beautiful bird with a long tail and a feathery Mohawk tuft on his head landed on the line. I expressed interest in it and he said that they were seeing less of them these days and that he is really concerned. In his eyes we should go to the government and try to get them to go along with the Bible, and to care for the earth. It was so sad to see the hopeless and helpless spirit of someone who sees the earth going down hill, feels desperate to help the situation, but by the looks of it things are getting worse and worse. Jehovah offers the hope he needs. He seems to be one of those that is sighing and crying over this system of things. I hope we can find him again and encourage him to attend the meetings and accept a study which he said he would be willing to have longer scheduled visits where we can discuss more. The original 5 minutes that he was going to give us, turned into 2o. I can't wait to hear more about Fred from the sister who's call he is, I'll let you know if he comes to the realization of the fact that Jehovah did answer his prayer!                  

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

The Basics - Uganda

The Basics - Uganda

FAQs - Uganda

This is my viewpoint according to the assignment I have in the Bukoto English Congregation in Kampala, Uganda.

Banking and Money
You can pull from ATMs all over the city, they charge roughly a $13.ooUSD dollar fee every time you pull the max which is $275.ooUSD. $1.ooUSD is worth about $3,5oo.ooUGX (shillings). 

Food

You can eat out in the city center and get a full plate of excellent local food with meat, banana mash, corn flour mash, yam, cassava, pumpkin, split peas, rice with sauce and a glass bottle of soda for $1.3oUSD. Groceries are also very cheap. A very large avocado .15cUSD watermelon .6ocUSD a cup of dry pinto beans .6ocUSD, 2lbs potatoes for about .5ocUSD we came out of the market with 2 large bags of fruit and vegetables having spent less than 6 dollars. 

Language 

The people are well educated, they speak English very well. To be understood clearly it is best to pronounce the Ts and Ds and all the ends of your words clearly. They usually understand an american accent well. Some of the younger generation speak only English or are more fluent in English than any other native tongue of Uganda. The tongue spoken otherwise is most often Luganda, but over 5o languages are spoken in Uganda. We print in 11 of those languages used by the majority of people. 

People 

The people are very warm inviting and hosptable. They'll often have you in their home to visit. They are happy humble and family oriented. Most are Christian or Muslim. Indians and Chinese make up a small fraction of the population. The local people are usually very poor, 23 percent earning less than $1.25USD a day. 

Climate

Dry season is between December and March and it is around 75F - 9oF. In Uganda it is appropriate to wear shorts down to the knee. Out in service you'll want to have flowy breathable skirts made out of lenon or cotton or other non synthetic fabrics. Only about 1/3 of the people are wearing traditional African fabrics. Any simple clothing will help you to not stand out, but they love a lot of color. Minimal expensive jewelry is a good idea. 

Water
Hot and cold running water is available! You need to be very careful about not consuming even water droplets. For drinking, you can boil and drink water or buy a 4+ gallon bottle which is under $2.ooUSD. We use a kettle and boil the water so that it's potable.  

Vaccines
Yellow fever is required for your application for entrance into the country. You will be given a official certificate when you recieve your shot. 

Sicknesses
Keep mosquito off. Keep your immune system working well. Get needed rest. Don't get sunburned. Eat right. Exercise. Sicknesses can be minimized or avoided by taking great care of your self and being super careful with contaminated water or food. Prepare to be sick for the first few weeks at least while you're body adjusts.

Health Care
Hospitals are relatively low cost, but 3rd world ofcourse.

Housing
A beautiful large completely tiled apartment is for less than 2oo.ooUSD a month. Running hot and cold water, indoor plumbing, electricity (charged separately), unfurnished. In the city you'll see a lot of nice apartments that can be up to $1,ooo.oo and you'll also see a lot of slums with unfinished concrete and brick walls and rusted zinc. Unfinished roads and broken down and dirty areas.

Internet
Internet with a mobile router is through Vodaphone, is about $37.ooUSD for 1oGB of data.

Electricity

Electricity is somewhat reliable. It will go out on us for about 6 hours every couple of months, or during storm rains. It's about $15.ooUSD a month.

Visa 

Click on this link https://visas.immigration.go.ug and apply for a tourist visa online. It is a four step process that requires a passport photo, passport, and yellow fever shot. It is $51.5oUSD. Within a few days they'll tell you if you've been approved for a 3 month visitor visa. If you want to stay longer than 3 months you can get a visa for volunteering at a school or the like, or try to get a job for one day a week or so and get a work visa. What I did was buy some schooling for about $8o.ooUSD that lasts 3 months and get a schooling visa. I bought classes to learn Luganda and another visa pass to learn Ugandan sign language. A student visa has least amount paper work and is less involved than the other types of visas. 

Airports

Which airport would we fly into? Entebbe. Then a taxi for $2o.ooUSD to get to Bukoto, Kampala.

Local transport 
Near the city you walk or use buses called taxis. Only .14cUSD to take from a 5 minute to 15 minute buss ride. (Within the territory.) You may use a bus around 2 to 4 times a day. Boda boda is a ride on a motorcycle taxi, they'll also zip you around for about the same price. 

Total costs 
Roughly $3oo.oo-$333.ooUSD a month.

What else should I add to my list of basics to help people get a rough idea of what it's like in Kampala, Uganda? Thank you!

WELCOME TO AFRICA!

WELCOME TO AFRICA!

Need greating this time around worked out impossibly well again! Jehovah makes you trust Him more each and every time you put your self in his hands in a new and a little bit scary way. The unknown. It's like jumping without looking, knowing he'll catch you. He worked it out better than I could have planned it my self, as usual. Need greating in Guyana was wonderful for about 4 years, and I wanted to try a new country, Africa. But where to start? Jehovah would provide an international roommate, a job, and a place to stay while I was home. Things started falling into place one after the other.

an international roommate

A few weeks into my stay in Oregon I went with my dad when he gave a talk out in the Beaverton Hall about 45 minutes away from our home congregation. There are about 9o congregations in the Portland area. The WT was about how Jehovah cares for the needs of his people, so I gave a comment about how Jehovah has been taking care of my needs while need greating, thinking "Maybe someone that needs a roommate will come up to me afterward." Sure enough, a sister came up and asked "Do you know Jasmine Contreras?" I didn't. She then explains that she is a sister that had serious plans to go to Enlgish speaking Africa for a year, that she doesn't have a roommate and that she would be leaving the exact time I had planned to. I can't even. The timing and the place lined up perfectly. What kind of roommate would she be. She gave me Jasmine's number and I texted her right away and told her that I had the exact same plan as her. She texted back super excited. So we made plans up meet up over ice cream. Lavender ice cream to be exact, I had never had that, it was wonderful. She was wonderful, I could tell right away she would be a super awesome roommate. Very sweet and kind and laid back. So we started talking about options and the people in Africa we had networked to find and what we'd found out about different African countries, but at the end of the discussion one thing was sure, we were gonna do this thing! How is it that we found eachother? Happenstance? 

a job

I got home and my old place of work called me the following day and asked me to come in and work full time for the following Monday. That was only supposed to be only one week of full time work but another girl flaked that was supposed to be hired so I got to keep the position and it ended up being full time work for the whole 3 1/2 months I was home! Perfect amount of money to do another good stint need greating, one of the biggest stresses out of the way.

a place to stay

Thank you mom and dad for letting me crash in the RV! And let's be real, I didn't really spend any time in the RV but rather, spent my time inside, eating you out of house and home! Gaining 2olbs in the short time I was home. Frust! But I seriously appreciate you guys letting me bank every penny I earned while we ate gleaners food and shopped at the "free store" it was great seeing your beautiful faces! What a blessing it is to have supportive parents, and to worship Jehovah as a family! 

other details

The friends back home made generous contributions to the trip and besides getting fat (I blame my lack of self control and America's growth hormones) everying was working out to be way too good to be true! So we wrote our letter and sent it to a couple of English speaking branches. But we weren't hearing back from any of them and we only had a short period of time we were working with so we started getting a little anxious but then we got a response from Sierra Leone and a few weeks later Uganda. We decided to accept the invitation to serve in Uganda and started planning. Jasmine found plane tickets from London to Uganda for only $460.ooUSD and mine wasn't bad either from NY to Uganda was $67o.ooUSD. Now in order to travel I had needed a vaccination certificate to show that I had yellow fever to enter Uganda. I had figured that I left if in Guyana because I hadn't remembered seeing it for years and I think I only had it with me on my first trip there. So I had called the doctor that administered the shot and she was very helpful offering to collect the things from out of storage and get a new certificate ready for me. I had asked Jehovah that if the certificate was in the house if he could help me remember where it was. Then I went to look through an old box of letters that had some letters from my Grandmother that had passed away. I took a hand full and read them. I had gotten one when I was young from her and it had 2 Campbell soup girls on the cover. She said "Let's pretend these two little girls having a picnic are you and me, now these girls are chubby, and you and I arnt at all of course so we'll have to just pretend" it made me and mom cry. It was neat to think about me and gramma having a picnic together. It won't be long now, and we will! So after reading the letters I went back to put them away, I felt like I was close to finding the certificate. So I just shuffled through a few more things in the closet, then I opened a little plastic drawer to a little box, there were only a few papers in the drawer, and lo! The yellow fever certificate! Worth $18o.ooUSD. You would think the first emotion would be joy, but it was actually fear, a stroke of fear that Jehovah had heard my prayer and helped me to find the document that I needed to fly. Since I knew that was the last thing hangin me up, I went directly to buy my ticket to NY. It cost me 16 dollars. I had gotten bumped on another flight coming home from Guyana and had a 2oo dollar voucher. I love getting bumped. Tip: If you also like getting bumped try not choosing you seat and not checking in 24 hours in advance. That'll do it, it always worked for me! So any who, now I had a leaving from Oregon date, and just needed my Uganda plane tickets and to apply for a online VISA. Everthing went smoothly and a sister that always helps me with plane tickets found me a good deal on a flight. So then everything was a go! All the details had worked out impossibly well. Jehovah proves true to his promise every time, that if we seek the kingdom first, all these other things will be added to us. Matt 6:33. Praise Jehovah for giving us meaningful satisfying lives!

oh to commute at Bethel

So went to spend the weekend with my brother Dusty. And we were having too much fun! Everyone was being very hospitable and I was encouraged to make commuting a goal since it's more possible to do now that there's been an influx of 3oo commuters in recent history. That would be such an honor to work at Bethel. I've had my app in ever since I was young and it would be cool to try all kinds of types of full time service that I can. So I'm considering coming back for that. But now I've been in Uganda for a few days and I'm loving it so much, I have to consider weather or not I can peel my self away. The plan my roomie and I had at first was she had her SKE app in and I had my Bethel App in so it was Africa until further notice. So I'm going to have to make a decision weather or not I want to stay in Africa long as possible or go back and try to commute at Bethel. After making a pros and cons list of staying longer here or leaving sooner for Bethel it was easy to see where my heart was. But my heart is in need greating also because it's familiar to me. I know Bethel would be in my heart just as easily if I had a taste of it. I thought if I stay longer, I could possible eventually accomplish both original goals, where as if I leave sooner, only one and the other would only be partially carried out. Bethel draws you in and by the time I left, I was 75% sure I was just going to do the 3 months here in Uganda and come right back to Bethel to try and commute, but now that I'm here, I'm loving it so so so much and I'm feeling like its home and wondering why I wouldn't try to accomplish both goals, plus, then I could rack up my hours too so that once I do get to NY I could focus on getting work and perhaps an assignment. Preferably two days commuting. What an absolute honor it would be to work in Jehovah's house, get to worship with the Bethel family and be around the influence of all the spiritual people there that love Jehovah so much! Bethel was calling out for me, as if materializing before me as a life I could possibly tangibly actually reach out for and grasp...

Africa

But then I got to Uganda, and my first day in the ministry was absolutely wonderful. The people are ultra humble and teachable and educated. One young teen age girl when asked before the study wether or not she believed God listened to all prayers, she thought for a long minute and then reasoned, "Well, the Bible says that Jesus is the way to God, so if people pray to God, but not through Jesus, theirs prayers would not be heard." What a bright and beautiful little mind, focusing and reasoning on the scriptures! Then another woman during her study when asked if she thought God causes suffering, she said "No, it's my understanding that God blesses us, but that when we go through hard times its because of sin that we inherited from Adam." This is a bran new study. Bright and beautiful people, reasoning out truths. With a little more direction, these ones will surely be able to understand the accurate knowledge of truth promptly! The people speak very good English and now it's getting to be that some of the younger generation is even speaking better English than the native tongues of Uganda. The sister I went with in the ministry this morning had one study after the next. The friends in the congregation are super zealous and friendly and artful teachers! There are 6 of us need greaters in the hall, the Albrechts: Anthoy and Melissa, they're French and also speak good English, then Rafael, he's from France as well and is learning English, there's Ben from northern England and me and Jasmin from Oregon. One exciting thing about this assignment is that is has just now opened up for foreign single pioneer sisters to serve here! Jasmine and I are the 1st two. How exciting to be coming in right as the congregation and the area was opening up for foreign sisters! It's a small KH with concrete block walls and wooden benches. We have around 45 publishers and many of them are young and supportive of the ministry! We are happy they are because with our tourist visas we are only allowed to accompany other local friends in the ministry, or to not go out in service at all.

Another very suprising thing about being here is that it is relatively cool in temperature! That was a wonderful welcome suprise. I do not have to have my hair up off me at all time and there is often a cool breeze. It is wonderful. I've already taken a motor cycle taxi (exciting!) and been able to experience a rickety bus with a dining room lamp and thread bear retro fabric reapholstered on a broken seat that slides you to the floor. I hear children calling me Muzungu! White! And see the sloping hills, palms and gentle smiling faces. I see wemon carrying loads upon their heads and I think 'I'm really in Africa!'

As soon as I landed in Uganda and smelt the damp humid air, an earthy scent, the rich dirt, rot of tropical vegetation, my eyes welled up with tears. I'm home, I thought. 

Psalms 40:5

ps:

grasshopper snack production

One thing that 'jumped' out at me as different was grasshopper snack production. At night they prop the corrugated sheet metal into the barrels and turn on a light to attract them. They slip to their doomful fate. Here they're having their legs and wings removed, they're to be fried packaged and sold. It was yuky but the one I had wasn't fresh. I'll have to try it. I was also reminded just before eating it, that what I was eating, had a face, that I was eating it's head and body in one chomp. Appetizing. 

Signing off, Cortny Muzungu Varnell

Mahaicony Favorites

Cecilia
The ministry is wonderful as usual, you would think we would get used to it, but years in, and its still dumbfounding. Like today, Aunty Cecilia, in her late 7o's, after her study told us that when she prays to Jehovah she tells him that she doesn't know the Bible and she wants to learn more. She says "Here you girls are, even though I'm old and you're young, your taking time to teach me" and she was tearing up making me tear up too. Melanie, my roomie and faithful service partner was moved to tears too. Afterward Melanie said to me, 'See? We moved here for people like that! That's who I want to spend my time with, people like her who appreciate the message!' Cecilia made it to meeting a couple of times. She's got grown out pink and purple hair and a lot of energy. Me and Melanie sing her the Cecilia song. Another time she had told  Jehovah in prayer that she wanted to do something for him that day, so she went out with her Large Print Bible in hand and some people in mind to visit. When the first friend wasn't home she went to the second. She found that friend distraught and she told me that she was able to listen to and encourage her and tell her some things she'd learned from her Bible study. The woman said she felt better by the end of the visit. Isn't that adorable that she was out sharing the Bible with her neighbors by her self?! I asked how long she'd been doing this and she said as long as we've been visiting her she's been moved by our example to venture out on her own to visit her neighbors. Aunty Cecilia always made us feel welcome, having us to sit down in her stuffy hot but way-too-comfortable-to-stay-alert house. She's got those sofas that you just sink down into and melt away in. Then she'd give you either freshly made juice or a snack she bought in preperation for you, or fresh coconut water. She even killed me a chicken one time! I thought I could watch, but when it came time, I couldn't. Her son runs a copy shop down stairs called Silicone Valley Printing. Fancy name for a tiny dark dusty nic-knacked shop sitting down a narrow dirt foot path ally next to a chicken pen. Aunty Celcila always expressed sincere appreciation for what she was learning. She could just go on and on, bubbling over with apprciciation. When I left she was going to the states for 5 months or so but she told me she wanted to come with me on my next trip to Africa, "to pray with the people there". She was always so humble in spirit and so fun! Very young at heart and she had the most distinct voice. When you called at here house "Inside!" She would always make us smile because she would reply instantly from where ever she happened to be, which was usually so far away you could barely hear her. Answering in that endearing voice, "Come right in!" a squeaky gravely perfect gramma voice. I hope I see Aunty Cecilia again. I just love her. You'll love her too. I'll introduce you to her some day. Remind me. 

Oshauna

Its Guyanese culture to be nice to everyone, so we have to be careful to direct our attention to ones that show a genuine interest in what the Bible teaches and focus on them. With Oshauna I felt immediately drawn to her to offer her a study right away. She came to her gate with a huge smile and nice comments and a spiritual out look on things. She is agreeing with basic teachings already, after explaining the trinity to her, I asked her if she thinking Jehovah would be ok with her attending a church that focuses worship on Jesus. She got the point. Even though she is a very busy girl with school and volunteer work she has decided to make time for meetings at the Kingdom Hall on Thursday nights! She comes in her scrubs coming straight from a long day of hands on schooling in town. By the time she gets home she'll have been on the road from 6am to 7:3opm. She also has a close friend that enjoys sitting in on the study with us. Before we start she texts her and her friend who then walks a couple blocks to meet up with us. I'm excited, these girls are making time for spiritual things. They're hopfully going to be a good influence on eachother to keep it up.

Dwayne

A wonderful study came out of the territory when our friend Mandy from Ohio was visiting. She found him and at the end of her trip she said "If all that comes out of my stay here was finding Dwayne, than my trip was well worth it". I can see why she would say that. He commended us "It's hard enough just to get out of bed in the morning to do every day things, but when you're getting up to go out in the preaching work where some people will reject you and brush you to the side that would be very hard. And to do that day after day? God must be giving you guys his spirit to be able to do that." I was tearing up when he told us that, it was very encouraging to meet someone with such an appreciation and that gave careful thought to what we're doing. He doesn't get it when his friends say "So, the Witnesses stopped by and I sent my kids out to tell them I wasn't home", it makes him feel bad. What a darling. When asked how he's benefited from his study thus far he said he likes how it had been a calming influence on his life. It's something he looks forward to. He said he even had trouble facing normal life routines but now he has more motivation.

Aunty Seema 

So I wasn't able to get to Aunty Seema for her Bible study yesterday and this is what she texted me today, "A blessed morning to u AUNTY Cortney:) Sorry to ur not feeling well, I pray that Jehovah restore ur health very very soon so u can go out and share his good words ({})" What a loving heart, right? I'm making this stuff up! No, I'm not. 

I Purtnear Blew My Self Up 

So I was out and about in the yard, picking up unsightly things to burn, dried up coconuts, vehicle tires, car parts. We have an iron 55 gallon drum we use for burning our trash and I was going to and from the drum picking up trash that had spilled out and adding more to burn. I had just finished doing that when I went into the house. Now, from the kitchen window, if you happen to be burning trash at the same you're also preparing food, you may peek out the window to check to see if your flicker is still aflame. If you peek at the right angle, you can make it out in the corner of the yard just under the stair case, and know OK my trash is still burning. So as I said, I had just come inside and was chopping vegetables when... KABOoooooooOOOOOOOOOOoooooOM! *Sustained explosion.* Both the living room and kitchen window completely light up! A resonating blast. I was sure the house was going to catch fire from the shrapnel. After what ever it was, a car part perhaps, blew up, I immediately started thanking Jehovah that neither I nor my room mate happened to be standing next to it when it blew. My heart was beating out of my chest and I was shaky. I called on the phone regarding my room mates wear abouts to make sure she was not out side when it happened. Our water tank started over flowing. But I wasn't going to risk going out side again when there was a possibility that another compartment of what ever that was could also blow. I kept my eyes peeled for my room mate getting home and rushed down to do two trips in one, flicked the water tank off and ran to the gate to meet her. She said she'd never seen my eyes so full of fear before. "OK, here's what we're going to do. Something in the garbage can just blew up. We're going to run up the stairs and wait in the house until the fire dies just in case something else decides to blows too." The next day I went to my neighbor Aunty Shakila and she asked me 'What were you burning yesterday?! There were people over here when we heard it explode and we were like "Oh my God!" I learned my lesson. I will not burn any more car parts or the like and try to be more careful with my very soul.