House Call

"AAAhhhh"  I thought as I stretched out. "There's nothing like a Sunday afternoon nap".  Then the phone rang, jolting me up.

It had been a long morning.  We got up at our usual 6:30, as our cutie blond alarm clock has very quickly adjusted to Uganda time and is once again waking up at his usual time.  After a breakfast started and stopped a few times with the electricity going on and off (Do you want oatmeal?  Ok, I'll make that.  No, never mind, the electricity is out to the microwave.  Eggs?  Good.  Never mind.  The electricity is back on)  We had the 15 minute walk to the school where our church meets and a very nice service.  The pastor talked on Mark this week and last.  Joel and I are seriously wondering what God has for us in Mark because, as Portico people know, our church is Virginia was studying Mark for the last year.  Like over a year on the book of Mark.  It was awesome, but when we got here and the first two weeks were out of Mark, Joel and I said, "Seriously?  God?  What?"
Anyway, we met some people afterwards and talked for a while before we headed home.  We stopped by the house then headed out again for lunch at an Ethiopian restaurant-- another 15 minute walk in the other direction.  Only one of us really enjoyed it and he thoroughly enjoyed his goat stew.  I'll give you one guess which "he" that is.  Then up the road to check two stores for a few things, (nail polish remover was finally found.  Success!) then back to the house.  If you're counting, that's about an hour of walking.  At least 40 minutes.  Then, of course, the kids were hungry when we got home because they didn't eat hardly any of their lunch.  I don't blame them.  Anyway, after all that, I was happy to have my naptime.

My phone never rings.  So when it did, I ran to check it.  It was my friend and fellow teacher, asking for Joel to drop by to see her mother who is ill and they were starting to get worried about her.  As this is one of our 3 friends, we quickly agreed and headed back down to the school and past another several minutes.  What ensued was much more of a playdate, as this is a very active home, but also entailed Joel "prescribing" some medicine for them to go grab at the pharmacy.  Here you get almost anything over the counter.  You just go and ask.

In return, our friend's father loaned me his percolator.  Its one of several coffee making devices they have.  Apparently they're much much more organized than I. Had I mentioned my french  press broke on the flight?  I was, of course, devastated and have been drinking instant coffee.  I know you're wondering how I survived.  Forget the wilds of Africa-- what am I to do without my cup of joe?    Anyway, I am quite excited to try this out tomorrow.  Over the gas stove.  With real coffee.
Results:  TBA  Stay tuned :)

We carried the kids half of the way home and for dinner enjoyed some leftover pasta with pesto we brought (which our moms stashed in our bags at the last minute.  Thanks moms!  The first jar is almost gone!)   and had a good visit via Facetime with Joel's brother and his family.

I've had questions about what people can send via care package and I've been thinking of things and finally learning what is here and what isn't and what we would actually use.  I'll put a tab up at the top of the page when I get all of the information on how to send something here, along with items (like dried pesto packets :)