Oluzungu Wange

"Oluzungu Wange" - I am about 85% that means "my English" in luganda but if it doesn't....have grace on me, Im still learning!

Despite the fact that I can still only greet in Luganda, it is a fact that over the last year and a half, my English HAS changed...

I don't really notice it much, but I think that's because it is a gradual thing...I was actually talking about it with my sisters (Liz & Angie) this past week and we all laughed about it!

So how has it changed...well...this is what we concluded...

1. Its slower...and if you speak to me quickly, sometimes I don't understand a word you are trying to tell me!

2. My accent is different...at least that is what I am told because really...I don't think I had an accent to start with! haha!

3. I use British spellings of English words now and even have my PC set for UK English on the spell check...this plus my bad spelling to start with has made it literally impossible to spell anything at all without spell check so if you find misspellings...have some grace on me!

4. I use new words for old ideas...For instance:

Full stop = A period at the end of a sentence
Shifted = Moved
Flash me = Call me on my cell and hang up before I have a chance to answer it!
Rubber = Eraser
Jam = Traffic
Abused = Talked badly about someone
Funny = Weird
Paining = Hurting

5. I over emphasize personal pronouns...For example, I might say, "For me, I'm tired" or "For you, you are fat"...From what I gather in Luganda lessons its a matter of translating Luganda into English because in Luganda, you double your pronouns for emphasis.

6. I am no longer politically correct...if you are black, I call you black; If you are white, I call you white; if you are some version of Asian, I will probably call you Chinese; if you are overweight, I will probably call you fat...hey...dont get mad...its a cultural thing and well...I have embraced it! Actually here we even distinguish between shades of black, so if you ever hear someone ask me who someone is, I would probably answer and say, you know.."he is the really black one" or "he is the short skinny brown one....!"

But anyways....I am sure there were more but at 9pm that's all I can remember!

I hope that doesn't discourage anyone from calling me cause it is nice to get a long distance person to chat with! I will try to keep up, just please, don't use any new slang, or talk 4,000 words per minute and we should be fine!!

Ahhhh....Saturdays....

I LOVE Saturdays...not just like them, I LOVE them!!

Why?

Well...there is the obvious reason...Sleeping In!

and the other obvious reason that, if I don't want to think...I really don't have to...

But then there are the other reasons I love Saturdays, ones that may or may not be different from yours...

1. PJ Days...yes, it is true...most Saturdays I stay in my PJs until at least noon...last Saturday it was all day...come on now...don't judge...you know you do it too!

2. Coffee...Saturday is the only day when I make REAL LIFE COFFEE! The rest of the days its good ol' instant which for some reason just isn't that good.

3. Conversations...Saturday is the day I get to sit and chat with my friends, my sister and my house help...I learn more about their lives, we usually have some conversation related to or about the bible, and we share laughs and jokes together!

4. Breakfast...Saturdays is also the day that I get to spend the most time with my sister Barbara...we usually collaborate and come up with a breakfast plan of bacon, sausage, eggs, fruit, and some sort of bread...all ready to eat at the early morning time of NOON :) and yes...we are usually in our PJs for breakfast! :)

5. Visitors...If you haven't guessed by now, the good news of lazy Saturdays has gotten out and Barbara and I usually have someone we know drop by to share in our fun...last weekend we had Joseline who shamed us by going out for an early morning run while we slept, we had our youngest sister Angie who stayed with us for the week and has truly embraced our sleeping in motto, we had Alema (my house help), and Alema's daughter Rida...it soooo great to hang out with family, friends and neighbors!!

SO...even though it is just Tuesday as I type this...I am looking forward to Saturday again :) AND while it is rare to see a picture taken of any of us on our lazy days, Alema's daughter took a snap of me and I of her as we captured pictures of each other's big Saturday Smiles :)

Miracles DO happen...

And this one happened to be from none other than the Ugandan Post Office...

I can't tell you how many times things come squished or ripped or not at all but today I had to smile at my ripped letter...

Not because it was ripped BUT because it had been sealed in a plastic envelope and on the back was a signed letter of apology from the post office for any inconvenience the ripped envelope caused me...

It was a miracle and actually made me really excited for the accountability, integrity and customer service skills that this employee at Posta Uganda actually displayed!

WELL DONE!

Keep Up the Good work...

And for those of you who live in Uganda and don't believe that I am telling the truth right now...here is a picture to prove it :) haha! See!!! Miracles DO happen!

Shaken NOT Stirred...

I went to fill my gas tank last week and drove away chuckling...

Why?

Something new happened that has never happened to me before!

I drove up, popped open the tank release, rolled down my window and asked the petrol attendant to fill up my tank...

Now in UG they love to get it really really full...today was no exception BUT I think the attendant I had was trying to get a gold medal in filling tanks to their maximum capacity...

When the counter started slowing and I thought for sure the attendant had filled it to its capacity I started to pull out my money to pay but rather than coming to the window to tell me my balance the attendant comes to my window and says "I shake??"

"I Shake??"" I think to my self, hum...this is a new one, so I repeated what he said and sure enough, I got it right the first time...curious as to what he was talking about I said "SURE!" with confidence...

Lets say, I wasnt expecting what I got, because at my resounding, "sure" the man started shaking or more like rocking my car back and forth...

I felt like a milkshake or a martini getting jostled about in the front seat...riding out the waves...

Then after his shaking, he proceeded to squeeze in an additional 300 shillings (approx 15cents) of petrol into my tank...

Yep, my tank was definitely as full as it was going to get, I paid and off I drove, with a little chuckle and a smile!

Just another reason why I love Uganda!!

Funding Update...

Hello All!

I just want to say thank you to the 88 people who make it possible for me to live and volunteer here in Uganda! The last 6 months or so have been tight as I was only operating at 80% of my budget but due to new donors this past month I am up to 96%!!!

Thank you soooo much for being apart of this ministry! I believe in the work at GBI and I know that all of you do as well!!

As we would say in Uganda...

Weebale Nnyo!!

Introducing Doreen...

Ankunda Doreen is another of GBI’s Child Development students.

Her name Ankunda means “He loves me” and indeed she also loves children. She works as a primary school teacher and has wanted to minister to children for most of her life. When asked what she likes most about working with children she said that she enjoys preaching the Word of God to them as well as praising and worshipping God with them.

Even though the Child Development course has only been in session for 1 month, she says she has learned so much. The course that has influenced her the most?

Special Needs Children!

Doreen admits that she didn’t know that children with special needs could do anything but now she says that she sees everyone equally in God’s eyes. “Normal? What really is Normal, there isn’t such a thing”, she says with confidence.

Now I can minister to children better and by the end of my 2 years at GBI I will be equipped with the knowledge I need to serve and transform the children in my community to the glory of God.

Child Development Testimonies...

The Child Development Program has been running for 1 month now and we have some very excited students because of it...

That being said, let me introduce Thomas Ojok!



Thomas Ojok is one of Gaba Bible Institute’s newest students. He, along with 12 others, are the founding class of the 2 year child development diploma program that was just launched in September 2010.

If you ever have the opportunity to ask Thomas about children or about Child development you will see a vibrant smile and passion come pouring out of him.

Thomas has been working with a Christian NGO called “Children of the Nations” for the last four years where he serves as the only male role model and “uncle” to 56 children and youth between the ages of 4 and 16.

Thomas says that it is his passion to study more about children, to see them grow and to be able to equip them to transform his society. "Our children are a source of wealth to our society, but yet, most Ugandan’s do not understand this," Thomas says, "it takes knowledge and training for us to fully understand God’s design and plan for our children. I am so blessed to study Child Development, it often brings tears to my eyes as I read and study all that God has laid before me. God has called me to serve our children; it is my purpose in life. When I have the education, I can lead a generation and that is why I am at GBI!"

Causes???

I have to admit...I like FB...

It for some reason is one of the only information sources I get on what is happening in the lives of the people back in Cali...

If it wasn't for FB, I wouldn't know who was engaged, who got married, and who is having kids...

It really is a great way for me to stay connected so that when I go back for visits to Cali, I wont be 3 years behind in all the news...

That being said...FB causes REALLY REALLY drive me crazy!

I get cause invitations from people like...

"Save kids from HIV" or "Stop violence against women"

Yet all these people do on FB is say they "like" the cause and in some way they feel like they have done something about it...Maybe its just me but I don't think that God would like FB Causes either...

After all He wanted us to take action, to live our faith out in action and deeds...not just to say you like a cause and act as if by "liking" something it is going to make the problem go away!

What I would really like is a note, or a blog post telling what you tangibly did to help save kids from HIV or stop violence against women...its what you DO not what you SAY that will make a difference in this broken world...

OKAY...I am going to step off my soap box now...but seriously people...please don't send me those FB Causes...it really annoys me and in all reality, I will probably just push ignore anyways...