Friday, June 16, 2006

Prayer: Please God help this go!!!!!!!


Written June 12

I can't even begin to describe my frustration right now. I have tried to get on the computer for two days and haven't been able to open Yahoo. I had Herb drop me at this Internet place today. I have now been 45 minutes trying to copy and paste this message I typed at Wilber's. The first of it is missing and the markings are weird. I'm sorry. I just can't fix it now. After I had started typing here, the power went off and I had to wait for them to start the generator. I will need to catch a boda motorcycle taxi home in rush hour! Yikes! Sorry to unleash my lack of patience!

I am going to try to send this (and if the gas doesn't run out) and try to send an email I wrote this morning in Word at Herb's! Say a prayer! This computer must have been one of those first produced and the mouse is not working right! Help!

Mbale:
It has been raining and the dirt roads and paths are filled with ruts and
mudholes. Last night, the group left in a rain and lightening storm from Wilber and Sarah's to walk to West Inn where they are staying. It isn't a long distance, just a few blocks, but seems farther when you are walking in the dark and on these paths. The group thought it was a ton of fun, however. If we want to grab a soda or food, it is not possible, as we would need to take time to walk to town, and we
don't have the time. The school has been good about furnishing lunch, and we take our evening meal at Wilber and Sarah's. We work from early in the morning until it is dark, or if we have electricity (generator), until much later. But we are actually having a great time working and enjoying the company of our Ugandan friends working along with us.

Now having told you only a few of the problems, I must say things are starting to come together. We do have the "Everybody" books already on shelves and
the nonfiction section sorted. I wish I could import my assistant, Betty! Betty, where are you when I need you!? The school began painting and cleaning the
room the same day we started working, so a lot is happening at once. The opening of the library is set for Wednesday, so today and tomorrow we are praying
for electricity as there is still so much that needs to be done. The team has been outstanding.

Mary Lou and Celeste are the queens of the non-fiction, spending hours sorting the books first by numbers and then by author! It is a huge job! Donita and Julia tackled the Everybody section and the guys are busy with shelves. We have had tremendous support here. When we arrived late one evening, five young men from
Wilber's church were out in the moonlight sanding and staining 14 ft. planks of lumber, which were braced up against a fence. They did have generator going so had
some extra light, even though it seemed really dark.

Since the first day, we have constantly had the company of these young men as they have worked along with Paul and Robert. In fact, the joke is that Paul and Robert have to keep asking if they can do something to help! On Friday, the teachers at the
school were off for Hero's Day. There was a huge group helping us sort books throughout the day.

Ladies from Wilber's church have stayed at their home late at night to have food prepared for us, and then have been nice enough to stay and clean. Cooking here
is not that simple, as they do it outside by moonlight on a charcoal burner. Just having food here is a problem, as with all the loadshedding, one has to buy
food daily. Since the Okumu's don't have a car, I'm sure getting to town to buy our food has been a task! The ladies who cooked last night wanted to leave about 10:00, but they were on foot and it was raining. As I said, there are so many things we take for granted!

Yesterday (Sunday) the team thoroughly enjoyed services at Pearl Haven, Wilber's church. The singing, dancing, and Wilber's sermon (with Sarah serving as translator) were a treat! There is nothing like African worship! The church is made of cane poles and lumber, with a dirt floor. But for us who
attended, we would have preferred it to the Crystal Cathedral in the States! We stayed for the first service and the beginning of the second, also, to be
introduced. Paul sang in both services, and then we excused ourselves and headed to the school to work.

On Saturday and Sunday, several of us took an hour off and held services just for children. Sunday the kids came through the pouring rain, but we still had a huge
crowd. We had lots of fun singing songs like, "If You're Happy and You Know It Clap Your Hands!¨ We then showed a Veggie Tales movie, followed by a puppet
show. Our biggest problem was trying to get the kids to go home (well, except for the load-shedding).

Watching the kids clap, sing, and laugh, plus the team interact with them, is what it is all about! It doesn't get better than that!

Trudy

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