WOMF Missionsary work

1. The ugandan people have very humble,  kind,  gentle, generous spirits, even the prisoners.
11/8/10 : At 5:00 AM joined Pastor Mike on his daily visit to 2 village prisons (local jails). The final road into the village was very bumpy without lighting. The ministry reads scripture, dispenses life saving medicines, brings gifts (2 slices of white bread, a used shirts or pants, caps), makes calls for acceptance of Christ .  Most of these individuals arrested are "accused" of theft and must wait 3-12 months to get in front of a judge. The prisoners sleep on the ground, meals of ground corn & water. Most are barefoot and every day do +12 hrs hard, manual labor outdoors . While visiting the minister introduced Jordan and me and asked us to share "our testimony". For the most part of an hour or more,  the prisoners were very attentive and receptive. Jordan gave such an amazing speech, that touched their hearts and mine. When leaving first group of 60 villager prisoners...most were yelling "Goodbye Jordan!

It's the rainy season, so by the end of the day our shoes and pants were caked with inches of heavy red clay mud.  Jordan said" it"day was worth getting up at 4:00 in morning . I am convinced that commitment to this Prison Ministry is not done by choice, it's adherence to an undeniable calling from God!
2. The WOMF missionaries  are extremely committed and live w/out many of the luxuries of daily life in America, but live at a much higher standard of living than the Ugandan people around them. Many of them have very modest homes with toilets. Young ugandan girls help cook and keep house. But even for the missionaries, having available , clean water is a challenge. Some go days/months without running water. Sometimes the only source is catching rainwater then boiling "cups" at a time for food preparation or hygiene needs.


11/6/10 The Ugandan women are much more reserved when interacting with me... more reluctant to say hi,  or enter into repeated or continued conversations. As in the US & else where most of the men find it easier to have conversations with me and are friendly and open to talking about many subjects.

11/9: A new missionary group from Portland arrived last night. Seventeen healthcare workers. One brought her 12 old son. Jordan was estatic at the chance to develop the next termite eating kindred spirit. This morning, once again, he told me was going to join this second group of total strangers on an all day outing to the market place in Entebbe. I'm proud of his developing independence and courage. So many strangers have complimented him.. One said she believes he's destined to both "Have lunch with Presidents and Serve the poor". I feel blessed to serve as his mother....

Fir me, I'm spending the day with children at the baby house. LittleJohnny is 14 mos old and considerably "round". He is not walking but can walk pushing a stool.  He is sweet, yet doesn't like to exert himself.  When at the babyhouse, I like taking them outside we walk around touching and smelling nature, and letting the students at the bible college see and touch them. On the first day here, WOMF's Pastor Scott said that in Uganda, adoption is not very well accepted. Even if a relative adopts a child, the child is treated more like a servant in the household, instead of family member. 

One of the objectives of the WOMF infant ministry is to promote adoption and " role model" that adopted children are family members.
3. There is this unrealistic  assumption that  from the big smile on Ugandans face,  that they are happy. My interpretation is that Ugandans are able to put a "smile on their face" even when their personal situation is dire. They don't display sadness in "mixed" company or tell the missionaries about personal problems for fear they might be perceived as an unemployable or an unstable employee.  Because jordan and I are of African decent, they are more relaxed with us more open to sharing their personal spaces and stories with me.   There is undeniable kindred spirit here, in this cradle of humanity.
P.S.Jordan said to tell you that "Uganda is Awesome!"