Hello June!

Hello June!
This week has been a different one! I was actually able to get online more often than usual. Well I was online last Thursday and Friday. Friday night I spent alone. I went to a coffee shop and was on the net for awhile and then I went to the grocery store and got stuff to make cookies! Then I went Moses’ office where a few friends were congregated working… so I got on the net! Haha.. It is funny how excited I get over that little thing called the internet. Saturday morning I had a meeting with a lawyer at the Joy House. He advised me on a lot of things referring to protecting me from lawsuits and helped me with some ideas about policy. Earlier this week I wrote out the policies for the length of stay for each child, children seeing family members, and foreign volunteers coming to visit. It was lengthy but since I was BEDRIDDEN anyways it worked out. Saturday evening I went to a wedding with Carlo and Darlene. We kind of crashed it even though we had invites. No one knew anyone we kind of just ate and then left. Well I wish I would not have eaten because later that night I felt the effect of bad food. I was so sick… I was crying wanting my mamma. Of course I did not call her because she would have freaked out. Before I got sick Carlo, Darlene, Peter, and Ernest went to a small concert for the Kampala German society. It was nice besides the fact I had to leave early because I felt like booboo. Sunday I spent in bed all day. Pastor Bill Johnson in my ear for most of the day but I still missed church with my kids.
We paid all of this money last week for electricity to be turned on and I was expecting it to be on this week since everything is ready for it to be turned on but no it will not be turned on for 30 business days. Ridiculous. I have never really been a western snob until I heard that. The thing is that to hurry the process I have to ask a friend to ask a friend to ask for someone for me to talk to and everyone knows that means to bribe. That is rubbish. That is one good thing about the states you can write a letter and call a few times and you have it done… Doesn’t exactly work like that here in Uganda. The thing is that Uganda is very westernized I would think compared to other African countries. The pills I had to take for my stomach were pretty harsh. One of the side effects is metallic odor on body and mouth. Nice. I love stinking.
I will be moving this week. I figured it is the best thing for my health, emotional, and spiritual state. One of my close pastor friends in the states hooked me up with an international healing minister who works in Uganda. Cool story, I met he and his assistant and fell in love with them. Turns out they only live a half of a mile from the Joy House. I have been getting to a point that I did not want to stay at the home because I had to take sleeping pills and that would alter my mood every night staying with the children. I hate that but it is hard to sleep with so many people in one room. Especially now that the children are at school and they are gone by the time I wake up in the morning. Anyways so Rob, the pastor I was telling you about that lives a mile from the home, left to go home to Australia and left his assistant in Busegga… where I live. She asked me if I would move into her VERY nice apartment free of rent so that she would not have to stay alone. I prayed about it and was actually very torn because I did not want to let anyone down by not staying with the kids or most importantly make the children feel badly because I am not staying with them. I am going to do it. I will only be half a mile away and I will actually want to spend more time there if I do not have to fear the latrine and monster mosquitoes! haha I think it is a very wise choice. I will still be with the kids everyday and the friendship with the girl should be really fun! Her name is Leslie and she is radically in love with the father! She is Australian. Should be interesting... never lived with an Australian before.
Funny story… So I told you that I got stuff to make cookies. Well here in Uganda they use Blue Band instead of butter. Blue Band is like margarine. My mother has never used anything like that.. I have never been around fake butter in a tub. Well apparently Ugandans use cooking oil in the same form. It is like pam in butter form in a yellow tub as well. I cooked these cookies while I was sick thinking it would make me feel comfort of home and safe and I would not throw them up. Too bad I used 2 cups of cooking oil instead of margarine. They tasted so salty. Instant heartburn and then I threw it up. I was very sad. Lesson learned.
This week is a busy one. I am meeting with a Reuters photo journalist tomorrow to talk about doing a photo exposition for the Joy House. It could be big so please keep this in your prayers. Also this week has consisted of meetings with the children’s headmaster, going to other schools, visiting ministries that I worked with last visit, painting the rest of the house, getting over sickness and praying it is not Malaria. I started going to the Watato Church international cell group. They are the largest church in town. It is an American and Australian pastor. The church is a Hillsong ordained church. I was going to try to go on Sundays but it is too much stress on top of all day church with the children. Maybe sometimes I will attend because that is where Leslie and Moses go to church. I am very excited about this new faze of my trip. I am finally getting used to the differences, slinking away from my American habits (you have to if you want to be successful here), settling in and getting very organized. Next week Pastor Sam and I are going to look at land out of town where I will probably buy for gardening purposes and perhaps goats and chickens. I will keep you updated. God Bless.
Okay so all of that was Monday, I was trying to get ahead with my blogging so that when I got to the internet the blog would be completed and I would not need to worry about typing, only inserting to text! Today is Wednesday and it is a public holiday and cloudy. I have been trying to get to the American Embassy all week to get a club membership so that I stay healthy. No one is working today! I can’t do anything besides sit in an internet café! I found one with free net! SCORE!!! I am sure that is not true but I wanted to buy paint today and the driver is off of work and I do not want to hire a special. In a little while I am going to go and buy all of the food for the Joy House. Ugandans eat a lot. That is one observation I have come to. They like to eat. Huge portions. You may have to worry about HIV/AIDS, abandonment, war… but not starvation, at least here in the capitol. Food prices have gone up and that is scaring everyone. Last night I went to a half price movie with Carlo, Peter, Darlene, and Ernest. We also saw a friend that I have not seen since I have been here but I know very well from last visit!! Well I got a driver and now I am off to the American Embassy.. cross my fingers its open, to buy food, to buy paint, and then to go to cell meeting! Love you all!!