August 18, 2009, Tuesday
Today I stayed in bed until 8 a.m. although I had been awake for a while. I had tea and some granola bars for breakfast and rested some more. Later I inventoried and bagged some of the island ministry things I will leave in storage at Phil’s when I go home next week.
We had lunch of rice and vegetables about 2 p.m. I was journaling in my room when Susan came in for a visit. We went over the list of supplies needed by Esther, Sofi and Rose for their third terms in school. I gave Susan the money and she will purchase the items for me in town. If I go with her, the merchants will charge more for the items. When they see a white person, muzungu, they will charge muzungu price, which is higher than the real price.
After Susan left my room, Beverly, the 14 and a half year old who is in secondary 2, came in for a visit. She asked me about American schools and she told me about Ugandan schools. I showed her pictures of my family on my computer. She wants to become a doctor or lawyer when she goes to the university. I get Beverly and Beth mixed up because they are close to the same age and look alike. Scovia and Peter have 5 children and their birth order is: Susan, age 26, Paul, Kenneth, age 19, Beverly, age 14 and Beth, age 13. Susan is divorced with one child, Faith who is 6 years old. Peter and his second wife, Prossy (who is about 30 yrs. old) have three children: Kathy 3.5 years, Sandra 21 months and Edwin who is 7 months. Peter lives with Prossy and I don’t think he visits with his first wife or children very often. I enjoyed my visit with Beverly, although the visit took the place of the nap I’d plan to take. Now it is almost 6 p.m. and too late for a nap.
As I’m typing it is thundering, lightning and raining outside. What a blessing rain is to the people. They wait for the rain to start planting their crops so they will have food to eat. In American we often complain when rain interferes with our outdoor plans. Maybe we need to repent for speaking negatively about rain, since we are in the third year of a serious drought!
The Bible says if we do not obey God’s commandments, he will close up the heavens and stop the rain from falling. We need to repent for not obeying God, too. If I’m at a church and it rains, the people thank me for bringing a blessing from God. It’s not me who brings the rain, but the people do count rain as a blessing from God. In America the farmers and ranchers count rain as a blessing but many people even curse the rain. Father, I repent on behave of all Americans, please forgive us, for cursing the blessings that you send us with the rain.
Thank you, Lord, for a day of resting and for the rain.
