My First Rotary Meeting

This is our little neighbor, Trinity

Yesterday, Feb 11th, Thursday we started off the day doing a few errands before we went to the orphanage. We needed to buy our phones since we were unable to unlock our ATT phones from the US. Our nice little phones were 62,000UGS (about $31). You pay for the minutes before you use them, so we each put about $10 on the phone. Kayla felt she needed her own phone, so she used her babysitting money and has her very own phone! We also needed to get an extra key for Kayla and we have been coming in at different times in the evenings and it was a hassle to worry about who had the key. We made a visit to a very important man today. He is equivalent to the governor of the city, and Frederick wanted to introduce Kayla and me to him. He is the one that arranged the transportation and accommodations for us in Kalang, so we needed to pay our respects and introduce ourselves. Kayla brought a map with her, so we are able to show everyone where Hawaii is.

Kayla and Trinity enjoying the internet on our front porch

Frontline Engineering drove us to the orphanage. I did not work with Quickbooks today like I thought I might. I just held little Sandy, fed him and talked to him. Kayla went to the other side and played with the disabled kids in the therapy room. We, again, didn’t bring enough water to drink. I was so thirsty, though; that I drank from the borehole well after calling Frederick to ensure it would be safe to do so. We rode back to town together on ONE boda boda today! Again, he went very slowly with us.

We went to the Happy Nest again for dinner. We had a local dish with millet and sweet potatoes put in a sauce of peanut butter and finely chopped greens; not to my liking, which I was surprised because I love peanut butter. I just never thought to eat it mixed with greens! Today I went back to the market and got some noodle soup, carrots, apples, papaya, bananas, bread and other food to stock our home.

President Grace Amono, Gulu Rotary Club

The Gulu Rotary Club meets every Thursday from 6:00-7:00 pm every Thursday night. It was great to see all the familiar faces from last October and to be surrounded by friends and Rotarians again. The meeting was full of jokes, fun and lots of information. They are doing so much for the orphans in Gulu, and of course, they are fully involved in the World Vision/Rotary water project that started Feb 1st and will last two years. It is a very active and jolly club. Grace Amono is the president, and she is doing a wonderful job. Several members are preparing to head to Addis Ababa for the District Conference. Grace has asked me to go. It was a wonderful evening of fellowship and service.

You will not believe what I just had to do! I asked my very nice neighbors where I should take my garbage to, and they pointed across the street at a pile of rubbish lying on the ground; so environment unfriendly! I did as I was told, hating everything about what I was just about to do, but I walked over there and threw my bag onto that pile. If I had a shovel, I would have liked to at least bury my trash, but alas, I just littered. Gulu has been practically shut off from the world the last 25 years due to the war. The war has only been over for 4 years. We were told that garlic has just been introduced here recently. Imagine that. Another thing that I have noticed is I did not bring enough of the right kind of clothes. I cannot wear my shorts here; all the ladies wear long skirts. I do not have a long skirt. I wear my jeans and capris. Some of the children call Kayla and I boys because we are wearing pants. They do not see women wearing pants. Kayla did bring several skirts and long dresses, so she is just fine in the fashion world of Gulu.

More Gulu Rotarians

So we are getting settled here. We know where our garbage goes; we have our phones, keys, our contacts at the orphanage. We are getting familiar with the town and our neighbors. We have made new friends. Good night dear friends. I will make contact again soon. I think next week I will have my own internet connection when Ben arrives.  Until then, it is just every once in awhile.