1st World Problems. 3rd World Problems, (subtitled Big Man in Small Places)

 On Monday, I said goodby to my friends as they ended their London trip by heading to Scotland. I thought I would be leaving early Tuesday Monring to head to Amsterdam then Entebbe. the airline told me Ineeded to get an electronic Visa before entering Uganda.  I had never needed one before and had always got them at the airport. So I sat down in a chair in the Uganda House (embassy) and started filling out the application, when it asked for my documents I used my phone to snap the pictures unfortunately my pictures were 2.2 Mb and they needed to be less that 250 Kb.  So back on the tube, back to my house got help from my brother Tom’s IT guys and John Stephens son, Mike, All was golden until I got to the last page and it would not let me pay.  I tried to start a new application, but it would not help me because there was already an application started.

Went to sleep at 10:pm and woke every hour to try to pay it would not let me.  Hopped in my Uber at 2:30 am hopefully I could talk my way on the plane.  The agent had none of my sob story, and now I thought holy cow, I am stuck and not going to Uganda.  I would be crestfallen, but I was also thinking of the things I had set up for both my Ugandan friends and my American students,  So I found a chair to sit in and plug in all my devices while I waited for normal people to wake up and help me.  There are 4 hotels at Heathrow Terminal 4 and I went with best one to see if they would let me check my bags for a few hours, the guys were great and talked me out of the expensive black cab to get back on the tube.

Despite my frustration, when I showed up at the Ugandan Embassy, they were very nice and very helpful, and got me a paper visa for my passport.  In the middle of it they asked for a credit card and I inadvertently gave them my debit card which was 5 minutes of panic before I got to verify through USAA.

Feeling chipper and full of success, I went to KLM and they kept referring me to online sites and What’s App bots.  No one at KLM London had the ability to sell me a ticket or modify my existing one!!! 90 minutes later I had a ticket because I bought it myself with my own credit card, of course it timed out one click away from getting the ticket.

I think I am boring you, I arrived safely in Entebbe and after 10 hours bus ride I am now home in Gulu.

Standing on the of Precipice of a New Journey

 I get to spend a few days in London with the oldest and dearest of friends cheering on the Cards and calling the Cubs (deleted grade school audience).  The people on this trip are my biggest supporters and have helped the homeless through large financial gifts or weeks of their time repairing walls and putting fresh flowers on the stoop.  Kindness no one asked for, but changes hearts.

If you want to get a feel for this blog. I reread this one and thought you would like it also.

http://mageeinuganda.blogspot.com/2016/06/sometimes-answer-was-there-all-time.html

Everything's Up to Date in Gulu.

This post is especially for all you IC TEX people.  The road from Kampala to Gulu is completely paved, but not only paved, but good drainage ditches on both sides.  The main roads in Gulu are also mostly paved.  From town to Sacred Heart, out to Keyo, but not to Sir Samuel Baker.  Yesterday we went to Lacekocot and they were building the road as we arrived.  Isaac the road was better on the way home and we made it in 46 minutes!    A lot of the roads in town, now also have covered sewer trenches and they are working on more.  Uchumi is out of business across Uganda, but the brand new market is complete.  Sankofa is in the same place, but is now called Elefante.  The old Kope Cafe is now called Iron Donkey and another munu hangout.  Their garlic bread with their Spaghetti and Meatballs is as good as any in the states.  Heinz 57 is everywhere and I have not seen a bottle of Top Up.  I am probably coming back again next year anyone else?

Today Hayley and I went to St. Jude's, we talked to a couple of new people in charge and there are several brand new buildings.  Since we arrived unannounced, we did not get a chance to play with the kids.  We decided to respect what they were trying to do.  They did allow us to go to the Chapel.  I prayed  for Samuel and all the kids of St. Jude .  I prayed that maybe the need for a St. Jude will be eliminated in the future.  They are now making their own crafts and hope to open a craft store on their compound soon.

Kwo pi naka naka,

Oteka

Our New Family -- Part II"

Note:: Sometimes when the posts get long they are very difficult to edit on my iPad.  If you have not read Part I,

      In a mud hut down the longest "1 kilometer" road in Lacekocot, we still had the formality of a former British Colony.  I was the 6th of the 8 scheduled speakers for this program. As they all praised me and thanked me, I also realize I could have done more for Ronald.  As Ronald's uncle talked in Lwo, I realized that I wish I had gotten a copy of Marian Wright Edelman's A Measure of Our Success for Ronald.   Ronald's uncle said it was the three of us: Ronald's mom, himself, and I who had helped this boy succeed.  He wanted me to know that I was now a part of the family.

      " This hut in Lacekocot was now my home."  How do you follow that? It turns out I would use Marian's words, "Home remains as you go out to serve and conquer the world. And I always follow you wherever you go in spirit, in prayer, and in love. You are never alone."  I began,  "Home remains,"  I paused and Alfred translated, "Gang bedo,".    I  tried to let them know,  that I not only accepted their invitation, but we WERE family.

        This year I was watching the evening news and a refugee shouted at a Hungarian cracking down on the refugees, "We are human, you are human, why will you not help us."  I do not think I will ever forget that man's face or his question.   We can help each other and should help each other.  There was not a time in my life when I was supposed to be "helping" people that I did not receive more in return.

         In a small hut down a 1 kilometer road, we found an answer much different than the xenophobia in Brexit or the racism of Trump, we were family.  It is what we should all strive to do.  The fact that Hayley Kuehner was still sitting in her sturdy chair, made it even more special.  The Kuehner's have through their kindness and their camaraderie have made me feel like I am part of their family.  As I write this, either a man from Ghana or his American wife will be cutting my grass, hopefully while their two boys ride bikes down my driveway.  If you are reading this, you a part of my family, and I could not have helped Ronald without you. Your help, your love or as my neighbor Alfred says, "just a conversation."

One Family--One Love*--One World

*for Hayley and all the ones who have sang our song.

     

Our New Family--Part i

Sitting in our living room, watching Hayley Kuehner fill up pages in her journal with her ubiquitous green pen,  (I just asked her what ubiquitous means and now both of us may not know), and I am jealous.  How does she find the words to write about our journey today and I am still at a loss.  So let's start with details and see where the Mutatu ( large Van) takes us.  Hayley, Ronald, and I had a breakfast at Cafe Larem.  I gave Ronald a gift I had brought from America.  It was a duffel bag that fit into a water bottle.  When fully opened their was a pocket for the water bottle in the duffle bag.  he was amused, and although it took some work, I was able to get the bag back into the duffle bag.

     Soon, we hopped into the van for our journey north to Lacekocot, the village of Atanga SS.  Sunday,  arrived via motorbike and introduced us to our driver for the day, Opiyo Samuel.  Soon, we were heade past Sir Samuel Baker to Atanga and Lacekocot.  The road was not paved, which is kind of strange now as the road from Kampala all the way to Gulu is paved and many of the roads are now paved.  The roads in Gulu, now also have covered trenches for the rainwater.  So many improvements in northern Uganda, many of my fellow teachers would not believe it.

          So we left at 9:30 and arrived at 10:46 a.m.  Not bad,  but kind of slowed up by many speed bumps and unfinished roads.  I had promised Sunday when I contracted for this trip that we would need to be in town for 2 hours, he kind of implied that 3 would be okay.  So as soon as we met Ocwa Alfred in town (Alfred had taught at Nerinx January 2010).  I informed him that we would have short time and would need to be on the road by 1:46.  Surely, (those that have been to Uganda, know this) we could be less than 3 hours for a meal and to say hi.

         We started out at Alfred's house, he now has 4 kids: Mercy, Samuel, Joshua, and Faith.  We were soon greeted by tea mad by his wife and also got chipati and great pineapple also.  Ronald's uncle showed up and it looked like we were well on our way to being done in less than two hours.  I do not want to sound impatient here, but I thought this was our contract with the driver and we wanted Hayley to see the Athletics competition (Track & Field) at Pece Stadium.  We had a great breakfast and took a few picture, but then Alfred asked if we could take more pictures on our way out of town, so his wife could "organise the children".

          We left Alfred's to go see Ronald's family in the village.  It would not be a problem as it was only 1 kilometer away.  We passed through the town center, it looks so different, as the road bisecting the center was now vastly improved.  Many were working hard to finish it as we left, heavy machinery (almost non-existent 10 years ago on my first visit) was now littering the town center.  We stopped at the roadside market to buy some fruit and literally 10 women were inside the windows of our vehicle trying to show, why their mangos were the best. We then turned onto a small dirt road, think driveway.  I was about to suggest that we should just park the vehicle and walk.  The road had gone from 5 feet wide to 3 feet wide,  and soon there were just two tracks with foot high grass in between, surely the road had run out.  But we traveled down this road for another 10 or 12 minutes, the foot high grass between the tracks was now taller than the van and we continued to move forward.  At least 4 times Hayley and I looked at each other like we had reached our destination only to move past the new group of round huts.

                We had reached the huts of Ronald and his family. We were escorted into a hut where there were 3 green plastic chairs.  Hayley, the driver, and I were escorted into the plastic chairs.  A wood chair that sits 14 inches off the ground was found for Alfred.  A small thatch chair was brought into the room and I told Hayley to sit in it to show how it was much stronger than it looked.  She stayed there and Ronald's uncle took the green chair.  A mat was brought in and Ronald's grandmother and mother sat on the mat as Ronald settled into the room. Now it was time for speeches.

              We would have 7 speeches altogether, as more family members crowded in the door.  Ronald  talked about how he first met me, and how I was truly a gift of God. As Ronald spoke,  Ocwa Alfred translated his words into English.  Sometimes his translations were twice as long as the original Lwo words. Ronald, his grandmother, his mother, his uncle, and his brother all took turns thanking me for providing money for Ronald's college education.

Sometimes the Answer was There All the Time

I cannot think of anything that I could tell you, right now, that  would bring you more joy than becoming a teacher.  I am not even sure if there are 15 and 16 year olds that are reading these words,.  But if there are --become a teacher.  Haley, the little devil herself, will be working this year teaching English with my great friend Jessie,  How lucky those kids will be.  Haley will show up every day giving her best and then go home and start to think and plan how tomorrow can be better.  She will know each kid by name and then start to take more time.  She will learn  more about each student, so they can share a laugh or a favorite book.  It is sometimes hard to predict how the future will turn out, but I know what will happen in Haley's school,  because I have seen this one excel in every one of her actions for the last decade.  Mike Barry once fought to keep Haley in his car on the ride home from Biloxi. Why not? Who else would you want your young impressionable daughter to emulate?   Sidenote:  How stupid was it that a certain school in Webster lost out on this first round draft pick?     Their loss, west county's gain.                                        

Each day that I enjoy being a teacher,  I think of so many great kids that I have taught, each one of them is special in their own way.  They have grown up to be dentists and lawyers and physical therapists and nurses.  But oh . . . when they become teachers!!  There is an 8th grader in North West County somewhere that has no idea that, in just over a month, will meet their favorite teacher of their life.                                        

Each year lately I tell myself that I am going to have to make time to check in with a Detroit teacher nicknamed Country.  I first saw who she was when she crawled under a "house" on Wisteria Lane in Biloxi.  There was so much trash and debris under that house that I thought it may be a couple day project,  imagine my surprise when I came back at 10:30 and it was done.  So I do not know the whole story here, other than she is helping students that others sometimes forget in the city of Detroit.  I do know she has learned her selflessness from two wonderful parents who have helped improve the lives of people in St. Louis.  I can only imagine what is happening in her classroom.
                           
I have seen only one of my students teach and I am so happy that I took the long way home from Biloxi via Mobile to see Miss Hagerty amaze me with her questions and compassion in her classroom.  She was constantly asking questions that enhanced and brightened the learning of her students in a quick and challenging way.  Her classes were always moving and the students were keeping up,  mostly because they wanted to be a part of this wonderful learning parade.  As I left Mobile that day, I kept hearing tornado warnings on all of the radio stations.  They kept warning towns and counties, and I was screaming at the radio, " What highway? What mile marker.?"  As I drove uncertain into the Alabama day in the Smart Car, I all of a sudden was calm.  If my little red car got sucked into the cyclone,  I had gone out on a damn fine day.
                 
Sitting across from me in our Ugandan living room is Hayley.  She is small in stature but large in almost every way.  For some reason I am thinking about Mario, but she really does attack her passions by punching her fists in the air and jumping over turtles.  Julius, our Ugandan friend, has arranged for her to teach at a Ugandan primary school,  Favor of God.  Each day she exits ready for her next day.  I would love to see her teach in this setting, but a large white man is cause for much disruption and besides I can already picture the scene.

My mom prays for me all the time, usually to take on the employment struggles of the last couple of years.  I have joked that maybe they are going to have to change the words of the Memorare since we have prayed it together so often without "success".
                 
Mom, sitting in Uganda, I just figured it out Mary has been answering our prayers all along.  She just decided to do it  by bringing these people, these blessings into my life.  And she answered our prayers in such a bigger way.  As Father Boyle says we cannot begin to comprehend the infinite power of God.  So I think, Mary has answered our prayers in the best way possible by putting these wonders into the classrooms full of children.   Can there be a better answer?


Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to thy protection, implored thy help, or sought thine intercession was left unaided. 

Inspired by this confidence, I fly unto thee, O Virgin of virgins, my mother; to thee do I come, before thee I stand, sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in thy mercy hear and answer me. 

Amen.

Just a little what's new

Another couple of good days.  Hayley taught again at Favor of God for the second day.  Yesterday, she was the first white person in the history of the school to teach a class.  Hayley blurb: "I taught geometry and English again today for the P4s. I'm starting to get used to being called 'madame,' which is a little more fun than Miss K. At break time when the kindergarteners were playing I walked out and stopped by a few little ones playing on the ground. They don't know much English aside from "I'm fine" so I figured playing instead of talking would work out better. I got on the ground and drew a smiley face in the dirt. In a matter of seconds I had a swarm of probably 20 or so kinders. They were laughing so hard at it that I ended up drawing a whole person on the ground and they decided to name it Michelle for the sole reason that that was the name of the 2 foot tall human on my arm at the moment. The second I stood up, I had almost all 20 kinders hanging on me. They honestly wanted nothing more than to hold onto my hands and click the buttons on my watch. After 10 minutes of that, I made the (sort of) mistake of twirling around one little one who had my finger. I think I spent about 15 minutes twirling kids to the point that I thought they were going to yank my fingers off! Just another great day in Gulu!"
After dropping her off, I was going to meet Melissa at Gulu University to return her phone that ended up in my possession. We decided Gulu U. was a good half way point.  With not a lot to do at 8 a.m. I just started walking, at 9:12 Melissa called me and was just waking, no problem I figure it would take her about 15 minutes to get ready and with a boda I would see her in 25 minutes.  Apparently her Statistics teacher did a poor job of teaching her either mean or median,  as I walked almost to her from door to deliver her phone. So hopefully, 2 hour and 26 minute walk helped me get in shape.  Kristine got in town today, so the three Teacher buddies reconnected as Sarah was also there.  We started out in The Iron Donkey (the former Kope cafe) and ended up at Cafe Larem.  Hayley even got in a little "girl time" with Sarah as they wandered off to shop.  Hayley and I are contemplating some traditional dance performance at 9:30, but is poring a 7 a.m. So who knows.