The first few days of being closed I had nothing to do, so hung out at Joy's and rested. I got the day off last Saturday from the clinic and Joy took me to the equator along with Amos, her fellow worker, and two of the girls. We live about an hour north of it, it turns out. I had obliviously crossed it going to and from Rwanda last month, but I could fully appreciate the painted line and cheesy sign this time around. It was lovely to be out seeing more of the Ugandan countryside and getting to know some of the people I'm living with better, with the help of pizza to fuel conversation. On the way back we visited Lake Victoria and despite the choppy waves and murky water I was so tempted to dive in! I didn't, but swimming is one thing lacking in my life. I can't complain too much though - as I'm writing this, the sun is scorching and the wind is rustling in the banana trees.
But now I am full of focus as I am being given the opportunity to stretch my artistic muscles which haven't been used in ages! Joy is opening a nursery next year and so I have been tasked with making the posters for the walls. The alphabet is complete and I am currently doing numbers 1 to 20. I love it! My perfectionist self is out in full force. She has also just asked me to design a mural for the wall, which I can paint when the building is finished! I am so excited!! This is a pretty perfect job for me and in a way, I want to keep doing only two days a week at the clinic so I can be arty for the rest of the week. But, of course, I will support John completely as and when the clinic moves and I do enjoy it there too - I can organise to my hearts content and colour code spreadsheets, what's not to love? And I miss the daily walk and all the kids too.
On Thursday, I accompanied Joy, Amos and another of her workers, George, to Luwero district where she was looking at land to buy. I hadn't met George before and I like him; he is very funny! As we drove through the small towns where he lives and works in the district, all the children would run to the road and shout 'bye muzungu!' at Joy and I (this is completely normal). George made us all crack up by saying 'I look after their pigs but they don't say bye to me, they don't been know you and they love you!' It was so funny! We were definitely on African time that day and the phrase 'he is coming' was said many a time whilst waiting for landowners to amble up hours after we arrived. It was a fun day out though - it always is travelling in this beautiful country - and it ended in a very western way of watching X-Men!
Friday night was pretty big for me. Joy had asked me last week if I would share a testimony with her family here, and I had said yes even though the thought of doing so freaked me out! I've never been one for talking a lot, and having to be open with all these kids was daunting. But God is good, and He is strong when we are weak. I shared some of the things that has happened to me this year and they all listened so attentively and politely, and I don't think I bored them too much! God kept me calm and focused through out so I ended up enjoying myself. The old 'muzai' (an old and respected man) who is our night guard was the most talkative when it came to questions which was so cute!
So for this week I will be drawing and teaching the two boys in the evenings. Oh, and there may be a trip to a refuge camp too! But who knows what the coming weeks will hold and what the balance between Joy's and the clinic will be. God knows, so I am very happy where I am!
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