Watch out- I ramble

Some quick updates are in order I think. I'm feeling pretty down so I'm not sure if I'll keep this one to my self or put it up but it is getting late and I haven't posted in a few days so I'm afraid I'll just get to the end and hit publish. I hate it when that happens but for some reason occasionally I do that. Wow, I'm rambling too. This could be interesting. Focus kragt....

Update #1: AnnaGrace passed away early last night. I got a call around 7:30 this morning. I expressed my condolences but explained that I wouldn't come now-now but would see them soon. I figured I should ask if there was anything I could do for them but honestly I just didn't want to sit with the body and all the grieving women in the dirt in her tiny hut... So I went to church where I was having a hard time entering into worship. And my phone rang again “Could I come to transport the body back to where it will be buried?” I felt convicted that it was a more honest worship to make this sacrifice than to stay in church. So, bad news (good news?) the coffin didn't fit in my car. We rented a truck and loaded it up with the body, enough posho and beans for more than 100, and at least 15 people. Somehow they crammed 8 more people in my car (9 including me but as the driver I'm glad to say I was the only person in my seat though that can't be said about any other spot- it is a 5 seater car). We set off for a more distant village than the one we were already in. There were many women there already grieving which only got more intense with the unloading of the coffin. Anyway, eventually I greeted all who I needed to and promised many that I would return the following day for the actual burial. Left the church around 9am and returned to my house around 3pm. Not what I expected my Sunday to be. And honestly I'm really not looking forward to more of the same tomorrow....

Whoa, too long for a simple update. I'll do better with this one.
Update #2: I was planning on spending all week meeting the needs of handicapped kids but it looks like that just isn't going to happen. I have one more doctor in Soroti that I'm trying to connect with, a pediatrician, who I hope to be able to work with. I have at least 3 kids that need to see her but she is crazy busy and doesn't have appointments or even set “office” hours. You just wait and if she is finishes at the hospital she will see people at the clinic. But I've been told she also takes frequent trips to see patients in Kampala (she can make better $ there, I'm sure) so she isn't always here. I wanted to connect at least one of these kids with her this week but don't feel like I have hours to just sit and wait for her to come. Also, I have not taken the kids I enrolled in the Cerebral Palsy clinic back to Kumi in 3 weeks. They are supposed to go every week! I feel really guilty about that. The team assures me that Ugandans are used to waiting so this isn't a big deal but these kids are really missing out. They really need the therapy and the parents really need the frequent encouragement. Some of the kids I haven't seen since the first day that I met them and I need to get back out there to follow up. It is just that EVERYTHING takes SO LONG!

O.K. Was that even an update or am I just unloading?
Update#3: Claudia is coming this week! She is an IT-missionary who Beckie and I trained with, and is now on her way to the middle east to work. She is spending a week with us before she starts her two year commitment. We will leave Wednesday to pick her up and be back in Soroti Thursday. So there goes two more days this week. I'm really looking forward to having her here but I'm worried as I'm already feeling guilty about not getting stuff done but I want to be able to spend time with her.

Yeah, that really wasn't an update.
Update #4: No monitor lizard spotings in a long time. Does that mean he has moved out and it is safe to get chickens?  I think possibly.
 
I need to call it a night. I'm sure there are other things going on that I could update about but I'm about done rambling for this session. Thanks Aunt Pat for reading this because I'm pretty sure you are the only one who made it all the way to the end. Until later....