And we're OFF! (Wednesday, Sept 24)

First of all, while we were in Mbarara on Monday, we were able to get Mike's phone configured for the internet; hence, the reason that I can check my email and post again! This will have to be quick though as I'm quickly running low on power. With the rainy season comes little sunshine which means less power is generated by our solar panels, the camp's source of power. I just wanted to say thanks to those of you who are continually praying for me as well as those of you who have emailed. As you probably already expect, it maybe awhile before I'll be able to get back to you so please consider this update as kind of a partial response! =D

Today, we tested the water from the source that we visited on Monday that we were considering as a possible project. We had had high hopes for the results to show that the water was clean, the first requirement to be able to submit a project proposal for funding. Unfortunately, four of the five sources that we tested contained some amount of E. coli and the source that was the most used was the worst, with E. coli in 69 of 96 samples. It was a bit tough for me when I realized that this water, which would be considered to be of wastewater quality back in Canada, is already the best option for many people in this community. They have either this water or the swamp to choose from, and as it turns out, the former isn't actually a whole lot better. It is even more difficult to comprehend the fact that, even though we have two sources that are much better quality, because they are not perfectly clean, the project would not qualify to receive funding to complete. Thus, as far it goes for ACTS, and our involvement, we can do nothing to help these people. So I ask that you would keep these people in your prayers, both in this community of Nyaruhandagazi and the over 5000 people that live there, and in the countless other communities with the same problem of contaminated water. This community even had the awareness and initiative to come to ACTS with a proposal and request for help. But in this case, and I'm sure in many more to follow, there isn't much that we can do to help them.

One of the taps along the pipeline that brings clean water to local communities -->


Tomorrow marks the last work day before the "off", where everyone at camp gets five days off. For many of the Ugandan crew, this monthly break is the only time that they can spend at home with their families. For the interns, we'll be heading down to Rwanda for several days, a decently short four hour (hopefully) bus ride from camp. Because of the large involvement of the Canadian military during the Rwandan genocide, I've had many opportunities at school to study and learn about the tragedy that happened there. Thus, I'm both excited, and a bit apprehensive, at the opportunity to actually visit the genocide memorials, some of which are places where the massacres took place.

Anyway, I just wanted to update before I head off and once again, to thank all of you who are taking the time and care to pray for me and follow the work that I am doing. Through my reflections and devotions, I am often reminded of how blessed I am to have the prayer support and encouragement that you all provide.

ps. I can't take the credit for most of the pictures that I've posted/will be posting up. It turns out that there are a bunch of avid photographers on our team and I figure that they and their cameras are much more capable of capturing our experiences justly so most of the pictures you'll see are probably not mine. =P

Week 3 (Saturday, Sept 20/Monday, Sept 22)

The team, from left to right: Chris, Nancy, Bern, Steph, me, Julia, Geoff, Naomi, Rosalind, Andrea, Mike, Jaquelyn, and Valdine.

So we had a pretty awesome jam session, in English, after the normal worship ended last night. Most of you already know that music isn't exactly my fortè, but at camp, I've taken to playing the drum that the Ugandan crew uses during worship (it's similar to the jembè except bigger, and you can play it with sticks as well as hands). Anyway, it was a great time worshiping and I guess, bonding with the other interns because most of us were away from camp for periods of the past week, and in general, we don't see a lot of each other during the day as we are usually traveling and working at different sites. And while I really enjoy the Ugandan worship and learning to sing songs in Ryankole, it isn't the same as worship in English. A part of me couldn't help but wish that I was back in Kingston worshipping and fellowshipping with many of you.

So a prayer request would be that we would be able to continue to grow spiritually even without the fellowship and church environment and support that most of us are used to. It's something that I've talked a bit about with a couple of the other interns and while I think that it is definitely harder without having a church service to go to or a fellowship to attend; ultimately, this time will really be an opportunity for us to spend more time reading straight from God's word and allowing Him to speak to us without the same distractions that we often experience back home.

This past weekend was a bit slower than our last one, where we setup a zipline (the first time the Ugandan crew had seen one and they enjoyed that a lot) and played a long match of football (or soccer, as I'm more used to saying) with a bunch of the kids in the community. September marks the start of the rainy season and it has not disappointed, I could almost read by the light from the lightning last night, which lasted most of the evening. Friday was Steph's birthday, and we went all out... on creativity anyway.... Mike made guacamole and Nancy made Hummas which we had with chippati's that Enid, our awesome camp cook, made. We also had a very North American style campfire, with roasted bananas and chocolate instead of smores, and made honey roasted g-nuts (as far as we can tell, they're exactly like peanuts).

Oh, I finally have internet because the roving team (me, mike, and Asaph) went to check out a source for a possible project and it was far enough away that we could not make it back to camp before sundown. Many of the roads here, especially the "highway" between Mbrarara and our camp, are harzardous enough during the day with full visibility. Thus, we don't drive on any main roads past sundown. Add that to the fact that spending a night in Mbarara means internet, a warm shower, and some options for food, and you can understand why Mike and I weren't exactly disappointed that we didn't make it home tonight.

Internet! (Tuesday, Sept 16)

Well, I've finally got the internet! I'm staying the night in a town called Kasese, just outside of the Queen Elizabeth National Park in western Uganda. The four engineers, along with Charles, one of the Ugandan construction crew members, are here to do a quick project that began last year. Last year, ACTS was approached by Broadway Church in Vancouver to build a water pipeline to a school that it sponsors here in Kasese. The pipeline was built, passing nearby a community, so Broadway Church agreed to sponsor an extension to provide water to that community as well. So we'll be staying in Kasese just long enough to survey and mark out the pipeline path, and next week, the ACTS construction crew will come to lay down the actual pipe.

This past week has been quite a mix of different activities and work. From hiking up mountains, looking for possible water sources, to making inventory of remaining pipe from previous projects, to taking samples for water quality testing from past projects, to going to presentations/celebrations, it has been a busy and eventful week. This picture above was actually taken during the Sunday worship service. It is normal here for people do offer vegetables, or in this case, a chicken, in place of money as tithing. There is an auction part of the service where all the offerings are auctioned off with the money going to the church. Mike outbid me for the chicken, and bought it for a mere $20,000 Ugandan shillings (about $12US). Also customary is for the successful bidder to donate the winnings back to a poorer member of the church, so no, we didn't get to have chicken for dinner that night.

**The internet just cut out so I won't actually get to upload this entry, which is, essentially, about getting internet access. Ironic….

Camp (Sunday, Sept 7)

It is now Sunday morning, about 7:30 in the morning. I woke up around 6:30 to the beating of drums and singing of the Ugandan crew, which happens every morning along with their prayer time.

We arrived at camp on yesterday afternoon to the warm greetings and hearty handshakes from the entire Ugandan construction team. After lunch, we had a brief introduction session where everyone introduced themselves. It'll be a while though before I remember everyone's names though. In total there are about 30 Ugandan members in the camp, most work on the construction team, with a few cooks and camp watchmen making up the rest.

The setting of the camp is truly breathtaking. We took a hike up the hill to the water source, where last year's project originates. The source is located in the middle of a banana plantation, and it was surreal feeling as we walked through it. From there, most of the interns continued up the deceivingly high "hill". The crest appeared just a short distance away, but after an hour of trekking, we still hadn't reached the top! We turned around at this point because we wanted to make it back in time for chai, afternoon tea time in Uganda. (This is even more important during the week as it signifies the end of the work day!) I hope that when I post this I will be able to upload some of the pictures that we took along the way because the scenery was just amazing!

I'll end off now as the meal bell rings, (haha, yea it's just like camp where it's mealtime when the bell rings!)

**edit: the picture is the awesome view that I wake up to each morning!

Agandi! (Friday, Sept 5)

Greetings, or literally, “How is the news?” in Ryanankore.

Well, it’s been just over a week since the team left Vancouver Island. Our journey to Uganda included three flights, three continents, and spanned three days; we left the Comox airport on Saturday afternoon and arrived in Entebbe, Uganda Monday morning. We stayed the night in Kampala, Uganda’s capital city, before driving to Mbarara, where the Ugandan “home base” for ACTS is located. We stayed in the Canada House, which houses ACTS team members and staff when they are not working in the field, located on the property of the Anglican Diocese of South Western Uganda.

While at the Canada House, we had language training in Ruyankore, the local language spoken in much of South Western Uganda. While in the larger cities, almost everyone speaks English, the official language of Uganda, most speak only the local language in the rural communities where we will be working. We also spent a lot of time meeting with the various contacts that work for or with ACTS, including visits with two of the bishops at the Anglican Church, under whose jurisdiction we will be working.

I now have a cell phone and you can reach me at either 757 202 101 or 754 986 865. I’ve got two numbers because the service providers in Uganda only service certain areas, so I need to switch between the two SIM cards depending on which area I will be working in. All cell phone service here is pay as you go and you can buy a SIM card with an individual phone number for 2-3000 Ugandan Shillings which is less than two Canadian dollars.

Tomorrow morning, our team will be leaving for the camp at the most recently completed project site and we will be working out of that camp for at least the next two weeks. We are currently waiting for the Lifewater project to be approved and funded by CIDA and we cannot actually begin work on the new project until the funding has been received. This is actually a blessing as it allows the team a little bit of time to go over some of the past projects to learn and improve upon past practices and methods.

I'm once again sporting a bald head as I just had my head shaved earlier today as it'll be easier to keep clean in the camps, especially with the hot Ugandan weather. I've never been as far south as the equator before, but the sun here is far more intense than what we have in Canada. While it has often been cloudy this past week, when the sun does come out, it feels like it's burning the skin. Mike also shaved his head and the barbers here are something like I've never had. Our haircuts took nearly an hour, and they took the greatest care in cutting our hair, it was quite the experience. I'll post a picture of the barbershop and my barber, Isaac, when I can get it from Mike's camera.

As we head out to the camp, I ask that you'd keep a few prayer requests in mind:-There are huge expectations on our team by the Ugandan Bishops as well as the local communities in the proposed water project areas. We had intended on spending the first week at the past water project familiarizing ourselves with the procedures and such that we will be following in our own work. However, we were advised that one of the higher ranking Bishops in the Anglican church, as well as the First Lady, the President of Uganda's wife, will be visiting the area of our next project site on Thursday. We have been asked to be present during their visit to meet them since we will be working in the region. Thus, I ask that you pray for wisdom as we try to prepare for these meetings without having the chance to first visit the sites themselves. Also, as expected, there is a certain amount of stress that comes along with the work, and as we prepare to begin our work at the camps, that stress only magnifies. In a way, it is a first test as a team to be able to really work well together.

I must end here for now, as we are leaving for return to Canada House for the night. I hope to be able to update again within the next week or two!