Days 1-9:‏ Landing

I'm surprised how well the first week here has gone. No getting ill. No intense home sickness. No awkwardness with new people. No time of feeling unemployed and useless. Not even really the feeling of generally not being here yet. I wonder if a lot of you guys have been praying quite hard for me for all those things… Thank you. Here are some highlights:

11.9.09: DAY ONE. 1730 (local time)
I can hear several groups of children playing, and the clatter of crockery from the kitchen. I'm sitting in a room with bare white walls, wood frame furniture and a red, red floor. Uganda is lovely. I remembered it as we plunged out of the cloud above Entebbe and saw the lush green hills wrapping the fingers of Lake Victoria. And I'm being very well looked after. Humbling, or at least, it should be.

Uganda is also dangerous. Emmanuel, Brian and Elspeth met me off the plane with the comment, 'You've picked a great time to come. There've been riots in Kampala.'

Initially that just seemed amusing, but as we approached the city, the traffic thinned out and we became increasingly aware of two pillars of black smoke hovering ahead. Gangs of men had been gathering, blocking roads, and setting fire to tyres. According to the news, 7 people died yesterday as police and army put down rioters with tear gas and bullets. Fortunately, the current regime are actually protecting the people…

So we turned off the main road, looking for a way round. But several times, our routes were blocked by more rioters, and young men hanging around advised us to turn back. We eventually found the new house of someone from Emmanuel's church – right before another block with flaming oil barrels in the street. From Charles' safe & extremely grand (in full gaudy African style) house, we noticed several gunshots before the birds began singing again and we felt safe to continue.

Surreal.

18.9.09: DAY SEVEN.
It's raining this morning. I woke at seven to applause on tin roof. Now it's nearly nine, and apart from everything getting a little lighter, not a lot has changed. There's a reverb-y crack of thunder every so often. This is a proper rainy season. On the other hand, I keep packing my mac but I haven't used it.

I haven't actually used my sun cream either. Or my hat. I'm just not hanging about outside for long periods of time – you don't, in normal life. I've been going round in trousers and long sleeved shirts because that's comfortable, presentable, and that's what everyone else is wearing. Plus the key bit of my work is leading drama sessions, all at the end of the day, so I need to hide from the mosquitoes. One of the thousand boxes of faff I have been using is the DEET. Namuwongo, which is where I go for both the church centre and the school, is right next to a slum area (locally known as 'Soweto') built on top of a swamp, so after 7 the air is zipping. I've got a few bites, not great, but there's a balance to these things. No point coming all this way then never doing anything because I'm hiding under my mozzie net. On my last visit, I was terrified to go to the loo during the night; or even touch the net with any limb, lest they bite me through the mesh. Of course, it helps that I have been given a double bed (!); which makes the double net Esther leant me more of a divine gift than a quirk.

I've also got my own bathroom, sitting room and completely empty room in my own apartment out back; and we have actually been given great food every day (which must be seriously costing my hosts), and no sign yet of matooke. I also have a Ugandan name.

13.9.09: DAY THREE.
Today was a brilliant time. Basically I got to hang out with the 'young people' (my sort of age) from church, round someone's house for chapatis and bananas, then to the Pastor's house at Bukasa to roast a goat! Apart from loads of good chats, I got to ride on the back of the pickup, trim skewers with a panga, strip and eat sugar cane. Excellent! Definitely made a difference to connect with contemporaries for once instead of just old people ( :) ).

My name is Semaganda Semakula.

17.9.09: DAY SIX.
Woah. This stuff is getting intense. FOUR groups to train now? It didn't help that I was fasting when it all blew up, yesterday afternoon. Or that I was trying to prise my way through their Ugandan English and trains of thought. Left alone again in the chipboard office, as thunder turned to rain outside, I remembered the picture you gave me this morning. 'Jump, Tim, Jump.'

"Command me what you will, and grant what you command." St Augustine.

19.9.09: DAY EIGHT.
This one's by candlelight. Another power cut just as it gets dark. My torch lasted one shower, African style (i.e. quick). It's funny, I feel quite light today. And that after an afternoon of wandering round shops. Normally that has the opposite effect. It could be not having the pressure of work to be done; it could be the coffee I had in the western style mall (best described as a 'coffee float'. Yes); the nostalgia of seeing favourite South African products from last year in Shoprite; or seeing the countryside in the late afternoon light. It's been nice.

17.9.09: DAY SIX.
The Holy Spirit just helped me pray passionately and genuinely and powerfully for the UK. It was definitely Him. I can't pray like that.

20.9.09: DAY NINE.
After the riots last week, the church have been doing a week of daily prayer and fasting for the nation (I've managed to fast from about 3 meals total). Now the learning point is this: I'm fully aware that the UK is just as messed up as Uganda, but it has never occurred to me to just pray for it. Not just to pray about little specifics only, and think I can't pray for what's right because most people I'm praying for would agree. The Bible is full of people who repented and pleaded with the Father on behalf of their nation, and He answered them. Now I don't just have to feel bad; I have something I can do.

Much love to you all. I look forward to your news, questions, and thoughts!
Tim