Another week

This week has been an interesting one, I have to say it hasn't been the smoothest of weeks. It has been full of little challenges that build up together to make it feel like a bit of a frustrating week.

Farook and I have been draining ourselves this week to prepare for the tailoring class, which we had planned to start Monday next week.
Problems started with the office we had rented not being up to scratch to what it was advertised to us as. Mainly the office had water and power included in the price, but being that the office is inside an old run down house, we found out that every power outlet, and the lights, did not work in the office. The rest of the house has power, just not the office we are renting. We had also had a small kitchen that is attached to the office thrown into the deal, only to find someone living in our kitchen this week. So now we have to board up the small window that connects the kitchen with the office, since we will be having expensive tailoring equipment in the office and this window is easy to jump through. On top of that, locks for the doors were promised to be installed. Of course the owner of the house, and who we are renting from, is no where to be found (Farook, and the other teachers who are renting some rooms in the house, think it is because he is avoiding us). So this has delayed our moving day as we have had to hire electricians and builders to fix up the place. Once we get a hold of this man we are going to say we want one month rent free (seeing as we have spent our own money to fix up the place to the standard of which it was offered to us).
Finally after getting everything sorted (and shifting back the registration day for all the eager young women) we went into town today to go buy everything and move into our office. Of course when we got to the shop where we were supposed to be buying all the expensive tailoring equipment, it was closed.
Never mind that we had called the man the day before to inform him, and arrived at the shop at the time he told us to come. We ended up finding out he had apparently gone for family business that day. We ended up being led to another big electronics store (which actually owns the first one we went to). This store is run by an older Indian couple who have a few chains. After we explained everything they said that we actually had to pay a deposit and then in 3 days time they will order all the machines from the capital city, Kampala. Never mind that the first man we talked to a week prior, and knew we were coming, had told us they had everything in stock ready for us and there was no need to pay a deposit. Many times people here just tell you want they think you want to hear, even if it is not true.
So after talking and negotiating with the Indian couple (who were actually rather helpful, and straight to the point, honest, business people) we paid the deposit for all our things, with a promise that they will be ready for pickup on Monday morning. So this means cancelling our arranged pick up truck transport, and delaying our registration day again. We will have to make the course starting date on Tuesday now, which means more money spent on phone calls to the young women, and transport money too and from town.
On top of all this I have been feeling very sick this week. Starting around Sunday I have been so weak and dizzy, often with bad headaches and very bad joint pains. These are all the symptoms of malaria, so I went and got checked up last Tuesday (a little pin prick to the finger and some checking of the blood). The problem is I only stopped taking my anti malarial tablets a week and a half ago, so I may very well have malaria, but they wont be able to pick it up until a month or so after I have stopped taking the anti malarial tablets (as these seem to hide the parasites from view). I ended up getting some antibiotics to help me through, and in a months time I will get checked again to see if the parasites are still there (as the antibiotics don't kill the virus, just keeps it at bay I am told).
So a bit of a stressful week, while having to push through with some serious sickness, all while 9 eager young women, who are in desperate situations, are very keen to start this course.

 

Its times like this that I just have to take a deep breath, say a prayer, and give all my frustrations over to God. Honestly it's my faith that gives me peace and keeps me grace filled when I am feeling irritable from all the stress.

Otherwise my time has been filled up with this project. I did get to start a program with a group of young men (between the ages of 18 to 23 ) last Saturday morning.
It is really interesting when I learn something new from the youth here, often I realise I can go into these programs thinking I know exactly what the issues will be amongst the young men, only to learn something new. The boys were all keen to study the main subjects like H.I.V and drug and alcohol issues, but a few of the boys were really keen to explore relationships with their parents, or adults. It seemed that many of these young men really ached for their parents to be proud of them, and to have a better relationship with them, even asking me if it would be possible that I go and speak to their parents to tell them that their boys are involved in a educational program. It just helped remind me of the depth and different levels to a young persons life, these young men really valued the opinions of their parents and the adult community, and wanted to do a project that would make them feel proud.

Another humbling moment this week was when a friend of mine approached me to talk. He simply wanted to tell me how his younger sister constantly gets beaten up by her drunk husband, and is practically starving alongside her children, due to the husband spending all their money on booze. This friend of mine was going to go approach the husband to his sister the next day, and he was simply asking me if I could please pray for him, his sister, and the husband.
It's little reminders like this that make you see the devastation that alcohol has done to families here, and I guess it makes me feel blessed at my very privileged and loved life that I have lived. I really do feel heartbroken from these stories.

There are moments of joy though.
Maybe I will end this post with a picture I took last Saturday, when I rode my bike up to the top of a mountain to read the Psalms and watch the sunset over the sugarcane fields.
Enjoy