Skype dates, plots of land and relocation issues

It hasn't been a full week yet since my last post, but seeing as it took me almost two weeks for the last one to come out I thought why not write a little post.

                               

Another week in Uganda, full of joy and some frustrations as well, but enjoying it non the less.

I have been having a few visitors from the village of hope who want to come and check their emails and learn some computer skills, and usually when these friends come they spend a bit of time dancing around and playing with all my different types of musical instruments which is fun.

                                

I have also really been enjoying my Friday night devotion night with a few young guys here. I have seen them come along way, and this weekly experience has actually been one of my favorite times of the week. It's great to have young guys come and just be free and share their thoughts and issues and struggles, and then pray with each other. We often watch interesting videos on youtube together, and this last Friday we watched Luio Giglio's "Indescribable" video (check it out if you have some time). Two of the boys mentioned that they struggle reading the bible as they only have New King James versions, so of course I had to run to town the other day and buy some N.I.V bibles so I can give them out as a gift. This version will at least have language that these boys can wrap their heads around and hopefully get a lot of joy out of.

This week I was also able to introduce Agnes to my family over skype! It was really awesome to sit there with everyone as we joked and laughed together. Agnes was really nervous as expected (it usually is scary for everyone the first time they meet 'the parents') but she did great and she felt a lot of love coming from my family, even if it is through the computer. I know it's just a bit hard for my family as they would love to be able to spend more time with her, but due to us living in Africa its obviously a little hard.

Farook and I also purchased a small plot of land for cultivating the other day. We had been keeping an eye on a small plot of land as we are planning an agriculture project that will help young boys in poverty to learn how to start their own little micro finance venture selling crops. Farook has been making money from his own small agriculture business for a while now as well as helping and training other people in the community, so he is the ideal person to run this program. We aim to have the plot of land as a training grounds where young men can learn the basics and make a bit of an income, after which getting a small loan to start their own business to help them get on their feet. Farook will also be a part of guiding them through the first few months of doing their own small business.
The plot of land we got is in the perfect location, and we have been waiting for an opportunity to get land in this place as it has a constant water source. It is in a swampy area as there seems to be a spring that runs out of a rock and has running water all year round. This means crops can be grown even in the dry season when most people on normal plots of land can't grow.
We got really lucky as the man who owned the plot fell into some financial troubles and wanted to sell it, and seeing as he knew Farook, we were the first people he approached. The plot we bought actually has the place where the spring of water runs from. This means we have the constant supply of water, but it also means we have a bit of a responsibility, because the way we channel the water can rather mean sharing water with the neighboring plots of land, or cutting off any water supply to them. Of course there is quite a few plots of land that many people own in the swamp that depend on this water source, and there is always a constant flow (as Farook has been using it for a few years now) so of course we will want to share the water and make sure everyone gets a good chance of growing their crops.

                                 

Farook and I have also had a bit of  an issue and a shake up in regards to where we operate from. We have been having trouble with the housekeeper of where the office is for a while now. He often will tells us one thing, then say another thing a few weeks later, but today we have really been messed around.
While I have been staying at Ron and Anne house, it was always planned that during this time I would organize a place to stay once they came back in January. Farook and Beatrice rent a room in the same house that the YSU office is in, and as there are a few rooms in there I had planned to move into the house as well in January. Farook has been asking the housekeeper for a few months now and he has been reassuring me I could come and stay and rent a room in the house in January. This would be a perfect option as I am in the same house as the office and Farook, and the security is good in this place. I was even going to get a room with a small toilet and bathroom (flushing toilet) which is a big bonus.
But today when Farook went to confirm with the housekeeper, he told us that the owners of the house are coming back in January and want to renovate the house, so the offer is not open anymore ... four weeks before I am meant to be out of the place I am staying in.
So now I am a little stressed as I was supposed to use this time to organize a place to live in, and have not been doing so because it sounded like a guarantee to stay in this house. This afternoon though I went back to talk to Farook and realized things were a little worse then I first thought. It seems that the housekeeper is now saying this also means the YSU office (tailoring class) and Farook and Beatrice also have to go. Never mind that he said it was perfectly fine for us to stay a long time, and we even payed for the January rent. This happens a lot here .. people telling you things and then changing what they originally said (this is why Farook and I really look forward to having a youth center, which is our own place to run all these programs from, instead of having to rent from untrustworthy landlords haha).
So Farook, Beatrice and their little baby are also most likely going to have to find another place to stay in one months time, as well as having to move our whole YSU office.
Interestingly enough when Farook told me, I wasn't even angry or surprised, and when Farook sighed and said "this is Africa", we both cracked up laughing at the silliness of it all.
It's not a guarantee that it will have to happen, but as Farook does not trust this man, and he may very well spring it on us that we have to leave in 2 days time or so, Farook isn't going to risk it and will start looking elsewhere for relocation.
As much as it is a big mess around we both trust in God, and what will be will be.
It really made me think though, as I often don't agree with the prosperity gospel, and will often speak against it .. but in a sense we all have a love of the prosperity gospel in us don't we! Because when something doesn't go your way, it can cause you to get upset and frustrated .. as if we are entitled to having everything go our way when doing Gods work.
But it has been a good reminder that I am not entitled to anything, and everything that I have and has been achieved with YSU is purely from Gods grace, and is most appreciated.
So I will continue to try and be joyful through it all and thank God for all things, and to know and trust that what will be will be.
So your thoughts and prayers would be appreciated.

God bless you all, and much love from Uganda