REGULAR LIFE AND SNAPSHOTS

Life clicks on here as it does anywhere else...there are always problems that need to be fixed, people behind the scenes that keep things going without any fan fare...things to see that are normal here...celebrations for birthdays, feast days, vows....

One of the daily issues tends to be the transportation...OK...we have a van, a pick up truck and 2 large open bed trucks....usually, 2 of the 4 are broken down at one time....much of the time 3-4 are broken down...we then have have to walk, take bodas or hire a van. If they not breaking down, we are out of gas. One or the other.

Julius the Busega secretary (L) Medson (the driver in red) and Brother Josephat
waiting for the radiator to cool off. 

Recently, the van was overheating....now...the radiator is under the front seat where the passengers sit....I remember the day before going to the airport to escort the Sisters off to Jamaica....by the time we got back, we kept hearing a boiling noise and the temps in the van were rather high....turns out the radiator was BOILING!

cooling off the engine

Well...the next day my seat in the front was getting hot as we all drove to the hospital to visit a boy and an older man we sent there for surgery (yes...we DO visit the sick in the hospital on the way home from work...usually we are a sight to behold...a group of at least 18 brothers and a hand full of staff filing into the hospital and surrounding the beds of our sick...it is really heartwarming). The Brother and I sitting closest to the boiling radiator exited the van ASAP. They were laughing at me as I said I'd rather walk home than experience 3rd degree water burns! My seat was right above where Medson is pouring water.

The driver...again...skilled in all aspects or emergency road side repair as well as driving, managed to cool it off with buckets of water and get us home safely...where we parked the van for at least a month before it was fixed...again...requires money...needs to wait for donations....this is LIFE with "Beggars" as the brothers call themselves.

They really do change colors! 

One of the things Brother Sonny does to lighten things up is to pick chameleons off the bushes and chase Medson around the parking lot...for some reason, the Ugandans are deathly afraid of chameleons...they fear them as you would a very poisonous snake or spider....I have to admit...it is rather funny to see a grown man screaming like a little girl and knocking everything over to get away from such cute critters!

Oscar and I with the critter...after Medson ran away

The Matrons, who work so hard in the dorms, often need things to celebrate....Sister SUE brought over a handfull of donated scrub tops and asked me to give them away...we both decided that the Matrons needed something to work in. It is a tough job and one is covered in all kinds of "stuff" by the end of the day...having something that does not stain, is easy to clean and dries fast is a HUGE gift...I was the lucky one to play SANTA...here are the Matrons with their new "uniforms" as they called them...

THANKS SISTER SUE!!! 

They were soo happy and proud!

NOW...we all know that behind every well run machine is a woman behind the scenes...it is here as well...there are many women whom the Brothers rely on for regular help...music, cleaning, cooking and hosting of parties...one such woman is "Momma Flora". Everyone knows Momma Flora...the MOP in Uganda would not be able to function without her...she is one of the main supporters when it comes to money, help and most importantly FOOD! It is Momma Flora who does all the cooking for the feast days and celebrations of the Brothers...it was Momma Flora who provided all the food for the kids on their beach trip...She is humble, quiet and always with a smile...you would have NO idea it was she behind all this unless you were told.

Humble Momma Flora with the kids and one of the Novice Brothers at the beach

I salute you MOMMA FLORA! AND ALL the women behind the scenes making the world go round!