Well, I'm back in Kampala again and hopefully this time only for a short time. I drove down from Sudan today and the drive was rough! The drive was almost 300 miles and half of that was dirt roads and the other half poorly paved roads. The long drive combined with the stiff suspension of the Landcuiser, crazy bus drivers, and untrained bicyclists makes for a long, bumpy, and stressful journey. One thing that made the drive more enjoyable was stopping in Gulu and picking up a friend (Dana) who I met in Kampala last time. Dana needed a ride to Kampala, and I needed the company so I was happy to accommodate. Yet again God provided safe transport for us on the dangerous African roads. I was reminded just how much I needed that protection when I saw a man on the side of the road that had, within the last hour, been killed by a truck while riding his bike. The police weren't too concerned about covering the body so the body was just displayed there, blood, wounds and all. Dana said that while coming from Kampala to Gulu she witnessed a man get run over and killed by a truck. Thank God for His protection during today's trip because I know just how easily that could have been my truck to hit someone.
This time around I was smart and came prepared with my laptop so hopefully I'll be able to stay in touch better than last time. I'm back in Kampala because our other large truck is in. Without any delays, I should be back in Sudan by the end of the week, but I've also learned that there are always delays in Africa. Dana invited me to an American Style Thanksgiving (I guess there is no other style) on Thursday so I plan on going to that. I can't stick around too long though because construction of the compound needs me there. I've only been here a few hours and I'm already getting calls about needing this or that.
Well that's all I got for you now. Pray that everything goes smoothly here and that I can get back safely. Thank you all for your prayers!
Monday, November 24, 2008
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Prayer Request and Pictures
I just wanted to let you all about some bad news. Michael, the woman that recently arrived here fell down and fractured her hip. She's going to have to go back to the US after getting some treatment in Kenya. Please keep her in your prayers. She's pretty bummed since she was really excited about the work she was going to do here.
I've also uploaded more pictures from last week. Check them out!
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2012
860&l=64998&id=159100018
I've also uploaded more pictures from last week. Check them out!
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2012
860&l=64998&id=159100018
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Blessed Week
What a great and energizing week! My supervisor Graham came with a friend to check in on me and the progress made with Water Harvest International. As you have read in my last post, I was struggling with fatigue. Graham and Emily helped to bring new ideas, enthusiasm, and encouragement to me during my struggles. I now feel ready and excited to face the challenges and work ahead. I know many of you have been praying for me which I'm sure was the main reason behind my new strength. Graham's friend Emily with her fun-loving attitude and awesome sense of humor was a delightful addition as well.
During the entire trip, God's protection surrounded us. If it wasn't for this Divine protection, the week would have been disastrous from the start. As I was driving Graham and Emily back from the airport a couple of kids ran from the tall grass lining the dirt road directly in front of my truck. It was a smooth road so I was traveling at about 30mph. I slammed on my brakes as soon as I saw them and would have run them both over if the kids had not have dove to either side of my truck. I skidded past them and came within a foot of running over their legs. If the kids had not have dove, I would have, without a doubt, killed them. Besides that, God also protected us as we drove deep in the bush where at times I couldn't even anything in front of me because of the tall grass and had to rely on people guiding me from the back of the pickup.
Besides that first scary episode, the rest of the week went very well. Graham, Emily and I along with my two employees George and Asiki conducted site surveys around different villages in the area. Most of the places we went to are in desperate need of water and most were located in very remote locations where we had to drive through shallow and rocky stream beds, along footpaths, and even through high grass where there were not any roads or paths at all. By the end of the week, I believe we came away with a better idea of the problems we will deal with and a greater sense of where and how we plan to drill.
Also during the week, David came back from Kapoeta and brought a woman named Michael with him. Michael is from Texas and will be in Kajo Keji until January helping out the woman's ministry at the church. It will be nice having another American around for awhile.
The house am compound are coming along well. The roof is going on the house this week which will just about complete the house leaving only some finishing work to be done. I need to build the separate bathroom and kitchen before I can move in though. The second container with the pumps should be in early next week and the casing should come in about the same time. HOPEFULLY, by the end of the month we will be bringing water to the people. I also bought a bunch of mahogany lumber this last week since they were cutting the boards from a mahogany tree they chopped down right down the road from David's house. I also had them cut me two giant 9x9x10 posts. I'm going to use those for my gate posts. The best part was they only cost me $25 each! I also got plenty of other sizes to make furniture, doors, and shelves. Later on I came back and asked the guy what he was going to do with all the scrap pieces and he told me he was going to sell them as firewood, so I bought them for the price of firewood and will use them to make benches.
All-in-all this was a great week. I'm staying in Moyo tonight to get some good food, rest, and so that I go to the bank as well as get supplies tomorrow. As I am writing this, I can hear beautiful hymns coming from a nearby abbey. I think I'm falling in love with Africa all over again.
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2012860&l=64
998&id=159100018
During the entire trip, God's protection surrounded us. If it wasn't for this Divine protection, the week would have been disastrous from the start. As I was driving Graham and Emily back from the airport a couple of kids ran from the tall grass lining the dirt road directly in front of my truck. It was a smooth road so I was traveling at about 30mph. I slammed on my brakes as soon as I saw them and would have run them both over if the kids had not have dove to either side of my truck. I skidded past them and came within a foot of running over their legs. If the kids had not have dove, I would have, without a doubt, killed them. Besides that, God also protected us as we drove deep in the bush where at times I couldn't even anything in front of me because of the tall grass and had to rely on people guiding me from the back of the pickup.
Besides that first scary episode, the rest of the week went very well. Graham, Emily and I along with my two employees George and Asiki conducted site surveys around different villages in the area. Most of the places we went to are in desperate need of water and most were located in very remote locations where we had to drive through shallow and rocky stream beds, along footpaths, and even through high grass where there were not any roads or paths at all. By the end of the week, I believe we came away with a better idea of the problems we will deal with and a greater sense of where and how we plan to drill.
Also during the week, David came back from Kapoeta and brought a woman named Michael with him. Michael is from Texas and will be in Kajo Keji until January helping out the woman's ministry at the church. It will be nice having another American around for awhile.
The house am compound are coming along well. The roof is going on the house this week which will just about complete the house leaving only some finishing work to be done. I need to build the separate bathroom and kitchen before I can move in though. The second container with the pumps should be in early next week and the casing should come in about the same time. HOPEFULLY, by the end of the month we will be bringing water to the people. I also bought a bunch of mahogany lumber this last week since they were cutting the boards from a mahogany tree they chopped down right down the road from David's house. I also had them cut me two giant 9x9x10 posts. I'm going to use those for my gate posts. The best part was they only cost me $25 each! I also got plenty of other sizes to make furniture, doors, and shelves. Later on I came back and asked the guy what he was going to do with all the scrap pieces and he told me he was going to sell them as firewood, so I bought them for the price of firewood and will use them to make benches.
All-in-all this was a great week. I'm staying in Moyo tonight to get some good food, rest, and so that I go to the bank as well as get supplies tomorrow. As I am writing this, I can hear beautiful hymns coming from a nearby abbey. I think I'm falling in love with Africa all over again.
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2012860&l=64
998&id=159100018
Saturday, November 8, 2008
Doing Business in Africa
Hey Everyone! I can't believe it has almost been a month since my last post! I was in Kampala for so long and have been so busy since I've been back that the time has blown by.
I was trying to think of a title for this post and I have gone through so much since my last post that finding a major theme proved difficult. A few titles that came to mind were "Kampala", "Frustrations", "Burnout", and "The Incredible Struggle for the Mighty Landcruiser". All these titles apply to what has been happened to me lately, but the title I finally settled on just about encompasses everything. How to do business in Africa and what to expect while working here has been a difficult thing for me to learn. I guess when you are doing on-the-job-training, there is really no easy way to learn how to do something difficult.
In my last post, I told you my Landcruiser was in Kampala and that I was headed down there to pick it up... At least I was told my Landcruiser was in Kampala. When we arrived in Kampala we went to the dealership to pick the truck up when we were told the truck wasn't even in the country yet! Apparently, the salesman didn't think we would come so quickly so he just said the truck was there to make himself look better. Well, instead of being in Kampala for the four days we intended, we were there almost three weeks!
We also went there to buy a larger flatbed truck (lorry) for hauling around our huge air compressor and other drilling materials. After looking at multiple used trucks, we finally settled on one that would work well for our needs. The deal was going so well until David brought the money to pay for the truck in Ugandan Shillings instead of U.S Dollars. Between the time the money was wired to David's account and the time we pulled it out to buy the lorry, the exchange rate had changed so much that now we were short about $2000. Here we were minutes away from buying a truck, when the deal completely fell through. On a side note, if you want to know what real fear is, try walking around Kampala with 56,000,000 Ugandan Shillings (about $30K)in a backpack.
All in all, the trip was expensive but in the end successful. I came back with a brand new landcruiser pickup (Nicknamed "Babe"), a new motorcycle that I bought, and we also ordered a brand new Tata lorry that should be in Kampala in a couple of weeks.
During the second and third week I was in Kampala I stayed at a hostel called Red Chili and met a ton of awesome people. I met one young German who has ridden his bicycle from Munich to Kampala! I also met an Australian couple that has ridden their motorcycles across Australia, through Asia and the Middle East (including Iran), and then down through Africa to Kampala. I also met many people that have been traveling for years without stopping. Only in Africa can you meet people that extreme and/or crazy.
I also had one weekend of R&R. For that weekend I went to the town of Jinga (pronounced Gin-ja") which is supposedly the source of the Nile. While in Jinga I bungee jumped three times and rafted the Nile. The rafting there is said to be one of the best places in the world. That weekend was awesome and was a nice break from the stresses awaiting me back in Kampala.
So anyways, I'm back in Kajo Keji now and have a lot to catch up on. Unfortunately, all the construction of my house and compound stopped shortly after I left. I'm behind in just about everything work related, but I've been pushing through the backlog of paperwork and have restarted work on at the construction site. I'm hoping to be living in my house by the end of the month but I've learned the hard way not to expect anything or anyone on time in Africa.
Lastly, one of the other things I've found hard to get used to is discrimination. People are constantly trying to rip me off. They see the color of my skin and instantly think I'm rich. After a short while, this becomes tiresome and frustrating. What's even more frustrating is to know that even if I lived in Africa for 20 years, I would still face the same problem day in and day out. I guess it is just something I'll have to get used to over time. The main problem I'm seeing with this is having an attitude of distrust toward all Africans. How can I trust anyone when I'm constantly on guard?
Please keep me in your prayers. After "The Great Kampala Struggle" (another potential title), I'm exhausted physically, emotionally, and even somewhat spiritually. I'm tired and my closest break is still a month and a half away during Christmas. Thank you to all of you that have been praying for me.
I was trying to think of a title for this post and I have gone through so much since my last post that finding a major theme proved difficult. A few titles that came to mind were "Kampala", "Frustrations", "Burnout", and "The Incredible Struggle for the Mighty Landcruiser". All these titles apply to what has been happened to me lately, but the title I finally settled on just about encompasses everything. How to do business in Africa and what to expect while working here has been a difficult thing for me to learn. I guess when you are doing on-the-job-training, there is really no easy way to learn how to do something difficult.
In my last post, I told you my Landcruiser was in Kampala and that I was headed down there to pick it up... At least I was told my Landcruiser was in Kampala. When we arrived in Kampala we went to the dealership to pick the truck up when we were told the truck wasn't even in the country yet! Apparently, the salesman didn't think we would come so quickly so he just said the truck was there to make himself look better. Well, instead of being in Kampala for the four days we intended, we were there almost three weeks!
We also went there to buy a larger flatbed truck (lorry) for hauling around our huge air compressor and other drilling materials. After looking at multiple used trucks, we finally settled on one that would work well for our needs. The deal was going so well until David brought the money to pay for the truck in Ugandan Shillings instead of U.S Dollars. Between the time the money was wired to David's account and the time we pulled it out to buy the lorry, the exchange rate had changed so much that now we were short about $2000. Here we were minutes away from buying a truck, when the deal completely fell through. On a side note, if you want to know what real fear is, try walking around Kampala with 56,000,000 Ugandan Shillings (about $30K)in a backpack.
All in all, the trip was expensive but in the end successful. I came back with a brand new landcruiser pickup (Nicknamed "Babe"), a new motorcycle that I bought, and we also ordered a brand new Tata lorry that should be in Kampala in a couple of weeks.
During the second and third week I was in Kampala I stayed at a hostel called Red Chili and met a ton of awesome people. I met one young German who has ridden his bicycle from Munich to Kampala! I also met an Australian couple that has ridden their motorcycles across Australia, through Asia and the Middle East (including Iran), and then down through Africa to Kampala. I also met many people that have been traveling for years without stopping. Only in Africa can you meet people that extreme and/or crazy.
I also had one weekend of R&R. For that weekend I went to the town of Jinga (pronounced Gin-ja") which is supposedly the source of the Nile. While in Jinga I bungee jumped three times and rafted the Nile. The rafting there is said to be one of the best places in the world. That weekend was awesome and was a nice break from the stresses awaiting me back in Kampala.
So anyways, I'm back in Kajo Keji now and have a lot to catch up on. Unfortunately, all the construction of my house and compound stopped shortly after I left. I'm behind in just about everything work related, but I've been pushing through the backlog of paperwork and have restarted work on at the construction site. I'm hoping to be living in my house by the end of the month but I've learned the hard way not to expect anything or anyone on time in Africa.
Lastly, one of the other things I've found hard to get used to is discrimination. People are constantly trying to rip me off. They see the color of my skin and instantly think I'm rich. After a short while, this becomes tiresome and frustrating. What's even more frustrating is to know that even if I lived in Africa for 20 years, I would still face the same problem day in and day out. I guess it is just something I'll have to get used to over time. The main problem I'm seeing with this is having an attitude of distrust toward all Africans. How can I trust anyone when I'm constantly on guard?
Please keep me in your prayers. After "The Great Kampala Struggle" (another potential title), I'm exhausted physically, emotionally, and even somewhat spiritually. I'm tired and my closest break is still a month and a half away during Christmas. Thank you to all of you that have been praying for me.
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