Excerpts of our

last few days in Uganda

The welcoming committee at the Phoenix Airport

Uganda will always hold a sacred sport in our hearts

Farewell dinner was shared with our great missionary friends at the Lawns.  Then we went to the mission president's home to visit.  Front: Pre & Sister Chatfield and us.  Back row: Elders & Sisters Hansen, Casperson, Barton, Wallace and Jonson

Sister Wallace on right with Sister Chatfiled behind her.  Elder Wallace is on the left.  All missionaries stop here a lot.  We needed to pick up our passports this time

Mission office on left looking toward guard's gate

The parking below building is a miracle - was a nightmare

Three high rises opposite mission office that share the same parking

Elder Brown at the Kampala church where the long pathway separates the chapel, cultural hall and Stake offices from the bishop's office, PEF/seminary & institute, humanitarian & employment offices as well as Distribution, primary & Relief Society rooms and class rooms. 

Had a farewell dinner for our secretaries.  None of them had ever had hamburgers or hotdogs.  

Our last walk in Jinja was early.  The tower is the Mosque that sings to us every morning at 5:30 AM calling the faithful to prayer

Last load as we pack up to head to Kampala.  

Shirley, our neighbor had been back in USA and we ran into her at the gate as we left for Kampala for the last time.  So glad we got to see her one more time to say Good-bye.  

Kathy's last keyboard class

Oh, how  we'll miss living at the headwaters of the Nile

Agnes, Peace, little sister & Sister Brown
waiting for rain to stop

Moses & Julius also waiting for the clear skies

Selfish the Jinja Ward clerk and Rodger the district clerk were very busy and not worrying about the storm outside.

A couple weeks ago the tiles in the living room starting squeaking, then wiggling then losing the grout and smelling like rotten egg.  We were hoping to have it repaired after we left but got worrying about the office equipment and not wanting to lose any of it decided to have the land lord do the repair so we could keep our eye on everything.

We went to a Sat. church meeting and this is what we found when we got home. Reminded me of digging for a swimming pool.  Not sure why the thin set was over an inch deep.

I asked this young man his name but it wasn't english so didn't remember it.  He was picking up the broken cement and hauling it down the stairs by hand.  I asked if he would like to use our shovel and he was quite tickled.  The job went much faster

The cement was heavy so he couldn't carry too much at a time

He washed the bare floor till all the debris was off.

By afternoon he was reinstalling the tile.

Mud was mixed outside then carried carefully up stairs

Dust was every where but we just left it while the cement dried.

Sunday morning just before church he showed up to finish and clean up.  We got the furniture moved back in just before the down pour later that afternoon.

Delivering one last Priesthood Report to Pres. Torencio at Walukuba branch.  I guess it's time to pack.  We've done everything we could think of before leaving.

It was a fun last weekend in Kampala

as we organized for and conducted

our final Self Reliance/PEF fireside.

The Aug. Kampala fireside was at the

Kabowa Ward on one end of the Stake.

This one was at Kololo for the other

side of the Stake.

We had a good turnout and great

speakers for the current PEF

students that are or will be looking

for work or setting up a business.

We had quite the interesting questions

from those who were just investigating

and thinking of becoming a PEF student. 

One student wanted to get a loan that is

from the Congo.  Another in South Sudan. 

Congo has PEF but not South Sudan.  We

suggested this student stay in Kampala and

study here.  South Sudan has

a branch but no missionaries yet & no PEF. 

They have a Humanitarian couple who

serve as branch pres. of the branch,

the Himles.  They have the most

expensive apartment in the mission

$5,000 per month.  The apartment has

an outdoor kitchen and the only electiricty

is from a generator. It's pretty primitive

Sunday we headed home and attended the Seeta Branch for church.  Richard, the Branch Pres. is a special man and great help as the mission IT man.  He was tickled that we would come to his branch.  It won't be long till they can move into their new building.  The rented facility they've been meeting in is nice but small and down a very dirt, dingy road that you'd never suspect has a church on it. A calf was just outside the window of the chapel and kept mooing.  It wasn't very reverent

Saturday morning the three Kampala couples went out to dinner with us at the Scerena Resort.  The gardens were magnificent

Elder & Sister Hansen are our newest senior missionary couple.  They handle all the PR work for the mission.  They agreed to be the couple to help PEF if they need a white face to help students remind schools of their job once we leave and before the new couple comes to replace us

We had 35 come for the fireside.  Everyone said it was a very productive meeting.

Browns, Jonsons and Wallaces in front of the couples apartment.  Sat. is their P-day so were ready to do something fun. We had to hurry back for the fireside.

Bishop Powell and his wife and new baby.  He will be wonderful in Kololo as Bishop of a lot of PEF students that need a shot in the arm about making good with their education.

This is the lady I buy pineapple from.  the crop is now pretty much out of season so they are smaller and more expensive.

James and his partner Joseph have contracts to deliver irish (potatoes) to many of the restaurants in Jinja town.  He hopes to get rich with this new business.

Bwindi forest - no desert in Uganda

This week we did our PEF student calling then went shopping for eggs and bread.  Did more calling then met students at Jinja Chapel who needed an entry letter for their school.  Called some more then took the computer, phone & PEF list and went to Ling Lings for lunch.  Did some calling while we waited for our food.  We will miss this place as anyone who has eaten here will understand.

Drove to Kampala to pick up student checks and back the same day.  To exhausted to do any calling.

We realized we wouldn’t be calling next month and aren’t sure whether to cheer or fill sad.  We will certainly miss the association of the wonderful PEF students but those who aren’t paying we fill sorry for, pray for and are always racking our brains how to inspire them to keep their commitment so they can be blessed. 

Farming God’s Way sign at Ozzie’s Restaurant caught our attention.  They were having an open house that very day so we called for directions and drove out to Njeru, past the Kingfisher Lodge a few kilometers and found the farm by turning left just past Canaan School and the large speed bump in the road.  Chris was our guide who showed us their experimental farms.  They divided up the 5 acres and some sections farmed the typical Ugandan way and others they have implemented the way they feel that God would have them.  There is a marked difference for the maze and the sweet potatoes but the g-nuts have the opposite effect.  I suggested that since the nut under ground is not visible and to have a flourishing top may not be what you want and possibly the nuts are much more abundant where the top growth is not so impressive.  Time will tell.  I told Rand – Elder Brown we should come back in a few months as the gardening specialist.  There are so many here who garden the same method their ancestors did with no improvements or adamants to the soil.  Crop quality and quantity would be so easy to improve with knowledge.  We hope to get some of the members to attend the workshop next Jan.  We are visualizing how to incorporate what we learned with our Mittleider watering system back home.  The fertilizer is the expensive part with that system but here they have found a way to keep that cost much lower.

Attended Mpumudde Branch for the last time.  The chapel is finished and there is good seating for at least 100.  A couple of the men that we took the missionaries to visit 20 kilometers towards Kamuli  came to the meetings and are taking the missionary lessons.  It was great to greet them and hope they catch the spirit and receive baptism.  If they do good chance the other 30 of that congregation will investigate too.]

It was a sad day in Walukuba.  We drove over to deliver a Bible to a member and everyone that could was preparing to go to Gulu for the burial of a return missionary, Tony Atoya was killed in an auto accident along with several others the night before.  We only knew him as a YSA but were told that he was taking the Planning for Success class and planned to get a PEF loan.   

Benard (on right) has finished school and has purchased this weed eater to make a living cutting grass, weeds and maybe hedges that grow profusely.

Ling Lings is back in the usual place.  It moved down the street for a few months while they did some remodeling.  This is close enough we can walk there.

Always good to get back home.  This is our round-about.  We are the first left up this road

If all the world had this belief.  (incase you can't read)

"If the world thinks being kind is crazy then..... Africa, lets go crazy"

These funny structures were along the road to Kampala.  The signs celebrating 51 years of independence have come down but not the structures.

Judith, Clovis, Mary, Eva and Eve came over to Skype with their family, the Lenharts in USA