“How’s Jinja?” 

We hear that question regularly and the answer is always, “Jinja is good”.

Don’t remember anyone ever asking “How’s Phoenix?”  There are a lot a nice phrases we have gotten used to people saying to us and to each other.  I notice that Rand is using them more and more like, “where do you stay?”  To live somewhere is not something they say.  Since my niece Margie moved, over here you would say, Margie shifted”.  One day in church I should write down all the unique phrases so we don't forget them. They have become very endearing. 

Spent a good part of the week redoing our power point presentation for the PEF fireside coming up next week.  We’ve learned a lot and didn’t need anyone’s help like we did last year.  We want members to know that the bar has been raised in getting a PEF loan.  Some Bishops in Kampala have angry members because they wouldn’t sign their endorsements.  That is the main reason we’re doing the fireside.  Hopefully it will get the members to see that it isn’t them personally, they just need to get “temple worthy” now to get a loan.

Sat. we were invited by Susie from the office to go with the mission office 

staff to help out with an orphanage they sponsor.  Our mission president’s 

wife brought a huge box of baby blankets with her that the youth in her stake made back home.  Check out the pictures.

PEF checks are again slow in coming and it is the beginning of the semester. We need a way to relieve the bottleneck that happens every semester.  So far we haven't figured that one out.  There are just too many people that need to perform and it is easy for something to get bogged down.  We try to stay upbeat as we tell the students "not yet" when they ask about their money.

Drove to Lugazi to present our power point to Emeid (in red), second counselor of Lugazi Branch.  The church needs above these shops and has a good feel there.  The second counselor is the other man by Rand.  His name is Geoffrey.  He hopes PEF will someday be available for one 30 years.  He told us he could be more self reliant if he had more education.  Emeid is under thirty and a return missionary.  He is ambitious to become more than a primary age teacher.

Arriving at the center we were serenaded and cheered (Ugandan style)  the first time I hear their  cheer we were shocked but now we have learned to cheer right along with them.

Sister Wallace carrying in the supplies Ugandan style.  She did a good job

After the little children got suckers the older children received a notebook and pencil.  We had toothbrushes too but didn't even get the out because there weren't enough to make a difference.

The little guy in yellow couldn't help but steal your heart.  His eyes were so huge trying to take it all in.

We were surprised that there were so many mothers with babies.  So where are the orphans?  Susie said the goal was to put orphans in families for a more normal setting.  So there was no orphanage per say.  We were confused.

Ready to hand out the blankets

Many more showed up - at least 150-200

Sisters Chatfield and Wallace, Sarah, Susie's sister (lives here), me and Susie at orphanage delivery