Here We Are Again!

Thank you for your interest in our blog. We arrived in Entebbe late on March 28th. We spent a few days resting up and preparing to come to Lira, Uganda. We arrived the evening of March 31st.

Our first day at Calo Me Lare, the orphanage where we will be working, was April 1. The children and staff welcomed us warmly! They told us they had been praying that we would decide to return. We told them that we wanted to come back, but that we are here because God called us to come back. We have enjoyed the children and staff so much! 

We spent a few days in a bunkhouse located beside our apartment and moved in to our cozy little furnished home away from home on Friday. It came complete with a few furnishings, dishes and a few kitchen items. We purchased a few more things to make cooking easier. 

This is  the kitchen. The cabinets are really nice. We even have an oven, sort of. J I baked a pizza last night, using a long stick to keep the oven knob in place so the stove would stay on. It took about an hour and never really got brown, but it was thoroughly cooked. Dennis adds, “And good.” The staff at the cafe has offered to bake whatever I mix up. Sounds good to me!!!

We have a little patio outback which is really nice. It is shaded and gives us a cool, peaceful place to sit when it is hot inside. The birds’ singing is interrupted occasionally by a chicken or neighbor’s pig.

Our neighbors are directors of another large orphanage, and they have done everything possible to may our stay a good one.

Things are definitely built differently here. The bedroom has a wash basin. The shower room has a commode and clothes rack. They may be in a different location than we are used to, but we have everything we need and more

We live adjacent to “The Path Café”. This is a definite expatriate hangout, with a peaceful atmosphere. We can get a meal there if necessary. Included in our rent is morning tea or coffee and a cinnamon roll or muffin. The café opens at 8am, so we usually cook breakfast or pick up something the night before from the café. The menu includes a bowl of beans and rice for 5,000 shillings (about $2). They also serve hamburgers and chips (about $6). Every once in a while they make fresh ice cream (soft serve), so don’t feel sorry for us. J

Palm Sunday is very much celebrated here. We wish we had stopped to take pictures that day. In town at one spot we saw about 100 people standing near a tree, waving palm branches (and some with yellow flowers attached) and singing. It was quite the sight! In Hope Alive Fellowship (at CML) we also celebrated! Many of the children and adults brought their palm branches to church. Some of them were braided, some with yellow flowers. At one point in the service Pastor Fred explained the significance of waving the palm branches. He told us to sing “Hosanna” to Jesus our King while waving our palm leaves. We sang, “Hosanna” several times. It was a very worshipful morning.

Our next blog will be about Easter. Thank you for all the prayers and encouragement.

Blessings,

Dennis & Margie