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Well, Oscar melted my heart again: Joel popped Fauziya's balloon (like most kids these kids go crazy for balloons), needless to say she was very upset, but Oscar walked up to her and gave his to her so she wouldn't be sad anymore. Unprompted, that kid is so sweet!

Today is my day off, we go shopping for food on my day off and I always go because its an opportunity to get out and see something new! I also wanted to purchase some items to take with us tomorrow. We are going to a special needs facility we went to the first week I was here. They don't have a plethera of resources so I bought buckets, a mop and broom and some cleaning products to take with us tomorrow, and want Rafiki to hold onto these supplies and we can use them whenever we go to a place that would do well by us supplying these items. (By me saying I bought them, that actually isn't true, the week before I left for Kampala I got more money than I needed to pay for my costs, so I have been able to buy items as necessary, for both Rafiki Africa Ministries and the other outreach projects we serve at, i.e. underwear that actually fits Emma's tiny bottom, cookies for the street ministry, buying pampers for the babies home, etc.)

In addition to going shopping for the ministry I got dropped off about 1 mile from an actual mall to enjoy some 'me' time. The mall was practically deserted (I am constantly amazed how on one side of the street there are shanties and then directly across the street is a westernized, wealthy mall, hello people, ever hear of zoning restrictions?! Ssorry architecture comment!). Anyway, rewind to before getting to the mall, the walk is actually on a paved surface, well today the sun must have been burning especially bright because the tar started sticking to my flip flops and then I'm suddenly walking over hay, so now I've got hay stuck to the tar which is stuck to the bottom of my shoes, and I'm about to walk in to a wealthy westernized mall. So what do I do but stop and talk to the security guard that verifies there are no bombs in your car (see previous posts) and wipe my shoes as best as possible. The mall was less enticing than I had hoped, quality is better than quantity. So after a somewhat disappointing lunch I called my boda-boda (motorcycle taxi), Matumba, to come and pick me up. I told him we needed to find a place for flip flops (there were none in the mall!) but as we headed there the rain began to fall, and it just hurt, so about 1 km from home we pulled over and ran in a roadside shop. What a blessing to stop there! I got to tell these two older women about our orphanage and the work we do and talk about Watoto with them (they go to a different Watoto church since there are 5 campuses in Kampala) and she had flip flops in her store! We sat with them for half an hour while the rain passed and then I continued home.

Since I'm talking about getting out and about, guess what I did?! I drove the van one day to the Quality shopping center (only about 2 or 3 km away). Opposite side of the car and opposite side of the road, and I did quite well! I felt so free to be able to drive!

So I've become ever interested in the dichotomy of the Old and New Testaments and so the other night I led devotions on Matthew 5:38 do not return an eye for an eye. Do you know there are three Old Testament references to returning an eye for an eye, and they get way more gruesome than that! Once Jesus comes on the scene and really helps us understand grace do so many of the Laws of the past go away. Those of you that like watching unsolved crimes and shows like CSI on TV check out what they had to do in the Old Testament in Deuteronomy 21 for un unresolved murder!

Last night Auntie Sara led devotions on Matthew 5: 13 Salt and Light. I always refer to people that leave a bad taste in your mouth as salty and then, based on previous blogs you know I don't cook with salt, so being the salt of the earth and not wanting to become unsalty seems like a difficult task for me, but from previous teachings on this, I do really understand the message!! And the light part of the message always brings me back to VBS "This Little Light of Mine"!

I don't know where the time has gone, but I am hafway through my time here, the last three weeks have literally flown by. My parents asked me the other day on Skype if I missed America. Well since I can't stand all the political ads and bammer thrown in your face all day ever day throughout October, absolutely not! But I can't wait to see all my dear friends and family, I do miss that about America, including this guy, Harry, my co-worker at Barton who comes in to help us shred paper, file, etc.! (By the way my answer is pineapple!)    

 

And since I talked so much about shopping and political ads, I found this advertisement hilarious!!