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Post date: Apr 19, 2009 10:24:35 AM
19 Mar (Sunday) Afternoon
It's been a very busy week. I'm on my way to visit Herman in Kibiri, give him a Journey, and discuss how our work is going with the children. I thought it might be interesting to post a few letters I've sent out this past week.
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Sent: Sunday, April 19, 2009 12:59 PM
To: Barb Lockwood in response to sending beanie babies to me in Uganda for the children
Hi Mom -
Concerning the beanie babies being shipped here, it's a difficult decision. I think it worked out beautifully in India with the orphanage and how they determined that the beanies would be kept in the "Birthday Closet" as a choice for the kids on their birthdays. The children never know where things in those closet come from -- it's just a magical joy to open that door on their birthdays.
It would be nice to give beanies to the Primary 7 (6th Grade) class I'm working with, but I wouldn't want the children to know where the beanies came from. I'm helping these children develop tools for finding peace, empowerment, and joy within --- as you know this is more powerful than any physical gift. If I give them something physical this might overshadow the presence of just pure love I am offering. For so many people everywhere the gift of love is confused with giving and receiving stuff, and that situation is compounded here with the immense amount of foreign assistance that pours in from people seeking to help by giving stuff. It's truly a gift that so many in the world are opening their hearts with the desire to give. The question for me is what is the most helpful way to give to a society that has been repressed by Western Society for hundreds of years? I believe that the gift of love and acceptance is the most powerful. The gift of showing that I believe in you!
Do you remember the tour we went on in St Charles two years ago? We learned that some of the wealthiest families in the world in the 1800s were the rice plantation owners. The growing and irrigation methods that were used were developed by their slaves from Africa. If you hadn't noticed, the most powerful politician in the world is black, the head of the Republican National Committee is black, the best known media mogul on earth is black, the greatest golfer in the world is black, the top female tennis players in the world are black, the highest grossing actor worldwide is black, the fastest racing driver in the world is black, the brightest Astrophysicist under the sun is black, the Super-Bowl-winning Head Coach is black, the most successful brain surgeon in the world is black, and the fastest human on the planet is black. (Thanks Jaffrey for the 'Black Stats' email.)
A year ago I read an article written by a Ugandan man that expressed an opinion that he hoped Obama would not win the election because it would show the world that a black man can't do it. Well -- too late --- no more excuses --- a black man can do it! This society can do it --- whatever 'it' is --- it can be done! I could go on and on and we would see that for a long time the indigenous cultures of what we have come to call the 'Third World' have been doing 'it' and we have been too busy repressing their differences to see it. (Oh, sounding like a soap box now.) I truly appreciate the number of people that I have met in the past two years that are on the ground here making a difference by just giving of themselves and believing in the people here. I truly appreciate your willingness to give of your time and money to send me beanie babies to give to the children here. I will talk with the Herman and Edith - the Teacher and Head Teacher at Kibiri primary school and see how we might work this in - and how many beanies we would need. Would you check into shipping costs to Mango Tree, Plot 1479, Naayla Rd, Ntinda, Uganda (Phone 256-312-263263) to see if the cost is realistic.
Much Love,
Kevin
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Sent: Sunday, April 19, 2009 11:38 AM
To: Franz Rick in response to my getting Typhoid fever a week ago . . .
Hi Rickmeister –
I’m doing better --- I knew what it was right away so I got right on it --- stayed heavy with the probiotics too so I don’t think my stomach was scrubbed too clean by the Cipro. The digestion problems have been pretty minimal, I’ve started to poop normally again, the fever sessions are shorter and not as high, and I don’t have a sick stomach and headache all day long. My kidney, or something back there on the right, had some weird pain but it seems to be happier this evening since I stopped the Cipro this morning.
I can’t believe I’m missing all the great snow in Colorado!!! My back is really doing much better and I want to go play!
Love,
Kev
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Sent: Saturday, April 18, 2009 2:34 PM
To: Annemari Heywood and her 3rd and 4th Graders in Laramie, WY in response to questions about Uganda . . .
Hi Annie –
A. Do they eat hamburgers in Uganda?
- There are hamburgers here but only in a very small number of restaurants in the capital city, Kampala, that cater to Westerners.
B. What are the seasons like?
- There is rainy season and dry season. Personally I like rainy season better as do, I think, most people. During dry season it’s very dusty. During rainy season there is a light and rain most every morning. Some call it a polite rain here in Uganda. Rainy days are like snow delay days. Since people walk a lot, the morning activities are usually delayed some until the rain ends – or gets lighter – or it’s generally decided that just not going to stop raining for a while and we need to get on with the day. Have you read my blog for the Monday after Easter? The rainy morning kept me from getting where I wanted to go.
C. What do they do with their trash? (We have been studying the pros and cons to landfills and other ways of disposing of our trash)
- In the city there seems to be general collection points where people dump their trash and the Govt comes around once a week and picks it up and/or burns it. Since these collection areas are just off the side of the road, and there is nothing to keep the trash from blowing around, there is trash everywhere. In the countryside people burn their trash – but once again there is still trash everywhere.
D. Is their fresh water for everyone?
All of the water throughout the Kampala area that comes through the public water system - or is in creeks, rivers, ponds and lakes - is polluted and can make you very sick to drink or even just to swim in. (There is also a blog reference to water Ryan’s sickness. I also got typhoid fever last week for the second time in a year.) Most children’s main job is to fetch water from a well or water hole for their mothers and grandmothers. For many children this job has it’s dangers and usually results in undesired sexual abuse. Most people boil their water. There is bottled water that generally seems safe, but many people question that as well.
Love,
Kev
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19 Mar (Sunday) Evening
I had a nice trip going out to see Herman. His youngest daughter, six yrs old, and wife were not there because his wife had taken her to the hospital. I hope to meet them next Sunday. I did get to meet his other daughter who is 10. After his Journey Herman took me out to Lake Victoria and we wandered around the fishing boats and through a resort that in the process of being built.
Here are some children fetching water from Lake Victoria.
Here's a picture of the fishing boats. The only fish that is caught in Lake Victoria is the Nile Perch. It was brought here by Westerner's and proceeded to grow huge (up to 100kg) and ate all the other fish in the lake.
This is Herman and I exploring the resort being built.
This is a plastic chair with one wooden leg and the future resort. It just cracked me up.
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