Thank you each for caring to hear about this time in my life. It is a gift for me to be here; I've desired to live in East Africa and be with these people for a short while. I know the Lord's blessing is with me- from the grace He's given me in adapting to the lack of conveniences in bathing, using the restroom:), even in all of the necessary reading and writing assignments in the program.
It has only been a week- a full one at that, of new things. We walk on beautiful red dirt roads everyday; taking about 30 minutes from campus to home, and walking through the town of Mukono. Our campus is full of graduates, undergrads, and seminary students- similar to Biola, also in the way of times for the whole campus to gather for worship. The dining hall is wonderful- it sits on the base of what's called, "Monkey Hill" (for obvious reasons- red tailed ones:), and the entire thing is open to view what is around you as you eat.
The other day it rained so hard for about 20 minutes that I think I may have gotten knocked over if I tried to stand in it. The weather has been spectacularly sunny and cool each day since the rain, and even as I write this I can hear about 4 different birds around me chirping away atop the trees here at the University.
I've not really met people who are friendly and warm in the way the Ugandans that I've met are. Even this morning as I walked to school under the bright stars, a man driving what's called a "boda-boda" stopped and asked if he could offer me his motorcycle services, yet when I said no thank you, he stayed to share his name and an extremely warm and seemingly sincere smile. It seems as if many of the families and other folk I've seen really live with the intentionallity of being with one another- I don't think anyone has taught the Ugandan people the word, "awkward".
Bathing is an adventure done out of a bucket of water, by cupped hand and bar of soap. We also get to use the out house each day, at our homes, and cooking is done with coals over a small steal coal holder. So far, we have enjoyed many good meals consisting of rice, beans, matoke (bananas), mango, and even avacado.
A very neat part of the schooling is how much discussion and interaction in the classroom we have. Monday I lead a discussion on the reading we were assigned for "Reading the New Testament in Africa", so I must prepare for this now. Peace to you each! I will plan to write again.