Uganda adventure: Day 8 – restful Sunday

Alicia and I are up early and dress for Sunday prayer service. I realize with some alarm that our internet stick is out of paid time. I have made a date with my brother-in-law Paul to visit on Skype this afternoon. My mother, my brother Norman and his two children, Maeve & Sam all plan to go to Paul’s to share the event, so I hate to disappoint. Victoria ascertains that the Orange UG mobile office in Entebbe is open for 2 hours on Sundays and dispatches one of the older boys to purchase more time. With uploading photos & videos along with the blogging & checking emails, Alicia & I have used more data in a week than Victoria will normally go through in a month! Cell phones are common in Uganda, and the rates (for voice at least) are quite inexpensive, particularly compared to Canada. Everyone seems to be on a "pay as you go" plan, and every little vender sells mobile minutes tickets.

Kids arrive at the big house for prayer service

Olivia is at the clinic for more Quinine IV and is looking much better. We have some difficulty managing to get access to a vein – one big problem is the IV catheter devices on hand are different than those Rose or I are familiar with, and they keep defeating us. So, we walk ½ km to the little medical clinic in the village and purchase some of the type Rose likes. Fortunately, both Rona & Olivia are looking better, although Rona suffers some diarrhea later in the day (not uncommon for acute malaria in the young ones, and needs a couple of Ibuprofen doses for fever.

One treds carefully on the road to the little medical clinic in the village

Some neighbourhood boys pose for me

One of them climbs for jackfruit - a rubbery sweet item which grows to the size of a basketball

Unbeknownst to me until later, Arnold has been spirited away to the older kids’ compound after prayers, so I do not have my toddler sidekick ham, but the Skype session with my family is nonetheless successful and satisfying. My bother Bruce and his daughter Charlie join in, so we have a large crew meeting Victoria and several of the kids. Charlie gathers a couple of snowballs, but I don’t think the BKU kids have any point of reference to conceive the nature of snow.

despite a rousing sermon by Pastor Wilson, Janat succumbs to the sedating effect of sun & heat

Victoria distributes treats to those who stay awake

Sister Immaculate guides Dan along the path to prayer

Alicia is considering staying an extra week after I leave, so we will need to investigate changing her flight plans and confirm with Victoria this is acceptable.

I am glad for the restful afternoon, since tomorrow’s agenda includes a repeat voyage to Kampala, that hornet’s nest of activity & chaos.