Yoga Noi!

Yoga Noi from Mbale!

If you wondered Yoga noi means "Hello it is great!" That is in Ateso. That is not the language of Mbale but many of the students here are from north of here and we about 10 kilometers from "Tesoland."

So I left the US a week ago today. In that time I made it Kampala on Friday night. The first thing that struck me was the traffic. That may have been the second thing actually. The first thing was that going through customs was a personal choice. I chose to not, as did most of the plane. Then a taxi driver picked me up and took me through Kampala to a hotel. The ride was crazy. It was about 9 PM and yet there was a "jam." There were people and cars and bikes everywhere. People use they horns and lights to signal their coming and to signal their coming. Overtaking is a common practice. There really are not traffic control systems to speak of, just horns and lights.

The food here is very good. There is usually something with broth that goes over rice, potatoes (sweet or irish)(sweet potatoes here are white and just have a hint of sweetness), matooke (which is a variety of nonsweet bananas that are used like potatoes and often mashed and steamed in banana leaves), or chipoti (wheat flour and water fried like a pancake - very heavy but delicious). They also have the most fantastic juice here. No not orange (which are green and don't turn orange, deceiving name). Fresh passion fruit juice. I may move here just for that. "Any time is tea time in Uganda" is said frequently, but every day after at 11 there is tea time. Tea is served VERY HOT and is about 1/4 tea and 3/4 milk. That is about the only time Ugandans take milk. PS everything is taken not eaten or drank. It is taken.

I now have a pretty good idea of what I will be doing. I am working with the farm manager on developing the best way to improve the 5 paddocks of pasture, and establishment of the forages. I spent most of the last 2 days at the farm doing that. The cows look very good by Ugandan standards. Local cows are about hip high to me. Ours are normal heifer size.

The portion of my description that was stated as "discipleship and evangelism" are going to take place mainly on the weekend. I will be traveling to churches in Uganda, and perhaps into Kenya. I will be preaching (?) and doing trainings on evangelism and discipleship. I feel pretty good about the second portion. The first portion is less exciting. mainly because I don't know what I'm supposed to be teaching on, but it'll work out.

That is probably about enough rambling for now. Oh and everything just kind of stops in the afternoon from 1-4. Mostly because it is raining during that time every day.

"Praise God" is a greeting and departing term to which you reply "Amen."

Here are some pictures:

These are the cows. There are 9 heifers. Three are bred. One will be calving soon.

Supper on Tuesday. Fried chicken, rice, chipoti, avocado, onion, tomato, some sort of broth, and some sort of fruit. Might be jack fruit. I don't know.

This is a hill outside of Mbale. This picture is right outside my door just after sunrise. These are to the east. It is the foothills of Mt Elgon. Some call it (them/there are more behind) rocks. Others say they are too small to even be rocks, but they look like mountains to me.

These confuse me though, because I always think they are to the west. That is likely because the weather all comes from the east here. It is mind blowing.

Next Episode will include: My place of residence, the college, and the people here. Stay tuned!