Saturday morning began well - David and I sat on our porch and drank in the beautiful morning, our dry season has started and the sunshine is amazing. We were able to talk for nearly an hour about all that is going on in our lives and about plans over the next year. It’s so nice to feel that we are doing more than surviving, that we are looking ahead together.
Workers and visitors showed up and our Saturday really swung into action. Michael came over on motorcycle to invite us to swim in the river bordering Congo - safe now, except for the cholera in the water. (Keep your mouth closed!) Meanwhile Naomi and I had made plans to hit the market with JD and her daughter Louisa so we headed that way. En route we discovered Louisa with a yucky burn on her leg from said motorcycle so I got JD, Louisa and twins in car and we headed up to Drs. Scot and Jennifer for some quick burn care. Not much later we were back down at the Barts with Louisa and Naomi ensconced on the couch for pampering (due to that burn) while JD and I headed out to do our errands.
We walked into “town” and met with Joshua, a great tailor at the market who makes really decent quality things, like skirts and shirts. We ordered a few simple designs with African fabrics, we also scouted the market for interesting things. I discovered coffee sold localy for the first time (though they grow it here there is no local production that we know of, perhaps those selling it in the market are resellers, the amounts were very small.) We bought dried tangawisi (ginger) for gifts for old widows or teachers - you can add it to tea or chai, a big deal here each morning. I found a gorgeous long pumpkin for 500 shillings (about 30 cents) and bought it eagerly to be made into pumpkin soup, casserole and pie - we all love that!
Back at the school I loaded the fifteen girls from my CSB cell group into the car and headed up the road to our home. I had promised them a pedicure day. We ate a hearty lunch cooked by a Ugandan friend - catering is simple here! - and then began our pedicures, two hours worth! It was true sacrifice to help those girls use up my foot lotions and potions and special nail stickers, etc. There wasn’t much left at the end! But their smiling faces and delight in their beauty was enough. I enjoyed washing and massaging their feet and giving them a little lesson in hygiene and the reason I used disinfectant between users.
Saturday night closed well as Larissa (intern) joined us for a quiet dinner and some games. Beef, killed that morning and ground that afternoon was our main course as a sloppy joe equivalent, yum! Quinn has become quite an expert at Speed Uno (grandparents watch out!) and beat us all after we ate.