Bénédictions

I am back from Lyra we had another Food For The Hungry team of 4 that came from Phoenix to go back to the same community for a mission trip. We did construction on building a house for the Head master of the school there. And did a VBS and games in the after noon after school and whoever was not doing construction did home visits giving gifts and love. It was a good time to get out of the city again and to get in the boonies and see how 80% of Uganda lives. Man I realized how much I take indoor plumbing for granite. And you must be thinking that I am complaining about not having a shower or a sink to brush my teeth or a nice toilet (with a seat) to go in. That is NOT what I am talking about.If you know me I don't even do those things back in the states. What I am talking about is that if anyone wants or needs water for cooking, drinking, bathing, planting. They have to walk a half a mile to a well with a pump and pump it then have to carry it another half mile back to their homes. DO YOU KNOW HOW MANY TIMES I HAVE HERD THAT "Do not waste the water, you know there are people in Africa that have to walk half a mile to fetch their own water!" HOW MANY TIMES HAVE YOU HERD IT? It did not hit me until I myself pumped till my hands bled and then carried the 20 liters jerry can of water to the house. The bleeding hands and the physical exhaustion is not what hurt me. I already know what that's like. And not even the fact that they too have bleeding hands and have bad backs and have no money to treat it and even if they did have money there is no were to go to get treated. And not even that is what hurt me the most. What hurts me the most is that it is the Women that have to fetch the water for the family. And they do it with a baby wrapped around their back and have to go 2 or 3 times a day. The men are out either working or drunk or making 8 more babies with another women. It is hard for me to see the women to carry their water. I will say it again. It is hard for me to see the women carrying their water. Our water!! they (the women) were the reason we had water each night to pour over our heads as a shower to then complain that it is too cold or that it isn't the same as a shower. If I could physically do it I would pump water all day for the mothers. Knowing then it would not be enough it would be little. So 2 hours and 7 jerry cans later and 1 mostly spilt I cried knowing that I could not pump or carry any more. I am laughing because if this was some one else's blog and I was reading it I know now that it would just sit there and and say "Man that is terrible" and go about eating my dinner. It didn't hit me until I was not only there watching it but actually doing and failing at what they do everyday. So it is hard for me to write all this to you knowing that it might not hit home with all of you. And I am not telling you to come to Africa to poop in a hole in the ground for a year. But I don't want you to be like me and say "man that is terrible" and go about your business.

You read my little sign off "All is well from Uganda"
but it's really not, and that's why I am here