Nov. 8 Josh's Journal

November 8, 2007
Our internet worked yesterday (it was on for about 24 hours) but not today, so I decided to add to my communication to you. I am still plugging away at learning Ateso; although, it again feels like an impossible task – amazing how moods fluctuate regarding language acquisition. I am also working on the course for BBC called Christian Doctrine / Systematic Theology. I am enjoying the study, but it is slow progress as far as getting the course outline done.

Monday and Tuesday Mandy and I took the girls to Mbale for a little get away. We had a very nice time. It is rainy here Monday morning so we almost did not go, but we called Mbale and they said it was sunny there so we decided to go. Monday was partly cloudy, Tuesday was hot and sunny so we enjoyed the pool for hours each day. We had a great time. We tried a new Indian restaurant (new to us) and it was excellent. The room at Mt. Elgon Hotel was very nice (a hot shower was sooo nice once). I was able to buy Bible for the group of girls Mandy meets with on Wednesday nights (since I have not been able to get them here in Soroti). I also priced motorcycles ($3,000). I hope to buy one when we come back to make trips into the bush much easier, cheaper, and quicker. I have plans to start a leadership training program an 60 km from Soroti (it took 90 minutes by car) so that is the biggest reason I hope to get a motorcycle. We even got to watch Sunday night football and Monday night football. Actually, Sunday night football was frustrating because every room in the hotel watches the same channel. They told me I could watch ESPN but it took 90 minutes to find the man who knew how to change the channel. Granted, changing the channel in Africa is more complicated than in the USA, but honestly…by then it was in the third quarter and the Cowboys were ahead by many more points than the Eagles will score this month. Tuesday morning we woke up at halftime and the Steelers were already ahead 35-7, but we watched the rest of the game before breakfast anyway. We were also able to find some cheeses and a couple of cans of Mountain Dew to buy – oh the highlights.

Here is a funny story: Tim bought this eagle back in July because it was being abused. He hoped to release it, but it can’t fly – so that was exhibit one of our zoo (actually it was exhibit two, but number one escaped). Eventually it needed food and the frogs by our house decreased in population so Tim made a sign advertising that he would buy frogs from kids. Tabitha said people in the neighborhood began talking about us. On Thursday two reporters from ETOP, the newspaper, showed up at our house because they (their office is in town) had heard that some whites were buying frogs to eat and they wanted to write a story about us.

Here is not a funny story: Patrick killed a five foot long Egyptian Cobra outside our gate Tuesday night. (It should have stayed in Egypt.) Thanks for every prayer offered for the safety of our kids.