adventures in the month of march...

This month is going to be a busy one! I am teaching two month long English courses at the Uganda Baptist Seminary. (Who says you have to have a doctorate degree to teach seminary!?) It's a new program for everyone involved, so we all have a lot to learn together. This new program is for pastors and church workers who did not finish high school, but want to go to seminary. It consists of 3 month long terms where English, science, math, and computer will be taught. After the students complete this program, they can return for more in depth seminary programs. We are expecting over 100 students! The students will be broken into 4 groups, this way the class size is much more suitable for everyone involved. The best perk of this ministry is that I get to live in the apartment on the seminary campus. To think that last week I was so worried about where I would live! Now, I am getting spoiled having my own space...including my own kitchen which is equipped with a microwave! Unfortunately, the apartment is only available this month. So come April 1, I'll be packing up again. I am getting really good at packing my life into a suitcase and carry-on!

I am also going to be helping a young missionary in town home school her daughters. For the month of March, I will be teaching phonics and 2nd grade reading and grammar in the afternoon. In April, I will join in on their morning schedule and help out. The great thing about this opportunity is that I get to learn more about ministry while helping her out. Her ministry is one that I believe in and I am very interested in learning more. I am beginning to see a theme of learning in this journey! Everyday I see that there is more to be learned!

I've set some goals for specific things I want to learn while I'm on this journey. A few of them are:

1. How to insert a cannula (or IV).

2. How to complete a malaria test (blood test similar to checking your sugar)

3. Learning the ins and outs of the local clinics

4. Learning what good prices are for fruits and veggies at the market

5. Figuring out how to cook EVERYTHING from scratch (no hamburger helper here!)

I made the goal of learning to insert a cannula soon after I got in Uganda. So many people are severely dehydrated and die before reaching clinics and you are pretty much on your own in the clinics in town. I watched a friend put one in a severely malnourished little boy today and reconsidered this lofty goal. I had to make myself watch her put the cannula in, the little guy had practically no veins and was skin and bones. I am also learning the importance of malaria tests in order to prevent malaria going untreated and then children ending up with cerebral palsy. I announced today that my ministry might just be to travel the continent of Africa testing children for malaria to prevent more cases of cerebral palsy! I would probably end up with a bad reputation if that were the case. Can you imagine having the reputation of the mzungu who travels around sticking kids fingers?!