Festive season

Isn't she lovely? isn't she wonderful?
This is my god daughter Alessia, looking oooh so pretty. She was born in Philadelphia but is living in Singapore at the moment.












Christmas cantata - The Journey, at Watoto church - lovely!!
We were taken on the journey of God's salvation plan, from creation, to the birth of Jesus and His meaning in our lives today.
Pastor Gary shared the famous speech by Dr.S.M.Lockridge. Here is a small excerpt.

I wish I could describe Him to you.
But He's indes... Wooah, yeaaah! yeaahh,
He's indescribable - yes He is ! He's God.
He's, He's indescribable, yes, He's indescribable.
He's incomprehensible.
He's invincible.
He's irresistible.

Well, you can't get Him out of your mind,
You get Him off of your hand,
You can't outlive Him, and you can't live without Him.

Well, the Pharisees couldn't stand Him, but they found out they couldn't stop Him.
Pilate couldn't find any fault in Him.
The witnesses couldn't get their testimonies to agree.
Herod couldn't kill Him.
Death couldn't handle Him and
the grave couldn't hold Him. Yeah !
THAT'S MY KING !
THAT'S MY KING ! YEAH !











Family was together again after almost 6 years. It was a Merry Christmas no doubt, especially for mom and dad.



Then we had a wedding on the 26th, Simon took a wife.

We had another beautiful outing on the 28th to celebrate Andrew's birthday and now looking forward to the 1st - Stella's birthday.
So clearly it's been a very festive season.

I'm holding up, best I can. Still sluggish, slowly getting my energies back, wish I could sleep, sleep, sleep but we are good, God is watching over us.

We are alive!

It’s a little unsettling when your anesthetist begins to hum “nearer my God to thee” while preparing you for a surgical procedure. William was extremely talkative, he liked singing too, before putting me to sleep he said a prayer and my last words were “Amen” – scary huh?! I went into a deep sleep. 2 or 3 hours later I was woken up by the nurse who said “wake up Mary, Sam sends his regards” – that got me up for sure. The sleep was so “peaceful”; I can’t exactly blame MJ for wanting that drug each night. Only problem is you never know what is happening around. I didn’t see my doctor before or after the procedure so; anyone could have done anything to me. He eventually came round to check on me, said the operation was successful (I know have a cerclage round my cervix), I will see him again in 10 days. I was on bed rest for 2 days after the operation, my doctor I can resume normal activities, nothing strenuous.

Thankfully Sam and my sisters were there the entire time - the joys of being at home;- Mich spent 2 days with his uncle, Helen was in charge of cooking and cleaning and helping out every so often, all I had to do was rest.

What do you do when your doctor doesn’t speak fluent English, is very brief and mumbles? Well, such was my luck; Alex is a Russian doctor working in Uganda – hard to tell which winds blew him here. He has been in Uganda for over 3 years and seems to get on well with a translator by his side - well, a nurse who is now accustomed to his speech pattern and can help elaborate when he is short for words.

The medical practice in Uganda is interesting to say the least. Visiting with a Gyn can be likened to attempting to see the president. Lines are extremely long, there are only specific days on which they can be seen and appointments don’t work. I understand that in a normal pregnancy there is not much need to see a Gyn - a mid wife will do just as well, but when one has complications like mine, it’s really unnerving. This is when I miss the professionalism in Philly where there are plenty of doctors and they call to confirm appointments. Even with all my night mares, once you knew what you wanted and expressed it insistently, then you were served.
But I take one day at a time, I’m back in office. The problem with a“blessing” like mine, everybody gets to know immediately, especially when I ask for time off.
“You not well? Hmm I what is wrong? Malaria?”
“No, just feeling weak”
“Okay, quick recovery”
Then next time you show back up, there are weird grins all over the place and hints to “when I had my first child” or just baby talk.
Oh well! I’m glad to be alive, little person is alive but phew! the creation of a human being is amazing – just God and hard work.

It's a walk of faith

Going in for the surgical procedure tomorrow. Hold my hand precious Lord.

I'm still here

Surviving. Energy is 30%.
Alarm goes off at 5:30am, I struggle out of bed, take a shower by some miracle and drag myself to work. I do my 8 hours in office, manage to put on a smile and get work done – absolute miracle.
Can’t wait for the clock to strike 6pm so I can head home, have my dinner and hit the sack.

VISION AND REALITY

"And the parched ground shall become a pool." Isaiah 35:7

We always have visions, before a thing is made real. When we realize that although the vision is real, it is not real in us, then is the time that Satan comes in with his temptations, and we are apt to say it is no use to go on. Instead of the vision becoming real, there has come the valley of humiliation.


"Life is not as idle ore,
But iron dug from central gloom,
And batter'd by the shocks of doom
To shape and use."
God gives us the vision, then He takes us down to the valley to batter us into the shape of the vision, and it is in the valley that so many of us faint and give way. Every vision will be made real if we will have patience. Think of the enormous leisure of God! He is never in a hurry. We are always in such a frantic hurry. In the light of the glory of the vision we go forth to do things, but the vision is not real in us yet; and God has to take us into the valley, and put us through fires and floods to batter us into shape, until we get to the place where He can trust us with the veritable reality. Ever since we had the vision God has been at work, getting us into the shape of the ideal, and over and over again we escape from His hand and try to batter ourselves into our own shape.

The vision is not a castle in the air, but a vision of what God wants you to be. Let Him put you on His wheel and whirl you as He likes, and as sure as God is God and you are you, you will turn out exactly in accordance with the vision. Don't lose heart in the process. If you have ever had the vision of God, you may try as you like to be satisfied on a lower level, but God will never let you.

Oswald Chambers

Whoa!!

I was on a diet. I tried tucking my tummy in but it bounced right back like a balloon.
It’s the mango season right? So I packed some mangoes for desert but apparently this raised eyebrows. A work mate insisted I had a story to tell, but none that I was aware of. I hadn’t seen the moon though but I figured it was due to changes in the weather and stuff. Curious about the moon’s disappearance,I found the nearest clinic and asked for those little testers. The lady at the reception pointed me to another room in which I found 3 men stacking little parcels into boxes. They were excited to see me, then I felt embarrassed asking for the packets. I kept my hands in full view, to show off my rings, just in case they thought I was doing things illegally.

“Madam, you feel free, for us we are here. You tell us everything”.
That cracked me up.
They took great delight in explaining how to use the little gadget.
“Now Madam, it is simple. When you go to the bathroom, preferably early in the morning, you will put a sample of u…”
“Ok, ok I know what to do”
“Yes, then you wait for at least 3 minutes. When you see 2 lines, it is positive. One line means it is negative and then if you see this line only, it means it’s wrong - you try again”
I paid and I was out of there.
Next morning - I waited and saw “this line only, it means it’s wrong - you try again”
I tried again the next morning and WHOA!!!!!!!


I’m feeling pretty fine.
Any changes so far? Well, my waist line is rounder.

A week later
I’m swamped. I wish I could get some nap time but can’t do much of that in office. Little person is pattering and kicking and flipping and somersaulting. I have headaches from time to time but that is only when I haven’t eaten in a span of 30 minutes. Yeah I have to constantly nibble on something.
My nose is extremely sensitive to the slightest of scents. Each whiff makes single file entry into my nostrils. That means at one moment I can smell all the scents around me and tell the difference. I don’t know if I’m making sense but that is what it is - Agh! Which means, no perfumes for me and please keep your distance if you have one on.

I love all things bland right now, who knew sugarless tea could taste so good.
Rabbits would consider me a serious force to contend with, I nibble constantly – nuts, veggies, fruits, something needs to go down all the time.
I need to take time off work but can’t get round to that just yet,especially since I only begun work a month ago.
Frantically searching for a doctor who can handle my complications. Spoke to Ian Clarke, he referred me to his hospital doctor, so I will probably go to IHK on Saturday.

There. My long explanation for not running the marathon.

It's over, now what?

I woke up early and lay in bed, enjoying the warmth and debating on how soon after the alarm went off I should drag my legs onto the floor. When I finally dragged myself to the shower, I was almost wide awake. By the time I was ready to leave the house, it was 7:15, the marathon was scheduled to start at 7:30. I grabbed the first bodaboda and got to the starting point just in time to see the tail end of the multitudes that were stampeding and pushing in the name of running. So this time I wasn’t able to get good snap shots.
At around 7:50 I heard people shouting “he is back”, “cheer him on”. I thought that was just wrong, did the man take a short cut? Did he forget the route? The marathon had just began, how could someone be back so soon? What drug was he on? I put my ignorance aside and acknowledged that some people are road runners, the guy did make 10km in less than 26 minutes.
I love the mood stirred by marathons –a spirit of unity, solidarity, and purpose, the pickpockets and thieves notwithstanding. I was amazed at the numbers of people that trotted up and down the streets of Kampala in the name of preparation. They had a set goal and were united in achieving it. When the day arrived, acquaintances had been made, business cards exchanged, maybe even proposals. I wonder if this unity could seep into other activities like fighting corruption, injustice and poverty. What potent does a marathon hold to draw millions of East Africans? That street vendors and taxi drivers would gladly part with 6,000 shillings? May be they are happy to spend it on events they will execute personally not in mystery ventures like Aids and Malaria prevention.




I took pleasure watching people clock in, walking, limping, some even running with fresh enthusiasm. Standing at the side lines I saw friends, relatives, colleagues, schoolmates that I hadn’t seen in eons. That was enough to keep me smiling all morning, amazed at the effect life has had on them – some were smaller, larger (mostly larger), bolding, graying – aah! I smile again. There is something special about seeing old school mates later in life, especially those with whom I lost teeth, lisped with and discussed the amazing rats in our homes.