Weekend Update: June 19, 2011

Highs & Lows:

It was a weird week. That is all.

What I'm Up To:

Spent about 45 minutes with the local council chairman and my Luganda book trying to discuss when the next meeting would be occurring. Also worked on ideas for some Wat San initiatives in my village and would like to explore the possibility of a Water Guard promotion project.

I read up on my Biogas stuff but am becoming worried. The scale of our operation does not seem to support a low tech digester. All 4-7 cow digesters are pretty much the same, but when you start getting into 25+ cattle plus pigs and goats you are dealing with a much bigger beast. I'm worried about the quality of construction if handled by our own builder and students. Also really worried about their ability to maintain and troubleshoot once I'm gone. Uganda does not have any real experts in place for an institutional sized digester.

What's On The Agenda:

A fair amount of small projects are keeping me busy. Also working to launch the Bridge Group, a correspondence group with invitees in America.

Somebody said something about stove building...

Sanity Meter:

Prayer, reflection, and humility have set me level again, but it was a wild ride.

Before leaving South Carolina for Texas I was told by the leader of the youth group I had been assisting in for two years to remember Proverbs 3:5. It is both disturbing and comforting that my own weakness is so easily apparent.

Thanks to Annie for reminding me, "you're stubborn."

Ugandan Annoyance of the Week:

Getting onto a taxi.

When a Ugandan gets onto a taxi they wait for the taxi to drive up to them. They stand on the side of the street. They don't usually wave, or move, or blink. They just stand there, sometimes with luggage. (thats usually a good hint) The most annoying part of this is if we stop... lets say... 20 feet before them to pick up someone else.

THEY DON'T BUDGE!!!! THEY WAIT FOR THAT PERSON TO GET IN AND THE TAXI TO DRIVE 20 FEET

What happens... lets say... if we are stopped for 10 minutes loading Matoke onto the roof of the taxi, surely then they would walk over and take a seat inside... NOPE

What I'm Reading:

Am slowly making my way through Without Remorse. After reading some truly great books it is rough dropping back into 90's thrillers. I can't believe how much I used to like Tom Clancy in high school. Looking forward to having the new Kindle which I expect to be on the move by the end of the week.

Also simultaneously reading CS Lewis's The Voyage of the Dawn Treader

I may knock out several of the Chronicles of Narnia while I read Without Remorse

Also, I am glad to report I've fixed the Reading List.