Kamula's Home Visit

Kamula’s family lives in Myuge which is a 2 and 1/2 – 3 hour drive from here. We left early in the morning with Charles along as our interpreter and made it to their home just before 11:00.

Along the way (when we stopped to pee in the bush) Charles started talking to some people who lived close by and found out that they had some family members in need of medical attention. Renee got her first aid kit from the car and went to see what we could do.

As it turns out, we weren’t able to help the one who was severely ill, but Renee strongly encouraged them to get her to a clinic. We were, however, able to help two children, but we learned from this experience that the first aid kit was not complete. As soon as we got back in the car, we started a list of all the things we needed to add - Renee telling me things as she drove; I think that in the future we will be far more prepared. :)

Upon arriving we were invited into their mud home. It was obvious they had cleared it out and arranged a place for us to sit, and they were very excited that we came. We had told Mamma Kamula that we were coming, and I think she was very blessed that we actually did!

This was not my first time being in a mud house, but I was still amazed thinking, “I’m here in Africa, in one of those mud huts like you see in a World Vision magazine.”

Since this family speaks very little English, they invited two local pastors over, I think to help entertain us American folks (We had been to this village before to visit Chakool’s grandmother, so we’d met these pastors). Renee wanted to know things like where the family got their water from, if they had a garden, etc. We were pleased to find out that they had a good water source.

One of the local churches owns three deep water wells in the area. They produce good water, but the only down side is that he charges 100 shillings a jerry can, approx. 5 cents. The cost is necessary to pay the guys who man the wells and for the cost of making them, but many family’s use less water than they should because it’s all they can afford.

The family does have gardens, but they’re more than an hour’s walk from their home. Myuga is a very dry and hot place, and vegetation isn’t even in view. They said they don’t produce enough to sell, so they just eat what they grow.

All the while we were there, Mamma Kamula was outside preparing food, and after some time, they said food was ready. We were each (Charles, Renee and I) given a bowl of g-nut (peanut) sauce, a bowl of chicken broth, and then they put out bowls which contained chicken, one with rice, and one with Matoka (similar to a plantain; when cooked, it tastes very squash like.). Although the pastors were still there, we were the only ones served because we were the “guests.” It was very awkward having everyone watching us, and I wasn’t even sure how I was supposed to eat the food! Renee picked up some Matoka and began dipping it into the g-nut sauce, so I copied her. She said she wasn’t really sure how they wanted us to eat it either, but she had seen people do it this way before.

Matoka in g-nut was better than I had anticipated, yet I was soon ready to be done, but I knew that it was considered very rude to not eat all that you are served. Looking at the huge bowl of Matoka and that of rice, I was thinking, “There’s no way we can eat all this!”

I continued eating, until Renee and I decided to take a breather before we went for round 2. (I think we were both ready to be done at this point, but we did want to offend because it was so sweet of them to cook for us.) Just as I was thinking I would give it another go, Kamula’s dad came with a basin and a small jerry can for us to wash our hands, signaling that we were finished – I was so relieved!

Although Matoka isn’t my favorite thing, I was so thankful that it wasn’t fish because I would have had a very hard time being polite and eating it. :) All of those things: chicken, Matoka, and rice are expensive. It was very evident that they made us a very special meal. I was so touched by the generosity because I know these people have so little.

Please pray for Kamula’s family. They are Muslim, and in need of Jesus. Kamula’s father has two wives which is very common among Muslims, but it makes me so sad.

The ride home was very long and hot, and I struggled to stay awake. It’s amazing how you can get so tired when all you’re doing is riding in a car!

The heat is one thing about Uganda that I will not miss!

Our power just went out, so I better post this quickly before the computer battery dies…