Consequences?

Last week we wrote how on Friday Malcolm plumbed in a new sink.

Saturday morning – no water.

Wednesday - no water anywhere in Kisoro for 24 hours.

It is said that the first time was because the house next door had a broken tap, and the water was turned off until the plumber came to fix it. The second time is said to be because a tree fell on the pumping station.

Coincidence? Or a consequence of Malcolm’s plumbing? You decide.

However, there was no shortage of water when Malcolm went to Gitovu, another remote village, to audit some Parish accounts. Apparently the rainy season has started, which is a bit of a surprise since it seems to have rained most days since we arrived in August. Buildings here have corrugated iron roofs, and when it rains it is impossible to hear your self think, let alone talk to someone because of the noise. This made asking treasurers questions in the church very difficult. The rain was so heavy that Malcolm was almost stranded in the vicar’s house after lunch with a moat of water outside and no paddling shoes! The vicar did suggest that rather than return to Kisoro immediately he should wait till the rain stops. Malcolm jokingly said that might not be for 10 hours!!! He was right as it rained heavily all night.

It has been an exciting week for church Lay Readers here.

Before Christmas the first Lay Readers for many years completed their training. They are important members of the Diocese as most churches do not have a vicar, and the Lay Readers (or Church Teachers) are responsible for the care of the congregations. Visitors from a church in Winchester, England, arrived on Friday and presented each Lay Reader with a new bicycle and a Bible commentary. One of the recipients was Benon, who we first met when we visited Mabungo, and is now a Lay Reader at Rutaka, Because of the bad roads here, and the cheap quality Chinese bicycles, all bikes have reinforcements on the front wheel to stop the forks buckling. Malcolm was driven to Rutaka a fortnight ago along some of the worst roads here, so he didn’t envy Benon the bicycle ride home – he will need all the reinforcement he can get and it will probably take 3 or 4 hours to cycle home – in his best suit!!!!

Changes continue to take place in Kisoro. Part of the remaining forest in the centre of town has been cleared and fenced off for a new bank to be built. There is only one tree left on this site, which appears dead but is now the home for the cranes that used to nest in the trees. Ironically, we think the new bank will be a branch of the Crane Bank. Coincidence?