All that glitters

Each Sunday morning there is a Sunday School for staff children. Last week they were learning about Queen Esther. The craft session was to make and decorate crowns.

These are a selection of photos – did more glitter get on the children than the crowns?

 

 

This week’s African Proverb from the BBC’s website is from the local Bugandan kingdom: “Patience puts a crown on the head..”. 

Out on a Limb

Dr Corrie has a visitor, her sister, Agaata from Holland is staying for 3 weeks. On Sunday we went for a walk around the village.

 On the way Malcolm heard a tree say “Mzungu, Mzungu. Picture”. Looking closely he saw 5 boys high up in one of the trees. (It is common for children to climb trees to pick fruit – and almost as common for them to end up in hospital when they come down too fast!!!!).

Later in the week one of Malcolm’s workers, JB, visited. He runs a coffee shop and Malcolm is one of his regular customers on his home visits.

This week’s African Proverb from the BBC’s website is: “You cannot climb a tree from the top.”. 

The Drums! The Drums are Calling.

There have been some additions at St John’s Church since we left in July. A new set of drums have been bought, together with a local stringed instrument and a wooden xylophone. This is a great addition to the music team as drums are traditional instruments which resonate with local people.

 

This week it also seemed that many people had been called to Malcolm’s office as a queue of people were seen outside all day. 

However, rather than wanting to see Malcolm, everyone was queuing to see Suzanne so that they could collect their monthly salary.

On Friday Suzanne had many more visitors at her house. Friday Night is Film Night, so many of us met there to watch a movie, complete with pop and popcorn. And in keeping with the musical theme we watched “The Red Violin”.

This week’s African Proverb from the BBC’s website is from South Africa: “A wise person adapts to his surroundings but a fool expects his surroundings to adapt to him”. 

He's Off Again.

Malcolm has returned to Kiwoko hospital for a couple of months to help sort out the accounts for the annual audit. This time though, he is on his own as Irene has stayed at home to sort the house out, help with grandchildren etc etc.

Well, not quite on his own. He is living in a shared house with 4 other people. Dr Ray and his wife Jackie who plan to stay here for the next year, Jessie, a yong doctor from England and Lisa who is a primary teacher for Rory and Denise’s son, Gideon. It takes 4 people to keep Malcolm under control when Irene is not around.

 There have been a number of changes at the hospital in the past 2 months. The attendants’ shelter, where patients’ relatives cook food has been completed and a new toilet block is being built.

This week’s African Proverb from the BBC’s website is from Uganda: “Tears are best dried with your own hand”

Another Flight of fancy?

It’s the week before Malcolm returns to Kiwoko for 2 months. It also happened to be Irene’s birthday on Thursday so we went out for a celebratory meal.

 On the last Sunday there was a surprise lunch at our house for the grandchildren to wish Malcolm a safe flight. As is the custom it was Malcolm’s job to make the custard, for which he had the correct uniform and two willing assistants.

 

After lunch we went for a walk to the local park. It so happened that an acrobatic team of aircraft were practicing overhead, which was a fitting farewell. Fortunately for Malcolm he will be going by conventional airplane – after all that food he would not have survived the loop-the-loops!!!

Going Up the Pole

Our grandson, Thomas, is entering a local competition for the best scarecrow (on a pole) based on a children’s story. He chose ‘The Cat in a Hat’.

Our garden has a bird-bath on a stand (a thick pole!) Our youngest grandson, Sammy, took some time in sorting it out and checking the water was warm enough.

 

During the summer the Town has been decorated with the Union Jack Stars and Stripes up flag poles, to remember the close relations with America, particularly the Air Force bases in the area.

Not just a case of Swings and Roundabouts

It’s not often we have all our grandchildren together – but this week we managed it.

Stephen and his family were visiting from Plymouth so we went with our 7 grandchildren to a local park. With 15 of us there are also some who wander off!!!!

Everyone had a great time – especially the boys.

But when it came to a group photo, it was just too exhausting.