“As a Man thinks in his heart, so is he”

Proverbs ...:....

From Monday to Thursday we were at Gerenge at a ChildrensCamp for the oldest children at Mulago ChildProject and Kamodya ChildProject and the theme was Proverbs :.

At Sunday evening I was not looking forward to this, because Infield ended at Sunday afternoon, and I had to repack and then leave at Monday again. (You may wonder why I haven’t written that I had to wash? I gave the dirty clothes to the housemaid).
At the Camp I was given tasks at the camp, I was Bibelstudyleader, and one of the MC. (An MC starts a session, introduces the speaker and what what…)

But it was good to come to Gerenge. I had some really nice days. The youths are so fun to be with.

Since Ragnhild made a list, I want to make a list over things at the Camp.

- We had to wake up at 6am!
- Lake Victoria was lovely and it was really fun to play with the youngest youths in the water!
- The food was all right
- My group dramatized Genesis 37:1-10 and I had to speak luganda
- I learned how to broil chapatis
- The speakers were good
- The MC’s were the best

With five words: Some Great days after all!

InfieldParty 2007!

This week we had infieldcourse here in Kampala! All the teams in East-Africa gathered at hotel Blue Mango and Øystein and Harald came to be with us.

It was really good to se everybody, to be together and have like a minivacation. We had some really good days, we’ve been swimming in the pool, playing Ligretto, interacted and had fun!

At Saturday we had a day of fun, we rented a bus to go to Jinjer. We visited the Source of the Nile and some waterfalls along the Nile. The highlight of the day was the Bungee Jumping into the Nile.

It was indescribable PSYCHO!!!


!!!!!The next lines should Not be read by my mum and grandparents




The ramp was 65 meters over the water. I was quite stressed when the man made me ready for the jump; I just hoped that my heart could bear this. When everything was ready; the thing that I had to trust the next few second of my life in, was tightened around my ankles and I was standing on the edge with my arms holding onto a bar on the ceiling, I guess many thoughts ran through my mind. Unfortunately I looked down half a second, and I thought, “No, why did I look down, now I won’t jump”. But when I lowered my arms and the man counted “3, 2, 1, Bungee!!!”, I JUMPED! It was against all naturelaws, but I JUMPED!!! As I said, it is impossible to describe what ran through my head, I tried to scream, but I couldn’t do it before the rope was tightened and I was pulled back to hang in the air again for a second.

In the end of the course we sat at the hotel and everybody said something encouraging about everybody, it was a really nice way to end it, and it was sad to say goodbye. But I’m really glad that we will meet again soon!

Surfing the source!

Just a few things...

- We finally found Nutella at the supermarket (closest to were we live!)
- From tomorrow we will have Infield-course
- On Saturday, (I think) I will jump out from a platform and 44 meters down into the Nile
- At Wednesday we are half way trough our stay in Uganda!
- Will congratulate my sister with her 26. birthday tomorrow, 10.!
- It's Tuesday today

Happy New Year!

Year 2006 is history, and 2007 is ahead of us! Want to wish You a Happy New Year!
How did you enter the new year? Tell me! I want to know!

Me, Kay, Ingrid and Aina went to Nairobi, to attend the EZRA-conference ’06-’07, organized by FOCUS Kenya. We went one day before it started to visit Team Nairobi. On our way we saw zebras, antelopes and warthogs! That was awesome!! Rest of the trip was nothing to write home about, except from the beautiful scenery….(in fact we were told that the conference started one day before it actually did). But it was good to have a day to relax before it started.

The conference was good, interesting seminars, good meetings and I met many really nice people!

Me and Paul (and Marit behind)

It was program from the morning to the evening, so we didn’t get bored. One of the days the boys took “the day off” to go to town and meet Anne-Margrethe and Eivind. Nairobi was nice and there was a place with really good coffee and brownies; I think I could like to stay there (in Nairobi, not at the coffee place).

At New Years Eve we were 13 Norwegians at the conference! (Team Kampala, Team Busheny, Team Mbale + Thomas’ sister and Team Nairobi) I really had a good time, instead of fireworks we were shouting and jumping into the New Year.

Have you made any New Year resolutions? Tell me! I want to know!
I’ve made a few:
- Learn Spanish
- Read the Bible more
- Jog more and take more sit-ups
- Eat less candy and drink less sodas but eat more fruit
Do you have thing to look forward to in 2007?
If not, I can give you at least one:
- I’m coming home from Uganda! (12th april!)
Things I’m looking forward to:
- To come home from Uganda
- To meet the Hald-students
- Some weddings
- Skjærgårds Music & Mission
- Kebabdate with Aina Marie and kakao-evening at hers place in December

I didn’t tell you about the return-trip from Nairobi. At 7 PM at Wednesday, a 17 hour long nightmare started. For more details and information, please contact me.
Even though Nairobi was a really nice town, it was very good to come home to Kampala!

Why can't the bus leave? Now?!

Good old Kampala

O jul med di fråversglede!

Då e jula godt i gang! Regna me pakkane e pakka opp, familieselskapa stende i kø og magane e godt oppfylde…her kjøme ei lita oppsummering av høgdepunkta i mi ugandiske jul!

23. desember, lille julaften!
I dag hadde oss juleavslutning for ongane på FOCUS-prosjektet! Det va utruli kjekt, dei kom oppdressa og flotte, og området va pynta til fest. Til og med et nakke improvisert juletre hadde dei laga. Ongane hadde forskjellige oppvisninga som dans, sang og skuespel. So va det lunsj, som bestod av kylling, chapati og potetet. Dessert va fruktsalat! Nammi!

Afrikansk juletre

Ongane kosa sej

Seinare…
Sia det va lille julaften hadde ej et lite håp om at oss kanskje fekk nakke anna enn det vanlige til kvelds. Og jammen fikk oss ikkje nakke i tillegg. Men oss va nok ikkje like heldige som grevinna e kvar lillejulaften vil ej sei. Trur ho fær nakke som e bedre enn innvollane ta en kumage. Ej holdt mej til det vanlige…

24. desember, julaften!
Droppa kirka i dag, og gikk i stedet ned i et lite befolka bysentrum for å kjøpe bussbiletta.
Heime ijenn fikk ej vere me på kalkunslakting, håpe den smaka meir delikat enn en hodelaus kalkun ser ut! So va det hanen sin tur….
Lunsj…
Kanskje oss fær nakke ekstra til lunsj i dag me? Jepp! I dag va det “pork”, lure på om det e gris…? Det smakte i alle fall godt. Sia det va julaften, og julestemninga glimra me sitt fråver, gikk ej og Kay på supermarkedet for å feire med Smarties-is og cola. Det va veldi godt! Kan anbefalast:) Skeia også ut litt ekstra og snopa Smarties og Skittles. Det e no tross alt jul…
Julekveldn…..
Grillparty la me folk fra kirka ej og Kay jenge i! Oss henta jentne so dei me fekk vere me på moroa. Va veldi kjekt, hadde bli-kjent-leika, sang julesanga, hadde sangkonkurranse og til slutt grillmat. En fole arti kveld! Fikk også telefon heimafrå og litt seinare ringte søstern, det va hinna første jul vekke heimafrå også!

Julemiddagen! Ikkje akkurat det same som heime nei..

Dans og feiring!

25. desember, 1. juledag
Dagen for å feire jul! For første gang strauk ej skjorta mi, etter at eine broren min søsnt den va for gale. Dagen begynte med kirke, der dei hadde julespel, dans og mykje sang.

Gud hadde trone med engla rundt sej

Hadde jentne på julelunsj i dag, som bestod av chips, den slakta kalkunen og hanen, irish potete, bønne og kjøt. Ikkje akkurat julemiddagen ej e vande med, men det venta ej no igrunn heller ikkje. Men det va veldi godt! Kalkunen smakte veldi bra, hanen overlot ej til andre å eite. Til dessert hadde oss is!

Ingrid og Aina kosa sej veit du:) Den afrikaske julemiddagen, misunneli eller?

I 6-tia va jula ferdi, og jentne blei kjørt heim. Sjøl la ej mej på senga for å kvile etter ei hard julefeiring. Fikk telefon heimafrå, alle va samla til juleselskap med mormor og bestefar. I år va der et tomt sete….(ej skulla søte der ja) Va veldi kjekt å få en litn prat me nestn alle. Oskar hadde mykje å fortelle!
Mykje seinare…
Oss va samla I stua sia en av brorane våre og en nær venn av familien hadde hatt bursdag for litt sia. Alle skulle sei nakke om dei to karane og om jula og Jesus før det va litt sang og kutting ta kakene, som alle fikk en bit av.

Min afrikanske bror og mor

I dag...
..e det boxingdag. Nei, ikkje dagen for å bokse, men dagen for å slappe av og åpne pakkane. (for min del gjelde ikkje det siste)
I mørgatila sette Team Kampala sej på bussn. Destinasjon: Nairobi! Mål: EZRA-konferansen 2006-2007!

Ønska alle ei fin romjul, ei flott nyttårsfeiring og et spennende nytt år!

I wish you a Merry Christmas, I wish you a....

Monday evening Audrey took Team Kampala to KPC to see the Christmas-cantata. I wish you could see it too! It was SO good!!

On both sides of the scene there was trees with lights, in the middle they had made a stable and a manger and the choir was placed in back. Right before it started the room was totally dark, only the lights from the trees was on, and that made me realize….It’s Christmas!

It opened with some songs all sang together, than a children choir, which were really good, sang some songs, before the actors and the KPC choir entered the stage.

While the choir, consisting of 190 singers, sang songs, the gospel of Christmas was presented in between. The songs were so nice and I’ve never been to a better Christmas play than this. I wish I could just fly down next year to see it, and you can’t say: “But you’ve seen it before! Won’t it be boring to see it this year as well” No! Because the play is never the same, and the songs are new every year! I’m jealous of you that have the opportunity to watch it every year. I got chills down my back while I sat there. It can’t be described with words; you have to see it to realize how good it was! But I will buy the CD with the songs from the play, so next Christmas I can give you people back home a taste of what I experienced.

It’s Christmas on Sunday! Right? I’m not sure how the evening will be yet. But if we’re not going to the village, we will go to the girls’ house and they will make rice-porridge with “mandel”! On Christmas day I’m not sure what will happen. It will a interesting week!

I wish you ALL a Merry Christmas!! Wherever you are:)

To my family: Share my portion of the Christmas dinner. Don’t let daddy take everything...

So this is Christmas….

….2006.

I sat in my room one evening, I had turned of the light and listened to Christmas-music in the darkness to try to get some Christmas-mood. It was nice, but when the computer played “Deilig er jorden” I got a strange feeling of that something was wrong! It was not right to play this song now…..

And yesterday I talked to a person about Christmas. She talked about what she’s going to do, and she said she will go home when Christmas starts at Monday. I said that we celebrate Christmas Eve, and she asked: “Why do you celebrate Christmas Eve? It’s Christmas Day that should be celebrated!” I said no and I felt that I got a little angry, and i thought: “Don’t question my tradition, the one that is correct!” but I didn't say it...

Later Kay asked me; “why do we celebrate Christmas Eve, not Christmas Day?” And I have no idea! It’s just the tradition I grew up with. Do you know why Norway celebrate Christmas Eve?

Heldivis vare ikkje jula heilt til påske!

Lite so sjer, advent, bilde fra Maria, løsta på nakke anna enn loff med smør og jam/nugatti/sukker til frokost ++ = Heimlengsel til mor og far

Ja, ditta her blir en litn klagepost….

Men først ei helsing til næ søster Anne som sei ho starta dagen på kontoret med å sjekke bloggen min. Ønska dej en fin dag på jobb!

Oppgåva e inne til sjekk, bøke blir for trøttende, det regna….he kjeda mej i dag! Og då fær ej tia til å tenke, og då kjøme heimlengseln. Lasta ned bilde fra næ Maria i går, va kjempemange tøffe:oD He sett gjennom dei en del gonga i dag, og trudd det skulle hjelpe, men å sjå tøffen som stende med øreklokke på og et kjempefint ta na Jakob og na pappa jor det igrunn berre verre. So ej begynte å rydde litt, men då fann ej flypapira, der datoen for heimreisa stende, 11. april virka veeldi langt vekke akkurat no:( Prøva å tenke på alt det som ska sje her, og ikkje minst at der e en pakke på vei! Jauda, det ska nok gå bra.

Uansett vil ej ønske dokke ei god helg folkens! Og ei fin adventstid der du e, om d e Sør-Amerika, USA, Asia, Afrika, Australia eller heime i gode gamle Norge:p Lykke til med eksamena, jule-forberedelsa/stress/handel/stri, tentamena osv!

Weekend in Kigali, Rwanda

We had to go to Mbarara to take the bus, so we went early Friday morning. After we had waited for two hours it came; and 6 hours, including the waiting at the border, was ahead of us before we reached the busterminal in Kigali. When we arrived at Kigali Hotel after some negotiation about the price for the taxi, we were soon ready to enter downtown Kigali to get some food. It was a nice city with much less dust and mud than we’re used to here in Kampala. It was good to be tourist for some days! Close to the restaurant we found a supermarket that had many of the international products, and it was funny to see how happy we got as we discovered more and more.

We had only Saturday to do things, and we wanted to visit memorials from the 1994 genocide, so we hired two men to take us to a small city outside Kigali to see the church there where 10 000 people were killed. I got a bad feeling when I walked there, just to know that the room ones was packed with people and all of them were killed. The roof had very many bulletholes, the altar cloth was still on the alter covered with dried blood and the (døpe)font had very many holes. Behind the church, under the ground, they had made one room that was filled with coffins that were full of bodyparts, and there was still space for more as more bodyparts still is brought there. In the other room they had gathered all kinds of bodyparts on some shelves and only heads on other shelves. The guide told us how the Tutsi’s, and Hutu’s that sympathized with them, were killed in the most brutal ways that I can’t even imagine.

The altar cloth

After visiting the church we went to a Memorial Center in town where we got more knowledge about the history of why the genocide in Rwanda happened, and it was good to get answer on some of the questions that had appeared in my mind.

We wanted to by some souvenirs, so we found an African craft-shop and bought some small things. In the evening we went to a restaurant to eat before we went home.

Sunday we had to go back. But we hadn’t made any reservation for the bus, and unfortunately it was full! So we had to take an ordinary taxi to the border, than negotiate on the price a little before a guy took us to a city where a bus went to Kampala. It was a slow bus, and after about 12 hours on the road we were home. It was a long trip, but it was an experience, especially the taxiride to the border, it sounded like the car could break down any time, and it was designed to carry 16 people, but we were 20!

It was a really good weekend!! And one of the best things, I got four stamps in my passport:)

Busheny

This weekend Team Kampala and Team Busheny (Kathrine & Anne-Margrethe) arranged a trip to Kigali, Rwanda. Team Kamapla got a ride with a colleague of me and Kay’s hostfather that lives in Mbarara, so we went with him on Wednesday. We were told that we could see some antelopes and zebras on our way, so most of the trip I did something my grandmother tought me when I was younger, and in Norwegian we call “myse”. I “myste” over the fields to see if I saw any exotic animals. And it worked! Suddenly (I think) I saw some zebras! They were quite far away from the road, so it was a little hard to see.

When we crossed “The Line” (equator) we stopped and a man showed us how the water in a eddy went one way on the northside and the other way on the southside of the line, and no way on the line!

Great nature, can you see a zebra?

Busheny was a small cosy town, 30 minutes from Mbarara, and Anne-Margrethe and Kathrine lives in a nice house outside the towncentre. It was good to come out of the busy and polluted capitol and out to the countryside! And one of the best things with that visit was “Helnøttsjokoladen” we got on Wednesday evening. Thanks girls!

Yesterday we had a really good day! Jeb took us to Jinjer, a town two hours from Kampala. We visited, yes; you read right at the top, the source of The Nile, and Nudhagali Falls. It was a really nice trip; it was good to again come out of Kampala, especially since it was raining very heavily there. In Jinjer the weather was good, and the river was really beautiful! Also the falls were really great! The sound of the fizzy water was good to just sit and listen to. It reminded me of our cabin back in Norway, in the middle of nowhere, where we only hear the sound from the forest and some small rivers, there is few places that are better to be if you want to run away from a busy life. We also saw some people rafting and that looked really fun, and there was a crazy man that jumped into the fall with only a jerrican to float on!

The water is angry!

Want a trip on the Nile?

Here does the Nile start!

There the water goes...

Leadership Summit 2006

This weekend about 150 – 200 students were gathered at FOCUS Training & Camping Centre located by the lakeshore of Lake Victoria. It was a weekend I looked forward to with something we in Norwegian call “skrekkblanda fryd”, (Fear mixed with joy). Fear: The toilets were just holes in the ground, and my stomach was acting funny last week, so I feared that it would be that way in the weekend as well, and unfortunately it was. I had to make friend with that hole and the strong smell of “hjortesalt” that hit me every time I went into the toilet. The other thing I feared was the mornings; we had to get up at 5:30 am. Joy: All the students gathered, the meetings, the worship, to swim in the lake and the good fellowship and the good spirit among everybody!
All in all it became a really good weekend! It was so good to get away from the city and the pollution and meet all the students. The worship-part was maybe the most interesting. The Africans are crazy when it comes to worshiping. I’m used to stand still, maybe clap or put my hand in the air and sing. The Africans are dancing, jumping, clapping, running around, and singing.
Surprisingly we got the opportunity to lead a bible study group each, every morning! But it went well; my group-members were good to answer the questions that the brilliant leader asked them. I’m sure of that we, because of the leader, were the best group. As you read this, put your hands together for the leader! (ME!)

On Saturday we got visitors from Norway! Kathrine and Anne-Margrete were in town to meet Eivind and some friends of Kathrine. So they took a taxi out to Gerenge to say hi and hang out. It was good to see them again and hear how they’re doing.
Sunday was just closure day, and “Team Norway” went to town a little earlier to meet the other Norwegians. And that afternoon it was really good to get the message about that we had the day off on Monday!

Another thing I learned was to drink tea. We got tea for breakfast, we had tea break twice a day and we got tea for lunch and supper. And a thing I taught someone was Ligretto! They really enjoyed the game, and finally I won several timesJ PS Marte and Aina Marie! Or others (Steinar)! Please don’t come with any comments about that I won because they were newbie’s. Please let me have this joy.

Some of th students

Norwegians!

Breakfast, one cup of tea, one egg and one smultring

An eveningmeeting

Any comment?

In case you haven’t noticed, there is a COMMENTS-button you can click on and write something to me, on the bottom of each post. Since so few people writes a comment, I will give you some examples of when you can give me a comment:

• When you know about news I might have missed (about your self or others)
• When you know gossip from home or where you are that can be interesting to me
• When you want to say something nice to me
• When you want to ask me a question
• When you actually want to comment a post

And another reason; To read your comments, really make me

Happy
Excited
Smile

On the move

This first month I and Kay have been lodged temporarily with our boss, Sam. But Friday around noon they came and told us that “you’re moving, now”. One of the sons in the house is here to pick up your stuff and take it to your new home before lunch! So we had 10 minutes to pack our bags and grad our things. So now we live in an area called Mulago, 15 minutes walk from the office, but far enough so we don’t hear the MuslimsJ Our hosts we can say are a couple that are well grown up, they have 5 biological sons and after the wife’s sister died she took care of her kids too. But only one of their sons and some of their nephews live here. And we have two housemaids. The wife is a nurse, something that I would appreciated very much right now if she was home, because I smashed my forehead into an open window and started to bleed, and I’m not sure if it will be ok or if I should see a doctor, but I hope for number one at the moment and will wait and see. The man is a senior pastor in the DeliveranceChurch here in Kampala, both are very busy, so we haven’t got the chance to talk to them so much yet. I and Kay share a room in the “guesthouse”, and in the main house there is a big kitchen, a big dining room and a big living room, a corridor where there is two bathrooms and bedrooms. When the power goes off, they have a big battery that provides power for light in the main house and the TV. Here is a cat, a dog, three turkeys and a cock that likes to crow around 6 am every morning.

My poor forehead

Our thin, ugly cat

The turkeys

Our dear friend and wakeupcall

Our livingroom

Ligretto!!

Today we had no special things to do in the office except from reading our books, and that was what I thought it would be, so I came up with a brilliant idea, we could play Ligretto to get a small break from the reading!! The game brought back good memories from Hald, especially of the Ligrettoqueen, Marte! Looking forward to play it again with you in April! Today’s winner was Aina Marie, but just wait I’ll beat you one day. I hope.

Evening with Norwegian food and overnight-meeting

At Saturday we had the girls over to cook food that we use to eat. The headline is a little misleading, since we didn’t make real Norwegian food. But it became a meal it will take a long time to forget! The girls did a marvelous job in the kitchen; they’re adjusting to the African tradition that the kitchen is the girls’ place very wellJ They made pizza and rice porridge, the two things that maybe are the most common things to eat at Saturdays in Norway, at least it were in my family when I was younger. It really made my heart smile!! Thank you girlsJ

After the meal we had to get ready for the overnight meeting at the FOCUS-office. It was a meeting for FATT-memebers and STEM-workers. We were afraid that we were the last persons to come, because we left home five to nine, but only one of the FATT-members had arrived at that time, and ones again we were reminded on the African-time. So at 9:45 we were almost everybody and the leader decided to start. But none of the STEM-workers appeared, except for us from Norway. It was a meeting where we were told how the FATT-members are working and a little of the history of how it started and the vision about the work. We were told that the meeting was supposed to run up to 6 am the next morning, but they wanted to be finished at 3. At 2:15 I went home, I couldn’t stay awake any longer, so I was allowed to go. Kay said they finished at 4! I thought it would be more prayer and worshiping, since I’ve heard that the name of the meeting is overnight-prayer, so I was a little disappointed, but now I know how those meetings work, and can come to the next meeting with other expectations, I think they use to have these meetings every first Saturday in the month

Us, and our friend the imam

I just have to tell you about our alarm clock. It’s probably the best alarm you can get. Oh, you don’t need to be jealous. Even though it’s a very good wakeup call, I would choose to not have it if I could choose. You see, we are so lucky to have a mosque as our closest neighbor. And our friends, the imams have their first service around six o’clock in the morning, which lasts for about 10 minutes then they have a break for about 30 minutes before the next shouting starts and lasts for another 10 minutes. Unfortunately they have a speaker that points straight to our window, a thing that doesn’t make the situation any better. As I’m writing this they just start a service. Maybe I should take advantage of the situation and learn some Arabic? I don’t think so. But if you wake up at six o’clock, looks at you watch, and thinking, “oh, I can sleep more”, please think of me and Kay.