Our First Egg

Our chickens are now starting the process of laying eggs and the photo above is the first egg that was laid today. :)

We have 16 chickens so we are expecting quite a few eggs from them this week

However, our wee furry friend is also interested in our feathered friends.  She stands by the gate hoping that she can get in and cause mayhem.  Unlike our other dog, Chewy, who didn't bother the chickens Sox would eat them all given the chance.  They won't be able to wander round our garden like the last batch but still have plenty of space where they are.

Power Challenges

Last week we were had some electricity problems and then they were magnified when a storm came through one night.  We think there was a power surge of some sort as different things were fried and not working properly anymore.  Simon worked hard last week to sort out the problem.  So blessed to have a practical husband.  Our microwave seems to be still only be working at half power and our generator is being fixed as I write.  Below you will see some picture of other things that have seen better days.

This is our circuit breaker box which wasn't very happy.  Simon did a bit of rewiring in here to make it right again.

We needed to get a new stabiliser.  However, that went back to the shop today as it gave off a burning smell last night and we were getting shocks off of taps in the bathroom.
Our old one was boosting the power too high for some reason.  I put the light on in the bedroom and the bathroom and the bulbs both blew.  The lights in the kitchen we unnaturally bright.  It was kind of eerie.   New bulbs are in and the kitchen lights are back to normal....hallelujah.

We have two electricicty metres and this one shorted out and so had to have some TLC to make it work again.

Broken Finger

On Christmas Day Joshua hurt his hand on the slip and slide.  It was swollen pretty badly but we thought it was just a bad sprain.  He also hurt it once he went back to school whilst playing tag rugby.  That was enough for Mum to say its time to have it checked at the clinic.  The Doctor suggested an x-ray so off we went to the x-ray room.  Joshua came out saying that the Doctor told him to tell me that it was "busticated".  Joshua thought that was pretty funny.  Anyway it was a clean break of the middle finger.  Thankfully, the finger bones on both sides of it have helped support it as well as the fibers that have been growing around it.  I was expecting him to be in plaster but the Doctor said that he just needs to be careful with it and should be fine in a few weeks and back to normal in a year!!!!  How do you keep an active boy down????

He is now wearing the support brace that I used before Christmas when I sprained my wrist playing football with Joshua.  Thankfully my wrist is back to normal so I don't need it anymore.  I am not planning on sharing the support brace with Simon or Zara.  Hopefully that is enough accidents for a while. :)

Joshua is coping really well with it but it does hamper his sports activities and his guitar lessons.  Pray we have the wisdom to know when to resume these activities.

Ladies Retreat Opportunity

For those who are in Uganda there is a Ladies Retreat happening from the 28 February - 1 March at African Village.  It will be a time just to get away for a bit and enjoy some fellowship together.  The theme will be Living under God's Umbrella - Psalm 91.  If you are interested in more details or on how to book then please email me for details.   pam.wunderli@maf-uganda.org or see below.

Photo highlight for December 2014

I am not sure where December went but it seemed to go by in a blur.  Thankfully we took some photos of our time so that we could remember what we were up to :)  Not everything is displayed below but it gives you a snapshot.

Our Christmas celebrations started with a cookie party hosted by friends of ours, Mike and Sharol Shutts.  This is the second year we have got together and is becoming a tradition.  The kids sure had enough sugar that day and a lot of fun.

 

Event the adults were getting involved in the creativity of cookie decorating

Then it was games in the garden with huge party poppers.   It was a good choice to have it outside as the garden was covered in sparkly paper and tinsel by the end.

This is the Sunday before Christmas where the kids ministry sang some songs for the congregation.  It was quite the celebration together with lots of good things to eat and drink.

 

Joshua has been learning guitar at school this past term.  He got the opportunity to play at Church with others.  You have to start somewhere :)

The church was ablaze with candlelight.  Despite it being a sunny day the curtains were all closed so we could feel the ambience.

 

My Mum, Joshua, a friend of Joshua's and myself has the privilege of delivering some Christmas parcels to an orphanage on the way to Entebbe.  This orphanage is supported by an organization based out of the UK.  It was a pleasure to be their hands and feet this Christmas time.

 I think their smiles say it all when they were given their gifts. 

On Christmas Day we celebrated with three other families.  When we were altogether there were 14 children and 9 adults.  We might not be able to do snow sports here in Uganda but it is amazing what you can do with a plastic sign from South African airways, some water and soap.  The kids had a ball sliding down this.  Most of the time they went flying off the end and slid on the grass.  There were a few aches and pains come Boxing Day.  Unfortunately it rained in the afternoon as the Dad's were prepared to have a go also.  Maybe next time.

 

Zara coming down at top speed with her friend Jacqueline.

 Simon and Joshua with some other MAF kids and staff went on a field trip to Kaabong to help clear an airstrip of brush so that the airstrip could be used again.  Someone had pizza on the flight so this was getting shared around :)

 

Joshua is on the right slashing away.  Simon and Dave had the heavy chainsaws to slash through the brush.  At one point Simon had trees falling all round him and took time for him to get out.  Will need to get these photos from Dave.

The airstrip at Kaabong.

 

After a day hacking away at bushes, and stomachs full with food from a Baptist mission family Joshua and Britton were done for the day. 

 Simon always has a wood project on the go.  This time it was a sofa for one of the MAF US families.  He also made a "bag" tree for one of our other national staff members.   She said it would help to keep her bags tidy in her house if she had somewhere to put them.  Hence hang them on a bag tree :)

The finished result and delivered unscathed to its new home.

 

New Office Update

On Sunday we went down to Kajjansi (home of MAF Hangar and soon to be office).  The office is coming along and each time we go out we see a lot of progress.  The due date for completion is the end of July 2016.  Below are some photos of the progress.

We took a snack with us and the two dogs.  This was the first time Sox had been out at Kajjansi.  She loved it and was not too keen to get back in the car at the end.  It was a bit of a wrestling match.  Enjoy the photos below :)

The view from the airstrip and below is a close up from the other side.  Below you can see that the rebar is useful for more than one thing as you can just make out two pairs of black boots hanging on it to dry

 

Sox at the gate saying bye to Joshua and Zara as they head to school

Sox and one of her best friends :)

 Sox's first time swimming

Pinewood Derby Winner

Last Friday Joshua and Zara's school had a Thanksgiving BBQ.  During the afternoon there were football matches and then a Pinewood Derby competition.  For those of you who are reading this and have no idea what I am talking about then you are not alone because I was in the same boat not that long ago.  Bascially, the children buy a wooden car and can design it however they wish.  The cars are then raced down a track to see who is the winner.  The rules are quite strict with regards to the dimensions and weight that the car is allowed to be.  Joshua and Zara really got into it so bought two kits to race.  I wish I could show you some photos of the race but the lighting was really bad so hopefully will get some photos from school.  Below are the two cars that Zara entered and the one on the left was the winner whereby she got first prize.  In Zara's group the girls came out on top winning all places, first, second and third.  Zara was so excited she could hardly contain herself.  It was a lot of fun to watch.

 

In amongst all of that there was a massive BBQ.  Simon was one of the guys grilling and he said he had never seen so much meat.  It just kept coming and coming.  We believe there were about 200 people there if not more.  It made our MAF BBQ`s look like a piece of cake.

 

The school did a great job putting it all together and everyone seemed to have a lot of fun.  The joys of going to a different school and experiencing new things.