Wednesday

Everyone is exhausted so this will be quick.
After devotions this morning, we ALL loaded up to head to the village to drill the well. We had a total number of 18 people loaded into a 4 passenger car and the bed of the small pickup. We were a sight! On our drive in to the village, people stared. When we drove out of the village, they waved and hollered goodbye!
In the 9 hours we were on sight, we had about 5 hours of actual drilling take place. The other time was spent either setting up, repairing or putting things away. By the end of the work day we had made progress of about 14 feet.
The pipe we purchased in Jinja was not good quality pipe for drilling and it kept breaking. The threads would break off. We had to change the threads, so a quick trip was made to the welding shop to weld a British coupling to our American threads. We are finding British and Metric threads, but not American. We fished the bit out twice and tried a third time but it is still in the ground overnight. The men went back to the hardware market after we returned to town to get odds and ends needed to make it easier to fish out plus a PVC pipe to put on the top for the discharge pipe. Don will be leaving for Kampala early in the morning to try to locate better quality pipe.
Our pickup driver, Abraham, is also a well digger. He digs by hand. He has been an excellent worker for us…and he is being paid only for driving and is working the drilling operation as a volunteer. Don said that if had to run the Pusher as long as Abraham did, we’d have to wheel him off on a gurney! Elton said it takes 41 Mazungas (white men) to work as hard as one Ugandan man.
Pat took a turn as a Puller and Jodi took a turn as a Pusher, but not at the same time. As we watched from the shade, we came up with a brilliant fundraising idea. We could charge rich and famous Americans to come to the Ugandan Spa and offer and exercise program (well drilling), mud baths (also part of the well drilling), beautiful flora & fauna, soak up the sun, enjoy fresh fruits and vegetables, raw sugar cane, fresh air, African ambience in a remote location free from paparazzi. Price: $500/day.
Quotes heard today include:
“James can do it all!” This was after he reached up extremely high to hook the rope onto the pusher. (James is our local Foreman in training)
“This is like a government project—it takes longer than it should and you have lots of people.” Commented after the second time the bit broke off in the bottom of the well.
“This African pipe is giving us problems. We have a lot of recommendations to take back to Pumps4.”
“Hey, get ready to take a picture of Elton getting his eyes pecked out by that chicken.” During a rest time on a mat under the tree.
“If you don’t have mud on you, you don’t get to ride back to town” at the end of the day.
The widows baked pizzas for us in their mud oven. Paul told us that we were going to offer the workers the chairs (we had hauled them from the Compound in the back of the pickup with all of the people) and a cold soda along with their pizza. He told us that they may get a cold soda once a year on a special occasion. They washed up from the water in the jerrycans and were grateful for the food. The pizza arrived on Ugandan time “for lunch” at 3:30. These men had been working all day with nothing to eat except some Jack Fruit they had cut up during a breakdown. The average eating routine does NOT include 3 meals a day in Uganda. Special arrangements have been made for us. The pizza was amazing. A new secret ingredient: shredded carrots.
Other things happening in addition to well drilling included experiencing the farm, visiting with the people on the path and at the well, and Pat held an impromptu Power House session with the children that came by. They could not speak English but they loved to hear the songs and imitate the actions. They knew the sign for Jesus and that was the common bond. She showed them American movements to the music and her new Uganda dance moves. They all had a great laugh! Their new English word: Awesome! As in “Our God is an Awesome God”.
One of many lessons learned today…the digital camera is an excellent tool to open the door to build a relationship with children in Uganda. They love to have their picture taken and then look at it on the camera screen. The most shy and aloof child warms up immediately.
Meanwhile, back at the compound, the desk assembly made great progress. The local workers were on their own today and did not have any reported problems. They have been great students under Byron’s teaching.
Tonight after supper, Grace (our cook), gave Lisa a beautiful necklace as a gift. Lisa cannot ever stay still and is always looking for something to do, so if there is ever a slow moment in the activity, she is right by Grace’s side helping her. Grace also was the recipient of one of the Bibles we brought. It was an emotional moment for them both.
Justin and Dianna both received word tonight of the loss of co-workers to cancer. Please keep both of them, and the families of those who passed away, in your prayers.