UGANDA- Journal by Bill Ankley
Mon. Dec 22, 2014
Flight to Amsterdam was smooth and pleasant. I slept most of the way. Amsterdam was like a United State’s airport , very large with many nationalities traveling. Most of the signs were in English and all the airport personnel spoke English along with other languages. We bought something small to eat. Paid in American dollars but they gave us change in Euros. We had to find something to buy so we could spend the change since we would not need this currency where we were going. During the flight on KLM airlines they fed us cheese, butter, yogurt ice cream and other dairy products since it is a Dutch company. On this flight to Entebbe we flew over Europe in the daylight. We flew over Italy and could see the Alpine mountains with small villages in every valley. On the level mountain tops there were lines of wind turbines . I never realized Italy is made up of mostly mountain terrain. The Mediterranean Sea was next and then the Sahara Desert which seemed endless. At dark you could see spotted large fires burning on the ground. Not sure what they were, possible oil wells?
We arrived at Entebbe airport on Dec 23 around 11:00 pm and the first thing we had to do was get our temperature checked. (An Ebola outbreak was in Western Africa). Soon as we went through customs, which was very quick, Father Daniel and a friend, Alex, were waiting at the door for us. Alex was a local and knew the area. We went to a nearby hotel and stayed the night. The hotel had guarded steel gates with solid brick walls surrounding it with razor wire on top. Our room had 2 single beds with netting over them.
Dec 24
We started the day with breakfast at the hotel consisting of egg, coffee, deep fried bread with meat inside and a slice of watermelon and muskmelon (fruit looked like it was 3 days old). We visited with Fr. Daniel during Breakfast and tried to call James about semen for breeding the cows. James is a Select Sire salesman in Kampala , Uganda. He could not meet with us because he was in traffic trying to get his daughter to the airport. On our trip we went through the capital, Kampala. The traffic was heavy, motorcycles and bikes weaved in and out through the traffic. The motorcycles were 100 cc bikes from India with long, wide seats to carry passengers and products. It was not unusual to see 3 passengers plus the driver on one small motorcycle or large item strapped to the back. There were very few Japanese bikes because of the expense. Everywhere we went there were small shops in little huts lining the roads selling products. Because of Christmas, more meat than usual was hanging in the huts. Meat is a special meal, very little of it is used throughout the year. Police were at every crossroad to direct traffic in white suits. Other police wore camouflage and carried rifles. We were told that traffic police wore white so that when they returned to the station they would be able to tell if they took bribes if their pockets were dirty from putting their hands in them. We stopped at a grocery store, used mainly for wealthy customers, with many products you would find in the United States. Before they would even let you in the parking lot they had to check under the car with a mirror and looked inside the car by an armed guard at the entrance. We bought drinking water and few other items before continuing our trip. At the store we met Martha, a friend of Fr. Daniels who would ride with us. On our way to Fr. Stephen’s, where we would stay the next 3 days, we noticed some young boys playing soccer with a ball of wrapped tubes and rags. We asked if we could stop and give them a soccer ball we had brought with us. Fr. Daniel stopped and they surrounded the car while we proceeded to get the ball out of the luggage and pumped it up. They were very happy to receive it. Martha said that was the best Christmas present they could have.
As we traveled from Kampala you noticed the homes were not as nice as the ones in town. Many were round with thatched roofs. In many places you would find one larger hut with smaller ones around. The larger hut was for the parents and sons would build around the main one; less land would be used and they have the protection of each other. Outside of the huts the dirt is packed tightly and the ground is swept daily of any debris. Most people sleep on reed mats on the floor, but foam beds are becoming more prevalent. The foam mattresses that are used are now made in Uganda. After arriving at Fr. Stephens we had a supper of bananas that were mashed, rice and chicken. There were 4 different types of bananas that we ate with different ways to prepare, one they mashed, one they fried, one like we eat here in America and a small and very sweet eating banana. That night we drank Nile beer out of bottles, made in Uganda and then had a hot drink made of fermented millet that is served in a large pottery bowl. Approximately four foot long straws made of hollowed branches with a screen on one end and a turkey quill on the other were used to drink the mixture. Everyone sits around the bowl and drinks out of it together.
Dec 25
The next morning we got up at 5:00 AM and went to the first Mass at St. Mark Church with Fr. Stephen which was to start at 6:00 AM. Someone told Fr. Stephen that the people wouldn't get there till 7:00 and they were right. People came from all directions and kept coming throughout the service. The women were dressed in bright colored dresses. If a husband did not buy his wife a new piece of clothing for Christmas he looked down upon. Since we were guests we had to sit right up by the altar. At the beginning, we had fifty little kids sitting at our feet and by the end of Mass there had to close to a hundred. The children sit around the altar and the adults sit on the benches if they have them. If not, they bring mats to sit on. It is quite common to have the men sit on one side and the women on the other, but not always. Mass is said in the language of the area. If the priest does not know the language of that parish, they have catechist who will translate for them from that area. At the Mass there was a lot of clapping and singing throughout. For the offertory the people would go up to the altar and set the money in a dish. If they did not have money, it would not be uncommon for them to bring a live chicken (legs tied), rice or other food and leave it at the altar. At the end of the service they sang and danced, with both children and adults joining in. The music was played on traditional stringed instruments and drums. The instruments were made of wood and cords from animal skins. At the end of each mass, Fr. Stephen would say something about us .We had no idea what he said, but we were blessed many times that day by the people. The blessing was done in a traditional African way by rubbing their hands together and bestowing a blessing by moving their hand towards us. We had two bags of butterscotch candy we brought and it wasn’t near enough even for the first service. Little hands were everywhere. Sweets are a very special treat for the kids. They very seldom have them. We ended up going to 3 more Christmas Masses that day, each one late because the first one started so late. The last Mass was outside because the church was too warm by the time we got there. At the end of each mass we took pictures. The Uganda people love their pictures taken and were more than willing to. Also, when we were greeted by the women, they kneeled and bowed first as a greeting. This was very common throughout our stay.
Christmas Day we spent the evening with Fr. Stephen’s family at his compound or home. Other priests joined us. Fr. Jacob joined us. He was soon going to have over 200 First Communicants. We gave him rosaries for every one of them and he was very pleased. These were given to us to bring by woman who made them with love from home. Our meal consisted of chicken, pork, turkey, beef, potatoes, and rice cooked by Fr. Stephen’s nieces. This was a very special meal for the country and would only see it on very special occasions.
Joseph and I each had our own room with a foam beds. This was a nice home built of brick stone with 3 bedrooms, living room and bathroom. The kitchen was in another building close by. Cooking is always done in another building or outside.
Fri., Dec 26
We went to 10:00 AM mass at one of the churches close to us. Fr. Jacob and Fr. Stephen celebrated the mass. After we came back and took some soil samples of Fr. Stephen’s brothers farm located around the house. Because it was the feast day of St. Stephen, Fr. Stephen had a party at his home. We sat, ate, and drank beer. The women, both young and old waited on us throughout our stay, not letting us do anything. We discussed different farming practices which would help improve yields. Also we talked about artificial insemination and discussed the fact that none of bull cattle were castrated throughout our travel that we had seen. They did not have any knowledge of the growth advantages of steers. We gave some vegetable seed packets that we brought to Fr. Bill and Fr. Jacob. They were very happy to get them. Fr. Bill is an older priest that lives in the rectory close by. Fr. Daniel had given Fr. Jacob some tomato seeds from a previous shipment we sent a couple of years ago. They grew very well and had large fruit. Fr. Bill would not eat them for some time because he thought the tomatoes were cursed.
Sat. Dec 27
Fr. Daniel and Fr. Stephen took us to the market and we bought some produce. There were several types of dried beans and the priest bought some white cow peas used for soup (When cooked they tasted like pea soup) and some fish. The market consisted of just about anything used in the area; cooked and fresh fish, clothes, bikes, chickens, vet supplies, straws for drinking millet juice and etc. Everyone barters for the price and never pay what is asked. I bought some sandals made from truck tires and paid $3000 shillings which is about $1 in American money. I was being teased about wearing my shoes all the time. Joseph brought his own from home. Everyone wears sandals there. We returned to Fr. Stephens place and went to his brother’s home nearby for a party, for it was his turn to have a party. They celebrate Christmas for days. We had some candy for the children and everywhere I walked kids were holding my hands. The adults were drinking from the pot. I got some crayons and paper out that we brought and had the kids draw a picture for Fr. Stephen. They thoroughly enjoyed drawing. The kids then gave the pictures to Fr. Stephen for his Christmas cards. A football game was started after instructions but ended more like a rugby game. The kids had a riot and as the game continued, more kids came and joined in, playing till dark. People walking down the road stopped and watched along with the adults at the party. When the game ended they thanked us, for they had just as much fun watching as the kids did playing.
Sun. Dec 28
Still at Fr. Stephens we got up and had breakfast and left for the farm with Fr. Daniel. On the way there we had to pick up a catechist at a church that Fr. Daniel was previously assigned to. The catechist was with us to show us the way and translate so Fr. Daniel could celebrate an outside mass at a widow’s home with her family, 60-70 people came along with a goat running around when it became loose. It was being celebrated for her deceased husband. Afterwards, they insisted that we stay for lunch. They gave Fr. Daniel a chicken and some fruit to take with him. The woman had 8 daughters and custom goes that if you do not have a son, the inheritance would go to the male relatives, therefore the father went to another women hoping to get a son but contracted aids. His wife is now being treated for aids.
On the way to the farm we stopped at a town and talked to a man and his son who had chickens in a building. They were very healthy looking and Fr. Daniel was going to buy some for layers. We finally got to the farm. The St. Paul Mbale School has the farm on their premises. It belongs to the Archdiocese. The farm was built by the Dutch and at one time was a very nice and profitable farm. Much of the materials looked as if they all came from Europe. There was a water system to water all the pastures, a manure pit, loading ramp and many other conveniences. At one time it supplied all the milk and eggs for Mbale. The story is that one of the Dutch men was shot and killed during a political unrest and the others went back to their home country. Since then the farm was not been kept up and everything is now run down and needs major repair. The parlor is still in decent shape and a couple of other buildings. There are 3 odd silos which are in the ground. Only 4 feet of the cement is showing above ground and then dirt sides approx. 20 feet dug in the ground. There are a few other small buildings standing but are now occupied with people. A disc, plow and trailer are on the farm and can be used if a tractor was available. The 12 cattle on the farm looked healthy. Three were used for milking but gave very little, about 6 liters. The rest of the cattle Fr. Daniel would like to get sold and buy some bred heifers, but needs permission from the bishop.
Fr. Kevin called Fr. Daniel and wanted us to check on his quail . He had around a 100 and they quit laying eggs completely. He had all his questions written down and all his feeds that he was feeding his quail. Joseph suggested changing the way he fed, more maize and less millet, and to put grass in for nesting, and add more light and longer duration of light. Fr. Kevin called a couple of days later and said they had started laying eggs, around 10 and almost every day we were there he would call and the amount of eggs would increase. When we left they were laying over 60 eggs a day. He was a very happy farmer priest.
We ended up staying with Fr. Kevin for a while and had something to eat and had the millet drink again. We then went back to the farm. The tribe, who were down the hill from where we stayed, were beating their drums tonight. The boys 15-20 dance for three days straight, going down the road. We had to wait for them when we drove to Fr. Daniels. The boys stand in front of their houses and get circumcised on evening on the third day in front of their families. This is done only on the even years. You could hear then all night long.
Every early morning and early evening you could hear the loud speakers calling the Muslims in Mbale to prayer. Joseph asked Father if they had trouble with the Muslims. Fr. Said not usually, but he did have problems a while back when they wanted him to close a mission church which had a lot of Muslims living around it. They threatened to kill him if he didn’t and he demanded to know who it was responsible for the threat, but no one would come forward. From that point he had no trouble, but they are now threatening the new priest who took over his territory
Mon. Dec 29
When we got up the next morning we watched Jophet, the herdsman, milk the cows. He was hard to communicate with because he knew no English and he spoke a different language which Fr. Daniel did not know very well. Derrick was a young dependable man who also helped on the farm and worked with the poultry. He will be going into the seminary in July. Lawrence is 54and has 4 kids and works on the farm. He still has a 6 year old who lives with his wife in Torroro. Sometimes he cannot get home for weeks at a time because he has no money to get there. He is a very good worker and spoke very good English. Lawrence and I became very good friends in our stay. We then went into Mbale and picked up some wire to make a rabbit cage. We did make one long rabbit cage to get the rabbits off the floor.
Later a Ugandan named Albert came by. He worked for the Archdiocese in the Rural Education Program sponsored the Catholic Relief Services. He had been to the United Kingdom to study Ag. He talked about a program that sponsored 8 young men from Uganda to stay on a United Kingdom farm for 6 weeks to learn and had some success. We visited for quite some time for he liked to talk.
At supper we visited with Fr. George and he talked about Uganda politics, explaining about what went on in Uganda. He told about being able to see the Pigmy people on the edge of the Congo on the west side of Uganda walking among the people. They are very small in size, 4 feet. Another tribe by South Africa is very small too but yellow/brown in color and they communicate by clicking instead of talking. He also talked about another tribe in the mountains in Ethiopia that many long distance runners come from who compete in world events. He also mentioned that the Ethiopian people were lighter skinned because they were descendants of King Salomon from his marriage to the queen of Sheba , a black women. He then showed a recent paper where 3 Ethiopian men were the first to finish a marathon.
That night Joseph was ready to take a shower and the power went out. He wasn’t too happy. It’s not unusual to have it go out 3 or 4 times a week and could be off for hours at a time. This time it was out all night. We had to scramble to find our torches (flashlights). It’s very warm at night and mosquitoes fly around your ears.
Tues. Dec 30
Up at 6:00 we went to the field where Lawrence was working. He was hand spraying the field with a mixture he used from soaking a certain plant in water. This was to help the plants he was spraying get more nitrogen and help with the drought conditions. The plant s did look healthy considering the climate at this time. We then worked on the back of the barn where the calves will be housed . The barn needed a post because it was falling down. A corral is needed but couldn’t get that done because of no supplies whatsoever. After that we went to Torroro to meet Archbishop Emmanual. He graciously greeted us and visited for an hour or so. We talked about farming and explained about our farm that has been in the family for over 100 years. He mentioned that he could trust our advice because of the farm being in the same family for so long and that we kept our word that we would come to Uganda. He asked us to evaluate the farm and give recommendations. I think the meeting was fruitful. The Archbishop then fed us lunch along with two other priests. The nuns had made a meal of mostacelli , chicken, goat, and watermelon for desert. The goat meat was delicious. As we were preparing to eat Archbishop Emmanual forked a gizzard from the chicken and said it was custom that the one of honor at the table would eat the gizzard and gave it to me. This happened more than once during our stay. We then had our picture with the Archbishop. He had to quickly fix himself up before he would allow the picture to be taken.
The convent was close by and we visited the nuns there. They grow their own food and have their own animals, pigs, chickens, rabbits, turkeys, and 2 cows. They had a Massey Ferguson tractor that was not running at the time. The Archbishop said Fr. Daniel could have it if we got it running. It turned over but I could not get back there to work on it. We came back to Mbale. In Mbale we stopped and visited a small farm where they had a nice looking cow but it only gave 5 liters. We suggested to feed some maize for protein and fat, and keep water in front of the cow at all times. A week later he called Fr. Daniel and said the cow was giving 3 times as much milk as before. Fr. Daniel then stopped at the car wash. This works by stopping by the creek and people getting buckets of water and hand washing the vehicle. Father tried to rush him but he said he would not be able to do a rush job and do it right so we walked over by the church which had a convent next to it. There we met a nun who served us her homemade wine made from Magnolias. Another nun was there who belong to the tribe that believed all cattle belong to their tribe only. Guns were taken away from this tribe so now they have a harder time steeling cattle from others. We met the priest and ate with them. Fr. Daniel went to check on the car, which wasn’t done yet, and he came back with a Kenya friend who worked at a sports club which consisted of pool tables, racket ball, chess, and a golf course. We dropped him off at the club. The golf course was nothing like we have here. It was a 16 hole course and had corn growing in it with cattle grazing throughout.
Wed. Dec 31
We went to mass in Mbale with Fr. Daniel. He said mass with the priest there. After mass we had breakfast in the rectory. This parish for many years was under a Dutch priest who loved his beer. They still talk about him. Every Thursday he would invite all the area priests to drink beer out of the pot or bottle. Also, something interesting was that there were 2 meteor rocks sat in the corner of the rectory. There was a shower of them that fell in that area in 1994. They had to dig way down in the ground to get them. He was offered several thousand dollars for them but he wouldn’t sell them.
The Sisters of Charity convent is right next to this church. Every morning the homeless kids come to the convent to get washed up and fed. We came back to the farm and worked on the calf barn for a while. Fr. Daniel’s friend Arthur came and said Fr. Daniel had some meeting in Mbale and he was to show us around town. Arthur spoke with a british accent and helped set up the incubator at the farm . He remembered how the farm looked when he went to school years ago at St. Paul and wanted the farm to succeed. Arthur told us that he much like the westerners because he is divorced. His wife left him and their 4 children to go back to her village and only comes at Christmas time for a visit. We stopped at his home and met his kids who were very happy to see their father. His sister and her children also live with him. We drove up the mountain near the town and looked at the waterfalls. He then showed us a very nice hotel which he helped build, swimming pool and all the works. They were all getting decorated up for New Years Eve and getting ready for fireworks. We returned to the farm and later in the evening Fr. Daniel returned. He was taken by the police who said they wanted him to bless a house, but they took him to where they had gathered the homeless kids in town. They told the kids that Fr. Daniel had set it up but Fr. Daniel didn’t know anything about it. They had cake for the children but some would not eat it for they thought it was poisoned because they didn’t trust some of officers. The police officers wanted to make friends with the children. Fr. Daniel who was their friend and was trusted by the kids told them it would be alright but some still would not eat it. These kids look out for each like family. That evening Lawrence had to get an IV because he was not feeling well. He had to walk to the clinic to get treated. Not sure what he had. He felt much better as the week went on.
We ended staying up till midnight watching the fire works for the New Year.
Thurs Jan 1, 2015
In the morning we went to mass with Derrick for the holy day near the farm, about a half mile away. This was first time we didn’t sit in the front. Thinking we got away with it, the priest at the end of mass pointed us out (not that we didn’t stick out) and welcomed us. We returned to the farm and did some soil samples. Lawrence asked if me if I wanted to go to the market with him. He has a man that sells cabbage and Lawrence would take the outside leaves which were not good and use them to feed the rabbits on the farm. While we picking off the leaves a woman came out and started complaining to me. I had no idea what she was saying. Ask Lawrence and he said she likes you very much, but wouldn’t say exactly what she said. I’m sure it wasn’t very nice. That’s the only time that someone was unfriendly.
We then left for the mountains with Fr. Daniel to Sipi. One thing Fr. Daniel spoke about as we were going up is that you never drive behind a truck. The trucks are in very poor condition and possibly may not make it up the hill and start backing up. They didn’t have flashers or flares, but used sticks in front and behind to warn people there is a breakdown. Up towards the mountain we met Fr. John at his home and we all went to Sipi Falls. Fr. John loves to hike and does a lot of it because he has about 40 missions in the mountains. In the raining season you have to walk to them. This is a tourist attraction and near is a place to stay in little huts. We climbed all the way to top of the falls with Fr. John. At the top there were people watering their cattle, washing in it, and drawing water out. We climbed down and drove farther up in mountains to Kapchonwa and took some picture where you could see for a very long way. Very beautiful. We stopped and talked to a man who was building a new hotel right on the edge of the mountain. He was constructing a monument of St. Pope John Paul on his property on a side of a hill. Animals were below the hill watching him as if they were honoring St. Pope John Paul. On our return we stopped at a place called the Crows Nest. We climbed to the top of it and you could see everything from there. They bring you beer, so we had a Nile beer while we were standing there. It used to be a watch area for the tribe who would steel cattle. These people wear no clothing and to this day they can’t get them to wear them in public. We returned to the rectory of Fr. John where we met Fr. William, who taught at the seminary in Torroro and had supper and millet beer with them. They always have someone there to cook for them. We stayed up late and talked. It was cooler in the mountains around 60degrees F. and for us it felt good but everyone else wanted to go inside. Fr. John said no priest like to come to this area. The Dutch priest that was here before had money and gave the people stuff. To this time the people do not want to give anything to the church and expect the priest to give to them. Most places we visited we showed people some picture we had taken of our farm and family. They were most interested in them. Fr. John like the ones we had of the cows out to pasture so I left a couple with him. We had taken the last family picture we had taken which was at Monica’s wedding. Many people wanted to know how much her dowry was. It is the custom in Uganda to have the future husband pay the father of the bride a dowry, which usually consisted of 5-10 cattle or something similar.
We slept there.
Fri. Jan 2
Still at Fr. Johns we got up in the morning and watched a man milking a cow which looked like a Jersey. This cow had just had a bull calf and gave close to 15 liters of milk. We looked at the bull the cow had been bred with. It was tied near the school near the church and it was a Jersey breed. Because it was cooler the people had coats on. We wore short sleeve shirts. It felt good to us. A grove a Eucalyptus trees about 130 ft tall and 4 feet wide were growing next to the rectory, straight up with no branches until the top. They were planted only 20 years ago. They grow these trees as a crop. Before we left we had a nice breakfast there. We were getting ready to leave and Fr. William suggested we go see the Sisters of Mary who live in a convent next to the rectory. They greeted us and asked if we were hungry. We said we just got done eating breakfast but the sister said, in Africa every house you go to you eat like you haven’t eaten yet. So they served us tea and cake and waited on us doing everything, even putting sugar in your tea. Never have we been waited on as we were in Uganda and probably will never be again. The sister and Fr. William talked a lot about Kenya. The Sisters of Mary are based in Kenya and Fr. William had a parish next to the border. One interesting thing they said is that President Obama’s tribe in Kenya is the smartest tribe but they could never come to power. We left for Mbale and on our way we stopped in a small village to see a man who does custom plowing. He has 4 old tractors, one from India, two Massey Fergusons, and the other was a MT which is a Massey Ferguson built in India. They were all in rough shape but he kept them running. One of the tractors had no keys or battery and the starter didn’t work so they have to push it to get it going. It takes 5-6 guys to push it. This man also grew Sunflowers and had a press to remove the oil for cooking. He also had a machine that removes the hulls for the rice. He had a lot going and had other interests too. We went to the market and he bought a bunch of stuff along with sugar cane for us to take back. When we returned to the farm, we had a class on artificial insemination which was scheduled a day before. Eight guys came and learned how to do it. Joseph had a computer with a demonstration on it and the supplies and they practiced on the cows on the farm. They all seemed very interested in learning and after they were done they wanted to see some pictures that he had taken in the US that Joseph had on his computer. They sat there a long time chewing on sugar cane for quite some time. When finished with the class we walked with Lawrence to visit a farm run by a Dutchman.When we got to the farm a young man greeted us and was very knowledgeable about what was going on at the farm. He was the owner’s son and had just came back from spending time at a dairy farm in Germany owned by a friend of his dads. Jerome, the Dutchman came out and showed us around . By African standards this was the nicest dairy farm we saw and possibly the nicest one in the country. They got 20 liters of milk a day per cow, milking 12 by hand. Plus he bought milk from neighbors to make cheese and yogurt. He then would sell his milk and milk products to restaurants and hotels in Mbale. It was a clean farm and the cattle were kept on cement at all times with cement free stalls. Hooves needed trimmed quite often because they never were out to graze on the ground. This Dutchman was a brother at one time and learned farming from the St. Paul school in Mbale. He then married a Ugandan woman and then started farming . He had two acres and two cows when he started and now has 20 cattle and 20 acres. His cows were all AI bred and looked like they were all Holsteins (they call them Friesians) and Ayrshires.
We returned to the farm and had supper of potatoes, rice, beef and green leaves. Moses was our cook. He would cook and then leave, we hardly ever saw him, and then he would return when we were done and clean.
Sat. Jan 3
In the morning we did some more soil tests on the farm. Oscar, a young man about Joseph’s age, came and asked Joseph about raising chickens on his 5 acres farm he just bought. He wanted to build a housing unit for chickens and turkeys. As Joseph was talking to Oscar, a bull had fallen in the septic hole and was in it up to his head. With the help of a few people they got him out, full of septic draining and smelled very bad. The people who helped expected to be paid, so they paid them a small stipend.
We then left for the game reserve in Murchison Falls National Park on the northwest side of Uganda. On the way we dropped of Oscar at his home. His mother does sewing and she measured Joseph & I for African shirts. The trip to the Park lasted about 5 hours. We drove through Pakwach and stayed there at Global Village. It is very warm in this part of the country . We were supposed to stay in tents but decided that the hotel for the same price sounded much better. We purchased our rooms and sat around and visited for a while. They fed us a very tasty supper from fresh butchered chickens which they keep out back. The girls that worked there were watching TV. They were watching soap opera and the acting was terrible. This is the TV we saw since we left home. Power from the generator shuts off a midnight. We retired early.
Sun. Jan 4
We got up early and went 5:30 AM mass. The church was full and it was in a language that Fr. Daniel didn’t know since it was a different tribe. After mass we came back to the hotel and ate breakfast, very similar to the breakfast you would get at home. Cornflakes with hot milk, eggs and toast were served. Throughout our stay milk was served very hot. There is no refrigeration. After breakfast we drove to the park which was only a few miles away. We paid to get in and hired a guide who was equipped with a rifle. He jumped in our car and we drove Fr. Daniels car down the trails. He didn’t know he was going to have to take his own vehicle. We were allowed to drive off the paths, but couldn’t with the car very often. It would have been nice to have a truck then you could see over the grass better. It didn’t take long before we saw giraffes. We saw many hippos, elephants, warthogs, vultures, monkeys, water buffalo, many different birds and different kinds of antelope. One elephant was standing next to the road and towered over the car. He ignored us most of the time. African elephants are the largest land animals. A giraffe was near us later on. The guide got out and checked it out and it was missing a leg. He said it probably got caught in a poachers trap. There were many elephants out grazing. The hippos mostly stay in the water during the day, but at night they can travel up to 17 kilometers to eat.
We traveled across the Nile on a ferry to eat. While we were eating 2 warthogs lay down very close to us and rested there like they were very used to it. We saw the tents we were going to stay in and this is when we decided Global Village was much better. We returned to the original side and rented a boat to go up the Nile River to see Murchison Falls. As we traveled we saw many animals in and around the river, especially hippos and crocodiles. It was a 2 hour ride to the falls. They are the most rapid falls in Africa and were impressive. The ride back was only an hour. On the way out we gave a ride to a worker from the park . Our guide left when we got on the boat. He noticed that the antelope were looking away from us and jumped out and spotted a lion in the distance. We all got out and saw the lion that was scoping out the herd and maybe his next lunch.
We drove back around and through town. Kids were playing with their home made tied up soccer balls. We returned to the Global Village and had supper and then retired for the night.
Mon. Jan 5
We got up and went to the 6:30 AM mass in Pakwach. Then came back to the hotel and had our breakfast and paid our bill for 5 meals and 2 days stay for two rooms at a cost of $150. As we began to return back, there is a check point before we got on the main road. We had no trouble but there were all kinds of venders right at your window. Where ever traffic is slow or stopped you will find them. They sell anything from food to toilet paper. We bought a few souvenirs through the window and peanuts and sesame cakes made with honey. On the way home we had to drive through the south part of the Reserve and noticed two men running in the bushes with something on their backs, probably poachers. Later as we traveled through a huge swampy area we saw men with spears and dogs going hunting. That’s the first people we saw hunting; most of the land is used for farming. Later the land turned into plains and I noticed grain bins and large equipment nearby. We also saw some smaller tractors along the road. In this area we also saw an auction center for selling cattle. They sell mostly the native cattle. Fr. Daniel got a call so we stopped and picked up a catechist close to the auction and he rode with us a ways. He said the bulls here would sell for two million shillings. (Approx. $800) We dropped him off at a small town where he would go to school. Later in another town we stopped and I had lunch of rice and beans. The plates were piled high and more than we could eat. Joseph noticed that the kitchen was the back alley where they cooked the food. We then stopped by to say good-bye to our first host, Fr. Stephen. His niece and there and said that she would really like to come to America. I told her she could stay with us. We’ll see. Then we went around the corner to the parish to say good-bye to Fr. Jacob and Fr. Bill. Fr. Bill grabbed my hand like I was an old friend. I gave my hat to him. Fr. Pete was there visiting with the rest. He said he used to help the Dutchmen at the farm years ago when it was profitable. They taught him how to drive the tractor they had at the time so Fr. Pete did all the plowing. Next we went and visited a man who had a fish farm. The pond had Tilapia fish growing in it and it was separated into sections, a very nice set up for someone just starting in the business. We then went up to the house and met his 90 year old mother. She then asked Fr. Daniel for a blessing. We returned to the farm and had pineapple prepared by Moses that we bought along the road.
Tues. Jan 6
We went to 7:00 AM mass celebrated by Fr. Daniel in the St. Paul Church. There was only Fr. Daniel, Joseph and me. With the kids all gone home for Christmas break, the church was empty. Usually there are about 800 kids. We had breakfast and then left for Torroro and the Kenya border. Fr. Daniel wanted to visit a farm in Kitale, Kenya with a nice herd of Friesian and Ayrshire cattle. He was interested in purchasing something better than what the St. Paul farm had. The border to Kenya was not that secure, but getting through it was a hassle. It cost $50 per person to get through. As we continued in Kenya we got pulled over. Fr. Daniel seems to have a lead foot so therefore we got a speeding ticket which costs about $100 dollars. After he argued with the officer for about an hour he got the price down considerably. Kenya looked a lot like Uganda, but the roads they were working on were better built. Larger and newer equipment was being used too. It took two hours to get to the farm, which was located on the edge of the mountains. There were quite a few tractors in the area. This area had been settled 100 years ago by the Europeans. The owner’s son, Shedrock, who was in charge of the catte, was there when we arrived. He introduced us to his dad. He greeted us warmly and took us on a tour of the farm. He had bought the 800 acre dairy farm from a European in 1976,when the original owner went back to Europe. He worked for the Government at one time as an ambassador in Moscow for 2 years and London for 2 years. The farm has 35 employees and milks about 60-70 cows starting at 2:30 in the morning with some cows being milked 3 times a day. They did have a lot of broken down equipment because it is very hard to get parts and if they can get them they a very expensive. We looked at New Holland bailer that needed parts which they cannot get. We got the serial number for it and hopefully we can get the parts in the US and send the items back to them. There was a sick calf that looked dehydrated and was sick and I explained to them that electrolytes would help a lot. They did not know anything about the treatment. On this farm they frequently use artificial insemination but the last time they went to get semen for breeding the provider was out and they also did not have any more liquid nitrogen, which is used for storing the semen straws. Somehow the government is involved with this program, which explains why it is so hard to get supplies like this. We looked at their bred heifers which were very nice looking animals. Hopefully it will work out that the St. Paul Farm will get a few of these. They were milking at this time so we watched the employees milk the cows all by hand. Three at a time were milking while someone else would switch cows as soon as they were done. The cows were fed maize and a concentrate while they were being milked. Maize, millet, grasses and a legume similar to clover are crops they grow on the farm as feed. Shedrock was talking to Fr. Daniel about getting them cotton seed cake which is high in protein and is right in Uganda close to the border of Kenya. Fr. Daniel knows the owner of the plant. They have a 20,000 gallon water tank to hold water for the cattle. They are now pumping water to it from the creek, but during rainy season it fills us on its own. It is on the high point on the farm so gravity sends the water to all the tanks on the farm. On this farm there are two Seventh Day Adventist schools, one for boys and the other for girls, which he donated the land for. An interesting detail is that he gave his daughters a 150 acre dairy farm. Neither one lives on the farm. One lives in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya and the other in Australia but take turns coming home to check on it. After the tour they invited us in for a very nice supper. He invited his daughter- in -law to say grace and only the men set down to eat. We showed him pictures of our farm and they were very interested in them. It was getting late, so we had to leave. At the border to Uganda we had to wait for about 2 hours for checking and then we had to pay an unexpected $50 each to get back in. At dark we finally got to Torroro and met Fr. Daniels adopted family and visited with them. Rose, who Fr. Daniels calls “Mama” was celebrating her 50th birthday party. She brought out a wine bottle and beer and we all had something to drink and eat. They had 8 children and 2 were still at home. Everyone else had already left because it was much later when we finally arrived. We returned to the farm and slept.
Wed. Jan 7
The first thing we did was get our stuff packed up, ate and then went to visit the orphanage. When we arrived we dropped off two suitcases of supplies we had brought from home. The sister in charge took us to her office and explained how they operated. The children come mostly as infants because of abandonment, a mother’s death or the families just can’t take care of them for a number of reasons. When they reach 3 years old most of them will return to their families or are adopted. While she was talking, Patrick, a three year old boy, came in and greeted us with a big smile and holding our hands. He had been visiting his home and has been staying with his father. They are very pleased how the father has bonded to him and will let him go home soon to stay. We toured the premises. The first room was for the sick infants and two nurses would come and help take care of them and give them medication if needed. The dining area had small table and chairs and large tables with chairs. The adults eat with the children at all the meals. The infant bedroom had about 10 cribs and a smaller bedroom next to it with a few cribs for the babies that were sick. Another bedroom had small beds for the toddlers. There was also an open area, similar to a covered porch, where the kids were playing. All the kids wanted to be played with. Fr. Daniel & I spent some time picking them up and playing with them. Most of the children leave when they turn 3 but there was a 7 year old girl there the size of a three year old yet. She had some physical disabilities and had just learned to stand up by herself. We went to where they were feeding the babies and they lay them on mattresses after feeding. A 3 month old baby had just returned from the hospital after 3 months and they were caring for her hoping she would get better. The kitchen held an oven which they don’t use anymore because it gave off too much smoke while cooking. They are temporally cooking on burners that burn on methane gas provided by an underground cement tank that produces this gas from manure. There is a spot in the back room where they would like to put a new wood stove and oven, but the cost would be about 3 million shillings, about $1000 in American money. I told her I would ask the parish to help raise money to buy it. She was very happy about it.
The orphanage has its own farm with cows, pigs, chickens, garden, and banana trees. Because of the dry season, they are now buying grass to feed the cows. Many volunteers from the village help with the children along with a young girl from Maryland who was in the Peace Corp. Next to the orphanage there is a nursery that is used for the children whose parents work in the city. It is similar to a child care center. It was not being used while we were there because of the holidays.
We walked back to the farm from there and packed up our luggage and headed to the airport. We stopped at Ginga, a small village by Kampala, and picked up a few souvenirs. Driving down the road we stopped a fast food place in Uganda style; fried chicken on a stick and fried bananas cooked over open coals in the great outdoors. It was wrapped in someone’s homework paper. Later in the travel we stopped at the source of the Nile, Lake Victoria. We proceeded into Kampala and the road was very busy with stop and go traffic. There were venders going in and out of traffic selling bottles of water and other beverages as the people were waiting in their vehicles. In Kampala we picked up a young man whose father had the fish farm by Mbale. He was going to college and he was selling his pictures he drew with pencil. I bought one of his drawings of a tiger which was very detailed. The money he earns will help him get through college. He would ride with Fr. Daniel to his destination. We arrived at the airport and said our goodbyes to Fr. Daniel. We boarded our plane and began our journey home.
We flew back to Amsterdam, ate breakfast and lunch, and our flight from there to home we ate breakfast and lunch again because of the time change. From Amsterdam the flight took us over Greenland which was covered in mountain and snow. No signs of trees or any civilization, a very desolate looking continent.
Our arrival back home was uneventful, but at customs, they did take our soil samples away which we had taken from the farms to get analyzed. We were happy to be home.
On the plane just before we arrived in Etebbe, the Dutch stewardess asked why we were going Uganda and we told her our reason and she thought we were crazy going to this country, leaving home at Christmas and no family here to come to. We experienced a soft spoken, loving and generous people with a love for their faith, strong family ties and a passion for farming. What better way to see Christ then through the lives of these people who became our friends.
Mon. Dec 22, 2014
Flight to Amsterdam was smooth and pleasant. I slept most of the way. Amsterdam was like a United State’s airport , very large with many nationalities traveling. Most of the signs were in English and all the airport personnel spoke English along with other languages. We bought something small to eat. Paid in American dollars but they gave us change in Euros. We had to find something to buy so we could spend the change since we would not need this currency where we were going. During the flight on KLM airlines they fed us cheese, butter, yogurt ice cream and other dairy products since it is a Dutch company. On this flight to Entebbe we flew over Europe in the daylight. We flew over Italy and could see the Alpine mountains with small villages in every valley. On the level mountain tops there were lines of wind turbines . I never realized Italy is made up of mostly mountain terrain. The Mediterranean Sea was next and then the Sahara Desert which seemed endless. At dark you could see spotted large fires burning on the ground. Not sure what they were, possible oil wells?
We arrived at Entebbe airport on Dec 23 around 11:00 pm and the first thing we had to do was get our temperature checked. (An Ebola outbreak was in Western Africa). Soon as we went through customs, which was very quick, Father Daniel and a friend, Alex, were waiting at the door for us. Alex was a local and knew the area. We went to a nearby hotel and stayed the night. The hotel had guarded steel gates with solid brick walls surrounding it with razor wire on top. Our room had 2 single beds with netting over them.
Dec 24
We started the day with breakfast at the hotel consisting of egg, coffee, deep fried bread with meat inside and a slice of watermelon and muskmelon (fruit looked like it was 3 days old). We visited with Fr. Daniel during Breakfast and tried to call James about semen for breeding the cows. James is a Select Sire salesman in Kampala , Uganda. He could not meet with us because he was in traffic trying to get his daughter to the airport. On our trip we went through the capital, Kampala. The traffic was heavy, motorcycles and bikes weaved in and out through the traffic. The motorcycles were 100 cc bikes from India with long, wide seats to carry passengers and products. It was not unusual to see 3 passengers plus the driver on one small motorcycle or large item strapped to the back. There were very few Japanese bikes because of the expense. Everywhere we went there were small shops in little huts lining the roads selling products. Because of Christmas, more meat than usual was hanging in the huts. Meat is a special meal, very little of it is used throughout the year. Police were at every crossroad to direct traffic in white suits. Other police wore camouflage and carried rifles. We were told that traffic police wore white so that when they returned to the station they would be able to tell if they took bribes if their pockets were dirty from putting their hands in them. We stopped at a grocery store, used mainly for wealthy customers, with many products you would find in the United States. Before they would even let you in the parking lot they had to check under the car with a mirror and looked inside the car by an armed guard at the entrance. We bought drinking water and few other items before continuing our trip. At the store we met Martha, a friend of Fr. Daniels who would ride with us. On our way to Fr. Stephen’s, where we would stay the next 3 days, we noticed some young boys playing soccer with a ball of wrapped tubes and rags. We asked if we could stop and give them a soccer ball we had brought with us. Fr. Daniel stopped and they surrounded the car while we proceeded to get the ball out of the luggage and pumped it up. They were very happy to receive it. Martha said that was the best Christmas present they could have.
As we traveled from Kampala you noticed the homes were not as nice as the ones in town. Many were round with thatched roofs. In many places you would find one larger hut with smaller ones around. The larger hut was for the parents and sons would build around the main one; less land would be used and they have the protection of each other. Outside of the huts the dirt is packed tightly and the ground is swept daily of any debris. Most people sleep on reed mats on the floor, but foam beds are becoming more prevalent. The foam mattresses that are used are now made in Uganda. After arriving at Fr. Stephens we had a supper of bananas that were mashed, rice and chicken. There were 4 different types of bananas that we ate with different ways to prepare, one they mashed, one they fried, one like we eat here in America and a small and very sweet eating banana. That night we drank Nile beer out of bottles, made in Uganda and then had a hot drink made of fermented millet that is served in a large pottery bowl. Approximately four foot long straws made of hollowed branches with a screen on one end and a turkey quill on the other were used to drink the mixture. Everyone sits around the bowl and drinks out of it together.
Dec 25
The next morning we got up at 5:00 AM and went to the first Mass at St. Mark Church with Fr. Stephen which was to start at 6:00 AM. Someone told Fr. Stephen that the people wouldn't get there till 7:00 and they were right. People came from all directions and kept coming throughout the service. The women were dressed in bright colored dresses. If a husband did not buy his wife a new piece of clothing for Christmas he looked down upon. Since we were guests we had to sit right up by the altar. At the beginning, we had fifty little kids sitting at our feet and by the end of Mass there had to close to a hundred. The children sit around the altar and the adults sit on the benches if they have them. If not, they bring mats to sit on. It is quite common to have the men sit on one side and the women on the other, but not always. Mass is said in the language of the area. If the priest does not know the language of that parish, they have catechist who will translate for them from that area. At the Mass there was a lot of clapping and singing throughout. For the offertory the people would go up to the altar and set the money in a dish. If they did not have money, it would not be uncommon for them to bring a live chicken (legs tied), rice or other food and leave it at the altar. At the end of the service they sang and danced, with both children and adults joining in. The music was played on traditional stringed instruments and drums. The instruments were made of wood and cords from animal skins. At the end of each mass, Fr. Stephen would say something about us .We had no idea what he said, but we were blessed many times that day by the people. The blessing was done in a traditional African way by rubbing their hands together and bestowing a blessing by moving their hand towards us. We had two bags of butterscotch candy we brought and it wasn’t near enough even for the first service. Little hands were everywhere. Sweets are a very special treat for the kids. They very seldom have them. We ended up going to 3 more Christmas Masses that day, each one late because the first one started so late. The last Mass was outside because the church was too warm by the time we got there. At the end of each mass we took pictures. The Uganda people love their pictures taken and were more than willing to. Also, when we were greeted by the women, they kneeled and bowed first as a greeting. This was very common throughout our stay.
Christmas Day we spent the evening with Fr. Stephen’s family at his compound or home. Other priests joined us. Fr. Jacob joined us. He was soon going to have over 200 First Communicants. We gave him rosaries for every one of them and he was very pleased. These were given to us to bring by woman who made them with love from home. Our meal consisted of chicken, pork, turkey, beef, potatoes, and rice cooked by Fr. Stephen’s nieces. This was a very special meal for the country and would only see it on very special occasions.
Joseph and I each had our own room with a foam beds. This was a nice home built of brick stone with 3 bedrooms, living room and bathroom. The kitchen was in another building close by. Cooking is always done in another building or outside.
Fri., Dec 26
We went to 10:00 AM mass at one of the churches close to us. Fr. Jacob and Fr. Stephen celebrated the mass. After we came back and took some soil samples of Fr. Stephen’s brothers farm located around the house. Because it was the feast day of St. Stephen, Fr. Stephen had a party at his home. We sat, ate, and drank beer. The women, both young and old waited on us throughout our stay, not letting us do anything. We discussed different farming practices which would help improve yields. Also we talked about artificial insemination and discussed the fact that none of bull cattle were castrated throughout our travel that we had seen. They did not have any knowledge of the growth advantages of steers. We gave some vegetable seed packets that we brought to Fr. Bill and Fr. Jacob. They were very happy to get them. Fr. Bill is an older priest that lives in the rectory close by. Fr. Daniel had given Fr. Jacob some tomato seeds from a previous shipment we sent a couple of years ago. They grew very well and had large fruit. Fr. Bill would not eat them for some time because he thought the tomatoes were cursed.
Sat. Dec 27
Fr. Daniel and Fr. Stephen took us to the market and we bought some produce. There were several types of dried beans and the priest bought some white cow peas used for soup (When cooked they tasted like pea soup) and some fish. The market consisted of just about anything used in the area; cooked and fresh fish, clothes, bikes, chickens, vet supplies, straws for drinking millet juice and etc. Everyone barters for the price and never pay what is asked. I bought some sandals made from truck tires and paid $3000 shillings which is about $1 in American money. I was being teased about wearing my shoes all the time. Joseph brought his own from home. Everyone wears sandals there. We returned to Fr. Stephens place and went to his brother’s home nearby for a party, for it was his turn to have a party. They celebrate Christmas for days. We had some candy for the children and everywhere I walked kids were holding my hands. The adults were drinking from the pot. I got some crayons and paper out that we brought and had the kids draw a picture for Fr. Stephen. They thoroughly enjoyed drawing. The kids then gave the pictures to Fr. Stephen for his Christmas cards. A football game was started after instructions but ended more like a rugby game. The kids had a riot and as the game continued, more kids came and joined in, playing till dark. People walking down the road stopped and watched along with the adults at the party. When the game ended they thanked us, for they had just as much fun watching as the kids did playing.
Sun. Dec 28
Still at Fr. Stephens we got up and had breakfast and left for the farm with Fr. Daniel. On the way there we had to pick up a catechist at a church that Fr. Daniel was previously assigned to. The catechist was with us to show us the way and translate so Fr. Daniel could celebrate an outside mass at a widow’s home with her family, 60-70 people came along with a goat running around when it became loose. It was being celebrated for her deceased husband. Afterwards, they insisted that we stay for lunch. They gave Fr. Daniel a chicken and some fruit to take with him. The woman had 8 daughters and custom goes that if you do not have a son, the inheritance would go to the male relatives, therefore the father went to another women hoping to get a son but contracted aids. His wife is now being treated for aids.
On the way to the farm we stopped at a town and talked to a man and his son who had chickens in a building. They were very healthy looking and Fr. Daniel was going to buy some for layers. We finally got to the farm. The St. Paul Mbale School has the farm on their premises. It belongs to the Archdiocese. The farm was built by the Dutch and at one time was a very nice and profitable farm. Much of the materials looked as if they all came from Europe. There was a water system to water all the pastures, a manure pit, loading ramp and many other conveniences. At one time it supplied all the milk and eggs for Mbale. The story is that one of the Dutch men was shot and killed during a political unrest and the others went back to their home country. Since then the farm was not been kept up and everything is now run down and needs major repair. The parlor is still in decent shape and a couple of other buildings. There are 3 odd silos which are in the ground. Only 4 feet of the cement is showing above ground and then dirt sides approx. 20 feet dug in the ground. There are a few other small buildings standing but are now occupied with people. A disc, plow and trailer are on the farm and can be used if a tractor was available. The 12 cattle on the farm looked healthy. Three were used for milking but gave very little, about 6 liters. The rest of the cattle Fr. Daniel would like to get sold and buy some bred heifers, but needs permission from the bishop.
Fr. Kevin called Fr. Daniel and wanted us to check on his quail . He had around a 100 and they quit laying eggs completely. He had all his questions written down and all his feeds that he was feeding his quail. Joseph suggested changing the way he fed, more maize and less millet, and to put grass in for nesting, and add more light and longer duration of light. Fr. Kevin called a couple of days later and said they had started laying eggs, around 10 and almost every day we were there he would call and the amount of eggs would increase. When we left they were laying over 60 eggs a day. He was a very happy farmer priest.
We ended up staying with Fr. Kevin for a while and had something to eat and had the millet drink again. We then went back to the farm. The tribe, who were down the hill from where we stayed, were beating their drums tonight. The boys 15-20 dance for three days straight, going down the road. We had to wait for them when we drove to Fr. Daniels. The boys stand in front of their houses and get circumcised on evening on the third day in front of their families. This is done only on the even years. You could hear then all night long.
Every early morning and early evening you could hear the loud speakers calling the Muslims in Mbale to prayer. Joseph asked Father if they had trouble with the Muslims. Fr. Said not usually, but he did have problems a while back when they wanted him to close a mission church which had a lot of Muslims living around it. They threatened to kill him if he didn’t and he demanded to know who it was responsible for the threat, but no one would come forward. From that point he had no trouble, but they are now threatening the new priest who took over his territory
Mon. Dec 29
When we got up the next morning we watched Jophet, the herdsman, milk the cows. He was hard to communicate with because he knew no English and he spoke a different language which Fr. Daniel did not know very well. Derrick was a young dependable man who also helped on the farm and worked with the poultry. He will be going into the seminary in July. Lawrence is 54and has 4 kids and works on the farm. He still has a 6 year old who lives with his wife in Torroro. Sometimes he cannot get home for weeks at a time because he has no money to get there. He is a very good worker and spoke very good English. Lawrence and I became very good friends in our stay. We then went into Mbale and picked up some wire to make a rabbit cage. We did make one long rabbit cage to get the rabbits off the floor.
Later a Ugandan named Albert came by. He worked for the Archdiocese in the Rural Education Program sponsored the Catholic Relief Services. He had been to the United Kingdom to study Ag. He talked about a program that sponsored 8 young men from Uganda to stay on a United Kingdom farm for 6 weeks to learn and had some success. We visited for quite some time for he liked to talk.
At supper we visited with Fr. George and he talked about Uganda politics, explaining about what went on in Uganda. He told about being able to see the Pigmy people on the edge of the Congo on the west side of Uganda walking among the people. They are very small in size, 4 feet. Another tribe by South Africa is very small too but yellow/brown in color and they communicate by clicking instead of talking. He also talked about another tribe in the mountains in Ethiopia that many long distance runners come from who compete in world events. He also mentioned that the Ethiopian people were lighter skinned because they were descendants of King Salomon from his marriage to the queen of Sheba , a black women. He then showed a recent paper where 3 Ethiopian men were the first to finish a marathon.
That night Joseph was ready to take a shower and the power went out. He wasn’t too happy. It’s not unusual to have it go out 3 or 4 times a week and could be off for hours at a time. This time it was out all night. We had to scramble to find our torches (flashlights). It’s very warm at night and mosquitoes fly around your ears.
Tues. Dec 30
Up at 6:00 we went to the field where Lawrence was working. He was hand spraying the field with a mixture he used from soaking a certain plant in water. This was to help the plants he was spraying get more nitrogen and help with the drought conditions. The plant s did look healthy considering the climate at this time. We then worked on the back of the barn where the calves will be housed . The barn needed a post because it was falling down. A corral is needed but couldn’t get that done because of no supplies whatsoever. After that we went to Torroro to meet Archbishop Emmanual. He graciously greeted us and visited for an hour or so. We talked about farming and explained about our farm that has been in the family for over 100 years. He mentioned that he could trust our advice because of the farm being in the same family for so long and that we kept our word that we would come to Uganda. He asked us to evaluate the farm and give recommendations. I think the meeting was fruitful. The Archbishop then fed us lunch along with two other priests. The nuns had made a meal of mostacelli , chicken, goat, and watermelon for desert. The goat meat was delicious. As we were preparing to eat Archbishop Emmanual forked a gizzard from the chicken and said it was custom that the one of honor at the table would eat the gizzard and gave it to me. This happened more than once during our stay. We then had our picture with the Archbishop. He had to quickly fix himself up before he would allow the picture to be taken.
The convent was close by and we visited the nuns there. They grow their own food and have their own animals, pigs, chickens, rabbits, turkeys, and 2 cows. They had a Massey Ferguson tractor that was not running at the time. The Archbishop said Fr. Daniel could have it if we got it running. It turned over but I could not get back there to work on it. We came back to Mbale. In Mbale we stopped and visited a small farm where they had a nice looking cow but it only gave 5 liters. We suggested to feed some maize for protein and fat, and keep water in front of the cow at all times. A week later he called Fr. Daniel and said the cow was giving 3 times as much milk as before. Fr. Daniel then stopped at the car wash. This works by stopping by the creek and people getting buckets of water and hand washing the vehicle. Father tried to rush him but he said he would not be able to do a rush job and do it right so we walked over by the church which had a convent next to it. There we met a nun who served us her homemade wine made from Magnolias. Another nun was there who belong to the tribe that believed all cattle belong to their tribe only. Guns were taken away from this tribe so now they have a harder time steeling cattle from others. We met the priest and ate with them. Fr. Daniel went to check on the car, which wasn’t done yet, and he came back with a Kenya friend who worked at a sports club which consisted of pool tables, racket ball, chess, and a golf course. We dropped him off at the club. The golf course was nothing like we have here. It was a 16 hole course and had corn growing in it with cattle grazing throughout.
Wed. Dec 31
We went to mass in Mbale with Fr. Daniel. He said mass with the priest there. After mass we had breakfast in the rectory. This parish for many years was under a Dutch priest who loved his beer. They still talk about him. Every Thursday he would invite all the area priests to drink beer out of the pot or bottle. Also, something interesting was that there were 2 meteor rocks sat in the corner of the rectory. There was a shower of them that fell in that area in 1994. They had to dig way down in the ground to get them. He was offered several thousand dollars for them but he wouldn’t sell them.
The Sisters of Charity convent is right next to this church. Every morning the homeless kids come to the convent to get washed up and fed. We came back to the farm and worked on the calf barn for a while. Fr. Daniel’s friend Arthur came and said Fr. Daniel had some meeting in Mbale and he was to show us around town. Arthur spoke with a british accent and helped set up the incubator at the farm . He remembered how the farm looked when he went to school years ago at St. Paul and wanted the farm to succeed. Arthur told us that he much like the westerners because he is divorced. His wife left him and their 4 children to go back to her village and only comes at Christmas time for a visit. We stopped at his home and met his kids who were very happy to see their father. His sister and her children also live with him. We drove up the mountain near the town and looked at the waterfalls. He then showed us a very nice hotel which he helped build, swimming pool and all the works. They were all getting decorated up for New Years Eve and getting ready for fireworks. We returned to the farm and later in the evening Fr. Daniel returned. He was taken by the police who said they wanted him to bless a house, but they took him to where they had gathered the homeless kids in town. They told the kids that Fr. Daniel had set it up but Fr. Daniel didn’t know anything about it. They had cake for the children but some would not eat it for they thought it was poisoned because they didn’t trust some of officers. The police officers wanted to make friends with the children. Fr. Daniel who was their friend and was trusted by the kids told them it would be alright but some still would not eat it. These kids look out for each like family. That evening Lawrence had to get an IV because he was not feeling well. He had to walk to the clinic to get treated. Not sure what he had. He felt much better as the week went on.
We ended staying up till midnight watching the fire works for the New Year.
Thurs Jan 1, 2015
In the morning we went to mass with Derrick for the holy day near the farm, about a half mile away. This was first time we didn’t sit in the front. Thinking we got away with it, the priest at the end of mass pointed us out (not that we didn’t stick out) and welcomed us. We returned to the farm and did some soil samples. Lawrence asked if me if I wanted to go to the market with him. He has a man that sells cabbage and Lawrence would take the outside leaves which were not good and use them to feed the rabbits on the farm. While we picking off the leaves a woman came out and started complaining to me. I had no idea what she was saying. Ask Lawrence and he said she likes you very much, but wouldn’t say exactly what she said. I’m sure it wasn’t very nice. That’s the only time that someone was unfriendly.
We then left for the mountains with Fr. Daniel to Sipi. One thing Fr. Daniel spoke about as we were going up is that you never drive behind a truck. The trucks are in very poor condition and possibly may not make it up the hill and start backing up. They didn’t have flashers or flares, but used sticks in front and behind to warn people there is a breakdown. Up towards the mountain we met Fr. John at his home and we all went to Sipi Falls. Fr. John loves to hike and does a lot of it because he has about 40 missions in the mountains. In the raining season you have to walk to them. This is a tourist attraction and near is a place to stay in little huts. We climbed all the way to top of the falls with Fr. John. At the top there were people watering their cattle, washing in it, and drawing water out. We climbed down and drove farther up in mountains to Kapchonwa and took some picture where you could see for a very long way. Very beautiful. We stopped and talked to a man who was building a new hotel right on the edge of the mountain. He was constructing a monument of St. Pope John Paul on his property on a side of a hill. Animals were below the hill watching him as if they were honoring St. Pope John Paul. On our return we stopped at a place called the Crows Nest. We climbed to the top of it and you could see everything from there. They bring you beer, so we had a Nile beer while we were standing there. It used to be a watch area for the tribe who would steel cattle. These people wear no clothing and to this day they can’t get them to wear them in public. We returned to the rectory of Fr. John where we met Fr. William, who taught at the seminary in Torroro and had supper and millet beer with them. They always have someone there to cook for them. We stayed up late and talked. It was cooler in the mountains around 60degrees F. and for us it felt good but everyone else wanted to go inside. Fr. John said no priest like to come to this area. The Dutch priest that was here before had money and gave the people stuff. To this time the people do not want to give anything to the church and expect the priest to give to them. Most places we visited we showed people some picture we had taken of our farm and family. They were most interested in them. Fr. John like the ones we had of the cows out to pasture so I left a couple with him. We had taken the last family picture we had taken which was at Monica’s wedding. Many people wanted to know how much her dowry was. It is the custom in Uganda to have the future husband pay the father of the bride a dowry, which usually consisted of 5-10 cattle or something similar.
We slept there.
Fri. Jan 2
Still at Fr. Johns we got up in the morning and watched a man milking a cow which looked like a Jersey. This cow had just had a bull calf and gave close to 15 liters of milk. We looked at the bull the cow had been bred with. It was tied near the school near the church and it was a Jersey breed. Because it was cooler the people had coats on. We wore short sleeve shirts. It felt good to us. A grove a Eucalyptus trees about 130 ft tall and 4 feet wide were growing next to the rectory, straight up with no branches until the top. They were planted only 20 years ago. They grow these trees as a crop. Before we left we had a nice breakfast there. We were getting ready to leave and Fr. William suggested we go see the Sisters of Mary who live in a convent next to the rectory. They greeted us and asked if we were hungry. We said we just got done eating breakfast but the sister said, in Africa every house you go to you eat like you haven’t eaten yet. So they served us tea and cake and waited on us doing everything, even putting sugar in your tea. Never have we been waited on as we were in Uganda and probably will never be again. The sister and Fr. William talked a lot about Kenya. The Sisters of Mary are based in Kenya and Fr. William had a parish next to the border. One interesting thing they said is that President Obama’s tribe in Kenya is the smartest tribe but they could never come to power. We left for Mbale and on our way we stopped in a small village to see a man who does custom plowing. He has 4 old tractors, one from India, two Massey Fergusons, and the other was a MT which is a Massey Ferguson built in India. They were all in rough shape but he kept them running. One of the tractors had no keys or battery and the starter didn’t work so they have to push it to get it going. It takes 5-6 guys to push it. This man also grew Sunflowers and had a press to remove the oil for cooking. He also had a machine that removes the hulls for the rice. He had a lot going and had other interests too. We went to the market and he bought a bunch of stuff along with sugar cane for us to take back. When we returned to the farm, we had a class on artificial insemination which was scheduled a day before. Eight guys came and learned how to do it. Joseph had a computer with a demonstration on it and the supplies and they practiced on the cows on the farm. They all seemed very interested in learning and after they were done they wanted to see some pictures that he had taken in the US that Joseph had on his computer. They sat there a long time chewing on sugar cane for quite some time. When finished with the class we walked with Lawrence to visit a farm run by a Dutchman.When we got to the farm a young man greeted us and was very knowledgeable about what was going on at the farm. He was the owner’s son and had just came back from spending time at a dairy farm in Germany owned by a friend of his dads. Jerome, the Dutchman came out and showed us around . By African standards this was the nicest dairy farm we saw and possibly the nicest one in the country. They got 20 liters of milk a day per cow, milking 12 by hand. Plus he bought milk from neighbors to make cheese and yogurt. He then would sell his milk and milk products to restaurants and hotels in Mbale. It was a clean farm and the cattle were kept on cement at all times with cement free stalls. Hooves needed trimmed quite often because they never were out to graze on the ground. This Dutchman was a brother at one time and learned farming from the St. Paul school in Mbale. He then married a Ugandan woman and then started farming . He had two acres and two cows when he started and now has 20 cattle and 20 acres. His cows were all AI bred and looked like they were all Holsteins (they call them Friesians) and Ayrshires.
We returned to the farm and had supper of potatoes, rice, beef and green leaves. Moses was our cook. He would cook and then leave, we hardly ever saw him, and then he would return when we were done and clean.
Sat. Jan 3
In the morning we did some more soil tests on the farm. Oscar, a young man about Joseph’s age, came and asked Joseph about raising chickens on his 5 acres farm he just bought. He wanted to build a housing unit for chickens and turkeys. As Joseph was talking to Oscar, a bull had fallen in the septic hole and was in it up to his head. With the help of a few people they got him out, full of septic draining and smelled very bad. The people who helped expected to be paid, so they paid them a small stipend.
We then left for the game reserve in Murchison Falls National Park on the northwest side of Uganda. On the way we dropped of Oscar at his home. His mother does sewing and she measured Joseph & I for African shirts. The trip to the Park lasted about 5 hours. We drove through Pakwach and stayed there at Global Village. It is very warm in this part of the country . We were supposed to stay in tents but decided that the hotel for the same price sounded much better. We purchased our rooms and sat around and visited for a while. They fed us a very tasty supper from fresh butchered chickens which they keep out back. The girls that worked there were watching TV. They were watching soap opera and the acting was terrible. This is the TV we saw since we left home. Power from the generator shuts off a midnight. We retired early.
Sun. Jan 4
We got up early and went 5:30 AM mass. The church was full and it was in a language that Fr. Daniel didn’t know since it was a different tribe. After mass we came back to the hotel and ate breakfast, very similar to the breakfast you would get at home. Cornflakes with hot milk, eggs and toast were served. Throughout our stay milk was served very hot. There is no refrigeration. After breakfast we drove to the park which was only a few miles away. We paid to get in and hired a guide who was equipped with a rifle. He jumped in our car and we drove Fr. Daniels car down the trails. He didn’t know he was going to have to take his own vehicle. We were allowed to drive off the paths, but couldn’t with the car very often. It would have been nice to have a truck then you could see over the grass better. It didn’t take long before we saw giraffes. We saw many hippos, elephants, warthogs, vultures, monkeys, water buffalo, many different birds and different kinds of antelope. One elephant was standing next to the road and towered over the car. He ignored us most of the time. African elephants are the largest land animals. A giraffe was near us later on. The guide got out and checked it out and it was missing a leg. He said it probably got caught in a poachers trap. There were many elephants out grazing. The hippos mostly stay in the water during the day, but at night they can travel up to 17 kilometers to eat.
We traveled across the Nile on a ferry to eat. While we were eating 2 warthogs lay down very close to us and rested there like they were very used to it. We saw the tents we were going to stay in and this is when we decided Global Village was much better. We returned to the original side and rented a boat to go up the Nile River to see Murchison Falls. As we traveled we saw many animals in and around the river, especially hippos and crocodiles. It was a 2 hour ride to the falls. They are the most rapid falls in Africa and were impressive. The ride back was only an hour. On the way out we gave a ride to a worker from the park . Our guide left when we got on the boat. He noticed that the antelope were looking away from us and jumped out and spotted a lion in the distance. We all got out and saw the lion that was scoping out the herd and maybe his next lunch.
We drove back around and through town. Kids were playing with their home made tied up soccer balls. We returned to the Global Village and had supper and then retired for the night.
Mon. Jan 5
We got up and went to the 6:30 AM mass in Pakwach. Then came back to the hotel and had our breakfast and paid our bill for 5 meals and 2 days stay for two rooms at a cost of $150. As we began to return back, there is a check point before we got on the main road. We had no trouble but there were all kinds of venders right at your window. Where ever traffic is slow or stopped you will find them. They sell anything from food to toilet paper. We bought a few souvenirs through the window and peanuts and sesame cakes made with honey. On the way home we had to drive through the south part of the Reserve and noticed two men running in the bushes with something on their backs, probably poachers. Later as we traveled through a huge swampy area we saw men with spears and dogs going hunting. That’s the first people we saw hunting; most of the land is used for farming. Later the land turned into plains and I noticed grain bins and large equipment nearby. We also saw some smaller tractors along the road. In this area we also saw an auction center for selling cattle. They sell mostly the native cattle. Fr. Daniel got a call so we stopped and picked up a catechist close to the auction and he rode with us a ways. He said the bulls here would sell for two million shillings. (Approx. $800) We dropped him off at a small town where he would go to school. Later in another town we stopped and I had lunch of rice and beans. The plates were piled high and more than we could eat. Joseph noticed that the kitchen was the back alley where they cooked the food. We then stopped by to say good-bye to our first host, Fr. Stephen. His niece and there and said that she would really like to come to America. I told her she could stay with us. We’ll see. Then we went around the corner to the parish to say good-bye to Fr. Jacob and Fr. Bill. Fr. Bill grabbed my hand like I was an old friend. I gave my hat to him. Fr. Pete was there visiting with the rest. He said he used to help the Dutchmen at the farm years ago when it was profitable. They taught him how to drive the tractor they had at the time so Fr. Pete did all the plowing. Next we went and visited a man who had a fish farm. The pond had Tilapia fish growing in it and it was separated into sections, a very nice set up for someone just starting in the business. We then went up to the house and met his 90 year old mother. She then asked Fr. Daniel for a blessing. We returned to the farm and had pineapple prepared by Moses that we bought along the road.
Tues. Jan 6
We went to 7:00 AM mass celebrated by Fr. Daniel in the St. Paul Church. There was only Fr. Daniel, Joseph and me. With the kids all gone home for Christmas break, the church was empty. Usually there are about 800 kids. We had breakfast and then left for Torroro and the Kenya border. Fr. Daniel wanted to visit a farm in Kitale, Kenya with a nice herd of Friesian and Ayrshire cattle. He was interested in purchasing something better than what the St. Paul farm had. The border to Kenya was not that secure, but getting through it was a hassle. It cost $50 per person to get through. As we continued in Kenya we got pulled over. Fr. Daniel seems to have a lead foot so therefore we got a speeding ticket which costs about $100 dollars. After he argued with the officer for about an hour he got the price down considerably. Kenya looked a lot like Uganda, but the roads they were working on were better built. Larger and newer equipment was being used too. It took two hours to get to the farm, which was located on the edge of the mountains. There were quite a few tractors in the area. This area had been settled 100 years ago by the Europeans. The owner’s son, Shedrock, who was in charge of the catte, was there when we arrived. He introduced us to his dad. He greeted us warmly and took us on a tour of the farm. He had bought the 800 acre dairy farm from a European in 1976,when the original owner went back to Europe. He worked for the Government at one time as an ambassador in Moscow for 2 years and London for 2 years. The farm has 35 employees and milks about 60-70 cows starting at 2:30 in the morning with some cows being milked 3 times a day. They did have a lot of broken down equipment because it is very hard to get parts and if they can get them they a very expensive. We looked at New Holland bailer that needed parts which they cannot get. We got the serial number for it and hopefully we can get the parts in the US and send the items back to them. There was a sick calf that looked dehydrated and was sick and I explained to them that electrolytes would help a lot. They did not know anything about the treatment. On this farm they frequently use artificial insemination but the last time they went to get semen for breeding the provider was out and they also did not have any more liquid nitrogen, which is used for storing the semen straws. Somehow the government is involved with this program, which explains why it is so hard to get supplies like this. We looked at their bred heifers which were very nice looking animals. Hopefully it will work out that the St. Paul Farm will get a few of these. They were milking at this time so we watched the employees milk the cows all by hand. Three at a time were milking while someone else would switch cows as soon as they were done. The cows were fed maize and a concentrate while they were being milked. Maize, millet, grasses and a legume similar to clover are crops they grow on the farm as feed. Shedrock was talking to Fr. Daniel about getting them cotton seed cake which is high in protein and is right in Uganda close to the border of Kenya. Fr. Daniel knows the owner of the plant. They have a 20,000 gallon water tank to hold water for the cattle. They are now pumping water to it from the creek, but during rainy season it fills us on its own. It is on the high point on the farm so gravity sends the water to all the tanks on the farm. On this farm there are two Seventh Day Adventist schools, one for boys and the other for girls, which he donated the land for. An interesting detail is that he gave his daughters a 150 acre dairy farm. Neither one lives on the farm. One lives in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya and the other in Australia but take turns coming home to check on it. After the tour they invited us in for a very nice supper. He invited his daughter- in -law to say grace and only the men set down to eat. We showed him pictures of our farm and they were very interested in them. It was getting late, so we had to leave. At the border to Uganda we had to wait for about 2 hours for checking and then we had to pay an unexpected $50 each to get back in. At dark we finally got to Torroro and met Fr. Daniels adopted family and visited with them. Rose, who Fr. Daniels calls “Mama” was celebrating her 50th birthday party. She brought out a wine bottle and beer and we all had something to drink and eat. They had 8 children and 2 were still at home. Everyone else had already left because it was much later when we finally arrived. We returned to the farm and slept.
Wed. Jan 7
The first thing we did was get our stuff packed up, ate and then went to visit the orphanage. When we arrived we dropped off two suitcases of supplies we had brought from home. The sister in charge took us to her office and explained how they operated. The children come mostly as infants because of abandonment, a mother’s death or the families just can’t take care of them for a number of reasons. When they reach 3 years old most of them will return to their families or are adopted. While she was talking, Patrick, a three year old boy, came in and greeted us with a big smile and holding our hands. He had been visiting his home and has been staying with his father. They are very pleased how the father has bonded to him and will let him go home soon to stay. We toured the premises. The first room was for the sick infants and two nurses would come and help take care of them and give them medication if needed. The dining area had small table and chairs and large tables with chairs. The adults eat with the children at all the meals. The infant bedroom had about 10 cribs and a smaller bedroom next to it with a few cribs for the babies that were sick. Another bedroom had small beds for the toddlers. There was also an open area, similar to a covered porch, where the kids were playing. All the kids wanted to be played with. Fr. Daniel & I spent some time picking them up and playing with them. Most of the children leave when they turn 3 but there was a 7 year old girl there the size of a three year old yet. She had some physical disabilities and had just learned to stand up by herself. We went to where they were feeding the babies and they lay them on mattresses after feeding. A 3 month old baby had just returned from the hospital after 3 months and they were caring for her hoping she would get better. The kitchen held an oven which they don’t use anymore because it gave off too much smoke while cooking. They are temporally cooking on burners that burn on methane gas provided by an underground cement tank that produces this gas from manure. There is a spot in the back room where they would like to put a new wood stove and oven, but the cost would be about 3 million shillings, about $1000 in American money. I told her I would ask the parish to help raise money to buy it. She was very happy about it.
The orphanage has its own farm with cows, pigs, chickens, garden, and banana trees. Because of the dry season, they are now buying grass to feed the cows. Many volunteers from the village help with the children along with a young girl from Maryland who was in the Peace Corp. Next to the orphanage there is a nursery that is used for the children whose parents work in the city. It is similar to a child care center. It was not being used while we were there because of the holidays.
We walked back to the farm from there and packed up our luggage and headed to the airport. We stopped at Ginga, a small village by Kampala, and picked up a few souvenirs. Driving down the road we stopped a fast food place in Uganda style; fried chicken on a stick and fried bananas cooked over open coals in the great outdoors. It was wrapped in someone’s homework paper. Later in the travel we stopped at the source of the Nile, Lake Victoria. We proceeded into Kampala and the road was very busy with stop and go traffic. There were venders going in and out of traffic selling bottles of water and other beverages as the people were waiting in their vehicles. In Kampala we picked up a young man whose father had the fish farm by Mbale. He was going to college and he was selling his pictures he drew with pencil. I bought one of his drawings of a tiger which was very detailed. The money he earns will help him get through college. He would ride with Fr. Daniel to his destination. We arrived at the airport and said our goodbyes to Fr. Daniel. We boarded our plane and began our journey home.
We flew back to Amsterdam, ate breakfast and lunch, and our flight from there to home we ate breakfast and lunch again because of the time change. From Amsterdam the flight took us over Greenland which was covered in mountain and snow. No signs of trees or any civilization, a very desolate looking continent.
Our arrival back home was uneventful, but at customs, they did take our soil samples away which we had taken from the farms to get analyzed. We were happy to be home.
On the plane just before we arrived in Etebbe, the Dutch stewardess asked why we were going Uganda and we told her our reason and she thought we were crazy going to this country, leaving home at Christmas and no family here to come to. We experienced a soft spoken, loving and generous people with a love for their faith, strong family ties and a passion for farming. What better way to see Christ then through the lives of these people who became our friends.
