Maybe I can cook like a Ugandan

Day 16 in Uganda

Momma Nabakalu taught me how to make g-nut sauce. We mixed carrots, tomatoes, onions, salt, garlic and g-nut paste (ground g-nuts). I wasn’t too thrilled with the results and I asked George if that is the way it is supposed to taste. He said it was not the best and he would have Wilson teach me. He said Wilson made is so good you would want to lick your fingers. It was a day of rest. After I finished helping cook, I took a nap and so did George. When I got up Christie and I decided to take Godfrey, Brian, and Ali to get a hair cut. Wilson and Bida came along. 

After we arrived in Bombo town and dropped the boys off, Christie and I had to head back home for a small emergency. We bounced up the road and laughed the whole way. After we were done at home, we headed back to get the boys. When we got back, the living room was filled with kids watching movies. Christie and I went in my room and got on the computer until the power went off. We sat up until about 2 am and then we went to bed. As I said my prayers, I prayed for rain. The land is so dry. The trees are wilting and the grass is turning brown. Dirt covers everything. When you drive a cloud of dust follows. The crops are suffering and without them people won’t have food.

Day 17 in Uganda

Today is my husband Matt’s birthday. This is the first birthday I have spent away from him in 6 years. I know he misses me terribly and I miss him. But he knows my heart and supports me in whatever I do. I am so glad God put us together and together we are growing in our faith. He completes me. We have a beautiful daughter, Willow. He loves my son, Xavier, as though he was his own and I love his daughter, Attie, the same. I have the most wonderful in-laws anyone could ask for. I thank God everyday for blessing me with such a wonderful family. 

For lunch, Wilson taught me how to make g-nut sauce. We only put eggplant and g-nut paste in this time. I sat outside by the charcoal stove. Some of Christie and George’s kids came in for lunch. I tried sugarcane for the first time. Viola sat with a crossword puzzle. I helped her and Betty find the words and explained what they meant. Momma Nabakalu, Betty, and Wilson taught me some more Luganda. Christie was sick so she took some Benadryl and she was out. Needless to say we didn’t get to eat lunch together. I helped watch Josiah while she rested. When she got up we sat in my room until we both got a cold bath. I started reading Rebel with a Cause by Franklin Graham a few days ago. It is a wonderful story about his life. Reminds me a lot of how I use to want to run as far away from God as I could, but that was all for His Glory. I wouldn’t change a thing that happened in my life, because I don’t believe I would be where I am now. The power has been on very little today. I started packing the totes I will be bringing back to the States with me. I hate to even think about leaving. I am so torn between two worlds. On one hand I know my family misses me, but the other is that I am leaving my family here. Please keep me in your prayers as I prepare to leave what feels like home. 

Tonight Wilson came in my room and asked Christie and me if we wanted some Mac and Cheese. Usually that is their way of saying "You're not gonna eat what we are cooking." So we both agreed.  We usually cook our own. So we went in the kitchen about 20 minutes later to prepare it, but I smelled it already. We went back to my room. A few minutes later Wilson walked in with two bowls of mac and cheese. I took a bite and looked at Christie and waited for her to take a bite. She said "What is this?" We went to the kitchen to add some salt, but it didn't help. It tasted like plain noodles. We added milk and butter, still didn't help. Christie asked Wilson if he put all the packets of cheese in. He had cooked 2 boxes. He went outside and brought in a whole packet of cheese. No wonder it tasted like noodles. She asked him why he didn't put in the other packet. He said "I felt it would be too much." We added a half a packet per bowl. It was much better. Later I took my bowl in the kitchen and found what I thought was an empty packet on the floor to throw in the trash. It was half full. He had only put a half a packet for 2 boxes of mac and cheese. I love these kids!