Spring Fever

So - I had to run home today to let the guy from NW Natural Gas into the house (that story is a whole other blog!). As I was returning to work, I looked at the thermometer on my rear-view mirror and it read 68 degrees! I had the windows open in my truck - and the music blaring. Who, I ask you, really wants to work on a beautiful day like today? Not I, not I.

When I arrived at the office, I checked weather.com - which said it's only 60 degrees outside - but at this point, I am going to defer to the thermostat in the truck! My Spring Fever is so bad that the other boss has given me permission to go out and work in the flower beds outside our office for the afternoon! I think I may just take her up on that!

Here's a kgw.com article on the warm weather today: Portland weather

Did she really just say that?

So - Stacey and I went the new movie "Fool's Gold" last weekend. One of the charcters in that movie is this really ditzy girl - whose character seemed over the top with ditziness. THEN - I was washing my hands in the restroom and heard the following:

"I thought Italian was just an accent. I didn't know it was a language."

I couldn't believe my ears!

Really? Are there people out there that are just that stupid?

Although I realize the answer to that question is YES.

A view of Uganda: Anaiah

For now, ignore the funny-looking guy on the right - I will blog about him later. Take this moment to appreciate the beauty that God has created in the beautiful child in his arms. Miss Anaiah Martin - what a beautiful, sweet spirit this baby girl has!

Many people might think that such a young child does not have much of a role on the mission field. I would greatly disagree with you. On a continuous basis, Anaiah provides the following:

For her dad (Andrew) - A way to show other men how they should love their children.

For her mom (Aimee Jo) - A way to be grounded, focused, and to grow in the special, God-given privilege of motherhood.

For the Cash Family - A way to be reminded of how special and beautiful life is with just one smile.

The Faith Quest Uganda 2008 team was so thankful to have little Anaiah to love on. She made us laugh, she reminded us of those we missed at home, and she provided us with a reason to be goofy.

I know it is difficult for her family back in the States to watch her grow from afar. And for those grandparents, aunts, uncles, counsins, friends, etc., who are so far away from her, I leave you with this: Thank you for letting her touch the family of God in Ft. Portal. She is a breath of fresh air to all who worship there. I know God is using her to help His kingdom grow.

Anaiah - we love and miss you. May you grow healthy and strong. May you be an ambassador for the Lord. May your heart always overflow with love for those around you.

A view of Uganda: Matoke

They look like bananas. But let me guarantee you this - they do not taste like the banana you are probably thinking of! These, my friends, are 'plantains' or as they are called in Uganda: Matoke.

Matoke is a staple of the Ugandan diet. Raw, it is white and firm - and fairly sticky to peel. Cooked, it is soft and yellow - and in my opinion kind of tastes like squash.

It takes a lot of matoke to feed a group of almost 200 people at Faith Quest Uganda. The number of peels on the ground is pretty amazing. The cooks would peel the matoke, then they would wrap the whole bunch up in the large leaves of the matoke trees. The whole large lot is then steamed in a pot over an outdoor fire.

The result? a soft, yellow mash of matoke. Generally, it's served with a sauce of some kind - maybe a ground nut sauce or sause with a vegetable base, and if you're "lucky", there just might be some kind of meat in the sauce (usually boiled beef).

I like it. Really, I do. I just can't eat a lot of it. I would sit and eat a bowl of matoke, rice or yams, and ground-nut sauce - and could hear my brain shouting at me as my blood sugar started to rise dramatically from the high starch/carbohydrate content.

But I like it. It's simple, filling, and for a Ugandan, something that grows in the back yard.

I think we should eat matoke here in the U.S.A. Maybe for one meal at Faith Quest Oregon this year.

Unless, of course, we could serve millet instead!

Just kidding.

But I liked the millet too.

A view of Uganda: Spinner

Take a look at the picture closely. Yes, that is a motorcycle. Yes, it does carry two individuals and a load of lumber. All of these things are very obvious. What is also obvious is that this is not the way we as Americans would deliver a load of lumber. Additionally, I'm pretty sure one of our nice police officers would pull you over if he saw you transporting lumber this way. In fact, the Oregon Motorcycle Driver Manual states:

"Most motorcycles are not designed to carry much cargo. Small loads can be carried safely if positioned and fastened properly."

Maybe it's just that this isn't "most mostorcyles."

Anyway - the scene in the picture was not a one-time sight. It happened again and again. Sometimes heavier loads, sometimes multiple people, sometimes you just wondered how they stayed upright. What I know for sure is that during one road trip the male members of ourgroup decided upon a name for these types of cargo-carriers.

I believe the term they decided upon was "spinners."

You see, these motorcyle drivers and their loads would quickly zip in and out of traffic. This would, of course, leave one wondering just what would happen if they caught just the very edge of the load on the side of another vehicle. What exactly would happen to a motorcyle loaded like this during that type of collision?

The answer: It would be a "spinner."

My only explanation is that the guys decided that if you caught the edge just right, the motorcycle would be lifted up and then, in helicopter fashion, take off spinning through the air.

Thus, the "spinner."

We never did get to see a test of their theory (thankfully). What we did hear was a frequent call of "Spinner!" from the back of the vehicle.

May God protect all of the "Spinners."

A view of Uganda: Pineapple

So - over the last few mission trips I have taken, I have had the opportunity to 'educate' others on one specific fruit: the pineapple. Here's my recollection of the latest 'education' required:

We had arrived in Uganda on Friday, December 28, 2007. On Saturday, after some orientation, lunch, and a few errands around Kampala (the capital city), we headed out on the road to Ft. Portal - our base of operations for most of this trip. There were eight of us who loaded up into the Cash's Land Cruiser and in a slightly cramped, but wonderfully air-conditioned vehicle, we headed out. There was lots of discussion and laughter.

It was just an hour or so into the drive, when Jeff was suddenly pulling off to the side of the road. He had seen that the Hi-lux pickup was pulled over on the side of the road - with all of our luggage inside! We all got out to stretch our legs and were quickly apprised of the situation: the bearings in the front left wheel had shredded. Derrick and Patrick were already in the process of going back and forth to town to find replacement parts and a mechanic. We all settled in to wait - not wanting to leave them on the road without knowing if things would get fixed.

No one moaned, no one complained. We were in Africa! It started off our trip with that typical African experience of waiting, and waiting, and waiting. We began visiting and looking around the area. I immediately noticed the pineapple field and called Jenna over. Our conversation quickly turned to where pineapples grow (and people - it's not in a tree)! We got a good look at the field and the new pineapples. Derrick listened in amazement about how many Americans don't know how pineapples grow because this fruit just doesn't grow on the mainland U.S. of A.

There was much laughter during this exchange - not 'at' Jenna, but near her. And as we waited, soaking up the sun, walking along the road, visiting with Patrick, or in Greg's case - napping in the Land Cruiser, we enjoyed every moment of our 3-hour + detour.

We almost couldn't wait for our next 'African' experience to come along.


(Note: Just as part of a lesson in history, pineapple is not native to Uganda. If my memory serves me correctly, it was brought in during the British colonization of Uganda.)