One Egg Short of a Dozen: Catchup on jinja Trip

Catch Up - Friday before Jinja

Well, after waiting around the house ALL week for the attorney to call to tell us when a court date would be we found out that the judge he was waiting on had been on vacation and so we were waiting for him to come back! He could have told us this several days ago. but alas that is the way things go around here. We had made plans to go to Jinja for Friday and Saturday night but then our attorney called and wanted a briefing with everybody on Saturday morning. so that knocked out Friday in Jinja. Friday we decided to get out of the house with the kids and decided to take them to the "zoo"here and to a hotel where there is an indoor pool and playground. (The same one that had the monkeys.) Well, Our driver arrived late, then another person came by thinking it would be a good time to do business but we finally got out and going. We then had to go towards town to a store to buy some food and swim gear for the kids and so by the time we reached Entebbe(about 30 minutes) and the parking lot of the wildlife center, rain began blowing in off of Lake Victoria so we decided to go to the hotel first instead. We arrived at the hotel and paid our fees and the kids, Richard and Duane got in the pool. I stuck my feet in. As I had been sick, I didn't think it was good for me to get too cold and boy was the water cold! Allenni and Andrew were just shivering but refused to get out! Isaiah had fallen asleep which worked out perfect as he was sick too and would have pitched a fit if I had not let him swim. He absolutely loves water. I was the picture taker. Duane helped teach the kids some swimming techniques and Richard was very curious and watched too. He had never been swimming before and looked like a little kid. It did my heart good to see them all having fun.
Before swimming, we ordered lunch knowing it would take about an hour and sure enough, it did. The food was pretty good but the kids looked at it funny and of course Allenni snarled her nose as it wasn't rice or matoke. (It was chicken salad sandwiches, though by the menu, I though I was ordering something else). Anyway, I also ordered what I thought was grilled vegetable kebab on a stick and these interesting looking "things" came out. For sure it was some indian food that sort of tasted like styrofaom with tumeric and curry on them. Oh, well.
Like I have said before, nobody is in a hurry here and so they wait until everyone, I mean everyone, has finished their last morsel of food before bringing the bill. I finally asked for the bill, but the waiter just told me the total. But I have learned here to ask for a reciept to make sure all things are kosher and correct. So I did. Well, he said it will take some time. So we waited for another 20 minutes. (SMILE) Duane is learning patience here. (SMILE). He brought the bill, and I didn't have exact change. So.... guess what? We waited another 15-20 minutes for the change. Ha! So by the time we got out of there, we didn't have time to go to the zoo. We headed back to Entebbe and stopped on the wayside to buy Matoke, cabbage and tomates for three people for three days. Isaiah's auntie is coming in for the court hearing on Monday and is staying at the pastor's house and Esther is cooking for her.
I must admit, I am a little nervous. You know, the thoughts of "What if she sees how well he is doing and wants him back?" What if she changes her mind about wanting him back?" But really, I shouldn't worry, I know God gave this child to me. So I prayed handing my fears over to God. He is so good to calm the soul.
Well, on Friday night, Isaiah slept pretty good except for the congestion and bless his heart, I had to put a pillow up under the blanket and prop him up a little to ease his breathing and suction his nose out.(Thankfully I remembered to purchase one of those suction bulbs for babies and bring it.)
Saturday came and we had to be at the attorney's office at 11am. So we were to be ready by 8am. We were but everyone else wasn't! Go figure!
But we finally got on our way and half of the people who were supposed to go with us didn't show.
We arrived at the court house only to find the attorney not there! Not surprised!
We then located him by phone through which he told us to go to his associates office next door at the hotel. So we left our van at the high court and walked across the street to the Grand Imperial Hotel. John our coordinator, taking Scott's place got to the hotel and we ended up in a shopping mall that was in the hotel. As none of the fashion stores looked like attorney's offices, John stopped and asked. "No, no attorney offices around here. Try around the hotel on the street." So off we went, to try the street. But I really do think God sent us on that little detour to remind me of something, because there in very big letters on a large glass store front were the words,
GOD IS ABLE, GOD PROVIDES clothing store. I smiled to myself, at God's humor. He wanted to remind me that HE was in control, taking care of all the details. HE IS ABLE, All by Himself to complete these works He has started. HE is ABLE to PROVIDE all that is needed. The strength, the approvals, the guardianship, the passports and the money. Frankly, He knew I needed to be reminded of all that, so he took me on a little detour. I nudged Duane and pointed to the sign and he grinned, knowing exactly why that was there. We both were encouraged.
Back to the search of the attorney's office. We went around the hotel and walked all the way down the sidewalk but still found no office. Then we were told to walk across the street and find him in that building! That building was a post office. So, John asked an attendant. He then told us to climb three flights of stairs and there we would find the attorney. We did that and voila! we found his office. He was sitting at a big table waiting for us. Around here, direct directions are not neccessary, just general ones. I must admit, I was a little irritated, first because I was not feeling well and Mama Beatrice was not feeling well and we had the baby and had forgotten the sling to carry him in. But we finally found the attorney indirectly.
After he briefed us, asked us some questions and made us a little nervous about how to direct the judge as "My Lord" any time we were spoken to, and told not to spiritualize or use the word ministry in talking to the judge, we left. On the way back to the van, I stopped at the hotel to use their bathroon and told John, we would catch up to him at the High Court.(You always take advantage of a good bathroom if one comes available in the midst of Africa) Duane went in with me and we went to the front desk and asked where the toilet. The man directed us and after business was completed we headed back out. As we passed by the front desk and said, "Thank You", the attended replied,
"All is well?", "Yes, we said, All is well." and smiled as we left. What is interesting is the choice of words this man chose. You see, days before, a friend had emailed me and told me to read about the Shunamite woman in 2 Kings 4. That even though the circumstances pointed to her son being dead, she told Elisha, "All is Well". She understood that God's power was more real than what the circumstances told her. So, I had been contemplating about this phrase for somedays now. God has been teaching me to look to him and say, "All is Well" because it is in his hands, and to have the clerk use those exact words, Well, it made me notice and be reminded that truely all is well, if God is in control.
We arrived at the van safely, after cautiously crossing the road and the crazy traffic with no African to give us que when the proper time to cross was. Let me just say, Pedistrians do not have the right away!
We headed back to the house to get ready to leave for our weekend trip to Jinja.
That in itself is another story!