Pika back in dry Mundri

When Pika left Mundri in December to go home for the holidays the land was still pretty lush and green. As he flew over Mundri he noticed that the tall grasses and bush had been burned away to prepare for the dry season. Homes are no longer surrounded by grass and corn stalk barriers. The ground is dry and dusty. Heat wind blows through and the dust and dry leaves scatter. You will notice that Pika blends into the dry brown grass, which will keep preditors like Chai away. Yesterday the temperature got up to 105 degrees.

Back in east Africa

Pika is enjoying the lazy suzy in the middle of the table, which is like a merry-go-round to him

Down by the water, Pika checks out the boats on the dock. Sadly he didn't get to ride in one

"I'm the King of the World" or so he thinks

Pika arrived safe and sound back in east Africa after two very long flights, a little turbulence, an over night in London, and a late drive on Entebbe road. Last week he spent some time relaxing in Jinja, Uganda where he got to rest and get over jetlag. He ate well, splept okay, and had a good time with the Sudan team.

Lounging and the Hole

On hot days when the sun drains all energy, Pika likes to lounge on the hammock in the cool shade.

Using the latrine here is a scary thing for Pika. He has to be very careful because as you can see he could easily fall deep down into the grossness that lies below. I don't think we want to even begin imagining what that would be like.

Pika Hard at Work

This last week Pikachu helped with some construction on his future housing. Right now it looks like a round cage, but soon it will be a peaceful place to rest his head.

Here Pika is sitting on what will soon be a windowsill.

Here Pika is debating on whether or not he is strong enough to lift the wire cutters and cut some of the wire in front of him.

Pika hangin out on a local ladder. He's not quite sure how he will get down :o).

Swinging

This is supposed to be a foot swing, but Pika decided it was the perfect size for him. He was right! Now he can't get enough of it!

Washing Clothes

Phew…washing clothes is hard work here. There are no washing machines or dryers. Everything is washed by hand and then dried in the sun. On Saturday morning Pikachu decided to see what it is like to wash clothes by hand even though he doesn’t wear clothes himself. And now after all of the scrubbing, twisting, and ringing he is glad he doesn’t wear clothes that have to be washed each week. It is going to take him a few days just to rest his sore arms.

We Miss Briaunna!

Pika on a Piki Piki

Most days to move around Pikachu just walks from place to place. But yesterday Pika got to ride on a Piki Piki (motorcycle). He wanted to go out to the new land where his house is being built to check out the progress and it is too far to walk. As he sat on the Piki Piki he was a little scared because the roads are rough and bumpy here, but the driver went nice and slow. Pika also wished he had worn sunglasses because the dust kept getting in his eyes. The wind blew in his face as they made their way up and down a few small hills before reaching the land. They past many people walking into town from their gardens or homes. Some people carry large loads of firewood on their heads. They also passed many bor holes on the way, which are deep wells that people use to pump up ground water. Pika was glad for the experience of riding on a Piki Piki, but definitely prefers walking as his main form of movement.

Pika Making Bread

On Tuesday morning before school Pika got up bright and early to go and help his friends make bread. He arrived just in time to help roll the dough into small balls. After the balls of dough sat for a bit to rise, he then helped press down the dough into small flat circles. From this point on he watched the dough get put in the oven. Within minutes the flat doughy circles became puffy bready goodness. Pikachu was so amazed at the process and how his friends take time each morning to make hundreds of these round breads for some of the local restaurants. The oven that they use is made of bricks and mud and gets really really hot. As Pika sat and watched all of the dough they prepared get baked his friends let him eat to his stomachs content. MMM...nothin better than fresh warm bread!

Pika At School

Pika woke up on Monday morning very excited for his first day of school. He was also feeling a bit worried that he would stand out because he doesn't have the school uniform. All the kids here wear uniforms to school, but Pika got special permission to come without a uniform because they do not make them in his size. The school pikachu attends is only a short walk away. He is in the P1 class which is similar to 1st grade. There are 100 other students in his class. Everyone was so friendly and helped make sure he knew what to do. They made room for him on their little benches made from tree branches and made sure he could see the chalkboard. Oh and his classroom is under a tree outside. Pika likes this because it is nice and cool in the shade, but at the same time he gets distracted really easily by the people walking by and all the noises from nearby neighbors. When he first arrived to school he had an English lesson, even though he already speaks English well and a math lesson where the teacher taught simple subtraction. He noticed that many of the students had these small sticks they used for counting. He made a mental note that when he got home he would have to gather some small sticks to bring to school the next day. At 11am each day there is an hour break where the kids can play games or go across the road to the market to get mandazi (bread) for a snack. Pika decided for his first break he would stay on school grounds and play football (soccer) with some of the boys. After break he had one more lesson and then it was time to go home. He can't wait to go back again!

These pictures were taken after school was out and all the children went home because kids here flock when they see a camera.

New Experiences

Pika hiddin out in the garden.

Boilin some water for tea.

Pika had a wonderful time in Uganda, but is now glad to be back in Mundri. This last week he had the opportunity to learn more about how local people live here. A local kitchen is not like those in the U.S. with a stove, oven, refridgerator, and dishwasher. People here cook mostly outside using a fire and 3 stones or a local charcoal stove. Also every dish has to be washed by hand and all food eaten within the day or else it will go bad because of no refridgeration. Many people here also grow their own food in their gardens. People grow maize (corn), ground nuts, sweet potatoes, pumpkins, and lots of other things. Pika was amazed at the effort that is put behind each meal every day and now appreciates more the luxuries he has had in the past.

Pika in Bundi

Bundibugyo is not an easy place to get to. The drive around the Ruwenzori Mountains is bumpy and beautiful. Pika was happy that he had the window seat so that he could look down into the valley at Semliki River. On the way he also saw black and white monkeys in the trees. While in Bundibugyo he got to visit many people, sit on the porch and play games with the neighborhood kids, and help distribute food to mothers who are HIV positive. Each place he visits his eyes are open more and more to the importance of sharing the Lord’s unconditional love. He may not have much to offer, but he can share the truth and try his best to imitate his Father. Even though Pika was only in Bundibugyo for 3 full days he left thanking the Lord for all the people he met and really had a great time. He would love to visit again someday. Now it’s off to Kampala.

Here is Pika resting in the bed he slept in while in Bundibugyo.

You have to look carefully at this picture to see Pika sitting on one of the chairs in front of the house where he stayed.

African Safari

Pika’s adventure has now moved to Uganda for a short time. Again he got to travel in the small MAF plain across the southern land of Sudan and into the North of Uganda. As they flew the pilot took them right along the Nile river where Pika saw wart hogs startled from behind some bushes and a herd of elephants off in the distance. What a beautiful and lush land. His safari continued on ground when he spent two nights near Queen Elizabeth National Park. One morning he and some others got up super early before the sun even rose, packed up a picnic breakfast, and headed out to find God’s beautiful creatures in the wild. Pika was hoping to see some lions, but after much driving they had no luck. However he saw lots of other amazing animals like elephants, cob, wart hogs, buffalo, water buck, and lots of beautiful birds. After an early and long morning Pika decided to spend the rest of the day lounging by the pool. It was both an adventurous and relaxing trip.

Link Tag

Where Pikachu is from, he is used to being the center of attention. Children will flock to him asking for autographs, but here in e. Africa people just give him a funny look because they have never seen him before. Children here do not have TV and so have never seen a Pokémon show. Pikachu couldn’t believe this! No TV! Yesterday Pika was walking around the neighborhood and noticed that children don’t even have toys, there are no parks or playgrounds, and so children just have to be creative and make up their own games. Because Pika believes strongly in having fun he decided to teach some of the local children how to play link tag. Pika used a lot of gestures and demonstrating to teach the game because of his limited Moru. After a few laughs the kids seem to get the hang of it. For a couple of hours the kids ran around tagging each other, trying to link with someone’s arm before getting caught. There was a lot of sliding, falling, and tons of laughs. Pika couldn’t remember the last time he had so much fun.

Fun Festivities

Pikachu planned his arrival just in time to join the festivities for Liana’s 10th birthday party. Pikachu participated in all the fun from helping churn homemade ice cream to running in the relay races. One of the races involved carrying an egg on a spoon without dropping it. As Pika walked quickly with his egg he thought he was going to stumble but the chants from his team, Pikachu! Pikachu! Pikachu! gave him the push he needed to finish strong. When he crossed the line they all jumped with excitement over their victory. Pika never imagined that he would be included in this loving community so quickly. If this was just a taste of the fun that lay ahead, Pikachu couldn’t even fathom what adventures still await.

Pika Arrives in Mundri

After many hours of traveling in a stuffy, hot, suffocating trunk Pikachu finally arrived to the sun blistering, yet lush land of Mundri, s. Sudan. Even though the heat was still intense he was ecstatic to be out of the trunk and exiting the plane, to breath in fresh air, and see the sights with his own eyes. As he looked around he saw many dark smiling faces and heard warm welcoming greetings. “Mede miri” (hello to you), “Mikado” (are you good?). However, Pikachu had no idea what people were saying to him. All he could do was smile and wave and show the people before him that he was happy to be here. On the ride from the airstrip to where he would be staying he sat at the window looking out into the new world around him. They passed people on bikes, foot, and sitting by the road. He noticed people carrying large loads of wood or buckets of water on top of their heads. Near the road he also saw homes made of mud and thatch in the shape of a box. Is that what I will be living in, he wondered. Many bumps and ruts later the vehicle finally pulled into the compound that would be Pikachu’s home for the coming months. Before him was a nice cement block building painted a minty color, a tent, and a small hut (which later he found out is called a tukul). He was told that this small tukul would be his future home. He walked inside and an overwhelming sense of comfort filled his heart, he felt right at home.