Weevils wobble but they don't fall down!

This is seriously gross…I mean seriously…twice now, we have found small weevil larvae in our toothbrushes. We are not leaving our brushes laying around, but they are in plastic containers and then in zip-lock bags. We use only bottled water, and toothpaste from America. WHAT IS GOING ON? That’s what I keep asking myself. We have to do the daily worm check on our toothbrushes before we put them to use. Yesterday, it was my toothbrush who had them. I boiled everyone’s toothbrush again, and it took me a LONG time to muster the courage to put mine in my mouth and scrub, but I did…it creeps me out just writing about it again. Any of you that know me, know that I am a germ freak. I have four boys, so I can handle my house being messy, but germs, disgust me. My sister and cousin always make fun of me because I even wash my chicken and vegetables with soap and water prior to cooking them. So this “weevil in the toothbrush” concept is definitely stretching me!

We have spent most of this week with a terrific team from Neighborhood Church at River Ranch, doing a building project out the Children’s Village. In addition, we have facilitated taking smaller teams to the medical clinic, school and office to do volunteer work. My parents came out with the team, as well as aunt and cousin, so we are having a terrific time. Two days ago, the bus driver was late one too many times so my dad (remember my conversation about the slowness of Africa and country music? Well, I am my father’s daughter when it comes to that) fired the bus driver and decided that Tim could drive the team around the rest of the week. So they were talking about it at dinner that night and I said, well great, but you and Tim are flying to the Northern part of Uganda tomorrow, so who will drive them around…oh yeah…they forgot about that one…so yesterday, I was in a van I wasn’t accustomed to, and I drove the smaller teams all over the place. I only heard a few grunts and groans, I scraped the curb twice, I parallel parked the opposite way we are used to (my greatest feat for the day if you ask me!), I had a close call with a semi-truck when I got distracted and went up the wrong side of the road, and a cow got loose and almost ran into me—other than that, we survived just fine, although I think a few people might be visiting their chiropractors when they get home!

This week we have learned about a little boy who goes to the new AOET school that is an orphan and is being raised by his grandma. Well, AOET staff just learned this week, that this eight year old boy’s grandma drinks all the time, and doesn’t care for him at all, and the only meals he eats all week, is the lunches provided at the school every day. So he eats five meals a week, and is basically starving, barely surviving. Truly is it almost beyond my ability to comprehend. The greatest part of the story though, is that this Sunday, he is moving into one of the houses that have been finished this week by the people at Neighborhood Church and the rest of the crew! Such a great ending to a sad, sad story. This little boy will be able to integrate into a family, with a Mom and a Dad, go to school, eat meals, be loved, watch how a family is supposed to interact, and hopefully grow into a whole, contributing adult that can help to improve the future of Uganda. The constructing has been slow at times, and probably frustrating, certainly hot and tiring…but the impact cannot even be measured.

Today in the afternoon is free-time. I know what the means…bungee jumping time. I’ll report back to you on what my decision was, and how it went. I’m currently trying to broker deals and negotiate with my children, I’m even willing to resort to some bribery…if we could just pick an adventure that involves remaining on the ground!

Ciao,

Cheri