MY HOUSE HUNTING EXPERIENCE

I have spent the last several days in an adventure that is both frustrating,exciting and has quickly re-introduced Uganda at its best to me,a kind of re-orientation in the culture and life of Ugandans.

Bottom line...to be able to have a decent home,in a safe neighborhood there is no middle ground,one has to part with a considerable amount of money.Besides you are lucky to find a landlord who will ask for 3months in advance payment.They ask for 6months.(Crazy if you ask me because i am yet to find a job that pays you salary in advance)

As a country we have no laws that govern our housing,rent etc etc.....everyone decides what they want to do.

I have so far gone through more than 10 house brokers and we have not found a house yet.It is easy to get frustrated but my attitude has been to enjoy the adventure of house hunting.

We have been to some places where if a disease broke out it would be a miracle if anyone there survived.And we also have been to neighborhoods where we have wondered whether this is actually in Uganda...very upscale places.We are kinda looking for the in between.

However we both have a good felling that we will find a place that works for us.With all of this happening we are reconnecting with friends,which is a lot of fun yet at the same time I am having strong emotions of missing all my Vegas family.Please plan on coming down here....may be together we could find this house.

I will be speaking this weekend at our MCC service,so pray for that.
Otherwise we miss you.....and keep praying for us.

SP and JOY

FINALLY HOME

We arrived safe yester night and are battling with jet lag....Our flight was smooth and nice.We actually arrived 10minutes earlier than scheduled.We are staying at Pr Martin and Tracey's home until we find a house.I actually talked to a house broker who will help us in this process.It feels so good to be back home...and it is until now that i realize how completely different Kampala is.....the dirt dusty roads,crazy crazy, crazy, crazy, crazy, crazy, crazy, crazy traffic,people,bicycles everywhere.....

I am trying to get some pictures posted but i was rudely shocked at the incredible slow speed of our internet....life is different here but we will manage.My plan is to visit one of the commercial internet cafe's which can handle uploading pictures.

I had a chance to talk with Pr Martin about my new and emerging role.....the same words he used in describing my responsibility were the words that God had laid on my heart through out the duration of our time in Vegas...shepherd and nurture His people and in so doing expand God's Kingdom.

I have lots to share but will keep you posted as we get settled.Thank you for your love and support.

SP and JOY

HOME BOUND

It has been crazy busy as we finalize our days here in Vegas.The count down is over and we will be flying home first thing Monday morning.(19 hours of flight time)

Of everything that we will miss and take with us as we head home.....our friends who have become family.It was until now that it dawned on us how deeply invovled we had become so much that saying good bye has been a tough thing.I personally kept avoiding to do so.....

Yet at the same time,we are excited to go back home because home simply is home.We will be regular on the blog sharing our journey with you.Be it amily,ministry,regular updates,baby news,whatever,you will find it.

We depart Vegas at 9am to St paul MN and then to Amsterdam and finally arrive Entebbe Uganda on Tuesday night...Our Amsterdam layover is 4-5hours...this should give me ample time to blog about our journey.Keep us prayed up for safety and favor.

Love ya
SP,JOY and baby O

MY VEGAS PICTURES

I took these pictures on saturday morning while on a lazy plane tour of Vegas with friends of mine.We flew over the valley of fire,red rock,Lake mead,parts of the desert,Hoover dam and down town Vegas.Things look different from up above.



SP Onaba

A BABY BOY

Yes......it is.We found out yesterday during Joy's ultra sound that we are going to have a baby boy.He had no sense of privacy whatsoever.A few days back Joy had a dream in which she had given birth to a boy and her instincts too pointed to a boy.I thought it would be a girl...or better still, I preferred a girl.I gave up my preference several weeks back and just started praying for a healthy baby.The doctor says the baby is healthy and is in great shape.The ultra sound also revealed that our due date may be in december and not october as earlier indicated.(below is Joy...and some ultra sound pics of the baby)



We are slowly starting the search for names and if you have any suggestions,share them in the comment section below this post.(It would be nice for you to give a reason for your name choice.)

With 12 more days left of our time here in Vegas,pray for calmness and peace especially for me because every passing day brings with it anxiety.

We have added an email contact feature....so feel free to email us.We will get back to you.

SP and JOY

BACK TO UGANDA

My dear blogger friends,I am still here.I have not given up my new blogging adventure.I came down with severe pain several days back after an infection in my throat slowed my mobility, caused intense pain on the right hand side of my head.I had trouble swallowing anything and talking equaled multiplying pain.I went in to see a doctor who prescribed some medicine and I have since recovered and I don't plan on getting sick anytime soon.

The time has also come..as of now we are counting down(less than 3weeks)and we will be enjoying native Ugandan food and all the people etc etc that we have missed.As a result, a bulk of our remaining time has been spent packing,meeting people,drinking coffees,eating lunches and dinners.....

Today it actually hit me how much I am going to miss my new family here in Vegas.I am trying to keep myself from crying.....so pray for me.It has been an awesome last couple of months......I am still processing.I will keep you posted on stuff as we go along.

Blessings
SP Onaba