We have struggled for the past several weeks with internet connections to give you an update. We now have mobile internet for our laptop, so we are looking forward to updating our blog more frequently. We are now enjoying our new apartment and neighborhood. We are still unpacking some of our boxes that we shipped when we first arrived in Uganda. We had forgotten many of the items we shipped, so there was some nice surprises. When we prepared to move we thought that we didn't have very many things, but as most of you have experienced if you have ever moved, you always end up with more than you thought and wonder how you accumulated so much stuff! So we continue to try to find a place for everything.
We started celebrating the holiday season early with our friends and family here. We are blessed to have friends that are from various countries around the world. It has really opened our eyes to the various ways that other countries celebrate this time of year. We stared in mid-December with having a wonderful breakfast with a MAF missionary family from Sweden. The Balter's moved to Uganda this year. They invited many of us to celebrate St. Lucia Day on December 13th. Special food was prepared by Samuel and Jenny for the occasion. St. Lucia was an Italian Christian that lived during the 4th century. St. Lucia Day is traditionally celebrated with a feast and a ceremony where a girl is elected to portray Lucia. Wearing a white gown with a red sash and a crown of candles on her head, she walks at the head of a procession of women, each holding a candle. The candles symbolize the fire that refused to take St. Lucia's life when she was sentenced to be burned. This Swedish festival of lights also helps to lighten up the long winter nights in December. Jenny and Samuel prepared some of the special foods for Lucia's Day like Lussekatter (St. Lucia Bun) made with saffron and spicy gingerbread biscuits along with a host of other traditional Swedish breakfast foods. It was a perfect start to the holiday season. Samuel also told us that St. Lucia Day is traditionally followed by 12 days of fasting before Christmas. We were not willing to take the holiday that far!
The following week we attended the MAF Christmas party held at the Kajjansi Airport. All of the MAF missionary families as well as those employed by MAF Uganda and their families attended the party. It was nice to finally meet many of the spouses and children of the people we work with daily. The turnout was more than expected. The highlight was a puppet show following dinner. Several MAF families have created a puppet ministry to share the gospel with international and national children here. Their puppet show was fun, impressive and well received.
We went to the Wunderli family's house for Christmas Dinner. We had turkey, ham, stuffing and all of the fixin's. The only thing missing was some good ol'e American Football to watch between the main meal and desert! Well we are planning on staying home and having a quiet evening for the New Year. May the Lord bless you and keep you; may His face shine upon you and be gracious to you; may He lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace in the new year!
In Christ,
G&L
