Seeing the countryside

The project team with the staff and locals



Moms wait for their baby's checkup



Setting up to discuss the project

It feels like I have been here for a long time already but it has only been 2 weeks. Last week I had the privilege of going on two trips to small villages. The first one was for a medical clinic approx 5hrs west of Kampala near Fort Portal. It was my second experience going to a small Ugandan village but this time it was to do work there instead of seeing the work already done. This small clinic has three full time staff but they are not enough to serve the people from the village and the ones that come from the nearby Rwenzori Mountains. Right now they have a small day clinic and a three room maternity ward both of which are not large enough. We were called to complete a master plan for the site so they could plan for future buildings. It took about 45mins for the introductions and greetings at the site. Is always a difficult thing on project trips where Ugandan culture is more concerned about relationships and we are more concerned about finishing in the time we have. With all the greetings done and a group following us we set up the RTK unit which looks like something they would put on the moon. I got to use the GPS Survey equipment for the first time and after being there for 4hrs we had completed the topographic survey for the property. The next morning we met with the local medical staff and some Canadian doctors(who are helping there for 2 weeks) to show them the site plan and we discussed where future buildings will go and services they will provide. It will be very exciting to see what this site looks like five years from now, I feel like I will say that about everywhere I go.




Erland surveying with the local wilflife




On the drive

After arriving home on Thursday night we were off once again on Friday to rough in and take grades for some school buildings and a chapel. Getting to this small village was awesome we drove on rutted dirt roads for about an hour passing through little villages, coffee and matooke farms until we finally arrive at a large clearing. The background of this area is that it saw very heavy fighting and the rebels did awful things to the local people during the civil war. The closest school is about 7km and that is pretty far to walk everyday. It is a very cool site and I know that God will use it to teach and heal the people from the surrounding area.

I leave for Kenya tomorrow we are flying instead of driving because it will be a tenth of the time. I will be doing more surveying; it seems that my many summers of surveying are going to good use over here. It is one of the interesting ways that God works, how he prepares use for things even when they aren’t even thoughts in our heads. This trip should be great we will be working with a Kenyan Architecture firm and there will also be a Kenyan civil engineer on the EMI team. The main project will be at the Africa International University but I will going to do some surveying for the Kijabe Hospital. More details to come on both those projects. Please prayer for safe travel for all the people coming on this project trip especially the volunteers coming from North America. And as always that God is given the glory.

Blessing, Aaron