How To Build A House In 10 Easy Steps

This post is more of an instructional public service. Many people dream of finding themselves their own plot of land and building the home of their dreams and I thought I would offer a simple, step-by-step process to help you achieve your dreams. You're welcome!

Step 1.

Find yourself a willing work force. 

(Tip: I find that the less experienced workers tend to charge less. I opted for as inexperienced as I could find. Additional benefit: small hands for cleaning out the bottoms of the holes.)

Step 2.

Dig a bunch of holes, cut down small trees, place small trees into holes.

(Note: Straight, consistent poles are for sissy. The crookeder the better, I say

Tip: The only tool required for this job is a machete. You may be tempted to think something else may work better for digging, cutting, leveling, or back filling but you'd be wrong. The machete is the Swiss army knife of the construction industry.)

  (You may also think the Swiss army knife is the Swiss army knife of the construction industry. Wrong again)

Step 3.

Build the roof framing. This is done by nailing more small trees onto the small trees from step 2. This  is one of the more perils steps in the process. 

(Tip: Make every effort not to fall and incur injury. Falling may result from stepping on a small tree which is actually too small or by moving too much and tipping over the entire, feeble structure. This is best avoided by keeping ones feet firmly planted on the ground and having someone else climb around on these little sticks.)  

 Step 4.

Put tin onto roof framing. 

(Note: The best way to cut the tin is by hitting a machete with a log. No technology has every been created anywhere that would be better suited for this task. Also, roofing a house in the African sun is a good way to develop ones empathy towards anything that has ever been put on a skillet.)

 (Tip: You should probably wear gloves if you're going to be within like 3 feet of this tin. Also, maybe a full-body kevlar suit if you have one handy.)

 Step 5. 

Fit the door and windows. You'll need to plan ahead a bit for the door placement, but the windows are just stuck in wherever the spacing of the small tree poles allow. 

(Note: Pre-fabricated doors and windows will be required but by the time you smash them into the openings and try to nail them to the roundish poles, they won't work and you'll have to basically completely rebuild them, so don't worry to much about it.) 

 Step 6.

Add the branches of all of those small trees to the inside and outside of the walls to form an intricate latticework, sized and spaced to exact specifications.

(Note: The "just eye-ball it" method is the most accurate approach to measuring. Follow the old adage: "Don't measure at all, just cut and hope.")   

 Step 7.

Fill that latticework with mud mixed to an exact consistency, not to wet and not to dry. 

(Tip: This mud can be easily sourced from the immediate surroundings of the house. Chances are it is already containing just the right amount of cow dung to add to the tensile strength of the mud.)

Step 8.

Prepare more mud for the final coat. This mud must be made primarily from the clay beneath the top soil surrounding the house. It is also crucial that this mud be mixed to a much creamier, stickier consistence in order for the next step to be successful. 

(Note: It is essential, and oddly satisfying, to get as covered with mud as possible during this step.) 

Step 9. 

Throw this mud at the walls... over, and over, and over, and over...

Step 10. 

Smooth out all the mud you just threw so the walls are nice and even. 

 (Tip: It may or may not have some bearing on this processes to have a sleeping baby tied to your back. The jury is still out on this one.)

One more note: Steps 7 through 10 require a lot of water. It will be important to have someone with a bike and four 20 liter jerrycans (and incredible physical fitness) to travel the 1/2 mile round trip to the water source all, day, long.  

(Note: 20 liters = 5.28 gallons, 1 gallon of water = approx. 7 lbs, 7x5.28=36.96 lbs per jerrycans, 36.96 lbs x4 jerrycans=147.84 lbs on a single-speed bike, 2 trips to refill jerrycans= probably enough exertion to kill me. This guy did it from 9am until 4:30 pm. I'm just saying'- props bro.)  

Okay, so I've made some fun of traditional mud house building methods and, coming from something of a construction background, my construction background was almost worthless, but, in truth, I am really glad I got to be a part of this project. I learned a lot and honestly, with the resources available, these houses are solid, cool, quiet and inexpensive. Sure there are some problems and more modern building practices are better in a lot of ways but you work with what you've got. Also, it was great to get to know this group of people and share the load of a task really worth doing.

This is Mama Maria. She is a member of the church in Lawmbogo. She is also a widow and that is a tough thing to be in this culture.  

This is Mama Maria's former residence. 

I don't know about you, but this seems unacceptable to me. The church, with the help of the leadership of Welcome Home, decided to do something.

  

We may not be able to provide a house for every person who needs one. Does that mean we shouldn't for anyone? I guess I feel like we should do what ever we can for however many we can. That's the church. That's when we, the church, are what Jesus intended us to be.

"By this everybody will know that you're my people, when you love each other"

-Jesus (John 13:35 paraphrased)

Sisiyi Falls

So this weekend we are heading back to Sisiyi Falls. It is on the kids minds and they are very excited about going again. Izaac wanted to share about some of his favorite parts about the falls. So here they are!

The view from the top of Sisiyi Falls

"I don't like to sit in the back for a long time. I know it will be very long ride but I think I'll have fun in the car anyway. We'll bring stuff to play with while we drive. I remember the driveway is really bumpy. When we are getting close we can see the waterfall from a long ways away and I remember last time Aunt Murphy took a picture. When you first get into the place you don't see too many trees. There is a house thing where we eat food. It has a couch and a table and bats by the ceiling. It has a grass roof. Then we go up the path to see the tents and put our stuff in. We didn't have to put the tents up though. One of the nights we had a fire by the tents that we sat by. I like sleeping in the tents there. Next we all climbed the rocks to see the waterfall. I like climbing on different things. I also like to listen to the waterfall while I sleep. There is a humongous rock where we sleep and I remember there are lots of trees where the tents are. We took a hike up a big, huge hill up to the top and we got to see the top of the waterfall and you could see lots of things down at the bottom from there. I walked a little and then I got carried and then I walked some more, it was a hard climb! I'm really excited to go back to Sisiyi Falls tomorrow!"

Izaac at the base of the falls

Sisiyi Falls
(if you look closely you can see Benj)

Hanging the clothes out to dry...

We are well into the rainy season now which has its benefits but I am learning that there are some down sides as well.  The rains grow the crops and bring cooler weather.  I personally love the cooler weather but Goretty doesn't really like it. I have had to use a blanket at night a few times which when we moved here I didn't think would ever happen.  It doesn't rain everyday but it just so happens that every time Goretty does the wash for us (which is usually twice a week) it rains.  She washes everything by hand so it takes some time and then we hang everything on the line.  On a good day where it is warm and sunny, the clothes are dry by night. But now we have to put them on the line then take them down because it starts raining then put them back when it stops and then bring them inside overnight and then put them back the next day.  It's a lot of monkey business but if we want dry clothes then its the price we have to pay. I would love to get washing machine because it would get the clothes more dry so they wouldn't take so long to dry and because due to the rainy season, which lasts longer than I thought it did, the kids go through so many more clothes.  I love that they play outside and get wet and muddy but it is really hard on their clothes especially because they are hand washed. The scrubbing plus the sun really do a number on our clothes. But this is the means we have for washing and so this is what we will continue to do.  I just keep praying and asking God to provide a washing machine if and when the time is right.  So every time you use your washer and dryer you can think of us and if you are willing pray for us!

The Meat Department

I am not sure if these blogs things are suppose to go in any sort of order or if it's fine to jump around. I was thinking I should write more often and that it didn't really have to be about big things that happen but just every day things. And so today as I sat down to write I thought I would like to share about the meat market.  The meat section of the market (and the fish section) is probably my least favorite part of the market.  One it is really smelly and two the guys are really pushy to get you to buy from them.  Any time Ellie comes with me to the market she asks if we have to go by the stinky place. She plugs her nose the whole time and all the Ugandans laugh or smile because of it.  So besides those two things I am never really sure what to get/ask for.  The meat is just hanging there and then they hack off a piece and weigh it and that is what you get.  You can try to ask for different pieces but most of the time you get what you get.

 I have learned recently that you can ask for boneless but it costs a little bit more.  I am just not sure the best way to cook it when it comes in chunks with bone.  I usually only buy it that way (bone in) when our friend and house help Goretty is cooking dinner for us. (On a side note she said she would be willing to write a post from her perspective on living and working with us.) The main options are goat, beef, pork, turkey and chicken.  I have yet to buy a live chicken from the market but mostly because I don't want to carry it home alive.  Goat seems to be the most expensive. A guy tried to make me pay 15,000 per kilo which is the muzungu (foreigner) price but I knew it was too much so I decided not to get goat that day...It should only be 12,000 per kilo.  Beef is 9,000 per kilo with the bone and 10,000 per kilo with out. You can also get it minced for an extra 1,000. Pork is usually 9,000 per kilo but you can pay 10,000 per kilo sometimes. I am not even sure how much a live chicken costs.  I will get back to you when I find out/buy one.  I think because Jinja is close to Kampala and is almost a city (I think they are voting on it soon) we get things in the supermarkets that other towns don't get.  Like frozen meats.  I can get bacon, chicken breasts, drumsticks, minced beef, and lots more. Whenever my sister-in-law Jennifer comes to town she goes shopping before she heads back to Soroti. The meat you buy at the supermarket is more expensive but it is much more what I am used to.  I am slowly starting to learn but I would really love to learn which parts are which of the different animals and really get good cuts of meat.  I have a friend who is a butcher and I would love to have him come to experience the meat market here and show me how to pick the right stuff!

Immigration Office

Immigration Office

So we have officially been in Uganda for 3 months!!! I know this because our visas needed to be renewed.  Before we left we sent in our passports and got 6 month visas...or so we thought.  When we arrived in country they stamped our passports but only gave us 3 months.  Apparently no matter what you have the person sitting there can give you whatever they wish. So on Monday we headed to the office which isn't too far away, maybe 7 minutes or so. We are lucky that we didn't have to go to Kampala because we were just getting an extension. We arrived around noon and didn't have to wait to talk to someone.  They told us that we needed to get a special pass because Benj was working on getting a work permit and the kids needed student passes. He told us that we needed to get the organization to write a letter to let them know that we would be working with them and indeed were working on a work permit. So we left and headed to talk to the guy who needed to write the letter for us.  He was just leaving but would write it as soon as he got back. We went and had lunch and then got the letter and headed back to the immigration office around 2pm. Apparently it was lunch time so we stood around for ten minutes or so and watched Ellie chase a bunch of dragonflies (that Izaac thought were wasps).  We went back in and gave the guy the letter and then he told us that we needed to write a letter stating that we would be homeschooling Izaac and Ellie. (why he couldn't tell us that the first time we were there I can't be sure.) So we left again, this time asking if we all had to come back or if just Benj could. They said it was fine if just Benj came which was great because by this time is was already past rest time.  We got home and Benj typed up a letter, got the money out we needed to pay for the visas and then headed back to the office around 3/3:30pm. Finally we had given them everything they needed to process the visas. I figured that they would just stamp them and we would be good to go but they said it would take two days to process and we could come back on Wednesday to pick up our passports with the new visas.

Waiting outside while Benj is working on the Visas

Benj texted the guy on Wednesday asking what time he should come get the passports and he told him to come at 2pm. So Benj went at 2pm and the guy wasn't there. They told him to come back at 3:30pm. So Benj came home and went back at 3:30pm. The guy still was not there but this time he at least left the passports!! So Benj and I are good for another 3 months and hopefully will have work permits before that time is up and the kids are good for a year on their student passes.  Praise the Lord!!!  The kids did tell us however that they want Beckie and Ruudy to adopt them if we have to leave in 3 months since they can stay longer.  So thank you for praying for us and please continue to pray that we get our work permits!

Just jumping around while we wait!

Not What I Planned To Blog About...

I needed to write a blog post. Then I got distracted by Facebook. This is the result...

I’ve been reading a bunch of articles lately that have gotten me a bit conflicted and, because I’m conflicted, this post has the potential to be kinda’ rough. Bear with me. Or don’t. Whatever you want is fine. I would love to hear thoughts though if you do stick around. (otherwise skip ahead. There’s pictures at the bottom. insert winking emoji)

It started with a couple of facebook posts regarding an Instagram account for White Savior Barbie. I guess a couple of young ladies working in east Africa started using Barbie to make tongue-in-cheek social critiques of missions, specifically short term “voluntourism”, from the “west to the rest” kinda stuff.

You know how facebook does that thing where when you click on a link it suggests others you might be interested in? Well, I got stuck in one of those loops and spent way too much time reading article after article that mostly just made me feel guilty for being who I am, in the place that I am. There was one from a journalist who’s spent a bunch of time in the developing world commenting on western “voluntourists” building a school while unemployed local masons stand around watching. There was one from The Onion titled “6-Day Visit to Rural African Village completely Changes Woman’s Facebook Profile Picture”. This is an especially funny one about the life changing facebook-changing nature of a mission trip. The last one I read was not sarcastic at all but incredibly scathing. The author of this one must have been really hurt at some point and is still holding some resentment.

Here’s the tough part. I agree with the sentiment, if not the tone, of many of these writings.

I agree that in many cases damage and backward progress are the main effects of short-term missions. I agree that there is often a lack of consideration of the long-term impact of a short-term trip. And, I agree that many times these trips do more to stroke the ego and create a less then completely accurate impression of the participants, both to themselves and there facebook friends.

However, I also know that I have been shaped and molded by my experiences in missions and my worldview and understanding have grown and stretched because I had opportunities to participate in these trips. I know that I have been humbled, educated, inspired and encouraged by my interactions with people who live life in circumstances much different from my own. I know that those are all impacts on me and not on those I “went to serve”. So…

For whatever its worth, here is my two cents on “mission trips”. We should keep doing them. Maybe we can re-name them and do them differently though. Maybe we can call them “trips” and we can go places and learn about people and learn from them and maybe, if we need to do work, work together to look for solutions to problems. Maybe sending rich kids to see how bad poor kids have it so they can appreciate all their stuff is just gross and maybe we could avoid posting pictures that make us rich kids look like we’re super heroes and super people and maybe we can just love and serve because that’s what Jesus did and its what he told us we should do too (remember that washing feet thing? Jesus didn’t take a selfie while he was down there even though it would have made for a good one.)

Here’s the other conflicting thing: I’m here, in east Africa, as a white westerner, with no expertise, limited education and little of value to offer but with a strong conviction that this is a good place for me to be, maybe even the best place, that God is ok with me and my family being here and pleased and could make something good of it, for the benefit of people He loves.  

Truth be told, I have days where I wonder if I’m here because I love Jesus and want to love people or if its something else like my ego or self-righteousness or to get great profile pics. I really wrestle with it. I don’t know what the “best approach to missions” is or the absolute best way we can serve people. I don’t know if it wouldn’t be best if we all just stayed where we where born and did our loving God and people from there. I trust Him though, and I trust that He’s the one that puts urges, desires, dreams and passions on all of our hearts and that some of those cause some of us to go to different places. So maybe all of this is ok. Maybe the biggest thing, the things that matter most are our posture and ours hearts.   

I could be wrong though…  Either way, please don’t stop supporting us!(again, winking emoji)

Well… That was cathartic. Thanks for coming along with me on that little train-of-thought ride. It was healthy for me at least. 

Here’s what I was supposed to put on the blog today. Enjoy some pictures that might make us look a little too much like White Savior Barbie (Lord, help us! Closed eyes, smiling emoji):

I've been spending more and more time in a village called Lawmbogo. This is where we'll be getting to know people and working together on various projects. (I need to write a post specifically about this. Coming soon...) This past Saturday the whole family went out and we spent some time playing and some time working.

 

Walking through Lawmbogo we attract quite a crowd

Ellie wasn't sure about all the attention initially but, as usual, she warmed up pretty quick.

Izaac was also a bit uncomfortable but he found a way to rise above it

Now some work- We needed to modify the water tank stands a little before they could be set up. Again, I need to elaborate- another post.

It was medical clinic day so Christina helped take blood pressures for a while

Also, Ellie walked a goat

Homeschool

Well I started homeschool with Izaac.  We have two weeks under our belts and so far it has gone pretty well. I will have him blog about it soon so you can get both sides of the story.  It is strange to be the teacher.  When I was younger I wanted to be a teacher.  I wanted to teach 4th grade. I even went to a year of college to become a teacher.  I'm not sure what changed but I decided not to finish school.  Over the years I have thought of countless things I want to be when I grow up but have never settled on any of them except being a Mom. I thought being a mom would be easy and fun and exciting. And it is those things sometimes but lately it has been very trying, exhausting, and a lot of discipline.  I am not saying we don't have fun and living in a new country isn't excited but it definitely adds a dynamic I don't think I quite prepared myself fully for.  I knew we would have some discipline issues and the kids trying to get away with things they would not have tried in the past because of this new place.  We have to parent a little differently because we are always on display. So I pray a lot.  I pray that I can be the Mom that God created me to be.  That I can raise up children who love Jesus and love people. That they will be an example of love to everyone they meet. So all that to say we started school and I am trusting God that I will do a good job and the kids will learn all that they need to.

Izaac at his new desk we had made for him