Luxuries

Now that we have been in country for almost two months we are now familiar with what we can and can not get. TO start with, any meat, cheese or dairy is rare and limited, especially in our home city. We thought we would get a cooler, or and ice chest to freeze meats in and then bring them home. However we are finding that what might be "normal" at home, is considered a "luxury" here.

For example: At home ice chest: $20-30 dollars. Uganda: $150! So we quickly tossed that idea out the window and started looking for another option.

Example 2: Rice Crispies :Home $2.50 - 4.00 a box. Uganda: $10! My girls at the whole box in TWO meals!

Example 3: Ragu Spaghetti Sauce: Home $2.00 - $2.50. Uganda $7.00! and there is no "great value" brand as an option either. So I have started learning how to make my own.

Example 4: A block of cheese: Home: $3:50. Uganda: 10+ for a small block. and there isn't a slice of Kraft cheese to be found in the whole country!!

At the same time.... you can get fresh pineapples for $1, Avocados $.20 cents, rice $2.00 for a Kilo. However I don't think that the savings in fruits off sets the cost of the "luxury" items.

Other hard to find items: Dill relish, pickles, yummy crackers, corn chips, (all these yummy avocados to make guacamole with and not a corn chip in sight!) good ice cream, coffee, kitchen stuff. ( I can't find a potato masher to save my life! & I looked all over for a small cookie sheet.... paid $10 when I finally found one, bread pans fall into the same category as the cookie sheet), maple syrup, vanilla and other extracts... ect.

Along with making my own spaghetti sauce.... I have started baking our own bread. I also make our own carrot sticks. (not challenging, but time and space consumers). In some ways it is fun! but it is tiring as well. I don't think I will take to butchering my own cow, but I am looking into making cheese. I just need to find a cow with good milk.

Fortunately my AMAZING mother-in-love found a group that is not only coming to Uganda, but our city as well, and they are staying at the hotel just up the road from our house. Guess what she is sending: and Ice Chest full of goodies!! We can hardly wait to receive our first care package. I imagine it will be stuffed full of things like relish, coffee, syrup, koolaid, not to mention a few treats for the girls as well!!

We are starting a list of items that we want brought over to us from the US.... for our visiting teams to bring. Some of you have mentioned wanting to send a package. If you want to send something with a team, let me know and I will send you the address of our collecting spot.

Currently we aren't using the post office.... it takes 4 months to get anything! It would get here faster if it goes through the teams that are coming in May.

We are so thankful for this opportunity, even if it means limiting our cheese consumption and increasing our rice intake. (and therefore increasing our waistlines as well). It is all worth it for Jesus!!!