Just a Saturday in Gulu

It's a Saturday morning in Gulu, and Hal is waiting to see what the day holds.  He decides to visit a village where they had put in a well.  One of the men invites him to his hut.  He expresses appreciation for the water well, very thankful for how helpful it has been for all of them.  It's unusual, but there are some flowers growing right outside this man's hut.  As they visit, Hal notices the man share a piece of his bread with a cat - cats are typically scared and skittish, not often seen with people.

After this visit it's time to check in on a place where the people are building a house for their pastor.  They are making and moving bricks, and carrying water back and forth.  After seeing the women carrying water back and forth, Hal helps them by loading the water in the back of his truck - about 40 gallons at a time, making trips back and forth.

The next stop is to visit a teenage young man.  Moses is surprised and happy to see Hal!  He needs some shoes and a blanket, so they go shopping together.  He had hurt his finger, so Hal gives Moses some of his band-aids and antibiotic ointment in a zip lock bag.  He says good-bye and reminds Moses to share some of the "sweets" with his sister that they had bought.

Off to another well location with the drilling team.  Here they meet a 72-year-old man from Norway who had been living there for some years.  He would like a well at his place, and offers to hire the team to put in a well on Monday.  He will pay about 2.5 million Ugandan Schillings, a little less than $1,500 - just about the right amount to purchase a "pickie-pickie" for the drilling team.  A "pickie-pickie" or "border-border" is a small motor bike.  These bikes are used for transportation to "pick" up passengers or carry passengers from border to border - thus their nick names.

Hal hears of a man who is very sick, so he goes to him and gives him a ride to the medical clinic.  The man has dysentery and malaria. He is given medication and will need to have a series of shots over the next few days.  On the way back, Hal asks the man if he has any money to get a ride back to the clinic - no he does not.  So, Hal gives him enough to get rides back and forth to the clinic so he can finish the series of shots he needs to get well.

At the end of the day, Hal and the drilling team have dinner together.  They have a chance to talk about how each of them are doing, how the project is going, and some goals for the future. 

It's just the way a Saturday is spent in Gulu.