Birthday Again!

Mwine (pronounced Mwee Nay) Nathan's Birthday is today, so we celebrated on the weekend so we or him didn't miss school. He is funny and has a great laugh. He is the one we met the Saturday before the first Tournament. He is fun to be around, and I like copying some of his funniest phrases.

Thursday my Dad went to a Elders Retreat that lasted that day, that night, the next day, and the next night. Then on Saturday a driver drove us in our car into Kampala to meet my Dad and Mwine at the ARA (American Recreation Association). Mwine met us first at about 11:00 and my Dad met us at about 1:00. First before my Dad came we (Kara, Mwine, and me) went and played basketball at a court that the ARA had. Then we went back to the ARA poolside and a few minutes later my Dad came and we swam for a little bit after lunch. Then when we were done swimming we played Basketball until it was time to play Tennis. Mwine did well for his first time.

Then we went to the MAF (Mission Aviation Fellowship) to eat dinner, play games, have an adventure with the candles and cake, eat the cake, and go to bed. The next day we left after breakfast and dropped Mwine off somewhere so he could take a boda-boda and a Taxi back to school in Mukono. Then we started home and got back at about 2:00. In the car, Kara and I played a really weird, but fun, game. We said what we saw anywhere, but it had to be less than three words. Like ' Two people on a bike' would be too many words.

We are almost done with school for this year, Yeah! We are on the 34th of 36 weeks, which is good! We are having lots of fun with Basketball.

Thank you all for your prayers, but please pray for me, as I have the Fever and a Cold at the same time. It doesn't feel very good. Thank you all for your support and prayers, we all appreciate it. We are all excited about the Clay Center, Kansas Team that is coming in less than a month! Thank you all!

Micah

Peterson.

In Entebbe.

Sunday a week ago was Independence Day for Uganda. It wasn't as eventful as America's Independence Day, otherwise known as Fourth of July, they just did church and talked about Jubilee and other stuff. Yes, that was Uganda's 49th Independence day, and Uganda is going into it's 50th year. Please pray for Uganda.

Then on Tuesday we started out for Entebbe for my Dad's birthday. We swam Lake Vic Hotel for the afternoon and went for dinner at a pizza place. The next day, Wednesday, we had breakfast at the Motel that we were staying at and then went to Lake Vic Hotel and swam all day. We met a person that we know from here in New Hope and swam with her too.

The next day, Thursday, we had breakfast and left for Kampala. When we got there we went to the Brown's house (my friend Joel Brown? Those Browns. See previous blogs) and stayed there for a while. Then we left and went shopping and had lunch and then went home.

Saturday we had an Ebenezer boy over and he and I with, my Mom overlooking, made apple pie for Ebenezer because they were coming for a movie night. So we started making it at 2:30 and finished at about 6:00. We had to make four pies so it took a while. Then they came over at seven and we started watching. We're doing the Lord of the Rings series and we finished Two Towers that night. Everyone liked the pie.

On Sunday we had Ebenezer over to do a Football (soccer) match on 'Ebenezer Stadium'. No one got hurt except one who hurt his foot (Haha "foot"ball). So it was fun.

Thank you all for your prayers. None of us are hurt or sick anymore. My Dad got better and our sores are healing. My sunburns that I got in Entebbe are peeling, so soon they will be gone. Thank you all for everything!

Micah

Peterson.

Upcoming Birthday #2.

We had a second Basketball Tournament on Saturday in Mukono (just outside of Kampala), except this one wasn't Official-Official like Worldwide or National Tournaments are. We just went to a school and played a friendly match with that school for fun. We left New Hope at about 8:00 in the morning and got back at about 8:30 at night. My Mom was at a Woman's Retreat Friday afternoon through Sunday afternoon that got back at about 6:50, so she missed that Tournament too.
I had a sleepover with Toby Britton on Friday night, then my Dad picked Toby and I up and a few other people at about 7:30 and we were off. The Bus that had all the players in it and the Andersons (a family here that we know) were behind us. We got to Mukono at about 11:00 and left there at about 5:30. We had a lot of fun.
Tomorrow we are leaving for Entebbe for my my Dad's birthday. We'll stay all day there on his real birthday, October 12, and come back to New Hope on Thursday the 13th. We're going to stay in a hotel not far from Lake Victoria Hotel (previous blogs) and swim in Lake Vic Hotel (that's what we call Lake Victoria Hotel).

Thank you all for your Prayers and support! We are all doing well here and are getting ready for the Kansas team that is coming in less than six weeks! We need many plans to get ready for them so we do it ahead. Thank you all also who are helping with the tubs! We are very grateful for providing stuff that we could not 'live' without. Kidding! We can live without. Thank you all for everything!

Micah

Peterson.

More Basketball... Obviously I'm obsessed.

(Written October 7th 2011)

Ok, maybe I'm not obsessed. Maybe some other people are but I'm just goin' with the flow. Let's start with the last tournament...

Everyone's probably wondering how I got into the tournament last time, to make a somehow long story short (actually a short story even shorter), Dad just got the permission from all the coaches that were there, and I could play. This was all by the urging of U. Sam and A. Eunice, two of our teachers (somehow...). The tournament went well, though I was so surprised and unready I'm afraid I didn't do too well...

Back to this past worship night. I ended up not doing the rap, I actually lead two songs and accompanied the leader with the other English ones! Thank God for His strength... I gave it my all and got a lot of compliments, so I know I did my best for Him!

This past week has been primarily like this (excluding meals); wake up, school, basketball, home. Monday-Friday. We had the Bouffards over for dinner on Wednesday, we had one of our girls over for her birthday dinner on Thursday, and mom went on a women's retreat Friday through Sunday, she arrived last night (Sunday night). On Saturday, we went to Mukono for a friendly match with a school there. It was a lot of fun, I played on the girls team again and I gotta say, I'm a lot more confident on asphalt or cement then I was on maram (dirt). The first game the girls played we lost by four points, two baskets. It was a close game all the way. The first game the school did all their younger players I think, that's why it was so close, then they did their older players in the second game. We scored like, 24? or something like that and they had 47 I think. Kinda embarrassing but it was because none of our girls knew how to defend a fast break, where there is one or two girls down on offense and when that team gets the ball they throw it down and do a 'fast break' and there's no one to stop them. I skinned my ankle but that's about it, nothing to it. And I got sunburned really bad because of Jensen... Jensen if you ever read this it's your fault I'm so red! You told me you guys didn't bring any sunblock so I gave it up but later your sister handed me some of yours! ALL YOUR FAULT! It's all his fault. Maybe it's my fault too because I didn't put our sunblock outside like I was supposed to, but we won't go into that.

I'm sitting here writing this and it's dark outside, and I mean DARK. Like the dark you get when there's a really big storm almost on top of you, that kind of dark. Probably because there's a storm almost on top of us. Thundering and blowing up a gale and such and such... We'll probably get a bit wet on this one, but we'll see. I'm hoping it doesn't empty buckets or pour waterfalls, or even rain cats and dogs because I would like to play on a mostly un-wet basketball court at 4:10, in forty-five minutes or so.

Yesterday was independence day, sorry, Ugandan independence day. We had an awesome service, worship time (I was the backup leader with this other girl, leading for him with most of the New Hope Academy Secondary Students behind us. We had a ball dancing to the Luganda songs), testimony (the guy spoke in French and Uncle Roger, a French name by-the-way, translated into Luganda), service type-thing by Uncle Jones, and fellowship as everyone piddled out. I say piddled out because most of the people stick around and talk afterwords, some people leave. Then they all kinda piddle out. Weird description I know, but you know....

So we'll see if we get rain. Thanks for all the prayers I'm sure have been praying... Continue praying for me, and our car because it's not starting, my dad's in the driver's seat trying to start it but it's not going. We are tempted to go and sell the junky thing... We've had to replace almost everything engine-wise... I think... That's what I understand at least..... And pray for our trip this week because it's Mr. Two Days Until Half-way To Ninety's birthday on Wednesday (he doesn't like it when I say that, I love teasing people! That name makes him seem old...) And for our family, and extended-in-Uganda family (our family group) and um.......................................

That's it. Phew, my fingers are getting tired.

Kara P.

Coming up birthday.

So the tournament was fun. We've had good weeks, missing our friends and families, missing having fun in America, missing having adventures (even though we have some here). Yeah, all that good stuff.

But of course we have to have fun here too. Driving in Crazy Kampala, playing with friends, swimming in pools, going to Musana Camps, watching tournaments. Yeah, all that more good stuff.

We've gone to church on Sundays. Had school on weekdays. Gone to our family group Ebenezer on Tuesdays. Had our family night (just the four of us) on Friday nights. Wait. I've told you all that "day" stuff before haven't I? Anyway: yeah, all that OTHER good stuff.

Saturday night we had our Ebenezer Family over for a Movie night. Then the next day, Sunday, my Dad preached the sermon. He had a drama skit with two of our Ebenezer boys, himself, and Kara in it. They all did good. My Mom said that my Dad couldn't have picked better people for the parts.

Yesterday also the Boufards came. As soon as I'm done with this Kara and I will go over and play with them. Then at four we will go play Basketball. This Saturday we will go to another tournament (basketball).

My Dad's birthday is in a week and two days and we are going to go to Entebbe for it. Quick amazing fact: Entebbe means Chair in Luganda. Amazing but true.

Thank you for your prayers. We are doing well except for my Dad who is feeling a bit sick. He is out of energy and is dizzy and needs prayer. Thank you all for your support and prayer.

Micah

Peterson.