Post Office Adventure

Lynn and I have been in Kampala for eleven months now and would you believe that we have not had to go downtown to the post office? (Who does snail mail any more?) Today was the day for our first adventure.

And what a morning! Lynn called me from downstairs at the office and asked me to go with him and Tammy R. to the post office. Tammy went to show us the way and the procedures. Lynn had to go because the package was in his name and he had to have two copies of his passport to be able to get it. I went because there are very few parking places so they needed me to drive around until they were finished. Tammy wasn’t actually sure of the way after a certain point but we finally managed to get there. Lynn drove down there but just before we got there and while we were stopped in traffic we did a “Chinese fire drill” and all jumped out. I hopped into the driver’s seat.

I started driving but I wasn’t sure that I would be able to find my way back. I first made a “big” circle and then found a “smaller” circle to go around. There were no parking places for the first 5-6 circles, then one finally opened up not too far away. Turns out it was a bank parking area, but when I explained to the bank guard how many times I had gone around the circle he told me not to waste my gas. He allowed me to park there (for a price).

After about 30 minutes or so Lynn cell phoned me and said they had gotten to the package but it was over $100 in value so it was charged a postal tax -- 130.000UGS (about $60). The tax couldn’t be paid at the post office. It had to be paid at the Crane bank (main branch). I had passed it half a dozen times in my circling around so I was able to tell Lynn and Tammy which way to walk. When they got to the bank, they first had to pay a fee of 2,000 just to be allowed to pay the postal tax. Then Lynn had to do a withdrawal so he could pay it. Finally, they had to walk back to the post office to pick up the package.

In the meantime, the bank guard came over to my car and asked for some money so he could buy some tea. I had already been there for about an hour so I was glad to do it. I don’t know how much gas I saved but it was certainly worth 1,000 shillings (.50) he asked, but wouldn’t you know it, I only had a 2,000 bill. Oh well, just think how many circles I would have had to drive otherwise.

(We would love to get packages from home. Bubble envelopes are the best because they can come right to the office and not be charged extra. Don’t put on the package its worth-- at least not more than $50 --or it is too expensive for you and for us.) We can actually get almost anything here but we mostly “do” with the things that are here. And that is ok. :)

No Peace of Mind

Today I went to my ladies’ Bible study at Pastor Thomas’ house. I arrived before anyone else so I had a chance to visit with Pastor Thomas a little. I asked him how he was doing and he said “not too well because of his landlord”.

Here’s a little background to the problem. Back in Sept. Pastor T had told me about the problem. His landlord had come to him and wanted him to pay two month’s rent instead of the usual one. It seems that the landlord had gotten behind on his bills and he wanted to collect a little extra from his tenants. We advised Thomas not to do that because we felt that that would become an ongoing problem—that any time the landlord got behind he would demand money from the tenants. (No one has contracts here, so even though there are laws to protect the renter, very few really have much recourse).

What was worrying Thomas was that he was about to go to seminary for his 3-week term and he was afraid that the landlord would bug his wife and children. A church in the States has been helping Thomas go to seminary and they did this time as usual so I thought the problem was taken care of.

Today as we talked, I realized that the problem is far from over. While Thomas was gone to seminary the landlord had not paid the electricity bill so he demanded payment from all the tenants. He called Thomas at seminary and demanded that he pay. Thomas refused and told him he needed to study and he would talk when he got back. Thomas has refused to pay the extra money because electricity was to be included in the rent money for which he had paid and was up to date. So, two months ago the landlord had his electricity cut off – no one else’s. I don’t think it could have made that much difference. There is one light bulb, one iron, and one place to charge his phone in his house. How much electricity can that use? But, of course, it is certainly an inconvenience to Thomas and his family.

As we continued to talk about it, Thomas said that the landlord had inherited the property and had never owned anything before so he doesn’t know how to manage what he has. Now, this is the sad part. The problem began about the time that I began the Bible study at his house. The landlord saw me, a “muzungu” (in his eyes, a rich foreigner) coming every week. That must mean that Thomas has connections to money. Pastor Thomas said that he has had “no peace” almost since he started living in this house and the landlord will not listen to reason.

I suggested that our Bible study might end in a few weeks but Pastor Thomas said that would not help. First, we are already connected. Second, it will happen to me wherever I minister because I am a muzungu. If I stop, then I will have no ministry. If the ministry stops, then Satan will win.