A letter home

Yesterday Sarah made Tunacakes, rice, and salad. we had water with orange slices and fresh mint. It was really good. Tonight Nicole is cooking lamb with sweet potatoes and salad to mark the Passover. I am having each of us cook a main meal once a week. They have to cook something we have in the house. But my kids are good cooks. It is nice for me not to have to cook every day. I saw this photo on Facebook. I wish I was so far with my spring cleaning. I clean one thing a day. Than I run out of energy. Yesterday I over did it. I got a high fever and had to go to bed early. I am ok today. Today the news is, do not plan a summer vacation. We may not be allowed to travel. So I am not sure if I'll be able to travel to the US in September. We will also cancel our trip to Italy in August. I also understand Italy is angry with Germany because we are not seeing the number of deaths they are seeing. I think they are in shock. And it would not be a great time to travel ...

Yesterday I got to go shopping alone. I wore a facemask, glasses, and gloves. I kept far from all the other shoppers. But it was so nice to just walk. The store and the parking lot was actually empty. There is such a strange atmosphere. It is like walking in a disaster film. I went to the big store Globus because we are out of toilet paper, and other stores were out of it. I am watching the news. Lately, it is all about how we could restart the economy. I think it will take real wisdom and maybe a few miracles. I agree with the lockdown. When I look at Italy and New York, I can see how important this lockdown is. But it is really painful for the economy. In Africa where people live from Hand To Mouth, it is more than painful. It is tragic. In East Africa, 50% of the population lives from whatever they make in a day. So this lockdown is going to cause hunger and homelessness. The governments already carry too much debut. They can not afford to borrow more money to ...

I saw this sign on Facebook.  It made me laugh out loud.  and Juergen nearly cried laughing when I showed it to him.  If you do not get it, the Coronavirus they believe came from a person eating a bat.  Or an animal that had been infected by a bat. That person contracted the virus, and they spread it to another person...and here we all are.  Locked up in our houses, economy ready to crash. If you want to change the world in a good way, we are trying to support 35 teenage mothers and their 46 kids in this time of lock down. They can not earn money (by law unable to sell their hand crafts) so we are trying to help them pay food and rent. And they stay busy making beads, bags and soap to be sold in the future gift shop. Check here for more details. HOW TO SUPPORT TEENAGE MOTHERS SURVIVE THE COVID-19 LOCKDOWN IN KAMPALA.   Nicole took my desk, and Juergen is taking the entire office to do his work. I set up a table for myself in my bedroom. T...

The death rate from COVID-19 is still low in Germany,1200 out of 91,000 people. But 1200 people are still many souls lost and loved. And the reality that we are at the beginning of this pandemic hurts to consider. They have over 200,000 beds in Germany being prepared for what is to come. They are considering how they will allow people to get back to work and school...knowing that there will be a new surge of infections. I got a negative back on my virus test. I was really sad about that. I had hoped that all I have been through over the past weeks was the sickness. Once I recovered, I would be free. They are working on a test to check if you have immunity. I could have had the virus, but it was no longer in my throat. That is what was tested. It would be a gift to have immunity. But right now I need to play it very safe like everyone else. And for a day I thought I might get a ticket off this island. It made me realize how trapped I feel. How trapped I still feel. I was sad...

I'm guessing not many people in the world hope they get a positive test back for the COVID-19 virus. But I've already been sick for weeks. I would really like a positive on my test. I want to know that this was it. That I am nearly better. That I only need to recover and then I'll be ok. I do not have much of a cough anymore. I still get headaches. I still get breathless and have very little energy. But I am getting better. And so are Juergen, Jessica, and Sarah. So I find out soon if I am positive. And I hope that I am. I hope that we can say we are recovered. It would be very special freedom. The freedom of being on the other side of the unknown. But it could be that I test negative. I am hoping I get a positive. I thought a lot about all the doctors and medical staff fighting in this war. For them, this is a war. And I felt a great deal of grief for all they are carrying. I am praying for them, thinking of them. We all owe a great deal of gratitude for ...

11 children and leaders from the Watoto children's choir in Uganda are in quarantine. They have tested positive for the coronavirus. They sang in our church last year. And I have been to the church in Kampala. It is a dearly loved ministry. We pray for their healing. Yesterday Juergen drove me to the test center. We drove up to a booth. A man in a yellow hospital ground took my insurance card. He then took a long swab and put it way down in my throat. I nearly throw up. But that was it. We drove off, and I will know in two days (by Friday) if I have coronavirus. It can not tell me if I had it. I could be over it and just healing. I am praying the test is positive. I have been sick for weeks. I would like to think this was "it". They think the virus will not peak until June. And what we face right now is the calm before the storm. They expect 2 million people to have the virus in Germany before this is over. I really hope what I have is...