How to Keep Your Electricity Bill Low

Power was off in our part of town for 20 days... a record for Nkokonjeru.
According to some missionaries who've served in Mbarara for the past 10 years, the longest they ever went without power was 6 days.

I'm slightly honored to be a part of this record-breaking power outage.

Here's how it all unfolded...
On Sunday, the 11th, the power went out. I called the power company office in Kampala 3 times (because often when power goes out at an unscheduled time, if you call and complain, it might come back on. Those who ask shall receive...), and each time they reassured me that it would be turned back on by the end of the day. It wasn't.

On Tuesday, we were told to "be patient."

On Wednesday, we found out it might be off for a month because someone stole a piece of the transformer (To sell for money, perhaps?).

On Thursday, we threw away all of our moldy food, salvaged what we could and sent it to the Skinner's for safe keeping, and cleaned our fridge with bleach and water so that it wouldn't mold.

On Friday, we learned that pieces of the transformer weren't actually stolen, but some children threw rocks at it and broke it. We also went to spend the weekend with the Skinner's to enjoy their company, electricity, and hot water.

On Saturday, we heard a rumor that perhaps the transformer was taken to be used at a trade fair that was in town for the past week. As upset as we were that someone could actually do this, we were hopeful because the fair was ending the next day, and that meant we might get our power back soon.

Where the transformer used to be

On Sunday, the 18th, a head representative from the power company came to a local church to talk about the issue. Apparently, the people of Nkokonjeru had some choice words to share with this representative.

On Monday, the mayor went to a local school and promised that it would be back on that day. We also replenished our supply of kerosene for our lanterns.

On Tuesday, evening we visited a teammate's apartment and were amazed at how bright his light bulb was!

On Thursday, a new rumor began to circulate. Apparently the power company wants to "upgrade" the entire power system in Nkokonjeru and put in new poles and everything... which means it might be another two months! Now there are two things you should understand with this information. 1. "Upgrade" is very relative. Power will not be any more stable or reliable after said upgrade. 2. If you haven't figured it out yet, two months doesn't actually mean two months. It could be longer!

On Friday we found ourselves back at the Skinner's for the weekend. What a blessing they are!

On Wednesday, the 29th, we had our first real sign of hope! My teammate, Zillah, spotted about twenty men from the power company working on our transformer!! Our hopes soared...

On Thursday, we kept hoping...

On Friday, the 30th, Kelsea and I were finishing eating dinner in our very dim kitchen when we saw the most beautiful sight ever...!

Kelsea and I both love coffee, and I thought it was lovely that the first light we saw in our house was the small orange glow coming from the coffee maker power switch! Much enthusiastic celebrating ensued, as you can imagine! We called friends, ran to turn the water heater on, and hugged our neighbor when she came running over to our house to share in the joy and excitement! We finally settled down to finish our dinner and noticed that we had to let our eyes adjust to the brightness of the light bulbs in our kitchen...

Now, I know that all things work together for the good of those who love the Lord. What did I learn and gain from this experience? A much, much greater and more personal appreciation for electricity, that's for sure! God also knew that our budget is a little tight, so maybe this was his sovereign way of helping us save some money this month. I also was able to spend more time than normal with the Skinners in their home, which was truly a blessing to me. I was able to get into a routine of going to bed early (as in 8:30 or 9pm... Did you know 9pm is the missionary midnight?), and I developed a deeper appreciation for the way that God makes each of us differently. A gratitude for the way that He calls individuals based on their giftings and abilities.

Even though we were without power for the better part of a month, we always had running water. We still had a beautiful home. We still had food to eat (though I'm ashamed to admit just how many times I ate pasta or had popcorn for a meal). Many times each week I found myself so grateful that God has not called me to serve in the African bush somewhere. I just don't think I could do it, and God knows that too. I have such thankfulness and respect for those who are happy to live and serve in those places where electricity is never an option and where you have to carry your own water, but I'm just as happy to live and serve here in Mbarara where the needs are just as great. It's simply wonderful that God makes us differently so that all roles can be fulfilled and His name can be made known to the ends of the earth!

In the meantime, Kelsea and I are continuing the celebration this evening by eating freshly baked chocolate chip cookies in the living room with all the lights on, playing to music on our sound system, and enjoying the luxury of having charged computers at our home! Tonight I will happily turn on my fan, drown out the noise of bats squeaking outside my window and dogs barking, and fall asleep to the sound of white.
Thank you, Lord, for the little things...that are actually huge things!