simplicity.

4.4.08

Instead of heading to a specific project Friday, about 15 of us took two vehicles outside of Kampala to a village rich in jungle greenery. Peter, a friend to ICY and the Ugandan who sold ICY his van, had purchased a large piece of land in Kyampisi. He had a vision to build a church/ children’s education and recreation center in the area, because there wasn’t one anywhere near the village.
So we were available to help him clear the land. With the sun severely beating down on us, and the jungle thick with trees and bush, we lined up and began to go to work, chopping down the greenery with a “panga” in hand. Laura, Grace, and I watched from the open area, which had been cleared earlier, until someone felt tired. There were not enough machetes for each of us, but I was delighted when I was handed the large blade.
Just before I began, Sylvan, a local Ugandan volunteer, announced that he had killed a snake. I was so excited to see it, and was fascinated by the headless snake, which was still squirming around on the blade of his machete. It was a small, grayish-purple colored poisonous snake, about twelve inches in length and rather thin. Sylvan explained to me that the poison of the snake is stored in the tail and then sent to the head when feeling threatened or hunting. He had cut the head off before any poison would have had a chance to travel to it.
With caution to my steps in the jungle, I approached a tree with several thick branches split from the base. With one great swing, I sent the blade tearing into the side of the tree and began to repeatedly hack away at it. The branch was the diameter of a large soup can, and I immediately felt beads of sweat rolling off my face and neck. Pieces of splintered wood, pollens, and crushed leaves plastered against my skin, I triumphantly yelled out “timber!” to finish off the first branch. The process takes great patience and concentration, and I am proud to have chopped down half a dozen sizeable trees and many vines and bushes. The pain in my hand from keeping such a tight grip on the machete handle was unbelievable. The first time I attempted to release my grip, I struggled to unfold my stiffened fingers. It felt as though I had lost the ability to flex and release my fingers properly. The blisters that accumulated along the interior of my palm made it more unbearable with each swing of the machete, but I wanted to take down as many trees as I could to help Peter’s vision one day become a reality. We worked from late morning into mid-afternoon before we finally finished the area, which we had come to clear. So much man-power went into taking down the area, and I couldn’t help but mention to Laura how quickly this jungle could be removed by a machine in America. The machete is such a simple tool, capable of much. But it needs to be teamed with so much muscle and physical labor to make progress.
Everyone was exhausted from the intense heat and physical labor, so the invitation to eat at the home of a family in the village sounded wonderful. We all walked a ways down the dirt road and greeted the people at the house, smiling and feeling grateful for their hospitality. Because many people out in African villages eat only one meal a day in the late afternoon, the usual meal of “Katogo” is a very heavy dish, which sits in the stomach for quite some time. The children of the family brought us generously proportioned plates of the Cassava [potato-like root] and bean mixture, and I quickly understood why it would be an ideal food to serve when only one meal a day is eaten. It felt so good to eat after all the physical labor, and to sit and relax. Peter led a short reflection and prayer session for all the people in the village who had come to eat with us before we left. It was a great experience to work out in a village and meet the people there. I am excited for Peter’s plans and how it will be able to contribute to the community. The way that the people in the village live is so simple and modest. They are stewards of the nature which surrounds them and it is evident that the community of friends and family is the main focus of importance. There is little to distract them from concentrating on building community among the people and appreciating the closeness of one another. Simplicity is beautifully displayed in the African villages, and it was a great display which prompted me to reflect on the true priorities in life.