Island Life, Part 1

I live on a tropical island.

It's true.

Lingira Island is found on the world's largest tropical lake, Lake Victoria, and is just north of the equator. We have days and weeks and months of sunshine, with the only occasional cloudy and/or rainy day. The rain here comes and goes quickly.

A birds-eye view of the island. "Lingira" means "peeking" in Luganda. :)

We have pretty much the same amount of daylight year-round. Out here there are a number of varieties of colorful and unique birds, as well as many species of flora and some fauna. A gentle breeze often cools the air. Big puffy clouds float across the sky and the evenings often close with brilliant sunsets, ushering in the star-studded nights.

"Island" Collage

Now if the words "tropical island" conjure up images of swaying palm trees and me sunbathing on a beach with a cold drink in my hand, well, let me clarify. By the way, there are no palm trees here.

I love the island - it is peaceful, beautiful and some of my favorite people live here. But life here is interesting.

For instance, take the last 24 hours. Once darkness settled yesterday evening, so came the "plague" of lake flies. These seasonally gnat-like creatures "crave" light. They swarm by the thousands (maybe millions!) around any light they can find - porch light, flashlight, phone, etc. After eating dinner (and probably a few of the critters in the process) I took refuge in my semi-dark bedroom and went to bed early. I dared not turn on any light. (Note: I wrote about lake flies in Feb. 2010 in this post.)

This morning their little bodies were scattered across our floors. Sweeping and swiping away the cobwebs became a tedious job as these wispy bugs flew about.

In front of Andy and Karina's house, I carted away probably a dozen buckets of these greenish, smelly things. It looked like a small snowstorm had hit the Smith home, but it was only...bugs.

 The small "mountain" of lake flies I removed by the bucket-full from in front of the Smith home. My shoe is there for perspective.

Bugs are everywhere here. Do not dare leave any food out or the small, army-like ants will quickly locate it and call in for back-up troops. The island's strange-looking critters also include crickets with long antennas, flat spiders, flying beetles and bees that resemble B-24 bombers.

Industrious wasps called mud-daubers fly about literally building little mud houses everywhere (including on clothes, on books, on walls, on just about anything). They then lay their eggs inside and stock the little house with dead spiders for their young to feed on. Can I just say yuck?

 Mud-dauber "houses" built in the corner of a room.

Then this morning while cleaning up the obnoxious lake flies, my right foot came in contact with an iron sheet (used for roofing here), cutting the base of my small toe. By the amount of blood dripping off my foot, I suspected the cut was deep and called for Mama O, a trained nurse. She came and quickly attended to my foot, cleaning it and applying "plasters" - band-aids.

Now with my right foot in a sock to keep it clean, I am hobbling about, sorta.

For any of you planning a trip to the island, don't let this post scare you. There are many other interesting, but good things, about my little 'ol tropical island, but they will be unveiled in future posts.

Now, let me get back to my book and cold drink...


P.S. Did you know that the word "insect" comes from a Greek word meaning "cut into sections." Strange.
 (Source: Wikipedia)

Bugs!!

 An entomologist would have a ball in Uganda.

 Their favorite subjects of study are everywhere - in the air, the dirt, the water, your food, your bed, your sheets, your drinking water. You cannot escape from these...little critters. If you don't like bugs, don't come to Uganda. By the way, an entomologist is someone who studies insects.

  Of course, there are the mosquitos, infamous for being the carriers of malaria. Malaria, according to dictionary.com, is "An infectious disease characterized by cycles of chills, fever, and sweating, caused by a protozoan of the genus Plasmodium in red blood cells, which is transmitted to humans by the bite of an infected female anopheles mosquito." Sounds fun, huh?

  Unfortunately, malaria is a major killer here in Uganda and many other African countries. According to some information I found on the Internet, malaria kills an estimated 320 people every day in Uganda. The sad thing is that this disease can be easily prevented, but such prevention is not common or widespread.

 Then there are the roaches, probably my least favorite of the bugs. I was introduced to them as an infant when we lived in the inner city of Houston, Texas and I think they left a bad impression on me then. I am getting braver, though, and can actually kill them myself, rather than calling for backup help. : )

  The lake flies are like big gnats and are harmless, but are still pests. We have them on the island. They come out in droves at night and are attracted to light. This becomes a major irritation if you are wearing a headlamp and they find your eyes, nose and ears. Their numbers ebb and flow according to how much moonlight there is. I don't entirely understand this concept, but it makes me thankful for when we see more of the moon. I have books at home which have pressed lake flies on some of the pages, "collected" during my first trip. : )

 If you leave any food out - uncovered, these little bitty sugar ants will find them. These tiny harmless creatures are really amazing - how quickly they find food, how they enlist others to help them, how they work together, and then how they transport their finds. Follow a trail of ants and you will find the piece of popcorn that fell on the floor last night or the grains of sugar that were accidentally left behind.

 There are other creepy crawly creatures, here too, but I am writing a blog post and not a book. : )

  I have never been much of a fan of bugs, but am learning to live with them. I was thinking about a spiritual application for this multi-legged subject and was reminded of sin. Sin can creep in and show up in the most unsuspecting places. It can sniff out where we might have left a crumb of temptation and can create a trail that will lead to no good. If you leave an opening, it will likely push its way in. But, prevention is definitely possible!

 Maintaining a close and consistent relationship with Jesus can help eradicate sin in our lives. As we allow the light of God's Word and His Spirit to flood our lives, it pushes out the darkness. Oops, changing analogies, but I think it goes along well. : ) 

  God says if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins. (I John 1:9.) Also being open with others about our struggles and temptations, can help stomp out sin in our lives. Sin, like malaria, left untreated, can be deadly. But, eradication is definitely accessible and best of all, it's free of charge. Because Jesus already paid the painful and costly price on the cross, we can know freedom from sin. With His power, sin can be stomped out and eliminated. Praise the Lord for that!

 So, the next time you see a little critter, be reminded that we can indeed have victory over sin!