Anathanael Pics

The Next Steps

Man,

I haven't written anything in a while and a lot of exciting things have happened over the course of that time! The following has all happened in less than 1 year!

Upon arriving back from my Uganda/England/Germany Travels, I took a position with JP Morgan up in Chicago doing similar work as I was doing before in Delaware. The job actually started there and brought me back to Delaware in February.

I had an awesome time in Chicago hanging out with friends, living with my brother, Mark, and enjoying an apartment right on Michigan Ave. It had a beautiful view overlooking Millenium Park, not to mention it's prime location. The other significant event that happened while I was in Chi-town was a random encounter with a girl named Ana Batista who worked for JPM in Manhattan and had been my "higher up" while I was at my previous position in Delaware. This meeting ended up becoming something much more significant because after a visit to Portugal to ask Mr Batista for his daughters hand in marriage in June. In between that time, we had a first date, some more dates, a proposal, wedding planning, trips back and forth between DE, NJ, and PA, and finally the wedding itself on September 2. Now I find myself married, without a job and living in a new home in a different state (NJ).

What follows is a little background about us that was posted on our wedding website.

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SEPTEMBER 2, 2007................Newlyweds for 8 days!

ABOUT ANA:
I grew up in Newark, New Jersey as a first generation American, the daughter of Portuguese immigrants, Braulio and Maria. My mother came to the United States with her parents at the age of 14 and my father 3 years later when he married my mother. I have a younger brother named Braulio, who is now a high school art teacher.I graduated from Trenton State College with a B.S. in International Business and minors in French and Economics. My first job after graduation was at Merrill Lynch, where I stayed for all of 9 months! I then went to work for JPMorgan in Manhattan and have been there for over 7 years. Fun facts about me: I have a Shih Tzu named Molly, I just got back from volunteering at an orphanage in Uganda, I have my motorcycle license, I like to have cornflakes on my ice cream, and yes…I really am 30!

ABOUT NATHANAEL :
I hope you enjoy international flavor, because it continues here. The first year of my life entailed a birth in Edinburgh, Scotland, some time in the States, and the beginning of childhood in Taiwan. The remainder of life has entailed spending various times in each of those three places. Uganda has been the most recent addition to that list of places, but hopefully won't be the last!I am the oldest of four children and have been very fortunate to have such a wonderful and loving family.My early career aspirations included being a minister or a gym teacher, but somehow I found my way to investment bank operations at JP Morgan after graduating from Wheaton College. I'm not sure where life will lead next, but I hope to always pursue my interests in ceramics, travel, Philly sports and some growing businesses in East Africa.

HOW WE MET:
Ana and I were coworkers for three years at JP Morgan. However, during that time there was absolutely no romantic interest between the two of us (In fact, I would not go too far by saying that we really did not like each other very much!). We communicated infrequently as Ana's choice method of reprimanding my rookie mistakes was through my boss. We have come a long way from those days and now she just reprimands me directly!The real story began when we met up randomly in Chicago while I was training for a new role and Ana was working on some projects. Gradually our communication increased as I helped Ana plan a volunteer trip to Africa. Things have progressed wonderfully from there in a short time. Only direct guidance from God could have resulted in such an unlikely pairing, but now that we're together, nothing will break us apart! We've learned to minimize our differences, focus on our similarities and rely on each other for support and encouragement. We're both excited for the possibilities that we have as a couple!

WHEN WE GOT ENGAGED:
June 12, 2007

HOW IT HAPPENED:
We had been quietly planning our wedding for some time but we were waiting to make it official until after Nathanael and my family had a chance to meet. So we decided to go to Portugal for a few days and I thought that perhaps he would pop the question in Portugal! We arrived in Lisbon on a Saturday morning and were warmly greeted by my parents. It was great to have them finally meet Nathanael. We spent the next few days visiting family, and doing some site-seeing in Coimbra, Porto and some beautiful nearby beaches. Each time we went somewhere romantic (which was quite a few times), I thought, "this is it, he's going to ask me" but day after day kept passing us by and nothing had transpired. I must admit I was starting to wonder what was going on, had my father said "no"?! Finally, on our last night in Portugal around midnight (we were leaving for the airport the next morning at 5:30am), he walked me into my parents' vegetable garden, sat me down on the family well, got down on his knee and asked me to marry him. The roosters were crowing, cats were jumping all around us (did I mention I’m really allergic to cats), and it was pitch black. I could not actually see the ring until he took out his cell phone and shined a light on it…it was a beautiful, unique setting with a diamond and a sapphire. We walked around my family’s vineyard for a while and it was a wonderful moment. I looked up into the heavens and thanked God for all the wonderful blessings He had given me. We then went back into my parent’s house, my dad opened a nice cold bottle of champagne and he said a blessing over us. I was so happy, but I couldn’t help but ask Nathanael why he had waited until our last night! Apparently, his request for my hand in marriage had been lost in translation (an English/ Portuguese dictionary would have come in handy, I think), and my dad kept telling him to wait for a later point. Finally, time was running out, Nathanael knew I was growing more anxious, it was late on our last night there, and it had just rained....Soooooooooo the proposal occured in the vegetable garden.It will be a great story to tell our children one day!

WHEN & WHERE:
September 2, 2007
Villanova, PA

ABOUT THE BIG DAY:
Nathanael and I fell in love with the Appleford Estate the first time we visited and decided we wanted to be married there. The ceremony will take place near a pond and waterfall by two large willow trees. We will enjoy flute and harp accompaniment during the ceremony which will be officiated by Nathanael’s father, the Revd. Dennis Brice.The ceremony will be followed by hors d'oeuvres and cocktails in the gardens surrounding the home. Wining, dining, and dancing under the tent come next as we round out the night. Come join us on the dance floor for a mix of tunes from around the globe and across time!

Enjoying Kampala

My last days in Uganda were spent zooming around Kampala city roads on a taxi...Uganda style. I had a great time with Joel Aita, the son of the director for the organization I worked with. He wed on October 7, so I was fortunate to be able to share some of his time while he is busy preparing all the wedding festivities. Though I did get to attend one of his wedding meetings and contribute to the cause of a fellow brother!


Joel and Jane got to enjoy shrimp and lobster for the first time ever as I took them out to a Hibachi restaurant. The shrimp was a hit, but the lobster was a no go. They were both brave for trying!
Other activities included perusing potential property purchases for plot planning!

(Special thanks go out to Mr Kralik for my introduction to alliteration in 11th grade AP Comp...) I thought the views from this particular location were especially nice! Lake Victory lies in the background.

Ugandan Weddings

One of my final experiences here was attending my first Ugandan wedding. It is quite an event! There were 500 invited guests and a further 800 local villagers also showed up, so it was quite a party!!!!! They are quite extensive ceremonies lasting through the whole day. I arrived at 12 PM, apparently they had already been going strong for a couple hours singing and dancing in the church. The bride arrived for her 15 minute processional around 12:30 and the ceremony lasted until 2 at which point invited guests made their way to a reception hall for lunch.

It's tough for guys in this culture as they have to raise funds for a dowry to get a bride and then they also have to foot the bill for the wedding! It can all add up to a price tag that approaches 2-3 years worth of salary. (Grooms often get monetary support from their families to organize the activities because everything can cost so much.) I'm thankful I can get away with just buying a pretty rock and organizing a fun vacation afterward.

End to my Stay

My time here quickly came to an end and it is sad to have to say bye to everyone at the school. In my time there, several classes of students were able to get hands on interaction with a machine that many had never even heard of before. So progress is being made and development in happening at ESTA. Another bit of excellent news is that the computer training will continue on without a hitch. A new computer teach has been found which is a big answer to prayer. (He has already started teaching at this point.)



I have really enjoyed the time that I have had here and hope that people can learn from it. I realize that we don't all get to take three month breaks from life to pursue projects in rural Africa, and I'm thankful that I've had the opportunity. As an encouragment to others think about ways that you can help those that are less fortunate than yourself. Small acts can make big differences. It's great (and necessary) to offer financial support to causes, but time helps you see the differences and allows for more personal contact. I highly encourage it!!!

Ugandan Babes

Since I haven't posted anything in a while, I thought I'd change it up a little. Uganda has one of the highest fertility and highest population growth rates in the world. Walking along a rural Ugandan road, it is rare to find a woman without a baby on her back. Here are some glimpses of life in Uganda relating to the little tykes...





(From the top: A couple of siamese twins were born in a local hospital, but tragically they were not able to be separated and both died...one of the students with a staff member's child...The next photo is of Rose, the wife of the school's principal, Elly, and their three children and a friend...Finally, I even got a chance to carry my cook's youngest at one time, though he didn't like being on a white man's back...many children would run away crying at the sight of me...suppose that really opens me up to ridicule....)

Computer Training

Ma drupi, mi ngo ni!
(My brothers how are you?)

Well things are progressing here with the computer training. I have just finished my first complete class and given out exams, so we're moving along! I am realizing how privaledged I've been to grow up in the western culture where learning computers is a part of everyday life. The knowledge I've learned over time wasn't concentrated, but was gradual so it wasn't as difficult as the students here may find it. (Except for 7th grade Typing class, that was not easy, but they were right it was a skill we'd appreciate later.) I have a pretty good idea of how to take care of the problems that pop up here and there. So thanks for your prayers in that regard. It also helps to know the cardinal rule of computing: if you can’t fix it turn it off and back on. (Remove the battery if necessary.)



I want to draw your attention to a few details in the pictures at the left. Firstly, yes my hair is still long and growing ever longer. I know some of you despise it, but there are others that find it tolerable and interesting in a bohemian type way. I'm not sure how long I'll keep it like this. We shall see, though I will admit that it can get a little annoying at times, especially since my supply of gel is being severly rationed since they don't sell it here.

The second point is the fact that we are working on MAHOGANY tables. Yes, very fine hand crafted furniture (one of the trades students can learn at the school) made of the best materials around. I wonder which is more valuable, the tables or the objects that sit on top of them. I suppose Economics would dictate that here the supply constraints of the computers would boost their value, but if the setting happened to be across an ocean... If anyone wants to volunteer to help me figure out how to import mahogany to the States, that may be one of my next ventures.

Finally, if you want a short narrative of the goings on in the photo, you can probably add the captions: "To double click you push this button two times very quickly. No not that button...This one, two times...and keep your hand still or it will not work...You try again." and "you must keep your hands like this....Your fingers should not push the buttons when you leave your hands on the keyboard otherwise you get too many letters....Let them rest gently...Then you use this finger to push 'f'...Now try 'asdf'....NO it is not defeating you...You can defeat it!" It's coming along and some of them can even type the home row without looking. Some pick it up more naturally than others, as they have to retrain how their fingers move. Most of the students hadn't seen computers before, so any progress is really good progress and has validated some of my reasons for coming here in the first place. One prayer request I have is for the selection of the computer teacher once I leave. There are staff trained in computers in the area, but not at the school, so they can take care of the bigger issues that may come up. However, for the day to day teaching, we will probably choose one of my current students who is already on the staff. I would like guidance in selecting this person. Thanks so much, and I hope you are doing really well!

Settling down in Aringa

Hello All,

It’s been a few days/weeks since I’ve been able to send anything! I have now gotten to ESTA and have been getting adjusted to life in the bush of Africa! It’s difficult for me to get to an email source so I can send updates to the blog. The school has changed a lot since I was there last as many new, permanent, brick with tin roofed homes have been built, some even with solar (so I can read by electrical light instead of a candle/paraffin lamp). It pains me to say that I no longer have my old grass-thatched hut, it was burned in the attack that killed the missionary couple…There was just something about that hut that stirred all kinds of romantic sentimentality about living in Africa. A cement walled building just doesn’t elicit the same feelings. In any case, I am happy for the shelter that I do have (it doesn’t leak when it rains) and I am happy for the solar power. Some of the pictures that I’ve posted earlier will give you an idea of what things look like now, though there are many more buildings. The school is doing a good job teaching the youth in the area. The past graduates have developed a reputation as being hard workers who perform well on the job.

It was great to see familiar faces when I first arrived. Many of the old students have also gone on to become the school’s staff. This enables the school to provide some additional employment opportunities for the youth in this area who really are poor and appreciate any help they can get in establishing themselves. One of the biggest concerns for guys is saving up enough money to present a dowry to a perspective bride’s family. The 4-8 cows, 10 goats, and cash payments add up and can take several years to save up for assuming you have an income source. (Cows cost about $150, Goats $10, and the cash is often in the range of $300-500. It may not sound like a lot, but $1,000- $1,500 can take a good period of time to save for, though extended family usually helps out.) I’m glad I won’t have to cough up several years’ salary to pay for my bride, though then again, weddings in the west are expensive affairs…

So far the computer training has been going well. That was a big answer to prayer as I worried that it would take a long time to set up the computers, especially if there were issues finding hardware that I might need to set up or ensuring the electricity source was up and running. I
did have to replace all the cords to fit English style sockets. So I sat for an afternoon with a crude kitchen knife blade cutting electrical cords and wires and attaching them to English style plugs that, fortunately, were available a few towns over. I just had to make sure that all the wires went to the right connections. So far they’ve been working fine and until there are any minor explosions, I think we’ll be good to go! I was able to post this blog as we came to a town to pick up a printer today; the classroom is coming together.

There has been a lot of interest in the program we’ve set up as even government officials have expressed interest in coming to the classes so they can learn, “How to do computer”. Daily, I have been teaching a 2.5-hour class of school staff members, which also includes a couple other guests, in addition to shorter classes to 3 different groups of students. I am starting off with an Intro to Computers curriculum, aided by a textbook I bought before coming over here, and then I’ll move on to Word, followed by Excel, and then PowerPoint.

I’ve been blessed so far this trip in having no significant health problems, so pray that this continues. I have been enjoying things so far, missing home here and there, but I will see you all soon when I get back. Already the time has been flying! It was over 3 weeks ago that I took off! I hope you are all doing well!

Lots of love,

Nathanael

If you would like to send me letters, it’s probably safe to do so until the end of August (to allow sufficient travel time). My address is:

Nathanael Brice
c/o ESTA
PO Box 26
Yumbe
UGANDA
EAST AFRICA

Time in Rwanda

A 7 hour drive along good African roads...I didn't know such things existed...finds me making my way to Rwanda. As we hurtled along the road from Kampala, Uganda to Kigali, Rwanda, the landscape transitioned from one of flat land to one of rolling hills and valleys; it's all very green and lush. The horn of the bus erupted every 2 minutes politely notifying chickens, goats, and even people that they better get out of its way cause we we're not stopping for anything. Little groups of homes were clustered together in the hills as cattle grazed on the slopes and crop fields nestled in the valleys. After crossing the border, which involves climbing off the bus, getting exit permits, walking across the border, getting an entrance visa (Rwanda's is free! Most places seem to charge $30-50 if you are an expat.), having luggage checked by customs offices, and visiting the restroom after needing to go for 2.5 hours, I have found my way to Rwanda. It is so peaceful now in stark contrast to the violence of the genocide that happened 12 years ago.

The country is moving on from this dark period in its history, and in the current environment of development, entrepreneurial opportunities abound. The primary issue for Rwandans is to find start up capital. Since I have an interest in enabling this entrepreneurial spirit, some friends and I have pooled some resources and helped our dear businessman, Jules, to start up a computer retail business, Rwanda Dimension Technology. The reason for this side trip to Rwanda was to meet Jules, see the business, and discuss future strategy. I had to make the most of my trip to Africa! The company is growing very nicely with annualized growth of close to 30%, and we see many other opportunities for continued growth. This has been aided by government initiatives to promote IT development throughout the country and in schools. Jules good friends have been very kind to host me while I am here. I hope to make the most of my time in their western style home with amenities like electricity and running water!

Arrival in Uganda

Hello all!

Well I have now arrived safely in Uganda. Things appear to be very similar as they were 4 years ago when I was here last. Driving along the primary road from the airport to the capital city, Kampala, one sees numerous people walking along the road sharing the shoulder with goats, chickens, cows, and the occasional dog. I haven't been able to figure out the traffic system as of yet. At intersections there are no lights/stop signs so I'm not sure how my taxi driver knows when to go. It seems like you follow a line of cars until someone is brave enough to stick they're bumper out and get traffic flowing in the other direction...Needless to say this is a recipe for traffic jam. I am spending the day doing various errands in the capital, hopefully staying away from major accidents, which I'm convinced must happen on a regular basis...Though I guess if people are not going that fast, you don't have the chance for accidents quite so much.

I have a great host in Isaac's son Joel for the next few days, so I'm very thankful that I have some good friends who will make the transition to Africa that much easier.

Tomorrow I will have a bus ride from Kampala to Kigali Rwanda (I'm thinking it's about 6 hours...), so more road adventures await!