Sunday we got up and had lazy morning and breakfast. Uganda time ruled. We rode in the van to church and Chuck was prepared to preach because he was told the night before that they would ask him. The church was held in Grace School where the orphans attend.
Worship
(YouTube of kids singing at Burial)
When we drove up we could hear the singing and clapping with the drum. Their voices carried. I was excited to see them again. The church was a homemade brick building with plaster. It was painted and had smooth concrete floor. Openings were in the walls for windows, but there was nothing covering the holes. There was one doorway without a door. Homemade school benches were arranged on one end like pews. They had a plank for a seat and another for a desk and would sit 3 adults comfortably. The orphans put on their best clothes for church. Africans like to dress up and they are the cleanest of people.
There were several choirs, one of younger children, another of older children and then one a little older. The church has a program director that was a woman. She introduced us to the pastor and congregation using Kenneth as an interpreter. A lady stood and asked for prayer and healing for her baby. The four to six week old boy had accidentally had boiling hot water dropped on his foot. This boiling water was extreme because they cook on open flame which makes boiling water bubble over. During one of the songs the mother came and laid the baby in my arms. The skin and some of the flesh was gone on the top of his foot. Some whitish cream was applied to his raw foot. I managed to hold my breakfast by focusing on the baby’s pleasant face. He sucked his fingers and didn’t make a fuss. His big brown eyes were clear and he looked healthy and content except for his foot. I rocked the precious little one to sleep and felt honored to hold the baby. (Sorry I don’t have a picture of this precious one. He was the son of the local pastor.)
It seems that everywhere I go someone is handing me a baby. I’ve held more babies in Uganda than I have in years. See baby here. The women in Uganda are proud of their babies and sharing them must be their way of showing them off. I guess they give them to me since I’m older than Jacque. I’m not really one who takes up babies every time I see them, but in Africa I became that person.
Kenneth, Our Guide and Protector, eating American Pop-Tarts
The lady program director asked us to stand and introduce ourselves. We spoke with Kenneth interpreting. They church applauded that I travel to different churches speaking and encouraging women to love Jesus with all their heart. As predicted Chuck preached with Kenneth interpreting and then we visited shortly with the members before leaving. Phil pulled Fiona out of the crowd of orphans and gave her to Jacque with, “This one is with us.” Fiona loaded into the van with us and we left. We stopped to pick up Susan along the way to Mum, the resort hotel for lunch.
Dinner at Mums in Iganga
We drove through a gate and to the left, under a grass roofed cabana was a pool table with a guard standing near. The men in our team quickly noticed the AK-47 lying on the pool table. We drove on in and parked. The hotel attendant, servant met us and escorted us to a table under a carport and another brought out menus. Phil and Susan said the Shallow fried Tilapia was yummy. It was served whole, head and all, with stewed tomatoes, peppers and onions on top. I’ve never had a better piece of fish, even with the eyeballs looking at me. (Susan ate the eyes.)
It was a joy to see Fiona drinking cold orange Fanta, making a face with each sip, and eating chicken and chips, which are french fries. Apparently cold food and drink is strange to Fiona. She doesn’t get cold stuff. The orphans eat posho and beans or porridge that is made with the same posho corn flour. Fiona put the food away.
After a wonderful dinner, we visited. Some talked about sleeping on the van rode home, others talked about dessert. Phil stopped the van on the way and Susan hopped out. She went in to the store and came back with Ugandan ice cream for every one. It was very good, sort of like melorine, the ice cream I had at my grandmother’s when I was growing up. You should have seen Fiona’s face as she tried it. She like the taste but not the cold. After eating all that food Fiona’s belly was pouching.
Fiona with Jacque and Mike
We arrived back at the missionary house full. Some wanted to take a nap, others wanted to finish setting up the solor lights in the orphans rooms and others went shopping to buy new soccer balls for the kids. Jacque sat on the front porch with Fiona sleeping in her lap. I sat with her working on these blog posts and visiting with her.
African Gifts and Dress
Later Susan arrived and started cooking a Ugandan pasta with beef bits and veggies. Yummy. Before dinner was ready she took Jacque and I to the back room and tied a scarf over our eyes. Then she dressed us and turned out the lights and called the men. The men came in and when she turned on the lights Jacque and I heard all kinds of ooo’s ahd ahh’s. Susan had dressed us in the traditional African dresses with poofy sleeves. She unblindfolded us and we got to see each other. Her’s was pretty pink and mine was wonderful blue. Absolutely gorgeous dresses.
Gifted Dresses
While Susan had us blindfolded the kids came into the back courtyard for the rest of the movie. After the guys gave us their opinion, Jacque and I walked out back to show the kids our new threads and they all loved it. They clapped and laughed heartily. They love it when we try learning their native, tribal language and now we were wearing their cultural clothes. They loved it.
Holding little orphan girl
These children are so happy. They love to laugh and genuinely love to see us. If you ever get depressed you should come to Uganda. These pretty smiles will cheer you up. My face hurts from smiling back.
More pictures are uploaded on Facebook. Check them out.
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Please comment below. I’d love to hear any questions you might have about mission work in Uganda.
This post is part of the Living and Working on Mission Blog Series and you can read more about our trip in the previous Uganda posts. If you enjoyed it you may also like the Insights into Ministry & Leadership Series, the Spiritual Journey’s Gentle Nudges Series or the otherBlog Series.
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