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| Sunday, February 15 - I wake up in Uganda |
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Sir Winston Churchill coined the phrase "Uganda - Pearl of Africa" because of the lush green landscape; however, those scenes would wait for another day. It's a land with over 60 tribes and 40 different languages. The darkness was good coming in. We rode 1 1/2 hours to the
orphanage and it was a blessing not to see everything all at once. The last mile was dirt road, and then the walled gate to Rafiki Africa Ministries. It's surprisingly small to house this many people. Patti and mine room was perfect; double bunk beds and a bathroom shared by all three of us. Went to bed at 2:00 am and this
morning I woke up about 7:00 am to the sweetest cherub voices chattering downstairs. Our
windows are wide open and we sleep with mosquito netting. The children
have already won my heart. Their brown skins glows, their smiles make
you smile and their innocent trust of a new worker was overwhelming for
me. I thought it would take a day or two but the mutual love was
instant. My first introductions were to Fausiya, just as beautiful as I had thought. Cocus, whose gregarious grin is larger than the hump on his back. Esther and Brenda, two sisters whose loving smile is so inviting...Hannah, Junior (the youngest), Isha, Ruth, Edmund, Emma. They loved my journal and looking at all their pictures and LOVED my camera and they took 60 pictures before church!
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| Isha, Cocus, Esther, Brenda and Hannah |
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| Fausiya Loved Selfies! |
Our ride to church was eye-opening. Police with AK-47 everywhere. I
kept focusing on something my cousin shared. They don't need to see a
white-woman crying..you need to be strong and so by God's grace I
focused on the loud little voices in the van singing praise music on the
way to church. My eyes saw severe poverty, no resources, devastation, dirt and trash but my heart saw people everywhere, walking, on motorcycles, dressed up, Sunday best, heading to church. Uganda takes terrorism very seriously. Our van was searched for bombs and we were body scanned going into church. We worshipped at a church with 1000 believers and it was energized and alive. (Added a short video of the worship that I experienced). Truly gave different meaning to singing that "Jesus, You are Everything" when you have nothing. I know nothing of the faith these people have.
Lunch was a special meal for
this new worker; chicken and rice and I so appreciated Aunte Monica who
only speaks Lugandan and worked all morning to have something special
when we returned to church. So much to experience in the next few
days.
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