Blowin' in the wind

Last night (Monday), a wicked wind and thunderstorm rolled through Jinja (“wicked” is a term not used in Uganda except in the context of demon activity, of which there is plenty). A few palm branches fell as a result and while the impact here is quite minimal, it would be hard to imagine spending a night in the village on a night like that. At the very least, the noise from the rain pounding on tin roofs would be deafening; many dwellings are leaky at best.

Sunday for me was a welcome adventure. Getting up earlier than the rest of the group (it’s the sort of guy I am), I hiked out to the paved road and hopped a boda (motorcycle taxi) for a 20 minute ride to Robert and Sarah Sityo’s home. Together we took a van taxi to his church for Sunday service (I counted seating for 15; there were 25 of us inside and I was the last on!). Even though Robert is the pastor and the service started at 9:30, being 20 minutes late wasn’t unusual or important as it continued in earnest until 1;00 p.m. (not surprisingly, they only have one service!). When we arrived, there was a young man preaching and about ten listening intently. By 11:00 a.m., the room was almost full with about 100 energetic worshippers.

Sarah is one of the most gentle, caring, godly and unassuming people I’ve met. Her small stature and unassuming personality hides a joyful and enthusiastic worship leader. While most singing was in Lugandan, it was a privilege to be part of the morning and to see the excellent ministry that Robert and Sarah lead together; they are a dynamic team and it is clear that they are winning the hearts of the people of Bukkeka which was almost totally Muslim a few years ago.
Sarah prepared a wonderful lunch before she headed off to do worship ministry at her father’s (Pastor Jeremiah) church; no day of rest for those ministering on the frontlines here.

Negotiating with boda boda drivers is a test of wills. After lunch at the Sityo’s, I took a van taxi with Robert to Jinja to catch up on email. To get back to Mto Miyoni, I took a boda; the first driver demanded 5,000 shillings; I argued that I wouldn’t pay more than 2,000 so started walking towards the dam, knowing others would stop as they saw a Mizungo out walking. The second driver wanted 1,000 shillings (this caused me even more concern as clearly he didn’t have a clue where I was going); I hopped on anyway and a kilometer along, he demanded 5,000 shillings; I said 2,000 was my top price and as he slowed down, I hopped off and started walking; he quickly relented and I was on my way again. Any Mizungo is viewed as an easy mark.

Yesterday (Monday), we did a feeding for 250 children in Wakisi. It was a great opportunity to test whether this would be a component of future trips. Every child arrived with their own cup and received a porridge-like meal which had been prepared over open fires by local women in large metal containers that would feed 100 each. A protein biscuit completed the “two course” meal. Our job was crowd control – easier said than done when these kids, at best, receive one very basic meal a day.
In the afternoon, we met with local pastors, teachers and principals to listen and learn. As much as our work has been impactful and well received, the future is unclear. The meeting was a forum where we could hear first-hand about needs and priorities. While there is still the need for lots of prayer and discussion, practical support to area pastors would go a long way to closing the circle started by the theological training being led by Bob MacGregor; stay tuned.
This morning, we’re off to Robert Sityo’s school to distribute 120 student kits; kids are back in the classroom for the first time today after their winter break; really looking forward to seeing the school in action after only being able to see the buildings standing rather empty until now; they’re expecting 400 to be enrolled.

We’re all adjusting to the fact that our time here is quickly coming to a close. It will be difficult to leave. More on that later.