Sunday in Uganda

Happy Cinco De Mayo! I'd like to tell you we're really missing some chips and guacamole today, but the truth is the avocados here are huge, delicious and inexpensive, so we're getting our fill.

Today as the sun rose on our Sunday, we started our day with good coffee and a good walk. Chris picked us up and we arrived at the house to everybody in there Sunday best. Thankfully we took the van to church, because we would have needed a snorkel to get home, it was POURING!

This brand new church, "Abundant Life" meets in a classroom that is about 15'x 15'. There are about 10 desks and some benches, a Pastor and four children before we arrived. Add our 19, Janet, and the four of us and we were ready to begin. That was it...that's the congregation. John ran the service, Olivia translated from English for the kids, Edrine, Jesca, Melisa, Sarah, Brenda and Judith were the worship team and special music choir. Everything was covered and ran very smoothly. I couldn't have been prouder. When it was time for testimonies, several stood and spoke of some way that God had met a need this past week. The teaching was on sharing in the suffering of Christ and was very interactive. "Who do you know from the Bible that endured suffering?" Our kids named Stephen, James, Paul, Moses, Daniel, the Shadrack trio. We are so so impressed with what they know and their confidence to speak out. As the service ended, the rain arrived and pounded on the aluminum roof so loudly we could hardly hear. Everyone scrambled for their shoes left outdoors and shivered in the cool wind as we piled, mud and all, back into the van to head home.

Today was chicken day, the slaughter took place at 7am and I missed it, Janet didn't get in the pool either...so I guess you could say our comfort zones are intact and I finally out grew the need to perform for every dare presented me.

No one seemed to mind that lunch included the same stubborn chickens that were chased around yesterday. The feet I found laying the yard might have been a bit unnerving except that I was so grateful to have missed the amputation.

Evan and I offered to wash dishes and though there were protests over a guest doing housework, they were completely unprepared for a man washing dishes. Never does this happen. We tried to explain that the Bible teaches that men should love like Christ and be servant leaders... but its possible that husbands all over Africa will grow to despise the day this group was granted a passport.
Thirty minutes later, oatmeal cookie bars were in the oven and most every child was sacked out somewhere. Janet finished her first dress and five others made drawstring pouches. Crowns of flowers and ribbons were put together and John helped build the frames for the flannel graph backgrounds.

Tomorrow is chicken coop day for our boys and Kristen and I will be heading to the government hospitals, children in one, adults in another. Pray we know best how we can help. Bringing money into a 3rd world situation always presents a temptation to think we can fix something... we want to help, we have no idea how to best do that, so we will go with hearts open to the Lord's leading. Janet has suggested mosquito nets for the children's beds, we know the cost of medication often prevents patients from getting treatment. I have no idea what opportunity may present itself, but sitting with a sick baby all day is not far beyond my own hearts desire. Pray for us if you have a chance... we'll need every ounce of wisdom God provides.