Sunday, we awoke early when a rain storm came through and the power went out. I'm not sure of the time. I didn't check my alarm clock, but I did fall asleep again for while, until the alarm went off at 5:30am. The power still had not been restored, and so we went to work, trying to get ourselves ready for church in the dark. Once again, I needed that flashlight, that I forgot to pack. I showered and washed my hair, praying all the while that the power would come back on just long enough for me to dry it. I managed to get my makeup on by the light of our laptop and got dressed. Just as I was about to go downstairs for breakfast, the power came back on and I was able to dry my hair. Hallelujah! It's times like these that it really stinks to be so high maintenance!
We arrived at KPC just as the worship service was about to begin. I was so excited to experience the worship there. It was just as I had pictured, very energetic, vibrant and powerful. You could feel the presence of the Holy Spirit. Hands were raised, in worship all over the building and tears flowed freely. I wish I could have bottled it up and brought it home to Arizona. If only our people could experience worship like that! It would change the dynamic of our church for good. The people here have been through so many hardships. They have been delivered from so much. They worship with their whole hearts and with abandon. Would that we all follow that example.
Pastor Skinner brought the message and it was wonderful. It was all about family and spoke directly to the men about being great fathers. Ironically, the message that Pastor Skinner was sharing in Kampala is the very same message that Pastor Rick has been sharing in Queen Creek. God is at work in His church, all over the world, in every continent. Andrew (our guide) had shared with me about the crisis that the people of Uganda are in. Their families are suffering and it's because of the tradition of fathers here. Children are basically here to be seen and not heard. Fear is instilled in children, rather than respect. Most children will run to their rooms when their fathers arrive home from work, rather than be in the same room with him. There is no love shown in the homes. This is something that can be changed by the new generation of Uganda. Roughly 3/4 of the population are not married and 78% are under the age of 30. If the young men of Uganda will hear this message and apply it, a nation can be changed dramatically.
After the service, we went shopping at a local market near the church. We all spent time walking thought the shops, bartering with the shopkeepers, for souveniers and gifts for our families. I found some handbags and bracelets for the girls and a beautiful sculpture for myself. It was a family, intertwined together. A couple and four children. I loved it and so I had Joey try and barter for it. The lady wouldn't budge on her price and neither would Joey. I had to leave it, but I continued to look through the shops until I found another one. Joey managed to barter with this shopkeeper and get his price (20,000 shillings or $12.00 American). I was very happy!
We then boarded the bus and drove to the Suubi village where we would have lunch with one of the families there. As we got off the bus, we were greeted by several children. They had been sent by their mothers to fetch us and bring us back to their homes. We would go in groups of 3 or 4. A little boy with the biggest smile came up to me and grabbed my hand. He had a firm grip on me and wasn't letting go. I gave him a hug and asked him his name. His name was Francis and he was 7 years old. I told him that I had a little girl whose name was Savannah, and she was also 7 years old. He repeated her name back to me and smiled. That smile remained on his little face the entire time we were there! When we arrived at the house, we were greeted by the other children and the mother. There was Stella(Mother), Francis, Agnus, Joyce, Renald, Moses, Alex and I cannot remember the other little boy's name. Joey calls him Lowell, so I guess I will, too. ; )
Once we were all introduced, we were seated around the table. Joey, Chelci and I made sure we spaced ourselves so that we had children on either side of us. My little buddy, Francis was on my right and Joyce on my left. The meal was traditional Ugandan fare. I cannot even begin to remember all the dishes that were prepared. I tried very hard to be respectful of the culture and try everything. It was hard, but I managed to almost clean my plate. I can tell you that I am not a fan of cooked bananas. The cabbage, rice, beans, potatoes and tortillas (they aren't called tortillas here, though) were very good. The rest of it I could live without, but it was really neat to see it and experience it.
Another interesting Ugandan tradition is that when they are eating, they do not talk. We all felt a little odd and like maybe we were being rude by not speaking. We kept looking at each other, wondering what we should do. I finally asked Mama Stella if they were always this quiet during meals and she said, "Oh yes, when the children are finished eating, then they will talk to you." I spoke to Andrew about it on the ride back to the guesthouse and he said it was customary for the children to not speak at all during a meal. The parents won't let them. I told him that in America, we sit around the table and talk while we eat. It's a time to reconnect with each other after our busy days. We ask our children and/or spouses how their day went and what is going on at school, etc. I can't imagine having dinner like that every night.
After our meal, the children showed us their rooms. There were 2 bunkbeds in each room. The girls were in one room and the boys in the other. Their rooms were very neat. Beds were made, shoes were in place, and organized. At the time, I really wished my kids could have seen it. I made sure to take a picture so I can show them when I get home!
Chelci had brought along gifts for the kids and they were thrilled to have them. Once she brought them out, it was a bit chaotic. They all wanted to make sure they got something. There were toy cars, bubbles and a frisbee. Once the frisbee was handed out, we all went outside to play. The kids rushed to get their shoes on. Francis ran and got my shoes and handed them to me. He was in quite a hurry for us to get ourselves outside. The rest of the team were finishing up their lunches and were coming out to play, as well. Soon we had filled the courtyard. There were children everywhere, tossing frisbees and playing soccer. The moms all gathered at the top of the hill and watched as we played with the children.
It didn't take us long to realize that the children love to see themselves on our digital cameras. We would take pictures and then show them and they were so amazed. They would giggle and ask us to take another one. At one point, Francis took my camera, and started taking pictures of his brothers and sisters. I was a bit worried, but he was having so much fun, I hated to take it away from him. I will certainly send them pictures once I get back to America. There are no mirrors in the houses, so they rarely see themselves. You can understand why it is such a treat to see themselves on a camera LCD.
Paul, (our second guide) came to round us all up and tell us that we must go soon. We said our goodbyes to the children and mothers, with hugs all around. We took a few more pictures with them and then boarded the bus to return to the guesthouse. What an amazing day. We were all just so amazed at the work Watoto has done here in Uganda. These orphans now have a small slice of heaven. The villages are self-sustaining and they are just beautiful. Everything we ate today was grown right there in the village. It's truly amazing.
Before I close for today, I have to tell you the story of the Ugandan toilet. I have been suffering from a bit of tummy trouble, I think, due to the change in my diet, and so I asked Paul to take me to the restroom. He walked Joey, and I, and a couple of the other women to the girls restroom. Before going in, he said, with a smile on his face, "These are a little different. Good luck." We went in, not sure what to expect, but soon found out. The toilet was a hole in the ground, and had a long pipe going up the wall, where the tank was. It was the funniest thing I had ever seen.(Yes, I took a picture!) We laughed our heads off. I was in no position to wait, so I had to use this toilet. There was only one problem. There was no toilet paper! I asked Paul if there was any toilet paper and he said that they don't put toilet paper in the restrooms because the children will take it and play games with it. I cannot fathom how anyone can go to the restroom without toilet paper. Luckily, Becky had wipes in her backpack on the bus.
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