The greatest challenge I think we have here in Bugiri is not sharing the Gospel with others, not using bucket showers, not dealing with the heat and dirt, but loving our Ugandan brothers and sisters in Christ.
Two days ago was probably one of the more frustrating days I had in a while. The morning began with one of my translators playing with my hair. Yeah, I know, sounds stupid. But I hate that. Generally, that area of my head is reserved for whoever my future wife will be. Nobody touches it. But he felt full reign to play with my tuft. Throughout the day we poured out our hearts sharing the Gospel and praying for others as we walked from home to home. And yet I think the killer for me once again was my translator relentlessly fighting to hold my hand and interlock fingers. I think the last time I did that was with a girlfriend. For me, that holds a place of intimacy, not something to be shared with a guy I’ve just met a few days ago…or at all! I was told to expect such an expression of friendship throughout Africa. And I feel like I’m offending my new friend and brother in Christ. And yet there’s an incredible frustration and anger and offense towards me that his intruding boldness taps into.
There are many things the people of Uganda don’t seem to understand my desire for – privacy, independence, nor dignity. Learning to love these people despite my frustrations is sometimes really HARD! I’d rather run away and do my own thing. But I think it’s good that it’s hard. Because my creator wants me to be transformed through this experience here this month. It’s going to require me to lay down even more of my selfishness and choose to love.
