You never know what you will find wherever you go…..I never expected to
be sitting in a newly built Anglican Church in the middle of Uganda. In fact I
don’t even think I had ever heard of Anglican Christians before……or at
least I knew nothing about them. So, needless to say I was surprised to be
partnered up with them for the month, which is how I found myself in the middle
of a Christening/Confirmation service in a village called Kyeibanga. The
Christening was for the new building, the confirmation for 100 plus people
(mainly children) re-confirming their faith in Jesus Christ. All nice and
“beautiful” but also, if I can be honest, a huge scene.
We left our compound/home at 9:30am and drove an hour and a half to the
town, down extremely dusty roads. At times you couldn’t see a foot in front of
the car. We arrived and were paraded into the local school grounds. Hundreds of
students in pink uniforms were lined up on each side and there was a marching
band……yes I said a marching band. The Bishop of the area and a visiting
Bishop (Michael) from Canada, walked in first in their purple robes…..we
followed. I felt like they were the show and we were the sideshow. I told
BIshop Michael that I felt inadequate and like I was with royalty; he said
“me too” and that it was all a bit over the top. He also said that he
hoped people knew it was all for Jesus not us. I told him Jesus wouldn’t care
if my feet were dirty because they were…..it’s a dusty place….I was feeling
a bit self conscious about them…..”royalty” will do that to you).
We eventually find ourselves crammed into the church with its newly white
tiled floors and stainglass windows. We are in it for the long haul. I start to
wonder what Jesus would think of all of this, if he were around. I think he
would probably be inside embracing his children and then outside with the
people who didn’t get a seat. Why should I be at the front of the church, in a
seat, while so many others are outside standing for the 5-6 hour service (with
no break). It is long and most people look so bored (even the Bishop’s wife who
refused to sit where the coordinators wanted her to).
During communion people sing song after song; so I get Eunice (intrepretor)
to stand with me and dance. We cause quite the scene, as I am the only Mzungu
(white person) dancing…..people are laughing and cheering us on. A little
girl makes her way over to me and grabs my hand……she slips a shilling coin
into it…..I am speechless. A donation from someone like that means so much.
An old woman sitting near us gives Matt 1000 shillings as a donation to the
team…..we can’t help but think of the parable of the woman who gave all she
had to the tithe. Eventually some of the other girls on my team join us
dancing. At one point Bishop Michael catches my eye and mouths that there is 2
hours left…..with an exasperated look of understanding. It’s hot and stuffy.
Children keep tapping my shoulder asking me to come outside to get a photo
taken with them…..I agree twice…..bad idea. I kept getting pulled into more
pictures and small fights were breaking out. People would grab my arm with a
strong grip, so I couldn’t excape. I finally found a way to break away back
into the church. Another time some of us squeeze our way out of the church to
the squatty potty…..I think I would of rather gone in the trees. A mess of
feces/urine all over the floor…..for real…..isn’t this a new church? It’s funny
the irony of things.
and we go back to the school for lunch. Our van has been taken somewhere for a
repair and so we wait to leave. Eventually two smaller cars come to take us
back. One vehicle gets home after 8 the other after 9. Driving on the dusty
roads in the daytime was terrifying enough, at night……oh mylanta! I don’t
know how many cars, people, motorbikes, and cows we almost hit. Praise Jesus we
survived……I would raft the Nile any day instead of drive those roads.
