This week has been full of varying opportunities and ministering with many different people. We worked with Cherished Life Ministries, which is a group of 8 young, single mothers and their children. We met with them twice and played with their kids, worshipped, shared messages, and ate lunch together consisting of hard-boiled eggs, bread, bananas, and warm milk. One woman taught us how to make beads from paper, and I got to make a bracelet.
We drove two hours to Kabale to work with Shepherd Centre, a ministry for about 20 street boys. In Uganda, a person is considered a “single” orphan if one parent isn’t present and a “double” orphan if both parents aren’t present. The kids range in age, from 8-18 years old. The ministry serves to provide them with mentorship, tutoring, food, and a safe place to gather. The center focuses on boys because they aren’t as accepted or aided as readily as girls. We played cards, danced, and hung out with them and their four puppies. Before we left, they sang “Lean on Me”. It was adorable.
On Sunday we were on our way to attend a distant church when our van broke down. We stayed in the closest town for a majority of the day while mechanics worked on it. I wandered around and heard singing from a building. I entered and finished the church service that had already begun. The congregation was very welcoming, providing me with an English Bible and translator. They even had me introduce myself on stage! Quite the production.
One of the women living with us, Kiki, teaches English at a nearby school. We visited and played with the kids. They sang and danced for us, while using us as human jungle gyms. At one point, I had about twenty hands grabbing at my scalp. And that was supposed to be during “nap time”.
We visited four houses of the church’s members. To arrive at the houses, we trekked through banana tree fields and shortcut paths. We’ve done many house visits throughout the Race and these were by far the best! Usually, it’s awkward because our questions about their lives and prayer requests are met with silence or mumbles. This time, all the people we visited were very open to answering our questions and listening to the messages we shared.
We were able to give out bags containing a loaf of bread, a bag of sugar, and a bar of soap. One lady was so excited to receive bread that she knelt on the ground, yelled, and lifted her hands in the air in praise. We met some odd characters on the way as well, including DJ Shakes and Mister E who are trying to make it in the music business.
One day, we led a women’s group of 20 women. We experienced African time again as our original 12pm meeting time turned into 2:30pm. Nevertheless, we worshipped and my teammate, Lindsey, and I shared our testimonies. The women loved Musical Chairs and laughed hysterically the whole time.
For Halloween, we had a party for around ten kids and their parents at our house. We played games and ate pumpkin shaped and dyed pancakes. Since they don’t celebrate Halloween here, they called it a “candy party”.
Later on in the week, one of the women who attended the party, Betty, invited us over to her house for dinner. We hung out with her and her three kids and ate traditional Ugandan food. The main dish was katogo, which means “mix,” and included matoke (similar to a plantain), yuca root, potatoes, eggplants, tomatoes, greens, and beans. The side dish was dodos, which are greens from the amaranth plant. The traditional drink was obushera, made from a fermented millet grain.
Currently, I am reading a book called The Bait of Satan, and every word is convicting me! It talks about Satan’s tactic in leading Christians to hold on to offense, leading to bitterness, anger, pride, and self-righteousness. I would love prayers for a soft and receiving spirit as I work through this issue in my life. Thank you all!
