On Friday, October 8, we went to a different village, whose name I sadly cannot remember. Since this village was further away, we had all of our interpreters riding out with us, unlike at Lakeside were many met us there instead, including Pastor Edward. As usual, we waited for a while before we left. I got to talk to Pastor Edward while we waited, and he helped me practice my Lugandan. Between last year and the emails and phone calls in between, he taught me several phrases:
Katonda Akuwe Omukisa – God bless you.
Makama Yaybazibwe – Praise the Lord.
Katonda Akwagala – God loves you.
Olimulokole? – Are you born again?
Gwani? – What is your name?
Nze Helen – My name is Helen.
Webale – Thank you.
Nkwagala – I love you.
So as we waited, he helped me with some pronunciation, but he said that my Lugandan was very good! He even gave me a 95, saying that it was worth an “A” and that if I come back next year maybe I will get a 100!
I rode on the back of the bus with Pastor Mark, Pastor Geofrey, and Pastor Joseph on the 2 hour bumpy ride. When we reached this second village, I was surprised by how few children were waiting for us! Of course, more came as the morning went by, but at first there were probably only 15-20.
Before we got started with the kids, though, we went into the church where they had already started worshiping. We were only in there for a few songs, and then those of us working with the children left and asked our interpreters to get the children together. We took them into a small school room next door to the church, and Robyn, Tanja, Mary and I took turns telling the story of Moses. Then, Tanja and I took the older children outside for the Hokey Pokey and Bubbles, while Robyn and Mary kept the younger children inside for a game of “Who’s got the basket?” and bubbles. After games, we told the rest of the Moses story, and I presented the Gospel. I didn’t count them, but I’d guess that about 8-10 kids got saved!
By this time, a lot more kids had come, so we took them outside under a tree where we did songs, coloring, and more songs outside. They loved the songs, especially “I like to jump!” It’s so much fun to watch them become more and more engaged and excited. They were extremely excited to get their coloring books, and they sat and colored for a long time without losing focus. They would hardly look up, except when they realized that you were taking their picture! And if you told one of the children that his or her picture was beautiful, then all of the other children that heard you wanted to show you their picture too!
So remember how I said I didn’t think I should have favorites? Well I had a favorite boy in this village – Richard. Richard sat up front in the school during the story, and listened intently. I was disappointed when he didn’t pray to receive salvation, but I hoped that it was because that he already knew Jesus as his Savior. At one point while we were singing outside, I very clearly felt God impress on my heart “Fight for my children.” Whoa. I wondered what that even meant, and something led me to look at Richard. I was sure that God was talking at least in part about him. I hid it in my heart, not knowing what it meant but sure that God would show me what to do.
After a while, we broke up for lunch, and Pastor Edward, Pastor Geofrey, Tanja, Mary, Robyn, Heidi, Ashley, and I went back in to the school room and ate the lunches that we had packed. Edward told us some funny stories about rats and cockroaches, calling them “uninvited guests,” and it became a joke of his through the rest of the trip.
We had seen them cooking lunch for the village across the road at a couple of huts, and Edward took us over there to see it after lunch. We saw a barrel full of a brownish liquid, and I assumed that it was some kind of broth. When someone asked Edward, though, he said that it was water. The follow-up question was to ask where the water was coming from, and then a little field trip ensued. We walked maybe a quarter to a half mile to what I would call a pond. Pastor Edward told us that this is that village’s water supply. As we walked right up to it, Pastor Edward said “Now you will see how we suffer.” I will never forget his words or what we saw. I have to show a picture because I can’t even describe it.
This is the water that they drink. This is the water that they bathe their babies in. As we watched, they lowered the bucket into the water, and took drinks. One night at dinner Kelly said, "Now that we know, we're responsible." She was talking about something different, but I think that was the realization that came over those of us who saw the water that day. We know, now. We have no excuse.
We walked back towards the village, where we realized that the rest of our team wasn’t ready to go hut-to-hut yet. There was a large group of children who had been following us and milling around, so we got them singing and dancing, and we ended up putting stamps on their hands. I love those parts of the day – there is no agenda, no rush, no hurry… just kids who want you to spend time with them. It is absolutely wonderful.
When we were ready to go hut to hut, I went with Pastor Edward, Mary, and Tanja. At the first hut, I got to present the Gospel to a man and three women. From what I understood, at least one of the women was already saved; the man prayed to receive Christ as his Savior, but before we prayed, I had Pastor Edward ask if any of the children listening wanted to be saved, and Richard was among them. When he said “No,” I asked Richard if he was saved in Lugandan. He ducked his head, and Pastor Edward said that he was not. He didn’t pray there, but he did follow us to the next hut where he heard the Gospel again, this time from Mary. A lady from the first hut had led us to a hut where there were 3 young women, and Mary got to lead all 3 in a prayer as they surrendered to the Lord! But again Richard did not pray, and I did not see him again that day.
The lady from the first hut led us again, and the third hut, I prayed with a believer who was very young but had three children; she had just come from Kenya and asked us to pray for her to find a way to make money and take care of her children. At the last hut, Pastor Edward ate a big piece of jackfruit, telling us that if we could eat it, we would never want to eat another fruit. Apparently it's that good!
This was the only food that really looked good to me besides what we were fed at the guesthouse. So while Pastor Edward ate his jackfruit, he interpreted for Tanja, who got to lead a woman to Christ! Mary and I spent most of the time quietly playing with this little girl –
Could she be any cuter?
Before we had left that hut, Pastor Timothy rode up on a bicycle to tell us that we needed to hurry because the rain was coming. As we had walked back to the bus, the lady who had been leading us to these other huts had been talking to Pastor Edward; he told me that she was asking him if we could come pray with her at her house because demons had been attacking her children in their sleep. By the time I heard this, we were already at the bus and really had to leave, so we promised to go with her the next day when we came back. God got us safely back to the guest house despite the rain, and we were even early with time to spare before dinner!
Showering before dinner was a nice treat, as was the delicious dinner of chicken, rice, vegetables (green beans and carrots), cream of chicken soup, bread, and watermelon. Godfrey ate dinner with us for the first time, and he shared about the orphanage. When we asked what he wanted us to do there, he said “Love the children. Hold them. Play with them.” Wow. All day? That sounds awesome!
After dinner, I went to ask Pastor Mark if I could go to Pastor Edward’s church (Bukaya) when we split up on Sunday morning. Pastor Godfrey was still standing with him, and he told me that Bukaya is his church too, and that I should preach there. Me??!?!? I said, “If you think I should do it, my knees will shake, but I will let God use me.” I was sure that he had only been kidding that I should preach. He wasn’t. “Then of course you should preach! If your knees shake, then it is all God! My knees shake before I preach!”
So that was how I ended up preaching in a church for the first time that Sunday.
Isaiah 43:19 - "See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland."
How awesome that we serve a God who is always working in a new ways!
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