July 1, 2009, Wednesday
Peter and Marie retrieved her suitcase from the airport this morning and then we checked out of the hotel. Peter drove us in the new (2000) white Servants of the King van. The van is really neat and clean. When we arrived in Jinja we stopped at the Source Café for some lunch. While waiting for our guacamole chicken wraps, Marie, Beverly and I shopped. Peter told us we didn’t have time to shop today, just to look because we’d have time for shopping tomorrow. I went into several shops to greet my friends from previous visits. I saw Rita, her new baby girl and her twins. I also visited with the man who does the animal carvings and took a picture of him working. Then I said hello to Margaret, the lady who makes the bead necklaces. After eating lunch we quickly dropped our suitcases at the Triangle Hotel on Lake Victoria and started the long drive to the first church.
This Catholic Church needs help finishing their too small, 1920 building. As we drove up our van was surrounded by several hundred people singing, dancing and shouting. They had been waiting for us and were overjoyed that we would come and confirm that Servants of the King would help them with their construction. They played the drums, zylophone and a bow harp as the ladies danced. After the children sang, introductions were made of the Ugandan government officials and church leaders. We were introduced and then Kemper and Jason spoke. After these outside events, we concluded by going inside the empty church building. The people continued to cheer and wave as we drove away. Before the year is over they will have their new building.
What a joy to be part of advancing God’s kingdom and helping our brothers and sisters in Christ.
We drove past more villages as we proceeded to Nanabirye Christian Church. We were joyously greeted by an exuberant smaller crowd as we drove up. The ladies were trilling and waving and dancing! After greeting many ladies and bongaing with many children, we sat under the shade of a large mango tree. When the singing, dancing and introductions were over, Kemper and Jason spoke. As the sun sat, about 350 people repeated the prayer of salvation! Praise God! Then Kemper inaugurated and dedicated the church to Jesus Christ and cut the banana leaf ribbon. All of us went inside were the celebration continued with singing. After more prayers we went outside and ate beans, rice and chicken which the church ladies had prepared for us. Then we started the long drive, it seemed like a couple of hours, back to the hotel.
At the hotel we had to get a fan and a towel brought to our room. They didn’t have a room with three beds so they placed a mattress on the floor for Marie. We reorganized our suitcases so we can leave some at Phil’s in Iganga tomorrow. They wireless internet here so I was able to journal and send my first emails.
Today was awesome. Seeing the joy of people’s faces, sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ and helping our brothers and sisters in Christ made it a very memorable day. We felt like rock stars as the crowds enthusiastically greeted us before we could even get out of the van! God is good and I am so blessed to be here with this awesome team.
