Day two - what a real day consists of here

Yesterday was our first full day. It was pretty intense actually. Thinking back to it this morning…I can recall everything that happened but not in full sequential order.

During breakfast, Shirley and Marian were in for a surprise because Sara and I openly admitted that we saw a “cockroach” in our room and then they found one in the dining hall in the middle of the pathway to our table. Turns out this bug is actually the Ugandan cricket—Nyanyangize. Marc Evans (our lead hotel attendant) brought us a dead one to show us the different parts of it and how it functions. This little guy makes noises about an hour before sunset. He’s like an evening rooster!

We also witnessed a morning cow crossing. It was pretty funny because if a cow goes off the trail of the others the walker will take out a huge whip and go to town on it’s behind. It is a frightening sound to be honest. I don’t think I’ve ever heard a real Indiana Jones whip until yesterday morning.

Waiting for Moses and the passenger van made us anxious because he was later than expected. But before he arrived we managed to show some awesome photos Sara took of the couple days together, find geckos and just catch up and rest as a team. Which is super nice because you’ll see how jammed packed our day was!

The morning devotional leader was Paul (who we also ran into on the side of the road this morning—I must say he stopped to answer his phone while he was in traffic! We should all learn from him and follow this example, especially me—“Miss. Texter”).

Matthew 5:14-16—through God’s calling, we are shining lights to the village of Marare. They are in the darkness and we need to shed the light to the children who are the future of the village. Show them that they ARE rich in resources and in labour. We truly need to lead by example as people are scrutinizing and watching our every move. “We are all here on God’s calendar,” Paul recited, which is true when we look at everything we’ve experienced and how we have truly jelled as a team.

Paul led an interesting exercise of closing our eyes and asking what we saw. The first attempt was unsuccessful but the second attempt was astounding.

Everyone in our team saw goodness and light and cheerful things. Bob saw children. I saw a memory of yesterday—Luke and Sara playing with the kids. Shirley saw all of God’s creation and it’s beauty while Marian saw the scenery and it’s breathtaking depths of colour and everything else with it. However delightful our visions were one FH staff member (Winnie) saw darkness and a place she never wants to go back to. It was heartbreaking to hear how traumatic her past experience was.

Paul quickly referenced Matthew 6:22, letting us know that God has chosen us as his shining lights to this village, both our team and FH staff, and that we will be the ones showing the light to the people in the dark.

We ended the devotional with the song “Through the world.” I have to reiterate that acapella and harmonies as a group here make me so jealous. I wish I could sing like them all! So beautifully in sync and breathtaking!

Again the waiting was a bit long yesterday, we didn’t realize until this morning that it was rest for what was in store. Luke and I picked up a soccer ball and played soccer with Sara. Unfortunately, Sara sliced open her toe. It was pretty bad. And when I say pretty bad I mean pretty bad. We have a bag of bandages to prove it and she has a flap of skin to show you if you’re interested! Thankfully that didn’t stop her serving heart when they were running the sewing program.

When we arrived at the village, we again were greeted with flocks of children running towards the bus. It was still as epic as yesterday’s greeting! Again we were welcomed by children singing songs for us and I finally learned a bunch of them! I might have to perform them for Northgate when we get back. My goal is to teach Pastor Bob the actual words—he came up with a temporary “da-da-da” solution to join in with the kids when we don’t know the lyrics. I was hoping to cross the “performing” boundary and become one of them in song and dance. We’ll see if I achieve that. I already have my second favourite song learnt—not memorized but learnt!

“It is a great great great day

It is a great great great day

We hope that everyone here feels at home and loves this place

Feels at home and loves this place

My name is __________________ah-ah-ah

I really want to be a _______________ (pilot, bishop, teacher, farmer, lawyer), ah-ah-ah

I really want to be a _____________________, ah-ah-ah

Feel at home and love this place

Feel at home and love this place”

One thing Shirley noted in this song was how the girls coming up all had ambitions. It was encouraging to see the girls in this community step it up. I think it’s a reoccurring theme here. The women RUN this village. Most families have parents that are deceased or their fathers walked out on them. Grandparents, aunts and uncles have truly stepped it up.

After yesterday’s welcoming ceremony, Shirley leaves to get the sewing class materials organized. Allan, Bob, Luke and Sara end up with mounds of children. Trains form and circles form (thanks for teaching the kids how to make a circle Brian! We will have to show you the video!). I unfortunately wasn’t part of this commotion but it was pretty cool to see it from afar.

During our morning tea (I only found out this morning it is morning tea…we all thought it was “pre-lunch”), Moses gave us some history about the women in the village and other initiatives FH has done and experienced in Marare.

Once FH came to the village and showed them the resources at their feet, they were immediately receptive and started making bricks, building and planning more expansion. Moses told us that once a building was up, the FH staff put price figures on each brick and other supplies used to make this progress a tangible figure. No one here realized that labour and supplies was a resource that has value. Once this hit home, the people leanred that wealth isn’t just a form of currency.

After morning tea (it’s really passed noon at this point), we split the group up. Marian, Sara and Shirley organize the women to start sewing classes in the school and Allan, Bob, Luke and I wait to start the home visits. Moses and Molex had to organize some things before we started home visits so the boys and I needed to find something to do.

Somehow a dozen children turns into a hundred and Bob and I have to move this congregation somewhere else. Thankfully for Bob’s quick thinking, we move the kids to the meeting tree. I am extremely thankful for Andrew (a youth leader) who bails us out of performing. Performing for the kids is fun but imagine singing “this little light of mine” over a dozen times with the kids. Your voice eventually requires rest and so does your body.

As the kids perform we realize we want to join in and learn some of their songs so Andrew teaches Allan, Bob and I a couple of songs to sing with the kids. Spontanious singing and dancing will usually calm a crowd down or get the kids to sit and listen.

Soon after this Moses gathers us to take us on sponsor child visits. We first visit the home right beside the school. The first child we visit is Shakira (Brianne Straughan’s sponsor child). She was so shy, like most of the kids. No one really gets thrown in the spot light so getting put on the spot is hard for kids to talk and tell us about their lives. I need to say this though, her smile reminded me of Brianne. As soon as Shakira smiled it lit up the room. Brianne’s smile can make anyone smile. It is most definitely contagious and so was Shakira’s. Shakira’s prayer request was that Brianne comes and visits her one day! I told her I’d do my best to convince Bri to come to Marare. Interesting as Brianne was interested in joining this year’s team. So, Bri, if you are reading this…Shakira and I think you should visit Marare.

I didn’t realize Allan could be serious until we saw Kenneth. Kenneth is the Traub’s sponsor child and he was the cutest little guy ever. He immediately related to Luke by telling us he is sandwiched in this family between girls—two older sisters and two younger sisters. Luke has an older sister and a younger sister. Allan was quiet for most of this visit but I think he was absorbing how Luke interacted with Kenneth. Throughout the afternoon it was evident Luke now has a little brother.

After this visit we meet Kathy and Larry’s sponsor child. By far the most talkative one—he tells us that he knows their name and love them. It was the sweetest visit. I really am excited to share my video of him with Kathy and Larry!

Inbetween these visits we did see the well. It was amazing to see kids playing in it and drinking from it. There was a communal sense of pride when we were there. The kids following us quickly ran to the water and drank. Luke was bugging Kenneth and me, pretending to push us in. It was funny because I did it back to Luke and the girls busted out laughing.

Bob’s child Rachel was super-cute. She was the oldest of three kids and the shyest of them all. Bob felt bad for overwhelming her but I think all kids felt that way. Bob felt bad for doing that to her but it wasn’t Bob’s doing. All the kids get to shine when we visit them. It was just overwhelming for us all. Audrey, I took footage and pictures on Bob’s camera to make sure you guys have a physical copy of this visit rather than waiting for us to get something to you.

I noticed Luke trying to teach Kenneth how to play paper rock scissors on this visit. Luke was shinning as a big brother. Kenneth was unable to grasp the concept of choosing for yourself in this game. But Luke found out that the village people don’t like hand gesture games.

We also met an old man that recently recovered from a severe illness—unable to eat or drink for a month. I realized quickly that he is the village miracle. He was so grateful for our visit and immediately started calling us family. For a brief second it felt superficial but it quickly grew into something that wasn’t. We sang hymns in his home and met his beautiful wife who stuck by him during his time of need and his cows and goats. He was a proud and open believer of Christ. It was amazing how wonderful his testimony was.

Well the rest of the evening was miniscule compared to the actual visit. I’ll have to leave it up to Shirley, Sara and Marian to update you folks on the sewing classes in detail. I’ll just give you the jist:

A loud sense of community was present in the classes. The women helped each other and picked up on the treadle machines quickly. Surprisingly, it was cutting with scissors that was the struggle. You almost didn’t need an interpreter. Universal hand languages and tangible end results helped this class go smoothly. I think this pilot project will be a success and hopefully it will migrate to other communities within Uganda.

Well, it’s off to morning tea as soon as the rest of the team comes back to the office. I can already smell the sweet burning of coals as the water is boiling.