Mbarara, UGANDA: (a bit of review) Having completed my Go-ED semester abroad program in Kampala (the capital of Uganda), I decided to stick around the country for a while and head down south to work with a local pastor and the school/orphanage they run. Pastor Emmy and his wonderful wife Sarah graciously invited me into their home to live for nearly a month, adding another to bring their current household to 13 (occasionally it actually reached up to 17 people).
Transitioning from living in “little America” with my 12 classmates from the States to living with a local family was a unique challenge. I was actually quite surprised by how lonely I felt residing with such a large family and realized after a few days that what I missed the most was the deep conversations I had been sharing with my peers for the last 4 months. Nearly every conversation was held in lunyankole unless a comment or question n was directed specifically at me. I completely understood, but longed to take part in the jokes and stories. Even though the family welcomed me in with open arms and was continually instructing me to make myself at home, the truth is, I always remained an outsider.
Within a week, I had a fairly good grasp on the city and getting myself from one place to another, in addition to navigating my way through the family unit and asserting my need to be treated as an active member of the family instead of a honored (helpless) white guest. The greatest joy of my time in Mbarara was spending time with the kids at the school.
The holidays had just begun and those children with living relatives had all returned to their respective villages, but nearly 40 kids had no family to call home, so they had no choice but to stay behind. Many of these beautiful and precious children were orphaned by disease, life circumstance and some even by choice. How a parent could ever abandon their child, I will never understand.
I wish I could say that I ministered to and blessed them in a mighty way, but I honestly feel like they touched my life in a more profound way then I ever could theirs. Thank you to all of those who sent cards, donations and prayers for the children. With all of your support we were able to provide each child with a brand new outfit for Christmas and supply them with a bountiful Christmas feast. The children were overjoyed when their crisp, colorful new clothes were placed into their hands and immediately raced off to try them on. The sea of color that washed over the dusty brown compound was breathtaking. They were also amazed to know that so many people from a country nearly half a world away cared so deeply about them. Thank you, thank you, thank you, for helping me to bless them and place a Christmas gift into each of their tiny hands. If it weren’t for your generosity, they would have had a very different Christmas.
In many ways I look back and question if Christmas really ever came for me. Located just below the Equator, I experienced a warm dusty Christmas morning without any of the traditional trimmings that signal in the holiday time of the year. Embracing the family’s Christmas tradition we all piled into the 14 passenger van and bumped along down the potholed speckled road to church. I was escorted to my usual seat in front (always where I love to sit…) where I was informed 20 minutes into the service that I would be delivering the Christmas message. [I should have known better]. Recovering from my initial shock I agreed a few minutes later and was given the grace and words to talk my way through a 35minute on the spot sermon. Welcome to ministry in Africa!
The remainder of my time in Mbarara is a bit of a blur as I split my days between teaching and playing with the kids at the school and traveling around with Pastor Emmy and Sarah. Perhaps one of the most memorable and surprising experiences came on my final day in southern Uganda, when I was asked to accompany a small party out to a village to help negotiate the cow price for an upcoming marriage [NO, it was not MY marriage!]. Pulling up to a decent sized home deep in a surrounding village we entered into the very formal marriage bargaining process that actually had a mediator and written out schedule, which was to be followed exactly! After each side presented their case over bottles of chilled coke, a heated bargaining process ensued, with tensions heightening after the males of the brides family left the room to confer. At long last the offer of 2 cows was accepted, all the male relatives were appeased and the feasting began. Then the ceremony naturally concluded with the introductions. Yes, you read that right, for some unknown reason, the introductions of everyone present was reserved for the final moments of our time together – why, I will never understand.
Other highlights from my time there included finally feeling like part of the family, successfully baking a cake withOUT an oven and going into the matatu (taxi) business with our driver Emmy on the 5 hour drive from Mbarara to Kampala.
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