Vincent was right on time at 9:00 and I could hardly wait to get going! The power had failed in the night and I had gotten little sleep, but I wanted to see all the kids. Last week, attendance at
The crowd was still off when we arrived at church, but it started building quickly. In no time, the crowd exceeded 200 people! The chairs were filled with adults and kids were sitting on top of one another on narrow benches. There were songs and songs – some good, some less so. There was a Bible verse recitation where both boys made it 30 verses, then neither could go on. There were sword drills using Bibles that were falling apart in the participant’s hands. And there were speeches: Michael, Mebel, me then me again. There was also a parent who was very grateful for the help with his children.
But there were also dramas. The first was the Garden of Eden as told by kindergartners without props and in Luganda. There was dancing, both creative by two of Michael’s young ones, and a strange tribal dance where a number of our kids proved that the African lumbar spine is somehow far different from American spines. These kids could shake it! And each had a sweater tied around his/her waste, for reasons I don’t understand.
The last drama lasted forever. John Boscoe, one of our graduating students, was the star. It was a story about a boy who lost his father and was sent to the jungle to work at this grandfather’s shrine as the witchdoctor’s assistant. He later comes to Christ after learning to smoke dope, and ends up sponsored by a teacher and returning to school. John is really quite good, but it lasted forever.
Throughout, we had three kids that couldn’t leave us alone. Jon first had Michael’s son, who couldn’t stop pulling Jon’s beard. I picked up a little boy who was very insistent, only to find four very well developed patches of ring worm in his hair. He soon jumped down and visited Jim. Then I got a new one who was ringwormless, but a little fragrant, Michael’s boy went to Jim (where he not only was amazed by Jim’s stubble, but also his hair), and Jon got the boy with ring worm. They stayed with us all the way through the final drama, in other words, Jon had more than an hour to become infected!
The most amazing thing: the program lasted more than four hours without a break. The kids got a bit restless from time to time, but they stayed in their seats and they paid very close attention.
We recognized our P7 completers with a card and cookies. I talked to them about what lies ahead in secondary school. Then we recognized the S4 (O-level) completers. And finally the S6 completers who are now high school graduates. There were nearly 50 P7’s, six or so S4, and five S6.
With this finally over, Grace arranged the kids that we hadn’t yet visited and I began frantically shooting pictures for the next 1+ hours. There were many, many kids, but I hate taking pictures this way. There are so many kids, it is impossible to make things personal at all. I end up having to snap and run or else be overwhelmed by the kids who couldn’t go to lunch until I released them! I did get to spend some time with Victor, who is doing very well.
Finally, I had taken the last picture. It was time to meet with the S6 graduates and those entering S6. There had been a serious misunderstanding between the
It was a long discussion. Jacinta, our present university student who will enter her second year in February, was very helpful and supportive of her friends. It could be hard to find sponsors who are willing to commit $1,000+ per year for three or so years, but these are excellent students and I believe they will succeed. And there will be at least 8 next year!
The graduates are very interesting. A couple of them have been with us since the starts, meaning we paid all their senior school fees. John Bosco was only with us for a year, but we saved him from a terrible situation where he wouldn’t be allowed to sit for his S6 exams. His situation is still difficult because he has no place to stay!
I made new pictures of all the graduated kids, then went back inside to meet with a girl who had said she wanted to leave the program but is now having second thoughts. We worked out a solution for her, then it was finally time to go!
I was so tired it was hard to get in the van! Also, in the confusion, I lost my billfold, which had almost $500 in it. Vincent found it lying in the dust in the church, and every shilling was there.
We drove to Garden City where I exchanged money and bought a phone card. Then we went upstairs and ate at the
It was a short day – we turned in at the guesthouse at 5:10! When we started up the hill, we found the courtyard filled with a wedding party. A white plastic path led from the sidewalk up the hill to a huge tent. A wedding cake with at least four sections stood by the tent. At the other end of the tent, a buffet was set up. There were electric lights strung on long lines overhead and about a dozen tables were filled with guests, including two ancient women in traditional dress.
We set out on Jon and Jim’s balcony which placed us just above the tent. We had perfect seats to watch our first Ugandan wedding, which was dominated by a master of ceremonies who hardly breathed for the 1+ hour we listened!
Interspersed with the incredibly loud, I’m trying to swallow the microphone, Ugandan style speaking by the MC (all in Luganda, I might add), there were songs booming through a much over amped stereo system. There were traditional Uganadan songs, as well as hip-hop, and then Waylon Jennings sang a song about diamond ring in what is one of the most surreal moments I’ve had here!
The noise was so bad as it echoed off the Mexican tile that runs through the guesthouse that Jon couldn’t even talk on the phone after he called Lara.
Finally, I came to bed to write with the music still going strong. It stopped a little after 10:00.
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