Homecoming

It's good to be home, but our last day in Uganda was bittersweet as we thought of leaving the place and people that had captured our hearts. However, there was little time to contemplate as we faced a full day of activities...

Kasubi, the site of Church of God East Africa Uganda headquarters and one of the church schools, was our first stop. Again, we were treated to a program of animated singing and dancing - every song seems to have choreographed actions. The music director is quite a performer and the children obviously loved to entertain! Some of the children were barefoot while others wore dust covered shoes. Uniforms were faded and torn, some dirtier than others... but God doesn't look at the outside - He sees the joyful hearts bursting with song.

A clinic modestly furnished with an exam table and a bed is also located on the property. The tiny concrete building has no electricity, so can only be open during daylight hours - immunizations and minor medical treatment is available for the school children and the community for very small fees.

A short distance away is the TAPP (Tumaini AIDS Prevention Program) office. Tumaini is Swahili for 'hope' - and hope is exactly what the program offers to AIDS patients. Rafiki beads, made from rolled and lacquered strips of paper, are strung into necklaces, bracelets and earrings and sold to provide income. Parents with AIDS are assisted in making wills to insure their children will receive what little they have when the disease claims their lives. Memory books with pictures and stories about themselves are created so the chldren can 'know' their parents after they're gone. Educational programs are presented to the community without regard to religion, race, etc. in an effort to prevent AIDS from becoming even more widespread. Pray for this program and all those who are impacted by AIDS.

Jesse and Logan, Colleen and Tim's sons, attend Heritage International School (H.I.S.) where some of our team gave the chapel lesson. The rest of us toured the classrooms and office which formed a U shape enclosing beautifully landscaped grounds accented by native stone walkways and bridged waterways.

Our last stop was the Murchison Bay school sitting atop a hill overlooking an unpopulated hillside. A motley crew of singing, dancing children met us outside the classrooms - no one seems to stand still here when music's involved! The headmistress and teachers prepared lunch for us which was eaten with our fingers... rice was the hardest thing to master, but it was easier using fingers than chopsticks!

Poverty abounds here - the first inclination is to feel sorry for the people... But, as we prepared to leave, I was also feeling sorry for those of us who have so many material things and so little joy. These people love the Lord and passionately worship Him. We have so much to offer them and yet so much to learn.

It's good to be home, but Uganda is calling us back...

May God bless the people of Uganda and keep their spirits uplifted as they seek to do God's will...