It Takes a Village...

Monday found us headed east to Kabusule in the district of Bugwere. Alternately, dense foliage and tall trees encroaching on the road gave way to gently rolling hills iced with low grasses and dotted with palms followed by swampy areas overgrown with papyrus. New sights, sounds and smells mixed with the old, familiar ones compounded our sense of being far from home. Checkerboard fields of low-growing tea plants; food markets with fresh pineapple, mangos and tomatoes carefully piled one on top of another like blocks; almost identical strip malls with shanty door fronts in each town giving the impression of going in circles; everpresent smell of smoke; clusters of round thatched huts formed family neighborhoods; trees with leaf pom-poms at the end of each otherwise barren branch.

We stopped at the source of the Nile for lunch for a brief interlude. Crocodiles, black meribeau storks and white cranes cohabitate with many other unseen animals and birds as they draw life from the murky water of the Nile.

The first sight of the white hostel enclosing a lovely courtyard made us hopeful that our stay in Kabusule would include the luxuries of hot running water and flush toilets... But our initial excitement faded as we inspected our rooms and found neither. Still, a roof over our head and a bed off the floor during the rainy season was a blessing.

Our complaints shamed us when we arrived at the village and saw the living conditions in Kabusule which is twice as poor as Kasenke. Children with malnutritioned bellies in dirty rags made us so aware of our affluence. Even in poverty, they still sang and smiled when they saw the 'visitors.' The people live in very small, dirt floored, round huts.

It was quite different from our experience in Kasenke where the children met us. Here, women gleefully squealing in a high pitched warble and joyfully hugging us were our welcoming committee each day.

Again, we split our days with the men working on the church and the women doing crafts and playing games with the children and youth, sharing with the women about their lives and making TAPP and grandmother visits. It was during the home visits we could see how poorly the people live. Yet they have joy in the Lord and love to give Him praise. Efforts have been made to begin a project for the women to earn money, but, without education, they have not been very successful in managing their profits.

Because of heavy, blowing rain on the second day, the roof did not get completed for the dedication. However, we still joined with the congregation in celebration knowing soon the dream of a place of worship large enough to hold them all was very near. The church was festively decorated. Bunches of yellow flowers from nearby plants adorned the tops of sticks as you approached the church and were stuck in crevices in the walls.

Praising the Lord was a joyous occasion as we shared songs and laughter. We were presented with a goat, turkey, chicken, rabbit and various produce as gifts for our part in helping build their church. After the three hour service, lunch was served since it is tradition that if food is not given visitors when they leave, the friendship is broken.

We left our new friends in Kabusule on Thursday to spend our last night in Uganda at the Stevensons.

Everyone is now busily completing their packing after last minute shopping in Kampala. We're excited about seeing our families and friends after two weeks of being emotionally and physically challenged. However, we've already shed tears as we said goodby to 'Mama' Colleen since she left early for the Rain Festival with Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz (Alexis) and a couple of Bumblebees (daughter Tiffany and granddaughter Sahara)... I'm sure there'll be more wet eyes as we board the plane and fully realize we're leaving behind Africa and so many people we love.

Pray for safe travel. Blessings to all...