The day began with a brief word of encouragement to the team as we prepared to go to the various churches. I knew that the group was going to experience very different church behaviors, and I wanted to encourage them to be critical without being critical. In other words, think with discernment and respond in love.
Curtis and I were going to be preaching at different churches, and Dean and Robin split the rest of the girls between them at their respective churches. I went to the Reformed Presbyterian Church with Karen, Ashley and our driver, Michael. Phillip, the AMG leader at Igamba Child Care Center, also went with us as this is his usual church.
After Sunday School, where Phillip taught on justification, adoption and sanctification, we joined the rest of the church for the main service. There were about 50 or so people there (not including the 30 or so children). Karen, Ashley and I sang “All in All”, and of course I prefaced this with telling the congregation that we were not professional singers – it went pretty well.
I preached from 1 Peter 1 verses 1-9. The interpreter did an excellent job keeping up with me as I have been reminded again and again that I speak to fast. Peter talks about us being aliens, and I shared a little of what it looks like to be an alien. For instance, Phillip kept introducing us as the team from Kampala (because we had come from there), and people would always laugh. “Why?” I asked. Because just by looking at us you can tell we are not Ugandan. (I joke with the team that I can find them a mile away – we kind of stick out like a sore thumb).
The passage talks about faith, and I used the example of a woman I saw on a Boda-Boda holding her baby, apparently unaware of any dangers. The driver maneuvered through the dangerous Kampala streets and traffic while she sat on the back facing out one side, holding her infant in her lap as if she were home in her living room. She had faith that the driver could maneuver through the treacherous path and get her safely home! What an illustration of faith in God. The road does not have to be clear, the dangers do not have to be gone, but if I am confident in the character of the one driving the course, I can sit in peace and comfort knowing He is in control.
The passage is written to encourage the people to focus on the permanent and allow the temporary to remain temporary. I challenged the people to focus on the eternal and live life with that in mind. Although they experience many difficulties, they are but for a short time – eternity is worth the work now.
After church we had lunch and then went for home visits. Again the team went and prayed with people, shared scripture with them, gave them food, and just encouraged them in Christ. Sarah, one of the children we visited, cannot walk because a number of years ago she got sick and her parents took her to the witch doctor instead of the AMG medical center. This is a problem that they have in this area – people trusting witch doctors, hence child sacrifice is a big deal in this part of Uganda. Anyway, as a result, Sarah was very sick, and by the time her parents took her to AMG, her infirmities were beyond repair. She is a bright young lady who makes mats from home while she is there, but she must move about on a wheel chair. Her chair was in great disrepair, so the team is anxious to purchase a new one for her.
After home visits we went back to the center for tea and testimonies. It was a joy to hear the team members speak of their time here in Igamba. We ended the day at the hotel with an “American” snack night.
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