saturday 7/21

Saturday.

My goodness today was long- it seems like the things we did this morning were about 2 days ago. But they weren’t, so lets start there. Today we went out to start building the widows house. For most of us (all but 4) this was the first time we’ve seen simon’s house, and the first time we’ve been to the widow’s place. Simon’s house is pretty great, by African standards- he’s got a nice size main house, then a sort of back structure, where they do the cooking, and it looks like they store some things. There were a few tiny goats out front, and a lot of chickens running around, plus he seems to have some decent space for crops, so I think he does ok. From there, we walked probably about 100 yards along paths around crop parcels to the widows place. It was part of a small village of huts that in other places housed students. Her hut was round, about 5 feet across, and housed her and her two children. Normally people have a second hut to cook in, but she doesn’t, because her husband was unfaithful to her, and when he realized that he was dying from AIDS, he began selling off his property to live well in his last days. She was helpless to stop this, and now has very little property, and almost none to grow crops on, which is her livelihood. So we are building her a house. And that is something.

Not that any of us have any idea how to build a house in Africa- the same rules don’t apply. Sometimes I think that we are looked upon as magicians, or miracle workers- that somehow we have answers and can do anything, because we’re from America. The thing is, many of our American answers and solutions don’t work here. We’ve got some guys who’ve worked in construction, but construction in America means calling a supply company and backing a dump truck up to pour a foundation. Today we found out that in Africa it means an enormous pile of boulders that need to be broken up into golf-ball sized aggregate, a pile of sand (that got there somehow, before we did) and hauling about 30 jugs of water (probably 4-5 gallons each?) from a well that’s a 15 minute walk away, unladen. So we broke rocks. We had one sledge hammer to break the boulders into smaller rocks, and several hoes to use the back end of the metal part to smash the smaller rocks repeatedly until they were small enough. In the beginning there were not enough hoes and not enough jobs, so some of us went to the other side of the pile and began throwing boulders and smaller rocks at each other to get them to break. It sort of worked. Steve and I came up with a method where I would put a rock or a boulder on another boulder, and he would smash down on it with the biggest rock he could lift.

I took a break to drink some water, and Michele handed me Theophylis (pronounced theo- fill-is), who is simons 7 month old, who is adorable and happy and has a mo-hawk, just like me. She was so sweet, and with my swaying and patting, she promptly fell asleep, and then I had a sweet sleeping baby. Until one of the people who know the family saw, and ordered a sibling to take her for her nap- the sibling just tossed this baby I had been so gently patting over her shoulder and was off. Theo didn’t notice at all.

One thing about the babies in Africa- they learn very early to hold on. I suppose you have to when you’re being carried around by a 4 year old. And the children in Africa, so grown up- they have independence far beyond what we expect or allow of our children- I would be truly heartbroken (instead of just mostly) if I didn’t see that they still get to also be children and still have at least some of their innocence.

I mentioned that I went to fetch some of the water, but I didn’t mention that I gave it a go of carrying it on my head like the African women leaders did. They were very gracious in my attempts, and didn’t laugh at all, or call me a failure when I could only carry it for 5 minutes or so. It’s hard to balance, and to be confident in balancing, even with the banana leaf ring to steady it on my head. I had to use my arms to keep it balanced, and they tired quickly.

Not long after we got back, it was time to start moving back towards the hotel for lunch and to prepare for club. We were putting on club in Uganda, not that the Ugandans needed us to- they do an excellent job of it on their own.

I spent the afternoon preparing for my first club talk on another continent. And really, what analogies do you use when talking to people so far out of your context? I was thinking of one of the stories where people had heard that Jesus was coming, and went out to find him, because of our experience on the first day (and really every day) where we were walking somewhere, and adults stop and look, and the children (who are always bolder) come running from their homes to check it out, and end up walking with us, holding hands. Wherever the muzungu go, we draw a crowd. Zacceus was the natural parallel, but I really felt God impressing on me to talk about where Jesus heals the guy at Capernaum, where his friends lower him from the roof. So that’s the talk I prepared.

So, we head over to the younglife office at 4, getting there at 4:15, which we assum is ok because everything we do here is late, but simon was just about to set off to find us. We finally got club going at 4:30, and stared with splitting into 3 groups in 3 separate parts of the compound, each with their own part of the Toyota song. Then we got together outside to compete, to see which parts song and dance moves (changing each round) was best. Just as we were wrapping this up, the thunderstorm began rolling in- first sprinkling, but quickly progressing, so the younglife leaders herded everyone into the club room as quickly as was possible, and while that was happening, we changed plans to have the Ugandan leaders lead in a couple of songs, and then do the club talk, and hopefully the storm will have passed by then, and then we could finish the rest of the club plans. The Ugandan club songs were fun and loud and rowdy and dancy, and everything you would expect from singing in Africa. The only problem was that it seemed like several people were leading it- which was great- but each time we’d communicate that after this song we should do the talk, someone else would start another song. Eventually it was time for me to do the talk. And as soon as we were inside, I had understood why God had picked the Capernaum story for me to talk about- here we were in a cramped crowded (stinky) room, with barely any room to move- waiting to hear what this strange person who they had heard rumors about speak.

I am not sure how many kids understood the talk- I can’t help but speak American English, and it has taken all 3 days we’ve been here for the Ugandan leaders and us to start understanding each other. But regardless, for me it was a spirit moment- that God orchestrated a Capernaum experience for a Capernaum story. And that God cleared up the rain by the time I was done, so we went outside and had the rest of club, and I think kids had fun! Although, it’s pretty hard not to have fun at younglife. During the outside part, there were several (15ish?) little kids, under 6, there, who mostly just wanted candy. To distract them from that, I started a rousing game of ring around the rosie, which they didn’t know, but really liked the “all fall down” part, and would have played as long as I kept singing it to them, but really, my pants were soaked through from the wet ground, and my shirt was muddy, so it was time to switch to duck duck goose. The best thing about duck duck goose, is that the game doesn’t make much sense anyway, but really ducks and geese are words that they just don’t have any context for, because there are no geese or ducks here. so the kids say “duck, duck, duck, DUCK!” and you run after the last duck. Except one girl, who says “duck, duck, duck, toose!”.

After club, at about 6, we came back here and had dinner and prepared to host the volunteer leaders for camp counselor training, that was supposed to happen last night, but didn’t because of the storm. It was amazing. Not so much what we had to share, although that was important, because they are about to have their first camp ever in Uganda and it’s good to prepare them. But because there were 28 or so volunteers there to be trained- that simon said that they could use a hundred volunteers, and it still wouldn’t be enough to reach the kids. Also because once we had said our part, which was good- but we quickly found out it wasn’t the point of the meeting. The question and answer time was profound. The problems that they have here are so very different and also exactly the same. The first question was about what to do with a kid who is a headache, over and over, and comes but never follows the rules. The second question was about what to do when a kid asks for money, or food, or tuition because they’re about to be kicked out of school. There were others, all good- all that need to have answers figured out here in Africa- our American solutions won’t work. A point that was raised over and over was to give what you can, but remember it’s not your job to be the savior- there is only one Savior. Which is a lesson I have had to learn myself over and over in the states.

After the training, we went over to the bar, for a beer. It seemed an appropriate way to process. I got to talk with Levi a bit, and it turns out we like to read the same things- Lammott, Miller, Manning and others. I like Levi a lot- who he is and what he stands for. I am glad that we have connected. And then I came up here, to my room to journal, as many of the college kids sat on the porch and played and sang some worship songs. It was nice to have them gently wafting in the room.

All in all, a good day.