An African Sunday

Today was my first time at a real African church. It was incredible! The church was at a run down building. I didn’t want to take pictures because I was afraid they might think it was rude, but it definitely wasn’t anything like First Baptist Georgetown! It was a one room building with peeling yellowing paint and a straw roof. There were some “windows” which were just holes in the wall, and it was so hot in there!

The church runs about 30 people on a Sunday, because it just started, and there are about 35 people in our group when you add in the Ugandan volunteers, so we doubled their church attendance.

Everyone is so full of joy! The church choir sang us a few songs and there was tons of clapping, singing, dancing, yelling, and jumping. It was awesome. After the choir sang, our group led the rest of worship. We sing a few songs in English, but most of our songs are in Swahili or Luganda. Unfortunately, you learn the songs for the week at the weekly Monday meetings, which I missed this week. This means, that whenever we perform songs, I stand at the back and pretend like I’m mouthing the words. I’m sure I look ridiculous. Joseph, one of the Ugandans, has promised to teach me the words tomorrow.

Two of the boys in our group gave the sermon. It was really was really good message on hope. It was really cool to hear them speak in English and then listen to Colin translate everything in Luganda. We also took an offering. Instead of leaving cash, some people leave mangos, passion fruits, etc. It’s really interesting! I suppose God doesn’t care as long as you give your 10%. Actually, He probably appreciates it more, because those fruits mean more to those people than our 10% means to us.

After the sermon and offering, they have “announcements”. If I were a little kid, “announcements” would make me dislike church. “Announcements” consists of all the church elders coming up and giving mini sermons. Long, boring mini sermons. Seriously, the regular service lasted an hour, and the announcements lasted another hour.

After church, we played around with the kids for a bit. We also passed out the smiley face stickers and sunglasses you guys bought. The kids loved them!

Then, we headed to a local woman’s home in the village. She and her family paid for food for our entire group, and the entire congregation, even though she and her family were so in need. Their house looked similar to the ones we saw on Thursday. I am always so stunned by how nice and giving everyone is here!

Today I ate goat, rice, beans, and matooke (ma-toe-kay). Matooke is mashed up bananas with something done to it. I don’t know what the something is, but matooke is awful. It tastes like eating play dough or something. I’m not sure, but I definitely didn’t like it. Goat meat is pretty good, a little tough, but tasty.

On the way home from church the vans were full so I road back with one of the Ugandan volunteers who had brought their own car. I know I told you yesterday that everyone here drives crazy, but I don’t think I understood the full effect until today. The van drivers must have been toning it down some us Americans, because the driver was crazy! We were going super fast and then braking right before the speed bumps that occur every 100 yards or so, we cut people off, we passed people and barely made it back into our lane before cars coming the other direction hit us. It was so scary!

After we got back, a boy named Brian (a fellow Texan) and I went to Chicken Express to get some food. Don’t worry for those of you Texans reading this; it is nothing like the Chicken Express at home. It was decent. I only had fries and a coke, but Brian let me have a bite of his chicken. It was nice to feel American again for a little bit.

We also went to the market again and I got another coke and some apple juice! I hope African apple juice is as good as American apple juice. On the way home, we tried sugar cane. You bite it, chew it and the sugary juice comes out. It’s pretty good, but it takes a lot of work to get there!

Tonight I helped with dinner, so I chopped enough tomatoes, onions, and green peppers to make pizzas for 35 people! It was a lot of chopping. The pizza was no Dominoes, but it was nice to have a little taste of home. Today has been such an American day!

No a side note, my body already doesn’t like the processed food we get in America. All my American eating has given me a little tummy ache!

Finally, I still haven’t taken a running water shower. Every morning, the water is working fine, and then in the evenings, it stops working. In protest, yesterday I only took a wash cloth bath. I probably won’t be protesting anymore. I feel so dirty.

Tomorrow we have team meetings to prepare for the week. Then, the rest of the day is a free day. I might go to the African craft market. Also, one of the girls who has been here for a while, Amy is leaving tomorrow. Everyone says that the house changes a bit each time a person leaves, so it will be interesting to experience the “new” house.

Today’s Luganda word: Jinda (jen-dee) which means fine. It is the typical response to oltya. Also, there is a special Ugandan handshake that goes along with this exchange. I can’t wait to teach it to you guys!

Doing Jinda,
Jenna