Update from Last Wednesday

Wednesday: Wanderings and Bubble Mania (7/13/2011)

Prayer Walk around Billy and Jo’s —We only made two stops around the neighborhood. Ashley, Jon and I were in a group. We headed toward the golf greens and then back down another road. We started praying for the city and a man named Solomon stopped to talk with us. He told us that he was a guard from a nearby house and had just gotten off the night shift. Once we explained who we were and what we were doing, he got really excited and pulled out his Bible from his bag. It was in Lugbara (the local language) and I got really excited. I hadn’t seen one in Lugbara. He read for us the story of Creation from Genesis and the very beginning of Matthew. He didn’t speak English terribly well, so he stopped a girl that was passing by and she also tried to help him with the translating. It was very exciting to hear the Bible spoken in the local tongue. We spoke for a good ½ hour. I tried to show him some of my favorite verses in Philippians 1:20,21--²⁰ I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. ²¹ For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. —however, I think, it might have been a bit confusing to him. The last part of the verse talks about “To live is Christ, and to die is gain.” He said that Ugandans do not like death—they cry at death. (Funerals/Mournings do last several days sometimes). We agreed that death is not happy at all, but we have hope in Christ, so we don’t have to fear death. He then agreed, and said it is important to live for God.

That afternoon was the second week that we worked with the MK children at the women’s Bible study. We had quite a few new faces for us: a couple children from Germany and a few from the Netherlands. We had a sweet time with them, but it was cut quite short because we were heading back out to David and Medlin’s boys and their neighborhood friends. I’m looking forward to seeing them again this coming Wednesday. Please be praying for these precious ones as they see many people coming and going throughout their lives.

At the neighborhood, we had such a good time sharing our stories and singing. A new treat was that Jeri had brought a couple bottles of bubbles. They were a huge hit with the children and caused some chaos, but it was delightful chaos. At first, I was just trying to blow as many bubbles as possible before they chased after and popped them all. Eventually, as I become more daring, I decided to let them try to blow the bubbles too. I held tightly with both hands onto the bottle as little fingers stretched grasping for the wand. They were very good about giving each other turns though, even to the little ones. My hands became covered in the bubbly syrup—and the little ones kept rubbing my oily hands and laughing so hard. Children are children no matter where you are.

*Sidenote: Fortunate and Madeleine are separate people—both had come up to me on separate days and they look so similar that I couldn’t tell them apart. Once I realized they both were here today, I asked if they were related—They are sisters and that is why they look so much alike. J Their mother was standing on the outskirts of the field where we were playing with the children—so they brought me to her so that I could meet her. She is a beautiful woman named Grace. She didn’t seem to understand much English, so I greeted her in Lugbara—and tried to tell her how much I appreciated her girls.