Also took a break today to visit the old run-off well that was used before the new bore well was put in last fall with the help of Cornerstone.  It’s become a usual thing for each team together to understand the importance of the new well.  We all took a 5 gallon jerry can down to the well and hauled them back it…a good ½ mile, up hill, and partly through the bush.  It was a serious chore.  Felt like I was on “Survivor” or something.  But we all made it back up.  Most of the kids in the community were doing this at least twice a day, every day.  So much that it was affecting them from growing taller.  It really makes you appreciate the water that comes out when you just turn the faucet.  Jordan said, “I’ll never leave the water running when I brush my teeth again.”  The new well (clean water, close to the church and community) continues to make a huge impact on life in Buloba.

Last night we had an authentic Ugandan feast over at Pastor Eva’s house in Kampala.   We all got there around 6pm and visited with Pastor Eva in the living room for a while.  Then we went out back and found where the real party was…where about 12 folks from the church were doing all of the cooking.

We ended up hanging out with the cooks in what was like a narrow alley behind her home.  They couldn’t believe that we wanted to hang out there with them (in what is known as the servant’s area) instead of on the fancy front porch.  But it was so fun.  At one time I counted 5 fire pots going…cooking rice, beans, steamed vegetables, a fish stew, grilled chicken, fried potatoes and tons of other stuff I can’t name…all with no hot-pad holders.  Brother Godfrey let me help him a bit with grilling the goat (a delicacy in Uganda), but he did the turning of the meat on the grill (with no grilling tools…his own hands).

It was so much fun.  We stayed back there for almost two hours sharing stories with each other and just hanging amongst all the smoke.  They insisted not to let us help them so we just stayed close and kept them entertained with our crazy American stories and differences in our cultures.  Watching them in this place I understood the great sense of community they had as they worked together.  I asked them what time they arrived to start cooking and they said 2pm.  Everyone had a part in the dinner.  And they all shared their lives together as they washed pots, peeled potatoes and kept the fire pots going.   It wasn’t till about 8:30 when all 23 of us stood around a huge table full of food to pray and dig in.  It was a blast.  Amazing that we have found a sense of community and belonging in just a few short days with these people.  We finished off the night with a huge birthday cake for Lauren who turned 19 yesterday.  It was maybe the best thing I put in my mouth all week (I had leftovers of it for lunch today.)  We didn’t get home ‘till about 11:30…we partied hard and were all kinda dragging when we showed up to do the glasses deal this morning.  These folks understood and practiced the meaning of St. Benedicts Rule #53:  “Let all guests that come be received like Christ.”

Tomorrow we’re taking a break and having a day as tourists.  We are heading out at 6am for a 2-hour drive over to Jinja to check out the source of the Nile River.  The college crew is all going to bungee jump over the Nile.  Or at least that’s what they are saying now.  We’ll see when we get there.  We’re also going to have a little lunch at a fancy bed n’ breakfast overlooking the Nile.  Then back to Kampala in the late afternoon to shop at the market.  Should be a good day together.

In the midst of the poverty and struggle of the people here in Uganda we are seeing the face of Jesus…in the people we are serving and in each other.  These days have been stretching and eye opening for all of us spiritually.  I’m so encouraged to be with such an incredible group of young people on this trip…Andi and I are the only non-college folks.  These are kingdom minded people that are going to change the world.

Be sure to check out Andi’s blog.  She’s got more stories and also a good picture gallery as well.

Then in the afternoon we transformed a classroom into “The Buloba Community Church Vision Center.” Patrick (our Ugandan host) and I were the receptionists. Amanda, Pastor Isaac, David (translator) and Lauren were the eye examiners. Andi, Catherine and Morgan were the folks who filled prescriptions (got the glasses out of the right bag and handed them to people). Amos (translator) and Jordan worked the optical care center (telling folks how to wash and not scratch them). It was so neat to see their faces light up when they put on the glasses. There were some very sophisticated Africans walking out of there. You could tell it made them feel very special. We ended up giving out 41 pairs of reading glasses, and we have plenty more. So that’s what we will mainly be doing for the next 2 days.

Our team is really having a great time together. It has been an interesting lesson for me in building community. Our conversations have gone from distant and cordial to talking about experiences using the outhouse… all over the ears of our translator friends who think we are some crazy Americans. But we have become great friends with these folks, especially David and Amos who have been our hosts on the many trips before (if you’ve been on a trip to Uganda you know how much we all love these guys.)
So on the way home today our conversation turned towards my great farmers tan. That lead to the topic of “Red-necks” which is very hard to explain to a Ugandan. That led to Amos listening to “A Country Boy Can Survive” by Hank Williams, Jr. on my iPod. Then I had to explain about half of that song to him. Anyway, we are all loving being together and sharing our cultures. Tonight we are going to watch “The Last King of Scotland”…the story about the Ugandan Dictator, Amin. I saw this last time I was here. Sure it will be eye opening for our team. It’s very different to watch that movie in the city and with the people where it took place.

Our hearts are being knit with these people in Buloba. We are all falling in love with them and they with us. It will be very hard to say goodbye on Friday.