What We're Doing

How have we been using our time here in Jinja? Since Keith finished teaching the BBS class, most of our activities have centered around visits . . . aside from visiting with the Jinja team, we have been spending our time with various Ugandan families. These would include: Moses and Zipporah Kirya (in Musima), Irene Kimeze (just outside of Jinja), Wakooli George and Stephen Waiswa (in Nawongoma), and Richard and Ida Bazonoona (in Naminya). For some of you, those are just a bunch of names; for others, they mean a great deal.
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Whenever we visit these people, we are truly overwhelmed with their graciousness. They thank us profusely for coming to see them, and they make us feel that we are doing them an extraordinary favor. If they feed us, they usually seat us separately from themselves; this, we are told, is a sign of great honor. The food is abundant, in absurdly enormous portions! It is enough to give them leftovers for the next week, but they don't have refrigerators . . . we don't know what they do with all the remaining rice, posho, matooke, potatoes, beans, avocados, etc. Sometimes we attract a crowd of curious neighbors..

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Even though they don't have much by Michigan standards, they are very proud of their homes and their gardens, and they are pleased to show us around. Their properties are very important to them. Richard Bazonoona, for instance, has done a lot of work in his house, and his achievements are quite impressive. Stephen Waiswa took us through his garden, and we were absolutely amazed with the things that he can grow. Ida Bazonoona showed us her beads, and Zipporah Kirya showed us her baskets . . . and we bought a lot of their handiwork..

Whenever we visit with people like these, they love to tell stories about the original Jinja team. We constantly hear about the Moores, the Smiths, the Taylors, and especially the Bartons. People are always excited to know that we come from Rochester, "where the Bartons now live," and we have been asked if Keith and John are twin brothers. Hmmmm . . . .

Tuesday evening we will visit with Maanda and Sarah Wilson, in the village of Kyabirwa. It will be an overnight "bonding" visit, and will give us new impressions of the way people live in Uganda. Caroline and Annika have opted to stay with the Manrys, though they might change their mind..

Churches in Uganda need support from churches in the United States . . . but now that we've met the people listed above (and many, many others). we believe the need goes both directions. To use the imagery of 1 Corinthians 12, we are all parts of the body of Christ, and we will be healthier for recognizing our mutual dependence.