Here we are, back at the Imperial Royale in Kampala after three days in Iganga in Eastern Uganda. A woman at one of our encounters in Kampala last week said to me, “Don’t forget our villages,” and now we know why.
Kampala is the easy place to visit in Uganda. Come to one of Uganda’s cities, and the British and European influence can be easily felt. Travel even half-a-day into the countryside, and you are in a different world.
Our first stop was Jinja at the source of the Nile River as it begins its 4000 mile northbound journey from Lake Victoria to the Mediterranean Sea. Cameras were pointing out every window as the Nile came into site. Two bridges span the river as it flows beneath the Kampala-Jinja Road. Our driver turned off the highway and drove us through roads lined with colonial British homes and alongside the Jinja Golf Club on our way to the Source of the Nile park. Once there, we made our way down uneven stone steps that wound through vendors selling African crafts and clothing, to the bank of the river. A guide directed us to the large sign that provided some history and information about the river, before making a short presentation.
Several of us took advantage of his offer of a boat ride that took us toward Lake Victoria. We disembarked to have photos taken at a small island in the middle of the river, before heading back. Along the way, we oohed and aahed over cormorants, kingfishers, ibis, and large lizards, whose skin, we were told, is used for the tall African drums. At one point, our guides seemed taken aback by the size of one of the lizards (about 4-5 ft. long), which was somewhat disquieting, but the moment passed quickly. A photo taken of me shows me grinning ear-to-ear! It never occurred to me that one day I would ride on the Nile. What a thrill!
About an hour later, we arrived in Iganga, Tabitha’s home village. Tabitha’s father and family (including her brother David, who organized the LLJ meetings in Iganga, and her sister Agnes), along with religious and civic leaders, and family friends, were waiting to greet us. Cries of “You are welcome,” and warm handshakes took place all around us as we made our way into the yard, where we found two white tents. One tent held all of the family and community guests, while the second, on the other side of the yard, held a wooden table and about 20 empty chairs. Once we were settled in our seats, a welcoming ceremony of greetings and introductions ensued, with prayers and speeches by various people. Tabitha’s father declared that he had not been so happy since his wedding day, and was obviously proud of his daughter’s desire to help Uganda by bringing Lead Like Jesus to the people.
Lunch was a buffet of Ugandan fare, from rice to matooke (banana) with ground nut gravy (think peanut butter sauce minus the salt), Irish potatoes, rice, coleslaw, beef short ribs, chicken, fish, and more. The community guests were served small bowls of fresh pineapple to nibble on while we were served and tables were set up where our chairs had been. Then they, too, went through the buffet line and we began to eat, mostly still in our separate tents. As the meal began drawing to a close, Tabitha and her father got out their family photo album and began passing the photos around to show us. Tabitha’s father and mother as young adults, at their wedding, and with their young children; Tabitha and Stone at their wedding; Tabitha’s grandparents. It was a wonderful time.
Rain began to fall as we were eating, which Tabitha’s father explained meant that God has approved of our visit. When it became apparent that it would not stop any time soon, the Igangans came up with a clever idea to help us get better acquainted. They simply carefully moved their tent, hosting it above their heads, and walking it over to adjoin our tent! Once we were all settled again, they led us in a heartwarming time of singing praises and hymns. There was a sense of unity and connection through Christ that transcended cultural and ethnic differences. Again, speeches were made, including one by Tabitha’s grandfather, who declared that Tabitha was carrying on the legacy of her great-grandmother Tabitha. Tabitha’s brother David served as interpreter throughout the speeches.
A couple of additional memorable moments during the day included one of the young children who was obviously mystified with our white skin. He eventually warmed up to Karen. Oh, and while we were singing together, a chicken came wandering through the yard, just casually sauntering. I guess he knew he was safe since we had so much food on the buffet tables. It was a wonderful time of feeling accepted into a local family and experiencing the hospitality of the Tabitha’s family and the whole village.
As the rain continued to pour, we made our way back to the bus and headed to Mum Resort Hotel, where we checked into our dormitory-like rooms for the three days of work ahead of us in Iganga. As we were to discover, the internet connection was practically non-existent, so that I am writing this on Saturday evening, as we have returned to Kampala. I hope to write again soon, and hopefully post on Monday with details of our time in Iganga.
A quick word just to say that we had an overwhelming turn-out of people, 200 over what we were expecting, and every time we thought we couldn’t hold any more people, another bus would arrive. When all was said and done, we had 585 plus participants. People rarely come to the villages to train and encourage Christians, preferring the comforts of Kampala and Entebbe, which we can appreciate. But the people in Iganga were incredibly warm and hungry for what we were teaching them. The sacrifice of moving out of our comfort zone was definitely worth it, and we have the stories to tell. But that will have to wait for another day.
We left part of our hearts in Iganga, and while we are glad to be back in Kampala, it was a somewhat harrowing journey back, and we are definitely longing to return to our homes and families. Our flight leaves at 11:30 PM Sunday October 23, (4:30 PM Eastern).
Debbie Goes To Uganda 