Sunday, October 11th Ben and Grace picked me up to go to Catholic mass in their village. We picked up Resty as well, and met Resty’s father at church. We were all invited to sit up front. It was a lively worship service with much singing, drums, and children dancing. Resty’s father, Santos, was invited to speak during the service. Ben and I were also invited to speak during the service. When I asked Ben how many people he thought were in attendance, he estimated 500. Speaking to 500 people. Sure, no problem.
I greeted the congregation in the local language and told them how my coming from America was based on Genesis 12. I encouraged each of them to live lives similar to Genesis 12 – continue sharing the blessings we have all been given. I also encouraged them to listen to their church and community leaders when they address things that educate about the betterment of their livelihoods (such as sanitation, latrines, HIV/AIDS, domestic violence, etc.). They speak about these issues because they understand that God loves them and has blessed them. Church and community leaders want each of them to be blessed with God’s love and better livelihoods, and they want that blessing to continue being shared with others.
The Catholic mass continued on, and soon it entered into a time for auctioning items brought in for the thanksgiving or appreciation offering. The thanksgiving or appreciation offering is common throughout all church denominations here. For those who do not have money to give for offering, they bring items as an offering that are then auctioned off. So their offering still benefits the support of the church, and these items typically are purchased at a greater price than market value. Items include things such as firewood (a somewhat scarce and expensive item), pineapple, jack fruit, sugarcane, beans, small prepackaged treats for children, ceramic mugs & plates, beans… Ben had suggested I bid for something to show support for the church. So I ended up buying a pineapple for 2,000 Uganda shillings (approximately $1 USD). (Unfortunately, later in the day I forgot and left it behind in Ben and Grace’s vehicle.)
After a few hours of mass, church was over. We briefly met outside with a VSLA. This VSLA was comprised of women. All of them are widows. They expressed great appreciation to COVOID for giving them a savings and loan opportunity that they would otherwise not have. Because of their VSLA, they are able to care for themselves and their children. As I addressed the women, I encouraged them that they are a group of women with great strength and beauty, setting an example for others. I told them that they are a good group of women to set such an example.
After church, Ben and Grace welcomed Santos, Resty, and me into their home in the village. We were all refreshed with sodas, coco biscuits (thin chocolate flavored cookies), and rice with meat. After finishing lunch we headed back to Nyakasharu. It began raining and I soon realized the dangers of traveling on the dirt road when it has rained. There are some steep hills to travel and a few places where…one wrong move…you’re done. But since it had only started raining we were still okay. And, of course, Ben and Grace did not return to the village that evening.
Monday, October 12th plans were being finalized for the first trauma healing workshop. To be certain we had all aspects and logistics covered as much as possible, we were not to begin the workshop until Tuesday. The trauma healing workshop was now going to be four days long instead of five. Not a problem, just some adjustments here and there.
Tuesday, October 13th … Finally! What I’ve been excited about! Beginning the first trauma healing workshop! A good group of men and women. Just about all Christians or from Christian backgrounds of Catholic and Protestant varieties, with at least one Muslim in the mix. In four days we covered…If God Loves Us, Why Do We Suffer?...How Can the Wounds of Our Hearts Be Healed?...What Happens When Someone Is Grieving?...Caring for the Caregiver…How Can We Help Children Who Have Experienced Bad Things?...How Can a Church Minister in the Midst of HIV-AIDS?...How Can We Help Women Who Have Been Raped?...Responding to Alcoholism…How Can We Forgive Others?...and…Response: Taking Your Pain to the Cross.
It was an exhausting week, but lots of great discussion and learning from experiences of all participants. Participants represented local churches (mostly Catholic…some want me to convert), schools, local government, and perhaps some other organizations. To protect the privacy and maintain respect for all participants, I’m not at liberty to share any of their personal experiences. But in small group discussions, they shared many important thoughts, ideas, and suggestions with one another. There is a great desire among these participants to help improve upon the livelihoods of their communities. They have a great desire to return to their communities and share what they learned throughout the week. Multiple times throughout the week I heard remarks about how individual participants were beginning to experience healing in their own lives. God in motion. Amen!
The only major challenge throughout the week was the language barrier. Most can read or understand some English, as English is a language that was taught to them when they were in school. But when the readings or my communicated thoughts were interpreted into Runyankole, you could tell EVERYONE understood or grasped the concepts even better. Still, participants are very thankful that the material has been introduced. [Special thanks to COVOID staff for helping with interpreting and other workshop logistics!]
Another slight challenge was when I became ill Thursday morning, right before the workshop was about to begin. (Great.) Ben and Resty were able to open and begin without me. I was able to return to the workshop around noon. I apologized and said, “One of the dangers of being a traveler: Sometimes you become ill.” Everyone was very understanding and helpful that day.
Friday’s lunch at the workshop gave me a new dining experience…goat meat. For me, the meat itself tastes like beef. I had a piece from the ribs section. There was also something else dished onto my plate. I had to ask Scovia what it was. She smiled and said, “Goat stomach.” Goat stomach? Hmmm. I wasn’t certain if I’d even be able to try it, knowing what it was (I shouldn’t have asked). But, I thought, “Why not.” By the looks of it, it kind of reminded me of the carpet from my apartment I had in Toledo. That older, beige, matted-down kind. The texture was slightly rubbery. And it almost tasted like the inside was extremely thin chicken. (I know what you’re thinking…”Tastes like chicken!”) It really didn’t taste all that bad, but knowing what it was and the fact that I was already getting full…I only ate about a third of the piece I was given. Afterwards I thought, “Funny… I’m not all that crazy about goat stomach, but I have no problem eating a hot dog!” Go figure.
Friday afternoon around 4:30 pm was another exciting moment. My fellow American had finally arrived! Hayley from Colorado. (Yep, it’s a girl!) A bunch of us helped her with her bags and showed her to her new home for the next two years.
As we were walking to where we live, I said “Hello” to a man sitting alongside the road. He started following us and seemed very angry, particularly directing his anger towards me. He actually followed our small group all the way into the compound area where Hayley and I live. He was very angry! Most of us walked into Hayley’s place to set her things down, but a couple of others stayed outside where the man was still yelling and carrying on. I felt really bad and apologized saying, “Sorry, I guess I chose to say hello to the wrong person!” I was reassured not to worry. The man is known to be a crazy mad man. Apparently he was accusing me of hiring him for a ride to a town and not paying him. Obviously not true, as my only transport by motor vehicle has been Ben and Grace’s vehicle and one of the COVOID motor bikes. Still, it was a bit of a scary experience because the man is of taller good-sized stature.
We walked out of Hayley’s place and he was gone. Justus soon had walked back into our compound area with a look of satisfaction on his face. We asked him what happened and Justus showed us how he made an exaggerated motion towards the pocket that his cell phone was in, as though he was about to pull out a gun and shoot it. He said, “All of a sudden, ZOOM! The man took off running! No more problem.” If I were to be asked if I’ve had any bad experiences since I’ve been here, that would be the only one. Something that could just as easily have happened back in the states. Special thanks to the CIA! (I sometimes joke with Justus calling him “CIA” or “Secret Service” as I sometimes see him with only one earphone hanging from his ear as he listens to music or talks on the phone. He kind of looks like he’s on assignment.)
After all the excitement and Hayley had a moment to get settled in, we met up with Robert and Justus at the restaurant across the road for some dinner. We decided it was Hayley’s welcoming party. I joked with her and apologized that it wasn’t bigger. It ended up being a great end to an exciting week.
Saturday, October 17th Hayley and I did a little exploring together on foot, close to where we live. We also decided it would be good to try cooking together. How are we cooking? Charcoal stove (made of clay and about the size of a coffee can or a clay pot for planting flowers). What did we cook? Macrons (shells), tomatoes, and onions. Not bad. Luckily, we both consider ourselves to be simple eaters. It was the first of what I’m sure will be many cooking adventures!
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