Uganda 2014: Day 11

It is Sunday again! We went to Saints Gate Church again and two groups split off of the main group to go to other churches. This time I was able to stay at Saints Gate Church and help with the kids. We did the same songs as before, but actually had the music this time with Jody’s Ipod and speaker. It went better this time. Irena (Ren) did the message for the kids. Then Irena, Caitlyn, Sharon, Katie, and I did face painting while Algena tried to get them involved in songs and gave another message. There were a couple hundred kids there, so it took a long time to paint their faces. Once their faces were painted we tried to get them to sit down, but they did not always do what we said. Some of the kids would wipe of the paint so that they could get it painted again. At times it was hard to paint their faces because they were so close and pushing each other. To help get them from around us we decided to hand out the candy and send them back to the main service again. It helped so much. When our group started heading back, I stayed behind with Sharon. She stayed and was taking pictures of the kids, so I had to hurry her back. It was funny! At the main service I held this little girl. She was soooooo cute! When I first picked her up she gently put her hands on my cheeks and stared at me for so long. She had the most beautiful smile and the brightest eyes! She was a fun little girl!

When we went back for the evening service we were seated in two groups in front of the staged… well, one row back on either side of the walkway. In my row it was Scott, Caroline, Myself, Sarah, JB, and Jody. We were able to see The Destiny Saints perform again. They are from Destiny Orphanage and School. There were also a few choirs that sang. Everyone did good, but there was not much excitement in the worship service until our band played. There was so much joy and participation when they started! When looking in front of us Caroline and I saw a swarm of mosquitos. We were having a hard time actually worshiping during that first song because we were worried about about getting bit. So, when the song was over I went and took the bug spray out of Ben’s bag. Caroline and I walked out of the church and sprayed it on each other. When walking back in I went through the row I was sitting in instead of going right to Ben with the bug spray. Sarah saw it and asked if she and JB could use it because they saw the mosquitos too. I also let Scott use it. When I took it back to Ben, he said he wondered why there was an empty bag there. I took it while he was talking to Heather a couple chairs down. I told him why I took it then went back to worship. From that point on, worship was easy!

When Sarah E started the second worship set she asked us to come forward to praise God and dance or what ever we wanted to do with a little more space. We had a mosh pit for Jesus! Once again Spenser taught everyone the song they wrote on our first or second day here “Jesu Tuakwagala.” Everyone loved it and the motions too! He had one of the Ugandans come up and do the motions with the Ugandan flare. That flare is just more body movement. We all danced for the next two songs. We had a group of guys in a circle holding hands and turing that circle one direction and then the other. Sometimes one or two of the guys would be dancing in it and of course they would shout with excitement every once in a while. The girls also had a circle going, but they were also jumping up and down or linking at the elbow and spinning in a circle. One of the Ugandan ladies came over and grabbed my hands and started jumping up and down with me. Oh, for the “Jesu Tuaklagala” song I grabbed on of the kids by the arms and did the motions for her. After the practice time and about three more times I let her do it on her own. She did a good job by herself! Then we had a prayer time like the day before. Once of the Ugandans, Sarah, came up to me. I asked her what her name was and how I could pray for her. She just wanted prayer for her life. As I prayed for her, I could feel her tear falling on my arm. Once she could, she also prayed for herself. We stood there together swaying back and forth to the music praying and hugging. This service was amazing like last night, but they were amazing in their own ways. I will continue to pray for Sarah.

When service was over, many people said goodbye to us. It is sad to think that that is our last day at Saint’s Gate Church for this trip. We only have a couple days left here.