There are many things we love about Uganda and one of them is the abundance of fresh fruit. We are very fortunate to have arrived here in mango season. There really are no words that can describe the delicious glasses of mango juice we had for lunch today. I know you are all jealous!
We have had a busy couple of days. Last evening we came home exhausted after a very long day. In the morning we met the entire Watoto staff (over 200 people, I think). We toured the entire building and were introduced to each person working there. As we were touring the building, Greg was also looking at the facility and assessing some of the deficiencies that will need to be addressed. He has the privilege of working with an amazing team here who are very willing to learn. Greg feels that he will learn as much from them as they will learn from him.
In the afternoon we went shopping for a vehicle- that was an experience that we will have to explain to you in person- it really can’t be captured in the written word. For those of you who know Lorenda, you know how much she dislikes shopping and how she really hates spending money. Bottom line, she stood back and prayed as Greg and Joe (Watoto employee assigned to help us find a car) negotiated. In the end we spent 20,000,000 (yes, I mean 20 million) on a car- that number is enough to cause Lorenda to have a panic attack!
This morning we started the day with devotions at Watoto Central Church. When I think of devotions, as we have them in North America, it is nothing like the devotions that we experienced this morning. We started with some singing lead by the worship team and a full band- lively and joy filled worship. Then Marilyn Skinner (one of the founders of Watoto) spoke and challenged the staff to be the best that they can be. There was no tiptoeing or apologizing- she delivered a powerful message straight from God’s word. After devotions, we had the privilege of meeting Marilyn for the first time- what an incredible woman!
Watoto has five celebration sites (churches) in Kampala and one in Gulu. We have spent a lot of time at Watoto Central since our arrival, but today we had the opportunity to visit Watoto North and Watoto East. In Uganda, they are fortunate that they do not have to deal with cold weather (although they did tell us today that they feel like they are freezing when the temperature drops to 19 degrees Celsius). Church buildings can be very different here than in Canada- Watoto East is a large tent that holds 900-1100 people. Watoto North is an open-air building that has a roof, a floor and one wall with the other three sides of the building open. Both of these sites have need for expansion and more permanent structures. Greg will be part of the discussions regarding these upgrades, as the team plans for the future and deals with existing problems.
We are very excited about all that the future holds here. There is much work to be done to assist our Ugandan brothers and sisters in their facilities management. We already know the ten months will go by quickly and the work that needs to be done will not nearly be complete. However, the skilled team here will continue to do good work after we return home.
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