At the home of our friends, Peter and John Bosco
Hello, Uganda! It is wonderful to walk on your red earth
once again!
So, today marks one week that I have been here in the Pearl of Africa.
On the airplane from Amsterdam, I sat next to a very friendly woman named Juliet, a Ugandan who has lived in North Carolina for the past several years, who was flying in for a wedding. We had some great conversation about everything from culture to faith to family, and before I got off the plane, she had invited me to the wedding! Hahaha. This is what I love about Uganda: the people are so welcoming. I asked Juliet to help us navigate the airport (which is tiny compared to any international airport in the United States), because I had visions of airport personnel who would mob us and take our luggage claim tickets, like they do in Haiti, and insist upon finding our luggage against our will, then require a $200,000 tip. She laughed and assured me it wasn’t like that at all, but she would help us find our luggage, so no one took advantage of us. And even though it took us 45 minutes to make it through customs, she was still waiting for us on the other side. J
We have been told that people here are generally not rude to visitors. (Though I think I can safely make an exception for certain boda-boda (motorbike taxi) drivers and street vendors who are rude to everyone.) They said, “Some people may try to cheat you, but they will not be rude. If you need something, they will try to do whatever it takes to accommodate you.” In fact, I think sometimes they go out of their way.
In Entebbe, we spent two nights at a retreat center. After Mass on Sunday, one of the women of the community offered to drive us around for a tour of the city. She took us to the beach, to a few shrines, to her home, and even to the zoo! In addition, when we asked about some information – even just to make conversation – the brothers would go and look up the answer, if they didn’t know it. If we make mention of some food (again, mostly because we are just sharing some story), our hosts go and get some of it so we can have it to eat. Even at a small restaurant here in town, where we ordered two omelletes, a water and a donut, we were thanked profusely for coming to dine there.
I think this is one of major gifts of collectivistic cultures. Yesterday, we were riding in the car with Patrick, one of the leaders here at Holy Trinity Community where we are staying, and he asked Derek, “So, what are the opportunities you see in Uganda? Some people come and comment that we have such good soil. We don’t notice because we see the soil every day. So, what are some things that you see that have potential for our country?” We spoke at length about various exports, and what could be exported that would be popular in other countries. But somehow, I don’t think the real potentials in Uganda – the real gifts it has – lie in its cash crops or its unique art or music. What needs to be harvested and shared somehow is its spirit of hospitality and its collectivistic mindset. This is something we need so desperately in so many places in the world.
From two separate people, I have heard about the need to be job makers, not merely job seekers. Again, it is not simply about what I can gain, but how I can help others, how I can meet a larger community need, how I can be of service to others with the gifts God has given me. This is what it really means to be Church.
So, today marks one week that I have been here in the Pearl of Africa.
On the airplane from Amsterdam, I sat next to a very friendly woman named Juliet, a Ugandan who has lived in North Carolina for the past several years, who was flying in for a wedding. We had some great conversation about everything from culture to faith to family, and before I got off the plane, she had invited me to the wedding! Hahaha. This is what I love about Uganda: the people are so welcoming. I asked Juliet to help us navigate the airport (which is tiny compared to any international airport in the United States), because I had visions of airport personnel who would mob us and take our luggage claim tickets, like they do in Haiti, and insist upon finding our luggage against our will, then require a $200,000 tip. She laughed and assured me it wasn’t like that at all, but she would help us find our luggage, so no one took advantage of us. And even though it took us 45 minutes to make it through customs, she was still waiting for us on the other side. J
We have been told that people here are generally not rude to visitors. (Though I think I can safely make an exception for certain boda-boda (motorbike taxi) drivers and street vendors who are rude to everyone.) They said, “Some people may try to cheat you, but they will not be rude. If you need something, they will try to do whatever it takes to accommodate you.” In fact, I think sometimes they go out of their way.
In Entebbe, we spent two nights at a retreat center. After Mass on Sunday, one of the women of the community offered to drive us around for a tour of the city. She took us to the beach, to a few shrines, to her home, and even to the zoo! In addition, when we asked about some information – even just to make conversation – the brothers would go and look up the answer, if they didn’t know it. If we make mention of some food (again, mostly because we are just sharing some story), our hosts go and get some of it so we can have it to eat. Even at a small restaurant here in town, where we ordered two omelletes, a water and a donut, we were thanked profusely for coming to dine there.
I think this is one of major gifts of collectivistic cultures. Yesterday, we were riding in the car with Patrick, one of the leaders here at Holy Trinity Community where we are staying, and he asked Derek, “So, what are the opportunities you see in Uganda? Some people come and comment that we have such good soil. We don’t notice because we see the soil every day. So, what are some things that you see that have potential for our country?” We spoke at length about various exports, and what could be exported that would be popular in other countries. But somehow, I don’t think the real potentials in Uganda – the real gifts it has – lie in its cash crops or its unique art or music. What needs to be harvested and shared somehow is its spirit of hospitality and its collectivistic mindset. This is something we need so desperately in so many places in the world.
From two separate people, I have heard about the need to be job makers, not merely job seekers. Again, it is not simply about what I can gain, but how I can help others, how I can meet a larger community need, how I can be of service to others with the gifts God has given me. This is what it really means to be Church.
This past Thursday, we spent the whole day making home visits to the sick and to community members in the homes surrounding HTC, both with a local religious sister and then with members of HTC. At one home, we met a woman who had a growth on her back which made it difficult for her to walk. I felt moved to pray over her, and so the four of us present laid hands on her and prayed for healing. Then, at almost every subsequent home we visited, I was asked to lead the prayers for the families or sick patients. It seems the Lord is calling forth the gift of intercession in me on this trip, which is something that in many ways I have hidden or discounted in past years. I pray this time here in Uganda will help me to further discover, acknowledge and share my own gifts, as well as to see and help bring out the gifts of others.
“The body is a unit, though it is made of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. And so it is with Christ…”
- 1 Cor. 12: 12-31 -
“Do nothing out of selfishness or vainglory; rather, humbly regard others as more important than yourselves, each looking out not for his own interests but [also] everyone for those of others.”
- Phil 2:4 -
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