A Normal Saturday at RG

The next morning (10/15) was slow 😊. It was nice to catch up on sleep and then just take in the beauty of RG right on the Nile. I played basketball with some of the kids and then walked over to the big boys' house. Patrick was making posho (below), which is just maize flour and water. Every day for lunch and most suppers, the kids eat posho and beans. They rotate through who makes it each day. One thing that is very noticeable right when you walk up to the houses is the fact that crocs are probably the most popular shoe. Pairs of crocs line the steps. Crocs are easy to slip on, durable, and easy to clean which make them a great shoe for Uganda.

After basketball and the boys' house, we walked around RG to see what all the kids do on Saturdays. Some play, some relax, and some have jobs to do. A few kids told us that they had to go work in the garden with hoes, while others were mopping floors. No matter how old, they don't argue or have to be told; they just do the work. 

Bryn, Molly, and I went to the baby house where they have kiddos ranging from birth to I think two or three years old. The crazy thing is that none of the babies wear diapers. If they are not potty trained yet, they just go whenever they feel like it, wherever they feel like it, whether that's on the floor or on you if you're holding them. Diana says that she likes to go to the baby house in the evening because then if they pee on you, you're not really wasting a pair of clothes for the day. 

When Bryn described worship practice to me, she said that there is singing and dancing, and the dancing is kind of like a zumba class. It was true! If you are standing up front, you are either a singer or someone who is leading the dancing steps. Anyone can go to worship practice, and it's so cool to see some of the older boys attend. I feel like in America some boys that age wouldn't think that it's cool to do that. The woman who was leading worship practice asked me what I was going to sing. I quickly told her that I did not want to sing anything by myself and that I just wanted to help if they needed another voice. She told me that they would sing with me but I should choose a song and lead it. That is not really something that I wanted to do, but she was pretty excited about it, so I agreed. I didn't have anything prepared, but I decided to be brave and sing the song I had learned with Zac, Glorious Ruins. Many of the students knew it, and the others caught on quickly. In many African worship services, a song's refrain is repeated many times and keeps going until the leader feels like stopping. So, after I sang the first two verses, Pastor Emma took over and kept leading the singers in the refrain. I was thankful that I only had to lead the verses because I am not used to having a very flexible and fluid structure of songs in church. Africans are so good at it, and I just don't have that kind of experience yet. The other thing I wanted to note was just how talented these musicians are. None of them have music. I could start singing, they'd find the key, and play perfect accompaniments. The video below is super shaky (sorry), but it captures some of the passion and talent of these RG students. 

Pastor Emma (below) was actually a guest pastor for the week, but he was a great leader and seemed like he'd been there for years. 

This is a funny video clip I found of Denis losing his drumstick during a song 😂.

After supper, we had the s4s and s6s over and sat up on the porch of the Patrick house. We played the rule game that we played with Experito's family, and we talked about each of their dreams. During the rule game, I got asked what my favorite food was, and when I said that it was watermelon, they were confused because that is one of the foods that is very common here. Out of all the yummy foods I could choose, I choose a fruit that is eaten often 😂. As they were leaving, Denis and Francis stuck around to talk and get some prom pics from me. Denis said that he would like to go to the US someday but that he is a little scared. "Everybody here is my brother. Everyone here is family," he said, "I think that in the US just your families are family". I told him that it depends on where you are in the US, but to some extent, that is true. In Uganda, everyone treats you as family, whether it's hotel staff, kids from RG, a safari guide, etc. When people meet you, they give you a hug and are usually so welcoming. I think that in some instances we have that in the US but not as much as Uganda.

That night I texted my roommates to give them an update, and I think it would be worth documenting the message for me to read later:

The people here are so kind and down to earth and selfless. It doesn't feel like anybody is rushing to get ahead of anyone else. People value each other. I thought I'd come over here to spread the light of Jesus and it's the opposite. I realize how much more corrupt and headed in the wrong direction America is. The people here show God's love in their lives and reflect his word. They know the bible so well and are so, so, so trusting. They cherish the fact that they get to read God's word and have a relationship with God. They pray about everything, and they pray so easily. I'm learning to pray better for sure. They also value hard work, community, and family, and they don't complain about much. They are so grateful for everything, especially after many of their parents were killed in the war. They are so respectful and so smart too. These high school kids are learning about things I learned in college and know way more. They are expected to know so much and they do. Compared to Ugandan curriculum, American curriculum seems easy. I would love for my kids to grow up going to school over here. But, then there's the healthcare here haha. It's not bad, but it's not America. HIV is prevalent and they have a lot of wacky diseases. Worship here makes you want to jump for joy. They worship with their whole bodies and are incredible musicians. They just play and sing whatever they feel, and it's amazing. Also, to clarify, I am not dissing America for everything. I am so very thankful that I have what I have there and the people that I have there. I'm grateful for all the freedoms, opportunities, and advancements. It's just a different way of life here, and it's not a bad different :)