Although I'm writing this on Sunday, let's talk about Saturday, first. We finally got to a wi-fi source and we can update you on a few things. It's hard to imagine how much we have experienced in such a little time.
We landed Friday night at 7:45 p.m. Uganda time. We had travelled for 36 hours straight! The flights were wonderful, if long. After landing, we made our way from Entebbe to Mukono - about 1.5 hours of traffic. Though we passed a few million people, it is surprising how dark the city is. We stayed Friday and Saturday nights in a very nice hotel, and transitioned on Sunday to the mission guest house on the campus of Uganda Christian University in Mukono.
Saturday was absolutely unbelievable. We travelled another 1.5 hours north to Busaana, a remote village, with no electricity or water. We visited a people who speak the Bari language, the first language outside of English that Words of Hope Uganda is broadcasting in.
Saturday was the launch celebration. About 1,000 people participated in a "March for Jesus" through the village. People had come from miles around, some had walked over 5 miles and stayed over night. We feasted, celebrated and 'marched' to a local band brigade. Then we worshiped for a long a time and David Bast preached a salvation message. It was translated from English into Luganda and then from Luganda into Bari. The Bari broadcast team from the Mukono was also with us, having coordinated this day for several months in advance.
The team leaders were overwhelmed with joy as they heard stories of people praising God for the programs. The Rev. Canon Captain Titus Baraka is the chariman of the project and he was thrilled by the early results. To top it all off, about 50 people came forward for an alter call.As for Lauren and me? We were simply in a daze of culture shock and immense joy. These people have so little and praised God from the bottom of their hearts. We tried all kinds of food we had never seen or thought of, including matoke, a cooked banana dish that is very pleasing.
Lest this post become too long, we'll leave it off at that. The two pictures are of the march and inside the church.
I'll try to update later on what has all happened on Sunday - again, an incredible day.
Finally, David Bast again thanked Trinity for the wonderful mission support. The extra year-end giving helped to launch this broadcast and do evangelism training for the local churches.
