Sunday, May 04, 2014:  Today was a special Sunday!  We started off with our usual drive to Muko.  It’s an hour each way, but it’s so beautiful we have yet to get tired of it.  Arriving at the ACT center we loaded up the violins and our older students, Henry, Boaz, Haward and Benson, then continued on to the Ikamiro Church of God. This church is located near our clinic overlooking Lake Bunyonyi.  We were greeted by Rev. Julius with tea, bananas and bread at his home.  The whole team was present for the beginning of the service, 3 very special baptisms.  The first was Josiah’s daughter, Angel.  Karen was honored to be asked to be god-parent for Angel.  Then Herbert’s son, Crispus was baptized, with Elizabeth and David standing as god-parents. David also served as god-parent for Dorcas, the daughter of one of our volunteers.  Following the baptisms, the team was recognized and introduced to the congregation, after which everyone but David, Karen and Elizabeth left to attend 3 other churches, all in the Muko area.  We all enjoyed our time with these often very different churches, which was an excellent lesson about how although we are all very different, we all worship the same God.  Some of the services included a lot of joyful and enthusiastic singing and dancing, others not as much.  Often people will bring produce or other items as an offering in lieu of money; these items are auctioned off at the end of the service.  Dave, Karen and Elizabeth had fun bidding against each other, to the delight of the congregation, and brought home beans, eggplant, passion fruit, and other produce, as did other members of our team.  Karen was asked to give the sermon at the church she attended and gave a beautiful message, using hymns and singing by Elizabeth to illustrate.  Lisa and Barbara were excited to attend Uganda Martyrs Catholic Church, sister church to Blessed Sacrament back in Midland.  Diana got to witness church politics in action, as church wardens were elected.  Some of us received lunch at the church after the service, others were served lunch back at the center, but eventually we were all fed.

Mid-afternoon it was time for church…..again!  ACT Uganda hosted an ecumenical service in what served as a soccer field a couple of days ago, under tents arranged facing each other across the grass.  Some people, including the ACT team and various ministers sat under the tents, others crowded the grass and a small hill.  It was a very different service from anything we’d experienced back home, part worship, part entertainment (dancing and singing), and part dance party!  Prayers were offered, and Karen and Elizabeth offered “special music”, “I Danced in the Morning”, with Karen playing the violin and Elizabeth singing.  Each minister spoke for a short time, with Generous concluding with reflections on the fact that we are all part of the body of Christ.  In fact the theme of the day was “unity in diversity”, and the whole day was a beautiful illustration of that.  God truly blessed us today!

The day ended with dinner out at the White Horse Inn, which is just a short walk away from the Jopfan. Tomorrow is the beginning of our last full week here in Kabale and Muko.  Time is flying!