I believe it was Tuesday when it happened. In the morning devotional we had talked about culture shock, and particularly in terms of food. Often locals will offer food, and regardless of your physical state it is respectable to eat what they give you. So low and behold lunch time rolls around and the granny of the village "Jaja" leads me into a building on site. There I see some banana leaves on a table. She uncovers a huge pile of "Matoke" which is essentially mashed potatoes made from non-sweet bananas. Probably my least favorite Uganda starch at this point. She proceeds to scoop huge lumps of the stuff onto a plate. I just ate lunch at the hotel in Mityana, and was really not looking for a second lunch. After the Matoke she pours some good looking meat stuff over it all. Being culturally sensitive I smile, bow my head slightly and say "Wabale Nyabo" (thank you mam). She smiles back and proceeds to watch me eat. I smile some more to indicate that it tastes good, which stratifies her. So next I sit down outside and try to down as much of the stuff as I can. At this point I realize the the meat is actually pork. I also realize that the pork is mainly fat cubes. "Not the end of the world" I think and so I keep eating. "If I just imagine its not pure fat it actually does not taste so bad." At this point I look at the cubes and think "That's weird, it kinda looks like a wart or....a nipple." I took me a while to actually believe what I was seeing, and then I just had leave and not look at the plate, in the fear I would start to initiate some sort of gagging reflex. I still feel a little bad just leaving my plate without eating the food she so lovingly prepared, but at least I ate some of it.
God still had some more culture shock in store for me that day. In the morning John had given me a letter he received from a local girl. He translated it verbally for me, and told me it was a marriage proposal. The girl wanted for our parents to meet, and for us to marry in the name of Jesus. I could deal with a letter, it was quite funny actually, but God had more planned. John called me into a the same building from earlier that day, and made me sit in a chair on his right. On his left was a girl sitting, with a shy look on her face. John turns to me and says: "Alex remember that letter from before?" Before I can really answer he grins, and the glances to the girl to his left.
Shock
No better word describes what I was feeling at that moment. All I could do was stare straight ahead and make no eye contact. Answer questions as short as possible. Show no emotion.
"She says that she loves you more than her life."
"What?! how am I supposed to respond that?"
I decide to just tell John my current views on marriage, and tell him to just tell her in his own words.
He did not really do a good job at it, since she thought I just did not have the time to get married. So she insists that it won't take long, and we can skip the meeting parents part.
So I continue to stare at the doorway, without any emotion on my face. I was waiting for anything that could get out of this situation.
Darren and Brett walk in. Completely oblivious to what is going on they start some small talk and what the rest of the day will look like logistics wise. Brett turns to me asks:
"I think we're pretty much done here. Alex, so you want head back soon?"
I look him straight in the eye and say:
"Yes, I would very much like to head back soon."
He had no idea how much I meant that at the time, but I took this chance to walk out of the room without looking back.
Fortunately there were no huge consequences from that conversation, but the whole situation was being played over and over again in my head. Now that its been a few weeks I can look back and laugh and see how God is great at putting people in uncomfortable positions to reveal lordship issues and cause us to become more like him.
That pretty much sums up my time in Mityana. It was a great time of engineering, and spiritual growth. The exact two things I asked God for in January this year. It did not end there obviously, God continues to work here in Africa. I was planning on leaving this story for another blogpost, but I'm going to do it know since its been a month since its happened, and I don't know the next time I will have internet.
When we got back to Kampala, We visited a church in the slums. I have been volunteering at Doors, and mist of the street kids there come from this particular slum. It was my first in a big-city slum, and it was just as you could imagine; The smell of feces and burnt plastic in the air and muddy streets winding through the
buildings constructed from trash with no structural value. We come by this small wooden shack from which we can here shouting and load, rapid drumming. I must admit that I was unaware of the presence of voodoo in Kampala. But then I realized this was the church. and all 10 of us white people squeeze in side a small opening on the side. I tore my shirt on a nail on my way in.
The entire congregation. The team was behind me, lined up against the back wall.
The service was amazing. There was dancing, singing, and shouting to the Lord. We were given a time share testimonies in which a women told us about w friend they had been praying for died and came back. Watching these people sing and shout for joy despite there physical situation brought tears to my eyes. There is nothing more beautiful than a group of people worshiping the Lord, when pain and affliction is so close you can smell it.
We sang some American worship songs, and they respectfully listened. Our songs were noticeably quieter and slow, but they were beautiful nonetheless.
Robert, the translator then turns to Jeff and asks if we wanted to share. Apparently we were running the service that day, and it was time for a sermon. I was the only one who mentioned that I would be willing to talk the day before, but I was surprised nonetheless that they were going to let us speak. Jeff gave me the look and I knew it was my turn.
The Holy Spirit is awesome, and gives us things to say when needed. That morning in that African slum I shared the story of the prodigal son, and how the Father covers our sin, adopts into his family as children, and provides us with our needs. You can really see the beauty of the Gospel, and the Majesty of God's love when sharing his word with the people who are open to listen.
Thanks for reading, and I hope that you will be encouraged to know God is powerful, and he wants to use you, if you let him.
In the dust of His feet,
-Alex
No comments:
Post a Comment