A Ugandan Sunday

On Sunday we got up at CT’s normal 6:30 am awake time, by the way, he doesn’t lay in his bed for a while anymore. When he wakes up, he is ready to go! So I also have to be ready to go! I am thankful that church does not begin until 11:00 am, so we can relax and take it easy before we have to go.

While we were all getting ready to go, Kira was trying to go to sleep, but she was crying, so CT felt bad for her and went to check on her. When he did, she stopped crying. Then he would walk away and she would cry again, so he would go back in there and she would stop. It was the sweetest thing. He was really worried about her. So precious!!!

I was excited to go back to Ggaba Community Church with only one kid this time. Remember last time I was there with three! We rode with the Latore family who is also staying in our guest house, I crammed in a van with Tonya, Kira, her two boys, and her mother. The minute I got out of the van, I saw two friends who I had already met..so cool to recognize someone in Uganda. Remember Melissa, from the other night? Carmen was also with her, who is a lady I meet at the medical center. They are both great and I was thrilled to sit in church with them, along with their adopted children.

The service was so worshipful and relaxing…just what I really needed. I feel like it has been so long since I have really enjoyed worship songs. So wonderful to be among Ugandans who are also worshiping and singing praises to the same God I am…truly an amazing experience. Their voices are like angels…At the end of the service a couple got married, how cool is that??

After the service, Melissa invited me to her friend Beth’s house for lunch. I had been looking forward to meeting Beth for the last five months. Beth Howard’s family moved to Uganda this past August to do ministry here, they did not come with an organization, they just came to serve. Oh, how the Lord has used them here, but they have decided it is best for their family of 9 if they return to the states in January. It was a pleasure to finally meet them.

Her children are precious, yes, she has seven of them!!! Four biological and three adopted. Such lovable children…These are a few of Beth's children, but two of them are Ugandan. The little boy in Autumn's lap is Micheal, the house keeper's son and the little girl is Mercy, Melissa's daughter. The two around Autumn are Sam and Jema. Aren't they so cute???

CT was very frightened by their dog. He could not squeeze me hard enough when he got close to the dog. He was terrified! Oh, no…he has no idea we have two big dogs at home. Well, he will get use to them…eventually… 

We all had the best time, just all hanging out, eating lunch, playing games and talking Ugandan adoption. It is so cool to finally meet people you have only seen from a computer screen for months.

Beth and baby Mercy...

Beth's husband, Jeremy and three of their children....

The kids had a dance party in the front yard. CT would not join them because the dog might look at him...

Kelley is another lady I met, who is married to a Ugandan man who was also their that afternoon. I really enjoyed talking to both of them about their perspective of Uganda versus America. She is pregnant and expects to have her baby in June.

This is Carmen, who is adopting a 15 year old boy from Uganda. Her son came on a missions trip to Uganda either last year or the year before and became best friends with Lawrence’s best friend. The family down the street in the USA, decided to adopt the friend and Carmen’s family decided to adopt Lawrence. Wow! This is truly amazing! Lawrence so excited to see his new brother and sister, along with going to America!!

Yes, Carmen is giving CT his first taste of Diet Coke...and he really liked it, he could not get enough!

CT was so tired, because he had only had a nap in church for an hour…we got home around 6:00 and called it a day...but right before he went to sleep we said goodbye to Tonya's mother Mary, actually her name is Mary Taylor...How funny is that??? She went back to Michigan to be with her husband for Christmas!