REAL SUNDAY CELEBRATION

Today is Sunday! Mass celebrations in Uganda are significant, I’m learning. We start off 6:30-7:30 in AM prayer. People are already coming in for mass (in order to get a seat, which one will understand later) At 7:30 AM we head to tea. There is no breakfast as the bread is given to the children following the children’s Mass at 10 AM.

We head back to church just before 8 AM. The place by then is packed. There are benches in the front set aside for us to return. The Brothers sit along side of the altar.  I was called to speak with the priest before Mass. Unsure; I followed the Brother back where Father Raymond was waiting. Father Raymond explained to me that he will be introducing me the community today and that I would need to say a few words. I was a bit panicked, as there were hundreds of people there.  Father said it was important in the culture to formally greet and that I should also greet everyone following Mass. Father explained that the Mass atmosphere was different than the daily Mass (which was more educational for us) He said that people are so poor, the goal is upliftment. That the poor come in during offertory (which takes up to an hour) giving all they have.

The whole Mass was a MAJOR celebration with a huge choir singing and swaying, drums and clapping. It truly was a joyful celebration. Father was right. During offertory, people streamed in 2 by 2. First there were people’s gifts of food (rice, banana’s, oil, etc.) There were then gifts of money. Father bent over, held the hands of the person and thanked each one and blessed the children as they came. This went on for an hour with people streaming in dressed in their absolute best. I can’t imagine what the churches back home would feel if they saw the outpouring of giving of ALL the community, poor as they were giving all they had!

Mass lasted nearly 3 hours. Father’s sermon was a powerful, “can I get an AMEN” sort of thing. He is very funny, is able to relate the message to the local genre. His point today was commitment. He kept asking, “Are you committed? Can I get a commitment?!”

It was at the end of Mass that Father introduced me. I went up to the front of the church and said a few words. I said “ Thank you Father and everyone for the warm welcome. I am a volunteer from the United States now working with the MOP.” I then said “ I am COMMITTED…and paused…I turned to Father and smiled and the community chuckled and said AMEN and the drummers did a sort of bum bum …bummmm” Father smiled with his eyes closed. I continued “ and am delighted to be of service in your beautiful country over the next year” I received a gracious round of applause and the Mass ended with a celebratory marching song.

Patricia, the PT who volunteered prior to my arrival had offered to take me to Brunch with friends. I was so happy to be able to get out and relax outside the walls of the Monastery. We were the only 2 Muzungos (white people) at Mass so it was easy to find each other. Brother Johnson knew I was going and knew Patricia as well. She had hired a BodaBoda driver to take us.

BODA BODA’s: A small motorcycle with a padded long seat, which is the main means of transport for the local people. Given the traffic, the lack of order and the fact people drive within inches of each other and cut each other off (the biggest car wins), you can imagine the amount of accidents, injuries and death related to driving/riding on one. I was advised to avoid taking them for this reason. Eric told me that they had lost one of their students from the US this way.

I really did not have a choice (I need to buy a helmet for this reason). It was an experience. There was the bartering of the ride. The driver said “ lets figure it out when we get there” She was sweet, “No No, we decide now” A friendly bartering went on. He wanted more because it was 2 people. she said that she had such a cheap ride getting there that he as overcharging. They finally agreed to a price…6,000 shillings. Or about 1.75 US.

It was an OK ride really. He didn’t swerve between cars because she gave him specific instructions to drive “Polan, Polan”, slowly slowly.  I watched the scenery go by…everything is starting to look familiar. Dust, people with old shacks and transport containers as shops, pot holes, buildings new and buildings in disrepair. Old signs coming off their hinges….honking, blaring music. It is all looking, smelling and sounding familiar.

We arrived at a small mall and walked into a coffee chop that could have been “Panniers” It had French looking pastries and the coffee was fabulous! We had biscuits (cookies) and cappuccino. It was so very good to be able to openly talk about my experiences of the last week. Patricia had been there, knew the Brothers and the children. She understood the struggle emotionally. She had not been to the other Home (Good Shepherd) though could empathize with the struggle there. Patricia’s heart was with the children, but she needed to have a paying job to be able to live there with her husband. She did say she would help me in any way she could. I was so very grateful for her expertise. 

We had to take a taxi from there to her home. It was interesting, there are people jammed into an old van. There are taxi stops around the city. Just stand at the one facing in the general direction you would like to go. Most head downtown and then back out of town. Let the taxi driver know where you are going and then you pay before you get out. There is a “conductor” who sits in the back with you and collects you money and lets the driver know when to stop.

Patricia and Rodriguez live in a beautiful second floor apartment with a view of the city and Lake Victoria. The back yard is a kept green lawn with beautiful palms and other native plants. The floor is tile as it is everywhere. The home is well decorated with a nice kitchen. I asked how much rent might be. Turns out it is only 200.00 a month! Wow! It is on the other side of town from me taking nearly 25-30 min by Boda Boda. A friend of theirs picked us up for the brunch, which started at 1 PM and was now 2:30 PM. We managed to find our way despite the lack of street signs.

The company was lovely. I met a couple both working at the US Embassy (Diane and Rodriguez) She is from the US and he from Lima. Patricia’s husband, also named Rodriguez, is from Trujillo, Peru. Lee is a woman that works for 2 non-profits supporting women and has been here 6 years and LOVES it. Her friend Erin is a doctorate student doing her dissertation on how NGO’s tell stories about local peoples. James and Lennon hosted brunch and OHHH what a spread! They both LOVE to cook for guests...what a delight for me! 

We had small baguette rounds with homemade salsa, guacamole, smoked fish with onions and pepper, cheese and baguettes, granola in yogurt. They also made a fancy version of a local dish called Rolex (a chapatti rolled with scrambled eggs and veggies and topped with salsa. It was lovely also having a little gin with grapefruit juice. AHHH…I was in heaven after beans and rice!

We had lovely conversation from politics to orienting to a new country to what everyone was up to. It was just nice to be able to talk and understand. They laughed when I asked if it is common for locals to not speak when eating. Turns out this is considered RUDE! I was also told that they have a full conversation with facial expressions and gestures…something I have already noticed. Young people kneel when greeting an elder (explains a lot as I have encountered this)

I had been trying to call the Monastery to let them know what time I would be home (at Brother

Johnson’s request) I finally reached someone at 4 PM. I was given the 3^rd degree…”Where are you? Who are you with? When are you coming home? No…not at dark, give me a time.” He wanted to speak with Patricia. They know Patricia. She said it is mainly because they were worried. This is going to be an adjustment for sure.

Patricia called a Boda Boda driver for me and paid him. He took me home across town just in time for sunset. I was relieved, as I was fearful of riding that thing in the dark. One is already taking chances riding on one…at night it is more dangerous because there is a lot of drinking and driving going on around here. I certainly need to get a helmet!

I was soo tired when I returned I just wanted to crawl into bed. I went to night prayers instead to ask for healing. My cold was starting to get the worse of me!