Tuburu Village and Student Arrival

Day 11

Posted by Steve Binney (the final part by flashlight when the lights went out due to a thunderstorm).

Today we had a real treat coupled with an opportunity to minister. Ochen Martin is a student whose education is being supported by CLIDE. He is in his final year of schooling (S6) and, based on his final exam results, will find out next February what university he can attend. Martin lives with his closest relatives in the village of Tuburu about a half hour north of Soroti where we are now located. To get there, our van traveled on a paved road and then two different dirt roads. We had to convince the van driver that we could walk the rest of the hundred yards down the two foot wide footpath, rather than driving the van, to their huts (this is the same van that had mechanical problems two days ago).

When we arrived, all Martin's family was there to meet us under a shade tree--father (referred to as the "Old Man"), mother (the "Old Woman"), grandmother, brothers and sisters-in-law, the Old man's second and third wives, other relatives, and a number of younger children.

Each of them, young and old alike, came around to greet each of us. We exchanged many pleasantries with each other, followed by a walking tour to see where Martin's elder brothers lived with their families. We walked through sorghum fields and saw chicken coops, cassava drying in the sun, a pigeon roost, and a granary made of branches and twigs. When we returned to the main group, they treated us to sodas and cookies. Then came the special gift to us as we were ready to depart. As the "elders" of the group, Laurie and I each received two live chickens for our team. After leaving their home area, we all took a "bush" break, women on the left and men on the right side of the road.

What most impressed all of our team was the friendliness of our hosts, over and over voicing their gratitude to our Lord in spite of their very meager living conditions. We were blessed by their hospitality and sincere trust in the Lord.

Steve

Hello all! This is Jenny writing, finishing up the entry for Day 11.

After a beautiful drive back from the Tuburu Village we arrived around 3 p.m. at the retreat grounds of Soroti Central Secondary School. The chickens and passengers were unloaded, all alive, though one of the chickens a little worse for wear after a water jug fell on her.

Most of the Timothy Children in secondary school attending the retreat had already arrived, though some were still traveling. Many of the students traveled from Karamoja region where we were last week for the primary student's retreat. Reverend Joseph Aleper accompanied the students from this region, all of them coming on a very crowded and hot bus ride.

When we got to the grounds lunch was being served, many of the students had already eaten and were settling in to their dorms. These Timothy Children are in high school and college. CLIDE staff have informed us that they are between the ages of 15-26, however there is one dear student in his late 50s who is studying for his college diploma. They all speak English well, so the communication barrier is lessened, however our accents are quite different still, which explains the occasional blank stare during conversation.

Once we had finished our lunch we joined the students in the classroom where they had already begun singing. I am certain that we have said this before, but the singing here is marvelous! I wish you could all be here to listen with us. The students sing accapella with incredible rhythms provided by clapping hands. The singing starts with one or two students leading out and the rest echoing in worship. We join in singing when the words in English are clear, or if we can catch on to the local words being sung. If we cannot pick up the words, it is no less worshipful for us to listen to the voices of the students raised to heaven and enjoy the fellowship with them.

The classroom we met in has rows of handmade wooden desks suitable for 2-3 people , the windows are open, providing a lovely view of outside. The tin roof helped to keep us from getting cool...particularly during the warmth of the 4 p.m. African sun. :)

After the singing, prayers were prayed for the retreat and Christine Otim made the welcome. Each student stood to introduce him or herself, and before giving their name, school, and level of education they would say, "Praise God" to which all would respond, "Amen." After introductions the students nominated peers to lead them during the retreat. They elected a time keeper, a head girl, a head boy, a person in charge of cleaning, a praise and worship leader, and a person in charge of games.

Pastor James Akoko (pronounced: "Jamez") then gave a message to the students explaining the theme of the retreat. His message was on choosing the wide or narrow paths out of Matthew 7. Pastor James is an excellent teacher, he is so fun to listen to, making the students laugh, while communicating vitally important messages. He gave an invitation at the end of his message and several students stood to receive Christ as their Savior. Amazing!!

After Pastor James shared, Santos, the founder of the secondary school where the retreat is being held, came to give some welcoming remarks. He shared with the students the history of the school and some of the things God has done in this place.

I was blessed today to see some of the same students that we met last year when I was in Uganda with my family. These students are amazing, each one with a unique story and challenges that most of us can only imagine. What a blessing it is to be with them. We are excited for the things that will happen in the coming days.

Well, I'll close out the entry for now, we enjoyed a wonderful tea and supper this evening, always being well cared for! Thank you for your prayers. God is good, all the time God is good!