Lots of Things

Yesterday was a very busy day, and there was no time to blog. That is not completely true. When there was time, the power was off so that we could not blog. Here are a couple of stories and concert review from yesterday.

Joseph
Joseph is a young man who wants to make a difference in Uganda. He was born in Rwanda in the late 1980's. In 1994, at six years of age, Joseph witnessed the genocide that ravaged that country which borders Uganda. Joseph remembers his father lifting him into the rafters of their home and telling him to be silent. Guards barged into the house and Joseph watched as his father was hacked to death with machetes. His mother and all his siblings also died.

Miraculously, Joseph survived and was able to get to a refugee camp where he witnessed the deaths of several more extended family members and friends. Eventually, he made his way to Kampala, the capital of Uganda. In Kampala, with a friend, he was able to scrounge the materials to build a shelter to live in. They took pieces of lumber and metal from local dump sites and garbage bins to make what continues to be their home. Now, while supporting three young cousins, he sells newspapers to make a living and attends the local university. Joseph wants to be a counselor and work with teens. He is especially interested in the lives and faith of teens in USA. Keep Joseph in your prayers.

Fred
Fred is the pastor of a small church in rural Uganda. The ladies of the church make beads and turn them into bracelets and necklaces. This jewelry is sold to support the church. Fred said that a while back his church built a 'church' (probably what we in the USA would call a lean-to). The problem is that the congregation has a hard time paying rent to the property owner. When asked what the rent was, Fred told us that they pay about 50,000 shillings a month. That is less than $30 US.


And now for the review, four members of our team attended a concert last night. Percussion Discussion Africa was playing at Club Obligato. The venue was neat. It is an outdoor bar in Kampala. The band was great. They played traditional African instruments and songs. We don't know what all the instruments were, but they sounded good together. One of the highlights for us was when we realized that the words to one of the songs was hakuna matata.

There were also girls who danced as part of the show. The weather was great. The music was good. The dancing was fun.