Luweero Trip

This weekend our group traveled to Luweero Uganda (we travel a lot if you haven’t noticed).  It was a very short trip this time; it lasted only Saturday and Sunday.  The good thing about this outing was that we didn’t have to wake up at an un-godly hour to meet the bus at school.  Call time was 9:30 but I arrived a little earlier, and it was a good thing I did.  When I got to our quarters on campus I noticed Holly wasn’t there.  She told me she had to finish getting her hair done (she got an African weave) but I thought she would have already gotten to campus.  I called her and she answered in a frazzled voice that she was just passing her house on the way to campus, so I decided to go meet her.  Just as I was walking down the hill towards her house I spotted her in the distance.  For some reason she didn’t quite herself.  Not only was her hair braided African style but she seemed to have a furry animal nestled on top of her head.  As she came closer I realized it was all of her unbraided hair put into a bun.  After spending the whole day prior getting her hair braided it still wasn’t finished (you can check out her blog for her interesting hair story). 

Anyway back back to the Luweero Trip.  All seemed well until we arrived (its only two hours from Mukono).  For some reason I started feeling really awful and nauseous.  I think it was the greasy fried dough I ate for breakfast.  And it was just my luck that it hit me right before lunch (I love food so this put a damper on things).  I thought it would go away but when we went to get lunch it was unbearable.  I left the dining hall as quick as possible to get back to my room.  I honestly thought I was going to puke.  As if things couldn’t get any worse, when I got to my room.  I couldn’t find my key.  I had left it back in the dining hall!!  I had to call Holly to come give it to me.  It was the longest wait of my life (not because Holly is slow, but because I was in pain).  The good news is, is that I didn’t throw up, my body had to get rid of the waste through other means (use your imagination).  Fortunately, this sickness did not prevent me from participating in the days activities (except lunch). 

Our first stop of the day was at a Compassion project for children.  While there we got to play with all the kids and sing them songs (I looked like an idiot singing “Father Abraham”).  Partway through our antics the sky opened up and it began pouring.  We then had to huddle in this small building until we left.

Then we headed back to the guest house we were staying at to have tea and snacks and talk with a Catholic priest, Father Gerrie.  His talk was very interesting but I was very sleepy and some candles distracted me.  Anyway he talked of his ministry with the poor and it was very heart wrenching, and depressing to be honest.  He just didn’t sound very hopeful and he said he wonders sometimes if God is just.  This is understandable since he is exposed to a lot of things.  It was good to follow up this conversation with a visit to an Anglican Bishop, Bishop Kiseka.  He was very hospitable (he gave us soda and juice!) and friendly.  What was cool about our visit with him was that he was always based what he said on Jesus.  One of the things he said that it was okay for him to be made low because Jesus was raised higher.  He also encourage Catholics, Protestants, and Muslims to work together.  This is not something you typically hear in the United States. 

After Bishop Kiseka finished telling us that we were always welcome at his home, we left, ate dinner, and went to bed.  The next morning we woke up super early to attend this Catholic Church service, but it was worth it.  It was the best service I’ve been to in Africa.  The entire service was like a giant song.  What surprised me was how happy and vibrant the priest was.  Unknown to me this was the same priest we had talked to the night before (it was dark so I'm justified in my mistake).  It was such a transformation from his demeanor the day before.  He just seemed so amazingly happy to be with his congregation.  The service was extremely long but it wasn’t too noticeable.  Before we left though all the congregation wanted to take pictures with us, so we did that for a good twenty minutes (it was funny I felt like I should be signing autographs too).

When we left the church we headed to Kampala for lunch.  Lunch was awesome!!! I could write a really long description of how good it was…but I am.  After much deliberation (someone I know is allergic to grease), a group of us ate at this place called New York Pizza Kitchen conveniently located on the lower level of a parking garage.  I order two giant slices of pepperoni pizza and cinnamon roll with ice cream.  I could hardly finish what I ordered; the helpings were massive.  I went away very satisfied, so if you are ever in Kampala, Uganda you should hit up NY Pizza Kitchen.

(My friends Denisha and Joy with their delicious macaroni from NYPK)

That was a brief summary of my trip and now I’m back at school chillin and working on homework ( It’s Friday so mostly not working on homework).  I’m still not sure what I’m going to do for the rest of day but the world is my oyster so whatever.  I don’t really like oysters…