Out and About (Part 1)

I have spent several days throughout the last week or so in the community. It has been such a blessing to have the energy needed for engaging in cross-cultural friendships. And with a combined 8 months of experience here, I am far from knowing what to expect but slightly more comfortable in these “fish out of water” experiences. And I’ve also been around long enough to have some blossoming friendships!

Last Sunday I had the privilege of being the guest of honor at a church service. My friend, Janet, visited me a week before telling me how she had been so touched by the news of my cancer diagnosis. She had shared with her church and they had all been praying for me last summer. She had even written me a song about trusting God in struggle! Needless to say, I was blown away by her love for me and the prayers of Ugandans I had never met. She invited me to church and I quickly agreed.

The night before church I felt anxious. I’m not sure why exactly. Maybe because I wasn’t sure what to expect other than a really long day on Sunday. Maybe because Janet called and said they were “throwing a party” for me after church and I don’t love being the center of attention. Maybe because the Enemy wanted to distort this blessing and encouragement. Or maybe because living here is like being in a fishbowl. Every move is watched, scrutinized, and commented on merely because of your skin color. Sometimes I hate being “special” and wish I could just blend in. Add onto that the reason for my guest of honor status—cancer—and I was dealing with a lot of complex emotions regarding my “specialness”.

Anyway…I was so thankful that my housemate, Pamela, volunteered to come along for moral support. The day turned out to be fabulous. We spent some time visiting with Janet and her husband, Robert and her adorable little boy, Hannington. And we went to her church, where I was able to give glory to the Lord for healing me and thank the congregation for their many prayers. It was so encouraging to see how God is using my testimony to give hope to others.

The “party” afterwards was low-key and just involved a delicious lunch with some family and friends after church. We laughed and laughed at the cultural differences between Americans and Ugandans and took lots of photos. The highlight of the afternoon: eating my first chicken gizzard.

The gizzard is a sign of honor, bestowed upon the most important guest. Our friends are used to “mzungus” and know that gizzards are not common fare to us. But they offered it and Pamela and I decided to take the plunge together! Of course we had to take some photos to prove it :)

Our day with Janet, Robert, Hannington and friends was an encouragement. I’m so thankful for friends who prayed for me while I was on the other side of the world. And I haven’t laughed so hard in a while!