Uganda--Day Three

Day three was Sunday.  We were helping with children's church and children's Sunday school at the church on SOS's campus.  Located in the heart of Kubamitwe  it has 200 adults and about 100 children in attendance every Sunday.

A staff member of SOS drives a truck around the surrounding villages before church to pick up anyone who would like to come.  Often, children hop on the truck and come without parents.

 Sunday School was prior to church.  While parents were in classes (in the school classrooms next to the church), the children came to Sunday School.   If the children's parents were there, that is.  We had been told we would begin with a handful of children, but that they would file in throughout the hour, which was very much the case.  We had about 15 children when we started and a whole roomful by the end.

We began by singing some simple songs with motions, 'Our God is So Big', 'Jesus Loves Me', 'Jesus Loves the Little Children'.

Our wonderful translator, Paul.

Next, Kelly read and taught the story Daniel and the Lion's Den, while Sydney, Hannah and Colette acted it out using puppets.  We reviewed the story with a poem and a game.

Then we sang some more songs, this time Mason, Weslan and Colette led us.

 Last, they colored a Daniel and the Lion's Den coloring page.  They were so excited to get to color!

After Sunday School, we got to spend some time just fellowshipping with all of our new friends.

 

Soon, it was time for church.  We all sat interspersed among our friends.

Our whole team went forward to be introduced.  Then we sang 'Blessed Be Your Name' on stage for them.  This was a very moving time for me, personally, during this song.  Something about singing these lyrics to this roomful of people just got to me.  Singing this to those who have so little materially, yet have such a fullness and abundance of joy.   I felt small singing these words to them, because in reality, I wasn't teaching them this lesson.  No, they were teaching me.

Blessed Be Your Name

In the land that is plentiful 

Where Your streams of abundance flow

Blessed be Your name

Blessed Be Your name

When I'm found in the desert place

Though I walk through the wilderness

Blessed Be Your name

Every blessing You pour out 

I'll turn back to praise

When the darkness closes in, Lord

Still I will say

Blessed be the name of the Lord

Blessed be Your name

Blessed be the name of the Lord

Blessed be Your glorious name

Blessed be Your name

When the sun's shining down on me

When the world's 'all as it should be'

Blessed be Your name

Blessed be Your name

On the road marked with suffering 

Though there's pain in the offering 

Blessed be Your name

Every blessing You pour out 

I'll turn back to praise

When the darkness closes in, Lord

Still I will say

Blessed be the name of the Lord

Blessed be Your name

Blessed be the name of the Lord

Blessed be Your glorious name

Blessed be the name of the Lord

Blessed be Your name

Blessed be the name of the Lord

Blessed be Your glorious name

You give and take away

You give and take away

My heart will choose to say

Lord, blessed be Your name

Big Sigh.  Deep breath.

After singing, all of the children were dismissed with us outside for Children's Church while the adults listened to the sermon.  Our pastor, Pastor Charles, was the guest speaker this morning.  While I wasn't there to listen, I heard he did a fabulous job!

Meanwhile, we led Children's Church outside under a large tree:

There were about 75 children.  We sang some songs with the guitar and then did our Gospel Color Skit.

After the skit, we reviewed the different colors and what they stood for by asking them questions.  If they got it right, we gave them a sucker.  I was passing out the suckers and got the bright idea to throw them.  So I threw one to a boy sitting in the back row and binged him right in the forehead (the stick part!)!  This is not surprising.  I have a way of doing awkward things at the most pristine moments.    

Next, we divided up in groups and made salvation bracelets so that they could go and share the story with their family and friends.

I will never forget this little fellow with his three piece suit.  He wore it proudly even though it was 90+ degrees.  He is now also a proud owner of my son's sports watch. :)

Someone had warned us prior to this day that Children's Church would be crazy and chaotic.  Yet, we found the children to be so attentive. They hung on every word when we did our skit and were so excited to make and have a bracelet.

Afterwards, we practiced the different Gospel colors with the parachute:

Our hour seemed to pass by so quickly.  It was over in the mere blink of an eye...

So we lingered and played with our friends.

After church and lunch, we had a true Sabbatical for the afternoon.  It was needed by all.

Some sat on the porch while others played volleyball.  We had a Uganda vs USA game.  It was a close game, but the Ugandan team won.

Anthony was like the Pied Piper.  Every time he started one of his chants, the kids came running.

Weslan entertained all:

And I'm not sure why my daughter has a machete???!!

SOS has a soccer field on their campus and all the area villages have a soccer league.   Games are a happening place and quite the social event for all the surrounding villages.

We went over to the soccer field that afternoon to watch the Kubamitwe team play.  These games get just a tad physical!  What I found most intriguing was the fact that Elyse (the Hurley's 14 year old daughter) and Bekah (an SOS intern) play on the  Kubamitwe's soccer team.  They are the only girls in the league!

 

 When Kubemitwe won, people went crazy!  It was like they had won the Olympics!

Sunday evening, we split up into groups and went to different homes in the village for dinner.  This was probably one of my very favorite moments of the whole trip.  It was so impactful, I am going to have to dedicate a whole blog post to it...so stay tuned.