With love, for the final time, from Uganda.

Lessons learned in Uganda

•  In Uganda, especially in Lugbaras, 1 o’clock usually means 1.30 or 1.45. Time is not what is important – relationships are.

• The earth is so well resourced and so often we in the west totally miss it! I’m learning to appreciate what is around us so much more than I did before this trip.

• If plan A doesn’t work, there's no point in getting worked up and stressed out. Before you panic “think outside the box”.

• God shows up most powerfully in some of the most unexpected people and place. In the parts of my schedule that I looked forward to less than others, God blew me away in ways that I did not see coming, at all!

• “I can’t cope” is a catchphrase of mine and turns out, it’s not actually true. With a wee bit of courage and trusting totally in God, most things are achievable. It’s not because I am capable of a whole lot, but because all things are possible with and through God!

So here I am at the end of my 3 weeks here.  I was quaking in my boots before I got here and cried when someone mentioned Uganda in the day or two leading up to it. I was so nervous about what lay ahead and how I would get through all the travelling by myself. I got to Arua and wondered how I would cope with the language barrier, with the food, with the lack of lots of basic facilities, and I worried about how on earth I was going to speak or minister relevantly to people’s lives. I wondered if I would be able to form any kind of relationships or trust people. I worried about getting sick and being stuck over here alone. I worried if they would like me and if they would even understand me. I worried if I would remember the cultural norms I had been told about or if I would offend people by forgetting them. I worried about whether they would take me seriously as a preacher and in pastoral visits because im a young western female. I worried that the 3 weeks would drag by and I would be homesick.

And now, I’m so gutted that my time is up and I have to leave these beautiful people. I have seen and heard and experienced things that have pushed me to my limits physically, spiritually, emotionally. I have spent a lot of time outside my comfort zone. I have had to just get on with it at times and learn as I go. I have fallen in love with Arua and its people. I have seen God at work in some of the darkest circumstances. I have been inspired by the work ethic of the people. I have seen biblical principles really lived out. I have witnessed what true thankfulness is. I have been protected from any illness or injury by our faithful God. I have learned how exciting it is to put yourself in the unknown and totally rely on God to come through. I have experienced true generosity. I have been privileged to pray with so many people about some really challenging issues. I have watched people minister powerfully without the use of resources or technology. I have watched young people, old people, men and women get excited about the word of God. I have watched faith and hope being born out of suffering. I have met with God.

And so I pray that this is not the last I will see of Arua. I owe a lot to its people for the experience they have given me. I owe many thanks to Rev. Alice and Rev. Pamela for allowing me to journey with them in their ministries for three weeks. I owe thanks to the CMS Ireland staff who organised this trip. I owe so much to the people who have supported me emotionally, financially and prayerfully. But most importantly I owe all that I have to God, who is faithful and true, for blessing me with this incredible opportunity. To Him be the glory!

With love from Uganda,

Danielle Ayikoru x

Coming home a new woman!

Monday 27^th April 

I can’t believe this day has come! My bags are packed and I am now on my homeward bound journey!

Rev Pamela arrived at 8am this morning at Jericho Guesthouse. She brought with her a gorgeous African clutch bag made of brown and black wooden beads and little brown plastic beads, which she wanted me to have as a leaving gift and also a letter from her. We had a cup of tea, shared a wee bit from Romans 5 which I had been reading just as she arrived. The first few verses of chapter 5 really start to sum up what I’ve seen at work here.

"Therefore, since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, ² through whom we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand; and we boast in our hope of sharing the glory of God. ³ And not only that, but we also boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, ⁴ and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, ⁵ and hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us"

 The people work long and hard but their ability to cling to hope is amazing! I’ve totally been challenged by their perseverance.

The ladies soon arrived with my dress, which is a gift from the cathedral. Well they came with not 1 but 2 dresses and some material for my head too! I can’t believe that they only made the decision to make a dress less than 24 hours ago and in that time have measured me and made 2 dresses! I think it’s likely that they worked into the night to get it finished! I’m so humbled and blessed by their generosity. Both dresses are a perfect fit! No doubt I’ll have to them on at some point at home to show people! I'll be coming home a new woman! I have a new african name and now a new african wardrobe. The 7 of us sat around the table on my little balcony and they prayed for my journey ahead. They have been so welcoming to me, it makes it all the harder to say goodbye today!

New jewellery and one of my new dresses!

Just before 9am, Canon Isaac and Richard arrived for me to take me to the airstrip, and Pamela came with us. At the end of the road we turned left instead of right and I began to wonder why we were going totally the wrong direction! A few minutes later we pulled up outside Rev. Pamela’s home where a crowd of about 60 women were gathered in her garden for their Bible study and fellowship time. They asked her if she would bring me by so that I could say goodbye to them all. I got out of the car to the sound of clapping, singing and a drum beating as they welcomed us. I had to make it a short goodbye as I had a plane to catch, but I just shared with them how thankful I am to God that out of all the places in the world I could have been sent to, He sent me to Arua, to these wonderful people who have been like a family to me over the past few weeks. We were sent on our way with waves, hugs and more clapping and singing.

We arrived at the airstrip about 10 minutes later. There’s no airport building, just a small room with some seats inside, an office and some toilets. The ‘check in’ procedure is to put your suitcase on a table, in what is effectively the car park, and then open it for it to be searched. You then get your ticket and stand around watching for the plane arriving. We waited for about 15 minutes and then it appeared, meaning these really were the last goodbyes now! We had handshakes and hugs all round and then it was time for me to pick up my bag and go! I kept having a wee look back and Canon Isaac and Rev Pamela were still waving the whole way until I got on the plane. There were just 3 of us on the flight! I have now arrived at the very first guest house I started at, ‘African Roots’ where I'm chilling out until I go back to the airport tonight for the flight at 1am. I should arrive back in Belfast, Tuesday lunchtime. I’m genuinely gutted to leave but I guess I’ll be comforted by being back on home soil!

With love from Kampala,

Danielle Ayikoru x

The last supper

Sunday 26^th April 2015

I woke up today realising two things. 1- This is my very last day working among the beautiful people of Arua. Tomorrow morning I will be on the flight to Entebbe. 2- Sitting in the sun to write my sermon yesterday was not a good idea at all. I woke up resembling a lobster! I was literally only out there for an hour but I got roasted!

I was down to preach at the Lugbara service at around 11am but I decided I would go to the 2^nd English service first. I called in to the vestry just before the second service started to say hello to the Provost and Pamela. She took one look at me, knew exactly how I’m feeling today, and threw her arms around me. The second service is always slightly less busy than the first. The preacher was a retired, but still working, canon of the cathedral. He did an ‘altar call’ after his message and about 40 people came forward. The atmosphere was just amazing!

At the end of the service I glanced over to the left and spotted Rev Alice just coming in to sit down for the Lugbara service. I was glad to see a familiar face as I was beginning to freak out a wee bit about having to preach and be translated. She gave me a hug and said she travelled overnight on the bus to get back from Kampala to come and hear me preach!! I was incredibly humbled as I know she’s a very busy lady!

I skipped off to the vestry to put on my robes and join the very quick turnaround for the 3^rd service. I had literally just put the robes on and Provost Solomon invited me to join them outside. For the English services, the clergy process in through the side door which leads basically straight to the steps where we pause to reverence and then take our seats. We usually come in as a choir and band are singing choruses. In the Lugbara services, the format is slightly more formal. We gather at the back of the cathedral. The procession up the aisle is led by a crucifer carrying a wooden cross, followed by a silver/brass band and then the clergy. Usually I rely on Rev. Pamela to keep me in line but she was having a quick cup of tea in the vestry before coming into the service. They almost work it in shifts because the services are back to back. So for the mean time it was just Solomon and I. He of course put me in front of him so I was just winging what to do really. We stopped at the chancel steps, reverenced and then took our seats. I obviously hadn’t a clue what was being said but I have formed two new habits in the times when everyone speaks Lugbara: when they pray I just do my own praying and when they sing, I sing the words anyway. I don’t know what they mean but God does, and there is something special about being part of corporate worship. 

Panic had well and truly set in as time went on. The moment came and I was sweating it out! Partly to do with the layers I was wearing and also to do with nerves. I had spent quite some time on this and I had to pray that the message wouldn’t get lost in translation! Rev. Pamela was my translator which did put me at ease because after 3 weeks she has got so used to my English. It’s funny too, that the passage I was preaching on was John 10:11-18. It’s about Jesus being the Good Shepherd and I was preaching about how important it is that we hear, recognise and listen to his voice! I was able to use our translation set up as an illustration of how much easier it is to do that when we spend time with Him. 

 Wee bit of team preaching with my beautiful Ugandan sister!

At the end of the service Solomon asked me to come and give my final farewell to the whole congregation and then they prayed for me as I begin my journey home and continue my journey of ministry. We processed out in the same way we had processed in.

Prayers for my journey

Just as we got to the vestry the heavens opened. My automatic reaction was ‘Oh no!’, while the rest of the room was praising God! The rain would give their crops a great chance of survival and growth. They appreciate the weather changes so much here! Jacob, a zone leader, came in to take some last photos of me with the clergy. During the photo time, a really elderly lady came in because she wanted to shake my hand and thank me. The appreciative nature of the people here is unbelievable sometimes! She gave me a photo of herself because she wants me to remember her. She thanked me in Lugbara and my translator was right beside me which was handy! We ate a lunch of rice and chicken together and then because the rain was so heavy, we had to hang around the vestry for a while longer. I spent most of that time teaching Jacob how to email photos from his new phone so hopefully I will be able to see some of the photos that he took during the service tomorrow when I get internet. Pamela had been chatting with some of the ladies who make the food for the vestry and also some who are ushers and collection counters. She came to ask if they could measure me as they really wanted to make a dress for me as a gift from the cathedral! She and I giggled (as usual) the whole way through the measuring! The ladies are planning to work on it this evening and tonight to make sure it’s with me tomorrow before I leave! Another example of their incredible generosity here! I have no idea what it will look like as I didn’t pick the material or the style but I’m excited to find out!

Hanging out in the vestry, waiting for the rain to pass.

Pamela came to the guesthouse with me to say our final goodbyes and pray together. I gave her a tin of Fanta while she was here and she asked if she could take our empty tins home to make instruments for their evening worship at home! Another case of their resourcefulness and imagination here! She says that she will be back in the morning to deliver my dress and see me off!

Rev Alice also came to see me this evening. She has a gorgeous pair of sandals that I have admired every day. So she offered to pick up a similar pair for me when she was in Kampala this weekend, so she had brought them to Jericho for me. Grace had just left my dinner/supper in, not long before Alice arrived, so we shared it. Alice laughed that I have become very African because the African way is that even if you only have a slice of bread, you share it with your visitor. We even ate it with our natural forks, since it’s my last night here.  I really enjoyed the company I have to say. Usually I only get round to eating after a busy day, when im back in the guesthouse, on my own. She stayed for a few hours and we chatted about what has happened over the past few weeks. She even admitted that she had her worries at the beginning about how I would cope, and she really wanted to mother me because im young, but to both of our delight, I’ve coped just fine! We once again exchanged some of our life stories. I’m so blessed that God has placed me with someone who just gets me! We have been through lots of similar things in life, even career choices have been identical. We spent some time praying together and then I walked her to the gate where we said our final goodbye. 

 Beautiful new shoes :)

It has been a crazy emotional day full of goodbyes and farewells. Ugandans know how to say proper goodbyes and it has been great to spend quality time with some of the people I have shared my life with for the past few weeks. My case is now packed, and I’m ready to be picked up in the morning by DS, as he’s known (Diocesan secretary), to take me back to the airfield for me to begin my homeward journey. It’ll be a pretty early start so it’s lights out for me!

With love (for the last time) from Arua,

Danielle Ayikoru x