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