Sunday 26th 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 2nd 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 3rd 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!
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
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