Church and Site Seeing

Today, we headed to Jinja for a church service - a four-hour church service, but it was very good. The Humble choir came and sang and there were several other choirs. They even invited anyone who wanted to sing to share a song. At one point, I remember finding the whole scene rather surreal. We were sitting in a church set high on a hill. Lake Victoria was visible from the open door and windows on my left. I had a little Ugandan child sitting in my lap. Behind me was the Bishop of Eastern Africa. In front of me, the Humble choir was dancing and singing in that incredibly uplifting way they have. To my right, I could see Drew and Kara feeding cookies to a little Ugandan boy, and out the window to my right a herd of Ugandan cattle, who have horns the size of Texas Longhorns that grow up instead of sideways, could be seen grazing.

About three hours into the service, Pastor Dave took the stage and gave a sermon, which was also translated into Lugandan, about love and included bubble blowing and a magic bubble, which really entertained the children. (By team vote, it has been decided that his new name on the trip will be Pastor Bubbles.)

After service, we went to eat at the Jinja Nile Resort, viewed Bujagali Falls on the Nile River, and went souvenier shopping in Jinja. Drew and I/Kara got shirts that say Mzungu (which basically means foreigner and is what everyone has been calling us, like when we all crossed the road and almost got hit by a car, and they yelled, "Mzungu! It's sort of the same way we yell "Tourists" in D.C. You know how it is.)

We also got to see the dam that separates the Nile River from Lake Victoria today. Then we drove back to the hotel straight into a traffic jam, which left many of us in a diesel-induced stupor. There apparently isn't the same kind of controls on pollution here as in the U.S. and traffic jams turn into the opposite of an oxygen bar. Smoke from fires burning alongside the road and cars and trucks belching gaseous fumes combine to form a pretty toxic cloud. So please forgive me for any nonsense on here (like the Pastor Bubbles comment *snicker*).

Anyway, we will not be able to access the internet for a couple of days, as we are heading to a hotel in Gulu that will more than likely not have internet. So Caio for now!