I wanted so badly to write while we were in the Aketinino village, but without internet and the needs of Anais with her concussion made it difficult, so presently I would like to share some of the day to day experiences of our village life. We lived in a small 3 room village type abode with solar and running water when available. The water was not safe for drinking, which made it necessary to purchase loads of bottled water in town, even when it grew scarce during dry season. Surrounding the small property was a brick wall giving some safety to us. As evening fell on the house for the first night, we realized in great shock, “There are no screens on these windows. This will not due!” But what could we do in this rental. If we closed the windows we nearly suffocated in the heat, but there was no other option. After several nights David needed to replace the children’s punctured mosquito net. While he was about to throw the old one out and I thought aloud, “Stop! I have an idea. Can you get me some strong tape from town?” In necessity, I cut the mosquito net up and taped it to each of the window openings, drastically reducing the number of mosquitos entering our house each evening. We taped all the other openings and cracks we could find and prayed for God’s protection. It surely wasn’t pretty, but it functioned and kept us clear of malaria during those first six months.
Dry season pervaded our time during the months in the village, yet malaria was still common among the villagers. These months were filled with rich time getting to know the people in our village. The boys ran free throughout the huts and families after school and delighted in these days of free play with the children and their all so natural relationship building that they do so well among families. With great astonishment, they would run home and announce to me how they made another connection between our village neighbors that were related. “Mom, did you know that Lucas is Opio and Ocins uncle? It’s like our church back home!” These connections came frequently and we realized it was almost one big family.
One of the cultural customs still in practice in our village is that the children of any age could for the most part run to and fro throughout the village streets and houses, greeting friends and family with little to no supervision, but maybe a sometimes watchful eye of the matriarch. The boys followed in this custom, except they had to be in ear shot of our voice and they had to check in rather frequently. This freedom allotted them invitation into most peoples homes, learning their routine and procedures for a huge variety of tasks like: planting, harvesting, binding into sheaves, meal preparation, bathing practices for the young children, help for the elderly, treatment for the different age groups. Acquiring the language is just naturally what followed. Their pronunciation was as good as any national. It was quite amazing.
On the other hand, it took me all day to live. Between school, caring for the boys and Anais, quite frequent market trips, cleaning the produce, preparing meals, washing laundry, personal reading time, trying to keep the dusty house clean in a village full of bacteria so we didn’t get sick, and daily late nights with Anais to try to bring some relief to her aching head, I had little time to get out daily and sit with the women. Nonetheless, I was able to walk throughout the huts and meet neighbors and form some sweet friendships with some of the people.
David on the other hand, sat at the “city gate”, okay it was the boto corner, most every day and made deep lasting friendships with the passers-by of the village. In the evening the men would gather there and discuss matters of life. David became trusted and was invited to sit in these gathers and even was asked his opinions on family matters. Here he had great opportunity to speak into there situations. Several times, men asked him about “caning” (beating with a stick or rod) and discipling children. David shared how we have a predetermined unity in our disciple and how we pray over the child afterwards. He also shared what the Bible has to say. Most of these men were common villagers with no faith, some were catholic, and a hand full were Muslims. Through the many discussions over the months, David found that the Muslims were actually open and more apt to understand deeper topics, and then the Catholics, and the Christians. I don’t know if this is the form of school they attended or the family communication at home, but it struck me boldly and burdened me intensely. Here we Christians have the truth-THE ONE AND ONLY TRUTH, GOD THE FATHER, GOD THE SON, GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT and for so many reasons we are not taking our role and responsibility serious to make disciples. I don’t think making disciples is merely teaching the Bible, but it is so much more. God made us whole creatures and each part of this needs to be addressed. Discipleship is teaching them how to think through the multiple life decisions that enter our daily living and careers. It is teaching order and control of ones self, dependence on Christ, Spirit life, biblical work ethics, teaching great and original thinking, (God’s children have the mind of Christ), healthy and happy parental and marriage patterns, hygiene, business practices, prayer in all things and at all times, kingdom work, love, neighborliness just to name a few. David had many opportunities to answer so many of these questions that the daily gathered men had for him. A couple of the Muslims are open to the Gospel and he continues in these relationships.
The village life was a full life where we had the opportunity to interact so much more with the nationals than we ever had in Jinja. Even though daily life was challenging and grueling, I count our times in the village as a treasure because we learned so much more about the people and the culture there than we could have in ten years here in town.
