"Your love is longer than this road I travel..." and other Sunday musings.

Street (Now River) During a Rainstorm

This post can't be long -- I'm limited in my internet time today and supposed to be getting some hardcore research accomplished. I did want to check in with everyone though, and let you all know what I've been up to the last few days. 

Saturday night the rain came. I don't mean just a minor sprinkle, either. I mean, rain from the left, then rain from the right, then rain from straight above. We counted at least three different storms that came through with a ridiculous wind that is no good for the grass roof of a hut. The street beneath Acholi Ber was a river. Blake, Laura, and I took advantage of a break in the storm to walk Laura the quarter mile to RLP, and then Blake and I ran home to watch the next storm roll in. It was crazy. THIS is why they call it rainy season.

Sunday morning I got to attend Watoto Chuch with Lowna. It was "International Children's Day" so the children were leading worship. The entire congregation was dancing and singing (it was so LOUD) to David Crowder's "No One Like You." It was great fun. Then later, they sang a song I haven't heard since my time at Canyon Ridge Christian Church in Vegas:

"Your love is deeper than my view of faith

Higher than this earthly place

Longer than this road I travel

Wider than this gap you've filled..."

There was something about the "Longer than this road I travel" part that just put me over the edge. Leave it to me to be bawling in the middle of church. The pastor gave a sermon on taking care of little children (kind of apropos given what I'm here for). I've had an invitation to come to the church by the CTC to attend mass next Sunday, and then another invitation for the Sunday after to attend church out at Lukodi (they run a non-denominational service that now has over 200 attendees each week). My Sundays are going to be full from now on!

I got another good conversation with my Luo teacher, Monica, too. She told me that she is actually Langi, not Acholi, and that she and her family are from Apac, which is a little to the South and a little to the East of Gulu district. They came here to work. She explained that she likes her job, and is paid pretty well (60,000 shillings a month or about $30.00 USD) but that she's not sure she'll be able to afford her university fees this fall, since the fees come to about 1,000,000 shillings, or around $500.00 USD. We were supposed to go to her hut to meet her family yesterday, but her little sister (there are 12 siblings total) came down with malaria and so her mother had to take her to the hospital. I will meet her family next week, I think. 

As for my work, things are certainly picking up. In fact, I've got a full day of research ahead of me, which is why I'm at the CTC today. I needed to be locked in a room with internet and no distractions. I've got a number of small threads I'm trying to follow, along with some larger threads I'm following for a project this fall. I also need to be mindful of making solid connections with local institutions and people to get good letters of referral for grants. It's a lot to do in my four remaining weeks but I think I can accomplish most of it. I'm optimistic. 

I've been invited back to Lukodi (wonderful news!) and was even told that at some point I might stay the night at the village, which I will absolutely do if I get the chance to coordinate it. One step at a time.