A Day in the Life

Yesterday’s mission: Pre-registration meeting for the second Island Ministers’ School with church leaders on Bunjako Island.

6:15 am | Rise and pray. Woke up an hour late. Rush the prayer time. Grab a toasted peanut butter and jelly sandwich while reading the Word. Notice the red sky. Sailors take warning.

7:20 am | In the shower running late while Peter Mukaabya arrives. Hurry up, gotta leave by 8.

7:30 am | Make tea for Peter. Can’t let visitors/ministry partners/employees go without breakfast.

7:50 am | Have Peter take a look at the new application I just altered from last year’s. My Luganda is pretty scanty. Help me get new dates, new location, and new fees right. Lots of corrections from last year. Looks like we’ll be late.

8:30 am | Printing applications to give senior pastors. Don’t print too many so Peter can make grammar corrections over the weekend. 10 copies will do. Senior pastors can give congregations the details.

9:00 am | Kiss Virginia and Josiah goodbye for the day. Motor to the sailing club two blocks away where the boat is stowed.

9:15 am | Boat is in the water. Hydraulics won’t function properly. They were working fine in testing Monday. Hmm. Boat Mechanic from Wild Frontiers gives the heads up on secret screw releasing engine to manual. Looking for a screwdriver.

9:45 am | Screwdriver found. Trying to adjust underwater; can’t seem to get it to turn. Decision made to pull the boat out and get a line of sight.

9:55 am | Monsoon blows in off Lake Victoria. Tarp over the freshly trailered boat and hop in the LandCruiser with Peter to sit it out.

11:30 am | Rain subsides to gentle sprinkle. Let’s try to go. Screw turns easily and engine will drop now.

11:45 am | Back in the water, vehicle’s stowed, engine fires up, we’re on our way. Peter fears death by drowning (lacks swimming ability) and is terrified by the small waves.

12:15 pm | Hit bottom near Kakyanga; the lake is “dry” (power company released too much water into the Nile to make more money. Water level is down, making transportation difficult).

12:40 pm | Arrival at Osanidde Village Orphanage picking up Pastor Joash. Thoroughly drenched and extremely cold. Looking forward to a hot cup of tea while we wait out the revived storm. Mental note to buy a rain slicker in town.

12:45 pm | Discover the bilge pump isn’t drawing water. In danger of flooding the boat. Remembering the incident in May where boat was found on Lake bottom due to rain and waves. Wouldn’t like to relive it while on board with non-swimmers.

12:50 pm | Joash says we go now as the pastors await us. I think I’ll make it if the rain relents soon. Not looking forward to another hour of this. Joash drives, I man the buckets. Peter’s feeling more relaxed. He needs a rain slicker too.

1:35 pm | Hit stones. Minimal prop damage. Press on.

2:00 pm | Arrival in Senyondo, Bunjako Island four hours late. Small crowd gathers on shore to view their first speedboat. Hearing comments that it looks like a car on water with my limited knowledge of the Luganda language.

2:15 pm | Boat is stowed offshore to thwart curious eyes and possible thieves. Led to the makeshift wooden building where the church is praising Jesus.

2:30 pm | Pastor Mujabe introduces me to the congregation and indicates that I will be preaching. More long introductions ensue while I consider what message to deliver. I thought this was a meeting with area pastors to discuss details of the upcoming school.

3:00 pm | Matthew 5 & 7: attitude of hunger and thirst for righteousness. Persistent asking, seeking & knocking. Convicted by my own message. Tie it in with school registration.

3:45 pm | Pray for the sick: HIV+, extreme stomach swelling (looks like a 9 mo. pregnancy), bad knees, epilepsy, etc. Petitioners kneel with hands in the air, no doubt believing that a visiting minister has more ability to heal.

4:15 pm | Quick lunch of matooke, sweet potato, and cassava dipped in beef broth. Asking questions about logistics to the pastor. He didn’t get the message in time to inform the other churches, but they are all excited for our coming and fully compliant on all points. Deliver application forms with a promise for more next week.

4:50 pm | Hurried tour of Senyondo looking for proper accommodation for weekly instructors. These places are pretty rough, but one is better than the other. We’ll take it at UGX 3,000/- per room per night ($1.88). Peter offers to share rooms to reduce the cost. I think we’ll take the extra space.

5:25 pm | Hoping to get home before dark, don’t want to risk the propeller and our lives on the water. Waiting for church member to bring us some paddles.

6:25 pm | Dropping Joash at Osanidde Village. No stones on the way back, smooth lake. Storm’s over. Discovery of broken sonar sensor off the stern. Good intentioned church members must have stepped on it. No more depth finder.

7:00 pm | Driving super slow over shallow spots. Out of fuel 10 min. from home, getting dark. Fumble with jerry can minus funnel, spilling fuel.

7:20 pm | No lights at sailing club, must be load shedding. Won’t be power at home either. Put boat on trailer, hear leaking air on the 30 yd. pull to shed. Driving on the rim now. Going to get my money back on my new two-day tire.

8:10 pm | Gift two bags of boys’ clothes for Peter’s new baby with ripe avocados. Drop Peter on Entebbe road to catch a taxi for the one and a half hour ride home.

8:15 pm | Home at last. Kiss Virginia. Get out of wet clothes. Hot shower never felt better.