Sunsets and Security

Today was children's church so we took a whole of the kids from Amani to church with us. They sang beautifully! I'm so proud of them. 

Only Christopher got a case of nerves and wouldn't get up the front. The rest sang nice and loud. 

A few other children performed a dance. They did a great job too.

On the way back to the car Joseph said, "you smell nice, Aunty". What a charmer! Here I am, almost always sticky with sweat, and he says I smell nice:). Give him a few years and that mischievous smile will be melting more than this girl's heart;).

I didn't enjoy the sermon as much today. Worship Harvest has a few speakers, and a different guy spoke to the last few times I've been. I disagreed with some of the things he said in his sermon. I guess though it's an opportunity to challenge why I believe the things I believe. After lunch I had a nap and then spent some time listening to a sermon podcast, in order to hear a good message on this Lord's day. 

The girls wanted to go down and visit "The Street Child Project" just down the road, and invited me to come. Londa and Elena will be working there after they leave Amani in April. It was great! We walked in the gate and immediately about a dozen young men came and shook our hands and introduced themselves to us. They were lovely boys and made me miss my brothers. We only spent a few minutes there as they were just sitting down to eat their dinner. 

On the way home we decided to go see the sunset on the Nile bridge. It was beautiful! The other girls hadn't brought their cameras so I took lots on their behalf. 

This one's my favourite!

Sunset on the Nile. 

This photo is the calm before the storm. 

I've sat at my laptop for a while now trying to figure a way to tell this story accurately without unnecessarily causing worry back home. 

I didn't realise, but people don't like you taking pictures of the bridge and we were approached by a very annoyed guard with a rifle who demanded to see my camera. My first thought was "this guy had better not take my camera!" At first I was reluctant to take it out of its case but as he got more and more agitated I decided to show him the photos, hoping he would see them as innocent. He didn't like the above photo though and went to grab at my camera. I just did what my first instinct was and firmly said, "no, don't touch the camera," and pulled it out of his reach. I guess I must have embarrassed him because by now a few locals had stopped to watch what was going on. He became very angry and kept saying "I'm going to arrest you! I'm going to arrest you!" 

Now, I probably should have been more worried than what I was; I realise that now. You see, I have become used to yelling, threatening, abusive people at work and I have learnt to stay calm in those situations. Again, I probably should have been more concerned; being in Australia and someone yelling abuse at you and being in Uganda being threatened with arrest are two completely different things! Yet, I believe that God gave me my calmness in order to deal with the situation, regardless of whether I maybe should have had a little more fear. 

I tried to demonstrate that I would delete the photos, showing him how I could get rid of them, but he still wanted the camera and demanded to know where we were staying. I refused to hand over my camera and we only said we were staying in town. He repeated again that he would arrest us and that he was going to call his supervisor. A local standing near one of the other girls whispered "he only wants to embarrass you". While he was on his phone, we said "sorry, we won't do it again, we're going now" and walked right past him. He kept yelling "I'm going to arrest you, give me the camera!" We kept on walking and didn't look back. He didn't try to follow us and we made it back to Amani with our freedom and even picked up our dinner on the way. It wasn't till half way home I began to realise what might have been. My first instinct was I didn't want to lose my camera, but now I began to think "what if we had of ended up in a Ugandan jail, or worse?" Even now, as I think about it, my heart pounds with "what if's". 

There are no "what if's" though. God looks after me all the time. He has taught me how to deal with difficult people in difficult situations. He gives me the grace I need for every circumstance, whether I realise how much I need it or not!

What was the purpose of this experience, Lord? 

Maybe, it was to remind me that I am never "safe". I am reminded of my own fragility in this life whether I'm at home or in Africa. Scripture says, "all flesh is grass" and sometimes I forget that. 

I must trust in His strength and not my own. So, I'll be more careful, knowing I am weak; and more bold knowing He is strong!

"The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?"

Psalm 27:1

"For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind."

2 Timothy 1:7