This was a very important day for me .......... as of today I have made 100 and 1 entrances into 40 different prison facilities. In 2005 when I first came the the Great Lakes Region of Africa I would NEVER have guessed that God had such a marvelous plan for me. Thank you Lord for your grace and mercy in my own life.
Today the team met for comp. breakfast as so many of the hotels/guest houses in Uganda do. Fresh fruit plate, juice, omelet, African sausages, bread and African Tea. As usual, I gave my small omelet to Alfred and opted for a bit of peanut butter on my bread as I chose not to bring my last bag of American granola with me.
Following breakfast we found a covered area outside to have our general team meeting to discuss events of the trip, what went well and what did not go so well and what we might improve on IF ..... IF God should bring me back next year. And then it began to rain, rain and rain. By 11 am when we left the hotel it had stopped raining and at least on the dirt road back to the main road there was no dust.
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| Roasted corn anyone? |
We arrived at the prison at 1:40 pm although we were to be there at 3pm.. We noticed that there was no sign at the roadside for the prison and as we drove up the "gate" was one wooden pole across the dirt driveway. Yesterday when we dropped of the Bibles, booklets and blankets for today n one was even posted there and a passing school child turned the pole to another direction so we could enter but today there was an officer there. He did not even suggest that he would open for us as he had been brought a metal bowl which we soon surmised was his lunch and he was thereby letting us know that it was lunch time for him. Evidently his meal was not flavored quite right as soon that inmate appeared again with one of his hands cupped with a white substance, salt, inside. We watched the officer dip his fingers in and then sprinkle the salt on his food. The inmate then threw the remaining white granules to the wind and brushed off his hand. Pastor Aaron said, "Ugandan germs move slowly." to which all of us had to laugh.
Finally the pole was moved and we were allowed to enter and park only to be addressed by the same officer that told us to be there at 7am as he said, "I see you changed the time of your being here." We explained that his superior had requested the time change and with that he turned on his heel and disappeared. As we waited we watched some inmates making bricks out of clay dirt, the sun was out by then and it looked so hot, dry and dirty.
It was 2:30 before we were allowed to set up but the inmates were singing as we entered the common area where 71 men and 5 women were. The assistant O.C. graciously welcomed us but appeared to be a very stern gentleman. These Ugandan work prison camps are so different from the Rwandan prisons and seem to be run more like the Rwandan TIG camps although these prisoners only eat once a day. There was an African shrub surrounding the common area but no high brick walls.
I was just starting my message when two incidents happened of which has never happened in all my prison facility visits. If you want to know more about it you will have to come somewhere when I am doing a P.P.P. as I feel it would be better not to discuss it here.
It was more than evident that Satan did not want us here today BUT the Holy Spirit had once again gone before us and prepared the hearts of the inmates for the truth of the Gospel, praise you Jesus!
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| The O.C. and Arlene |
We left the prison and were headed for Kampala when Geoffrey received a call from the O.C. that we had missed at the prison as he was headed there and coming from Kampala. He wanted to see us so we pulled off the road and waited , within a few minutes there he was, a young tall good looking man with a very welcoming demeanor. After a few moments conversation he decided he was also my son and agreed to allow Alfred to take a photo of us. He invited us back anytime and thanked us for our ministry time at the prison.
We made it back to Kampala in record time for a nice hot bath, dinner and as soon as I get this posted, I am off to bed. We will be leaving tomorrow morning and traveling a distance to do the Women's Conference that we added last week.
Your prayers today were felt, keep them coming!!!!!
That none would be lost,
Arlene
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