Tombs, Palaces, and Parliament

Hey everyone!!

A couple of weeks ago we had a USP worship just for the students in the study abroad program. It was an incredible night of prayer and worship; we sang lots of Sanctuary songs, which I loved!!

That weekend, we went on a field trip to the Kusubi tombs, the burial place of Buganda's kings. They are buried in what is the biggest thatched-roof hut in the world!! I thought that was pretty cool :)

This past weekend we went on a field trip to Parliament. We got to see where they meet! In the foyer, there are several pictures of the different clans that comprise Buganda. I got my picture taken beside my "clan," the lungfish :)

After Parliament, we went to one of the King's palaces. It was beautiful! There is a manmade lake which we saw from the top of the hill. From the hill, we saw the city of Kampala below. Kampala got its name because there were many impalas in the area. A man whose name started with a 'K' decided to name it 'Kampala!

Also from this hill (we could see a LOT), we saw a hill that was given to the first Catholics in the area, now there is a large Catholic church on the hill. Another hill was given to the Muslims. We saw their mosque, which was incredible! It is the biggest mosque in East Africa.

Below the palace there was a secret passageway that led to the “torture chamber.” They would lock up prisoners, a.k.a. anyone who was against the government, and let them starve to death.

There's a bit more to come :)
We leave for our rural home stays tomorrow for 10 days!! I won't have any form of communication while there...

Yes, I'm still alive!! :)

Hello everyone!
Sorry I haven’t written in a while...I’ve been so busy and the internet doesn’t work all the time...
About 3 weeks ago we went to Luwero, Uganda, for the weekend. That Friday night, we met with a local Anglican priest. He talked with us about his ministry here. Saturday morning, we went to the Luwero Child Development Center which is run by Compassion International. We first talked with the leaders of the organization; they told us how they had once been sponsored through the program; they really know how to relate to the kids! The kids did a traditional dance for us as a sign of their appreciation for our coming.
That night, we met with a local Catholic priest. He told us about his ministry in Luwero. He told us a heart-wrenching story. Many years ago, he was walking down the road when he saw a little girl in the ditch crying. He knelt down beside her to see what was wrong. She proceeded to tell him her story. Both of her parents had died from AIDS, and she was HIV positive. When her grandmother learned of her illness, she kicked her out of the house, telling her she was worthless. The little girl was 10 at the time. The priest took her in and cared for her, giving her an opportunity to live her life to the fullest. She is now in college, doing well. What kind of grandmother could/would do that to such a young child??? It blew me away.
The following day was Sunday. We went to mass at his church. It was one of the most amazing experiences I’ve had while here. The small building would be condemned by America’s standard...the benches were backless. It was sufficient though!
Everyone sang in Luganda (the local language). 2 medium-sized drums were used to keep beat. It was awesome!! At the end, the priest danced for everyone...his dance included a lot of “horizontal movement” if you know what I mean :)
At the end of the service, fruits were auctioned off to raise money for the church. What an interesting way to fundraise!!

I have a LOT more to post, but it shall have to come later!!