Happy Easter!

Hello all!  Happy Easter!  While my day is almost finishing, yours is just beginning.  This weekend has been full of different activities from Easter egg hunts with the kids to an all day introduction wedding ceremony (Ugandan style engagement party).
This morning, I was able to attend Calvary Chapel here in Jinja for the Easter service, which was very good!  I also got to see Dan, a little boy who was just adopted from Amani to this sweet lady who lives on Calvary Chapel's property.  It was so good to see him so happy there!  The church service was good, and just as soon as I made it back home it began to rain so hard my room was leaking from multiple areas!  So, because I was all of a sudden stuck here with my computer, I decided to update this blog! :)
On Thursday, we held a mini Easter egg hunt for the preschoolers.  We hid eggs all throughout the backyard with sweeties in them, and it was a hit!  The kids had a lot of fun!

Benja looking for some eggs

Jacob spots one!

All the kids enjoying their sweeties

Matthew

Alima showing Jemima what's inside

Elijah showing off his egg to his aunties

Jacob

On Saturday, we were in for a big surprise!  Mama Lois has invited all of the volunteers to go with her to a introduction ceremony, which is like an engagement party only very Ugandan and very VERY long!  Some of the mamas came over to help us with our outfits unbeknownst to me!  I was just ready to go in a skirt and t-shirt, but they had something completely different in mind for us Mzungus (term they use for a white person)!  They gave us each a traditional Ugandan outfit to wear called a Gomez.  After we got dressed, we headed out to the village to where the ceremony was going to be.  We wanted to arrive about half way through the party because we heard they were long and the bride and groom don't even arrive until later.  So we arrived at a little before 2 pm thinking that it had already started at noon.  I was told a typical introduction lasts about 4 hours!  But as we arrived around 2, we soon found out that the party wouldn't start until 3.  So, after some waiting in the hot Ugandan sun, the party began!  It was a very neat experience, but the only bummer was that I had multiple layers on, it was extremely hot, and it lasted way beyond what we thought it would!  Since we were the only Mzungus there, they wanted to introduce us in front of 200-300 people!  After we had been there for around 3 plus hours we decided we needed to slip out.  As soon as we did, someone escorted us inside the bride's parent's house and gave us am enormous meal way before anyone else because we were their "honored guests".  Going on 4 hours, we knew we had to leave even though the party was far from being over!  Let me tell you it was a very hot and uncomfortable day, but it was something I am so glad I got to experience while I am here!

Here are some pics from that day....some are pretty priceless!  :)

Mama Josephine, Mama Jaja, and Mama Cook helped us into the Gomez....Yes I know...we look very smart!

Helene and I on the way to the ceremony

A passing village

Yup definitely drum cakes

The bride-to-be!

The procession of the family members plus a bubble machine!

The bride came and personally greeted us after our meal