Thanksgiving

What do branches, helicopters, fancy outfits, Ugandan soliders, metal detectors, an army truck, and New Hope all have in common? If you read the title you would have probably have figured it out by now. If not it is THANKSGIVING!! Here at New Hope, Thanksgiving is a tradition that started in 1991 when a very special guest came for the first time to see Kasana. This special guest came to visit us today.

Thanksgiving, here is a very exciting but very very long. This year it was from 10:35-2:30 not including the line you had to stand in for your meal and the meal itself. I was out of there by 4 in the afternoon.

So what do all these thing at the top have to do with Thanksgiving. Well, branches are brought to the service and people wave them when they are singing and dancing and jumping. Many fancy outfits were worn because this was a very special occasion and everyone wanted to look their finest. The helicopters, Ugandan soliders, metal detectors, and an army truck all have to do with the key speaker and what position she is in. Any guesses? Well... She is the First Lady of Uganda! She first came to New Hope in 1991 and they started having Thanksgiving ever since then. Since the First Lady is very important by early morning there were Ugandan soliders and police posted all around New Hope just walking around and watching for trouble. The gate by our house was closed all day with a guard that wasn't dressed in the New Hope uniform. Guards were posted at the end of each spoke in the circle and directed us up to the top of the circle where there was a single metal detector standing in the grass with 2 people sitting by it and a number of people going through it. It reminded me of Prince Caspian when Aslan asked if the people from Telmar wanted to go through the door. In a way many of the people who came went through the ``door`` and were able to be in the same room as the First Lady and a MP when lots of them live in small mud huts with not enough to eat.

Before we actually headed to the church we went to David Family. There was only 2-3 in our family who didn`t have something to do. Aziza and Dodo were both out of commision because Aziza got a nail in her foot that had to be removed a few days ago (maybe weeks I`m not sure) and then Dodo had a surgery yesterday on his elbow. Judah, Uncle Mulu`s and Aunt Lucy`s son, was also waiting with us and we saw a big car/truck go past with a big gun on the top. Most boys would look at that and say, ``Wow this is cool`` or something like that. But Judah said in a very quiet voice, ``I fear``. I told him that it wouldn`t hurt him and it seemed to help a little since we were soon walking down the path to see where the truck had gone since it was a dead end. We headed down to the church and passed through without any trouble which was good and choose our seats in the front of a open air tent that gave a little shade. Christina, Acacia, and I sat together. Here is a play-by-play of the whole service:

10:15-Were waiting patiently with our seats. We went and greeted people.
10:35- Welcome and prayer (this was only 5 minutes after we were scheduled to start which is rather spactacular!
10:38- Singing
11:00- Uncle Godfree talks about Thanksgiving
11:04- Uncle Issac ( a teacher at the school) gives a testimony of Thanksgiving.
11:09- Uncle Issac leads a song
11:15- Echos of Hope (a choir here) sings a song
11:20- The worship team comes up and sings. Kara (from Colorado Springs who is 1 year older than me) had a solo. While they were singing in the instrumental there were several card testimonies.
11:33- A helicopter flies overhead (The First Lady is landing on the secondary site)
11:40-Immaculate, a girl from Kobwin, gives her testimony. It was translated into 4 languages-the language she was speaking, English, Luganda, and then Sign Language
11:45- Uncle Godfree asks for the person who is reading the Bible passage
11:46- 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 and Psalms 50:14-15, 23 read in English and Luganda.
11:49- Uncle Godfree talks about that we should give thanks to God in everything.
11:51- We are waiting for our guests.
11:59- The Deaf School in Kampala preformed a dance.
12:04- Uncle Godfree talks again
12:05- The choir comes and sings
12:15- The First Lady arrives. The Ugandan anthem and New Hopes anthem are sung.
12:17- Prayer
12:18- Uncle Jonnes welcomes First Lady
12:20- Uncle Jonnes talks about last weeks sermon on 1 Choronicals 29
12:29- Joel and Wilbur (Wilbur lives in Jonathan Family just up the hill from us)
12:35- Uncle Geoff speaks while the Deaf School prepares for another dance
12:37- The Mama from the Deaf School talks about the school. (The service has been translated into Sign Language the whole service as well as English and Luganda)
12:40- The Deaf School dances while the offering for their school is collected. The Thanksgiving offering always goes to a mission or project and this year it is going to them. Around the offering basket there were pumpkins, beans, black bags with other food items in them, and then the money was put in a basket.
12:50- Nabukeera (a girl from our family group) gives her testimony
12:53- Uncle Geoff speaks.
12:54- Auntie Joy (who is on the board) gives a prayer for Uganda
1:00- Auntie Jennie and others sing a song that they sang in 1991 to the First Lady.
1:05- Uncle Geoff prays
1:06- Uncle Jay gives a speech
1:19- Uncle Peter (chairman of the board) gives a speech and sings a song
1:35- First Lady or Mama Janet gives her speech. Nabukeera translates into Luganda for her. She talked about John 10:11-15 and Ezekial 34:1-4.
1:55- First Lady`s daughter speaks
1:03 Uncle Jonnes speaks.
2:04- MP speaks
2:10- Uncle Jonnes presented the money to the Deaf School (2 000 000 shilling)
2:15-National Anthem
2:16- First Lady leaves and Uncle Geoff gives instructions for the meal
2:24- We are dismissed for food.

Sorry that there are no pictures to go along with this since we were unable to take cameras to the service. The First Lady took so long in arriving after her helicopter flew over becasue she first stopped at the clinic to visit the Special Needs Class and to see the new Baby House. We finally left the church at around 4 and I headed over to Acacia`s house to start another 1000 piece puzzle. Thanksgiving is certainly an all day affair!