JOAC kids experienced a spectacular weekend of joy and fun.
It all started on Friday morning when the kids stayed home from school, because it was a public holiday. It was surprising to Jen, one of our volunteers, when she heard the kids playing and talking loudly outside her window around 7:30am. By that time the kids have already gone to school. Jen got up from her bed only to be greeted by this eager announcement “Today we are not going to school; it is ‘Matas Day.’” They actually meant “Martyr’s day,” a day celebrated in Uganda every 3rd of June in honor of the Christian converts who were lynched because of the orders of Kabaka Mwanga (King of Buganda) in the 1880s. Buganda was the biggest monarchy in Uganda in the 1800s, and it controlled most parts of the country before she became a state.
The King of Buganda who by then bore powers over life and death decreed that all Christian young men who had embraced the new ‘foreign belief’ introduced by the European Anglican and Catholic missionaries be put to death if they don’t renounce Christianity. Several converts were burned to death as act examples to other people that wished to embrace Christianity. On Martyr’s day, thousands of pilgrims trek from different parts of Uganda and other East African countries to Namugongo shrine on a hill situated in the North of Kampala that inhabits two huge Anglican and Catholic churches.
So here were the kids enjoying one early weekend privilege at home and making everyone happy about their presence. The day’s program immediately kicked off with everyone joining Jen in her morning physical exercises. The boys and girls together with Joseph, David, and Esther ran several times around the JOAC compound and house followed by physical stretching exercises that were entirely instructed by Jen.
After the almost three hour physical exercises everyone seemed so tired (physical exercises are rarely done except for Jen). As some took a bath to rid them of the sweat others rested under a tree shed. Jen, David, and Joseph later joined the kids under tree to teach them new songs and dances, the singing lasted till lunch time.
The kids spent most of the afternoon doing house chores while some did their laundry while Jen, David and Esther ministered to about 15 young women. Jen shared with them from one of her favorite books “Living in love with Jesus” that she is currently reading. The book is about being set free from sin and being able to live in the grace of God. Her sharing ministered to the girls a lot; all of them committed their lives to Christ.
In the evening the elders of the home, Jen, David, and Esther went to watch Joseph play in a band at a certain restaurant in town.
Saturday as usual was another day for the kids to do house chores, relax, play games around the compound and do more laundry as they prepare for their coming week of school.
Later in the evening David briefed the house on JOAC’s second church service. He tipped the kids on how to improve their ministry in leading the church service, leading worship and also sharing sermons.
Rehearsals on Sunday’s worship songs were also practiced before everyone retired to their beds.
On Sunday the kids woke up as early as 5:00pm to prepare for the day (they are always enthusiastic about the coming service). They prepared breakfast, arranged the chairs under a tree on the compound that for the second time was to double as a church. A lot of the women that committed their lives to Christ on Saturday, came to church on Sunday.
Later in the morning Esther rushed to pick other members for the JOAC church service. To everyone’s surprise she came back with an overwhelming number of children, young women, and older women.
Two of JOAC board members also joined the service minutes after it had started; other members would later join them because they needed to give in their biographies for the ministry’s website and also attend the board meeting that was for scheduled later in the day.
This Sunday, being JOAC Children’s Church’s second gathering had doubled in attendance since last Sunday.
Just like the latter, the service was led by the JOAC boys who were entirely in control of the program, leading worship, and even preaching in the Sunday school session. Brian one of the boys shared and also shared his moving testimony on how his life has drastically improved, God having gotten him off the streets and given him a home at JOAC. He said he now has enough to eat and drink, unlike before when he would go days without food.
Joseph shared last on “sin and repentance”. A couple of kids responded to the message giving what they have learned.
(Pictured above: Conrad (Junior) presents the World Cup Trophy he carved out of wood and painted to JOAC.)
Other board members came after the church service; each wrote their biographies for the website before they held a board meeting.
Various issues pertaining the Joy of a Child Ministry were discussed looking at a way forward for the growing ministry.
They among other things discussed the possibility of expanding the ministry in the future, starting an income generating activity to create a self-sustaining ministry, and also the need to attend to the kids more as they get to know them better.
Afterwards the kids danced, and Joseph helped the boys write a rap about Joy of a Child in both English and their native languages. The kids recorded their mix and really enjoyed the creative outlet.
As is the Sunday norm, the kids shared what they learned from the Sunday messages after their dinner.
Blog by: Joseph
Pictures by: Jen and David
I like your new blog, guys! As I like to say: AWESOME! :-)
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