This morning we woke up and went over to the chapel for our second day of worship. We were welcomed with loud songs and lots of dancing. This morning was very hot and the dancing tired all of us out quite quickly. We were covered in sweat as Matt began to give a message to us and the rest of the Sports Outreach staff. During his talk he gave encouragement to all of us to trust that God will use us all in special ways. That no matter who you are, you are a masterpiece made in the image of God.
After devotions, we traveled to a nearby preschool where they were waiting for us to help serve porridge. This school had 75 students divided between three classrooms consisting of K1, K2, and K3. After serving them their breakfast, we were able to play games with the little kids as we waited for the bus to return from refueling. We taught them red light green light, and then they taught us a game called fire on the mountain. Then we split into two groups to distribute the water filters. One group traveled in the bus to a nearby village where we distributed 4 filters. To get to this village, we had to drive down a road that was approximately half the width of the bus. However, Wilfred once again managed to get us there quickly and safely. After we finished the filter demonstration, one of the staff members asked the community members if there were any prayer requests. Multiple women raised their hands to asked for prayers regarding their children’s health, personal health, and division within their family. It was very moving to engage in a time of prayer in unison with the community members. The other team traveled in a van to five different locations where they distributed ten water filters.
Then we headed back for lunch and had a little bit of time to relax before we left for the local Catholic school. When we arrived at the school there were 800 middle school students sitting in the yard waiting for us. As we walked towards them, they all joined in on songs and clapping to welcome us to their school. At the school we built ten water filters in front of all of the students and staff. The students loved the demonstration and got the dirtiest water they could find in order to test the filter.
When we got back from the Catholic school, we walked over to the vocational school where we bought purses, bags, and skirts. They were all made by hand by girls that are involved in Sports Outreach’s training program for young girls. The other skill they teach is hair dressing and we had a few team members get their hair braided. To wrap up the day, we had another sports clinic with community members. We played all kinds of games and had lots of fun. A few of us played with the teenage girls and had an awesome time playing their games and dancing. They laughed at our dance moves, but I (Ella) think I was pretty good! Dinner was delicious as always, with good discussion at the table. We are thankful for another beautiful day in Gulu!