America: An African Boy's Perspective Part 3.

I have been getting positive feedback from many of you, appreciating or adding a comment to what i have written before. Thank you, it's always nice and encouraging to hear such positive comments from you.

Last week i promised to divulge a bit into my observations regarding christianity here, i will start with that. I have enjoyed worship every time i have gone to church so far and, i have also enjoyed the sermons that i have been privileged to listen to; i feel like the Lord was speaking to me personally in some of them. Talking about sermons, i have heard people say statements such as "i agreed with today's sermon" or "i didn't agree with some things he talked about" or i don't agree completely with today's sermon". Personally, i don't always think the pastors are mandated to preach what we agree with all the time. Nobody has ever preached a sermon that everyone agreed with, not even Christ! And if we begin to influence our pastors to preach what our ears want to hear and agree with, then we will miss out on what God wants to communicate to us. My principal has always been to get what the Lord wants to communicate to me individually and leave the rest out because; there may be another person who is happy with what i wasn't happy about. It's healthy not to agree with something, but i don't like it when it's made a big deal and the other truths get ignored.

After seeing what i have seen in terms of possessions that people have here, i have come to admire those who; in spite of having many possessions, are still standing strong in the faith, when, it would be easy to ignore God. I love that they praise the Lord in their abundance, just like we praise the Lord in our poverty back in Africa. I also love the generosity of Christians here, to share with those who don't have and support missionaries across the universe. I think this is beautiful. I can also understand why some people here have turned their backs on God; they think they have everything that they need and don't see the need for him. This makes America a ripe mission field, i think Christians here ought to reach out to these people more than before and one of the facts i have discovered through my numerous evangelism stints is that, it's very hard to lead " a wealthy or rich man/woman" to Christ. They are proud, think they know more and have it all, especially if you don't measure up to their standards. It's a hard task, but one, that the church here needs to under take seriously.
Staying with the church, i still think the American church, just like the American country, needs to take a lead in the battle with radical islam. Every day, i read painful stories about how ISIL is ruefully killing kids and christians in the middle east and i keep thinking, is prayer all that we can do as believers to support our brothers and sisters? Is there something more we can do? I have painfully read that over 3,000 people from the Western world have gone to join these murderers! What makes them appealing that they are luring people from the comforts of life in the west? I have read how they thick they will make Britain, France and even America to be muslim countries governed by the sharia law! In the Island of Seychelles, a Saudi prince went and put a $1,000 prize for every young person who denounced christianity and joined Islam and there were many lines of young people crossing over, why? Because of the abject poverty. A couple of months later the same prince returned offering this time, $7,000 to every convert. This was to target those who had ignored the $1,000 earlier on. Still the numbers that turned up were huge. Are these some of the things that attract our young people to join this murderers religion? What can the church do to attract their radical young people? I am sure the church can do something more. Imagine what kind of evangelists and preachers these radicals would be if they were to receive the glorious light of the gospel! Some of the most fiery preachers we have in Uganda are former muslim clerics who saw the light and are now dividing the word of truth. I believe we can do much more as a church to counter these guys and offer the risen Christ to them. One of my childhood dreams has always been to be a missionary to Iraq or Iran or any middle eastern country. Who knows,may be someday, we will end up in this battle field.

I know you are getting tired of reading the above rumblings and rantings. Back to my observations, one thing that has stood out for me is how the parents here are always there for their kids; taking them to school, attending their practice and games, etc. This is a big deal here and i keep wishing i was a kid here, i wish i had arrived 20 years a go! Less than 1% of Ugandan parents go to their kids' games. It's less important to them; they have other big things to handle. I remember how i felt broken when none of my siblings or relative turned up for my graduation from the University. I was the best male student in our entire 2500 faculty of students. My name was the first in the list of graduates with special commendation. Most of the students had at least one parent or sibling with them. I sobbed aloud when my name was called out for special recognition and there i was, being accompanied only by a friend who was still at the university. My course mates congratulated me, carried me aloft (yes, even with my frame they did!) and tossed me in the air, but there was no one from my family to share these special moments with me. I was bitter and wished my parents were alive, at least they wouldn't have failed to show up. I look at the kids here and i go: "THIS IS HOW IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE!" And i hope none of my children will have to go through those experiences that i went through.

The other lucky bunch of Americans are the wild birds and animals. I remember that statement of Christ about how the father feeds the birds of the air! It's a scripture that gives most of us hope and trust in the provisions of the Lord. It's nice to see that American people are jointly doing this with the Father; providing food to the birds of the air. It's unheard of among my people that someone is selling, let alone buying such nutritious food for the birds and the animals from the stores! You would be called mad to do this. Even chickens in the village homes are not given food. They have to fend for themselves in the bushes. The only time they get to taste food in their homes is during harvest time when food is being dried in the compound. Even then, young kids are assigned the task of chasing chicken away from the food. Wild birds can only eat food that is still in the garden. But even then, they get trapped and eaten as food and someone is always there to scare them away.
Birds are to be eaten. Growing up as a hunter, we used to kill some of the birds that i see here, in their thousands. I would sell some and use the money for buying school supplies and take some home for food. People would buy them as soon as they saw them because they were a treat! Likewise to animals. We would hunt them down: Rabbits, squirrels, antelopes, etc. Now here, i look at them and keep saying it in my heart that "you are lucky you were born American!" I am looking forward to seeing a reaction on my Uncle's face when i tell him how these wild birds are fed and how they come into people's homes and how the wild animals are found in people's compounds. He might begin asking how he can get a visa to fly over here to hunt...

Lastly, i had a great week in America this last week. I got to see lots of new places, the hunting store amazed me with all these thousands of choices of hunting equipment! My Uncle Dave took me to play golf; a sport reserved only for the very rich in Uganda and i did quite well; shot a golf ball over 170 yards and hit a green! Proud of myself. He also took me to the beautiful Lake Michigan, which brought some memories of our very own Lake Victoria. I have been hosted for dinner by many generous families here in Grand Rapids and Kalamazoo. I would say last week was my favorite so far; i think the Lord wanted me to enjoy it; he even gave us favorable weather just for me, can you imagine!

I'm out of time, next week, i will bring you even more insights about America. Remember, these are my personal observations and views, which of course, may change from time to time. Thank you for reading this. God bless you.
In Christ,
Ruudy.