For two weeks, I served as a professor for a group of seminary students who traveled from their school in Berkeley, California to both Uganda and Rwanda. The course focused on how Christians in the United States can be in solidarity with people from these two countries. We looked at some of the most serious issues our world faces today: genocide, AIDS, and poverty. We learned about how Western governments and institutions contribute to each of these, while also learning about the wonderful work that is being done on the ground by ordinary people in both Uganda and Rwanda. As we toured the two countries visiting orphanages, support groups for persons with HIV-AIDS, and a variety of courageous organizations, we were consistently blown away by the amazing testimonies we heard from people who have survived tremendous hardships and successfully struggled for remarkable victories. In each town and city we visited, we were greeted with immense hospitality and generosity. Over and over again, we were welcomed with song and dance. In the city of Tororo, we were welcomed with the traditional friendship gift of live chickens. For our hosts in Africa, I am left with a deep sense of gratitude for them and for God!
