As the wedding service came to a close, the rains were pouring down from the skies. Instead of filing out of the church, the bride and groom danced their way back to the front of the church and the praise team burst into another round of songs. Singing consumed the church for a long while, before it was decided to take official photos. Instead of standing out in the sunshine, with Sisiyi Falls as a backdrop, people lined up in front of the church and stood before draped clothes of green and blue.
Eventually the rains let up long enough for the crowds to hike up the hill and sit under the prepared tents.
The reception was finally ready to begin, but the kitchen really wanted to serve food immediately - due to the next dark cloud forming over the rock face above the falls. Before the bride and groom had finished changing, I made an executive decision to agree with the kitchen.... I guess I need to explain that this was the wedding for my team-mate, Beckie, and she married a wonderful Ugandan man named Ruudy. Well, months ago, Beckie and Ruudy asked me to be the MP for the wedding. It was kind of a joke that I was going to be the clan leader for the mzungu (western) side of the planning, but somehow the MP role grew. Before I knew it, if there were any wedding or rehearsal questions, people came to me to find an answer... so that's why I chose to let the crowds eat.
After about 30 people, out of 200, were served food, the skies opened once again. With a smile on my face, I marched over to the boot of my car and pulled out a bunch of umbrellas. I spent the rest of the afternoon escorting people from their seat under a shade tent, to the verandah where food was being scooped on to plates. People chuckled as I danced in the rain with my umbrellas.
As the reception came to a close, people began to leave quickly. One of my team-mates left me with three extra umbrellas so that people could be escorted in a dry fashion, but some how, when I was packing up to go home, one of my umbrellas, and two of my team-mates went missing. Are you kidding? Did people steal them? Or are they just in hiding? As I was getting in the car, I thought only two umbrellas were missing, but upon arriving home, three were missing. And the guilt I feel is huge. I don't feel so bad about my missing umbrella... I had just bought it the other day in the market for 6000 shillings ($2.50) but the Tiesenga umbrellas are nice golf umbrellas from America. And they were left in my care. I don't know why I am sharing this, but this morning I woke up, still feeling bad about losing two umbrellas that were placed in my care. And it wasn't that I lost them, but that someone just felt free to take them... that's what bothers me. But why is it that I let these things get to me? I don't like disappointing others, but I also don't like feeling used or abused. I hate it that after the whole beautiful wedding adventure, the only thing on my mind is three missing umbrellas.
Eventually the rains let up long enough for the crowds to hike up the hill and sit under the prepared tents.
The reception was finally ready to begin, but the kitchen really wanted to serve food immediately - due to the next dark cloud forming over the rock face above the falls. Before the bride and groom had finished changing, I made an executive decision to agree with the kitchen.... I guess I need to explain that this was the wedding for my team-mate, Beckie, and she married a wonderful Ugandan man named Ruudy. Well, months ago, Beckie and Ruudy asked me to be the MP for the wedding. It was kind of a joke that I was going to be the clan leader for the mzungu (western) side of the planning, but somehow the MP role grew. Before I knew it, if there were any wedding or rehearsal questions, people came to me to find an answer... so that's why I chose to let the crowds eat.
After about 30 people, out of 200, were served food, the skies opened once again. With a smile on my face, I marched over to the boot of my car and pulled out a bunch of umbrellas. I spent the rest of the afternoon escorting people from their seat under a shade tent, to the verandah where food was being scooped on to plates. People chuckled as I danced in the rain with my umbrellas.
As the reception came to a close, people began to leave quickly. One of my team-mates left me with three extra umbrellas so that people could be escorted in a dry fashion, but some how, when I was packing up to go home, one of my umbrellas, and two of my team-mates went missing. Are you kidding? Did people steal them? Or are they just in hiding? As I was getting in the car, I thought only two umbrellas were missing, but upon arriving home, three were missing. And the guilt I feel is huge. I don't feel so bad about my missing umbrella... I had just bought it the other day in the market for 6000 shillings ($2.50) but the Tiesenga umbrellas are nice golf umbrellas from America. And they were left in my care. I don't know why I am sharing this, but this morning I woke up, still feeling bad about losing two umbrellas that were placed in my care. And it wasn't that I lost them, but that someone just felt free to take them... that's what bothers me. But why is it that I let these things get to me? I don't like disappointing others, but I also don't like feeling used or abused. I hate it that after the whole beautiful wedding adventure, the only thing on my mind is three missing umbrellas.
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