Easter weekend was spent doing very un-Easter things, or at least things that I don’t consider Eastery. On Maundy Thursday, when I would usually be sharing a meal and foot washing with my church family, I was bouncing down the road from Kitgum to Lira (several hours south). When I arrived in Lira I did share a meal with friends (Dale and Marika Christy—MCC couple) so I guess, maybe that was kind of Eastery.
On Good Friday, when I would usually be attending a solemn service with candle lighting, prayer, and silence, I was, again, bumping down a road in a bus with Marika toward Mbale and Sipi Falls where we planned to meet another MCCer, Thera, and do a little bit of camping and hiking. We met Thera in the afternoon and got on a bus that promised to leave right away to go to Sipi falls. As most things African, the bus didn’t leave right away and, I strongly believe, if it hadn’t been for the other white people who insisted on leaving Mbale, “now, now”, I don’t think we would have been as expeditious. Naturally we rode a ways and then stopped because of some mechanical malfunction. After several minutes of being stopped Marika looks out the window and notices that they are cyphening (sp?) gas from one tank into the other (apparently they had filled the secondary tank instead of the primary…). We finally made it to our campsite in time to set up our tent and then go for a short walk in an effort to escape the constant question about whether or not we were going to take a guide tomorrow on our hike. I was surprised to find that camping at Sipi falls was nothing like going camping in the US. The camp site was just a grassy knoll next to a “lodge” that offered to feed us, warm water for our showers, and even build fires for us (at 3000 shillings a person).
On Saturday we got up, took tea, and prepared for our long hike. First we loaded up on water (3 litres each) and then we headed for the trail head, where we were stopped to pay our first of several entrance fees. The trail was steep and zig-zagged all over the sides of two hills. Soon we came to the first water fall: water fall #1. It was very beautiful and very cold. After hiking for another while we came to a ladder nailed to the side of the hill so we climbed. Then we came to a cave and explored that (the boy who took us in said they had hummingbirds inside but we soon found out that he meant to say bats) after which the man “guarding” the cave charged us (he also tried to charge us for climbing the ladder but we refused). A longer and more tiring hike took us to waterfall #2 where there was a place to swim at the top of the falls. After a little break and refreshing dip in the leechy water, we continued up the mountain to waterfall number #3. At some point we lost the trail and so followed Marika through forest and field until we found the trail and the water fall. After our strenuous uphill hiking we stopped to eat our lunch of muffins, crackers and cookies. Then we started the easier downhill trek back to our campsite. That evening we dined at a different lodge and talked about our day.
On Easter Sunday, when I would usually be up at dawn for a baptism and then breakfast at church, we all arose with very sore bodies (I suppose Jesus would have been pretty sore after being on a cross and then laying in a tomb for three days) and enjoyed getting a fire going from the coals of the fire the night before. After breaking camp we squoze into an already full car going to Mbale where we caught a bus going back to Lira.
While my Easter wasn’t exactly that Eastery, I enjoyed being in God’s creation, even though it totally kicked my butt.
Peace,
eh

It’s funny how much more I appreciate electricity when I only have it about 65.8% of the time. Being able to read in the evenings or charge your phone become novelties. But there is amazing beauty in the night sky when there isn’t any light pollution and when you take the time to look up. On a clear night with no electricity I like pulling a mat outside and laying on my back to fully enjoy the milky way (not to be confused with the candy). The stars seem 10 times brighter here and there seem to be twice as many of them. It’s on these nights that I wish I had paid better attention in my astronomy class.
Now that the rainy season has begun, I don’t often lay out in the evenings because I’d rather have my shower indoors than out. Evenings seem to be the prime time for rain storms here which, naturally, means that cloud cover will not allow me to star gaze. I do, however, find great joy in watching lightning play in the clouds, occasionally darting to earth. On these evenings I stand in my doorway under the grass thatch and revel in yet another beauty that God’s creation contains.
Peace,
eh