Day 306

If you followed the "big challenge" described earlier of Catholic vs. LDS, you will recall that Brad and Father Emmanuel (leader of COPED, our water project construction partner) had a one-on-one match set up in Bujumbura on the hardwood (or outdoor open cement court). Loser had to: 1) buy the winner a soda while, 2) a female (that would be me, if Brad lost) who is affiliated with the loser must dance her traditional dance (if me, that would have been the hukilau), and 3) the loser had to go to church at the winner's meetinghouse on Sunday (Catholic  mass vs. LDS church). The gametime report is that: Father Emmanuel showed up at the appointed meeting time, and cried "sick"! He told Brad that he was sick, and gave a little cough. We grew to love all the representatives from COPED - they are a fantastic Catholic NGO, and we are best of friends. Brad brought the game ball from Kigai, and awarded it to Father Emmanuel in the winning spirit anyway!

When in Burundi last month, I sat next to Father Emmanuel on the long day's journey to see one of the water projects. During the ride, he asked if we have music in our church. When I said yes, he asked me to sing one of our hymns. I chose #301 - I Am A Child of God. He loved it, and had me write the words in his notebook. He then had us sing it over and over and over. Before we got to Burundi this time, he had a meeting with the LDS water specialists who were visiting from Utah. The first thing he did when he got in the car with them, was to sing #301 to them - a song he learned from Sister Wilkes. So, here we are (me, with my bad haircut, Vanessa), presenting the Catholic priest with an LDS hymnbook!