A Batwa Christmas

   Today I found out there was no chauffeur to take Pastor Wakana and a big bag of beans to the Batwa people.  I knew this was the last time he could go before Christmas and that the beans were for their Christmas dinner.  How could I refuse to drive him?!  So at 9:00 a.m. we headed out to the village.  All the Batwa houses are on the top of a very steep hill, but there is a little church at the bottom.  So we met at the church to save a hike up the hill. 

    As the Batwa people filled the church, they started singing.  Then we introduced two new people from England whom they had not met.  Pastor Wakana asked the Batwas what they had been learning this year, how their rabbits and gardens were producing, and how working at better hygiene was going.  Of course, they all said everything was wonderful, but Pastor Wakana knew that wasn’t exactly true.  J  Next, we stood at the doorway and gave out candy to the kids as they went out to make sure they got only one piece each.  Pastor Wakana distributed the beans to the parents while we entertained the kids with the help of a camera and bits of long grass and leaves.  Taking pictures then showing them their picture in the camera worked for quite a while.  Then Chelsea from the United Kingdom taught the kids how to play tic tac toe using grass blades as the lines and leaves as x's and o's.  They caught on quickly and started games all over the churchyard.  It was humbling to know that if we hadn’t taken them anything, Christmas would be just another day with nothing special to look forward to.