Community Family Fun Night!

 I am still North Carolina with a month and little over a week until my return to Uganda on August 10th. "I've been Ganda too Longa!" 


A month or so ago Molly inspired me to have a party and show a movie outside. So with that great idea on the 24th of June I invited my community at church,  the nearby Ardmore neighborhood and anyone who stood still long enough, to "Come and Celebrate Africa!"  I had two goals for the event: Community Fun, and to raise awareness for the Women of the Proverbs project.   

Some wonderful things happened that night! 

Kathy K. suggested we have a Raffle, then over the course of a week and a half created at least 12 sets of beautiful African style necklace and bracelet sets to raffle off! Kathy and Paul K. (I call, my other family) also donated colorful West African clothing from Mali. So with the help of Salem V. and her family, plus Jitka H., Kathy R. and Marie along with Kathy and Katie they sold over 320 tickets. Paul K. MC'ed the Raffle with 28 items, including a couple of donated African statues and a mask!

Jean Eubanks, a Chef I met at church agreed to prepare goat meat stew. I chose this because it's a common Africa sauce eaten with food. After we made Jean's connection to Mr. Chaudhry an established Butcher in Siler City, he DONATED 60 lbs. of goat meat! Our menu for the evening was Taghdeghena sauce with chicken a favorite sauce from Mali made by Kathy K., Goat Meat Stew, Beef Stew both prepared in an African fashion, Gnut sauce from Uganda, Beans, Chapati prepared by my new Kenyan friend Purity Rachugo, Cooked Green Bananas, Rice of course then Plantains prepared in a sweet way (Judy J.), Pineapple, Mango, Watermelon and Papaya Fruit Salad, Chocolate Cake squares a donation by our own Dewey's Bakery then lots of Brownies made by friends (Kim D., Jeanie W., Gayle S., Nan B., Isabel G.)  to represent Cocoa the cash crop in Bundibugyo!  People brought their lawn chairs, blankets and appetites and enjoyed Goat Stew and cooked bananas for the first time ever! Gabby M. and Maddy H. agreed to face paint African Mask designs on kids and to my surprize even adults joined the fun! The face paint Art work was bright and colorful! 

To cool the palate, Bev and Dave M. provided the Sno-Cone Machine and the kids manned it providing a few hours of fun! I booked Olivia Sledge a dance Instructor to provide us with an African Dance Demo. She came to the event with four drummers (two Ghanaian men who were very happy to eat Goat Meat Stew) and two additional dancers! Yay! It was African festive indeed! A good number of men, women and children participated in African dance and we all enjoyed watching! I added a Ugandan hooting sound during the dance just to accent the happiness of drumming and movement! It was spectacular! 

Colin Tribby an instructor from the Forsyth County a School System joined the Drum team and they played together for more than an hour! It was great fun! After the excitement of the Raffle Josh K. prepared for the movie, "The Gods Must Be Crazy" set up on a screen in the grass. Several families stayed to watch the movie until the end. With the help of Molly J., Katie K., Lou C., Amy S., Carla S., Debbie B. and many others, we washed pots, brought in tables, chairs and food. God smiled on us with a lovely and lightly cloud covered summer evening! Thank you Papa! 

I was exhausted for the next two days but very happy! The Community Family Fun Night was a great success with both goals accomplished! I am grateful for everyone who danced, ate, face painted and generally had fun! I am also grateful for the new and old friends that came that night, the gifts that were given to the WOP project and the generosity of Helpers. I could not have done it with out you! And of course those who bought raffle tickets, thank you! 

My hope is this that wherever the Women of the Proverbs project is mentioned, God will get the glory! 
PHOTOS TO COME!