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"On March 20th, it happened. I was dutifully attending a
‘dinner-followed-by-speaker’event sponsored by our mission
committee. The speaker's name was Peterson Sozi, and he told us
about his home country, Uganda. He also talked about the faith
and healing God had brought to Uganda. When he told us about the
need for teachers in Uganda, I knew I was being called to teach
in Uganda.
"One of my blessings was having the chance to visit Uganda,
courtesy of my church. The drive to the Mwera school takes you
from the city into farmland with beautiful green rolling hills.
We drove past street vendors, a couple of Muslim schools, brick
kilns, and kioskas (small shops). Many people were traveling by
taxi (mini-vans), bike, motorcycle and on foot (some with large
loads balanced on their heads). We honked as we came upon each
one (a courtesy in Uganda). The road is rough with many large
potholes, but it is paved in this area.
"At the school, the teachers let me visit the classrooms.
The children were curious about the mzunge (white person) but
shy. They speak Luganda (one of 106 tribal languages in Uganda),
but they are learning English in school, as it is the national
language.
"The families in the village who had children at the school
welcomed me into their homes. Some houses were made of homemade
brick but most were made of mud and sticks, all spotlessly clean.
Families offered me gifts including jackfruit(tastes like dry
pineapple), popcorn, and a nine-foot pole of sugar cane! Most
of the families are Christian and a few were Muslim. It was good
to find common ground praying together."
This blossoming friendship with Back To God Ministries renews
PC(USA)’s relationship with Christians in Uganda.
Ruth holds a bachelor of arts degree in elementary education
from Michigan State University (1987) and a master of arts in
early childhood special education from from Georgia State University
(2000). She has worked in Gwinnett County Public Schools outside
of Atlanta, Georgia, for 13 years. During the last eight years
she has taught six-year-olds with developmental delays.
Ruth is a member of Peachtree Presbyterian Church in Atlanta,
Georgia. She has been involved Habitat For Humanity (locally and
in Belfast, Northern Ireland), with the mission committee of Peachtree
PC, and as a junior high youth adviser.
Birthday: October 27
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