MY FINAL DAYS IN THE USA

WATCHING AMERICAN FOOTBALL IN OKLAHOMA

Mark and Margaret took me to the air port early in the morning to take my flight back to Oklahoma.

I found Jeff and Gene waiting for me at the air port and we drove off to Oklahoma City.

After Lunch we went to watch American foot ball at Oklahoma University stadium.

Oklahoma University was going to play with Kansas University.

The Stadium was filled 40 minutes before the game started. This stadium seats 80,000 people. It has two big screens on either side and several other medium size screens all over the stadium.

This was going to be a big game.

There was a loud blast of gun shots and a continued shout and a lot of noise when the OU game players entered the stadium.

The entire stadium was filled with red and white T-shirts for the OU fans with a few Blue T-shirts for the Kansas fans. Every body was so excited and expectant. Thank God, Jeff, Gene and I sat in a good place where I could take a closer look.

Before the game started, the OU band played the anthems of OU and Kansas Universities respectively. They then played the anthem of Oklahoma State and US national anthem before it played the Oklahoma state anthem again.

OU fans were cheering all over. There was this OU Horses and the riders that came in and took a quick round in the stadium with some masked men in horse heads. The band and two sets of young ladies kept every body entertained, with Music, games and gymnastics. I looked at every detail until my eyes pained.

Finally the game started and the fans would all stand up at once and all sit at once. At first I thought some one was making signals when to sit and stand but Jeff explain that some body sits and the rest feel like doing the same and it goes through the stadium. This is a game of able bodied men that literally wrestle over the ball to try and run with the ball to the other end of the opponents and the opponents try to stop them as much as possible.

Whenever OU scored, there would be a loud blast of gun shots and fire works plus a prolonged thunderous noise and shouting. Then the Horse riders would make a ride half way the stadium and the gymnastic girls would somersault! It was all crazy. Up till then I knew Americans were gentle and quiet people but my friend, every body was shouting crazy until I also felt like shouting. Thank God the OU won the game.

The more I watched it the more I picked interest. By the time we left I had converted to American football but it won’t last long. When I go back to Uganda where most people are crazy with Soccer, I will convert back to Soccer and support Arsenal Foot ball club.

SUNDAY SERVICE
This being my last Sunday in Elk City, I attended my service at the Methodist Church where Jeff and Whitney are church members.

It was a great opportunity to see most of the friends I had made and say farewell to them.

After service we had lunch with Jeff’s parents; Gene and Linda, they are amazing people, I enjoyed their company all through.

It also happened to be a birthday for Tim and Tiffan’s son, so we joined the rest of the family friends and had a good time, before we went back to meet Jonathan who was coming over to help us pack my bags ready for Tuesday journey back to Uganda.

That evening the Sunday school fellowship that Jeff leads had a function at Pat and Sarah’s house, there we met several other friends and the evening was great. We had a great fellowship and lots of fun. It was interesting to see every body dressed in funny costumes and attires. It all looked different and every body was laughing. At the end of the function gifts were given to winners of the day according to creativity, funny etc. Different people took prizes. I enjoyed it all.

GETTING MORE SPONSORS
More and more people are getting excited to be part of what God is doing in our community by giving an opportunity to at least one more child to go to school.

After the Sunday service at the Methodist church where Jeff and Whitney are members, many people came over asking for information to sponsor a child. Whitney gave them all this information.

Education to a child in our community is a treasure. Education helps develop the brains of a child to handle different challenges in life. Children who are given this opportunity to develop mentally will normally be successful and effective in life. And in Uganda it is easier for an educated child to get a job in future and be able to care of himself and possibly his siblings.

35 USD a month is all it takes to pay one child’s tuition in primary school.

Unfortunately, not many children in our community can afford this. Many don’t have this opportunity. The majorities are Orphans and others come from very poor families that cannot even afford a daily meal for their families.

We appreciate all those who have considered putting a side $35 to give a good future to at least one child in Africa.

Not only people in Elk City, Oklahoma are excited about sponsoring children, but also many from other parts feel it a special blessing to be part of this great opportunity to minister to children in need. Debbie and Logan Cox, Denise’s parents from Texas, who had formerly signed to sponsor two children, last week after Denise, had shared with them the bigness to the need, decided to take on eight more children!

Another lady from Utah called Mariah, Wolfe, a friend I met on the air port on my way from Florida, also decided to sponsor three children after we had shared about the need in our community to take care of the helpless children.

Thank you friends, for taking on such a great responsibility to become mothers and fathers to these precious children.

To sponsor a child, please write to Whitney Smith at: whitney-123@hotmail.com