Graduation Day: Trip #9

Saturday, May 21st

Meet the first cohort graduates of the Living Stones Pastoral Training Center! Graduations are a big deal in Uganda, and it is not that out of the ordinary for family members to run up to a student after receiving a certificate and dance and shout around them as they make their way back to their seat (they’d fit right in the upper Midwest!). Our very first meeting four years ago included forty-four men and today thirty-seven of them received certificates of completion. 

As the picture shows, the graduates had matching pants, shirts, ties, and clips. Their joy was obvious. When Mike and I walked toward the chapel and the graduates, they started clapping for and hugging us. I had wondered how long it would take for me to start feeling emotional. It didn’t take long as I started tearing up as they celebrated us. It would not be the last tears of the day. It was humbling and gratifying.

The cohort marched in with big smiles on their faces. Their joy was obvious. Kris Mobbs, our Ugandan based American leader here, was wise during the welcome. He asked that everyone remain in their seats due to time constraints (it didn’t work). Kris greeted everyone, including the friends from US (four others) and Africans who came. It became clearer to me all the people who had invested in bringing this day about.

We sang in Acholi, in Made, in Arabic and in English. Mike and I were each given ten minutes to speak (for the record, we were both done under ten!). Had my sons been present, they would have been betting with each other about how long it would take for me to start crying. I made it halfway through the entire first sentence! More singing and a message from Mwindula Mbewe, a church planter from Zambia (whose young daughter brought us much joy before leaving on Sunday). 

Before the certificates were handed out, we acknowledged our Lead Trainers, perhaps the five people in the cohort that worked the hardest. Our vision is to see an abiding network of Bible centered, gospel saturated African lead churches. In January, these five men will lead the next cohort, making it truly African lead. They have shared the teaching load with us starting in course four of nine and have given indication that they can and will carry on.

After the service, we made our way out to the lawn to meet family members and friends. It was great to meet the wives, parents, siblings and others of the thirteen in my learning group that made it to the end. We shared in a feast in which we were all well fed and called it a day, saying goodbyes that will likely have to wait till heaven.

This marks the end of our time in Uganda…or does it? Stay tuned for more!

Larry Szyman

Pastor for Missional Life