![\"John](\"http:\/\/www.episcopalpgh.org\/bishopsblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/8fJohn-and-Betty-Ilukor.jpg\")
<\/a>John and Betty Ilukor in front of our house<\/p><\/div>\n
A few years ago, Simon Peter and his family built a house for me and Betsy in his compound, in the village of Ajoatorom\u2014 a traditional one-room hut about twelve feet in diameter with a poured concrete floor and a thatched roof. It has its own granary, pit latrine, and \u201cshower\u201d\u2014 a booth big enough for one to stand beside a tub of hot water for a sponge-bath. In short, by village standards, all the comforts of home!<\/p>\n
Until Wednesday, however, I had never spent a night there. And since Usuk is in Katakwi district, it makes sense for Pilgrim staff to accompany me\u2014 Dorothy our CEO, Doris our Ugandan Executive Director, Osborn Omoding our program director and Robert Ikwu our driver; we arrange meetings with the LOC 5\u2014 the district governor, who is called \u201cChairman\u201d\u2014 and medical staff in two area health centers, planning to connect with these folks either on the way there or back.<\/p>\n
This plan goes up in smoke. On the way we receive a call from the Chairman that the Karamojong have conducted a raid on a couple of villages the previous night and made off with a number of cattle. His presence is required in the bush. The staff of the clinics are not able to receive us either, given sudden \u201curgent commitments\u201d. We are not upset. This kind of thing happens all the time in Africa. We can meet them on some other occasion, and this means we will have a more relaxed time in Ajoatorom (pronounced ah-wha-to-ROM<\/em> ).<\/p>\n The roads have improved markedly since the end of the wars in this area; it only takes us an hour from Soroti to reach the beginning of the long rutted path to Simon\u2019s compound. Another few minutes, and we find the first of the signs the people have put out to help the driver\u2014 a bouquet of flowers tied to a banana tree (translation: turn right). A kilometer or so further on and people appear hear and there, waving. As the village comes into view, we hear the familiar greeting songs, the whoops and cheers, and Simon\u2019s family stream out to welcome us, accompanying our LandCruiser into the center of the compound.<\/p>\n Simon Peter (left) and Pilgrim’s Doris Otim with the Ojaman family<\/p><\/div>\n Simon is in the middle of the scene, beaming. There are hugs and tears. He is a tall vigorous man in the prime of life. Every time I see him I remember the way he looked when I first met him in the camp; where we are now seems a lifetime away from the place where people scrounged for food, while others sat by their huts waiting to die. Now we are surrounded by his young family\u2014 children, nephews and nieces\u2014 and here, at least, the fields of Katakwi are green.<\/p>\n Simon escorts me to my house, and gives me the tour, inside and out. Pictures of Betsy and me at his wedding hang on the walls, and outside flowers festoon the roof. The rest of our party is shown to their huts; one is even equipped with solar power. We pause for prayers at the grave of Simon\u2019s dad, then return to a feast that has been prepared, so we are all invited into the dining hut, seated in comfortable armchairs, and presented with an array of local delicacies\u2014 matakwan<\/em> and sicomawik\u2019<\/em> (greens related to chard, one saut\u00e9ed the other creamed with a bit of yogurt), roasted pork, atap<\/em> (a millet-based spoon-bread), a sauce made from groundnuts and ghee, potatoes, rice, and a bean curry, for starters. They do not always eat like this, but Ugandans always pull out all the stops for guests.<\/p>\n We take a walk through the fields, inspecting the crops, seeing the little church nearby that is an \u201coutreach\u201d of the parish of Saint Anne\u2019s\u2014one of forty-four preaching stations covered by two priests and several dozen catechists. We talk through the afternoon and into the evening. Friends come by to visit. Pastor John Ilukor, Simon\u2019s best friend, is here with his wife Betty in a stunning \u2018goma<\/em>, a traditional formal dress. Father Jerome, one of the local parish priests, visits us and apologizes that he will be unable to join us for prayers tomorrow, though Fr. Aloysius will be here. I haven\u2019t seen either of the clergy in a couple of years. The gathering goes on over hours; it reminds me a little of what it was like to visit my grandparents in the South when I was a child, with people coming and going, and no business but to tell stories and enjoy the company. We look up at the stars, which seem very close. The Southern Cross hovers over one of the huts.<\/p>\n<\/a>