I bounced

"Bouncing" is what we call it when you go somewhere, and don't find the person you were looking for.  I suppose it's drawn on the same concept as bouncing a check: the funds for the check aren't there.  

Sunday, I left campus at 5:00 am to go to Entebbe.  I figured I'd be a bit early since there shouldn't be much traffic (there was NONE!  It was glorious!!), and got to church about 30 minutes before the service.  Whoops.

I had diligently studied my map, and had written directions for going to and fro.  I suspect that the map may not quite be to scale, because when I thought I had passed where the church should be, the lovely petrol attendant told me I still had a ways to go, as the church is near State House, which meant that the church is a lot closer to the airport than I had thought.  Omitting State House from the map is another topic entirely.

So, I continued on for a ways and indeed found the church just fine.  I was indeed asked to come sit in front of the church.  In the part of the service where the priest asks if there are any visitors, he said, "Other than our sister in orders, are there any visitors with us today?  I will ask the vicar to introduce our sister in a moment."  So I got my own introduction, and of course was asked to come give greetings.

All the while, I'm wondering what happened to my student.  He hadn't been in the procession.  He hadn't come in late.  He hadn't informed me that he wasn't coming (and while our visits can be surprises, he knew I was coming this week).  I was getting rather worried, assuming that he had to be sick.

After the service, I went in the vestry to greet the clergy, and lo and behold, there was my student!  I was simultaneously relieved that he was there and furious that I got up at 4:00 to bounce, not find him at the first service.  It turns out that he came a few minutes late, and couldn't vest for the service.

I had talked to the vicar about letting him lead or preach at some point during the semester, so they initially were going to have him lead the second service, but changed their minds, and asked him to take a reading.  

As we were leaving the vestry, I asked him if I was staying, and he just smiled and said, "yes!"  So I got to stay for another service.  Then endure a delightful traffic jam as I approached Kampala.

I must have misread my map, because the way home was slightly different than the way coming.  I have no idea how that happened; the road was just different.  I got to a rather confusing junction, and got in the lane to go straight because that's what my directions said, but realized that I needed to have turned left.

Do I get points for knowing that I was making a mistake, and knowing how to rectify it?

The silver lining in this is that I know how to get to Nsambya now.  :)