It's not about me

Here’s a question - why was I so surprised to find a quality hotel in Uganda?

I’ve been mulling this over during our postponed game drive this morning, and our journey to Soroti. The Safari Lodge was probably the cleanest hotel I have ever stayed in anywhere, including the ‘public’ toilets!  The staff were definitely the most helpful and friendly – they couldn’t do enough for us, and sorted our trips and gave us advice with good grace and lots of smiles. They treated Charles exactly the same as us. The catering staff were the most accommodating and flexible we’ve come across in a hotel, in relation to Tom’s awkward diet.

It just wasn’t what I was expecting. We’re now installed in our guest house in Soroti with a trickle for a shower, a cramped room with no bedside tables or any drawers, electric wires hanging off the wall – but its clean, the water is hot, we’ve had a good meal, the bed is comfy, and there’s free wifi. And guess what? The people are friendly and helpful.

So maybe I have some sort of prejudice – an expectation of poor quality and an inability to provide what foreigners expect. How wrong. They do it much better here than the place we stayed for 2 nights in Tenerife.  We may have had problems last year – but when we were prepared to pay what we’d pay in the UK we got something far, far better.

But the main factor is the people.

I think I need to go back to where we started in Rukungiri. As we visit people here and spend time with the disabled children in the Ark, I need to consciously treat them with dignity, humility and respect each and every adult and child.  No preconceptions, no poor expectations, no patronising attitude, no self-righteousness or superiority. It’s not about me.

Yesterday I read this in my daily devotional notes: ‘There is the hidden face of God in the faces of widows, orphans, strangers, aliens, prisoners, refugees, immigrants, the hungry, the thirsty, the sick, and the naked of the world around us (Matt 25:31-46)’. The author went on to suggest that these vulnerable groups are so special to God, they have almost divine preferential treatment. The most challenging idea was the proposition that caring for the marginalised is not only a true expression of faith, but likely to be the greatest factor taken into account on the day of judgement. I have a lot to learn about caring for the most vulnerable in society here and at home. It starts with dignity and respect, moves to listening to, not deciding what’s best for someone, and definitely goes as far as sacrificial service. 

The people in the hotel went above and beyond to make us comfortable and relaxed. Do I do the same for everyone I meet, whatever their circumstances?

And for my friends who love them, a picture of giraffes from this morning!