“I can’t wait for you to meet Bishop Ochola,” Erin exclaimed after she received a surprised phone call. I was not expecting to meet him so soon, but he was in town and wanted to have Erin and I over for dinner. I was really anxious, but I tried not to let on. Besides all the personal stories that Erin had to share from her time spent with Bishop, I had read about him in numerous books and articles.
Bishop Ochola is the retired bishop for the Kitgum diocese in northern Uganda. He serves as the leading peace builder for the northern region which has suffered through more than two decades of war. His efforts have brought national and international attention to the war and those who have suffered from it.
When we arrived to the part of town that Bishop was staying, he sent for one of his family members to retrieve us. He gave us a warm welcome and apologized for us getting lost. We walked up a small hill to the cozy house behind a steel gate. Upon entering the house I was met with laughter as small children were herded to the back so that the guest could have a place to sit. They would come say hello later and peep through the door to catch a glimpse of us . . .
By the time I had met Bishop Ochola I saw him as a larger than life figure. But as we started to chat, I felt more like I was talking to my grandfather.
With his calmed aged voice he casually mentioned that he would soon be traveling with Archbishop Odama to Kinshasa (DRC) to engage in peace talks. His larger than life figure came back to my mind as I sat with interested eyes and ears.
Then the time came for me to tell him a little bit about myself. So, besides all the general things, I was able to inform him of my research study in Gulu. He instantly started to talk of his work with the Acholi Education Initiative. After which he explained his sentiments about education the Acholi culture and his upcoming visit o the U.S. . . .
BEST part is that he even agreed to meet with me for an interview once I arrived in Gulu . . . It was a once in a lifetime opportunity!
I shall let you know how it goes!
Oh by the way, I might get a chance to sit down with BOTH Bishop and Arch Bishop tomorrow !!! We will see how it goes.
No comments:
Post a Comment