” All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer.” (Acts 2:42, NLT) 

In early Christianity the  “love feast “was a regular part of the activity of the church. The saints would gather and have something  akin to a potluck.  They would celebrate the Lord’s  table as part of  the feast. 

 Experiencing this wonderful  event with our Ugandan brothers  and sisters was part of the  “the plan” before we left. While nothing really goes “as planned “on a mission  trip, we were able to eat  with two different congregations of believers before we returned to the  USA.

 Both experiences were  wonderful and difficult.

When a Christian sits down and eats a hearty meal with someone who is hungry, it is  wonderful. I had insisted  on having local fare with  the congregations at Kasokoso and Soweto. The ladies  at Kasokoso labored all night.  Chicken and rice and matooke (cooked, smashed plantains) and sweet potato were ready to eat  immediately after worship. Unfortunately we were segregated and had our own food -something the locals thought we would be able to stomach. Ugandan food is simple but quite good even to the Western palette. I asked our host to give the team a special sampling of the dishes we were not provided initially and they were happy to share. Most of the team were not over-the-top about the dinner but everyone tried a little of what was offered. The big “treat” of the dinner was bottled sodas. For most of those we were sharing supper, a bottled soda was far too expensive to enjoy unless someone else was footing the bill. We ate and watched our family in Christ eat. Seeing hungry children filled was immensely gratifying.  During the supper I was distracted and did not finish my Coke (a rarity for me since I absolutely LOVE Coke in a bottle made with real cane sugar).  Michelle, my wife, noticed there was a young boy eyeing the remaining cola.  She handed me the bottle and asked if the boy could have the rest.  I handed my half coke to the young man and he received it as if it were a treasure.  He smile reminded me of the old “Mean Joe Green” commercial of yesteryear.

In Soweto, we actually rented out a restaurant.  We brought the congregation out of the slum up a street and into a very nice little shop.  Just over 100 of us shared supper together.  The children were again overwhelmed at being offered sodas.  Our missionary friend took delight in serving them. It was almost like Christmas.  The fare offered included the regular beef tail, rice, matooke, posho (grits), white potatos and millet (which is something like overcooked brown malt-o-meal with really fine sand mixed in). It wasn’t the favorite thing to eat. 

When a Christian from the USA sits down in a development of “houses” built almost exclusively for displaced persons (refugees without the official status) it is difficult.  On average I spend more in one day than anyone in either Kasokoso or Soweto will see in a couple of months, some in an entire year.  I never really think about the next meal being available, they wonder every day.  I love variety, they live on the exact same three to five ingredients every day, every meal.  Some suffer from malnutrition because what they do eat doesn’t contain a broad enough spectrum of nutrients.  It is difficult to see brothers and sisters in Christ in such need, such desperate circumstances and to walk away.  I know I cannot.