Nine boxes of 160 Bibles arrived from six churches in South Carolina. With thanks to Paul and Pastor Phil, these Bibles will reach a variety of places throughout East Africa. But first…to get them home from the post office. The process is somewhat tricky and goes something like this:
1. Walk to Clock Tower Post Office box and check for the slip of paper indicating that a box has arrived (pray that they all come at once, which they don’t usually).
2. Boda with said slips to the main Post Office on Jinja Rd (it’s all uphill from Clock Tower and about 1 km distance).
3. Wait in “line” for Rachel, who knows me by name now.
4. Debate with Rachel’s manager about the charges given that the slips say the boxes were delivered on one day and that the papers were NOT in the box until after that (i.e., thus the fees should be reduced).
5. Wait for staff to retrieve one box at a time and plunk it on the high counter.
6. Pay the negotiated post office fees, pay no customs fees on Bibles.
7. Push all nine boxes to the low counter for customs inspection.
8. Wait for the customs person to open each and every box and inspect the content. Books are not subject to VAT but the trail mix stash is…they overlook it.
9. Reseal all nine boxes and hoist them to the security counter.
10. Security checks the slips against the box numbers to be sure the right boxes are leaving the building.
11. Figure out how on earth to get 9 heavy boxes to the car, which I refuse to drive in central Kampala.
Really, it’s always an adventure and one I’d never want to miss. Thank you to six churches for lovingly providing the Word of God in East Africa.
Beaverdam Baptist Church
Elizabeth Street Church of God
Clinton First Baptist
Lydia Pentecostal Holiness Church
Fairview Baptist
Bellview Baptist