Unusual commute: Church location defies convenience

The author notes that people are typically surprised upon learning she attends a church in Bunamwaya, which is over a 30-minute drive from her residence when traffic is light.

She recounted a time she invited an SDA friend to her worship service. After a lengthy, dusty journey to the church, her friend expressed doubt about the author's intelligence, asking why she would bypass several well-known churches like Watoto and Lubaga Miracle Centre they had passed, only to travel so far to this particular location.

The author understood her friend's confusion; in 2005, her church had just moved to Bunamwaya-Ngobe, which was considered an extremely remote area at the time.

They had to traverse a thick sugarcane field to reach the new church, which was then primarily constructed of thatch. This was a stark contrast to the modern, developed area Bunamwaya, Nalumunye, and Katale have become, now featuring paved roads and attractive homes. She reflected on this transformation with gratitude.

She recalled that her friend was accompanying her to church because she had received a leukemia diagnosis and a prognosis of seven months to live from her doctors, with a round of chemotherapy in Egypt having been unsuccessful.

The author convinced her friend that Jesus Christ still performs healings today, just as in biblical times, provided one has faith and attends church. Despite her friend's initial criticisms about the lengthy commute for worship, the author persuaded her, who came from an affluent background, to enter the building with a dirt floor. Her friend reluctantly participated in the midweek service.

To the author's delight, her friend called her on Sunday, indicating she would be waiting at Constitution Square for a ride back to Ngobe for the main service. While her friend never disclosed what resonated with her, she continued to join the author each week, traveling through the sugarcane plantation.

Approximately a month later, her friend enthusiastically telephoned her from Nairobi, where medical professionals had flown her for additional examinations, as they were perplexed by the behavior of her cancer cells.

In short, her friend's leukemia completely vanished, and she now enjoys a healthy existence in Belgium. Following this, her friend never again questioned the author's devotion to her church, regardless of the distance, having experienced a profound spiritual connection with the congregation and their pastor.

The author shares this narrative because she recently met an individual who resides in Entebbe but attends worship services in Nakaseke, emphasizing the unexpected nature of such choices.

She concludes by stating that some actions of Pentecostals are beyond explanation or understanding; the choice of church is a profoundly personal matter. They typically do not change churches just because they move residences, unless they receive divine instruction to do so.