Saturday & The Graduation

Saturday morning started with the team all heading off in different directions.  Walter, Ben, Cynthia and Greg went to the Bible College commencement exercises.  Ramon, Carole and Jim went with Dr. Patrick to visit water wells and the rest of the team visited the Luwanda Children’s Home.  Everyone met back at the Mbale church where we gathered with all our Ugandan friends for a delicious meal that had been prepared for us. 

The graduation ceremonies for the Covenant Bible Institute of Theology were a grand affair.  First Presbyterian has always stood with the college financially and through the years so when they realized that we were going to be in Mbale during the ceremony they wanted representatives from out church to participate.  Walter gave the commencement talk, Ben gave the charge to the graduates and Cynthia helped pass out the awards.  Little did they know that the Ugandan graduation was such a formal affair…traditional graduation robes were supplied and worn with pride.  There were chuckles all around at how silly they looked but the ceremony was wonderful.  The Covenant Bible Institute of Theology offers an intensive three-year core academic Diploma in Bible and Theology.  This curriculum covers 42 courses  giving the total of 102 credit hours that are required to complete the program in three academic years.  The graduates had worked long and hard, many leaving their families to be able to attend the college.  It was a privilege to be able to witness the jubilation and pride of the families as each graduates name was called to accept his diploma.  There were concordances and study Bibles handed out to the outstanding students in several areas.  A church from the United States had donated suits for each graduate so that they could start their mission as a pastor in a new suit.  The whole ceremony was a grand affair, full of Ugandan pomp and circumstance including a brass band.  Our prayers are with these young men as they go out as new pastors or church leaders and continue to be God’s fishermen.