Hot pink tinsel and the top reader

With one week of school remaining, the faculty of Mbale Mission School proudly presented our first graduate ever with her high school diploma. Leila Shelburne gladly received her diploma on Monday, 11 May at 3 pm on the front porch of the Shelburne home. Thanks to the coordination of our unofficial team event planner, Julie, we held a ceremonious graduation followed by a congratulatory party. Several of the staff—Phillip, Julie, Jennifer, and I—adorned the classic black caps and gowns along with our graduate. We tried to make the graduation very similar to something Leila would have experienced had she been graduating in the States. Our ceremony consisted of the following: the procession of the faculty and the graduating student accompanied by music, opening remarks given by Phillip, an awards ceremony, presentation of the diploma, prayer, and an exiting procession. (I must note that I am writing this over a month after the event and am very likely forgetting some things). While we tried to present an American feel, we do like in Uganda and therefore it had to have some Uganda flavouring as well. When Leila marched in the women ululated and friends ran forward to cover her with glimmering decorations such as tinsel, and when she received her diploma the children shot off noise poppers. All of this set in front of the beautiful backdrop of Mount Wanale. It was a very special day of celebrating Leila and all of her accomplishments. She will be attending Harding University in the fall.

I want to add that the ceremony caused me to realize just how short a time had passed since I had graduated. I was having flashbacks to my own recent graduation; it was a weird feeling. Also, this was my first graduation to participate in as a member of the faculty; it was fun.  Oh, you may have been wondering why we held the graduation before school was even out. Well, that was the only time we could get it scheduled into the chaos of our team’s schedule, and even then it wasn’t ideal. Thus is life on the mission field, especially just before furlough.