Most of America could have cared less Tuesday was my brother’s 70th birthday.
But Uganda sure took notice – at least those Ugandans associated with the Amy For Africa ministry. They sure know how to throw a party.
There was some homework done to pull off one of greatest tribute birthday parties to a man who has spent more than half of those 70 years doing the Lord’s work. If anybody deserved a party, it was Pastor Tim.
Here’s how it went down.
After securing that Tim and I were going on this summer mission trip back in the winter, I might have told Amy Compston to “throw a little party together since it is Tim’s 70th birthday on June 11 when we will be in there.”
I should have known this: Amy does not do anything little (Have you seen the photographs of the enormity of the AFA Christian Academy?) But what she pulled off – Amy says it was all the staff’s planning, not hers – would rival any party in the USA. It was full of fun, fellowship and laughter as the Ugandans showed how easy it was to honor a friend with an unforgettable experience.
Pastor Tim is somewhat new to Amy For Africa, at least as it relates to Uganda, with this being his first trip to the country. He has been a supporter and fan of the organization for a long time. A seasoned pastor with 43 years of experience until retiring last May, he admitted having doubts at first about the sustainability of AFA. Skeptical may be a better description. But since I was so heavily involved, especially at the outset, he kept his judgment to himself and cheered for us to make it.
Like everyone else who has experienced this ministry on first-hand level, now he’s a believer, too.
Pastor Tim has become a counselor and confidant for the ministry to Amy, who isn’t shy about seeking help as she guides AFA. When she needs wisdom, he is one of her go-to people. I keep him abreast of what’s happening in AFA and we both stand amazed at how God has built this mission, sustained this mission and grown this mission with prayer being the fuel.
The Ugandans on staff probably had never heard of Pastor Tim until we arrived last week. But Amy knows how to use a good horse. You ride them. She scheduled Pastor Tim to speak or preach on 14 different stops in our visit from June 4-18. Several times he has prepared something for twice in the same day. He has preached in churches, led staff Bible studies under trees and in impoverished areas, spoken at Threads of Hope sewing ministry, another growing AFA product, did a chapel service at the school for nearly 400 children and counseled and prayed with many others.
By the way, he’s not the only one on the trip even though it may seem like it. Chris and Amy’s two sons, Bear (plus his girlfriend Presley) and Jarek, Robbie VanHoose and Rob Barber have joined with me for a quite good team with a variety of skills. But like the Ugandans, we all sure do love Pastor Tim.
The day started at Threads of Hope where Pastor Tim was serenaded by a couple of the women as soon as we got off the van. Then they sang Happy Birthday three more times before our Bible study was finished. The Lord even provided a monkey for us to watch swing from tree to tree, something Amy said she could not remember happening. Maybe he liked the singing.
Seventy can be one of those tough ages to accept but he was reminded time and again about his new age. VanHoose graduated from Ashland Blazer with Tim in 1972 but he doesn’t hit the milestone until August. You can pretty well guarantee he won’t be anywhere near Uganda after Tuesday’s party.
Amy sent out a small warning to Tim that he “maybe should bring a change of clothes” because “sometimes they pour water on people with birthdays.” We envisioned bottles and cups. They brought tubs and basins. There were about 20 guilty parties who participated in the near water board experience. As Tim came around the corner on the top level of the massive school, he was hit with all that water – and singing. He looked like a drenched rat, soaking wet from head to toe, smiling and laughing the entire time.
Then they ushered him into a decorated party room where a beautiful cake was sitting on the table. Osborne David, an energetic music teacher, was the emcee for the party that included about 20 members of the AFA staff. This group had already fallen in love with Pastor Tim and could not wait for the celebration.
Uganda does a lot of things right and birthday parties may well top the list.
The emcee had a game to play. He passed around a cup with questions about Tim inside. They started the music – loud, because it always is here – and when it stopped, whoever had the cup would have to answer a question or face the consequence. The only correct answer was “What is the name of Tim’s brother?’ They knew that one but none of the others.
Several of them had to dance for Tim, one had to frog hop around the room, another was told to jump up and down, and Chris had to sing Happy Birthday (maybe the sixth time Tim had heard). Rob VanHoose, Amy and myself were asked to say something about Tim. Rob and Amy were great and even danced for him, too. I was too emotional to say much but did release my inner “Gorilla Dance” that has been doormant since 2017. So there was that.
Five of us, including Tim, cut into the cake and Jarek unleashed a spray of whipping cream all over us. So now Tim was not only wet, but a little sweet.
It was an incredible day but Amy had more for us. We stopped for a service at Word of God church where guess who was preaching? When we settled in there, they had a surprise up their sleeve too! Another round of cake and Happy Birthday where the second verse in Uganda goes, “How old are you now? How old are you now? You look like a baby, how old are you now?”
Tim didn’t need a reminder. He was 70 years old, even if he seemed like a kid enjoying multiple birthday parties on the same day. He told the Ugandans, “This is my best birthday party ever!”
Wednesday he will be back in “The Ghetto” preaching a service at Jinja Hope Fellowship and then we have a few more days before heading home. It would not surprise me if he comes back to Uganda one day – and Amy would sign him up today if she could – but it’s safe to say he won’t come anywhere near his birthday.
MARK MY WORDS 2 