back on the horse

If you've been checking my blog with any consistency you will have realized that I've been behind the game in writing about Uganda and updating on life. I haven't had time and when I get overwhelmed I can tend to push things off so I don't have to deal with the challenging reality. Well, I'm trying to deal with reality and get back to writing weakly. So, that means I'm not going to type up all my journal entries - I think it would take about 4-6hours to do all this and I'm not sure when I'll have that time.

So, in terms of what has been happening with us, the most exciting thing is following up from the youth retreat we had in early March. There have been some neat connections that have developed from that weekend and we are working to pull in some additional youth volunteers and some teenagers who have been more on the fringes. There have been extra opportunities to teach and preach, which has been exciting but somewhat exhausting.

Outside of work Wesley is a wonderful challenge to both Hillary and I. He is so much fun, but he doesn't stop moving. He loves to be on the go and spend time outside running around, playing in the dirt, and pushing the stroller.

Uganda again

Well, I am still working through my journal typing it up and it's been two months since I've been back. This is much more labor intensive than I thought it would be. Anyway, we are all doing well and getting ready for a full weekend with family in town, people over, preaching on Sunday, and Hillary leading a counseling team meeting.

1/23
Early start to Mbale. Alarms didn’t go off for Al or I so Henry came in at 4:15 with a torch (flashlight) and roused us. The electricity had gone off sometime that evening. This happens intermittently. It took us till ~9am till we arrived at Mbale. I missed seeing Kampal and a big forest because it was still dark, but as the sun came up it was really neat to see Uganda. We had good conversation about universal principles and redemptive historical preaching which I need to think through. It was a good and challenging conversation to think through.
Outside of the ride here, it was an amazing and crazy day. We spent time with former Muslims who had converted to Christianity as they told us about their faith and persecution. There was an amazing sense of joy and life among them. When these former Muslims converted they changed their names, taking Christian names and are generally ostracized from their families. Here are some of their stories:
Rachel had a dream in which smoke formed the name of Jesus three times. She tells the man she is living with, and her family but they all dissuade her and tell her not to think of it. She tries to put it out of her mind over the next two months but is increasingly troubled. One day she passes by a church, goes insides, hears the gospel, and is converted. In response her brothers come to her home and burn all of her possessions. Her home has mud walls, a tin roof, dirt floors and three small rooms. You can still see some of the scorch marks from when her brothers burned her things. Despite her poverty and persecution she is full of joy and continues to speak about Christ to her Muslim neighbors.

Beatrice didn’t speak of how she came to Christ, but focused on the trials which have come because of her faith. She was a business women until her brothers came and stole the money she had recently borrowed from the bank for her business’ use. They said that since she is no longer a Muslim she should not have any money from Muslims (or something like that – we heard this all through an interpreter). They took her money, and all of her possessions. She was unable to make payments on her loan so the bank came and foreclosed her home. For about a year she would sleep in the church and cry out to God for his mercy. She prayed that the bank would be unable to sell her home and that he would provide her, somehow, with the money to payback the loan. There was no buyer for her home during the year the bank possessed it and a Christian who heard of her situation gave the money so she could payback the bank. As she is telling us this story she is praising God and speaking of her continued commitment to tell her Muslim neighbors of God’s provision for her.

Tom used to work at a Mosque in a position similar to a janitor. He spoke of the selfishness he observed among some of the leaders who had received some sort of gift for the Mosque (I think it was food), but used it for themselves instead of sharing. He didn’t say how he became a Christian, but spoke primarily of what happened afterward. Some men from the Mosque assaulted him, stripping him naked and beating him. In Uganda, many people only have one set of clothing, so after he was stripped naked he ran to the home of a church member who was able to give him some clothes. Those who beat Tom up also destroyed his crops, and continue to do so when he plants for the next season. He has nine children and struggles to provide for them.

The stories went on and many spoke of their love for Christ despite the difficulties they experience. Not all Christians converting from Islam experience persecution, but in this community that seemed to be the regular experience. One man, who was a sheik even talked about his life being threatened and his need to watch his back as he walks to church. It was an amazing experience to hear these stories and to encourage these fellow Christians in their endurance. Their joy and willingness to suffer – wow. Trying to process the time at the church today: God, keep me from unbelief. You are real and you are the one who has done this. Seeing individuals, then their families, then their extended families converted to Christianity, serving, evangelizing – it puts me to shame.

As we rode into this mountain village to this church service, there were eleven of us in this SUV: two in the front, four in the back seat, and five on these fold down seats in the trunk. There was a vine with about 60 bananas in the back with the five people! There are few people who own cars in Uganda, so transportation is prized. Whenever someone can catch a ride, instead of walking, they do it.

While we were in the mountains we also saw a wedding procession and hung out at the church before the wedding. There was a group of people singing and dancing as they processed about a mile to the church. Many were dressed in traditional garb, and the singing was beautiful. I don’t even know if the wedding had an official start time. Things happen in Uganda when everyone gets there. We joke about things running on Ugandan time which can mean almost anything.

Tonight we’re staying at the Anglican guest house in Mbale. We have our own rooms and there is a shower, which is pretty awesome. My room, and the guest house.

another Uganda post

please see the previous post for info on how I'm writing and for the different characters...

1/21 (again? I think this is when I changed from writing in the morning about my previous day to to writing in the evening about the events of that day)

Dinner tonight was an amazing experience. Bishop Daniel from North Mbali and his wife were there as were a member of the president’s cabinet and the secretary of transportation. These are people Henry has known throughout the years and are currently in positions of power and influence. It was an interesting evening spending time with these Christians in very influential positions within the country. I was impressed by their deep faith in Christ and their desire to see honor God in the position he has placed them in. Before we began dinner the man from the President’s cabinet and the Bishop of North Mbali led us in a song and the lyrics go something like this:
We’re here together again, just praising the Lord.
We’re here together again, in one accord.
Something good is going to happen.
The Lord has something great in store.
We’re here together again, just praising the Lord.

(the Bishop of North Mbale, his wife Perpetua, & the Honorable Dr. Suruma enjoying dinner at Henry's)

It was a wonderful time singing together around the dinner table and after dinner many spoke of what God was teaching them and their hopes and burden for God’s work in their country. As I sat there with these influential people of sincere and powerful faith, I was asking myself, “What am I doing at this table?” I felt out of place but very welcomed. One of the Americans who was dinning with us (he is here planning for a construction project that his church will be conducting later in the year) said that one day he hopes to give Uganda more than he receives. He said, with tears in his eyes, that every time he comes to serve in Uganda he ends up coming home with much more than he has given. Thinking back on this evening Lord, I see that I am too recreational in my Christianity. Forgive and restore me.

This afternoon we had a neat conversation about God working through dreams because one of the guys we were talking with brought up this dream he had had. Henry was saying that one of the ways he has seen God work is to use dreams to bring up unfinished business that God has with us. You can definitely go way to far in putting emphasis on dreams and ending up in all sorts of weird places, but as we talked about the dream this man spoke of as well as some other situations I’ve got a new category to think within.

1/22
Oddly enough the night after our conversation about God using dreams I have a weird dream about two guys trying to jump me in the bathroom while I’m at an art exhibit with Hillary. I wake up during an intense part of the dream and think for a while how I would get out of the situation. It was so vivid I could remember the belt buckle of one of the guys trying to get me. Through most of my time in Uganda I had crazy dreams from the Malaria.
Today was pretty low key as we had morning appointments but it was all thrown off by the rain. This is normally the dry season but there was a thunderstorm in the morning and the roads, which are already messy, get even worse. A woman from our church is from Uganda and her sister was supposed to come by that morning and we waited and waited, and then a guy from a local college/seminary that our church supports was supposed to pick us up and we waited and waited. Finally the women arrived and we had tea and then we heard the our ride to the seminary was at the bottom of the hill, but couldn’t make it up (even in his four wheel drive SUV). We had a slippery and exciting walk down the hill (see pictures) and eventually made it to the seminary. It was a really quick trip so we didn’t get to interact with the students but we got a quick tour of the campus (check out the kitchen below) and then hung with a couple that our church helps support financially. We had grilled cheese back at their house and I had a neat time getting to know this couple. The husband was a pastor for many years in San Diego and they retired and moved to Africa to help run this seminary and college. It was neat to hear their story and connect briefly. At dinner tonight there was one of the ministers of state who came over with his wife and we had a wonderful time together. They are both faithful followers of Jesus Christ and are seeking to make an impact on their culture. Lord, make them strong.

My first few days in Uganda

During my time in Uganda I kept a daily journal and I'm putting excerpts of it with pictures to help you get an idea of what my trip is like. Here's a few things to keep in mind. Some of this is stream of consciousness writting and isn't all clearly laid out (logically and gramatically, though I do my best). At some point I went from journaling in the morning to journaling in the evening so the dates might fluctuate but it's all here. Also, my journal is a mix of my memories of the day, an evaluation of the things I saw, and talking with God about it. So you'll notice a bit of all of these in my writings. Also, I've interspersed a few pictures.

1/18 En Route to Uganda – Wow.
It was sad and hard saying goodbye to Wesley and Hillary. It is strange to imagine three weeks gone – especially seeing him grow, helping Hillary out, sharing life with her and getting her feedback and encouragement. Flying out of Boston and looking at the city I am reminded of how big it is. And this is just Boston. We’re crossing oceans, flying over millions of lives and so many perish apart from you God. Wow – Lord, then to consider your immensity as the giver and sustainer of all life. Reading about knowing you intimately, it is stunning, almost hard to believe. Lord, draw me to you… can’t sleep – yikes… stayed up too long? Watching an action movie = bad idea. Negative 74 degrees outside the plane, is that with wind chill? Hahaha. Lord, even if I can’t sleep, I rest myself in thee.

*Schipol Airport, Amsterdam - below. There was this neat European feel that came out in the design, furnishings, stores etcetera, but there is still the ubiquitious McDonalds.

1/20 (lost time in travel)
It is Wednesday morning in Uganda and we are at Henry’s compound. (Henry is Dr. Henry Krabendam a close friend and mentor to my Sr. Pastor Al Baker. Henry has been involved in Uganda for at least 25 years and has a home there since he is there frequently. Dr. K or Dr. Henry as he is called by many Ugandans was a pastor for a while and then a professor at a Christian college teaching in areas like theology, bible, evangelism, apologetics and others.) It is beautiful here. I went to bed about 11 and slept till 8am. I was able to sleep about an hour or hour and a half on the first flight and about two on the second and then stayed awake until evening. On our second flight from Amsterdam to Entebbe Uganda, I woke up as we flew over the Alps. There were these majestic snowy peaks and tracts of cultivated land and concentrated towns deep in these valleys which crisscross the mountains. This was such a pleasant surprise. Then we flew of the Italian coast and the Mediterranean with amazing beaches. Finally we passed over the Libyan/Saharan deserts. This took hours. There were these wrinkles and pockmarks in the sand which reminded me of an old man’s face. I could also see various oases, it was all so vast. At the airport we met Rasheed, who is one of Henry’s business partners and manages his compound. We rode up to the compound in this land rover and it was necessary. The dirt road was full of ruts and we were bouncing all over the places. I wake up rested with birds calling and the sun gently pushing through the shades and there are a million shades of green dancing outside.

*Below is Henry's compound and the room Al and I slept in. The whole time we were there we slept under mosquito nets. One morning I found a mosquito had been under my net though the night - yikes!

1/21 It was a neat day yesterday. We (Henry, Al, and myself) had an afternoon of prayer with three Anglican Bishops, 2 archdeacons, a local Presbyterian pastor and a few other folks. The bishops have so many Christians in their dioceses, one has 400,000 people under his care – Wow. It wasa a privilege to spend tim with them, first talking and hearing about their burden for God’s work in their country and then praying together for your work in this world. This encouraged me. All of these men were saved from different backgrounds. One grew up in a pagan environment where his dad was a polygamist (polygamy used to be very common in Uganda, but is waning). Another of the bishops grew up in a Muslim family and was converted through his uncle who was a Christian. These are men who have had years of faithful ministry in difficult envirnments and I want to glean from them, but I’m not sure what to ask – or even if asking questions is the way that happens. We spend about 2½ in prayer after lunch and maybe 1½ hours after dinner. As we prayed I saw my unbelief and scoffing that God hears and acts. I need faith, conviction, new desires, the power of the Holy Spirit, and spirituality doesn’t come merely by association. God grow my faith, teach me to pray, lift me up, keep me from evil, help me to see your love in Christ and bless me with more of your Spirit. Fill me, or even just make me hungry. Protect me from the world, the flesh, and the devil, for you are worthy.
*Bishop Daniel from North Mbale Diocese on the left, then Al Baker, then Henry.

Many things don’t run on time here. Part of it is cultural (a focus on the event happening vs. the time it is supposed to happen) and some of it is technological (roads are bad, cars and taxis break down etc). Our time of prayer started late and through our time in Uganda we would joke around about things running on “Ugandan time” which could mean a half hour late to a few hours. One day we were supposed to be somewhere for lunch at 2pm (which we didn’t know), and we didn’t arrive until 4. But when we got there the food was on the table, and everyone was hanging out waiting for us. So there are some frustrating points when you’re trying to run a conference or get somewhere, but it is also really sweet when people aren’t as rushed and value down time together.

back...

It has been a just over a week now that I've been back in the US, and it has been wonderful to be home. Seeing my family was the best, telling people about the trip was number two, and after that there are so many little things: hot showers, sleeping in my bed, mexican food, not being sweatty, drinking tap water, having communion at church, reconnecting with friends. It was an amazing trip and here's what I'm going to do to tell you about it. I kept a daily journal, so I'm going to type it up, insert some photos and put it on my blog. Above is video of Christians in Soroti worshipping. We were training Christians in sharing their faith with others there would be times of singing and dancing between the times of teaching.

packing

When we were kids and our family was going on a trip my mom would set out a table somewhere in the house so we could lay out everything we needed to bring. While I am much less organized than my mom, I've got my own little table (first time ever) and am getting stuff ready for my tripe to Uganda. I'm leaving a week from yesterday (1/18) and will get back on Feb 6th. There is definitely a mix of excitement and nervousness. I'm nervous because I don't know what to expect and I'm excited for many, many reasons. As I was talking to people at church, they were encouraging me that you never know what to expect when you go to serve God. When you serve in less developed countries plans regularly change and you need to trust God that he will orchestrate things. I'm looking forward to how God will work in me throug trip and how he will use me in Uganda. Since I'm traveling next Monday (the day I normally blog), I won't be posting for the next three weeks, but when I get back I'll put as much as I can on the blog.

Christmas Extravaganza

Wesley loves tearing wrapping paper, as you can probably see. We've included a few shots of our vacation and a recent photo of him eating blueberries, which he loves. Coming home for Christmas is full of expectations. In some ways it was a great time at home, but it got off to a rough start. Wesley took about two days to adjust and his schedule threw off our plans for various fun outings, but eventually things got sorted out. Wesley had a great time with Nana and Pop (grandparents) and various other relatives. While we were away his teeth finally broke through, he became more vocal (lots of grunting), and more mobile (walking while you hold his hands). It was great to be away from work, but challenging to find a sense of balance and regularity over the holidays. I didn't check my email for a week which was so fun, but I missed doing the parts of my job that I love, and being at our church for our Christmas Eve service. We enjoyed being with folks at home and appreciated the help with Wesley but were glad to return to "normal" life. We've been back in CT almost a week and are getting into a rhythm, but that is going to be thrown off when I head to Uganda in less than two weeks - Wow. There is a lot happening between now and then and hopefully I don't forget anything major.