There are times and seasons in life as we learn in Ecclesiastes 3:1 "There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven." The last three months have been a difficult and dry season for me personally.
While the ministry has been having a fruitful season I have struggled. On the July 31st Bev was shot at during an attempted armed robbery. God spared her life and only some bullet and glass fragments entered her eye. These are microscopic shards and the fear is that they will move and cause damage. She flew home to America and the doctors could only shake their heads in wonder and amazement that she has no real loss of eyesight. We praise our Lord, Jesus, who restores sight to the blind but also protects the sight of those who can see. Jesus is with us in all trials protecting us, guiding us and giving us strength to endure all situations.
Not having Beverly here for 3 weeks was difficult. We have become such a team the last few years. She is always there to help and assist me that I can sometimes take her for granted. But she is now back and we are facing new challenges all the time.
I am losing the ability converse with people. Things of daily interest just don't come to mind now. Where I have always been quiet it now takes an all out effort to enter into a conversation. I can teach but the ebb and flow while talking to a friend is not there.
After the robbery attempt, trusting others and not looking at every stranger as an enemy or potential thug has caused strain in all of our relationships. Who can and do you trust? God is there but it is just harder to see Him in others!
Sickness has made this a more trying time. In the last three months I have had two strong colds, a tough case of malaria and a bacterial infection in my lungs. Even as I write this the infection still refuses to heal. I am tired and weak and Bev is getting weary looking after me.
But good things are there as well. George and Luan Fellman have come from the western side of the country to help with the Ministry. This is an answer to lots of prayers over many years. George can give me relief from some of my physical duties and Luan can take the strain off Bev.
Isaac and Clea Wootton will join us in December and will take over the School of Ministry and some other duties. That takes away five hours of daily work. Connie Cross, Clea's mother will also be coming and help carry part of the load. All this is great. So what is the problem?
I have become so focused on work, what I do, and how I serve the Lord that I have started to struggle with how to "Love the Lord your God." It now seems that if I can't serve the Lord to the exact measure that I did in the past, I have become worthless.
Our clinic in Ogongora is struggling to make ends meet. The people want the services and medicines for free. Many would pay if they could, but they cannot. 70% of the monthly charges do get paid but it still leaves a hole. God has been more than faithful to supply but I don't want to take God's gracious provision and then say it is not enough. Therein lies the challenge. To trust God, to let God work according to His plan but also to follow Him and work according to the pattern He has shown us even when we are not sure of the provision.
At the end of it all we endure the difficult seasons for we know that Jesus will get us through even if we do not know how. Psalm 27:13-14 "I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord."
Monday, November 19, 2012
Saturday, November 17, 2012
An Evening of Entertainment and Sport
I don't want to say that evenings in Uganda are boring but unless you go out every night you do run out of options. So we have developed a new sport. Geckoing.
Origins of the Sport:
Geckos live every where in Uganda. In anything enclosed, like a house, latrine, shed, roof, or box you'll find at least two geckos there. They are cute, fast, but very shy. They may run if you see them or they may freeze. They also poop on anything that is beneath them. This is the origin of Geckoing. My wife has had enough of their mess. Trying to get rid of them before they stain your ceiling, walls or furniture is the object of the sport. (While a large percentage of Ugandans wrongly think geckos are demonic, this has caused confusion between Geckoing and the sport of Dragonslaying. With these similarities one can see how confusion develops.)
The Game
Play begins just before supper time and may last for hours. With the night, the geckos come out to feed on the insects that are always buzzing around. The early moments of the game are spent analyzing the opponent. Does it run straight or zigzag? Is there hesitation in the throwing motion? Is he a sweeper or smacker? In the singles version the contestant takes a throw pillow from the furniture and tries to knock the gecko off the wall and down to the floor. Pillow size and weight are essential to minimize household damage. Then the player pounces on the gecko and if successful, the player throws it outside. The doubles version calls for a lanceman and a wrangler. The lanceman knocks the gecko to the ground with a stick or whip where the wrangler seizes it and throws it out. The winner is the player with the most geckos caught inside and tossed outside into the night.
A Few Simple Rules
1. You cannot kill or maim the gecko during the course of play. This immediately stops play. A lost tail may cause a delay in play but since tails grow back, no harm no foul!
2.Spotlighting to immobilize the gecko is not allowed in eastern Uganda; however it is popular in the West.
3. The gecko must be caught by the wrangler in their hand or a dust pan and put outside to score.
4. While early in the sport's history, aerosols were used to slow the competition, now with the advent of both modern strategies and equipment these sprays are no longer used.
As in all sports there is the risk of injury to competitors. The sport has been endorsed by both the Uganda Gecko Homeboard (UGH.ugh .co) and the Kilimanjaro Intellectual Outdoor Sideral Society (Kil-It-Out-side Society)
Origins of the Sport:
Geckos live every where in Uganda. In anything enclosed, like a house, latrine, shed, roof, or box you'll find at least two geckos there. They are cute, fast, but very shy. They may run if you see them or they may freeze. They also poop on anything that is beneath them. This is the origin of Geckoing. My wife has had enough of their mess. Trying to get rid of them before they stain your ceiling, walls or furniture is the object of the sport. (While a large percentage of Ugandans wrongly think geckos are demonic, this has caused confusion between Geckoing and the sport of Dragonslaying. With these similarities one can see how confusion develops.)
The Game
Play begins just before supper time and may last for hours. With the night, the geckos come out to feed on the insects that are always buzzing around. The early moments of the game are spent analyzing the opponent. Does it run straight or zigzag? Is there hesitation in the throwing motion? Is he a sweeper or smacker? In the singles version the contestant takes a throw pillow from the furniture and tries to knock the gecko off the wall and down to the floor. Pillow size and weight are essential to minimize household damage. Then the player pounces on the gecko and if successful, the player throws it outside. The doubles version calls for a lanceman and a wrangler. The lanceman knocks the gecko to the ground with a stick or whip where the wrangler seizes it and throws it out. The winner is the player with the most geckos caught inside and tossed outside into the night.
A Few Simple Rules
1. You cannot kill or maim the gecko during the course of play. This immediately stops play. A lost tail may cause a delay in play but since tails grow back, no harm no foul!
2.Spotlighting to immobilize the gecko is not allowed in eastern Uganda; however it is popular in the West.
3. The gecko must be caught by the wrangler in their hand or a dust pan and put outside to score.
4. While early in the sport's history, aerosols were used to slow the competition, now with the advent of both modern strategies and equipment these sprays are no longer used.
As in all sports there is the risk of injury to competitors. The sport has been endorsed by both the Uganda Gecko Homeboard (UGH.ugh .co) and the Kilimanjaro Intellectual Outdoor Sideral Society (Kil-It-Out-side Society)
Sunday, August 19, 2012
An African Passover
Friday at 3:00pm, right during the height of the Be Disciples youth conference, the storm hit. It took us all by surprise to say the least. It had been raining a little bit here but it seemed like the rainy season was about over. A couple of days of sun and heat had lulled us into a false sense of meteorological peace and security.
With 260 youth on the compound all having a blessed time of learning and fellowship,who had time to look up? Then it started to drizzle. 90 seconds later the rain came for real. I hoped it would stop quickly but the storm had different plans. It rained even harder Then we remembered the tent.
Our tent is an 80' by 20' tarp that has relatively few holes in it so it is worth saving. But without holes it has no way to release the water. I decided I'd better check. As was feared the tent had begun to resemble an above ground pool only this one was literally three to four feet above the ground. Since poking holes to let it drain was not an option, Faisal and I tried to lift the tent upwards to drain the water off the sides.
Now I admit sometimes I'm not too bright and this was one of those times. Two hundred gallons of water weighs approximately the same as an early model Volkswagon bug fully loaded with twenty high schoolers of your choice. Pushing didn't work since we had to push it up about four feet.. The ropes would have to be untied. Only problem is you can't be under the tent to untie it. So out in the rain we go. The rain is coming harder, the water is getting heavier and the tent is hanging lower but we finally got it done. Faisal and I even managed to avoid being swept away in the flood from the now collapsing tent! People wonder why I don't go white water rafting. Why should I when the same amount of terror is right here at home?
But the cool part is the African Passover. The winds were really howling during all this. We lost two trees on the compound and many in the neighborhood. The next day Patrick and Robert came and told me how it was just like we had read Wednesday night at bible study. Asking how, they said it was just like the Pasover. God protected his people in His house and His people's houses. Apparently the wind tore the roofs off the houses next to the ones the church rebuilt and the roof off the Ministry of Works building across the street. My friends were excited to tell the story of how God had spared them by passing over their houses.. All I could say was "Amen" to that!
I do have to admit I'm not sure what to expect this week. It is Exodus 13-15 the parting of the Red Sea it should be very exciting and hopefully drier!
With 260 youth on the compound all having a blessed time of learning and fellowship,who had time to look up? Then it started to drizzle. 90 seconds later the rain came for real. I hoped it would stop quickly but the storm had different plans. It rained even harder Then we remembered the tent.
Our tent is an 80' by 20' tarp that has relatively few holes in it so it is worth saving. But without holes it has no way to release the water. I decided I'd better check. As was feared the tent had begun to resemble an above ground pool only this one was literally three to four feet above the ground. Since poking holes to let it drain was not an option, Faisal and I tried to lift the tent upwards to drain the water off the sides.
Now I admit sometimes I'm not too bright and this was one of those times. Two hundred gallons of water weighs approximately the same as an early model Volkswagon bug fully loaded with twenty high schoolers of your choice. Pushing didn't work since we had to push it up about four feet.. The ropes would have to be untied. Only problem is you can't be under the tent to untie it. So out in the rain we go. The rain is coming harder, the water is getting heavier and the tent is hanging lower but we finally got it done. Faisal and I even managed to avoid being swept away in the flood from the now collapsing tent! People wonder why I don't go white water rafting. Why should I when the same amount of terror is right here at home?
But the cool part is the African Passover. The winds were really howling during all this. We lost two trees on the compound and many in the neighborhood. The next day Patrick and Robert came and told me how it was just like we had read Wednesday night at bible study. Asking how, they said it was just like the Pasover. God protected his people in His house and His people's houses. Apparently the wind tore the roofs off the houses next to the ones the church rebuilt and the roof off the Ministry of Works building across the street. My friends were excited to tell the story of how God had spared them by passing over their houses.. All I could say was "Amen" to that!
I do have to admit I'm not sure what to expect this week. It is Exodus 13-15 the parting of the Red Sea it should be very exciting and hopefully drier!
Wednesday, August 1, 2012
Armed Robbers!
This is no joke! Yesterday four armed men forced Bev off the road as she was coming back from the bank. As she slowed down to turn into our compound a car cut her off and the thugs jumped out. We had seen two armed robberies in front of our house and we had prayed it would never be us. Today we can't say that. But today we give thanks to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ that in the worst case scenario He is right there watching over us.
As Bev saw the men she started to scream for help. Steven heard her and ran towards the gate and hollered for me to come. Reaching the street Stephen tried to keep the the driver from taking off and I ran over to see if Bev was okay. Then I saw a man holding an AK47 yelling for Bev to open the passenger door. At first I thought he was a security officer but then realized that he and the one with him were thieves and were planning to shoot Bev. I tried to pull her out of the car but couldn't since the robber had his gun pointed at her. I waved with my hands "Don't shoot, wait!" Then I started around the back of the car. Just then they fired a shot at Bev shattering the passenger window and spraying her with glass.
I ran back to Bev and found her laying across the passenger seat. My heart sunk. Then I realized there was no blood and Bev sat up! This time she got out of the vehicle and we ran across the street into the compound. I told Kelli to lock the gate then get Bev inside. Then I ran back to check on Steven.
The driver of the thieves' car had managed to get away so when they fired at Bev, Steven ran towards the car as the thieves ran off. Steven followed in pursuit. They fired two shoots at him but he keep after them. Finally coming close to them they turned around and headed back in Steven's direction then walked past him. Then Steven pelted one of them in the back of the head with a stone, knocking him to the ground.
By this time Rogers, Davis, Joseph and I were spread out into the banana plantation
looking for the thieves. Apparently the one with the gun abandoned his friend, who Steven had stoned, and jumped on a waiting motorcycle. The guys managed to catch and hold the bleeding thief who we locked in our compound. There were more minor injuries to our guys trying to keep the mob from killing him but they kept him until the police came.
Two hours later after fetching the fingerprint man from his barracks and taking him back again Bev and I went to Central Police Station. We were led into an office to give our statements and there on the floor was the bleeding thief, giving his statement. Part of me wanted to go kick him in the head. Part of me wanted to know what drives a man like that.
Perhaps I don't need to know. Perhaps I just need to remember that God is in control and trust Him to do His will. We are extremely thankful that God let none of us be severely injured or killed. He has been so gracious to us. Thank you Lord!
As Bev saw the men she started to scream for help. Steven heard her and ran towards the gate and hollered for me to come. Reaching the street Stephen tried to keep the the driver from taking off and I ran over to see if Bev was okay. Then I saw a man holding an AK47 yelling for Bev to open the passenger door. At first I thought he was a security officer but then realized that he and the one with him were thieves and were planning to shoot Bev. I tried to pull her out of the car but couldn't since the robber had his gun pointed at her. I waved with my hands "Don't shoot, wait!" Then I started around the back of the car. Just then they fired a shot at Bev shattering the passenger window and spraying her with glass.
I ran back to Bev and found her laying across the passenger seat. My heart sunk. Then I realized there was no blood and Bev sat up! This time she got out of the vehicle and we ran across the street into the compound. I told Kelli to lock the gate then get Bev inside. Then I ran back to check on Steven.
The driver of the thieves' car had managed to get away so when they fired at Bev, Steven ran towards the car as the thieves ran off. Steven followed in pursuit. They fired two shoots at him but he keep after them. Finally coming close to them they turned around and headed back in Steven's direction then walked past him. Then Steven pelted one of them in the back of the head with a stone, knocking him to the ground.
By this time Rogers, Davis, Joseph and I were spread out into the banana plantation
looking for the thieves. Apparently the one with the gun abandoned his friend, who Steven had stoned, and jumped on a waiting motorcycle. The guys managed to catch and hold the bleeding thief who we locked in our compound. There were more minor injuries to our guys trying to keep the mob from killing him but they kept him until the police came.
Two hours later after fetching the fingerprint man from his barracks and taking him back again Bev and I went to Central Police Station. We were led into an office to give our statements and there on the floor was the bleeding thief, giving his statement. Part of me wanted to go kick him in the head. Part of me wanted to know what drives a man like that.
Perhaps I don't need to know. Perhaps I just need to remember that God is in control and trust Him to do His will. We are extremely thankful that God let none of us be severely injured or killed. He has been so gracious to us. Thank you Lord!
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
You Are The God Who Protects Us
I thank you Father for protecting Bev's life and the lives of our staff today.
Bev could have died when that gunshot shattered her window but You made the bullet divert through the roof of the car.
Steven or Davis or Rogers or Joseph could have been shot and killed when they chased the robbers but You made them miss and none of us got shot.
Thank you Lord for putting such a bond of love between us that my brothers would chase down two armed robbers in a dense banana plantation and capturing one because they had tried to harm Bev.
God you are so good to us that we cannot say thank you enough.
Lord thank you for giving me more time with my wife.
You indeed are the God who saves. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Bev could have died when that gunshot shattered her window but You made the bullet divert through the roof of the car.
Steven or Davis or Rogers or Joseph could have been shot and killed when they chased the robbers but You made them miss and none of us got shot.
Thank you Lord for putting such a bond of love between us that my brothers would chase down two armed robbers in a dense banana plantation and capturing one because they had tried to harm Bev.
God you are so good to us that we cannot say thank you enough.
Lord thank you for giving me more time with my wife.
You indeed are the God who saves. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Monday, July 23, 2012
Building a Souler Heater
I've been sick for a week now, maybe malaria, maybe something else but it is annoying me! I've got a project to build. A solar water heater.
With a design finally in place and a plan duct taped together, I am ready to go. But if I had tried to build it this past week I would have botched it. Fortunately as the illness delayed my start I began to see some design flaws. Places where I had cut corners or didn't consider what the design would lead to. So back to the drawing board.
As an avid Do-it-yourselfer I enjoy my time planning projects but invariably when I think I know better than the experts I doom the project to either failure or very limited success. So this period of reconsidering and redrawing plans is beneficial but frustrating. I want to get the heater right the first time but I don't always want to take the proper steps.
My desk is covered with ideas about things I want to build but don't take the time to get all the information I need. (I was going to include a picture of my desk but adding a picture to my blog is too technical for me.) I tend to get excited about a project for awhile then as it proves more difficult than I imagined, I lose my enthusiasm and many times the project dies in a heap of paper on my desk.
But then I realized today that this is the story of my life. Not my physical life but my spiritual life. I read in God's word about what I can be and what God wants me to be and I get excited. I jump with both feet into a new commitment to improve a weak spiritual area in my life. Only to realize that it was not a simple as I thought.
I start to cut corners and neglect to heed all of God's word. I look for the quick easy solution rather than going by the expert design and plans of my Creator. I start to think I can improve on the design of my life by doing-it-myself. But it doesn't get better only worse. But if I slow down and go back to His design I learn how to build my life, when to change my life, where to live my life and why God has given me this life.
And as I am learning to slow down I am learning to meditate more on what Jesus is doing in my life. I look to and for Him more. Then I start to feel the warmth of His love for me. That is the souler heater I really need!
With a design finally in place and a plan duct taped together, I am ready to go. But if I had tried to build it this past week I would have botched it. Fortunately as the illness delayed my start I began to see some design flaws. Places where I had cut corners or didn't consider what the design would lead to. So back to the drawing board.
As an avid Do-it-yourselfer I enjoy my time planning projects but invariably when I think I know better than the experts I doom the project to either failure or very limited success. So this period of reconsidering and redrawing plans is beneficial but frustrating. I want to get the heater right the first time but I don't always want to take the proper steps.
My desk is covered with ideas about things I want to build but don't take the time to get all the information I need. (I was going to include a picture of my desk but adding a picture to my blog is too technical for me.) I tend to get excited about a project for awhile then as it proves more difficult than I imagined, I lose my enthusiasm and many times the project dies in a heap of paper on my desk.
But then I realized today that this is the story of my life. Not my physical life but my spiritual life. I read in God's word about what I can be and what God wants me to be and I get excited. I jump with both feet into a new commitment to improve a weak spiritual area in my life. Only to realize that it was not a simple as I thought.
I start to cut corners and neglect to heed all of God's word. I look for the quick easy solution rather than going by the expert design and plans of my Creator. I start to think I can improve on the design of my life by doing-it-myself. But it doesn't get better only worse. But if I slow down and go back to His design I learn how to build my life, when to change my life, where to live my life and why God has given me this life.
And as I am learning to slow down I am learning to meditate more on what Jesus is doing in my life. I look to and for Him more. Then I start to feel the warmth of His love for me. That is the souler heater I really need!
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
Don't Look At The First Man
"Don't look at the first man but look at the one behind him." God had me speak these words to a young man in South Africa as he was preparing to plant a church. A group of us were praying for him and God put those words on my lips for him.
I was reminded of this Tuesday as we were looking to interview for a new Laboratory assistant at the clinic in Ogongora. I had tried without success to reach our # 1 candidate from the previous year but his phone was never available. On the 6 hour drive to the clinic I kept trying his number only to get the recording that his phone was not available. One time it did ring but nobody answered so I prayed again for the Lord to put us in contact.
Two and one half hours later when I arrive at the clinic my phone rings and it is the Lab Asst. I explain why I had called him and he agreed to come from Kumi to interview. Pastor Okello Stephen and I rejoice at God's answering our prayer. It was perfect! Or so it seemed at the time.
Three hours later, when our prospective Assistant arrived he immediately informed us that he wanted three times what we could afford to pay him. And He also was just put on the shortlist for a better job in Soroti. He then declined to discuss anymore details and wanted to leave. Since I had agreed to pay his transport I reluctantly reached for my wallet.
As I went to ask the boda, the motorcycle driver, how much he was going to charge us I noticed he was a middle aged man not like the young daredevils who typically drive bodas. He told me the price but then asked if he could have a minute of my time. "Sure, what can I do for you?"
"Well my son is a lab asst. and I overheard that you are looking for one. Would you mind if I went and got him?"
"Yes, by all means!"
Thirty minutes later we were interviewing Ronald and he was promising. Are you born again? Yes. I asked how old he was- 23- good we wanted a young man. I asked if he was married but it wasn't likely at that age. He said he was married. Hey this guy is getting better all the time! But no children? Yes, my first born was born this morning! Wow! He wants a job close to home so much so that he leaves his wife in the hospital to interview with us. Next question, "How much would you want to get paid?" He gives a number and BINGO right on the dot to our budget.
I am so excited I can hardly keep from hugging this guy! A final question pops into my head. "Is there any other medical work you can do?" He is trained to dispense drugs! The other staff person we needed to hire was someone who could dispense drugs.
That is when I remember the words Jesus had put on my heart. "Don't look at the first man but look at the one behind him." The Lord made me realize that he was in control, not me. All my plans fail but His don't. And I could take no credit it was all the Lord's doing.
I am also reminded that the first man Adam failed. But the second Adam, Jesus Christ has never failed! Look past man and see the One that God has sent for us. He is perfect for our lives no matter how many questions you ask!
I was reminded of this Tuesday as we were looking to interview for a new Laboratory assistant at the clinic in Ogongora. I had tried without success to reach our # 1 candidate from the previous year but his phone was never available. On the 6 hour drive to the clinic I kept trying his number only to get the recording that his phone was not available. One time it did ring but nobody answered so I prayed again for the Lord to put us in contact.
Two and one half hours later when I arrive at the clinic my phone rings and it is the Lab Asst. I explain why I had called him and he agreed to come from Kumi to interview. Pastor Okello Stephen and I rejoice at God's answering our prayer. It was perfect! Or so it seemed at the time.
Three hours later, when our prospective Assistant arrived he immediately informed us that he wanted three times what we could afford to pay him. And He also was just put on the shortlist for a better job in Soroti. He then declined to discuss anymore details and wanted to leave. Since I had agreed to pay his transport I reluctantly reached for my wallet.
As I went to ask the boda, the motorcycle driver, how much he was going to charge us I noticed he was a middle aged man not like the young daredevils who typically drive bodas. He told me the price but then asked if he could have a minute of my time. "Sure, what can I do for you?"
"Well my son is a lab asst. and I overheard that you are looking for one. Would you mind if I went and got him?"
"Yes, by all means!"
Thirty minutes later we were interviewing Ronald and he was promising. Are you born again? Yes. I asked how old he was- 23- good we wanted a young man. I asked if he was married but it wasn't likely at that age. He said he was married. Hey this guy is getting better all the time! But no children? Yes, my first born was born this morning! Wow! He wants a job close to home so much so that he leaves his wife in the hospital to interview with us. Next question, "How much would you want to get paid?" He gives a number and BINGO right on the dot to our budget.
I am so excited I can hardly keep from hugging this guy! A final question pops into my head. "Is there any other medical work you can do?" He is trained to dispense drugs! The other staff person we needed to hire was someone who could dispense drugs.
That is when I remember the words Jesus had put on my heart. "Don't look at the first man but look at the one behind him." The Lord made me realize that he was in control, not me. All my plans fail but His don't. And I could take no credit it was all the Lord's doing.
I am also reminded that the first man Adam failed. But the second Adam, Jesus Christ has never failed! Look past man and see the One that God has sent for us. He is perfect for our lives no matter how many questions you ask!
Monday, June 25, 2012
The Pain and Joy of Prayer
This past week I was able to minister to others with a team from Believers World Outreach at two free clinics. I was challenged and blessed. My brother Jeremiah and I shared the gospel and prayed with all those standing in the queue waiting to be seen by the medical personnel. It was painful and joyful at the same time.
The pain comes with praying for others one by one. To see so many sick, hurting and needy people makes the task seem hopeless. Thoughts of "How can I help these people?" overwhelm you. You see your own inadequacies and can even begin to wonder if God is listening. Am I qualified spiritually to intercede for all these? The answer is "Yes" and "Yes".
"Yes" is the first answer that pops into your mind. God is listening!
The next answer is "Yes" as well. I don't know these folks so how can I seek God's will on their behalf? The solution is simple, find common ground. Begin to relate to them as people and not a ministry. Ask them what hurts, what doesn't feel right, what do they need. Where does their hope lie? As you begin to get answers you now find the strength to pray. These are people who need God's help. So you now approach the throne of grace with confidence. This is not a vague prayer but it is a plea for Loyce and her bad back. It is a plea to our loving God for Beatrice and her dislocated wrist.
The pain of feeling worthless is slowly replaced by joy. The more you talk with God the more you feel His presence. You pray more confidently knowing that God is listening and has chosen you to bring their needs to Him. And you get the peace in your heart that God has you right where He wants you doing just what He wants you to do!
The hospital prayer ministry is more of the same. How do you pray fur a 58 year old woman who was hit by a car losing her left arm, both legs and is in a coma with a drain tube in her skull being treated by her daughter who lost her son in the same accident? All you know is that this wounded family needs Jesus' help, so you pray! By now you are confident that God is listening. Every word, every breath draws you closer to Him who saves and heals. Now the pain is fully turned to joy. The doubts are gone and the Holy Spirit causes us to go beyond words and pray in Him. Not in tongues but in heart with a passion that far exceeds our best verbal prayers. The family receives comfort and so do you.
I have been humbled and blessed this week by praying for others. Take time to pray and you will be blessed too!
The pain comes with praying for others one by one. To see so many sick, hurting and needy people makes the task seem hopeless. Thoughts of "How can I help these people?" overwhelm you. You see your own inadequacies and can even begin to wonder if God is listening. Am I qualified spiritually to intercede for all these? The answer is "Yes" and "Yes".
"Yes" is the first answer that pops into your mind. God is listening!
The next answer is "Yes" as well. I don't know these folks so how can I seek God's will on their behalf? The solution is simple, find common ground. Begin to relate to them as people and not a ministry. Ask them what hurts, what doesn't feel right, what do they need. Where does their hope lie? As you begin to get answers you now find the strength to pray. These are people who need God's help. So you now approach the throne of grace with confidence. This is not a vague prayer but it is a plea for Loyce and her bad back. It is a plea to our loving God for Beatrice and her dislocated wrist.
The pain of feeling worthless is slowly replaced by joy. The more you talk with God the more you feel His presence. You pray more confidently knowing that God is listening and has chosen you to bring their needs to Him. And you get the peace in your heart that God has you right where He wants you doing just what He wants you to do!
The hospital prayer ministry is more of the same. How do you pray fur a 58 year old woman who was hit by a car losing her left arm, both legs and is in a coma with a drain tube in her skull being treated by her daughter who lost her son in the same accident? All you know is that this wounded family needs Jesus' help, so you pray! By now you are confident that God is listening. Every word, every breath draws you closer to Him who saves and heals. Now the pain is fully turned to joy. The doubts are gone and the Holy Spirit causes us to go beyond words and pray in Him. Not in tongues but in heart with a passion that far exceeds our best verbal prayers. The family receives comfort and so do you.
I have been humbled and blessed this week by praying for others. Take time to pray and you will be blessed too!
Saturday, June 23, 2012
Flat Tire Follies
I am so tired of flat tires!
A few weeks back Jo, Maddy, Asiimwe Grace and I went to the clinic in Ogongera to do some work. The day started well and we reached Mbale in good time. That 140 kilometer ride from Jinja is over some of the finest roadway in Uganda. However the next 105 kilometers to Soroti is over some of the worst roadway that this country has to offer.
As we were leaving Mbale on the bad road the truck began to feel a little squirrelly. Just then I moved over to let a vehicle pass and he pointed to my tires so we stopped. Both rears were almost completely flat. Fortunately the Lord allowed this to happen in front of the last service station for the next 25 kilometers so we limped in and began the process of repairing the punctures.
Two hours later with the spare in place and the two tire tubes patched we started again. Things went well for 50 kilometers until the spare, now on the right rear, went flat.
The rack for the spare on the truck is under the bed of the pickup and it has a chain hoist that lowers the spare to the ground when you need it. At least it is designed to work that way. In my yard it works that way but on the road, especially in the dirt and mud it does not! It likes to stick, get jammed and fail right when it is the most inconvenient time. It seems that is the nature of anything associated with a flat tire. Maximum annoyance with a minimum of reliability.
So now I am under the truck on my back trying to lift the tire up with one hand while using my shaky left hand to guide the chain. While doing this Grace is attempting to lower the chain with the handle. Too bad he can't remember which way to turn the handle, so he raises the spare back up getting my hand stuck between the bed and the tire. I carefully monitor my tone of voice and ask Grace to kindly turn it in the other direction. To an untrained bystander it may have sounded more like a growl or even a shout concerning the prospective lifespan of Grace at that particular moment depending on his next choice of action. To be exact I said, " If you value your life you'd better turn the handle the other way. NOW!" Grace does indeed have a strong value system when it comes to his longevity and down came the tire on my chest. The added pressure kept me from saying anything else that might have offended anyone. The hand stopped bleeding as the dirt encased and sealed up the wound. The rest of the tire change was a piece of cake.
We bought a new tube in Soroti and proceeded to do our work at the clinic.
Since then as you have read elsewhere we have had 8 more flat tires on various vehicles. But God is in control and teaching me to be more patient with others and not to put my expectations on them. I need to enjoy the ride He has me on. Even if the tires aren't round any more. I think Jesus wants me to know that where I'm going is important and so is when I get there. But not at the cost of forgetting where I am now and how I behave in the present in His presence.
A few weeks back Jo, Maddy, Asiimwe Grace and I went to the clinic in Ogongera to do some work. The day started well and we reached Mbale in good time. That 140 kilometer ride from Jinja is over some of the finest roadway in Uganda. However the next 105 kilometers to Soroti is over some of the worst roadway that this country has to offer.
As we were leaving Mbale on the bad road the truck began to feel a little squirrelly. Just then I moved over to let a vehicle pass and he pointed to my tires so we stopped. Both rears were almost completely flat. Fortunately the Lord allowed this to happen in front of the last service station for the next 25 kilometers so we limped in and began the process of repairing the punctures.
Two hours later with the spare in place and the two tire tubes patched we started again. Things went well for 50 kilometers until the spare, now on the right rear, went flat.
The rack for the spare on the truck is under the bed of the pickup and it has a chain hoist that lowers the spare to the ground when you need it. At least it is designed to work that way. In my yard it works that way but on the road, especially in the dirt and mud it does not! It likes to stick, get jammed and fail right when it is the most inconvenient time. It seems that is the nature of anything associated with a flat tire. Maximum annoyance with a minimum of reliability.
So now I am under the truck on my back trying to lift the tire up with one hand while using my shaky left hand to guide the chain. While doing this Grace is attempting to lower the chain with the handle. Too bad he can't remember which way to turn the handle, so he raises the spare back up getting my hand stuck between the bed and the tire. I carefully monitor my tone of voice and ask Grace to kindly turn it in the other direction. To an untrained bystander it may have sounded more like a growl or even a shout concerning the prospective lifespan of Grace at that particular moment depending on his next choice of action. To be exact I said, " If you value your life you'd better turn the handle the other way. NOW!" Grace does indeed have a strong value system when it comes to his longevity and down came the tire on my chest. The added pressure kept me from saying anything else that might have offended anyone. The hand stopped bleeding as the dirt encased and sealed up the wound. The rest of the tire change was a piece of cake.
We bought a new tube in Soroti and proceeded to do our work at the clinic.
Since then as you have read elsewhere we have had 8 more flat tires on various vehicles. But God is in control and teaching me to be more patient with others and not to put my expectations on them. I need to enjoy the ride He has me on. Even if the tires aren't round any more. I think Jesus wants me to know that where I'm going is important and so is when I get there. But not at the cost of forgetting where I am now and how I behave in the present in His presence.
Time to Wrap Some Things Up
I have found that I love to blog. It is fun to share with others the things going on in Bev's and my life. But many times I get so busy that I never get to finish the story. So today I'll try to wrap some things up.
How Long is Too Long To Wait?
Well we finally got the Landcruiser back from Patel's shop on April 12th. The good news was that he had one of his mechanics bring it back to Jinja so another bus adventure was not needed. The Prado runs well and it seems to be relatively sound. Since it's return we have had to buy a new tire since Bev had a blowout traveling with Jo and Maddy. The least expensive tire for that vehicle costs $285 but sometimes you just have to bite the bullet, in this case it would be a rubber bullet, and get the tire. Now the vehicle runs well but it doesn't look good. Here in Uganda village kids can't afford paper and pencils so in order to practice their penmanship they do what Fred would do (Fred Flintstone) and that is take a rock and scratch their name or message on the side of the car. The gray lettering of the primer makes a beautiful contrast with the black paint. Sort of like a reverse Etch-a-Sketch. Now if only I could pick up the car and shake it upside down to erase the messages! Oh well, maybe one of these kids will be famous some day and I can have an original Apollo or Patrick or Irene...
The Trip of a Lifetime
We had a blessed time in Israel and if the Lord allows us to go back sometime we would be blessed even more. We traveled to Tiberias on the Sea of Galilee, visited the site of the Sermon on the Mount, Capernaum, the Jordan River where Jesus was baptized, Jerusalem, Bethlehem, the Western Wall, Mount of Olives. All this with 74 of our newest friends. These people made us feel right at home. Sometimes as a missionary you never fit in since you are not from where you are serving and no longer part of where you were from. But on this trip everybody was a fish out of water. Dave and Cindy, Mike and Hilda, Dave and Sue, Frank and Vicki, Greg and Delores, Bobby and Judy, John and Georgia, Skip and Lenya everyone made us feel a part of the body of Christ in a way that we hadn't felt in a while.
After the tour left, Bev and I had two days to explore, so we rented a four door roller skate, and headed to Masada, the Dead Sea and Qumran. This car was so small that my feet on the control peddles also served as the front bumper. It ran well but we did have some problems.
You can't rent a car on the Sabbath so we had to rent it Thursday to have it for Saturday and Sunday (Pentecost is a special Sabbath). The man at Hertz assured me that there was a jack and lug wrench under the spare donut tire. There wasn't!
Saturday we had a flat at Qumran but all Hertz offices are closed on the Sabbath so they were of no help. Bev finally found a young Israeli who borrowed tools and helped us change the tire. He didn't speak English but we got it done. The day trip was fun, exciting and annoying all in one but we loved it! We also got to explore Jerusalem on our own which made the Bible really come alive.
Sunday we drove to Tel Aviv, got lost a few more times but made it to our flight on time. A very blessed and exciting trip. Thank you Lord! And thanks to all His servants.
That should bring us up to date!
How Long is Too Long To Wait?
Well we finally got the Landcruiser back from Patel's shop on April 12th. The good news was that he had one of his mechanics bring it back to Jinja so another bus adventure was not needed. The Prado runs well and it seems to be relatively sound. Since it's return we have had to buy a new tire since Bev had a blowout traveling with Jo and Maddy. The least expensive tire for that vehicle costs $285 but sometimes you just have to bite the bullet, in this case it would be a rubber bullet, and get the tire. Now the vehicle runs well but it doesn't look good. Here in Uganda village kids can't afford paper and pencils so in order to practice their penmanship they do what Fred would do (Fred Flintstone) and that is take a rock and scratch their name or message on the side of the car. The gray lettering of the primer makes a beautiful contrast with the black paint. Sort of like a reverse Etch-a-Sketch. Now if only I could pick up the car and shake it upside down to erase the messages! Oh well, maybe one of these kids will be famous some day and I can have an original Apollo or Patrick or Irene...
The Trip of a Lifetime
We had a blessed time in Israel and if the Lord allows us to go back sometime we would be blessed even more. We traveled to Tiberias on the Sea of Galilee, visited the site of the Sermon on the Mount, Capernaum, the Jordan River where Jesus was baptized, Jerusalem, Bethlehem, the Western Wall, Mount of Olives. All this with 74 of our newest friends. These people made us feel right at home. Sometimes as a missionary you never fit in since you are not from where you are serving and no longer part of where you were from. But on this trip everybody was a fish out of water. Dave and Cindy, Mike and Hilda, Dave and Sue, Frank and Vicki, Greg and Delores, Bobby and Judy, John and Georgia, Skip and Lenya everyone made us feel a part of the body of Christ in a way that we hadn't felt in a while.
After the tour left, Bev and I had two days to explore, so we rented a four door roller skate, and headed to Masada, the Dead Sea and Qumran. This car was so small that my feet on the control peddles also served as the front bumper. It ran well but we did have some problems.
You can't rent a car on the Sabbath so we had to rent it Thursday to have it for Saturday and Sunday (Pentecost is a special Sabbath). The man at Hertz assured me that there was a jack and lug wrench under the spare donut tire. There wasn't!
Saturday we had a flat at Qumran but all Hertz offices are closed on the Sabbath so they were of no help. Bev finally found a young Israeli who borrowed tools and helped us change the tire. He didn't speak English but we got it done. The day trip was fun, exciting and annoying all in one but we loved it! We also got to explore Jerusalem on our own which made the Bible really come alive.
Sunday we drove to Tel Aviv, got lost a few more times but made it to our flight on time. A very blessed and exciting trip. Thank you Lord! And thanks to all His servants.
That should bring us up to date!
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
What Do You Say?
Saturday our day friend and longest attending church member, Lilian(she started attending our church under Pastor Jay in 1997) lost her husband David.
Mourning here is a very visible practice and when we had brought David's body to his house in Loco literally hundreds of people gathered to weep and wail for David. We cleared out the house so the body could be viewed and then I left as the women began there wailing. This continued all night and started again when we put the body into the casket early Sunday morning. It grew to a crescendo as we loaded the body of the late and the family into the truck. Then I drove Lilian and her kids and David's two cousin brothers, his niece and his body 320 kilometers to David's family home in Kaberamaido. The trip was uneventful but because of the poor condition of the road it took us 7 1/2 hours to get there. It was a quiet ride but not too bad as the wailing stopped as soon as we left Loco.
For the entire trip the 20 something niece never made a sound but as soon as we arrived at the family home she started to shriek and scream for her uncle. It was so sudden that it scared the daylights out of me. Then the thirty or so family members started in!
I left to find a better route for the three bus loads of people who would come the next day from Jinja. I made it back to Soroti just after dark after finding a better route.
When I went out to the truck in the morning I had a flat tire! Last trip to Soroti I had three. So I hoped it would not get multiplied and the day grow worse. But it did! Bev called me with the sad news that Katherine, David and Lilian's oldest daughter, two day old infant had died on the trip home from Fort Portal. So now double tragedy.
I waited in town for Bev and the three buses to arrive. They got there at 12:15 and Bev climbed into the truck with me to show them the route. After about 5k I noticed the buses were falling back. Bev said they would catch up. Then we got the call, bus #2 had broken down. We went back loaded people on the two buses and put ten people in our pickup. Now we commenced again. Things went well until we got to the "shortcut" I had found. Apparently the road looks different at midday than it does in the evening. I took the wrong road! After 17 k where the fork was supposed to be and it wasn't I asked where Kaberamaido was. The old man said take this road to the left and you can't miss it. and we didn't. Now the burial was difficult but to not get us back to Jinja too late the family shortened the service and we left at 5:30. We took Lilian's kids with us and Katherine remained with her mom. Then the struggle to get home began.
We stopped for fuel in Soroti and the rear tire looked low on pressure. We inflated it but needed to get on the road as lightning started crashing down around us. We had a large tarp so we covered the guys in the back and took off. 20 kilometers later the tire went flat. Thankfully it had stopped raining but we still had to change the tire. Sending the buses on we changed the tire in record time. We hoped that the tires would last until Mbale town. Three did but one didn't!
So here we are, flat tire no spare, next to a small trading center that has no services. Fortunately we had caught up to the buses when the passengers stopped to relieve themselves.
We sent Martin and Steven on the buses with the two flat tires to Mbale 15k ahead. By now it was 10:00pm. Seven men and my wife stuck under the full moon in the middle of nowhere. Four of the men decided to nap by the side of the road, laid out the tarp, crawled in and promptly went to sleep, looking like four dead accident victims to anyone passing by. Martin returned with one tire at 1:30am but Steven's motorcycle hire broke down on the way back with the other tire. Guess what the break down was? Yep, flat tire!
We got Martin's tire on the truck, found Steven on the way, loaded up his tire and the motorcycle driver AND his motorcycle, and went to Mbale. Dumped the motorcycle and driver then prayed we could get to Jinja in one piece. We did! The last bit of adventure was when security police stopped us to see what was under the tarp. Imagine his surprise as he reaches for the tarp and five heads pop up! Praise the Lord that the police officer didn't shoot anyone and praise the Lord we got home by 5:00am.
Mourning here is a very visible practice and when we had brought David's body to his house in Loco literally hundreds of people gathered to weep and wail for David. We cleared out the house so the body could be viewed and then I left as the women began there wailing. This continued all night and started again when we put the body into the casket early Sunday morning. It grew to a crescendo as we loaded the body of the late and the family into the truck. Then I drove Lilian and her kids and David's two cousin brothers, his niece and his body 320 kilometers to David's family home in Kaberamaido. The trip was uneventful but because of the poor condition of the road it took us 7 1/2 hours to get there. It was a quiet ride but not too bad as the wailing stopped as soon as we left Loco.
For the entire trip the 20 something niece never made a sound but as soon as we arrived at the family home she started to shriek and scream for her uncle. It was so sudden that it scared the daylights out of me. Then the thirty or so family members started in!
I left to find a better route for the three bus loads of people who would come the next day from Jinja. I made it back to Soroti just after dark after finding a better route.
When I went out to the truck in the morning I had a flat tire! Last trip to Soroti I had three. So I hoped it would not get multiplied and the day grow worse. But it did! Bev called me with the sad news that Katherine, David and Lilian's oldest daughter, two day old infant had died on the trip home from Fort Portal. So now double tragedy.
I waited in town for Bev and the three buses to arrive. They got there at 12:15 and Bev climbed into the truck with me to show them the route. After about 5k I noticed the buses were falling back. Bev said they would catch up. Then we got the call, bus #2 had broken down. We went back loaded people on the two buses and put ten people in our pickup. Now we commenced again. Things went well until we got to the "shortcut" I had found. Apparently the road looks different at midday than it does in the evening. I took the wrong road! After 17 k where the fork was supposed to be and it wasn't I asked where Kaberamaido was. The old man said take this road to the left and you can't miss it. and we didn't. Now the burial was difficult but to not get us back to Jinja too late the family shortened the service and we left at 5:30. We took Lilian's kids with us and Katherine remained with her mom. Then the struggle to get home began.
We stopped for fuel in Soroti and the rear tire looked low on pressure. We inflated it but needed to get on the road as lightning started crashing down around us. We had a large tarp so we covered the guys in the back and took off. 20 kilometers later the tire went flat. Thankfully it had stopped raining but we still had to change the tire. Sending the buses on we changed the tire in record time. We hoped that the tires would last until Mbale town. Three did but one didn't!
So here we are, flat tire no spare, next to a small trading center that has no services. Fortunately we had caught up to the buses when the passengers stopped to relieve themselves.
We sent Martin and Steven on the buses with the two flat tires to Mbale 15k ahead. By now it was 10:00pm. Seven men and my wife stuck under the full moon in the middle of nowhere. Four of the men decided to nap by the side of the road, laid out the tarp, crawled in and promptly went to sleep, looking like four dead accident victims to anyone passing by. Martin returned with one tire at 1:30am but Steven's motorcycle hire broke down on the way back with the other tire. Guess what the break down was? Yep, flat tire!
We got Martin's tire on the truck, found Steven on the way, loaded up his tire and the motorcycle driver AND his motorcycle, and went to Mbale. Dumped the motorcycle and driver then prayed we could get to Jinja in one piece. We did! The last bit of adventure was when security police stopped us to see what was under the tarp. Imagine his surprise as he reaches for the tarp and five heads pop up! Praise the Lord that the police officer didn't shoot anyone and praise the Lord we got home by 5:00am.
Thursday, May 31, 2012
More on the Trip of a Lifetime
After a good night's rest we headed for more food! Breakfasts in Israel are either dairy or meat as kosher rules don't allow the two to be served together. The dairy consists of veggies of all kinds, a wide variety of cheeses, cereal, yoghurt, breads and fruit. No porridge or meats of any kind. In fact at one place we stayed, cheesecake was served at breakfast. I am not an expert on the dietary laws found in Scripture but I am very happy to report that cheesecake is a clean food and highly recommend it for breakfast. But be advised it does not fuel your body for long so have that second piece!
We then got on the bus and headed to Caesarea. The ruins there were amazing. To stand where Paul was held for two years and to see the way Roman cities were designed was fascinating. Then we visited Mount Carmel and saw where Elijah challenged the prophets of Baal. On top of the mountain all of Israel could see the fire from the Lord come down and declare Him as the only God. Israel should have and did already know this but the world slowly turned them away from God. It is the same for us. The world gets us to look for other answers to our problems while deep in our hearts we know that Jesus is the solution to our problems.
Leaving Carmel we crossed the Valley of Jezreel then climbed up to Nazareth. Nazareth over looks the valley we just crossed and on the Mount of Precipice you see so many biblical sites, Mt. Tabor where Deborah judged, Mt. Gilead where Gideon led his 300 men, Mt. Gilboa where King Saul fell on his sword. This is also thought to be the spot where the people tried to throw Jesus down the cliff after he read from the scroll of Isaiah. It is all right there! Pastor Skip brought the Word and we worshiped the Lord right in His childhood backyard. It left me thinking that I should learn this place for there will come a day when the army of the Lord will come here to defeat the armies of the world. I plan on being there on Jesus' side.
Then we headed for the Sea of Galilee and the town of Tiberias. It was a day when and a place where dreams came true. No! Not Iowa but Israel!
We then got on the bus and headed to Caesarea. The ruins there were amazing. To stand where Paul was held for two years and to see the way Roman cities were designed was fascinating. Then we visited Mount Carmel and saw where Elijah challenged the prophets of Baal. On top of the mountain all of Israel could see the fire from the Lord come down and declare Him as the only God. Israel should have and did already know this but the world slowly turned them away from God. It is the same for us. The world gets us to look for other answers to our problems while deep in our hearts we know that Jesus is the solution to our problems.
Leaving Carmel we crossed the Valley of Jezreel then climbed up to Nazareth. Nazareth over looks the valley we just crossed and on the Mount of Precipice you see so many biblical sites, Mt. Tabor where Deborah judged, Mt. Gilead where Gideon led his 300 men, Mt. Gilboa where King Saul fell on his sword. This is also thought to be the spot where the people tried to throw Jesus down the cliff after he read from the scroll of Isaiah. It is all right there! Pastor Skip brought the Word and we worshiped the Lord right in His childhood backyard. It left me thinking that I should learn this place for there will come a day when the army of the Lord will come here to defeat the armies of the world. I plan on being there on Jesus' side.
Then we headed for the Sea of Galilee and the town of Tiberias. It was a day when and a place where dreams came true. No! Not Iowa but Israel!
The Trip of a Lifetime
Shalom. Peace. That is in my heart today. Bev and I have just returned from a one week stay in Israel. The Lord blessed us by providing everything we needed for the trip of a lifetime.
The weeks leading up to the trip were hectic to make sure everything would run smoothly here in Jinja. I say hectic, but there was no worry since all the ministries are well handled by Steven, Kelli and the rest of the staff. Bev and I also set aside time each day to discuss our upcoming trip so we would be sure to not let each other miss the things that were important to us.
On the day of our departure we had another blessing. Pastor Aaron Mawanda from Kajjansi asked me to be the guest speaker at the graduation of the first class of the School of Ministry at Namalanda. It was such a blessing to speak to a group of young men that had been taught by someone we had trained at the SoM in Jinja. To see a third generation, over 100 kilometers away, springing forth from what Jesus has started in Jinja was an incredible thrill.
We arrived in Israel at 4:00am and found a taxi that took us on a high speed ride to our hotel in Tel Aviv. The driver did not have to encourage us to put our seatbelts on. But since it was still dark we didn't care that we went too fast as there was nothing to see anyway. By 6:00am we were in bed trying to get caught up on sleep as we waited for the rest of our tour group to arrive that afternoon.
They arrived around 5:00 and we started to get to know our tour mates. We had already bumped into Pastor Skip and Lenya Heitzig in the supermarket opposite our hotel so we knew what time the group would arrive. We got to welcome them as they got off the bus. And they came bearing gifts! Mike and Hilda Butcher brought my repaired hearing aid (thanks Vera and Keith Benevides), Dave and Sue Fischer brought batteries (sent by Dr. Jenny Carver) for the hearing aid which was good since yours truly forgot to bring some, and the Hilland's, Dave and Cindy, brought three pounds of witnessing coins in Luganda. They all did a great service for us (I like to think we did the same by giving them extra room in their luggage to bring home more mementos from Israel).
We then had a great dinner in Joppa at the Old Man and the Sea restaurant. Too much food! But I personally showed great manners and upbringing by eating everything set before me! With the exception of the fish brain and eyes. It was quite interesting the way the fish was served. The fish was cut vertically lengthwise from nose to tail giving it a mirror image of both sides of the fish brains and all. It was like an inkblot image in a psychiatric test. Then it was back to the hotel to sleep and dream of the days to come!
The weeks leading up to the trip were hectic to make sure everything would run smoothly here in Jinja. I say hectic, but there was no worry since all the ministries are well handled by Steven, Kelli and the rest of the staff. Bev and I also set aside time each day to discuss our upcoming trip so we would be sure to not let each other miss the things that were important to us.
On the day of our departure we had another blessing. Pastor Aaron Mawanda from Kajjansi asked me to be the guest speaker at the graduation of the first class of the School of Ministry at Namalanda. It was such a blessing to speak to a group of young men that had been taught by someone we had trained at the SoM in Jinja. To see a third generation, over 100 kilometers away, springing forth from what Jesus has started in Jinja was an incredible thrill.
We arrived in Israel at 4:00am and found a taxi that took us on a high speed ride to our hotel in Tel Aviv. The driver did not have to encourage us to put our seatbelts on. But since it was still dark we didn't care that we went too fast as there was nothing to see anyway. By 6:00am we were in bed trying to get caught up on sleep as we waited for the rest of our tour group to arrive that afternoon.
They arrived around 5:00 and we started to get to know our tour mates. We had already bumped into Pastor Skip and Lenya Heitzig in the supermarket opposite our hotel so we knew what time the group would arrive. We got to welcome them as they got off the bus. And they came bearing gifts! Mike and Hilda Butcher brought my repaired hearing aid (thanks Vera and Keith Benevides), Dave and Sue Fischer brought batteries (sent by Dr. Jenny Carver) for the hearing aid which was good since yours truly forgot to bring some, and the Hilland's, Dave and Cindy, brought three pounds of witnessing coins in Luganda. They all did a great service for us (I like to think we did the same by giving them extra room in their luggage to bring home more mementos from Israel).
We then had a great dinner in Joppa at the Old Man and the Sea restaurant. Too much food! But I personally showed great manners and upbringing by eating everything set before me! With the exception of the fish brain and eyes. It was quite interesting the way the fish was served. The fish was cut vertically lengthwise from nose to tail giving it a mirror image of both sides of the fish brains and all. It was like an inkblot image in a psychiatric test. Then it was back to the hotel to sleep and dream of the days to come!
Monday, April 2, 2012
How long is too long to wait?
Well the bus ride was smooth enough. The nice thing about the buses here is that the seat backs are so high you can't see over them.This is good in that there are so many bus crashes that you really don't want to know what is coming at you. I had a window seat but still couldn't see anything ahead. But apparently the young girl next to me could from her aisle seat. The driver would start by rapidly blowing the horn then the girl would stiffen, grip the seat back in front of her let out a gasp and bury her head in her arm. I of course would start to pray and continue until the horn or gasping stopped. I admit that it was not the best way to travel but I enjoyed the time with the Lord and He got us safely to Jinja.
I wish I could say the same thing about the car. I arrived back in Jinja one week ago but the Landcruiser is still sleeping in Mbale. I talk to it and the mechanic every day. Neither has much to say. But I still hope that the Prado will return.
Today Bev, Kelli and I took a day of and went shooooopppppinggg in Kampala. It wasn't that long but just seemed it. Actually I am joking as we had a great time and made it back before dark. Now if only our car would come home.
But all in all a week to be without a car is not too long. We recently got back a vehicle that had been in the shop for 4 1/2 years. No misprint there! Years! It was like a long lost family member coming home. Of course it has broken down three times since we got it back but it's like having you worst relative visit. When they first arrive you realize how much you like them and miss them then problems arise and you get a little tired of dealing with their problems. But when all is said and done you are happy that you welcomed them back. That's the way it is with the blue car.
I wonder if Jesus has ever felt that way about us? No He has not! He died for us on the cross knowing full well what problem children we might later be. But He also knew that without His death we would have even greater problems. Eternal condemnation and no hope of changing this life for a better more righteous one. And He fixes what is wrong in our lives. He does not trade us in like a used car painted yellow with lemon written all over it. He takes the time to lovingly fine tune me and repair my body and make me whole, holy and pleasing in His sight.
I wish I could say the same thing about the car. I arrived back in Jinja one week ago but the Landcruiser is still sleeping in Mbale. I talk to it and the mechanic every day. Neither has much to say. But I still hope that the Prado will return.
Today Bev, Kelli and I took a day of and went shooooopppppinggg in Kampala. It wasn't that long but just seemed it. Actually I am joking as we had a great time and made it back before dark. Now if only our car would come home.
But all in all a week to be without a car is not too long. We recently got back a vehicle that had been in the shop for 4 1/2 years. No misprint there! Years! It was like a long lost family member coming home. Of course it has broken down three times since we got it back but it's like having you worst relative visit. When they first arrive you realize how much you like them and miss them then problems arise and you get a little tired of dealing with their problems. But when all is said and done you are happy that you welcomed them back. That's the way it is with the blue car.
I wonder if Jesus has ever felt that way about us? No He has not! He died for us on the cross knowing full well what problem children we might later be. But He also knew that without His death we would have even greater problems. Eternal condemnation and no hope of changing this life for a better more righteous one. And He fixes what is wrong in our lives. He does not trade us in like a used car painted yellow with lemon written all over it. He takes the time to lovingly fine tune me and repair my body and make me whole, holy and pleasing in His sight.
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Mbale Motorcycle Madness
So there I sat. Don't get me wrong. If you are going to have a vehicle breakdown in Uganda there is probably no better place to have it than Mbale.
Mbale sits at the base of Mt Elgon, which at 14,176 ft. makes it the second highest mountain in Uganda. Usually the mountain produces afternoon thunderstorms which help to keep the town from getting too hot. But the area has not had any appreciable rain since November. So it is hot.
Mbale has lots of hotels and restaurants for the tourists. Lots of filling stations, parts stores, Asian supermarkets and such but there is not much to do. And when the hotel booted me out the door(checkout time 10:00am) I decided to walk to the shop about 5 miles away. I needed to go to the ATM (Mbale has at least six) to get money to pay for the repairs so walking seemed like a good pastime. Perhaps not my best idea.
One of the drawbacks of walking in Uganda is motorcycles. They drive anywhere they want at any time they want. For someone who doesn't hear very well, a motorcycle driving on the wrong side of the road can hit you long before you hear it. These are small 125cc bikes that sound like a mosquito on steroids. Too high pitched for me to hear. As I walked to town I was brushed twice by these mosquito mounted maniacs, then verbally abused for having the audacity walk on the side of the road rather than in the road as the locals do. I always thought it was absolutely insane the way people here walk in the roadway. But with the pavement having more pot holes than the roadside the walkers stay in the center of the road and vehicles stay on the side. It always made sense as a driver; now I understood as a pedestrian as well.
The bright side was as I walked through town I saw a prisons truck and I struck up a conversation with the driver. Peter told me he was the personal driver for the new Regional Prisons Commander. I found out that the R.P.C. is an old friend Kenneth who had served as O.C. of Kirinya Main Prison So I waited for Kenneth and we had a nice talk. It was actually his first day as the new R.P.C. so he insisted that I come to his office to sign the visitors' book. I did and we prayed together for his new assignment. A real blessing for me!
Heading out again I found that all the ATMs in town were broken except one and it would only give me $20. So now I had to kill time until I could find a working machine. Two hours later with cash now in my pocket I started walking to the shop.
By now it was truly hot. I considered a motorcycle but from the early brushes I still had a bit of an attitude, so I walked. Truth was I couldn't remember where Patel's shop was and I didn't think the boda driver would know, so I thought I'd walk and hoped I'd recognize it when I saw it. I didn't!
Two hours later I gave up walking. I thought I had found it once but when I walked down the street it did not match what I remembered. I walked to the next main street where 20 bodas sat. How to choose? Simple, wave and the first guy there gets to take the mzungu. But since we all know that bazungu always have to pay more the competition was fierce. Six bikes fired up immediately and raced toward me. Five of the six crashed together and one survived. That is how and who I chose.
He assured me that he knew Patel's place very well. After riding around for twenty minutes he ran out of fuel. So I paid him 2000 shillings and got on another boda. After much discussion and finger pointing we took off. After 10 minutes we asked a passing school boy. He said Patel's shop was at the end of this street. Going to the end of the street it was all looking vaguely familiar. Wait a minute, this is where I got on the first boda! And that's the shop across the street. And to think it only took me 35 minutes to get across the street by motorcycle.
Now it is 4:00 pm the car doesn't run yet and Mr, Patel says "Let me take you to the bus. You go back to Jinja and I'll bring the car when it is fixed."
At least I'll be home tonight!
Mbale sits at the base of Mt Elgon, which at 14,176 ft. makes it the second highest mountain in Uganda. Usually the mountain produces afternoon thunderstorms which help to keep the town from getting too hot. But the area has not had any appreciable rain since November. So it is hot.
Mbale has lots of hotels and restaurants for the tourists. Lots of filling stations, parts stores, Asian supermarkets and such but there is not much to do. And when the hotel booted me out the door(checkout time 10:00am) I decided to walk to the shop about 5 miles away. I needed to go to the ATM (Mbale has at least six) to get money to pay for the repairs so walking seemed like a good pastime. Perhaps not my best idea.
One of the drawbacks of walking in Uganda is motorcycles. They drive anywhere they want at any time they want. For someone who doesn't hear very well, a motorcycle driving on the wrong side of the road can hit you long before you hear it. These are small 125cc bikes that sound like a mosquito on steroids. Too high pitched for me to hear. As I walked to town I was brushed twice by these mosquito mounted maniacs, then verbally abused for having the audacity walk on the side of the road rather than in the road as the locals do. I always thought it was absolutely insane the way people here walk in the roadway. But with the pavement having more pot holes than the roadside the walkers stay in the center of the road and vehicles stay on the side. It always made sense as a driver; now I understood as a pedestrian as well.
The bright side was as I walked through town I saw a prisons truck and I struck up a conversation with the driver. Peter told me he was the personal driver for the new Regional Prisons Commander. I found out that the R.P.C. is an old friend Kenneth who had served as O.C. of Kirinya Main Prison So I waited for Kenneth and we had a nice talk. It was actually his first day as the new R.P.C. so he insisted that I come to his office to sign the visitors' book. I did and we prayed together for his new assignment. A real blessing for me!
Heading out again I found that all the ATMs in town were broken except one and it would only give me $20. So now I had to kill time until I could find a working machine. Two hours later with cash now in my pocket I started walking to the shop.
By now it was truly hot. I considered a motorcycle but from the early brushes I still had a bit of an attitude, so I walked. Truth was I couldn't remember where Patel's shop was and I didn't think the boda driver would know, so I thought I'd walk and hoped I'd recognize it when I saw it. I didn't!
Two hours later I gave up walking. I thought I had found it once but when I walked down the street it did not match what I remembered. I walked to the next main street where 20 bodas sat. How to choose? Simple, wave and the first guy there gets to take the mzungu. But since we all know that bazungu always have to pay more the competition was fierce. Six bikes fired up immediately and raced toward me. Five of the six crashed together and one survived. That is how and who I chose.
He assured me that he knew Patel's place very well. After riding around for twenty minutes he ran out of fuel. So I paid him 2000 shillings and got on another boda. After much discussion and finger pointing we took off. After 10 minutes we asked a passing school boy. He said Patel's shop was at the end of this street. Going to the end of the street it was all looking vaguely familiar. Wait a minute, this is where I got on the first boda! And that's the shop across the street. And to think it only took me 35 minutes to get across the street by motorcycle.
Now it is 4:00 pm the car doesn't run yet and Mr, Patel says "Let me take you to the bus. You go back to Jinja and I'll bring the car when it is fixed."
At least I'll be home tonight!
Monday, March 26, 2012
How To Arrange a Meeting part two
As I said we are still working on my getting back . But the good news is that everyone eventually got to where they were supposed to be. And God knew what he was doing when He killed our car.
As Sam was leaving with Bev for Jinja she gave me a hug and said “Sorry about the car and leaving you here.” But I told her that God obviously wanted me to have the meetings and the only way He could get me to hear Him say “Stop” was to stop the car and He did!
We towed the car to the Toyota dealer (don’t be too impressed) and after waiting for thirty minutes to push a car out from the gravel drive way we pushed ours through the gate. As I signed the form (now be impressed) the shop manager said “We will work on it straight away on Monday.” WHOA! Monday? I can’t wait until Monday! As we struggled to push the Landcruiser back up the gravel drive that it had so easily rolled down moments before, I briefly thought that Mbale would be a good place to spend the weekend. But pride won out over reason and we got the car towed to Mr. Patel’s. Who promptly told me he’d get to it first thing Monday morning. But this was obviously a much better garage because I didn’t have to sign a form to leave my car there.
Going back to the inn, the lost travelers finally arrived from Kenya. They were so dirty and dusty I didn’t recognize them. After glancing at these filthy people coming up the drive I went the other way looking for the lost team. Then they hollered at me by name and I recognized them. Poor guys were exhausted but they had great tans only that it turned out to be dust. They looked much better but paler after they had showered. We agreed that the next morning we would meet for worship, the word and communion in the garden and off we went to our rooms.
I got up early Sunday to prepare a message for our team and decided to check email. As yahoo came up it opened to Bob Weir from the Grateful Dead on a live webcast concert. I listened for 20 minutes and it was if my past had come back to life. As if the “Dead” had resurrected. Then that still small voice that comes only from the master said, “ I have resurrected but these have not. Where is the praise due me?” Off went the webcast. But then the Lord pointed out that the concert was called “The Bridge.” Jesus is the bridge between God and man. He has risen from the dead. And as we serve Him we too become the connections to the bridge that is Jesus Christ. That became the message that was shared from John 13. It actually was a very blessed time and I am ever thankful that God stopped me from going back to Jinja.
I got to have great meetings with the KKAB team. It was a real blessing to hear their hearts for Jesus and their zeal for the work that they are called to do. So the meetings are over, the team has left but here I sit in Mbale with a smile on my face as I look at our dead Toyota. I’m trying to remind myself to listen and hear. I am blessed when I remember.
As Sam was leaving with Bev for Jinja she gave me a hug and said “Sorry about the car and leaving you here.” But I told her that God obviously wanted me to have the meetings and the only way He could get me to hear Him say “Stop” was to stop the car and He did!
We towed the car to the Toyota dealer (don’t be too impressed) and after waiting for thirty minutes to push a car out from the gravel drive way we pushed ours through the gate. As I signed the form (now be impressed) the shop manager said “We will work on it straight away on Monday.” WHOA! Monday? I can’t wait until Monday! As we struggled to push the Landcruiser back up the gravel drive that it had so easily rolled down moments before, I briefly thought that Mbale would be a good place to spend the weekend. But pride won out over reason and we got the car towed to Mr. Patel’s. Who promptly told me he’d get to it first thing Monday morning. But this was obviously a much better garage because I didn’t have to sign a form to leave my car there.
Going back to the inn, the lost travelers finally arrived from Kenya. They were so dirty and dusty I didn’t recognize them. After glancing at these filthy people coming up the drive I went the other way looking for the lost team. Then they hollered at me by name and I recognized them. Poor guys were exhausted but they had great tans only that it turned out to be dust. They looked much better but paler after they had showered. We agreed that the next morning we would meet for worship, the word and communion in the garden and off we went to our rooms.
I got up early Sunday to prepare a message for our team and decided to check email. As yahoo came up it opened to Bob Weir from the Grateful Dead on a live webcast concert. I listened for 20 minutes and it was if my past had come back to life. As if the “Dead” had resurrected. Then that still small voice that comes only from the master said, “ I have resurrected but these have not. Where is the praise due me?” Off went the webcast. But then the Lord pointed out that the concert was called “The Bridge.” Jesus is the bridge between God and man. He has risen from the dead. And as we serve Him we too become the connections to the bridge that is Jesus Christ. That became the message that was shared from John 13. It actually was a very blessed time and I am ever thankful that God stopped me from going back to Jinja.
I got to have great meetings with the KKAB team. It was a real blessing to hear their hearts for Jesus and their zeal for the work that they are called to do. So the meetings are over, the team has left but here I sit in Mbale with a smile on my face as I look at our dead Toyota. I’m trying to remind myself to listen and hear. I am blessed when I remember.
Sunday, March 25, 2012
How To Arrange a meeting In Africa
I have never been known for my ability to hear. One of Bev’s favorite quotes is from the movie “Christmas Vacation.” "You couldn’t hear a cement truck driving through a nitroglycerine factory! And she is right. My ears are not what they used to be.
But the good news is that God can always speak louder than my inability to hear. As is being demonstrated to me this week in Mbale.
I traveled east to the town of Mbale to meet with three team members of KKAB (Karamoja, Kaboong and Beyond) who are under our NGO, when they returned from a seminar in Kenya. The other three KKAB members were driving down from Nabilatuk. Since Ryan was down for the earlier Pastor Conference, he decided to give me a ride and return by way of Mbale where Bev and our visiting friend Sam after their road their road trip out west would meet me and the KKAB team . We didn’t want to pay the fuel costs of taking a third vehicle since we were all going to the same place. Now with two headed southeast (Bev & Sam), two east (Ryan and I), three coming south (Miriam, Jean and Carina) and three pointing northwest (Tom, Simon and Summer) we would all arrive at about the same time in Mbale. This was going to be easy. Seldom had any travel plans for a coordinated rendezvous that I had engineered seemed so simple and perfect.
The first sign of trouble came when Ryan & I were delayed 1 ½ hours. Couldn’t be helped, we were waiting for some equipment for Ryan. Plenty of time. We still reached before noon. Meanwhile Bev and Sam left right on time. Their snag came when they shredded a belt in Soroti, 105 kilometers away. But God in his mercy put two mechanics who know me right on Bev’s path and got them on the road in an hour. God also didn’t let the belt tear on the 118 K stretch where there are no service stations. Thank you, Lord!
The south bounders were delayed when they assisted a friend whose car had broken down in the middle of nowhere. But they still made it.
However the same could not be said for the Kenya travelers. The bus company canceled the day bus and put them on the night bus instead. Only problem was that the night bus never came. The team finally showed up 24 hours late.
The next day Sam needed to catch the plane in Entebbe 6 hours to the west. We sent a message, actually dozens, to Tom and it was agreed that he would come to Jinja to meet Bev, Jean and I after we returned from Entebbe and the rest of Tom‘s group would meet in Mbale. As we headed out of Mbale at noon the car died. Now what? After several prayers Jean found a friend to get a special hire car to take Bev and Sam back to Jinja to catch another special hire to Entebbe. Jean and I would stay in Mbale to get the car fixed and wait with the rest for our Kenya compatriots to arrive. But God definitely said “No!” to letting the car run.
But God did allow Sam to make her flight, and let Bev get home late but safe.
As for me … well we are still working on that!
But the good news is that God can always speak louder than my inability to hear. As is being demonstrated to me this week in Mbale.
I traveled east to the town of Mbale to meet with three team members of KKAB (Karamoja, Kaboong and Beyond) who are under our NGO, when they returned from a seminar in Kenya. The other three KKAB members were driving down from Nabilatuk. Since Ryan was down for the earlier Pastor Conference, he decided to give me a ride and return by way of Mbale where Bev and our visiting friend Sam after their road their road trip out west would meet me and the KKAB team . We didn’t want to pay the fuel costs of taking a third vehicle since we were all going to the same place. Now with two headed southeast (Bev & Sam), two east (Ryan and I), three coming south (Miriam, Jean and Carina) and three pointing northwest (Tom, Simon and Summer) we would all arrive at about the same time in Mbale. This was going to be easy. Seldom had any travel plans for a coordinated rendezvous that I had engineered seemed so simple and perfect.
The first sign of trouble came when Ryan & I were delayed 1 ½ hours. Couldn’t be helped, we were waiting for some equipment for Ryan. Plenty of time. We still reached before noon. Meanwhile Bev and Sam left right on time. Their snag came when they shredded a belt in Soroti, 105 kilometers away. But God in his mercy put two mechanics who know me right on Bev’s path and got them on the road in an hour. God also didn’t let the belt tear on the 118 K stretch where there are no service stations. Thank you, Lord!
The south bounders were delayed when they assisted a friend whose car had broken down in the middle of nowhere. But they still made it.
However the same could not be said for the Kenya travelers. The bus company canceled the day bus and put them on the night bus instead. Only problem was that the night bus never came. The team finally showed up 24 hours late.
The next day Sam needed to catch the plane in Entebbe 6 hours to the west. We sent a message, actually dozens, to Tom and it was agreed that he would come to Jinja to meet Bev, Jean and I after we returned from Entebbe and the rest of Tom‘s group would meet in Mbale. As we headed out of Mbale at noon the car died. Now what? After several prayers Jean found a friend to get a special hire car to take Bev and Sam back to Jinja to catch another special hire to Entebbe. Jean and I would stay in Mbale to get the car fixed and wait with the rest for our Kenya compatriots to arrive. But God definitely said “No!” to letting the car run.
But God did allow Sam to make her flight, and let Bev get home late but safe.
As for me … well we are still working on that!
Thursday, March 15, 2012
Beauty Instead of Ashes
Isaiah 61:3 "and provide for those who grieve in Zion - to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair."
I have seen this verse literally happening in the last month. The fire at Works was 26 days ago. Since then ten of the fire victims have come forward to receive Jesus into their lives at Sunday services. Others in private conversations. Even more are now attending church for the first time and learning of God's great love for them through His Son.
The ashes of their burnt homes are only a memory. New buildings have been constructed. But the joy in the church is from the lives that God is rebuilding. He has shown Himself as the provider for those who could not care for their families. People are no longer asking "Where is God in my despair?" They are seeing Jesus work in ways they did not expect. They have peace that was not theirs before. A hope that will last for all eternity. Gladness instead of mourning.
And I have new brothers and sisters in Christ. I pray that the witness from the fire doesn't stop now that the construction has finished. I pray this is a new beginning for our neighborhood. I pray that God continues to change these hard hearts of ours. Not the hearts of the new believers but the hearts of all us church goers who for so long have kept quiet while people around us were longing for the answer to the question of life. Who loves or cares for us? The answer is "Jesus cares! Jesus loves us!"
The garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair is put on with the blood of Jesus. When we are washed clean in His blood "Behold, I make all things new" is
now reality. If anyone is in Christ he is a new creation. The old has gone the new has come.
I have seen this verse literally happening in the last month. The fire at Works was 26 days ago. Since then ten of the fire victims have come forward to receive Jesus into their lives at Sunday services. Others in private conversations. Even more are now attending church for the first time and learning of God's great love for them through His Son.
The ashes of their burnt homes are only a memory. New buildings have been constructed. But the joy in the church is from the lives that God is rebuilding. He has shown Himself as the provider for those who could not care for their families. People are no longer asking "Where is God in my despair?" They are seeing Jesus work in ways they did not expect. They have peace that was not theirs before. A hope that will last for all eternity. Gladness instead of mourning.
And I have new brothers and sisters in Christ. I pray that the witness from the fire doesn't stop now that the construction has finished. I pray this is a new beginning for our neighborhood. I pray that God continues to change these hard hearts of ours. Not the hearts of the new believers but the hearts of all us church goers who for so long have kept quiet while people around us were longing for the answer to the question of life. Who loves or cares for us? The answer is "Jesus cares! Jesus loves us!"
The garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair is put on with the blood of Jesus. When we are washed clean in His blood "Behold, I make all things new" is
now reality. If anyone is in Christ he is a new creation. The old has gone the new has come.
Sunday, February 26, 2012
Driving Out the Thief
As The truck slid sideways through the turn I could see the last man in the chase slowing down. I'd better get moving if we want to catch this guy. At the corner I see others running through an open gate and through someone's compound. They wave to me that he is ahead. Got to get to Kiira Rd. before him! As we make the next right I see him jump the fence onto the road. I pull up and begin hooting my hooter (honking the horn) to attract attention then swerve right to block his path. Bystanders ask "Mzungu what is it?" I holler "Thief" then they grab him.
Lets back up a bit. June and Jenny moved to Jinja in December to run a street kids ministry. Jenny had recently graduated from University of Georgia and June is her mom. They and their "boys" come to Calvary Chapel. One night in January they called Bev at 2:00a.m. telling her that thieves were trying to break into their house. We quickly threw on clothes and raced to their house. The thieves left when we arrived and after making sure they were safe and the house secure we went back home and back to bed.
Saturday afternoon we received a call from Jenny that they had caught a man in their house who was claiming to be looking for Pastor Jesse. Bev assured them he wasn't sent by us and to take him to police. Then we realized they didn't have a car to take him to police so I went over.
As I got out of the truck the men holding the suspect eased their grip and the thief ran. He managed to get out the gate with five others chasing him. I jumped into the truck and now we are back to the beginning.
As the crowd started to form they began to beat the thief. Blows and kicks rained down on him and I tried desperatly to get him into the truck. Now as usual when you catch a thief you then have to protect him from being killed. It felt like dejavu. In 2010 we had caught a thief in our neighborhood and I had protected him as well.
Then I realized why it seemed so familiar. It was the same man! No it couldn't be, but it was.
After his release from his last arrest he had developed a new way to steal. He or one of his accomplices would enter a Mzungu compound and look to see what could be stolen. If they were caught they would tell the Mzungu that they were looking for Pastor Jesse. Then the trusting Mzungu would let him go and a few nights later the gang would come back and rob the place.
Two young missionaries in town had sent out an email about this gang after it happened to them. The memory of that email is what caused me to go to Jenny and June's.
Bev then called the young couple and sent them to identify the thief but they could not. But she could identify his shoes and sure enough they were the same shoes.
It is hard to catch a thief the first time. But the second time is easier. Just say you know Pastor Jesse!
Lets back up a bit. June and Jenny moved to Jinja in December to run a street kids ministry. Jenny had recently graduated from University of Georgia and June is her mom. They and their "boys" come to Calvary Chapel. One night in January they called Bev at 2:00a.m. telling her that thieves were trying to break into their house. We quickly threw on clothes and raced to their house. The thieves left when we arrived and after making sure they were safe and the house secure we went back home and back to bed.
Saturday afternoon we received a call from Jenny that they had caught a man in their house who was claiming to be looking for Pastor Jesse. Bev assured them he wasn't sent by us and to take him to police. Then we realized they didn't have a car to take him to police so I went over.
As I got out of the truck the men holding the suspect eased their grip and the thief ran. He managed to get out the gate with five others chasing him. I jumped into the truck and now we are back to the beginning.
As the crowd started to form they began to beat the thief. Blows and kicks rained down on him and I tried desperatly to get him into the truck. Now as usual when you catch a thief you then have to protect him from being killed. It felt like dejavu. In 2010 we had caught a thief in our neighborhood and I had protected him as well.
Then I realized why it seemed so familiar. It was the same man! No it couldn't be, but it was.
After his release from his last arrest he had developed a new way to steal. He or one of his accomplices would enter a Mzungu compound and look to see what could be stolen. If they were caught they would tell the Mzungu that they were looking for Pastor Jesse. Then the trusting Mzungu would let him go and a few nights later the gang would come back and rob the place.
Two young missionaries in town had sent out an email about this gang after it happened to them. The memory of that email is what caused me to go to Jenny and June's.
Bev then called the young couple and sent them to identify the thief but they could not. But she could identify his shoes and sure enough they were the same shoes.
It is hard to catch a thief the first time. But the second time is easier. Just say you know Pastor Jesse!
The Fire
On Friday the 17th our night guard Henry came to our door and said “There is a fire.” Now Henry is a man of few words so I should know that when he says there is a fire it must be a fairly large burn. But I went out the door expecting to see the trash pit smoldering and some small flames. I was stunned. One hundred yards away flames were rising twenty feet high. Works was on fire!
Works is an area owned by the Ministry of Works that for our first five years in Jinja was only an empty field. Then JB got permission to build a small shop to sell things (salt, sugar etc.) Soon there was a row of shops. Today there are over 500 people living there. Now their homes were on fire.
The homes are nothing more than whatever they can find to nail together. Scrap lumber, pieces of tin, plastic, and used discarded iron sheets for roofing. It is at best described as a shanty town.
The bars moved in about three years ago. The first one was so successful that two more opened up. In case you didn’t know, Ugandans spend a greater percentage of their income on alcohol then any other nation. So where there are people there will be bars. Then a video hall opened up. And the once empty field became Works.
By the time the fire was contained twenty-six homes had been destroyed and one hundred thirty people were left homeless. I sent Steven and Jacob over that night to tell anyone who needed a place to stay that we had set up andopened the church for shelter. No one came!
The next day we went to see the damage and God led us to feed the people porridge and set up a large tent for a sleeping shelter. That became the starting point. Most families affected by the fire found neighbors or relatives to house their kids but we still have twenty-two people staying in the tent.
Kelli, Jen Long and Bev have organized the feeding of 50-80 people every evening for the past week as well as gathering household needs for the displaced.
With the hard efforts of Johnny Long, Bob Peterson and the rest of the mission community we have started to help our neighbors rebuild. Businesses have responded by donating building materials and our compound has turned into a construction site. People have given support from America, Africa and Europe. It is a real blessing to be a part of this effort.
But God hasn’t stopped there! Four women gave their lives to Jesus Sunday morning and many others came to church for the first time. Sunday School was packed with kids. God has a plan for this neighborhood and these people. It will be exciting to be a part of it.
“There is a fire.” The fire on the 17th was only the start of the Refiner’s fire that is beginning to burn in our neighborhood! Lord, set our hearts aflame for you.
Works is an area owned by the Ministry of Works that for our first five years in Jinja was only an empty field. Then JB got permission to build a small shop to sell things (salt, sugar etc.) Soon there was a row of shops. Today there are over 500 people living there. Now their homes were on fire.
The homes are nothing more than whatever they can find to nail together. Scrap lumber, pieces of tin, plastic, and used discarded iron sheets for roofing. It is at best described as a shanty town.
The bars moved in about three years ago. The first one was so successful that two more opened up. In case you didn’t know, Ugandans spend a greater percentage of their income on alcohol then any other nation. So where there are people there will be bars. Then a video hall opened up. And the once empty field became Works.
By the time the fire was contained twenty-six homes had been destroyed and one hundred thirty people were left homeless. I sent Steven and Jacob over that night to tell anyone who needed a place to stay that we had set up andopened the church for shelter. No one came!
The next day we went to see the damage and God led us to feed the people porridge and set up a large tent for a sleeping shelter. That became the starting point. Most families affected by the fire found neighbors or relatives to house their kids but we still have twenty-two people staying in the tent.
Kelli, Jen Long and Bev have organized the feeding of 50-80 people every evening for the past week as well as gathering household needs for the displaced.
With the hard efforts of Johnny Long, Bob Peterson and the rest of the mission community we have started to help our neighbors rebuild. Businesses have responded by donating building materials and our compound has turned into a construction site. People have given support from America, Africa and Europe. It is a real blessing to be a part of this effort.
But God hasn’t stopped there! Four women gave their lives to Jesus Sunday morning and many others came to church for the first time. Sunday School was packed with kids. God has a plan for this neighborhood and these people. It will be exciting to be a part of it.
“There is a fire.” The fire on the 17th was only the start of the Refiner’s fire that is beginning to burn in our neighborhood! Lord, set our hearts aflame for you.
Saturday, January 7, 2012
Heat and the Siren's Song
It cannot be January. It is just too hot! My brain still has trouble with the idea that this is the hot season. What happened to Walking in a Winter Wonderland? Two weeks ago I heard the song. I could almost feel the chill on my face. But not now. The grass is dying and the plants are shriveling. Even the clear sunny days are getting hazy from the smoke produced by the dead fields being burnt off.
You'd think Bev and I would get used to this but no. We are as stricken by the heat as when we first arrived from the cold of Leadville in '98. And I still approach the heat like a mzungu. Today at youth group I took the kids next door to do a game and I turned around and no one was behind me. Why? Because as a mzungu I still race from one place to another as if there was air conditioning. You limit your outdoor exposure time. But to the kids here, when it is hot you move as slowly as possible so as not to break a sweat. No point in getting hotter! These kids can and are teaching me a lot. But do we have to do it standing in the sun?
Of course the kids are in the shade, only the pastor stands in the sun. Why is that? My personal theory is that those of us who come from cooler climates don't deal with the bugs of Africa as well as those from the tropics. The shade is where the bugs (who are more intelligent than I) hang out. They know that if they fly out in the afternoon sun they will likely explode in a fireball when the intense sun magnifies as it passes through their wings and ignites their bodies. (Some heat stricken scientists claim these self-igniting insects are the cause of all the fires and haze.) So these clever little insects of Africa congregate under the shade trees to annoy and attack people who seek the cool. But I have outwitted them. I stand in the sun. Even the insects are teaching me. I am beginning to suspect that the sound I hear is not the hum of their wings but the roar of their laughter.
But now in the cool of the evening as the power has been cut again and fans don't work I hear their laughter again. "Come out into the cool. We won't bite" they seem to say. My mind responds "Do I look stupid to you?" And the laughter increases. It is the Siren's song of Africa.
You'd think Bev and I would get used to this but no. We are as stricken by the heat as when we first arrived from the cold of Leadville in '98. And I still approach the heat like a mzungu. Today at youth group I took the kids next door to do a game and I turned around and no one was behind me. Why? Because as a mzungu I still race from one place to another as if there was air conditioning. You limit your outdoor exposure time. But to the kids here, when it is hot you move as slowly as possible so as not to break a sweat. No point in getting hotter! These kids can and are teaching me a lot. But do we have to do it standing in the sun?
Of course the kids are in the shade, only the pastor stands in the sun. Why is that? My personal theory is that those of us who come from cooler climates don't deal with the bugs of Africa as well as those from the tropics. The shade is where the bugs (who are more intelligent than I) hang out. They know that if they fly out in the afternoon sun they will likely explode in a fireball when the intense sun magnifies as it passes through their wings and ignites their bodies. (Some heat stricken scientists claim these self-igniting insects are the cause of all the fires and haze.) So these clever little insects of Africa congregate under the shade trees to annoy and attack people who seek the cool. But I have outwitted them. I stand in the sun. Even the insects are teaching me. I am beginning to suspect that the sound I hear is not the hum of their wings but the roar of their laughter.
But now in the cool of the evening as the power has been cut again and fans don't work I hear their laughter again. "Come out into the cool. We won't bite" they seem to say. My mind responds "Do I look stupid to you?" And the laughter increases. It is the Siren's song of Africa.
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