To Entebbe And Back (in slow motion)

Saturday Bev and I went to Entebbe to pick up our dear friend Jo. It was an uneventful ride to the guest house. Unlike our last trip to Kampala...

That trip had started well enough and finished well but there was one part that was a little frightening. As we passed Kitigoma and were cruising through the cane field, I pulled out into the passing lane to overtake a petrol lorry. No worries as he was doing 60 kph and we were doing 80 kpm. About one fourth of the way around him this 55foot long tanker decides to pull into my lane to overtake another lorry. It was just at this point that a pickup appears, coming fast from the other direction. Now we have a problem. Three lanes, two tanker lorries, a pickup truck and us. Plus a pothole! I instantly think, "This is the stuff Ugandan headlines are made of."

Have you ever noticed in periods of extreme danger how time seems to slow down? This was just one of those times.

The pothole was small by local standards (under 6 feet wide and less than 12 inches deep) but the pickup did not want to straddle it so he slides into my lane. This is making life in the fast lane very tight. My only option was to gun the engine since slowing down would have caused us to be ground into the pavement by the first lorry's rear wheels. As the gap narrows time slows even more. I see Otim's face contort into an expression of alarm. I hear Bev let out a little gasp. And I watch the darkness come as the space ahead begins to close up. I stay as close to the lorry as humanly possibly. Our passenger door mirror begins to fold inward from the fender of the lorry pushing against it. I can't bear to watch the impact with the pickup so I watch the tanker. Otim is clawing his way into my seat. Bev is trying to scream but nothing comes out. All sound is gone. Nothing but the pounding of our hearts as disaster looms on the horizon. The pickup is right next to me. I cannot see where my vehicle ends and his begins. I don't dare look at the driver as that might cause us to move over and used up the three microns of gap between us.Then it is over. We are past the lorry, the pickup has gone by and the daylight has returned. The topic of discussion quickly turns to the love and grace of God. Amen! He has let us keep our lives and our mirrors.


This trip to Entebbe was slow and uneventful; however the trip home was interesting.
As I was the designated driver(not because of teatotaling reasons but because I'm not invited into the conversation of two women who haven't seen each other in months) I settled into a comfortable contemplative position behind the wheel.

It is a common opinion in these parts that I don't listen to people. Not true! I listen, I just don't hear so well. As I listened to Bev and Jo's conversation about news from home I was saddened to hear that my friend Keith B. had sung two songs and had gotten chapped lips. Apparently the weather didn't agree with him and the songs were long as he had eight chapped lips! Sounds painful.

I also learned our friend Denny who works in Namulanda has apparently decided to take up agriculture as he is now back in New Mexico living in a farming town and had brought in Ed's corn well. But the good news was dampened since the tomato harvest (tomas in spanish) had some problems, or quirks as Jo called them.

Then came the most exciting part of the trip. We stopped to shop at a supermarket in Kampala. The Shoprite/Game complex is always an adventure and it didn't disappoint this time. I got to save a life.

As we crossed the parking lot which, is made of interlocking paver stones, two young women, one carrying a child, were approaching us. I saw the one with the child stop and look down at her foot. It was stuck. Her high heel had sunk into the gap between two stones and she couldn't pull it free. Being the gallant man that my mom taught me to be I asked if she needed help. It was just then that a car came around the corner.

Time seemed to slow again. As the vehicle approached I bent down and attempted to remove the shoe from the crack. The woman began trying to wriggle out of her shoe but couldn't get her foot free. I glanced up to see the station wagon still bearing down on us. I told Jo to save herself and pushed her out of the way. Then I tugged at the woman's foot. No good! Finally I wedged my fingers under the heel of the shoe and lifted straight up. FREE! By now I could only see the grill of the car. The woman leaped to safety one way and I went the other. Jo stood by amazed!

I told Jo how time had seemed to slow and enable me to get the woman free. She looked at me incredulously. "What are you talking about?" she said. "That car was twenty yards away and was only moving three miles an hour!" Then she started to say something about the next time I pushed her I'd be pushing up daisies but I didn't wait to hear the rest. I had to go tell my wife! I knew she'd be impressed.

PS It turns out Keith B. is in Tucson with eight chaplains, Denny is in Farmington and had spoken to Ed Cornwell and Thomas Quirk. Somehow I like my version of the trip better! And is it any wonder why I don't listen?

Special People

As I write this I am listening to the music and commotion next door. It not a disco or political rally. It is the Youth Conference for our church.

The noise is from all the games plus volleyball tournament that are being contested. But I like to remind myself that the biggest sound is the laughter. Young people having fun, enjoying fellowship.

It is not all just games. They have come to worship Jesus and study the book of Nehemiah. They are here to work. Just as Nehemiah challenged the people to build a wall to establish themselves as a nation, these youth have been challenged to build a youth group and establish themselves as a ministry dedicated to God. I pray they take up the challenge.

This is a great bunch of kids and if they follow through it will have a huge impact on the town of Jinja. These kids are special people.

It has also been great to watch Kelli put it all together. She looks at every detail to make sure the conference goes well. She cares deeply for all these youths and wants to see Jesus securely on His throne in each life. She is a special person.

Jacob, Joseph, Tall (Davis), Little John, Eddie, Patrick, Andy, Anna, Loyce & Neema (the Harmony Sisters), and others who I don't even know their names are all giving three days to see Jesus alter the lives of this group of kids. Really special people.

Meanwhile my sweetie, Beverly, teaches the women's bible study and covers for everyone else helping at the conference. A truly special person to me.

Me? What am I doing? I've got the easiest job today. I just get to teach these all these folks about working together. But after all the love, prayer and support poured out on these kids by all those special people, I think they have it under control already.

Special people seem to live that way.

Now to get ready for the Pastor's Conference here on the 24th-26th. Got to go find more special people.

How Great is Jesus?

Our last two prison programs were today. After three weeks of practicing carols, drama and dance we finished our Christamas (sorry got Harry Belafonte's "Mary's Boy Child" in my head) programs at Bugungu YO and Bugungu YP. YP is always a celebration but YO is a very dark place spiritually. So we started there at 10:30 this morning.

As I was giving the opening prayer and remarks there was a couple of young muslim men standing in the front. They were openly hostile to our sharing the gospel in song, drama and dance. After our choir started I could barely hear them. They were intimidated by the men. So I went and stood next to these men, boys really, and began to sing with the choir. One of them moved away but the other stayed where he was. Soon he was starting to sing with the music.

When the one boy moved away Bev came up and stood beside him and began to sing. The men then started to enjoy the music. We had told them at the start that they could enjoy the music even if they weren't Christians but this young man next to Bev just refused. Between songs Bev told him that he could enjoy the music even if he didn't get saved. Jesus gives us joy and lets us dance in prison. Well that seemed to make a difference as his defiant attitude soon washed away.

The Birth of Jesus was told from Matthew and Luke with short dramas to fill in the story. Then Moro Steven, our prisons pastor, shared a very powerful message. And nine men gave their lives to Jesus, including the two muslim boys.

Then when the song and dance segment started the joy on the saved men's faces was indescribable unless you happen to be born again. In that case you know exactly what it looks like. Because we can see it every day in the mirror.

The Program was even better at YP. 19 men came forward to give their lives to Jesus and it was such an incredible blessing. I even met a guard who got saved as a prisoner in Kirinya Remand in 2000. He is still walking with Christ.

I am always amazed at what Jesus does. He saves people that 10 minutes earlier had been dead set against Him. He saves them in prison, on the street, in the hospital, at church. He saves us wherever we may be. Pray for those He is saving this Christmas and every day. Jesus is indeed the Gift that keeps forgiving.

Have a blessed and merry Christmas.

Slow is good

Well the new School of Ministry class is here. We've been meeting for three weeks and have lost one student so far. Ruth is a young woman who wanted to come to the SoM but to do so she would have to quit her job. She has not come the last week so I think she has opted to remain gainfully employed. Which in the underemployed world of Uganda is a very good idea.

So we have Joseph from Kenya. He is quiet but already seems to have a servant's heart. He volunteers for anything and works hard at the assignment. That is one of the goals of the SoM. Joseph is also a musician so our class worship times are better than ever.

Collin is from the church in Gulu. He has already been tried when his one year old daughter developed malaria the second week of school. He did not rush home but asked the class to pray for her and God has healed her. He seems to be a man of true faith.

Grace is one of our church members and wants to learn more about God by studying His
word. He and his wife Patricia lost their 5 year old son last year. At the burial the family abused Grace publicly but he responded with humility and grace towards them. I have been impressed by his strong unwavering commitment to do good in all things.

Moses is Pastor Apollo's younger brother. I have known him about eight years. He is probably the most advanced student in the class and he has surprised me a couple of times already with his insight into and use of Scripture.

Dismas is a former prisoner who lives in Bugiri. He has come because of all the false teaching in his district. He feels God has called him to bring the truth of His word to the people in Bugiri and neighboring Kenya. He came with lots of bad beliefs but every day God removes more from Dismas' heart and replaces it with truth.

Charles is the youngest Christian in the school and has only known Jesus for less than a year. But he does know that Jesus is the truth, not the B'hai religion that he was forced to follow by his former employer. He is always willing to give an answer. Can't wait to see how he does with apologetics.

Zacharia is a former Church of Uganda catechist who had been out of church for six years. He started coming to Calvary last year and his desire is to share God's word in the Teso region. Zacharia is the oldest student at 54 years.

Anne is from nearby Mayuge District. She was married with two children but her husband chased her from their home when she was born again. Sadly that is an all too common occurence. She is staying with Steven and Mary and is learning much. She started with problems in understanding my English but is getting much better.

Finally William. He is a young man who is also on our church board. In the last 5 years no one has asked me more or better questions about the Bible and faith than William. He will be keeping me on my toes.

I said slow is good and when it comes to a new SoM class, it is true. We are taking much time this year to ensure that a good, solid foundation is laid before we press ahead. Please keep these students in prayer so that they will not give up and that their teacher can speak in understandable terms.

It's Up, It's Down

What comes up, must go down. That pretty well sums up the internet, phone and electric service here in Jinja. It has been almost two weeks since I've been able to connect to the internet.

When the internet is down you have to call your provider. For us, that's the phone company. Problem is the phone is the same line as the internet. If the net is down usually the phone is down too. Aha! You think to yourself, I'll use my cell phone to call the phone company. A seemingly good idea but there is one major hitch. Since cell phone providers are stealing all of the phone company's customers the phone company has decided that they won't take service calls from cell phones. Kind of a payback thing, I guess. So you call but they don't answer! Now you have to drive down and talk to them in person (or have your lovely wife do that, thanks sweetie).

When the phone/internet guy finally arrives after 3 days he checks out the situation with great patience and skill and he determines that you need a new wire to run fron the pole to your house. "Great", you say. "Wire that baby up." That is when you get the sad news that the phone company has no phone wire. "When will you get some?" you eagerly ask. "Next week...maybe."

So next week or later finally comes and you get the wire and the phone and internet are back. You're in business... except now the electric lines are down. You wait another day until the repairman can come to fix them. Which he does. Hurray! now you can finally communicate with the outside world. Except, in your house, there is still no power. The electric guy has forgotten to put the fuse back in the transformer for your house! So you call him up on his cell phone (no rules about phones for the electric company) and he says he will be right there. An hour later he arrives in the dark to put in the fuse on the pole. Simple job so you leave him to do it.

About five minutes later you start to wonder why the power hasn't come on. Then you hear a comotion outside. The dog has bitten the power guy! "What?" "Your dog has attacked me!" Hard to believe since this is the same dog that slept as thieves stole the bike rack with two bikes attached last month. So you promise the power guy that the dog is not rabid and he calms down then finishes putting the fuse back. Finally you get to check your email but before you can sit the phone rings. It is the hospital informing you that the power guy is getting rabies injections. So off to the hospital you go with your dog's vaccination record and a wad of cash as rabies vaccine is expensive. Two hours later you return home too tired to check email. It will wait until tomorrow. Except for the thunderstorm that blows the fuses in your equipment overnight.

It's up it's down but it's the only game in town. And people wonder why I never write...

Two days in the hole or what a weigh to go

Now that it is time to head back to Jinja the dreaded task of matching weight to space is upon me. The last two days have started in the hole. That is what I have nicknamed Dale and Debbie's basement. It's where we keep all the stuff that we gathered to take back to Jinja when we go. Now it is time to make everything fit into our luggage.

The hole is rather nice with no creepy things or slimy things running around but it is still a basement. It has lights, a level floor and it is climate controled.

I started the process by lifting up everything we are going to pack and then standing on the bathroom scale. We can carry back free of charge 300 pounds. I had hoped to be close to that but we ended up at 600lbs.

No problem. After getting the excess removed I'm down to 400lbs. Now the tedious part. Fitting it all piece by piece into trunks then weighing the trunk by standing on the scale while holding the trunk. Then I set down the trunk to weigh myself without the trunk to calculate the difference. The depressing part in this is being reminded that I've gained 10 lbs on this trip and that everyone I see in Uganda is going to remind me of that when they say, "You have put on!" At least I should be excited that I live in a country that appreciates traditionally built women and the "big" man. And no, as incredible as it may seem, two days of load shifting and working in the hole does not cause you to lose even a pound.

Now after 48 hours of laboring I've got 8 trunks ready to go. I have a men's conference to attend and my dear wife is looking for something to do. I just know she's going shopping! Life in the hole goes on!

Feels just like home

Traveling from Reno to blackfoot, Idaho. Bev and I made reservations for a room in Wells, Nv. Good thinking by the idiot for a change. As we drive through Elko the highway sign says "Next gas 112 miles". Since Wells is only 51 miles away I naturally think that this must be a devious plan by the unscrupulous petrol dealers in Elko to get travelers to buy their gas rather than gas up in Wells.

I asked Bev if she needed to stop and she said a restroom would be appreciated. Being ever vigilant to score easy husband points with the little woman (restroom points are much easier to get than other points like shopping points-you must initiate the shopping event yourself to receive husband points and the shopping event cannot take place anywhere that has the word TOOL, HARDWARE, BARN or JOE'S in it's name, so JOE'S HARDWARE AND TOOL BARN does not qualify.) She told me that was very considerate and she needed to stop so we got gas as well.

Checking into the motel in Wells we find out that the town's electricity has been off all day and it would not return until tomorrow. That's why there is no gasoline. Having prepaid for the room we stayed anyway. It was just like being back in Jinja. Sitting in a dark hotel room with no place to go and nothing to do. So we went to bed early and woke up at three a.m. when the power came back on and so did every light in the room. Now it is 4:00 a.m. and I'm blogging because my eyes were badly exposed with the return of the power. This however has cost me some valuable husband points since Bev now blames me for her being awake. Ahh it's good to be home! Now to score more points. "Look Honey, there is a Tool World right across the street!"