Hello all! Sorry it has taken a few days to update you all. It has been quite the week. So Ill try to fill you in on a bit of what is going on in my life.
Since I last wrote to you about the wedding there has been some changes to life here in Lira. The week after the wedding was a bit of a scattered week, as we prepared for Chris Clarks and Debbie’s arrival (the president of COTN and his wife). The COTN children preformed some beautiful traditional dances (one of my favorite things to see in Uganda). It was a good time of celebration as the staff and kids are so thankful for the work that Chris Clark has done in Uganda.
That same week I met a boy named Alex as we spent some time in a field inside the police barracks near our house. COTN brought out their speakers as well as their projector and screen to show some music videos and a film about the life of Jesus for the local kids and families. Its one of my favorite things to do here, sitting out under the magnificent stars in a grassy field surrounded by so many kids. But this time the night under the stars was really special. Alex was such a unique kid, with an incredible ability to speak and understand English. He was so eager to know more about my life in America and what brought me to Uganda. He was even more eager to just watch the film and learn more about Christ. His heart for truth was so incredible, its really hard to even put it in words on this blog. It can only be felt in that moment when it shows itself either through words or action or maybe both. But at a couple points during the film he looked at me (I could hardly see his face, half light by the movie projector) with such intense eyes, and told me how he wished he could understand more of Jesus’ parables. He felt like his lack education (he is only in primary 7, equivalent to junior high) kept him from knowing more about God. So I asked him what secondary school he wanted to go to and he told me that he probably wouldn’t get to go. At first Alex didn’t explain why he wouldn’t get to go and I wandered why. Usually, as white people, we get the very detailed story for financially hardships and life problems. But Alex said nothing more. There seemed to be no part of him that was looking for pitty or cash. It was refreshing to have a very genuine conversation with a Ugandan who really just wanted to be sincere and know me, not to just have an American “friend” that can maybe send money and all the other preconceived ideas of what white people are for in Africa. But I really wanted to know what the story was behind him not being able to go to secondary school, so I asked. He began to tell me a bit about his father dying and his mother taking care of many nieces and nephews, leaving hardly any money for him to continue his education. It was extremely frustrating to hear his somber voice describe these circumstances and even more maddening to know that he so strongly desired that education so that he could learn more about the world and most of all more about Christ. He must have seen only my tears as they filled my eyes in the dimly lit night.
I left that field praying if there was any way to help Alex that God would open my eyes to it. And He did. A few nights before I talked to Jerusha about the possibility of starting an education and mentoring fellowship that would empower young local leaders in Lira to pursue secondary and university level education alongside a mentorship program that provides priceless support in their ministries and careers. When we first talked about the possibility we were stired by a desire to see young leaders such as Alex, be lifted above the circumstances that hold them back from impacting their community. I felt a righteous anger against the spirit of poverty that has crushed the passions, the dreams, the life of to many young people here. A heart like that given to Alex can with out a doubt change the face of this nation. So I’m working on figuring out how to run this fellowship and how it would look on the ground. Im going to be working on that as I finish up the last few weeks here in Lira. Ill never forget Alex. Hopefully I will see him once more.
Now on to my birthday. I could not have imagined a better way to celebrate it. Our team just really needed a day to repair. To be brief, the program we started last week for kids that couldn’t afford school fees kind of backfired. Hundreds of kids poured in to the field but we soon realized that a large majority of them were already enrolled in schools and that their parents mistook our “school” for a legitimate new school. We even had nurses and teachers come apply for jobs. Haha! It was so insane. I really couldn’t believe that had happened, it felt surreal with so so many kids gathered around our chalk boards in the middle of a field. So we are going back to the village tomorrow to try it again after Pastor James explained to the community what we were trying to do. Please pray that we can communicate well that we are just trying to teach the kids that cant afford any education. I would sure love for this to work and not dismantle the local education system. Haha.
So we clearly needed a day to recover from several mishaps that seemed to us failures. Richelle (my co-leader) and I decided that we really just needed to serve our team on what happened to be my birthday. So in the morning we got up packed lunches and after morning devotions (full of singing, some preaching, praying and happy birthday songs and fruit baskets) we left for a field next to a Catholic Mission/Radio station. There we escaped to build our team up with words of encouragement and service. We ate and then Richelle and I washed our teams feet (We copied Jesus, nothing special). It was probably the best idea that God ever gave us. I feel like the love of God and his humble servants heart were the best things to fight the discouragement weighing our team down. WE spent about 4 hours sitting around after doing words of affirmation (basically each person just says something encouraging to each person). While we were sitting on our blanket a little angle named Nelson Mandela walked up to us bobbing his abnormally large head and fervently repeating munu. Im going to post a few pictures soon, so you will see his beautiful face. He was precious and brought such a gentle and innocent love to our little meeting. Sitting their calmly he ate his sandwhich we made him and held my hand and played with my munu tiene (white foot, he kept repeating that). He caught Thomas (one of our Ugandan staff siting with us) saying “I love you” and began to repeat that for quiet some time. One of the men at the mission told us that his medication was very expensive but that he was a blessing to the mission. Im guessing that he may not live for much longer and I am so thankful that I got to meet him before he leaves this earth. What a blessing and a lovely gift from God. See you in heaven Mandela Bean (his father was saying “Mandela, Come here” in luo, but we thought it was a nick name. haha).
At the end of the day I spend the evening with the COTN kids. Our team took a stroll over to their house (about 10 min. away) and did our weekly Bible study with them. On the way over God led me to Matthew 11:25-30, it’s the “Come All you Weary” passage (on of my favorites). I lead the group of older boys, Samuel, Solomon, Lameck, and Dennis and Scott leads the younger boys. Its another one of my favorite things to do here. Most of the time the boys bring more insight than I do. I love it. We talked about being weary and burdened in life. They talked of loosing their parents, fighting, having things stolen, and other hardships. But then they spoke of the ways that Christ has given them rest and how he has loved them all the while. Man, do those boys know how to praise Him. Opaka Rwot (Praise God). What a day it was. I will never forget it
Tonight we found a café in Lira owned and run by an American. I ate so much pizza and it was sooo good.
This week we are going to be visiting the hospital in Lira a few times. It will be hard I imagine to see so many ailing people, dying or waiting to die, and not be able to do a thing about it, except pray. But you know what, I am learning to see that that is certainly something to do, praying that is. I have seen the power of such intimate time and conversations with my God. The power to change my will (which is a miracle) and to reach down and change the natural all around. Prayer is not some secondary response to me as it has been many times at home, as a last resort when other options fail. It seems to be all I have, especially here in Uganda.
Here is something I stole from Jenny Velas’ blog (one of my teammates). We made a list the other day of hilarious quotes from Ugandans.
“These things probably don't make much sense but they bring such happiness when they are said! The English the Ugandans use is so precious. Here are some quotes:
"No one knocks my muno!"--Dennis
"She is gassing."--Morris
"My God is a God of FIRE!"--Dennis
"What is the progee today?"--Dennis
"We have to rectify the player."--Lucio
"Supplement the Mitsubishi."--Lucio
"I look more beautiful when I comb my hair"--Dennis
"The reserve needs to give me back my cattle."--Jimmy
"That bastard ate all my animals!"--Jimmy
"Baba, I need to pick some suga."--Sam
"You first study and then you cross."--Dennis
"We do what? We feed the babies."--Nurse Andrew
"I think you are going to have diarrhea symptoms. Get in bed with a towel."--Vicky
"I need to register my happiness."--Lucio
hahahahahahh ahhhhh
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