God will as you

Go Uganda!

God will… as you

I must start by giving thanks to God for the peaceful elections. And thank you for joining in prayer and holding faith. In a year of many African elections, and those so far have resulted in intense acts of violence, it would not have surprised anyone if Uganda went down the same track. But they didn’t!

President Museveni is back in for the next 5 years. I believe this is a good thing, and clearly it is what Uganda wanted as he won by a massive percentage.

This evening I got a call from Museveni. Seriously – my phone was called with a message thanking me “Hello, this is the man with that hat, your President Museveni… let us work together for a better Uganda…” and it continued in Ugandan languages. Nice touch Museveni!

On [God] we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us, as you help us by your prayers.  Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favour granted us in answer to the prayers of many.

2 Corinthians 1:10a-11

Ps Ronald is translating for Joanna as she preaches the main morning sermon. You can see the coaster in the background – this is used to drive people to church that come from far away. That being said, there is one man who comes from a far off village – maybe 16km – that the coaster doesn’t go to, and he rides his bicycle every week!

Bryan and I spent the weekend of elections in Nawansega. I went up Friday (the Presidential election day), rather than Saturday, just in case there were troubles following elections.  If police were notified of even tensions they would be on location within minutes. Consequently, the place was very quiet most of the time, except for a few celebrations when the local MP was announced. 

Ps Ronald (right) introducing his wife Rachel (centre) at Buwaabe church. Rachel moved to the village, from Kampala (Uganda’s capital city), after they married in January. They are the children’s ministry leaders, including a Saturday program and Sunday mornings.

Please pray for their children’s ministries, the outreach programs they run, and their relationship, especially as Rachel adapts to the new environment.

Saturday nights

ATK has worship night every Saturday. It was Joanna’s week (once in a month) to be in the village again, so she was the one to share a few verses. It was definitely a night of ministering to the children. A lot of people usually get touched by the presence of God on these nights – it’s a time for the Holy Spirit to do His work, which He’s very good at, of comforting, convicting, and bringing revelation of God. This week in particular almost every child was on the ground listening or speaking to God, or simply overwhelmed by His beautiful presence.

The start of worship. Adults seen in pic: Ps Kibet (centre), teacher Steven (left), Margaret (right).

Imagine all those people either praying for others or lying on the floor – that’s what happens.

These children have difficult backgrounds – that’s why they’re in an orphanage – and to see and be part of having their lives touched and their value affirmed is truly awesome. There is a way to go, because healing and transformation takes time (though not always), but seeing the little changes along the way is an encouragement that 1) people do have amazing potential; and 2)this potential is realized when we stay with the One who put in us.

Culture thought: Community stories

Something that is different to my cultural background is the value of stories here. Whether people are preaching, dancing, or discussing between generations, there is a strong emphasis on giving a message through a story. Long stories too.

 Muze (polite term used for an old person) Ezra and Mukyala (‘wife of’ - women are titled in reference to their husband or kids) Ezra from Bukenke. We had nice chats, and they kindly gave me a full fenne (jack fruit) and 2 eggs.

I think there are a number of social reasons for this. Perhaps including (NB these are ideas not a thesis):

-          Africans have time: they take time to talk and listen, that our mode of life doesn’t allow for; plus, it takes so long to get around that what you came to do has to take long enough to make the journey worthwhile.

-          Wisdom and knowledge is learnt through experience, which (traditionally) gives a greater respect for elders.

-          Illiteracy

-          Lack of leisure time options in the village puts conversation and dance at the height of entertainment. I actually really like the messages in local songs, and the bond that comes from participating in the non-electronic or resource based entertainments.

-          Community members are (at least traditionally) strongly bound to one another, whether they like one another or not, because you either stay in the same village your whole life, or marry into a neighbouring one. These village circumstances need shared wisdom for basic survival and to maintain community cohesion.

Unfortunately, the sharing of these knowledges seems to have declined. Part of that is the mobility and changing work conditions that come with modernization – and I can hardly complain against that as the benefits are many, such as health standards and survival rates. On the negative side, wars and diseases such as HIV have attacked the older generations, leaving children without parents. If you’re not parented, it’s likely your own children will not be adequately parented… SO more efforts and options must be provided to teach the current generations.  Education so they can take on modernity in the Ugandan context; morality (based on God, because that’s where correct standards are from) to break the cycle of sin, and its consequences; and community so all can work with and for one another, for the greater benefit.

Coming back from Bukenke, young children were collecting water

Bryan drove them home to save them the hike with heavy jerricans

I believe this generation has the power to change their country IF they are taught.

Coming up…

1. Next week I am doing a water, sanitation and hygiene (WaSH) seminar at the Source Café in Jinja town. Water Source ministreies is having key people from the different villages they are working in, plus some workers from the Source Café, come to learn different points about WaSH and empowering communities in it. Please pray for the seminar for clear and enjoyable teaching, and that it leaves trainees with tools to go back and impact their communities.

2. The ATK church in Bukenke is almost finished. I’m excited about this because it provides this very rural community a shelter to have the church services, and to conduct trainings from. It’s at this site that we would like to put in a well… after I’ve done WaSH training, of course.

Celebrate and continue to pray for Uganda!

A nice stage of life

Happy Valentine’s Day for yesterday everybody! And happy birthday for special people who have their birthday on that day ;-)

 Ps Kibet worship leading in Buwaabe

The last fortnight has gone very well.  I’ve been doing preparation for the water sanitation and hygiene seminar coming up in March, visiting the village in Luuoka District, and spending more time at the Advancing the Kingdom base in Nawansega.

I particularly enjoyed this last weekend. ATK has a long prayer and worship session on Saturday nights; a time to meet with God, without time restricting the depth and duration of intimacy with Him. It was a lovely, soul moving time. I know I personally was able to put some things to God and push deeper into His presence – He was responds to such a heart cry. It’s so worth keeping our hearts cleaned out.

Bryan with translator Brian Muwanguzi

On Sunday, I did a short sermon for the first part of the morning service. Then Ps Toli, from the ATK church in Jinja and administrator of the ATK Bible College, did the main sermon. We did not preach at the prison in the afternoon, because the prisoners were out in the field (prisoners are put to work here: digging in fields, slashing in public areas, etc.).  So we headed straight on to the Buwaabe village church, and had a great time of fellowship there.

You are our witness

ATK ministries has established a good standing in the community.  A local Muslim leader said he wishes ATK had 10 churches in this village. The Local Chairman (LC), who is the community leader, who once rang the ATK pastors to tell them they should get out of the community, now rings to appreciate their work in people transformation. The LC said Nawansega villagers once had a bad reputation; now they have changed and it is a good place to be.

You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everybody. You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God… Not that we are competent in our selves… He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant – not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

2 Corinthians 4:2-6

Pray for elections

This Friday Uganda is having their Presidential elections. As you’ve likely noticed, elections have not been going so well in Africa this year. Fortunately, President Museveni has been quick to put police and army troops everywhere, to prevent and stop any rioting. There has been some rioting in Jinja, but the military police get onto it quickly. I expect things will be fine this weekend, but your added prayers would be most appreciated. Specifically, if you could please pray that

-          Riots and hype don’t happen, so that people and their businesses are safe

-          The elections aren’t rigged, and that they aren’t accused of being so (Besigye, Museveni’s opponent, has threatened to take to the bush if elections are rigged)

-          That surrounding nations do not take advantage of Uganda’s vulnerability during elections to join with opposition parties and gain control in Uganda

Answered prayer: a baby boy

And here is the beautiful baby boy I wrote about last time. Logos from Project Lydia has been blessed with a child. The picture is of Logos and her husband outside their home in Nawansega, just up the road from the church.

How nice to be able to bring you all these reports. Have wonderful weeks.