Uganda Recap: Day Six

Day six of ministry brought us to the village of Bukaleba, part of the area of Uganda designated for Arise Africa to use for their ministry. We arrived at the site where the secondary school is being built with the money that the Lord brought in through Journey during our Arise Africa weekend several months ago. (The primary school is part of the orphanage that houses children up to 6 years old.) The school is set on top of a hill and is surrounded by mountains. When finished it will house over 200 children ages 7-12 or so. All I could think about was the fact that we were so close to the orphanage, but there was one day of ministry standing in between us.

(Well, that and a drive to the other side of the mountain.)

Since we were at a construction site, and there was no typical village close by to us, most of us played with the children all day, instead of going hut-to-hut. One team did go to a prison in the afternoon where 40 people received salvation. The prison team was also blessed by a dance and some worship songs that the prisoners performed. In the children's ministry, there were about 40 kids in all. We sat inside one of the classrooms that was being built so that we could have shade while we told stories and did a few quiet activities. The children taught us a few of their own games, many of which involved a lot of dancing. Needless to say, they all had a good laugh at the expense of the mzungus!

During lunch, one of the pastors from our church, Paul, shared his lunch with a group of older boys. Gave it all away. What a sight it was to see this group crowding around to receive a handful of cranberries and nuts, something they had never tasted before. Paul proceeded to dump out the rest of the food he carried with him for the day and gave it all away. I loved seeing that. I also loved that it looked like it was no effort for the boys to share what they had received with each other. While there wasn't enough water for everyone to have their own bottle, they each had some because they were able to share. Isn't that unlike our culture? Do we ever want to share what we are given? We have the ability to go out and buy more of anything we want, yet we refuse to share what we have because we are selfish.

The afternoon proved to be long and tiring. The sun was hot and if you've ever tried to entertain a group of kids without a plan of action set in place, you can understand the frustration. Add to that a group of kids who cannot speak the same language and translators that are following your lead and you might begin to feel stressed out, wondering when the time would come to load up on the bus. I could definitely tell that this day was taking a toll on the team, especially those who spent the whole day with the children. I can't say that I was unhappy to see the bus show back up that afternoon to take us back to Jinja. Yes, the day was a good day, but my energy was wearing thin.

We played games that involved running...

...and more running...

...and even more running. Think we were trying to wear them out?

Paul sharing his lunch

Teaching the Hokey Pokey was a given

Kate taught the group a game that involved clapping

Loading the truck to bring people back to their village

Back at the guesthouse during our meeting, we learned that our time at the orphanage was being cut back from two half days to one half day. Saddened by this, I had to remind myself that a few hours for one day was better than none at all. Besides, who else gets the chance to say they have met the child they sponsor, to hold her and hug her and play with her? I wouldn't give that up for anything, even if that meant we only had a short time together. We also learned that we would all be split up into smaller groups of two or three and that we would be sent out to the different churches of the pastors of Arise Africa in the morning. Honestly, I know that Matt and I were a little overwhelmed when we learned that. We thought we would get to attend a church and experience a true Ugandan worship service. But, we were not here for us. We were here to serve. And these people were eager to hear from us, because when we come, "we bring hope." Being split into very small groups meant that many people on our team would have to speak at each church. Some would have to preach and some would have to give testimonies. Immediately, I got very nervous. My comfort zone bubble had just been popped again.

Thoughts rushed through my mind. "How was I going to speak in front of a church? Here it is, 9 o'clock at night and I've got nothing prepared! There's no way."

We were broken into small teams and Matt and I, along with our friend, Amy, were scheduled to go to Pastor Stephen's church. Knowing that I was going there was the only thing that eased my mind. At least I felt like I knew him and there was some sense of familiarity there. And, if I'm being honest, I knew that he pastored a small church. Still, I was anxious.

Back in our room, as Matt was preparing a message to preach, I was preparing my testimony. It was now or never. Was I going to stand up and speak? Was I going to allow God to use me?

I had to yes. I couldn't back down now.

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Pastor Timothy's Story

As promised, here is Pastor Timothy's story. I pray that it speaks to you in a powerful way.

Pastor Timothy grew up in a family of 12. His parents claimed to be Christians and so the children grew up believing they were also Christians. Pastor Timothy was the youngest. His father was a judge for the government when Amin came to power over Uganda. During that time, many people were being tortured and killed, disappearing forever. His father refused to work for Amin because of what was going on. He only wanted to work for justice. Men in the army would come to their home and threaten Pastor Timothy's father. It was May of 1977. On June 22 of that same year, a friend came to their door to break the news that their father and husband was missing. He was never seen again.

After that, things changed in his home and his family became separated. His siblings joined the rebel army to fight against Amin. All of them were killed. His mother left for another village to find food. There was no peace in their home and Pastor Timothy was forced to leave home to find work.

Pastor Timothy started to get involved in the sport of boxing. He met other men and they began to get involved with alcohol. Pastor Timothy became a drunkard and started to rebel and misbehave. He had the skills to go pro, but due to his bad behavior and drunken state, his passport was taken from him so he could not compete. By now, alcohol had begun to control him and in the 80's he found himself looking for his mother in the village she fled to after his father died. He found his mother and they stayed together, but his behavior had not yet changed. He was still very disobedient.

In the late 1980's, God used a missionary from Texas to lead Pastor Timothy to Christ. Three months later, he was chosen by his fellow believers to lead them as their Pastor. At that time, many churches were established and many souls were saved. Pastor Timothy was married in 1984 and by 1991 he had three children. Because pastoring was voluntary work, he had no way of supporting his family. So, as someone who was experienced with the lake, he got a job helping the government to keep people from smuggling goods from Uganda into Kenya by way of Lake Victoria.

In December of 1991, he set out with a crew of four others to find a place where they would be stationed along the islands bordering Uganda and Kenya. At this point, Pastor Timothy was only thinking about money, and no longer about serving God. On December 11th, while his crew was in the middle of the lake, they saw a boat coming towards them. They did not know that this boat was carrying thieves who had planned on stealing what they had. When the boat came near, they realized Pastor Timothy's boat had army men in it and began shooting at them. All but Pastor Timothy died. During this time, Pastor Timothy repented to the Lord and confessed his sin, pleading for help. The thieves took off leaving Pastor Timothy with the dead bodies, which he took to the nearest police. Pastor Timothy was accused of killing these men.

After eight days in jail, he began to preach the Word of God to his fellow inmates. On December 19th, he was taken to court and sentenced to one and a half years in prison. They would continue to search for more evidence against Pastor Timothy. Within three days in prison, his fellow inmates chose him to be their leader. Pastor Timothy told his fellow inmates that he was a pastor and he had accepted the fact that God wanted him to work in that prison to minister to these other prisoners. On 26th day of imprisonment, Pastor Timothy went back to his dormitory after chapel. He said that he received a word from God and to that word he responded, "Lord, I have finished the work you have sent me to do. Open the doors of the prison and let me out." Not knowing where the word came from, he prayed and kept quiet.

During his time in prison, Pastor Timothy saw many miracles happen. Prisoners were released. The sick were healed. God's hand was there.

A couple days later, the night before Pastor Timothy had to go back to court, he had a dream. In this dream the prison walls were falling down on him and he was shouting to the Lord, "I'm dying out of air!" He woke up frightened and as he was going to court, three other prisoners approached him and told him they had a dream that he was going to be released. They were coming to say good-bye and to tell him not to forget them. Pastor Timothy shared his dream with them, but promised he would return because he had a one and a half year sentence to fulfill.

That day, when he went to court, he was released.

Once Pastor Timothy was freed, he returned to his village and continued to Pastor his church. But he never forgot the prisoners. To this day, Pastor Timothy has a heart for prison ministry. He continues to return to prisons to visit and to share the love of Christ. Even though he was disobedient to God, he was given a second chance to serve Him. It is Pastor Timothy's prayer that he can continue to serve the Lord in any situation and be the obedient servant he was called to be.

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Uganda Recap: Day Five

Today we visited Pastor Timothy's village on the shores of Lake Victoria, the source of the Nile River. On our drive in to his village, we passed by very primitive huts against a beautiful backdrop of crops and mountains. When we arrived, we got the privilege to listen to Pastor Timothy tell his story.

(That will be the next post. It's fascinating; you won't want to miss it!)

When the adult teaching began, we brought the children outside and began to sing songs with them. Matt and I tried to teach them a song that we learned at the YMCA called "Little Red Wagon". The older kids picked up on this call and repeat song much better than the younger ones, but the language barrier still proved to be a hindrance.

Pastor Edward and Robyn leading a song

Patti playing with the kids

Pastor Timothy also let us try sugar cane. After us rookies tried to bite into our pieces, he told us that we were just supposed to suck on it to get the liquid out. I wouldn't say it was great, but it wasn't bad either. Think watered down sugar water. When you're done with your piece, just throw it on the ground.

Trying sugar cane. (Pastor Timothy is the big guy holding the plate!)

Once the children were split up into groups, Pastor Timothy took Matt, our friend Tom, and me around the village. He walked us down their dirt road to the shores of the lake. While walking, we stopped in front of a house with a gazillion little fish laying out in the sun on a net. They were being dried out to be used as food. This village relies on the fish from the lake, otherwise there is no food. Unlike the other villages we went to, this one wasn't surrounded by fields of crops. Along the way, we caught the attention of three young children. One girl in particular was giddy with excitement. I'll never forget her. While she danced circles around us, she screeched, "Mzungu, mzungu!!" and then she would giggle in delight. Her and her two little friends stayed close by while Pastor Timothy showed us around. They went from holding our hands to kissing our hands to laughing with us. At the shore we saw many fishermen tending to their boats (which looked more like larger versions of our canoes). One even asked if we wanted to go for a short ride. We declined. =)

Little silver fish drying out

Shores of Lake Victoria

Village on the edge of the lake

This was the little girl who was overly excited to see us. "Mzungu, mzungu!!"

Back at the top of his village, Pastor Timothy took us over to meet his mother, a 96 year old woman who wore a beautiful orange African outfit. We were able to pray with her and then get a photo together. This was a blessing to see because the average life span in Uganda is around 45 years old. And here she was, more than double that.

Pastor Timothy's Mom with some of our team

The well in their village. A well with a bucket system once stood here. After a fatal accident,
the village knew they needed to fill it in and replace it with one of these.

Pastor Timothy's house

I got a chance to walk around and take pictures of the kids and mingle with them, rather than have to lead a group of children in the stories and games. It was a very welcomed break.

After lunch, Matt, Tom and I headed off to a prison. While I wasn't really nervous, I wasn't really sure what to expect. When you hear the word "prison" you would probably immediately think about the prisons here. Prisons in Uganda are nothing like they are here. We pulled up to a fenced in lot with a few buildings. By fenced in, I mean it looked like a farming fence that we might use here. Yes, there was barb wire on it, but if someone got a good running start and could jump, I was pretty certain they might be able to clear it. There were approximately 50 people at this prison. Mostly men. Two women. And a few wardens, most of whom were women. We saw no weapons anywhere. The door that we walked through was short, and even I had to duck my head. The weather was cool and damp; there was a bit of "eeriness" to the air. Tom presented the Gospel and Matt interjected with some Scripture to encourage them. Overall, 14 people accepted Christ that afternoon including three Muslims. Tom was feeling a bit discouraged because more didn't accept, but we found out that many were already believers. We had to remind ourselves that the Lord rejoices even when one person is saved. I was supposed to share my testimony, but we ran out of time. We were very late in arriving due to a late start and a long drive and it was necessary for us to return to the village. Before we left, we passed the warden a box of Bibles and some toiletries. One of the saddest things I saw on this trip was how the prisoners had to line up to receive their items like toothpaste, a toothbrush and soap. While in line, they had to squat down and stay in that position as they made their way through the line, almost like an act of submission to the warden who was passing things out. To me, it looked like they were treated like animals. (Trust me, I'm not sympathizing with them because they have obviously committed crimes to land themselves in prison. I'm just stating the fact that they are still humans.)

We learned today that Pastor Timothy's village has no food and his Pastors have no Bibles. We learned that if there is someone with a Bible, he might rip it up into sections so that it can be shared among the group. That's how hungry these people are for the Truth. And then there's us, with three, four, five or who knows how many Bibles sitting on our bookshelves, collecting dust. Because we don't have to depend on someone else to give us a Bible. We aren't desperate for the Word. We take for granted that we can purchase a Bible anywhere that sells books. We can read it on our computers. If that doesn't stop you in your tracks, then I don't know what will. I think I can speak for those of us who learned that truth that we were all completely humbled and convicted. We also learned that the Pastors who come with us each day to help and to translate don't have food either. When a Pastor is able to go out and buy food, he might come back to his village and see someone else who is in need. He ends up giving his food away and teaches his children the value of fasting. He teaches them the truth that God is still good even when they are in need. The village doesn't support the Pastor, but the Pastor supports the village. We learned that Pastor Charles' family doesn't have food while his children are in school. It's either or for them.

Pastor Timothy has planted many churches, some as far as Kenya and Tanzania. But he cannot get to these churches. The cost? $150 for one week of food and lodging. God, please give him the means to travel to these people and lead them in Your way.

A very humbling day.

After dinner, I was finally able to talk to my parents on the phone for a few minutes. Uganda is seven hours ahead which makes for a hard time to connect with our loved ones back home. When we're getting up in the morning, our families are going to bed. When we're returning from a village and preparing for dinner, our families are heading out to work. But, by day five, we were finally able to connect! (We also figured out how to get consistent hot water in our shower today too!)

Countdown to orphanage: two days!

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Uganda Recap: Day Four

On our way out to the village this morning, we got a sweet surprise before we left the guesthouse. As our team was preparing to board the bus, a taxi pulled in with all of the girls from the orphanage, including our sponsor orphan, Hilda. They were going to the fair today. And they were at the guest house. They all piled out of the van and onto the sidewalk. I was thankful for our seats on the right side of the bus that morning. From our window, we could see Hilda. The girls stopped and waved to us and my heart melted. I was able to catch Hilda's eye, and when I did, wave at her. She returned the wave and I longed more than anything else to get off that bus and embrace her. So close, yet so far away. Only a few more days until we'd be able to meet this sweet girl.

Upon arrival at Buyinda

When we arrived at the village of Buyinda, I joined the team that would go to the schools today. Matt stayed behind in the village. (Sidenote: One of the ladies who Matt had the privilege of leading to the Lord the day before showed up at the village church to learn more!) There was a group of five of us who went to the schools, along with a couple of our ever faithful pastors to translate for us. The first school we went to was a primary school. The ages ranged from 4-16 and this particular school happened to be a Christian school. Upon our arrival, there were shouts of joy and screeches of delight. As we walked through their school grounds, all the children fell in behind us and it felt like we were in some sort of parade. To say they were excited would be an understatement! We met with the headmaster in his hut before we began the program with the children. We all signed in to the vistor's log. We learned that this school allows orphans to attend for free so that they too can receive an education. The average cost for private school for a period of three months is about 15,000 shillings. (1 U.S. dollar = approx. 2500 shillings) A drop in the bucket for us but a huge sacrifice for the parents of these children considering the average daily wage is 1000 shillings. Yes, daily wage. School children start early and end late. It's more like holding down an 8-5 job in our world with a break for lunch. Many children walk a long way to get to school and often alone. Kidnapping is rampant in Uganda because so many children walk alone.

In front of the school children, all 450 of them, we told the story of Jesus. We each had a part and my part was to tell the story of the Last Supper. I told them about how Jesus had a group of good friends and that He told them He would have to leave soon, but that He promised to return. So, in His absence, He asked his good friends to eat a meal in remembrance of Him until He returned. I told them how Jesus wants to be a good friend to each of them too. After the story, Kate gave her testimony and Sayre presented the Gospel. We sang songs with the kids and then it was our turn for a treat. Apparently, each school has a special emphasis, kind of like our magnet schools here. Some schools in Uganda might be known for their sports or ministry, but this school's emphasis was on music. There was a group of older children who was preparing for a competition that was going to be held on Friday. So, before we left, they gave us a taste of their talent. It was unbelievable! Check out the pictures and the short video clip below to see what we were blessed with.

School house

After entering school grounds,
this was the view when I looked behind me!

Kate giving her testimony to the students

Dancing and Singing

As we headed out, we handed the headmaster some school supplies and said our good-byes, and again, we paraded out of the school grounds, with all children following us. Talk about feeling like a superstar!

After lunch, we headed to a secondary school, ages 16-25. Pulling up to the gate, we all felt a bit intimidated by the older kids. Instead of screeches of joys and shrieks of excitement, we were met with blank stares from clumps of kids here and there. Just like in the morning, we met with the headmaster before meeting with the students. These students were in the middle of exams so we had a constant in-and-out flow of traffic the whole time we were there. Walking up to the classroom where we would teach, what was once our game plan had to be shifted around again. This was also a Christian school and we felt a little silly telling the story of the Last Supper and presenting the Gospel in the same way we did for the younger kids. Think presenting college students with kindergarten material and you might be able to relate to what was going through our minds. After shifting things around, we had a plan. Kate shared a strong message. The students had great participation and the Holy Spirit was definitely moving in that place. What seemed like a disaster when we arrived, turned out to be an afternoon filled with the hand of God. He truly worked through the girls who spoke in that place.

Secondary School classroom

This boy could answer every question that we asked.
We were able to give him his own Bible before we left.

These students soaked up every word said and diligently took notes.

We finished up around 4 o'clock, about the same time as the school lets out for the day. Our bus hadn't arrived to pick us back up yet as they had taken another team to a nearby prison. So, our group began to walk back towards the village. Pastor Stephen and I were able to talk more on this walk and it was here where he told me that he thought of Matt and me as his family friends. "I feel it in my spirit," he told me. I'll never forget that moment.

Our bus arrived just as we almost reached the village and we piled on. Back at the village, I met an older boy whose first question to me was, "Who is your god?" I replied, "Jesus Christ is my God. Who is yours?" He said that he was a believer and then kept repeating "with God all things are possible." He told me that he wants to be a doctor and that he loves to study. I pray that his parents would be able to provide for him so that his dreams might be realized.

The boy who asked "Who is your god?"

To finish the day up, we headed out to the main road for another Crusade.

Tom gave his testimony and Paul preached the Gospel.

Heather having a little fun with the locals!

On our way back to the guesthouse, someone took out their portable speakers and we plugged up an iPod with praise and worship music. In no time at all, the entire bus was singing along to the songs, just as if we were back home in a Journey worship service. It certainly lifted any heavy spirits or those who were homesick and made the ride home much quicker. What an awesome experience to be on a bus with 23 other friends from Journey, singing songs to our God, in the middle of Africa.

Exhausted as usual, we pulled into the guesthouse ready for dinner and our nightly meeting. It was a good day today. A very good day, indeed.

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