ccjinjajesse

Heat and the Siren's Song

2012-01-07T08:45:00.000-08:00

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.

Como se Dice?

2011-12-26T04:33:00.000-08:00

Back when Bev and I were studying Spanish my favorite phrase was "Como se dice?" It means "How do you say?"
As I sit here on Boxing Day, one of eighteen official Uganda holidays, como se dice come to mind.

I have had an incredible month. Going to court, teaching School of Ministry. teaching Revelation at Wednesday night bible study, filling in for Kelli as the youth group leader and working with all the kids and adults on the Christmas program.

How do you say to God just how great a blessing is life in Christ? Jesus has guided and carried me through some difficult moments in a corrupt court to where I have come out smiling. Not because justice was served but because He is Lord!

How do you say to a group of young men what a privilege it is to teach them the Word of God and see them gain insight far beyond what they were taught in class?

How do you say to the youth how much fun it is to be with them and see their enthusiasm to become who Jesus wants them to be?

How do you say how proud you are of the singers, actors, dancers and drummers who gave up four hours every day for the last month to bring the joy and good news of Jesus Christ to men and women in prison? These kids all know loneliness and isolation because they are orphans, abandoned or HIV victims. The adults have felt the pain of losing children to sickness and they help these kids by giving their hearts to them.

The joy that Christmas brings is not found in traditions that bring comfort to heavy hearts that long to relive their past to find peace and see lost family again.

No, to me the joy of Christmas is found in the heart of Jesus who teaches us to love those in the present celebration. Making hearts light with new faces and opportunities to rejoice in Him.

I pray your Christmas was a blessed one, knowing Jesus fully today with the expectation of knowing Him even better tomorrow!

Como se dice Merry Christmas? Feliz Navidad. Jesus te ama!

A Lesson About Money

2011-12-05T09:21:00.000-08:00

I had a meeting today in Kajjansi to settle a court dispute. To make a long story short I was ordered by a minor court to pay a former pastor 3,500,000 shillings and another man's widow 1,500,000 shillings. I couldn't help feeling bitter about the whole corrupt court process but I had been asking God to remove the bitterness.

As the court officials came and then the people who were to receive the money, they were all in a jovial mood. Only I was annoyed. But as the meeting and day wore on I started to feel the Lord reminding me that this is not a life or death matter but it is a matter of the heart. Cheer up, you still have Me. So I let Jesus lighten my mood.

By the time I paid the money a great weight was lifted off my shoulders. Then I noticed the most amazing thing. The farther the money got away from me the closer I drew to Jesus and the bitterness left me.

But at the same time that I was being released the people who were receiving the money were being put into bondage. They stopped laughing and started frowning. They started to grow agitated the closer the money got. By the time they actually received it they did not speak to each other and began to bicker.

As we traveled home Steven, Moses and I were down right happy and joyful. But I am sorry that the others were down right miserable. The desire of my heart was to draw near to God and forget about the monetary loss. "Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desire of your heart." It is so true.

Jesus you are always enough for us!

Warning Labels

2011-12-04T10:02:00.000-08:00

Warning labels are put on all kinds of stuff these days. Cigarettes(Warning: The Surgeon General has determined that smoking may be hazardous to your health). Did he actually do surgery to discover this? Wouldn't it be simpler to just tell the truth? Like this. Warning: only a fool would set dry leaves on fire and put them in his mouth, and think he looks cool and intelligent.

Alcohol (Warning: Consuming alcohol may affect your unborn child.) Hey try some real truth. Warning: The contents of this bottle will not make you better looking, richer or more popular. It may cause you to run your pickup into a bridge abutment or shoot your friend but hey that's what Saturday nights are for. And your kids ain't bailing you out!

Prescription medicines,(Warning: This medicine may cause drowsiness.) That was on a bottle of sleeping pills. Hey, if it doesn't can I get my money back at the all night pharmacy?

Plastic bags, (Warning: Suffocation hazard. Do not put over your head.) Face it the people who would put a plastic bag over their heads are women trying to keep their hair dry and kids who don't know how to read yet. Women lose all sense when it comes to hair styles anyway and kids would better understand if the bag read Warning: Do not place over your head because I said so!

Blogs should come with warnings as well.

Warning: The following material may be of an offensive nature to somebody.

Warning: The following material may or may not contain humor or any sign of intelligent thought.

But the real warning for life should be written on our hearts.

Sin. Warning: Sin kills. 100% effective. Kills the soul on contact. It may also kill within a radius of acquaintances or blood relatives. Only known antidote is Jesus Christ. Jesus must be taken internally. External application of Jesus may prolong life but will not save.

Have you taken Jesus to save you from the poison of sin?

For immediate relief call 537 877 2837 (Jesus Saves)Tell the operator the poison you taken and accept the cure. Do it now!

Pressure

2011-10-24T21:13:00.000-07:00

Yesterday started with a hunt for pressure, air pressure. Since Monday is the ministry's "official" day off (the sign that hangs on the gate says "Please we do not work on Monday") we had decided to go to Kampala just to run some errands and enjoy the day together. As we were loading into the car Tom informed me that the left rear tire was low. No problem! We'll get pressure on the way. I should have known better.

You see the power company Umeme, which means power in Kiswahili, can't make enough of their product to meet the demand. So every third night we are without umeme, I mean power, from 7:00pm to 7:00am or until whenever Umeme, the power company, restores umeme the product. Sunday night was Jinja's night! We went to no less than 12 fuel stations but none had pressure because they had no power. I offered to go back to the house and use our air compressor but that idea was vetoed by the others as an unneeded delay. So we drove to Kampala on the low tire. The trip was uneventful with the exception of one large puddle (it was raining and had rained all night) that nearly dragged us off the road but Bev, the designated driver for the day, handled it beautifully. Eventually we found a station with pressure in Kampala and filled our tire. All the people were happy as well as the tire.

But the search for pressure got me thinking about the pressure in our lives. We face all types of pressure. This week I spoke to someone who had just been informed of their status. That means they are HIV positive. And so is their spouse. The pressure on them is so great to accuse and blame each other. "You did this to me!" "How could you?" The pressure to keep this news secret is great. Don't let anyone know, pretend it is not there, don't let the kids know. Deny, deny, deny. The external pressure that the world exerts on people can crush them if we don't have the internal pressure that comes from Jesus and the Holy Spirit.

The world says we, like the tire, need to run at full pressure and cannot be useful if we are anything less than full. The tire showed me that this idea isn't true. We serve God with all our lives. Some days we have it all, full pressure, but other times we have only a third of what we should have. We can still continue though.

Illness, whether HIV or Parkinson's or a common cold, might make us feel unable to be useful but we can still serve our Lord, Jesus. To our minds it is better to serve when we are full of health and vigor but we forget that God's strength is displayed in our weakness. The underinflated tire is in danger of failing and needs to have more air put into it. When it is filled properly it can conquer the road with its potholes and puddles and carry the load with ease. Even when underinflated it can still perform well. It just needs to keep the air it has and wait to be fully inflated when the power returns.

We too must keep serving even when we feel deflated by the world and wait until God the Almighty Father, the real Umeme, fills us to the proper pressure. Just as the tire has a warning, "Do not overinflate" we too must not over inflate ourselves and become swelled up with pride. Let God decide how much we need in order to follow and serve Him. Carrying the load He has called you and I to bear. It is the cross that we pick up daily.

Trouble in Paradise

2011-09-22T10:41:00.000-07:00

The trouble started when the serpent said to Eve, "Did God really say...?" That doubt the devil raised in Eve's mind is still there and has caused many people to doubt God's goodness and His word.

I have a similar problem to Eve. Satan comes at me with, "Did God really mean...?"
I can be so adept at twisting God's word so that it just misses convicting me by using that one little question. I know what he said, but did he mean it literally? Does Jesus really want ust to cut off our hand and gouge out my eye so that I stop sinning? Surely this must be figurative. So I allow myself to change it so that I don't cut off my hand. Phew! But sadly I don't get rid of the sin either! So now I don't do anything right.

I have been struggling with Matthew 5:38-42. Do I resist an evil person? My sense (notice it is MY sense) of justice says no one does an evil thing to me and gets away with it. But why do I react that way? What right do I have to say I am better or of more value to God than anyone else? Better than the evil person I resist? Do I turn the other cheek? When someone sues me for my tunic do I give him my cloak as well? Where are my rights?

This is where the struggle begins. We wrongly claim to have our rights. But we gave those rights to Jesus years ago. But are we slowly been taking them back. I asked Jesus to live in me and take control of my life and I sincerely meant it but now I somehow want to renege on my promises. After opening my heart to Him am I now looking for a way to close it to Him again. I must let go of me and hang on to Jesus. I must find a way to willingly go the second mile after being forced to go the first. I have to do this to be free of me. Then I will just be in Him!

Yes! Jesus really did say it! Now I really must do it!

The Best Kind of Tired

2011-09-21T10:44:00.000-07:00

Man, am I tired.

We just finished the Wednesday evening Bible study in the church. This is after saying goodbye this afternoon to the 40 guys who attended the Jinja pastor's conference for the past three days. Up at 4:00 everyday to be sure everything is ready for that day. Into bed by 11:30 every night after making sure everyone is safe and secure. Long days. But I find them so rewarding and the fellowship so sweet that I could hope that the guys don't go home.

Monday we got off to that slow start but then God began to work! The men came ready to share and the discussion times were the best we have ever had. They teach me so much and all the while they think we are teaching them. I truly hate to see them return home.

Guys like Michael who came after missing the last two conferences while trying to get married. The joy on his face when he speaks of his wife just filled me with joy.

Jeremiah telling us the news that his wife Victoria is expecting. We had a long time of prayer at the last meeting for this because they had just been told that she wouldn't be able to have kids. But God is in control so we rejoiced!

The warmth God put in my heart when Doug, Isaac and I laid hands on Aaron ordaining him as a pastor. It was like having a son receive the highest award there is from God and the Lord lets us present it. This happened after Aaron taught about enduring hardship.

Joshua praising God for what the Lord had provided for himself and his family.

All my brothers from Fort Portal who poured out of their vehicles, after a five to seven hour ride, with grins and smiles excited to see all of us again.

Nehemiah and Christian from Kampala who added so much to our discussion. Afterwards I asked Christian to ask how I was. He wanted to know why? "So I could answer at least one of your questions without having to have a theology dergree." Those guys wanted to KNOW!

But why am I tired?
I am tired of not giving my wife enough credit for her work at these conferences and in my life. Bev is tireless, bold and full of love. She treats these men like sons and they truly call her "Mom". She is awesome and I want the world to know how special she is.

I'm tired of not spending enough time praying for the men and their ministries.

I'm tired of letting a few men who did wrong in the past ruin my love, admiration, and respect for these good men. These guys are really showing a pastor's heart in knowing God and bringing others to know Him.

I'm tired of keeping Jesus only in my heart when His name should be on my lips and involved in every conversation and thought.

I'm tired of doing things my way, which is at best somehow scriptural. I want to do things the hard way, the foolish way and the impossible way. I want to do things God's way.

By the next time these brothers gather here, I want to be more like Jesus. I've reached the point that I don't know if I can teach them more. But if I trust Jesus more maybe they will see Him better.

A Pastor's Time

2011-09-19T11:10:00.000-07:00

Our pastor conference started at 1:00 pm today. I hadn't heard from very many of the brothers that they were coming and I heard directly from four that they weren't coming, so needless to say my expectations were low.

Around 11:00 am Pastor Stephen arrived from Ogongora. He would have been two hours early but he was supposed to arrive last night. So he was actually 15 hours late. Right on time.

At 12:40 Isaac, Godwin and Joiakim arrived from Fort Portal. With no one else here they went around the corner to get some food. Then two men from CC Kampala arrived as well as Richard from Lumuli. Then...nothing.

At 1:00 we had six guys. But it is funny how God works. At 1:52, Pastor Doug with his wife Destiny and their two kids arrived from Fort Portal. Strange , I thought to myself, that these guys drive all the way across Uganda and the only people here in Jinja are from Fort Portal. People they work with every day! Isaac came and told me that four of his students from Kenya had been delayed and would arrive tomorrow. Richard also let me know he had to leave by 6:00pm. Oh no, this conference was having disaster written all over it.

But then all the rest came through the gate within five minutes. Go figure. If they didn't all take different roads to get here I would have thought they planned it. I like to think God was laughing at me rather than shaking His head and saying "Oh, you of little faith."

Anyway the conference has started and the teaching has gone well. We will get more practical tomorrow.

Two highlights for me today were Aaron Mawanda's teaching on "Enduring Hardship" and our after dinner prayer time.

I had not heard Aaron teach in about a year and the Lord had already given him a great gift to teach. But that gift is now overflowing in his life. He has a new maturity about himself and like Moro Steven he has great insight into God' word. The word refreshed me greatly.

Then tonight at prayer the brothers really shared what is on their hearts. It is such a privilege, thrill and honor to pray for their deepest concerns and needs. As I lifted my head to view these men in devout prayer I was rejoicing in the fact that we are and will be victorious in Jesus. That the name of Jesus can change any situation, any struggle, any hardship for our good and God's glory. It is such a blessing to have people pray for you. And we did too!

May God bless each of you with grace and peace.

Charcoal or a Box

2011-09-02T10:26:00.000-07:00

Wow! The price of charcoal has risen to 45,000 shillings per bag. On the one hand it is good since Uganda burns more trees than it plants and has done so since 1994. The rise in prices may slow that wood deficit somewhat. But when you cook on charcoal as the only option you must find alternative ways to cook. Therein lies the story of the box.

Immediately after learning of the rise in charcoal prices I boldly said,"I gotta do something." So the decision was made to build a solar cooker. The "I" soon became Steven and I. Plans were found on the internet and we proceeded to buy the materials. But that is the problem. Solar cookers, or at least ours anyway, are made from wood. Wood and I have had a not so friendly relationship in the past. And Steven has pretty much the same relationship with our arborial friends.

Don't miss understand me. I love wood! Trees are great! I have always enjoyed cutting firewood. And toothpicks. Use em everyday. But once wood changes into the form of lumber it becomes my worst nightmare. Trees you cut and they regrow. Lumber you cut it and it will always be too short. It doesn't grow back. I know, I've waited.

So we started on our cooker. Actually it is supposed to be a solar cooker but it looks like a wooden box. In fact the only thing we'd been able to do with it is store the tools we are using to build it, in it. Steven says it looks more like a beehive. (who asked him anyway) Another problem is we have probably already used more wood to build our solar cooker/beehive/toolbox thing than we would have used in charcoal to cook for a couple of months. But progress is measured by small increments, not large leaps. And so the box continues to grow. It has now taken on a life of its own and even has its own room. My office is filled with wood and wood shavings and sawdust. And lots of slightly short pieces of wood. (strangely, if you cut the longest piece for your project too short it will for some reason never be long enough to be the shortest piece either) Time to get reinforcements. So the call went out for Rogers and Opio Jacob. It soon became obvious that they would not give insghts into the secret art of woodworking. But Jacob did volunteer to paint the beehive/box/cooker. So we let him join the project group.

Eventually we produced a trapazoidal box that roughly resembled the drawing I had produced two days earlier. I guess a ruler would have helped to keep it all in line.

Then we put a glass lid on it to let the sun's radiation in, this warms the bottom of the box which Jacob had painted black to absorb the energy. The walls of the box are lined with tin foil to reflect the sun's energy toward the pot that sits in the middle of the box. The reflected energy gets concentrated on the pot and the ingredients inside are slowly warmed and the food is cooked. The more the sun's energy is let in the faster the meal is cooked. I know becaused I read about it on line.

But it is not just one box. There is the inner box that holds the pot with food and there is also an outer box that protects the inner box by creating an air space that lets the inner box heat without losing its heat to the enviroment. It is really an impressive system when you consider the simplicity of it. But it does require another larger box. However with the experience Steven and I gain on the lesser box we quickly fabricated the outer box.

And guess what it works!

I cooked rice for lunch today. It only took three hours (that's okay I wanted to eat a late lunch) and it was the best solar cooked rice I ever ate. Steven and Bev agreed.

Not a bad week's work for two pastors who had to overcome serious cellulose issues. But God can help us do what we can't on our own. Now I just need some solar cooker cooking lessons. At least that doesn't involve wood.

Mental Snapshots

2011-08-26T10:12:00.000-07:00

When teams come to visit us here in Jinja we hold a nightly debriefing so team members can express what God is showing them or doing through them each day. My snapshots for the past two weeks include:

DAY 1: As the team arrived Bev stayed at the aiport waiting for Carol while the rest of us went to the guest house. I forgot which team members were to be in which rooms. So the two guys got the surprise of the day when entering their room there was only one double bed. The look on their faces was priceless since they were not old friends but had only met earlier that day. It was almost the shortest short term mission trip on record but God resolved the problem and everyone got a good night's sleep when two of the ladies graciously switched rooms with them.

Day 2: The smiles on the faces of the congregation as the welcomed the team during second service. The next Sunday was the joy on the faces of the team as they saw their "old friends" from the previous week. Love can grow among God's people so quickly that you would have thought the body here was where the team came from. Indeed there are no strangers in Christ!

Day 3: The pleasure and joy of the Ogongora worship team as they played music on their thumb pianos and the kids danced. The joy was fully matched by the team as they danced with the kids. Andrew flat wore himself out dancing. Some ask "Will there be dancing in heaven?" All I can say is "I hope so!"

Day 4: The relieved concern when we found the people of Ogongora making a "new road" around the mudhole that had swallowed up the bus and Land Cruiser the night before. Then it was the surprise of seeing 300 people already waiting for treatment. I was blessed to see our Ugandan team showing compassion as they kept the crowd, that swelled to about 1000 by noon, moving for treatment.

Day 5: The medical team saying good by to their translators. It was difficult after being in such close contact and depending on each other for 60 hours. Both Ugandan and American teams had grown to admire and love each other more than we would ever have guessed. But then that is God's very nature doing more for us and through us than is possible!

Day 6: Jacob Opio winning a chicken paying bible trivia. He was great!

Day 8: The fun of sharing the Gospel at prison when the enemy had sent a man to interrupt. Guys got saved and treated and healed.

Day 10: The perseverance of the saints as they faced their last day of ministry, outdoors on a hot windy day. They stayed until all the prisoners had seen a doctor and received medicine.

The snapshot I didn't get, was saying goodbye to the team. Another team from America came and I happily got to work with them but sadly did not get to properly say good bye.

So here it is, Steve, may God bring you back this way again to finish the work. Andrew, let God begin the work He wants to do in your life. Deb, thank you for your time ministering to Bev and I. Bailley, sorry you couldn't stay longer but the third time's the charm. Alicia, Thank you for the incredibly compassionate heart you have shown to all of Uganda. Rachel, Miss Sunshine, God bless you for showing me what it means to have joy in the Lord. Brittni, May you always be as yielding to the Lord as you were here. And Doctor Jenny, Your warmth and professionalism are only outstripped by your love for Jesus.

Thank you all and may God bless you!

Mud and Motorcycles From Nowhere

2011-08-20T11:04:00.000-07:00

Man, I am so glad God watches out for us. Our visiting medical team got stuck in the same mudhole in the same bus three time in three days. The second day was only a small inconvenience but the first one happened in the dark and by the time we got it out I had gotten the landcruiser stuck twice, torn two out of three engine belts, lost a belt tension pully and we all got covered in mud. But I learned a lot about how to unstick a stuck bus in Uganda.

First you gather nearly everyone in the village and have them all shout directions at one time. For this part to work properly it is best to have half of the village confuse the front for the back of the bus and the other half just be confused in general. Also not knowing right from left helps add to the fun. Another apparent requirement to unstick a stuck bus is to throw as many bushes as you can fit, under, in front and behind the drive wheels. It seemingly helps to have more obstacles to battle than just the mud. Then get you must get all parties to agree on the next step. That is: which direction are we pushing the bus? For added fun and more serious mud time, neglect this step. The sad part is that no matter how hard you try you cannot out push the half of the village that is always pushing the wrong direction. I've tried!

Now that you've done the most obvious things get everyone to calm down and pray. And voila! The bus as they say, "Sheee become unstuck!"

Now having perfected the procedure try it again in the daylight in the same hole. Not only will all the rules change but you'll also be able to see just how stuck you are and just how covered in mud you personally have become. Then you know that only God is gonna get you out. This causes a more earnest prayer from the heart. Then God does indeed get you unstuck. Just remember God has a purpose for mudholes. Many times it is to drive us to are muddy knees to seek his help.

The third day while the bus was getting stuck I was fixing the broken engine belts. Having put in the new ones I was going back to the mud (don't even think about telling me about a washed sow returning to the mud) when God showed me His great hand of protection.

As I approached a spot where traffic officers always sit I made sure I was traveling under 80 kph. A van was coming the opposite way. Suddenly a motorcycle hidden behind the van swerved into my lane to overtake the van. All I could do was swerve hard left. I heard a sickening thud but just as I veered left there on the side of the road were two women and a child on a bicycle. I swerved hard right knowing they would be dead in a millisecond. But this time no thud. Somehow God protected them and me. I pulled over and ran to the motorcycle knowing they must be seriously dead. I waved for the traffic policeman to come. But miraculously the driver was fine, the two year old was only scraped on the side of his head, and the mom had some painful road rash on one arm. God had protected us from serious harm.

Then the legal process started but God was in this too. The taxi had stopped and the driver and conductor told the motorcycle rider that he was lying when he told the traffic officer I hit him. The officer was also the Officer in Charge for Traffic of Soroti District. Who saw the whole thing. I was free to go unstick the stuck bus and eventually with God's help we did.

Thank you Jesus! For saving us and protecting us always!

Drip, drip, drip and more drip

2011-08-07T11:09:00.000-07:00

The last time I wrote it was about the long dark African night. It was one of a series of nights I had with malaria that I could not get rid of. After two months of slowly getting sicker my body was giving up. Every other night was high fever, chills, sweats. backache, bodyache, headache.

Due too the meds I take for P.D. (parking zones disease) and the the disease itself, I can have some really crazy dreams and strange nights but those nights with malaria, I thought the morning would never come. Eventually I did get Steven to take me to the hospital at Rippon Clinic. After a blood sample showed malaria I was escorted to the private suite at the back of the clinic. It is a private suite since it has its own toilet that only I, the nurses, the doctors and the few dozen people I was too weak to fight off could use. There I lay for two days on quinine drip.
But I did have it better than Bev who slept on the floor for two nights. She did have a mattress from home though. And sheets. I don't think I would have made it without her. No more drip, drip, drip...

So what did I learn from the experience? Apparently nothing for as soon as I could get back to work I did.

I have become a work freak. I cannot sit still. If there is no class to teach I write a sermon. If there is no sermon to prepare I counsel. If there is no one to counsel I fix things. In Africa there is always something to fix. So there is always work. This week two water heaters failed. So I have to fix them. But parts aren't available so I have to make parts. It can wear you down and lay you out. And put you back on drip, drip, drip and more drip.

But God has His way to teach us. At the monthly missionary fellowship the host, Dan, shared about the way we missionaries overwork. We lead but never follow. But if we don't follow then who are we leading people to? It convicted me that I am getting people to follow me but not teaching them to follow Jesus Christ. I need to get back on drip. But I need more than drip I need streams of drip. Rivers of living water flowing from the Spirit into me and then to others. But I have a problem. Maybe you have it to. I seem to think that just because I have drunk the living water and I never thirst that I don't need to drink anymore. That condition can lead to dehydration. The Spirit causes water to well up within me but I also need to partake. I can get so full of streams of water flowing to others that I never stop to let it keep me satisfied. I am not a theologian so don't take this analogy too far but if the man who drives the water tanker doesn't fill the radiator of the truck sometime, the engine will overheat and the tanker dies and no one gets the water.

Lord help me to be refreshed and filled. Not drip by drip by more drip but by streams and rivers of the water of life, YOU!

The Long Dark African Night

2011-07-10T00:18:00.000-07:00

One of the things that a westerner notices when they come to Africa is how dark it is at night. There are no lights. In Jinja we have power all the time but it still is dark compared to Europe and North America. Vehicle headights never seem bright enough to do the job. Security lights don't penetrate but a few feet and in the village you had better have a good idea where you are and where your stuff is because there are only kerosene lamps to illuminate your night.

And when the night is long it can really bring despair.

In areas near the Nile River or Lake Victoria people are afraid to go out at night due to crocodiles. People have been eaten as they stepped out of their houses into the dark heading for the latrine to ease themselves. The long dark African night favors the wildlife so people stay locked in.

For some the long dark night is due to the thieves outside. Estimates for Uganda indicate 80% of young people are unemployed and many are turning to crime to make a living. If you are the average town dweller you don't venture out on foot after 10:00pm. This past Tuesday, the night guard for the compound two doors up from us was attacked with a panga, receiving serious head wounds. Meanwhile a suspected thief was killed two blocks from the church. No one is sure if he was a thief or not but it is another reason to stay indoors after dark so you don't get killed.

Many struggle in the night to keep their children safe from ritual killings called for by the traditional healer (witchdoctor) who has been hired to make someone wealthy or fertile or to get a spouse. It has gotten to the point that adults are often killed when no suitable child can be found. And what of the kids who have no adult to protect them. How long is their night?

For others the long night is because of the poor living conditions. Poor workmanship or lack of materials cause many to huddle into a corner of the house when it rains trying to keep themselves and their children warm and dry. That makes for a very long night. The same construction problems cause families to live with no protection against the mosquitoes that carry malaria and other diseases.

But perhaps the worst are those who face the darkness during illness. Living in Jinja we am blessed that we can get into our vehicle and get to a clinic in five minutes. People in the village cannot. If a man's wife or child falls very sick the best he can do is put the sick person on a bicycle and walk them five to twenty kilometers to get treatment. Saturday, the newspaper had a picture of a man crying out to passersby as he tried to lift his wife up off the ground. He had already carried her 5 kilometers and had seven more to go to reach medical care. This was in the daylight. What if it was at night? Who could or would help him. What is his level of despair? Where is his hope? Where is the hope for all those who face the long dark African night?

The solution to the long dark African night is light. The light of God's word. The light of Jesus, the Light of the world. Without His light nothing works. The despair in the African night grows and overwhelms without an end in sight. But God in his wisdom puts His children at the point where the light meets the dark.

Friday aternoon I went with the SOM students to a deliverance conference. There were 1500-2000 born again believers there. The name of Jesus was spoken and proclaimed many times but His word was never shared. At one point the speaker had the crowd repeat the name of Jesus 15 times and by doing so the people would receive the miracle they had come for. As I thought about it it occurred to me that they could have been shouting any name. It really didn't matter to them as long as they received their miracle of fertility, wealth, health and abundance. Yet the miracle they truly needed, a relationship with the Son of God, was never offered to them. The main teachers each drove up in successively more expensive vehicles. They would not leave their air-conditioned vehicles until it was time to take the stage. Their desire to be praised by men but at the same time giving no comfort to them was appalling.

2Corinthians 1:3-7 "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, The Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. For just as the sufferings of Christ overflow into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows. If we are distressed it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. And our hope for you is firm because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort."

Whether it is through the Gospel of Jesus Christ, through His protection or His provision, we need to comfort those in the long dark night with the comfort we have received from Him. People are in trouble, am I offering any comfort or hope? Am I giving those around me what Jesus died to give us all? Hope that He has done away with the penalty of sin for those who believe? Hope that He protects us from evil? Hope that He moves His people to be there for others?

Father God, thank you for taking us out of the darkness and into your light. Let our light shine in the darkness as well, easing the despair and hopelessness of those who long for the dawning of your light in their life. Amen

The Great Jinja July 4th Bake Off

2011-07-04T12:52:00.000-07:00

The time was just past noon when the competition began.

As I had decided to make a cake for Julie, whose birthday is the 4th of July, I began gathering the necessary ingredients. The recipe looked simple enough. I could do this in my sleep, or so I thought. Flour, sugar, eggs, shortening, vanilla, cocoa powder, and baking powder. Is that the same as baking soda or are they different? Bev let out a groan and said "No, the powder is upper shelf that's soda in your hand." I mumbled something akin to "Thanks" but my mind was already going back to my daughter's 19th birtday. That was the last time I had made a cake from scratch. The mind still recoils at the memory of the mess I made. Did you know that two tablespoons of baking powder go a lot farther than the two teaspoons the recipe called for. Did you also know that overly agitated German choclate cake batter was used by Atilla the hun as armor? At least I'm sure it could have been after trying to scrape it off the oven walls and bottom. But hey, that was 18 years ago surely oven cleaning techniques have improved, I hoped.

Pressing onward I began to make the batter. Looked pretty good and as I began to add the baking powder low & behold the recipe had changed to baking soda. Someone ought to tell these cookbook publishers that they need to issue better updates rather than just changing ingredients when the baker is not looking. But clever fellow that I am I caught the problem in time and made the switch.

As I was just putting the pans in the oven Kelli came in the kitchen. Eyeing her suspiciously I asked "Whas up?" Her response was "Oh, I'm making cookies to take to the Davises."

You must understand that Kelli, Bev and I have a contest to see who is the least coordinated. Last night Kelli and I fought to a 3-3 draw on dings in the walls moving furniture. Kelli being in the kitchen at the same time as me was a definite threat to cleanliness and well being of the compound as well as to my title of King Klutz. Feeling the pressure to drop the cake pans for an easy win I forced them into the oven checked my watch and set off to read for 30-35 minutes or until my toothpick was dry.

About 20 minutes later Kelli asked," Uh, Jess, did you want the oven off or on?"

"I turned it on ," I said. "But it's not hot." Man, it's those little things that get you!

Turning it on I decide it was time to make the frosting. As Kelli had cookie dough in the mixmaster I chose to use a whip for my topping.

What snow in Jinja in June? No, it is icing sugar! Apparently you have to start real slow with the whip. But I soon had the technique mastered and before long the cakes were done and ready to frost. I'd estimate that 90% of the icing was used to fill the two craters that were my fallen cakes. But in the end they looked nice. And I knew it was envy that caused Kelli to suggest I use on of her cookies to fill in the flat spot in the side of the cake. I assured her it was a planned design so that the christmas tree... I mean cake could sit closer to the wall. (yeah like you never use that excuse)

Clean up took roughly 1 and 1/2 hours. But it was an opportunity to be a man of integrity. Under my cookbook I found Kelli's top secret chocolate chip cookie recipe. As it is widely known that this receipe makes the best cookies in the world I was holding a goldmine in my hand. Look out "Famous Amos", "Jess the Mess" is in town! Then I thought what would happen to her when the Wee Little People (not the Keebler Elves or the Irish mafia) came calling. All the kids on the compound would be heartbroken. No free cookies! So I gave the receipe back. I cleaned the kitchen with a greater enthusiam knowing I had done the right thing. Who cares about baking anyway. As Bev says,"You may not cook but you wash the best dishes in town!" "Don't leave spots on the spoons."

Lost on the Way to the Burial or What's Your Point?

2011-07-01T12:27:00.000-07:00

Grace and his wife Patricia are two people I just can't help but love. Grace is a SOM student and a secondary school teacher. Tall and quiet he is an excellent example of how we believers should behave. Yesterday we buried Grace's father. It's not very funny really. Cypriano died of tetanus while suffering from cancer. But this story is about what happened on the way to the village.

We were supposed to be there by midday but we didn't leave till 12:30. We were waiting for those who wanted a ride on the bus we rented. When we finally left we had to come back because we had forgotten the speaker system. Well, not we but me. The PA system is why we were supposed to go early as the burial could not begin until the sound system was set up.

By 1:00 pm we had traveled the first 36 k's and all went well. Then we got onto the dirt road. In twenty minutes we would be there, a bit later than planned but still early for the 2:00pm burial. But after a long 1 & 1/2 hour drive the passengers on the bus mutinied. As we stopped to ask for directions, fingers started pointing in every direction. "I know where we are! We need to go that way!" While others with their fingers pointed said "I knew we'd get lost!" This was quite amusing since no one voiced that opinion until after it was found to be true that we were hopelessly lost.

My personal feeling was that since this dirt road was wide and smooth, I'd rather be lost and moving on a good road than be stuck, broken down or bounced into oblivion on a bad road, even if I knew where I was. The truth is there are not that many good dirt roads around here so the wise man stays on the good road, forgets the burial and enjoys the ride.

No one else seemed to share my viewpoint. Can't imagine why. But having gotten directions from a passing seven year old who had probably never been outside his village, we took off again in a cloud of dust. We may have been lost but there was no point in being late! At the next crossroads we did better. This kid was probably 9years old but what sold us was the way he said, "I know where I am. Do you?" Good point! Following his precise directions, "Just there" (and asking everyone in sight)we arrived promptly at 3:00 pm. Only three hours behind schedule. The rest was easy.

With the exception of the thirty-five minute down pour, I just read my Bible as the service was in Lusoga with no translation. I kept my mouth shut since I only know how to say, "How are you?" and "Bye" and neither one seemed good. Cypriano obviously wasn't well as was evidenced by his being in a coffin and he probably wasn't going to say farewell either!

The ride home was uneventful. I even made it home for dinner.

All fun aside, we went to the burial to honor our friend Grace. The more friends he has attend the greater he is valued in his village. And even greater still is the honor given to his father, who raised a son who is so loved that these people would come to honor the father through the son. Sounds just like our heavenly Father and our friend Jesus. Father God, let us always give you glory through your son, Jesus Christ!

You Just Have to Trust God

2011-06-23T07:20:00.000-07:00

Calvary Chapel Jinja has just hosted another Pastor Conference. The original plan was for a group of teachers to come from the States to lead this event. Unfortunately this didn't work out due to the high cost of airfare to get to Uganda. I hope we have another opportunity for them to come.

But God had a plan. Don't you love the words "But God..."? To me, they speak volumes about His sovereignty, power and plan that we don't anticipate. I had not anticipated being so sick on Monday plus having a major infection in my leg. But God did.

I asked Moro Steven if he could cover the majority of the discussion sessions and he did a great job. It has been good to watch this man mature over the last few months. But God didn't stop there. He enabled Craig Linquist fromm CC Entebbe to attend and he and Steven were just amazing. They taught and encouraged the pastors with wit and wisdom. It was quite a day.

But God had more in mind to do. Zane McCourtney from Kitgum arrived Monday night and when Craig left the next morning Zane took his place. How foolish it made feel to remember that I had been worried about the teachings. These guys were being led and filled by the Holy Sprit.

That afternoon Isaac Wooton arrived from CC Fort Portal and again God spoke through him to urge the men to let go of the traditions of men. It was as if God wanted to tell me that He was running the conference His way and not mine. Needless to say the conference turned out to be one of the best.

It has been such a wonderful experience to witness the Ugandan pastors and students grow. Praise the Lord for His work in all these brothers' lives.

The Body and All Its Parts

2011-06-22T23:00:00.000-07:00

The apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthian church about the importance of the church being a fully functioning body. Every body part must do its work in order for the rest of the body to survive. God has been teaching me this truth first hand for the last month.

As I mentioned in my last blog we were blessed with a team from Colorado who came for a week to rebuid the roof on the Calvary Chapel Health Centre in Ogongora, Amuria District. They did a great job of witnessing the love of Christ to the residents of Ogongora and the patients in the health center. However they did face a bit of discouragement at the lack of participation in the project by the community.

Since their departure I have spent 13 days in Ogongora trying to move the project along. I too was a bit frustrated at the apparent lack of interest by the community in helping with the project. But this past week I learned some important lessons.

Lesson # 1: Let the body function in its proper way.
As we have worked to get the clinic back to running condition we have been doing some skilled work. Not me personally. I have no real constuction skills. My swinging a hammer 10 times produces three lost nails (two steelnails and one thumbnail), four dents in the iron sheet roof, two bent nails bent beyond use, and someone falling from a ladder. But even this is beyond the ability of the average villager. They do not have access to tools so they cannot do the work and are afraid to hinder the work. So they let the parts of the body that can do this work do it!

Lesson # 2: Let the body function in its proper time.
As we have toiled we have started early everyday trying to make the most progress and demonstrate a good work ethic. When no one would come join in, it was almost like a slap in the face. That was my pride reacting to no one telling me what a great job I was doing. The reason no one was coming was simple. In the village the a.m. hours are for digging. If you don't dig you have no crop. No crop means no food and that means starvation. When one family goes hungry it affects the whole village. So the proper function of the body is to show up when the digging is done. When the people would come in the afternoon and politly wait to be invited to work this Mzungu would miss the opportunity and they would wander away one by one. By not letting the body funtion in its time I was actually denying the body the right to help and build itself up.

Lesson # 3: We must know what body part we are.
This past week while in the village I was taken ill on Tuesday just after leaving on the 50 kilometer drive to Soroti to get cement and other supplies. I was so sick that after wandering aimlessly in town for two hours I returned having completely forgotten the cement. I was sick and useless for two days. But it didn't stop me from attempting to work and thus slowing down any progress. By Thursday night I was in emotional and spiritual meltdown mode. Nothing was going the way I had planned it. But a call from a dear brother in America, Neil, helped get things back together.
I'm not called here to be a construction guy but to be a spiritual leader. So the next morning we went to the clinic and prayed for every person there. Patients, attendants, staff, families, everybody. Suddenly what had been a very difficult week was now a blessing.

Lesson # 4: The members of the universal body of Christ work in the local body.
Having heard that I had fallen sick, Bev sent word to the greater unseen body (you) asking for prayer. God heard those prayers and got me home safe and well. But then Saturday I fell sick again. It was not malaria but some sort of infection. Receiving treatmet Sunday we then noticed that a scratch on my leg had become terribly infected. The body went to work again and I am happy to tell you that the infection is getting healed. Thank you for praying and seeking help for a body part that has been learning slowly what it means to be a part of the great body of Jesus Christ.

A special thanks to Rich Tedesco, Grady Colby, Mark Caldwell and Richie Tedesco for their sacrificing their time and resources to help expand God's kingdom in Ogongera.

Impressions of a mission trip

2011-05-26T11:22:00.000-07:00

Well after eight days the team from Colorado has gone home and the Ogongora clinic has a new roof. It was such a blessing to work with these four guys but we did not get enough time to fellowship. I hope there will be days next time we are in Colorado. But for now let me share some highlights.

1. Louis tossing down a saw blade which was supposed to fit but did not and then saying. "I hate a Africa." If you've been here you have undoubtedly felt the same emotion when the simple task becomes an all day chore.

2. Rich banging his head on the truck rack for the 10th time in one morning and then smiling in the grace of God.

3. Grady looking stunned at the poor conditon of the wood he had to work with. This was the first thing he saw in Jinja. But three days later we had 45 trusses loaded in the truck ready to move. Who said it could'nt be done? Not God!

4. Mark telling me that if he doesn't get up off the ground in five minutes then we should come help him. Then changing his mind and say "Just leave me there."

5. The smoke pouring out of the motor on the new saw while we were at the clinic, knowing that the nearest replacement is 250 kilometers away.

6. Richie tearing the saw apart the next day, taking brushes and bearings from an old angle grinder fitting them to the saw and it now works better than ever!

7. Watching a small shower turn into a full blown storm on the last morning. Everyone was soaked to the skin but remained upbeat and some of us even danced in the rain!

8. Seeing the enemy attack the project to the point of our despair but God turning it into great victory as we looked for His intervention. He is so good!

9. Seeing the comraderie grow between the visiting team and the local workers as we struggled through communication problems, heat, rain and lack of tools. The guys from Ogongora learned a new style of truss making which they are now excited to try else where.

10. Louis getting stranded on the highway while taking a pregnant woman to the hospital in Soroti. If he hadn't taken her she would have died.

11. Grady's hat. A unique combination of the Hoss Cartwright ten gallon and the Pancho Villa sombrero.

12. The tears in Pastor Stephen's eyes as he saw what God did through four men committed to Him. We can never say thank you enough for God bringing us Grady, Mark, Rich and Richie. For He is good to us!

Past the Point of no Return

2011-05-15T01:20:00.000-07:00

Well, they'll be here tomorrow. At 7:45am the team from Colorado arrives to rebuild the roofs and ceilings of the clinic at Ogongora, Amuria District. This is the first team doing construction away from Jinja and trying to get everything ready has been a real challenge as I just don't have that type of mind.

After 13 years in Jinja I still have the Mzungu mindset of running to the 7/11 or hardware store. That won't be possible in the village So I hope it's all ready.

Now the team is past the point of no return. They are in the air heading to London. No turning back now.

What does it take to go on a short term mission? To use your hard earned vacation time from work to build something you will never use, for people you can't even speak with.

Some say it takes a sense of adventure but that's not it. You can have adventure and danger at home easily enough. Just try putting together a swing set for your kids and doing it right in your wife's flower garden.

Some say it takes a sense of duty to mankind to want to see medical care in a remote area. But that duty could be satified just by sending a check to an organisation. Or putting money into Santa's pot outside the supermarket. So it can't just be duty.

It must be love. Love for Jesus and for his people. A desire to know just how high and wide and deep is God's love for us. To experience the joy of fellowship in heaven in a small way here on earth by singing songs in a language you don't know with people who love Jesus as much as you. To demonstrate to a community what the love of Christ compels us to do.

I look forward to tomorrow. This team and our team here in Jinja are past the point of no return. No turning back from the decision to follow Jesus wherever He leads.

Ps. Before I could post this on Sunday I developed malaria on the way to the airport and have been out of commission since. But thanks to God's mercy I'm getting well again

How not to impress the wife

2011-05-10T11:19:00.000-07:00

For some reason that I will never understand, my wife thinks I'm a pretty great guy.

I'll explain. Monday we had plans to go North to take the microscope and centrifuge, that I had repaired, back to the clinic. As we were gathering medical supplies suddenly the car died. 10:00 am Monday morning was not the best time to have this happen. Or the place, Main Street. There were regularly scheduled riots for Main Street slated to start at noon. I managed to get the vehicle to finally come to rest on the street the market sits on. This is typically where regularly scheduled riots go when main street gets too crowded or filled with tear gas. This was not good.

So I hopped out to look under the bonnet and everything looks fine. So I start to mess with wiring since to my diagnostic brain if there ain't oil on the road or a visible part broken or missing it must be in the wiring. As I'm trying to fix the car and dissuade those rioters who have arrived early that I am not purposely trying to block their route, Bev is on the phone to Steven, who is at James the mechanic's with the truck to get it fixed, telling him to come rescue us.

Steven, who has malaria and has had only thirty minutes sleep since Mary had a c-section on Friday producing Pheni Michael Collins, (when asked about the his son's name he said "Pheni you should ask") arrives with a mechanic who listens to my description of the problem tinkers for 5 minutes then says "It's electrical." They leave to get an electrician. So as the traffic is getting heavier I finally find the right wire, start the car and head to the mechanic's. He agrees with the diagnosis wraps the wire and off we head for Soroti.

Now we are far behind schedule and can't get to the clinic by dark so we opt to stay in Soroti at the Desert Island Resort. Wrong name! It is not in a desert, or near water or by any means a resort. The only recreation available is the one channel tv in the cottage we rented. But it was cheap and comfortable. And I stand corrected since the waitress told us that you get two channels NTV on #2 and NTV on #19. Both in hifidelity monochrome!

So we got up early the next morning to get to the clinic early. But the car starts and dies. So I put in all new wiring for the trouble spot and three hours later we reach the clinic. Bev, God bless her, thinks I'n the best mechtrician ever! Then after leaving the scope and fuge at the clinic we travel 20 k's back to the paved road and everything electrical quits! No smoke, engine still runs but no air conditioning, no fan, windows won't roll down and it's hotter than Texas in August. So we cruise the 30 k's to Soroti praying and asking everyone we know to pray. So why risk driving? Because it is better to be in the middle of a riot and close to parts than peacefully sitting in the middle of no where waiting for someone to bring you a part that you don't even know you need.

If this weren't a bad enough way of how not to impress your wife, earlier I had warned Bev how tricky these murram roads were and how easy it is to roll the car. She was doing sixty! On the way back I had almost rolled it twice doing eighty! Somehow she was losing confidence in me. So we got to Soroti and found that the wire I had repaired had come loose. I resecured it and everything worked! Boy, was my wife impressed! Give credit to Bev. She sticks by her man.

Open your eyes, Sweetie, we're home.

Rebuilding Time... No Worries

2011-05-05T20:22:00.000-07:00

There is a time for everything Solomon wrote and one time is a time to build. But now we are in rebuilding time.

First rebuilding is the ministry here at the church in Jinja. JB left at the end of February and Moro Steven took over his pastor's duties. Teaching on Sundays and being the lead conselor and pastor. I was worried how Steven would handle the new responsibilities. Jesus told us not to worry and He was right. God has been answering our prayers by equipping Steven with wisdom and a desire to minister that I had not seen before. Perhaps these things had always been there but had no place to be used but now that God has told him to lead, Steven is doing so. It is so obvious a work of the Holy Spirit empowering him that I can't contain my excitement.

The other area of rebuilding is our clinic in Ogongora. We have hired an R.N. Jonathan who has a real heart to meet the health needs of the community. And as a born again christian he is helping to meet the spiritual needs of his patients as well. We also hired a Laboratory Assistant, Vicky. Only problem with her is that the microscope for the clinic was broken. But it is fixed now and will be delivered next week. With lab services available again the clinic should really start to grow.

But the clinic needs new ceilings as the old ones have literally collapsed. Time to rebuild them. As I was worrying how this would get done God was already bringing together a team from Colorado to rebuild the entire roof and ceilings. They are due to arrive in ten days and get the buildings back into shape. God is providing the funds for the project from various directions so again I need not worry.

The final rebuild is Bev and I. As things change here we are being led to spend more time in outreach. After our team's trip to Pajule the church body is excited to reach out further. Our "Outside The Walls" evangelism ministry is just taking shape but we are hoping to lead teams from CCJinja to our village church plants for 3-5 day evangelism programs. This would follow along the same lines as our Pajule trip. The ministry will also focus on various evangelistic outreaches in Jinja town. We already have 30 people signed up to participate.

I'm looking forward to what God has in store for all of us. Rebuilding Time! No worries!

Back to Jinja on a String and a Prayer

2011-04-29T11:48:00.000-07:00

Sunday, our last day, JB let me teach, and praise the Lord there were fifty adults not counting us from Jinja. The message went well and it was good to be with the believers in Pajule. But then it was time to head back as we had a three day Pastors Conference starting the next morning in Jinja.

We said goodbye to Miss Grace and Aryana. Unfortunately Aryana figured out that her best friend Kelli was leaving and cried. But after many hugs we hit the road for Jinja taking the eastern route.

JB drove the first eighty kilometers to Lira. Then gave the duty to me. As we had been driving I watched the left rear tire going flat so in Lira we got fuel and then tried to get the flat fixed. Nobody had air or a repair kit so we changed to the spare. Now this tire had also been repaired in Pajule. No, not by me but a tire man who knows us from Jinja. He said he could fix it so he did. Showed me a neat trick using string and rubber cement. As he was fixing it I could only pray that we wouldn't have to use it. It is 118 kilometers from Lira to Soroti which gave me plenty of time to pray for our safety.

Now you have to wonder what makes a patched tire fail? Is it time or is it mileage or speed? I personally believe it is time. Some say mileage so they change the tire as soon as possible. Tried that but couldn't get the thing fixed in Lira so view #2 was no good. View #3 says the speed will heat up the tire and cause the patch to fail. Well having 400 kilometers to go before dark required that we move at a rapid pace so that view wouldn't help. As I said I prefer to think that the patch will last a set amount of time so the quicker you start and the faster you go the better chance you have of getting there. So that was my choice. Everybody in the car, it is time to conquer the road! I didn't know our car could go so fast but it does and did. We reached Soroti in 1 hour and 8 minutes. By then all conversation had ceased and serious prayers were being offered. God is so good! He got us safely to Soroti where we aired up the flat and decided to keep riding on the string tire. It lasted all the way home! Of course the next morning it was flat as a pancake as was the spare. Turns out that we had picked up three nails in Pajule from their grading the roads there.

We pray that there is lasting fruit in Pajule. But also in our church as we are beginning to plan outreaches to our village churches monthly. But more about that later.

Thank you Jesus for letting us proclaim your Name to the world!

A Kitgum Borehole Story

2011-04-24T19:01:00.000-07:00

On Friday we loaded up and headed to Kitgum, 40 kilometers north, to visit Zane and Summer who have been leading a church there for the past year. It was a blessing to say the least. We spent time discussing life on the field in Kitgum and Jinja over lunch then we went to see the farm.

Zane and Summer are starting a farm and a community just out of town. They are building compacted dirt houses using 50 kilo sugar sacks. The house was so cool inside that you almost had to put on a jacket to sit. It was as good as we felt all week, temperature wise. We also checked out the 60 foot deep hand dug cistern. I nearly fell in but that’s another story.

We decided to break into groups to share the Gospel. JB, Apollo and I went our way and as we passed the nearby borehole we saw some women and teenage girls getting water. JB and I decided to speak with them. Asking if I could share a story with them the said yes so with JB translating the three of us started pumping the water for the women as I told them about Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the well at Sychar. It was an amazing thing as I shared how Jesus had told the woman to go get her husband and her reply that she had no husband. At this point I looked at one woman and said “Jesus said, ’You are right when you say you have no husband. You have had 5 husbands and the one you have now is not your husband .’” As I continued pumping the borehole I turned and spoke to the others as well. After 15 minutes all nine women wanted to give their lives to Jesus! Praise the Lord!

But what I had missed was that the woman I had pointed at had broken into tears at what Jesus said because she was in the same situation as the Samaritan woman. The women all wanted to know this Jesus who had revealed this about their friend to us. God is good and knows just what people need to hear.

The other teams had success as well as God used Mukisa and Opio to lead some drunken young men to Christ. They even poured out all their booze! Then the men lead Paul and Opio over to their grandmothers to tell her that they had just been born again like her. JB, Apollo and I were talking to her when they came. It was very great time!

It started to rain so we said goodbye to the McCourtneys had headed back to Pajule. We really are seeing the fields white for harvest. And JB and Grace are right in the heart of it.

Pajule in a Nutshell

2011-04-24T19:00:00.001-07:00

Our time in Pajule was split between door to door evangelism and teaching in schools and just visiting old friends. And trying to stay cool! Pajule is a lot warmer with a little less humidity than Jinja. In Pajule, unlike Jinja, sweat evaporates but the heat is draining you all day long. With no power or fans, there is no escape.

By afternoon on Wednesday, Kelli and Anne Rose had wilted and were in need of a shower. We had spent the morning and early afternoon going door to door in three groups. We were blessed to spend time sharing our faith in Jesus Christ with JB’s neighbors. The response was good and after a few hours in the heat the ladies were ready to cool off. JB doesn’t have a Mzungu shower (he has the African bathing basin where you have a jug of water and you pour it out and bathe in handfuls) so the ladies went to the guest house. Good thing too! Since the guest house had no water for the next two days.

We then spoke to the students of Pajule College. Anne Rose and I shared with the kids and then Kelli taught. God is so good that He made our separate, independent ideas and Scriptures come together as one. The kids were well mannered and happy to hear about Jesus and His sacrifice for them. It was AWESOME!

The next day was more door to door witnessing and then we walked to a trade school just 300 meters from JB’s house. Having been warned that it was a tough school we had a short time of prayer for the gospel to be well received and off we went with our spiritual guns loaded. I felt like a gunslinger in a western as we walked down the dusty road six men abreast with the womenfolk behind. The teachers came out of the office one by one and I fully expected them to line up opposite us and say. “Make your move, strangers.” Then, nothing happened!

They sat us under a tree and we waited. And waited. We had been told that these kids were the worst behaved youth in the district and would not be interested in hearing about Jesus. The joinery students were under these trees, the tailoring students were under those trees and the masonry kids were elsewhere building walls. JB & I decided to go see what the joinery students were doing. They stayed away from us in droves. Undaunted we kept asking questions and admiring their work until they started to crowd around us. We told them we came to share the gospel and would they come join us and they did! Mukisa gave his testimony, Opio shared from Genesis and I taught from Ecclesiastes. The Holy Spirit was convicting hearts and by the end many kids prayed for Jesus to enter into their lives and change them. The teachers said that this was the first time they could remember the Gospel being shared there. They were so excited that they asked JB to come every Thursday.

Imagine the impact it will have on the church and the community when these 300 “worst cases” truly follow Jesus . We are excited as Jesus opens His peoples hearts to Him.

Road to Pajule Pt.3

2011-04-21T00:16:00.000-07:00

We had opted to go by way of Gulu to check on Pastor Samuel Olara and the church in Kabaedo’pong (pronounced kabaedo’pong). They were building permanent temporary walls. Permanent since they were using baked bricks, temporary since the mortar was mud with no cement. To build permanent structures you need site plans drawings and all that kind of stuff. But temporary buildings, which can remain indefinitely, don’t need them.
It was looking very good. We had lunch with Samuel and Concy, then hit the road for Pajule. Two hours later we arrived at JB’s.

It was a joyful arrival as we were excited to leave the car and even more excited to see the family. JB looked his normal happy self but a few pounds lighter. Grace is even more hospitable and gracious then she was in Jinja. Aryana, the world’s youngest teenager at the age of three, threw herself into Kelli’s arms and then proceeded to speak nonstop for about 116 hours. And Zaphenath-Paneah just sat and watched. His name means ‘the man who knows things,’ and he acts it too. Always observing and seeming to say “I knew that.”

Sleeping arrangements were soon worked out with Kelli, Anne Rose and Jacob staying with the Toolits and Apollo, Paul and I staying in the nearby guest house. Grace prepared food and we all retired fairly early to be ready to minister the next day. We were looking forward to visiting Pajule College and going door to door visiting and sharing the gospel.

Road to Pajule Pt.2

2011-04-17T23:39:00.000-07:00

About 20 minutes out of Jinja is Mabira Forest. The thick vegetation, which comes right up to the roadway, makes it a haven for armed robbers. Not to make it sound too dangerous but you do not want to have car trouble there. Naturally, just as we enter the forest the car starts making a new noise.

Being a hardheaded driver (read that male driver) who conquers the road and never turns back I said a silent prayer and kept going. Speed seemed to lessen the noise so we went faster. Much better! I could almost imagine the noise being gone 15 min. later as we flew out of the forest. But as we slowed for the town of Lugazi the noise was definitely there! I asked God to soften my head enough to stop and He did.

You should know that the day before I had used my new tire plug repair kit to fix a slow leak. Having never used a tire plugger before I managed to get it plugged and hoped it held. Bev was doubtful of my new abilities and begged me to go to the tire shop. (Tire shop in Jinja is three old men with a bottle of rubber cement, an old inner tube, two pry bars and a bicycle pump.) I refused. Being old myself with old tools but a new tire plugger and an electric pump I figured I was almost 59% better qualified than the tire shop.

As I silently prayed Paul walked alongside listening for the noise. After listening to the first three wheels he said it was definitely the fourth. The very one I worked on! Images of Achan being found guilty by Joshua as tribe by tribe then clan by clan and family by family came forward flashed through my head. Rats! My wife was right! Thankfully Bev is not the kind to say I told you so! But upon closer inspection the tire wasn’t flat it was simply that the village idiot (me) hadn’t tightened the lug nuts properly. So Paul cinched them down and off we went.

Having been found as a qualified tire plugger was good but the reproach of not being strong enough to cinch the nuts put me in a somber mood. But that was ok. Bev even sent an SMS saying well done.

I thought it said well done. Since it was still dark and the message was long and I didn’t have my glasses I asked Paul to read it and he mumbled something about Bev said “Well done!”

Shortly after that I received another message but being under the same conditions as before I chose to read it later when we would get fuel.

When I finally read it, it said “Oops that message was supposed to go to Kelli!” At first I didn’t understand, then I remembered the first message I couldn’t read that Paul had said it said “Well done!” What it actually said was, “Don’t tell Jesse I said ’I told you so!’ but I begged him to have a real tire guy fix that tire!”

Rodney Dangerfield said it best. “I get no respect.”

THE ROAD TO PAJULE Part 1

2011-04-17T23:37:00.000-07:00

Last week I went to visit the new ministry that God is starting through JB in Pajule, Pader District. This is JB and Grace’s home town so they are very happy to be back home.

I had planned to go by myself but JB asked that I bring a team for evangelism, so six of us went. First to sign up was Mukisa Paul, he is an elder of Calvary Chapel Jinja and has been a friend of mine since 1998. He and JB have worked together a lot and he was eager to go. The added advantage is that Paul is a mechanic and drives. Now we had two drivers to share the road and the load in case of breakdown.

Then Pastor Apollo from Iguluibi agreed to go. He works with us to help oversee the village ministries and keep their pastors on the right path. He is warm, funny and wise and will speak up when he sees someone doing wrong. He doesn’t drive but he doesn’t eat much so we brought him along.

Next Kelli O’Hea volunteered to go. An extraordinary youth teacher and organizer she had a great desire to see JB and Grace’s kids who she had been whipping into shape over the past two plus years. Her involvement was good so that she could help JB get a youth ministry started.

Opio Jacob, a student from last year’s SOM and a pastoral intern in Jinja was invited to go since we needed someone to tell us where JB lived. He had helped in moving the Toolits back home so to keep us going in the right direction, he was added to the team. Plus he can be quite funny.

Finally Anne Rose joined us. She is a Ugandan who has spent the better part of her life in London. She has zeal to serve and has been asking for an opportunity to serve in the church so we figured this would be good timing to see what she can do.

The day before we left we met to discuss our purpose and plans. Scheduled for 2:00pm Anne Rose called at 5 minutes to 2:00 to say she was on her way. When she arrived Kelli and I were the only ones there (only because it was on our compound) and she asked how late the others would be. “African late?” Which means anytime after the scheduled time. “No, Mzungu late.” I responded. This means twenty minutes late. Sure enough Paul and Opio arrived at 2:18, right on time. Apollo however was village late. He showed up that night!

At the meeting we arranged to leave by 5:00am the next morning everyone would come to the church except Anne Rose who we would pick on the way. Worked out just like planned when Paul showed up 18 minutes late. However by this time we had left to pick up Anne Rose then met Paul halfway there and since we were late I didn’t get to kiss Bev goodbye.

That is how the trip started.

When does Faith need medicine?

2011-04-04T11:18:00.000-07:00

This past Saturday Moro Steven and I took Jonathan, the new nurse, to Ogongora to reopen the clinic. It was another whirlwind trip. Five hours there, unload, eat lunch, drive home. I've got to admit that we are getting lots of practice.

So we have the clinic reopening which is good for the community but I wonder where to draw the line. One of the things that strikes me about living here is how dependent we are on Jesus. When most people here fall sick their only hope is to pray. They don't have the option of modern medicine. Jesus is the answer. The only answer. I have seen Jesus heal so many here that I could almost see fit to not open the C.C.Medical Centre in order to let people live by faith not by medicine. I know that I'd never do that but a friend asked me last week when does intervening in the life of a sick child turn from helping to playing God. If that child needs a kidney transplant but that is not available here, is my friend doing more harm than good? No way! I told her to always opt for life, hope and love. That is what Jesus always gives. Life and hope and love. Three things you can't go wrong giving people. If life, hope and love come through Jesus by way of the clinic that is good enough for me. As long as people know that all healing at the clinic is by God's wisdom and plan, I'll just keep sharing the truth about our awesome Savior. And all the ways He saves.

Now it is off to Pajule for a week of evangelism. I'm Sorry I have to leave my lovely bride at home. But she doesn't like stay out for the week in the village, plus somebody needs to stick around to run the place. Lord keep her safe and our evangelism team as well.

2011-03-16T10:50:00.000-07:00

In my need to do things, I've taken on a new project, painting the truck rack. Jay had it made several years ago and it has served us very well. But Steven pointed out the other day that it was getting rusty. (Speaking of getting rusty, our dear friend Janie Carlock turned 40 today) So I decided to have the tired old thing painted.
(that's the rack, not Janie) So Monday I got out my trusty mini grinder and put on a wire wheel and began stripping paint. Well mostly rust, really. Then it started to rain so it had to wait until Tuesday. I put a nice coat of red oxide paint on it yesterday afternoon and went back today for a second coat. Now the rack is in the fenced yard out of the way of everything. But at dinner we noticed that our friend Nick had a red stripe across his rear end. Somehow he managed to sit on the rack and ruin his shorts. That led me to wonder if others might get into the act. Sure enough we now have a red striped German shepherd. Nick's best color is probably not red but it sure suits the dog well!

But the story didn't start with the rack. It actually started with a flat tire. Sunday Morning the van we take to prison had a flat tire. The van has a special rear end with 13 inch dual wheels. Sunday being our busiest day of the week I waited to change the tire until Monday.

The day dawned bright and clear but by the time I got started it was threatening to rain. I should have been warned by the ominous gloom.

After gathering a jack and tools I proceeded to attempt to change the tire. I could not break the nuts loose. WD-40, lug wrenches, cheater bars and every tool I could gather was soon employed to try to remove the offending tire. "It has refused!"

Then I got serious! I got out my favorite 1/2" drive ratchet with a 12" extension plus heavy duty 7/8" socket and proceeded to work on it. Me and my trusted D-J Tools ratchet. No frozen nut has ever defeated this combination. I put the socket on the extension then the extension on the ratchet and the whole thing on the first nut. I pulled and pushed nothing. Then I stood on the ratchet. Nothing. Then I bounced on the ratchet. Wait! I felt it start to give. Then the unthinkable happened. My trusted friend who has worked with me for 24 years, whose faithfulness is only exceeded by my wife, broke. D-J my favorite wrench snapped in two! Twenty four years! Ronald Reagan was president when I bought that wrench. Granted 24 years isn't as old as our friend Janie, who is forty today, but it is still a long time. I did finally get the nuts removed but it was a hollow victory.

D-J Now occupies a place of in honor on my desk. It is my newest paper weight. I'm hoping it lasts another 24 years.

Stunned Silence

2011-03-14T10:16:00.000-07:00

As we watched live footage of the Japan earthquake and tsunami, I found myself speechless. I usually have lots of bad jokes about tragedy and death. I'm sorry to be that way but it has always been how I coped with things. Say something funny and move on with life. But these days there are just not funny words to say.

Here in Uganda things are stable although we still have threats from al-Shabab to target flights in and out of Entebbe. Makes picking up or taking people to the airport more time consuming but that is all.

The protests (riots) that have been sparked by the national elections here seem so tame compared to elsewhere in Africa. The call for "spontaneous" protests the day before the scheduled riot gives you plenty of time to shop early and clear off the streets. Even during the demonstration if you stay away from Main Street and the tear gas it isn't too bad. Some people have been injured but not as many as was expected.

But then Japan is rocked. And what is my reaction? Stunned silence. We, Christians, have been expecting the wars and rumours of war, earthquakes, famine and every other type of disaster as the beginning of birth pains. I should be ready to speak up, not grow quiet. I need to open my mouth and tell of God's plan of salvation more boldly than I ever have, but I am stunned instead. Has my heart grown cold so that there is no love for those who are perishing.

Matthew 24:4-8 tells us that Jesus wants us to be ready when this time comes, for if we do not speak up with the Gospel now, the next step is persecution and hatred toward believers(v.9-10). Is that hatred aimed at us for speaking against sin and offending people? Yes. But is it also possible that the hatred toward believers will be the result of our hardened hearts toward the world and the dying. Do we sit in stunned silence knowing what is to come, eager to see Jesus but not saying a word to the unbelieving world? Is our love for people, the lost, growing cold. Stand firm (v.13-14) and be saved. Stand firm in the full armor of God. Love to the end so the Gospel of the kingdom will preached as a testimony to the whole world. Then the end will come!

Lord, let my heart, our hearts, love as you love. To a world that sits in stunned slience, let us show those around us how to live eternally in you. Break our silence!

Philippians 4:13

2011-03-06T10:38:00.000-08:00

When I first came to faith in Jesus Christ Bev gave me a little plaque that quoted Philippians 4:13, "I can do everything through him who gives me strength." NIV

But I prefer the NKJV, "I can do all things throuh Christ who strengthens me."

At the end of a very difficult week, both physically and emotionally, I know that this verse is true. At times when I had to face the things that are toughest for me to do, Jesus gave me strength. But more importantly He gave us strength.

Saying good bye to one of my dearest friends but having to show others that his moving to his own ministry is all good, Jesus gave us strength. Me to say goodbye, JB to move.

Having to go console a dear friend, the adoptive mother of a child who lived seven years longer than anyone thought was possible because of her unconditional love, He strengthened us. Me to pray for and console Julie through a pain that I can't even imagine and Julie to face a day she had hoped would never come.

Having to help my wife endure two very painful weeks as children she loved left our home for good (either for school or heaven) plus the shifting of two of her biggest confidantes and friends. Jesus strengthened us. Me to be strong for her so she could let down and grieve, Bev to be a strong shoulder for everyone else to cry on.

Finding words of comfort and wisdom for a young woman who has learned how painful it is to give your heart away to a family that you never expected to have and yet knowing in her heart that it is the only way to live. He strengthened us. Me to look at God's love displayed in ny life and Kelli to go right on loving the kids here in Jinja regardless of the hurt and pain it may bring.

Having to encourage a young man to make a decision based on what God's will is for his life and not on any half promises made to me. Jesus is strengthening us. Me to encourage and genuinely forgive and Jonah to truly seek to please God wherever that may lead Him.

When Bev gave me that framed plague in 1992 I had no idea it would be the truth I hold on to everyday for 19 years now. From America to Africa, "We can do all things through Christ who gives us strength."

For Naziwa Harriet

2011-02-28T23:09:00.000-08:00

As we gather together mourning our loss at the death of Naziwa Harriet we need to keep death in the proper perspective. For Christians that perspective is love not fear.

1Corithians 13:4-11 tell us that love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when perfection come the imperfect disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways be hind me. Now we see but a poor reflection in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then we shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

Because of God's love for us through Jesus Christ we have courage to see the future that is unseen and strength to face the most difficult painful troubles, like the death of Harriet. Prophecy reveals God's plan for us but when we fully receive God's love at death, we need prophecy no longer. We enter into His final plan. Our earthly knowledge becomes inadequate when we are in His presence. All our imperfections disappear and we now see and know all the truth of God that we could not grasp before.

As a child, like Harriet, we try to understand life through imperfect hearts and minds. But on becoming a man, Paul said the childish things are behind him. When do we become spiritual adults? Are we there yet? Do we see clearly? Not yet! We only see dimly like a dull mirror, in the half light of the fading world. Fading because of the sin that has taken so much of our lives.

But when we are made perfect, with our sin nature removed at death, then we will know and understand the pain and sorrows that we faced on Earth, God's eternal purpose and plan. For now we are still kids but Harriet is now a spiritual adult in the presence of Jesus Christ. She knows the very things we long for through faith.

"And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love." We have faith that Jesus is the Savior of men, hope that the call to glory will one day be sounded for us, and love for each other that builds us up together in Christ.

1Corinthians 15:32 "If I fought wild beasts in Ephesus for merely human reasons, what have I gained? If the dead in Christ are not raised, "Let us eat and drink for tomorrow we die." If we go through this life with the only purpose of this life being to please ourselves then we should just get drunk and eat ourselves to death. But that doesn't work! The glutton can never get enough food nor the drunkard enough beer! So where do we find our hope? In the Love of Jesus Christ!

1Corinthians 15:54-55 When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying is that is written will come true: "Death has been swallowed up in victory." "Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O Death, is your sting?" By knowing the love of God through Jesus Christ, Naziwa has not been stung or defeated by death. She has conquered death. That is how she could live such a joyful life even with all her health problems. She smiled through the most severe pain because she knew that death was not a sting but a hoped for release into the new light and knowledge of God.

If you have been stung by the death of our little sister, turn to Christ! There is no fear in Him! Only Faith, Hope and Love.

Of Mites and Men

2011-02-23T10:42:00.000-08:00

The other day Bev was sitting on the sofa when she complained that she felt like she was being eaten alive. But we couldn't see any bugs so we sprayed some Doom (that's the East Africa version of Raid) and left it at that. Bev sat back down some few minutes later and the itching was much less but still there. Being your typical missionary couple we did what any right thinking missionary would, do we went to bed. Things always look better after a good night's rest.

Next morning before we could check the situation out more thouroughly JB came in and sat on the couch. Now you may not realize it by looking at him but JB can dance! I know because after about two minutes he was up on his feet doing all kinds of moves. Then we noticed he looked kinda fuzzy. And paler than usual. On closer inspection he was covered in mites. Not termites that you eat but mites that bite and eat you. Bev suspected (and was right as usual)that the cause was a bird's nest in the vent bricks above the couch. Turns out the attic was a mite full of the little critters and the over flow was coming down through the windows. Apparently mites are smaller than the spacing in our window screens. So after getting some mitey strong insecticide we hauled all the furniture out into the yard and prayed and sprayed for the end to the infestation. God is good and the problem is over. But the funny thing is we couldn't see the mites on Bev because of her light skin but JB's skin showed them quite well.

Personally I'm more afraid of getting red lung disease. This is a condition that affects taxi and lorry drivers, touts(the money takers on taxis), turnboys (the young men who ride in the lorries and tell the driver to "Turn just there."
Apparently there is a law here that says you can't say turn left at the corner. You must be as vague as possible and say, turn just there) and all other frequent upcountry drivers during dry season. It is like the blacklung of coal miners but is brought on by the red dust that is forever hanging like a pall of crimson death over the roads here. At times it is so thick that head on collisions happen. Or rear enders. The latter are caused by those trying to overtake the vehicle ahead so as to not breathe fresh dust. This desire for fresher air causes people to race up behind the offending vehicle and attempt to pass at the worst possible time and place. Blind curves, crests of a hill, bridges, sidewalks (actually that is a path next to the road) or anyplace you choose just as long as you don't have to stay behind that dust maker any longer!

I have been trying to get our clinic in Ogongera running and have been making many trips back and forth. My gray hair is now red and I am beginning to look sunburned from the dust that seems to be penetrating into my pores. Good news is we should have the clinic functioning on a limited basis with a Registered Nurse and a Nursing Assistant by mid March. Then we will add a lab tech and then see where God leads us. Please pray for the staffing at the clinic as this is the primary medical facility for about 8,000 people. We also have to put new ceilings in one of the buildings as the old ceilings have collapsed. Termites don't you know! Makes me hungry just thinking about it.

How do you rebuild?

2011-02-14T12:11:00.000-08:00

It is a rebuilding period for us. Rebuilding the ministry in Jinja and the clinic in Ogongera.
The Jinja ministry is getting a new pastor. Moro Steven, who has been our prisons pastor for the last four years is going to take over the Sunday teaching duties when Jb and Grace depart for their new old home, Pajule, at the end of the month.

God has a way of getting things in place before we realise it and He is doing it in our ministry again. When Ryan left we never thought we could get a group to replace him but God has given us Otim, Aaron, Morris, Joseph, Anna, the harmony sisters Neema and Loyce, the harmony brother Patrick and it all just gets better. No, you can't replace Ryan, but God brings along a whole new wind to breathe back life into His church.

We can't replace JB but God doesn't want to replace him only move him. To try and fill JB's shoes would be tough. He wears a 71/2 and I wear a 13 so that doesn't work. But Steven has his own shoes and fills them quite comfortably. So God will use Steven in the way God intended and use JB in the place that was intended for him to be.

This past week I had another meeting at the clinic in Ogongora. This time the District Health Officer and the District Drug Inspector attended and gave us guidelines to get the clinic running again. Upon my return home the next day a very close brother in Christ calls from the States and wants to come with a team to do some work. Well I may not be a rocket scientist but I do know when God is working. So God is already making preparations to physically rebuild the clinic structure. And today I met with a registered nurse who wants to go and run the clinic. God is good!

How do you rebuild? Apparently you don't. You just trust God to do what He does best. And that would be completing the good work He has begun in Jinja, Ogongora, Pajule, you and me. If you are in the midst of a God project in your life, take heart. There is no one as faithful as Jesus.

What year is this?

2011-02-10T07:52:00.000-08:00

Now that we are firmly into February it is time once again to visit. Not friends but offices. Every year the paper chase gets going in February. Now some with a Western mindset would think that the best time to start a year is at the start of the year. That makes sense but it just doesn't work here. Schools are out in January so anyone with a government job is at home from early December to just after Groundhog's Day. Which just happens to be my older brother Rob's birthday. (Happy Birthday Rob!) But that is not important. It's also the day that those government workers start filtering back to the offices, so it is my day to start the hunt again for the elusive land lease.

The lease, like the animal mentioned above, will burrow to the bottom of any pile of papers it can find(the groundhog, not my brother Rob). Must be true since no living person in any office has seen my lease application. Not just since last year but ever! Even the gentleman who greeted me so warmly "Ah, my friend, how have you been? Has it been a year already?" When asked about the lease that I put in his hands last year says he has never seen it. I didn't believe him until I saw a pile of papers scurry out the door. Now I don't know what to think.

Walking away feeling discouraged but strangely upbeat at the idea of kicking back and waiting for Rob's birthday 2012, I bumped into a friend at the Resident District Commissioner's office. He is not the RDC but knows him well enough to throw his weight around, a little. Mr Nyanzi escorted me from office to office trying to track the lease. I had to laugh when the young lady in one office said,"Pastor, stop your friend, he is being harsh on me." This young woman had earlier made me stand in her office for over an hour as she leafed through the entry book looking for my filing date. I tried to help her but she got huffy and said that people were not allowed to touch the "BOOK". I watched in amazement as every time she came near my entry date she turned two pages not just one. Now my friend made her turn one page at a time and low and behold there it was. NO, not the lease but the entry date. Now with that and a simple fee of 2,500 shilings I can get a cup of coffee but the lease is still lost.

In one office they asked me if all my fees had been paid. I told them, yes, but only up to last time I saw the lease in 2010. Not to worry, they assured me. You are ahead. You don't pay for this year until next year and last year wasn't supposed to be paid until the end of this year. And because this is an election year nobody is paying until they know who the boss will be!

But I have been assured that the lease will be found by next week. Something to do with Equatorial Vermin Day. Or the president's brother's birthday whichever comes first.

Do not fear however. I have been assured that the lease will be found by Monday. That is bittersweet news as I would love to get our lease officially but then I wouldn't have any excuse to visit all my friends.

God's Pain

2011-02-01T17:34:00.000-08:00

The School of Ministry has started Old Testament Survey and naturally we start at the beginning. Today as we were exploring Genesis, I was surprised at the thought of God's pain. How does God feel pain? If you know everything that is to happen and that causes you pain would that pain lessen or deepen? If there is no effect of time on you do the things that cause pain ever get better?

I started thinking about this while looking at the sacrifice of Isaac. On their journey to Mt. Moriah Isaac asks Abraham, "The fire and the wood are here but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?" Abraham replied "God Himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son."

When God heard those words, what did He feel? Joy at Abraham's faith in Him? Love for Abraham knowing that He would provide a substitute for Isaac? All these are good but what does our Father feel when He knows there will be no substitute for Jesus His Son?

There must be great love for us there knowing that we put our faith in God, trusting the Lamb He sends as our sacrifice.

There must be great joy there knowing that we live and are saved by the substitute He provides.

But I can't imagine the pain God must have felt when He knew His only begotten Son would die for all the evil, sinful things I have done. The hurt must have been terrible, when Abraham said "God Himself will provide the Lamb."

Later when Abraham raised the knife to sacrifice Isaac and he is stopped by the angel of the Lord, what did God feel? Joy at Abe's obedience? Love for the man who was willingly going to give up the person he cherished most for the sake of knowing God? Or pain at knowing that there would be no last second substitute for His own Son?

For two thousand years what was God's pain every time He promised Israel a Messiah, a saviour for sinful man.

But that's not the whole story. Don't forget God's joy when He said, "This is my Son. In Him I am well pleased!"

What was His joy when Jesus finished His work by resurrecting from the dead and then ascended into heaven to sit at the right hand of His Father?

If that joy could ever be equalled it must come from us! That is the enrivaled joy we should and must have in our Savior. That is the love we must have for Him who showed us what love truly is, while we were still sinners Christ died for us. That is the faith we must have in God through Jesus. That He would willing lay down His life for us.

Pain should be there when we sin but it will always be overcome by the joy of forgiveness.

I guess I can't imagine the joy of truly forgiving someone to the point that I can't even find a trace or mark of the offense. That is the joy of forgiveness that the Father knows.

May we know it too. Teach us Lord how to avoid the pain of sin and the embrace the joy of forgiving.

TPU's Jinja Style

2011-01-28T10:22:00.000-08:00

We here a CCJinja have gotten to be kindred spirits with the apostle Paul. He was a tentmaker(TM)but we are tent putter uppers(TPU's). Everytime there is a celebration or a Christian holiday the TPU's leap into action. This week it is Goeffrey Bagalya's graduation party. 500 guests anticipated.

Just to acquaint you with what is considered a tent here in Jinja, it is pretty much any canvas or plastic piece that is attached to a pole. The TM takes pride in his craftsmanship making seams straight and corners square, sides the same length and the like. However the TPU's take pride in getting the most dilapidated piece of swiss cheese-like cloth up into place on whatever straight piece of lumber, steel, bamboo, pipe or pole is available. Anybody can set up a ten foot by ten foot canopy that comes with all parts included plus directions but there is a real talent to get in place a forty by fifty foot patchwork piece of reinforced plastic that last saw square in 1999 and has more holes in it than the Titanic. And then a twenty by one hundred foot piece right along side. In less than three hours. That's what the TPU team here at Calvary does.

Each of us has our area of expertise.
JB Toolit-"BaBa" the big man Expert at finding anything a TPU might need to use.
Martin Onen-"three fingered Metz"-layout man. Maps location of poles expert digger.
Moro Steven-"knotty Steve" Ties off rope faster than a calf roper at a rodeo.
Ssemanda Joseph-"little Joe"-the man with the plan, big ideas in a 5'3" body.
Jacob Opio-"Opie"-troubleshooter- always in the wrong spot at the right time.
Faisal Kigongo-"Thumper"-specializes in tamping the poles into position.
Mulehdu Rogers-"Mule" Nothing is too heavy for him to lift or hold over his head.
Isaac from Moyo-"Izzy"-He does it all "Izzy for real?"
John Muyeyero-"Big John" The man who keeps them all laughing.
Davis-"Tall"- reaches those difficult high spots and never uses a ladder.
Jesse Rich-the "Yesman" Leadership frontman. "Yes fine" "Yes whatever" "Yes..."

The tents were put up during the heat of the day. Incentive to get it done fast. Now the night comes and the Tpu's rest peacefully knowing that their work is done for the day. They dream, perhaps of meters of new tarps and people basking in the shade of their skillful work. Both of which they will likely never see. Because you can't get good tarps here and no matter how hot it is here people will still stand in the sun. But the comraderie of the TPU's lives on. For tomorrow it all has to come down in 15 minutes.

A Graduate, a Mzungu in a Gomesi and me

2011-01-21T10:37:00.000-08:00

This was a special week for us. Thursday, Geoffrey, one of the young men we have helped support for many years graduated from Makerere University with a Bachelors of Business Computing. He already has a job and is also running for the local counselor position. He is a great young man. And we are very happy for him.

We left Jinja at 4:15 am to beat the Kampala traffic and I admit we might have arrived a bit too early as we were at campus by 5:45am. Just a tad bit early but at least there were plenty of places to park. It was a fun day despite the program running 2 hours late. I was impressed by the reading of all the 3,696 names of the graduates. East African names can be very tricky to pronounce and we were impressed by some of the Deans and their speed. One Dean of business had to read 936 names. That’s akin to reading the names in 1 Chronicles 1-9 like ten times. Fortunately the Dean for Geoffrey wasn’t that good so he had to take a breath before he said our boy’s name so it was read nice and slow. This gave Bev and I ample time to stand up and cheer. Which was different since literally we were the only bazungu in a crowd of 11,000 people. But then the fun started. People noticed Bev!

People here expect the Bazungu to dress western as I did in my suit and tie. But Bev was decked out in her best Gomesi (the traditional dress of Uganda). She looked fabulous or “very smart” as they say here. To say that Bev was well received is an understatement. Dozens of people stopped her and said how good she looked. Even two of the Deans in the Chancellor’s procession stopped and pointed at her and gave her two thumbs up. Then when we went to lunch people in the surrounding offices stopped work and would come out to see this incredible white woman in a gomesi. Now I know what it must have been like for Joe Dimaggio when he was married to Marilyn Monroe. Except he could hit a curve ball and I can’t (but then neither could Marilyn)(let’s just end the comparison there shall we). Even Geoffrey was proud of his mzungu mom. The film crew for UBC came up and filmed Bev as well. My Sweetie.

This just confirms my local name as Mr. Beverly. (pronounced beaverly) Since Bev usually makes travel arrangements for us, which is considered man’s work here, when a receptionist sees “booked by Beverly” they just assume that is me so I must be and I am, Mr. Beverly. And darn proud of it too! (now, if Bev could just hit a curve ball or even a slider we would really be on to something)

Two of our other kids here, Peace and Kizza, received their primary leaving exam scores and both earned a division one. So proud papa JB threw a small party for them. Barbeque chicken, carrot cake and sodas. Your traditional african foods. So life here is good and I hope yours there is as well.

Thank you Jesus for good kids, an even better wife and Joe Dimaggio being able to handle a curve ball.

To Entebbe And Back (in slow motion)

2011-01-16T19:18:00.000-08:00

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

2011-01-13T06:58:00.000-08:00

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?

2010-12-24T08:17:00.000-08:00

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

2010-11-13T23:43:00.000-08:00

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

2010-11-12T07:13:00.000-08:00

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

2010-09-22T16:08:00.000-07:00

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

2010-08-23T06:11:00.000-07:00

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!"

Living with the Giants

2010-07-22T11:04:00.000-07:00

Living with the Giants. Warren Wiersbe wrote a book by that name. The book is filled with short biographies of spiritual giants of the Christian faith. It is an interesting read. Men who have had an impact on the world around them by their preaching. But it causes to think about my life and the giants in it.

On this trip to America I have been blessed to spend time with some of my personal giants. These are men who have mentored or taught or encouraged me in my walk with Jesus. It seems that most of my early mentors live in Denver now so my first days back were incredible as I got to get together with them and be refreshed.

Now I'm in Leadville and God again has me among giants. Guys that I personally answer to. Next week Bev and I will be going to Albuquerque. More giants! I have been so blessed to have all these men, some pastors and some not, who have taken their time and encouraged me to press on toward the goal to which God has called me.

I share all this realizing that at the same time my giants are helping me, I should and must be doing the same for others. We all should. While we may not feel like giants of the faith we can have that kind of impact on friends, family, believers and the world. The hall of fame of faith in Hebrews 11 is filled with regular people who became giants to the nation of Israel just by being obedient to God. You may never know in whose eyes you may be a giant but people are watching us. Following our example, needing our advice, our guidance and our love. It is a gigantic task God asks of small average people. But if we live lives bigger than ourselves (our imperfections, our pettyness, our jealousies, our self doubts and all those other things we wish weren't there) which show the enormous power and size of God whom we serve and follow, our Father will be glorified.

If we live with the giants let us live like giants. Ever notice that a true giant is humble not proud, serves without demanding to be served. Honors without seeking honors. When the young man David faced what others thought to be a giant, Goliath who was proud and self reliant, he showed the others that to be a true giant you just have to trust God for His glory.

The seeds of the Ponderosa pine, the largest variety of pine tree, don't open until a fire burns the forest and the old growth is gone. From the ashes new Ponderosa pines grow to become giants of the forest. A new generation of giants. Those former giants that Wiersbe wrote about need to be replaced. Will you be a new giant for those around you and for the next generation?

Shopping till they give

2010-07-15T16:18:00.000-07:00

Bev and I went shopping with some dear friends in Denver yesterday. I am still trying to figure it out. Bev and I are hunters. We go kill the item, bag it then move on. Our friends on the other hand are shooooooppers. They study, analyse then reap. They were amazing!

I needed to get some new running shoes so we went to a department store that has a good selection and after looking at shoes and not making sense of which shoe had which advantages and which were for serious runners and which were not, I asked my friend Tom* for some help.

Tom is one of those people who knows someone everywhere. Turns out that he knows the manager of the shoe department. So Manager Don* takes me on a step by step run down on running shoes. After trying on several pairs and taking them on extended test runs through the store I finally select a pair. I had been test running for the previous hour and it was nice to finally sit down and make a choice. The shoes were good and the price was great(33% off) but then Tom's wife Louise* speaks up.

She is one of the sweetest people I know but when it comes to deal making she takes no prisoners. She told me to have the store hold the shoes until Wednesday. "Why?" I naively asked. "Because Wednesdays I get 30% off whatever I buy!" she replies. Sounds good to me so we have the store hold them. We then go to the checkout line for Tom to pay for a pair of pants but he doesn't pay anything because Louise has coupons. She somehow gets the trousers for free.

Next day they come back over with the shoes and it turns out she had coupons that got them for free as well. She then said that she thought I should get a second pair of shoes since I can't get them in Uganda and the first pair will likely wear out before we come home again. Sounds good to me so back we went. This time she has a combination of coupons that are so powerful that the store actually pays her $4.00 to take the shoes. I believe they also offered her a cash register and two sales associates if she left before the consumer price index fell any further.

I still don't know how she did it but apparently I have a lot to learn about shooooooopping!

* Names have been changed to protect the thrifty...

Back in the USA

2010-07-13T07:27:00.000-07:00

Furlough. For most missionaries it is a dreaded word. It means being back home where you don't fit anymore. It means speaking all the time about what God has you doing rather than doing what God has you do. It means trying to find time to see everyone you hold dear but never get to see or talk to except for a short window of time every couple of years. It means leaving the family you have built in your new country and trying to reconnect with your true family back home. Then doing the reverse when you go back. It is also a time to reconnect with your best friend, Jesus, who too often gets lost in the shuffle of the mission work.

One of the major frustrations of furlough is not being on the field when major events happen. The bombings in Kampala on Sunday make me want to get on a plane and race back to be sure everyone is safe. But I can't do that. This furlough God is busy reminding me that all things are in His hand not mine. Even me!

Bev is doing well with it all. She has such a quiet, solid faith. She takes it all in and holds tight to the Lord. Nothing seems to shake her.

Me, I'm just trying to hear what God is saying to my heart in regards to the future. I hope I have the time and take the time to listen. As long as a furlough seems to last it is also over in a short time. I hope God lets us make the most of it.

It Only Takes a Moment

2010-07-03T18:45:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we had Ryan's "Goodbye, Party". Kelli had planned the whole thing and put together a fabulous video on Ryan's ministry and life here in Jinja over the last nine years. She did an incredible amount of work over the past week and all day yesterday but then when the party ended every sign of her labor and the effort put into the celebration was gone in 15 minutes. It only takes a moment. But the love she has shown will be felt for a lifetime.

Yesterday Bev and Priscilla went to Kampala early in the morning to get some needed things. In Mabira forest was a huge accident involving six lorries. At least one body was dead on the road. In DR Congo a petrol tanker overturned and killed at least 230 people, burning down an entire village. It only takes a moment. The end can come so suddenly. Did the people who died in the accidents know they were loved by their family and friends? If not, they should have. It only takes a moment.

Ryan's nine years of ministry here in Jinja has changed the lives of countless youth and now it is finishing. For eight years and 278 days he has labored with the team here in Jinja to share the love of Jesus with the entire community. I watched him grow from a nervous unsure young man, in way over his head, to a mature ministry leader who handles today's problems with the grace that only God gives. Yesterday we ordained Ryan T. McCabe as a pastor, a minister of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It only took a moment. But I hope he serves a lifetime.

I hope he knows how much joy he has given me and the lessons he has taught me about loving people and serving people and following Jesus. The ordination was difficult for me since it marks a major change in the ministry of Calvary Chapel Jinja. How long does it take for nine years to elapse? It only takes a moment.

How long will it take for me to post this blog? It only takes a mo

Team Building African style

2010-06-27T11:29:00.000-07:00

So there I am in a dark 20 foot storage container trying to enlarge an 8mm hole on a piece of steel plate with a round rat tail file. It's 11:00 ast night, my hand hurts from the incision I made while cutting the sidewall out a used truck tire to mount bull horns on an old landrover. That's when Dr. Jean starts to tell me how we're the intelligent ones on this crew. The humor of it all gets us to laughing and soon the entire team is cutting up and it is just another gorgeous full moon night in Africa.

Dr. Jean and her hubby Tom are setting out on Sunday, the next morning, along with Ryan to scope out their new ministry location in Karamoja. As a precaution we are mounting Ankole cattle horns on the front of the landrover to assure the people of the area that this is the vet who can heal their cattle. That explains the bull horns. The filing is to enlarge the hole on the steel mounting plate that supports the horns. As hard headed as the bull's skull may be it seems that when you drill into it, it may wander a bit, the hole not the bull. Although the bull would probably wonder what you're doing. Anyway the filing works and we get the bolts in place.

Now comes the rubber from the tire. I had sliced my hand about 2 inches long and 3/16 inch deep cutting the sidewall to make a mounting cushion for the horns. I must admit that this was the sharpest I had ever gotten a knife blade to be and when I sliced it I felt no pain. Kelli started to worry about the amount of blood seeping out of the wound and went and got a rag from Bev to wipe up the spill before someone slipped on the slick spot. However Bev picked up on the implications of Kelli's question and asked "How badly did my husband cut himself?" That's when Bev came outside to join Ryan, Jean, Tom, Kelli and I in this team building moonlight adventure. We had already decided to use the soles of Ryan's sandals instead of the tire rubber since the smell of the shoes might be greater than the smell of the bull horns, so I had cut myself for nothing but it still was funny.

Anyway we finally finished about midnight and the horns look great! Not very loud but they do make a statement.

It is hard for all of us to think about Ryan not being here in Jinja full time but God has opened a great door of opportunity for the team to minister in an unreached area. The mood is a bit somber at the thought of Ryan, Tom and Jean leaving but we are resilient in Christ and He makes changes as He sees fit. The travelers will be back for Ryan's farewell party on Saturday the 3rd.

Lord give us strength to rejoice in what You will accomplish through our friends even though we will miss them so much.

And thanks Lord for healing my hand.

Tearing down and building up

2010-06-25T21:15:00.000-07:00

What an awesome difficult week it has been! The Lord has had alot to say to us here in Jinja. Neil Ortiz, Sandy Dunn, Mark and Deanna Pilcher and James and Priscilla Clovis arrived last Friday and Saturday to serve here for three weeks. They have been a real blessing.
Monday was the start of a three day Pastor's Conference and it was painful. As Neil and the others shared, the Lord convicted me, and I hope others, that there are still many areas where I need His touch to change me. I feel like the clay in the potter's hand in Jeremiah 18:4, that was formed yet was marred so the potter reformed it, shaping it as it seemed best to him. That reforming is uncomfortable but necessary so that we grow in Jesus and not become set in our ways. Then we can continue serving our Lord.

Sandy's presentation of the Gospel is truly unique. He is a drummer who takes cast off items and beats out the rhythm of messages from God's word. Anger, worry, being broken and being used in a new way with others in the body of Christ. Truly amazing inspired messages.

So that is how the conference went. God using one message to tear us down and then using the next to build us up. Painful blessings! It is one of those things that only God can do which is good as that kind of power left in the hands of man could be very dangerous and debilitating. But in God's hand it is humbling and exhilarating. Every message was impacting, convicting and life changing. Neil, JB, James, Mark, Doug Calhoon (senior pastor CC Fort Portal) all brought the word with great power and authority.

It was truly painful but it has reminded us to never settle for anything less than Jesus. Let Him be the potter tearing down what was marred and building us up in Him.

The Stress Factor

2010-06-14T12:26:00.000-07:00

What is stress? To me it is that pressure behind the eyeballs when you're not quite sure what's about to take place or even what has just happened. I am lucky as I have a built in stressometer. My left hand! When I'm stressing it flaps around like a free range chicken that's been hit by a truck. Sort of like now. Actually anytime I have to speak or write something it stresses me. At least that's what my hand tells me! But the amazing thing is when I get my words right on paper or in speech it stops shaking completely. So I know when to shut up or what not to say. I still get my foot stuck in my mouth alot but thats more stupidity than stress.

Others exhibit stress in their own way. Some cry, others get beligerent. Some get sarcastic while others get apologetic. Some get hyper and can't sleep but others become lethargic and can't wake up.

So what do we do with stress? My solution is to STRESS. Stop Taking Relatively Everything So Seriously! When I stress its because I don't think I can say the right things at the right time. And you know what, I'm right. I'll never be good enough by myself to say the right things but if I just let Jesus have control of my mind and heart the right words will come from him. And then the arm grows blissfully still.

If I follow the STRESS principle I won't have to control everything or worry about every detail becase Jesus wants me looking at Him work through me. When I don't follow the STRESS principle Jesus has to work in spite of me.

If I follow the STRESS principle I won't have to know everything since Jesus wants me to take every thought captive to Him. And since He knows everything I don't have to. Then I can live by faith being sure of the outcome I hope for.

If I follow the STRESS principle I will get the needed things accomplished for they will be a joy for me to complete. I'll have a smile on my face doing every task because Jesus is letting me help! Ever watch a child help his Dad? He can be serious but still have so much fun. That's what Jesus desires for us. To be serious but to also enjoy the work.

Next time you are stressed take a deep breath and take a close look at yourself. How funny we must look to God when we are so serious and God is saying "Lighten up already!" Sorry that's my paraphrase. God says be "Joyful Always".

Hey the arm stopped flapping!

The highs and lows in life

2010-06-13T11:46:00.000-07:00

Life is filled with high points and low points. You never know which is going to come or when they will come. But both will come. The Bible makes it clear that we will struggle in life to understand all that God is doing around us. You just trust your life to Jesus and know he is there to share the joy and the sorrow.

This week we sent JB, Martin, Julie and Alice to Bushenyi for the traditional introduction of Walter the Plumber and his wife, Privah, at her parents' home. It went well and they arrived back home this evening around 5:30. They had a good time but there were some problems; however they were dealt with gracefully and all our people came back safe. It was a real blessing for the bride and groom to have a few close friends from Jinja stand along side of them. It showed Privah's family that her husband Walter is a man respected by the community he lives in and by the church, the body of Christ, that he is a member of.

Upon their return JB received word that His cousin brother passed away back home in the North. It hurts to lose a close relative but it is even harder when all eyes turn to you for help. That is the position JB is in. But sometimes there is nothing you can do. Distance, time, money and circumstance all seem to come against you at once. At moments like these Jesus is our only hope, comfort and provider. I feel sorrow for those who don't know the Lord Jesus. JB is heartbroken at the loss of his brother but Jesus will see him through. Already another brother has stepped forward to bring the dead brother's body home. That is an answer to prayer that lifted some of the burden from JB. Jesus never fails!

It grieved me deeply to see my brother JB in so much pain but Jesus is the God of all comfort. His mercies are new every morning. He will bring a new day and a renewed hope for JB's extended family. Just as He brings new hope to all of us who trust Him. Pray for JB and Grace and give thanks to God for He never leaves us or fosakes us.

The lows come and so do the highs of life. The only constant is Jesus!

Quite a week

2010-06-10T08:21:00.000-07:00

I figured I had better let people know what's been going on of late. Last week Dennie Krivo came and spent a few days with us. It was a blessing having him here to bounce ideas off each other. Dennie has agreed to be on our board of Elders to hold me more accountable. One of the problems with the culture here is that it frowns on challenging the big man whether he is a pastor or mayor or any authority. It causes men to go unchecked until the time comes to remove them. It's one of the reasons democracy struggles on this continent. You don't stand against the incumbent unless you are sure to defeat him or your name will be ruined. So if you want change here you are more likely to see it come by the gun than the vote.

The same is true for pastors. No one says a word to them when the sin is creeping into their life. It is only when they have broken their qualifications and have to be removed that anyone speaks. Hopefully Dennie will keep that from happening.

Saturday Bev and I taught another marriage seminar, this time in Kajjansi. It did not have a great turnout but the 20 people who attended had a lot more chance to discuss problems so it was still very good.

Then Sunday I was blessed to teach the 3 services at CC Kampala. Bless Bev's heart she sat through all three services. It made the weekend very long but the highlight was spending time with Josh Carlson the asst. pastor. Another guy that always blesses me with his wisdom! At Calvary Kampala I am always amazed at how many people there, have been in our church in Jinja either as regular attenders who have shifted to Kampala or have just visited us in Jinja. The body of Christ is a very living thing.

The front page picture on the newspaper Tuesday was of two little old nuns arrested for growing marijuana in their banana plantation. Police said it proves that marijuana is habit forming.

The other interesting article was "Two murdered, one in comma." Police said at first doctors thought the victim was in an apostrophe but on the bottom line it is a comma. If he is the murderer, will they pause before they sentence him? That's all they said period

That sinking feeling

2010-06-03T07:42:00.000-07:00

Do you ever get that sinking feeling in the pit of your stomach when all your confidence is gone and you know you are being hung out to dry? Me neither!

Actually I had it today. I traveled with Anthony the welfare officer from Main Prison and Annet his clerk to Kayunga to visit the home of Yusuf a former condemned prisoner who is about to be released. Yusuf has been in prison for 23 years and we needed to know if his family would welcome him back. As we approached the town the man in white threw up his arm, let me rephrase that, he raised his arm and directed me to stop. In years past this would mean he is hungry and is looking to get money from his prey for lunch. I relish these moments because we are sticklers for keeping the vehicles road worthy. And the traffic police look for any little defect to write you an on the spot fine. (One time an officer even demanded that I use the windscreen washer to prove it had water in it.) The truck was running good so I confidently gave the officer my license. Then he asked for the truck's insurance certificate. I said it is on the windscreen. Then he looked and said, "No, the real one." I said "It is there. That is the one." "This one is expired." "Are you sure?" Yes it died March 30th." I reached for the glove box knowing that I had the paperwork in there. Oops, it was dead too. That sinking feeling started and got worse when he pointed to Anthony and asked "Where is this man's lap belt?" I started to sink faster.

"What shall I do with you." Not wanting to pay a bribe, I was reminded of the garden of Eden when Adam was caught red handed with his tooth marks in the fruit. He said "Lord, the woman you gave me made me eat it." So I said "It's my wife's fault."
Since Bev wasn't there to defend herself I blamed her. "But you are driving this vehicle..." as he continued I decided that the only thing to do was be straghtforward. "How much is the fine?" "40,000 and you must not move till you have insurance." I reached for my wallet dejectedly knowing all I had brought was 41,000 Ugs. Not wanting to waste his day, Gerald (funny how you get on a first name basis here very quickly) told me "William you go get insurance in town and then show it to me on your way home." I quickly agreed with this plan. One small problem. Today is Martyr's Day a national holiday. Everything was closed. Return of the sinking feeling. But God is gracious and we found a small insurance office at the taxi park. The sign said, "Rio Insurance-when all you need is a piece of paper."

After getting the insurance we met Yusuf's family. 5 kids from 25-15 years of age. Only problem is that Yusuf has been in prison for 23 years with no conjugal visits.
That sinking feeling came back. It finally left when visiting his parents. They informed us that these were his brother's kids. We had a good visit and feel assured that Yusef will do well when he is released.

God is good. He let us find everyone we needed to talk to and even got us insurance and lunch all for the incredibly low price of 41,000 Ugs. Jesus is good indeed! And to top it off as I entered the driveway the left front tire went flat. Thank you Lord for seeing me home!

Mister Fixit

2010-06-01T12:15:00.000-07:00

Today was fixit day. Fixed a lawnmower, a ceiling lamp and a microphone. It should be easy but it never is.

I started with the lawnmower but got interupted by a phone call. As I was talking on the phone I mentioned to the other party that I had to go back and finish the lawnmower. I saw Bev's eyebrows raise which is no mean feat as she was facing away from me at the time, and heard her say,"I know you will fix the light in the closet this morning like you promised me last night." The lawn mower quickly lost its number one priority and the closet light took it place.

Now for the first ten years of our stay in Jinja I never had to worry about the closet light going bad but then I never had a closet either. Well the closet that I now have is a dark and forboding place so Bev had asked me to put a 100 watt bulb in the fixture. This is about 40 watts above the rating and when the bulb burned out the fixture crumbled in my hand as I tried to replace it. Its the same result we got as kids when we put a flood lamp in our friend's sister's Easy Bake oven. The cooking process is greatly speeded up but the life of the oven drops at an alarming rate. Same with the light fixture! Go figure.

Before I could go buy a new fixture I was interupted by Jordan and Steven whom I had instructed to paint the garage. Well it used to be a garage but now it is now a two room apartment (after a short stint as a two room chicken coop). Anyway they went and bought the paint so they also got the new light fixture. While waiting for them I tore the lawnmower apart and cleaned the air filter. It now had to dry so I went to work on the microphone. Just about the time I realized that I would need a soldering iron the light fixture showed up. So dropping the mic, I went back to that dark closet and installed the new light. I am now officially my wife's hero!

Then back to the mower. It needed a part welded so I gave the piece to Davis and sent him to have it welded. So I went back to the mic. Doing what I could which wasn't much, I then was interupted by two phone calls and lunch. Then Davis returned with the welded part so I reassembled the mower up to the airfilter which still needed to dry. I headed to Main Street and bought a meter of solder for 2000 shillings and a brand new soldering iron for 8,000 Ugs. 4 dollars isn't too bad. At least some things are still cheap!

I soon found out why I didn't have a soldering iron already. It takes three hands to operate. Since one of my three hands has a pretty good shake to it what should have been a 15 minute job took 2 hours. After finally getting the mic back together I tested it and it worked! At least I assumed it worked. It made a horrible screetching sound when I sang into it and since that is how I sing it must be working properly.

Then Davis wanted to run the mower but by that time I couldn't remember where I had put the air filter. Eagle eyed Ryan found it in the dirty dishes, Hey if I knew how it got there or why it was there I'd tell you so don't ask. Then we installed the filter and Davis mowed for 5 minutes before the rain came.

So to celebrate a successful day where there is now light in the dark closet and short grass in the yard and horrible screetching sounds from sound system, everybody watched a movie together. I saw the opening and closing credits but not much else.

I'm tired and going to bed. Honey, what do you meant the light won't switch off?

They are at the post

2010-05-29T11:04:00.000-07:00

Well race day is over! I hope it pleased the Lord as much as it did us! We had anywhere fom 150 -250 kids. About 50 prayed to receive Jesus as their Lord. Julie did a fantastic job with the gospel presentations. She is our main translator and since she is a great teacher and we wanted it all in vernacular she fit the bill. And God spoke to the kids and they responded.

The drama team also was wonderful. John and Davis scared the daylights out of the kids a couple of times. In the first drama Fred and Agnes get killed by thief. Davis was the thief and when Fred and Agnes (John and Shammi) stepped off the stage he jumped up and shot them yelling "Give me your money!" Then shouted "BOOM, BOOM" The kids screamed and scattered. It is sad that the kids know this scenario in real life.
Later when John and Davis staged a fight the kids screamed again. It just made the dramas so alive that the kids responded to the altar call.

The races went well. Very smooth by Uganda standards. The kids loved the sugar sack race and three legged race. There was one flaw with the Sack race. Instead of sugar sacks we got posho(corn flour)sacks. When the kids started jumping, a cloud of fine white powder engulfed the racers. Luckily the cloud dissipated by the finish so we think we got the right winners. The relay race was the highlight of the race day as it was very competitive.

What I learned at race day: A 7 year old P1 student can out race a 56 year old pastor by a mile in a sugar sack race. (I want a rematch!)(In your dreams, Pops)
Don't have your wife hold the finish line sign in the race if you ever want to see her again because the kids will use her as the finish line. (Gee she was here a minute ago but now all I can find is her ear rings)
Don't assume that just because all the other 39 relay racers ran one direction that the very last one will go the same direction.(took us 200 yards to catch her. That girl was quick).
Ugandan Kool aide when allowed to sit in direct sunlight will strip paint.
Always have only the best assistants to get done what you can't.( Thanks Kelli-Race director, JB-M.C., Julie-Gospel presenter, Bev-Documentary photograhper and Ryan- Sound and music)

Lastly if Jesus is on our relay team He will help us win the race even when we take off in the wrong direction.

Running the race

2010-05-27T01:26:00.000-07:00

Well two days to go till the big Race day. We hope to have 500 kids (ages 5-12) here Saturday for The R.A.C.E.-Running According to Christ's Example. It should be fun but it has been work. Last week we, meaning Bev, Kelli, JB, and I started laying out race courses and sign up sheets and planning heats and how to present the good news of Jesus to all these kids. It was fun!

Now this week, we four plus Martin, John, Davis and others have been actually setting everything up. For me the most fun was writing four 2-5 minute dramas that will precede each gospel presentation. How to come to Jesus, How to walk with Jesus without sin, How to work with the Holy Spirit and How to be a member of the body of Christ.

Then there was the futile search for award ribbons. It seemed like such a simple request. "Do you know where I can buy award ribbons to give kids for winning a race?" I was shown hair ribbons. No, I explained, a ribbon to be given to the winner. How many races the man asked. Four races and four age groups and three ribbons per each. I was assured I would have the ribbons the next day. Next morning the man rang and said he had my ribbons. Only $700. The man had brought me 48 rolls of plastic barrior tape to use as finish line tapes. No not quite right. It only took two days to get the Asian business comunity to understand what we wanted. Then with a knowing nod of the head every shop owner I spoke with said "It is not possible. I bring you something better." That means "I sell you something more expensive that you don't want." After refusing their offers Bev, Kelli and I put our heads together (painful if done too quickly) and bought yards of blue, white and red ribbons. Then remembering the ribbons kids used to get at fairs, we designed and made 72 1st, 2nd, 3rd place ribbons. The three of us plus Judy and Rochelle spent 3 hours making them one evening. Bev and I now have a new career opportunity should we ever leave the mission field. "Ribbons are us!"

Saturday's event training went well but it was made easier because only half of the 45 volunteers actually showed up.

Now we just wait for the kids and the chance to share the love of Jesus. And that is what it is all about anyway. The races and the ribbons and dramas all are secondary things but Jesus is the main thing. If we put on a first rate event but the kids don't hear about Jesus or don't know that He loves them, it will be wasted effort. So we wait and pray and pray and wait.

The real happenings

2010-05-10T10:37:00.000-07:00

Saturday Pastor Apollo Okome and I went to visit the Ogongora and Olele churches. Apollo had visited two weeks earlier and we went back to iron out some problems. Pastor Stephen had started CC Olele about a year ago and Pastor Andrew had taken over the ministry at Ogongora. But two months ago Andrew left the church for financial reasons and now they were without a pastor. Apollo had returned from his visit earlier with a list of problems that needed addressing.

When we arrived Saturday I was asked to share a message and we studied Psalm 127 "Unless the Lord builds the house the builders labor in vain." God led us to examine where we as a combined ministry of 3 different churches have worked without the Lord's guidance and labored in vain. It was a very productive 5 hour meeting and God addressed a whole slew of problems. Most of them coming from misunderstanding each other's efforts and goals. We all sat together and discussed where each church was headed and agreed on changes that God was calling for. Then Apollo, Stephen and I talked for another 4 hours about what was needed in our overall ministry effort. We came up with some plans that will take about one year to implement but should make our unity stronger and our witness better. Jesus never fails and we will not fail if we focus on Him.

Back in Jinja the ministry training is going ahead and the response is good. We are learning that the Christian life is a life of service that is exciting and demanding as well. The call to serve must be met with a fully committed heart. The joy of serving can only be hindered by the reluctance to serve. As individuals step forward to serve we hope for a more joyful body to serve with, in and to.

This weeks big event: The Youth Conference. 100-150 youth. Thursday, Friday and Saturday. And guess what I get to teach. Following Jesus example and serving others. I'm starting to see and hear a pattern. Please keep it all in prayer.

Monitors and radar dryers

2010-05-10T10:06:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago I wrote about the trials of traveling the highways of Uganda. I have come across a new trial to face. HIGHWAY MONITORS!

No, this is not a traffic officer with a radar gun or even a blow dryer. Here is a true story. A friend was stopped in Kenya by a traffic officer with a blow dryer who claimed it was a radar gun. The officer even pointed out the “proof” of overspeeding when he showed how the radar gun/blow dryer had switched itself from low to high. A definite indicator of speeding! My friend escaped a fine when he pointed out that the radar gun/ blow dryer wasn’t plugged in and there was no place for batteries. Can’t beat that logic.

No, the highway monitor I refer to is a five foot monitor lizard. (that’s five feet long not five footed) As we were returning home on the Lira-Soroti highway this monitor lizard came out of the swamp and started to cross the road in front of us. Since he stood about nine inches tall and weighed about 50 pounds which is big enough to do great damage to the car, I swerved to the right to avoid him but he kept coming.

Now you should know the only previous run in I have had with a monitor lizard was quite literal. I was upstairs in the apartment reading in my favorite chair when I noticed movement in the doorway. A two foot long monitor had come onto the porch and was eyeballing me. I looked at him and said “NO!” Evidently “NO” to a monitor does not mean the same thing as “NO” to a person. He charged straight at me so that I had to lift my feet up as he lunged for me with razor sharp fangs slashing the air mere millimeters from my heels. (Well that’s what it felt like anyway.) I avoided his charge which carried him into the spare room. Thinking quickly I closed the door behind him and did what any brave man would do. I called for my wife to come kill it.

Bev, being a Texas farm girl, is not frightened by any animal or lizard. She is a bit put off by spiders so our wedding vows included strict sections about who kills what in the house. I kill any eight legged creature in the house she kills all the rest. Since monitors are four footed (with exceptions to the five footed variety) I sent her into the room to kill it. After a momentous battle she emerged some 20 minutes later with a 3 inch gecko. I insisted there was a monitor and with a victorious smile and a nod toward the corner she said “Oh, that one” and told me to remove the intruder.

But now out on the highway without Bev I had to choose. Hit the lizard or run off the road into the swamp. Recalling Bev’s words of wisdom, “Always attack lizards, never retreat”, I attacked. The monitor, sensing my mood change, gave way. I missed him by ½ inch. It is the first time I can ever recall seeing a lizard walk backwards. But he did. A wise move.

The rest of the trip was uneventful with the exception of the usual potholes in Mbale.

Working with the little Woman

2010-05-03T10:45:00.000-07:00

I mentioned that Bev and I led a marriage seminar last week in Gulu and this past Saturday in Lumuli. It was a lot of fun as we had expected 50 people and got 150. Bev is so much fun to teach with as she knows exactly what the women are thinking. Richard the pastor came to see me this morning and said all anyone could talk about in the trading center the past two days was how everything that had been done in the homes of the people around the center on Friday night had been accurately revealed by the prophets on Saturday afternoon.

But the good thing is we are not prophets just a husband and wife sharing the truth of God's word. Solomon said,"What has been will be again, and what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun." Ecc.1:9. And it is true! Everything we laughed about in the seminar from a coulpe's tug of war over the blanket after a fight, to the cold shoulder reply of "I'm fine!", or the flattery in courtship by the man and then his being out with the guys instead of being with his wife, they have all experienced.

The Word of God is true. It can change our lives if we will only listen. The woman in Lumuli had it right when she told Steven on Saturday, "That lady teaching us must truly have heard from God to know all these things." Bev does hear from God, just as we all can. She reads His Word and listens. So can you!

Honey, can I have part of the blanket now?

The List

2010-05-02T12:15:00.000-07:00

We had a great day today. A good service began with Ryan leading worship, I've been gone for three weeks and wanted to worship Jesus with words I understand. It was nice. Then JB taught a great message from Romans 12. Then Issac from Fort Portal and his folks came to second service and they were a huge blessing to Bev and I. Then we did training for different ministries here. This is the follow up to last week's ministry fair. Kelli did an incredible job setting that event up and the response was more than we had hoped for. About 100 people signed up for different ministries and today marked the first day of training.

First group were Ushers. Now this may seem like an easy work to do but how many people really want to be told where to sit. Especially if you are told to sit in front. Jb is well behaved but I have a tendency to bump into things, drop my notes or like yesterday in the village I knocked the podium over.(Scared that lady half to death but she wasn't sleeping any more) I also tend to ask rhetorical questions from those in front so people tend to want to give me lots of space.
So it can be a bit daunting for the ushers to politely get the people to the front. But God has blessed us with a fantastic young woman who has ushering down to an art. Its all about the "look". She is the warmest and sweetest lady you'll ever find but if you don't sit where she politely tells you she will give you the "look" and you instantly know if you don't move quickly your life as you have known it is over. It is the "look" that a wife gives her husband when pays more attention to his repair project than her. Or when she's wearing a new dress and asks "Notice anything different" and he says "You got your hair fixed." It is the look that grabs the husband's attention and strikes him with fear. But our usher can strike that fear into any member of the church male or female, old or young. If the angels who spoke to the shepherds on that Christmas morning had this look they never would have said "Fear not".
So the ushers have been trained in the look and our other female usher has great potential but the guys just don't have it! I think the guys just have the "Lack". But maybe they can work up to it.

The hospital training went well and so did the street kids ministry later in the day. We are truly praising God for the heart he is putting in His people to serve.

Gulu and Dead Minnows

2010-04-27T12:13:00.000-07:00

Well, we got back from Gulu in one piece. We were confident that the trip would go well but since Bev and I have never taught a marriage seminar before or even taught together before we weren’t 100% sure we could do it. Plus the fact that apparently I had neglected to mention to Bev that she was teaching with me made for an interesting evening Friday.

We had taken the long way so we could drop Pastor Apollo at Atiriri after getting fuel in Soroti. Pastor Stephen met us there and Apollo spent the weekend with him and the churches at Olele and Ogongora. Then we went through Lira and on up to Gulu. It took about 8 hours and that was on good roads without speed humps. We had a lovely lunch of mukene (dried minnows) in peanut sauce over posho (maize meal) and greens cooked in raw eggs. Yum! Surprisingly good, actually.

So Friday night was spent deciding how we would share “Song of Songs”. Bev would read the woman’s part and I would read the man’s. Seems rather obvious now but after the long trip and lunch we weren’t too sure about anything anymore. Then we went to bed and pretended to sleep. We wanted to sleep and desired sleep but the power was off and there was no fan so there was no sleep. And with no fan that meant no mosquito net so after numerous bites (check here in 5-10 days for our latest malaria update) we got up for a brisk cold shower (no hot water) and breakfast. Praise the Lord for the hot coffee.

We started at 10:00am and finished at 5:00pm. And we had a lot of fun in the process. My wife taught very well despite her lack of prep time. There were 31 attendees. How do you get 31 at a couple’s event? Easy, some wives came without their unsaved husbands. Oh yeah, there was that one man who brought both wives! That is another story in itself. But we did give him five pages of Scripture to read. And a written answer that took an hour to write Sunday morning. But all in all it went well!

The highlight for me was to watch the women’s faces as their husbands publicly declared two things they liked about their wives. Amazingly enough 2 women and 2 men mentioned that they loved the fact that their spouse was missing at least one of their front teeth. This caused some brief editing on my part to downplay the verse that says “her teeth are like just shorn sheep coming up from the washing, EACH ONE WITH ITS TWIN”. It actually was really cool to see how God has made each of us appreciate in our spouse what others consider a draw back.

We got back Monday and look forward to sharing at other churches in the coming month. That’s all from Jinja. Hey honey what are these dead minnows doing on my pizza?

Traveling Season or Rumbling over the Hump

2010-04-20T11:09:00.000-07:00

School of Ministry is out and now traveling season begins. Bev and I went to visit Isaac and Clea Wooten and Doug and Destiny Calhoon in Fort Portal last week. Doug is the pastor of Calvary Chapel Fort Portal and Isaac runs the CCFP School of Ministry. We had a great 3 1/2 days of fellowship and got to sit in the services on Thursday and Sunday. One of our former students was there, as well as the mother of Happy, one of our Sunday School leaders. Now that our short holiday is over it's time to visit all the village churches. Bev is going with me and we'll be leading a one day marriage seminar at each church.

We are going to Gulu this week. The road going there is for the most part good, virtually brand new. No pot holes. But watch out for the rumblestrips and speed humps. It is an interesting East African construction tactic that someday I hope to understand. You build a new road so people can swiftly and safely navigate from point A to point B. You eliminate all the potholes, blind spots and anything that would cause a problem to high speed travel and let people go(No! that's just what they'd expect us to do). Instead you cover the road with rumblestrips(five 2" high warning bumps each seperated by 4 inches) that give you advance warning of the 8" high speed bump that is followed by more rumblestrips. African highway traditions require five rumblestrip sets before and after every speed hump. There are approximately 136 (Isaac counted)speed humps on the 57 kilometer highway from Mityana to Kampala. (To be fair this is a constrution zone, where new speed humps are being constructed.) The idea is to slow traffic back down to pothole speed. It works!

The fun part (for the Uganda National Road Authority)is where to hide the speed humps and rumblestrips. Classic hidden locations are in tree shadows, dips and just there over the rise. The system is quite effective as the strips jar off any loose trimwork , body fasteners or suspension parts so that the humps don't get too cluttered with anything smaller then a fender or bumper and an occasional door panel.
But don't worry there are plenty of spare parts along the road.

Another fun game to play is where to put the warning sign. At the start of your adventure the warning signs are put 50 feet before the first rumblestrip. After about 3 signs you then shorten the distance to 10 feet. The next spacing should be 10 feet behind the first rumble strip, which catches any complacent or sleeping driver off guard and requires him to get replacement dental work. Then the fun really begins as the next set has no rumblestrips only a 12 inch speed hump which may or may not be marked. This gives the immediate effect of making any car or bus look like a lowrider with a whacked out hydraulic system.

The really diabolical maintenance crews don't put in strips or humps at all. They just discolor the tarmac to make it look like a strip or hump. The screaming and sheer terror this illusion creates is evidently more fun than the actual damage a real hump creates. And the maintenance costs are practically nil.

To all this fun add the race aspect of passing slower vehicles while crossing the humps and strips and you're ready to go to Gulu. Can't wait to be there.

Graduation and what is that?

2010-04-10T11:43:00.000-07:00

What a great day! It started at six when I went to open the gate to let the guard out. We have been employing a night guard since thieves tried to steal Judy"s bike. Any way as I let him out Rose comes to the gate to start cooking food for graduation. As I welcome her I realize Julie is already standing behind me with a bucket of charcoal. I've always felt that sometimes its best not to ask too many questions but this time I forgot that bit of wisdom and I asked,"How's your charcoal?" "It's wet." was her short answer. "I need parafin." I realize that she is trying to light the charcoal stove, a sigiri, and needs kerosene to make the wet charcoal ignite. No problem I'll get you some. Easier said than done. In the dark all the plastic jerrycans look alike and with my lack of a good nose (it's big yes but not good) I can't be sure if I'm grabbing diesel, petrol or parafin. So I take a small container to Julie and Rose. Rose looks at it and says "I can't smell either" and dumps it on the fire.

I have a new appreciation for God being beyond time and His knowing the past, present and future already. He obviously heard my prayer in that split second as it indeed turned out to be parafin and not gasoline. We did not go up in a ball of flame! Moral of the story: A Rose by any other name still can't smell for nothing.

After a morning of preparation graduation started only 10 minutes late and minus most of the guests. But the guys did graduate and each taught a passage of Scripture that God had laid on their hearts. It was fantastic. By two o'clock we were all cleaned up and the guys Jacob, Rogers, George and Joseph had packed their stuff and gone home. A great group of guys that Bev and I will miss terribly. But you have to let them go or the gospel never spreads.

Tonight after a dinner at a nearby guest house we (Bev, Ryan, Kelli and I) returned home about 9:15. I was checking the vehicles to be sure they were locked when I saw the most incredible sight! From the western horizon I saw a string of orange lights coming my way. At first I thought they were skyrockets from the 10th anniversary celebration from the guest house. Then I remembered, Tuesday night. As Bev and I were escorting Judy and Rochelle home after dinner we saw an orange light move from south to north on a fairly straight track. It wasn't airplane lights and I thought the light looked more like the glow of a jet exaust. I checked the internet later to see if it was something in space but NASA said nothing should be visible. I quickly forgot the matter until tonight.

With no moon the lights were quite bright and I ran yelling to Bev to come out as fast as she could. She thought someone had died but I told her to look up. The lights that had been in a straight line heading east were now in a curve and a diamond formation heading north. Bev's "Wow" was enough to tell me that I hadn't lost my mind. So we yelled for Kelli to come out quick and look up. Ryan heard the commotion, came out and saw it and then Kelli came out too. We all watched as the lights changed formations and disappeared to the north. I had counted them and there were ten in all. It was the most amazing thing I've ever seen in the sky.

It reminds me of the last line in the 50's sci-fi movie "The Thing" (which I consider Bev's and my "movie" since we watched on our first date) where the reporter says "Keep watching the Sky! Keep watching the sky!" You won't see UFOs but someday we will see Jesus! That will be the greatest thing any of us will ever see in the sky or elsewhere!

What a weekend and what is that smell?

2010-04-05T10:22:00.000-07:00

What a fantastic weekend we had here at Calvary Chapel Jinja. The services were a blessing for all who came.

The staff set up the tent in record time on Friday. The Good Friday service was blessed with a rainbow. And the tent came down in record time that night when we got 2" of rain in an hour.

Sunday Services were combined into one and with the newly re-erected tent in a new record time everybody fit! Ryan led 40 minutes of worship JB taught on the meaning, necessity and value for us of Jesus' resurrection. Then the cross decorating was another 20 minutes of praise and the cross that symbolized death was transformed into an instrument that brings life. Only Jesus can do that so we praised Him.

The School of Ministry students really showed their servant hearts by setting up and taking down the tent twice, ushering for the service, helping out the Sunday school and serving communion. I'm going to miss this group when they graduate Saturday. But their churches will be extremely blessed.

As I write this I started to wonder what that smell was. If you've never been to Jinja it is hard to describe the cornucopia of scents that assault the nose. One minute it is the tannery, the next the fish packing plant and the next sewer ponds. All convieniently located side by side to one another and a stone's throw from the church and our house. But this was different - it was really ripe! Nonchalantly checking that it wasn't me, I started to investigate where this fragrance was coming from. It was strangely familiar and seemed to be coming from the bookcase next to my desk.

So I grabbed a torch (flashlight to those outside of Africa)and started into the hunt. Good thing is I am uniquely suited for this investigation as P.D.(Parking Zones disease) tends to greatly diminish your ability to smell (I can stink as bad as others but just don't know it) as well as your ability to parallel park. So the search doesn't take long as I move a small box and the stench gets much worse. Now I wish I had a real flaming torch so I can burn down the bookcase rather than continue but Bev doesn't allow me to consider that option. With a gentle nudge and a sweetly whispered, "Get back in there you coward." That's what I thought I heard. She says her statement was "Going back in there? You're wierd." Any way I dive into the dark recesses of the cubby space next to my desk. Then I remember what the smell is. It's a dead mouse! My mind quickly reverts back to five years earlier when a mouse died under the fridge. I was elected for the task of mouse hunter that time too. (funny how my vote doesn't count in these situations). But the question at hand is how long can I hold my breath? Apparently it has to be longer than eight seconds as my next breath just about does me in but I am successful and the mouse is finally removed. Now the question is "How many scented candles will it take to erase the odor and how many years to erase the memory?"

Good Friday

2010-04-02T12:16:00.000-07:00

God blessed us with an incredible afternoon. We got the 50ft X 40ft tent up in record time(under 2 hours), the worship team chose great music that celebrated and worshiped our Lord Jesus and His sacrifice on the cross and the rain held off long enough for the service to end and everyhing to get put back into the church. God even provided a rainbow against the backdrop of the storm.

The only bad aspect of the day was the live 30 minute morning radio program didn't happen because the crazy power fluctuations yesterday knocked the station off the air until midday.

I am still amazed at God's love for us that allows us even to see this day. That the Creator of all things would allow for His son to die for our sins and that Jesus did so willingly still boggles my mind. How can it be true? But it is! Praise Him that His act of love has set us on the path of eternal life and freed us from the tyranny of sin and death.

It still saddens me though that many people refuse to take what God so freely gives and insist that a life of slavery and bondage to sin is preferable to the freedom we find in Jesus Christ. I guess we just need to be more faithful in spreading the Good News so more come to Him to have Life.

Here in Jinja the cross that was raised along the side of Bell Avenue will be a reminder of the depth of God's love for us and on Sunday it will be a reminder of the power of God to resurrect Jesus and all who put their trust in Him.

Thank you Father! Thank you Jesus!

Highlights of the week and the wave

2010-03-29T10:32:00.000-07:00

Please check this location next week for more highlights!

What do you say when you can't remember the past week? We had a visit from Denny which was great but as always too short. Denny always brings a lot of wisdom with him so I enjoy the opportunity to sit and visit (or whine) for a while. Denny is very patient and lets me go on and on for as long as it takes or 15 minutes, whichever comes first. It is nice to bounce ideas off someone not always on site to get perspective. Its kind of like wearing someone elses glasses and taking infield practice. You think you see the ball clearly but then it hits you right between the eyes. Anyway, thanks Denny!

Jordan has also come out from New Mexico. Great guy from what I can see! (no I'm not still wearing Denny's glasses) He'll be working a while in Moroto with Noah helping run some Proclaimer listening groups. The Proclaimer is a solar/handcrank/electric gadget from Faith Comes by Hearing/Hosanna that has the bible prerecorded in Karamijong. Listening groups are set up in various trading centers so an oral society can listen to God's word in their native tongue. Works really well. Just have to have people monitoring the groups and answering questions. Jordan stayed with us last week but went to Moroto(he arrived safely) today.

Had a wonderful Wednesday evening Bible Study 1 Thessalonians 2.

JB and I finished teaching church history Thursday and Steven is now teaching Apologetics. With the exception of last year's class this has been the most interested class for Church History.

Thursday I was down with malaria but we had a good elders' meeting anyway.

On Friday Jordan, Pastor Apollo and I went to Tororo to conduct business. Selling a piece of land where a church once was. The church was shut down due to the lack of a pastor. What was supposed to take two hours took eight and on the way home the truck's alternator died. So we were racing to beat the darkness back to Jinja so we wouldn't have to use headlights which, minus the charging system, were dim at best. We almost made it but the darkness caught us about 15 minutes from home. So we groped our way home (Hey, lots of trucks here don't have lights at all) and dealt with the beast the next day. I wish I could say we buried it on a nice hillside overlooking a freeway. But no! We fixed it and it lives on. Actually I love that truck. But then I love root canals too. And like my teeth I just get one fixed and another one goes bad, so we get one thing fixed on the truck and something else goes out.

Saturday was sermon prep day and Sunday was delivery day. The radio program would have been better except for the medicine. I don't take my 6:00 am meds until after the 6:30-7:00 program or else I fall asleep in the middle of the program. Not a problem if you are listening but a big problem when you're the one speaking! Well not only did I not take the morning meds but I was so tired the night before that I forgot to take my bedtime meds. So as I'm trying to teach on the radio my hand is shaking so much I look like a waving Rose Bowl Parade queen (elbow-elbow, wrist-wrist) after an all nighter at Starbucks with her hand caught in a paint shaker. It got so bad that I had to sit on my hands and then almost threw myself out of the chair twice! Other than being laughed at by the radio man because my voice was shaking as fast as my hand, it went well. And that middle part I don't remember it much.

But it really was a good week and the Kajjansi Women's Conference was a great blessing. Bev, Jo, and our 5 Ugandan staff ladies, all teaching and sharing. But two days without Bev is too much! Next time I'll go too. Now that I've got the wave down.

The Serious side of malaria

2010-03-22T21:27:00.000-07:00

But seriously, malaria is nothing to laugh at. When the parasites get into your blood they attack the red blood cells. When the parasites reproduce they explode the red blood cells. This causes many of the symptoms: aching joints, headache, fatigue etc. The overall weakness and fatigue makes the desire to go and get treatment be replaced by the desire to sleep and rest. This gives malaria the opportunity to get the upper hand on the system. The fever comes as the body battles against the increase in parasites. So you get this cycle of fever spikes which get closer together as more and more parasites breed and the body gets too weak to fight.

Malaria takes it greatest toll on kids. They are fine, running around and playing and then in a matter of a couple of hours they are on death’s door. They lie down to nap or go to sleep at night and then they are too sick to get up. If you live in the village where there is no transport how do you get a sick 2-5 year old someplace for treatment. Most villagers can’t afford the frontline medicines that I get to take. So they give their child chloroquine or fansidar which are now less then 20% and 40 % effective. And the child worsens until it has to go to a hospital or clinic for intravenous treatment with quinine.

It is malaria’s ability to resist drugs that makes this disease the number one killer in Sub-Saharan Africa. Parents can’t afford the proper medicine let alone a blood test to confirm that it is malaria so at any sign of fever the malaria medicine that is cheapest or most easily available is given, usually in less than full dosage and that builds the drug resistance in the parasites. The government here tries it’s best to keep effective medicines in stock but it takes so much of its funding that it can’t possibly keep up.

Malaria also mimics many others diseases and often gets ignored as a cold or flu until it gets too advanced to treat and cure easily. That is why many doctors take the position treat for malaria first then, if there is no response, treat for another disease. This also leads to drug resistant strains of malaria.

It is estimated that 95% of malaria can be prevented by sleeping under a mosquito net. But getting nets out to the rural people is not easy. When the government can give away nets many sell the nets to get income for other needs.

It all needs God’s intervention. He is where our hope lies. He is the healer and divine planner. Pray for the kids of Africa. Pray that God’s mighty hand of protection will cause malaria to end. Pray for medicines that are effective and cheap. Pray for a vaccine. Pray for good officials to distribute what God provides. Our hope is in Jesus. He is the answer to all our prayers.

I Got I!

2010-03-22T10:39:00.000-07:00

Yep, I got it! Malaria, again. What a strange disease. You feel fine and then the wheels fall off.
Headache, backache, extreme fatigue, bad stomach, fevers that come and go plus anything else you can think of. All rolled into one little mosquito bite. Pesky little guys those mosquitoes (pronounced mos-kwee-toes). They live under my desk and attack my ankles at night when I work on the computer. I get bitten all the time but nothing usually happens. Then they invite one of their out of town malaria parasite covered relatives over to feast on the leg of muzungu being served under the desk and there you go, you got it.

It's not too bad this time, I caught it early and Bev has given me a new drug. It's a one day course of pills. Eight at one shot rather than over a couple of days. Its easy but you just don't know how it's going to hit you, the medicine that is. Malaria has the unique ability to make you sicker while you get better. It's because the illness is caused by parasites that are reproducing in your blood. As the parasite count grows your symptoms get worse. Then you take the medicine and kill the parasites and you feel better. But that poison in your system that killed the parasites tends to make you feel as miserable as those nasty invaders did. So you're sick from the medicine. And now your blood is full of poison as well as the bodies of all the little dead malaria bad guys. They make you feel just as bad when they are dead as when they were alive. But eventually the system gets rid of them all and you're back to normal. Or as close to normal as you personally might be.

Martin had malaria Saturday, Steven got it yesterday and I got it today. Tune in tomorrow to find out who the next contestant will be on "I got it but you can have it!" Meet you under the desk.

Church History- A Time to Nap

2010-03-16T11:04:00.000-07:00

I'm having fun this week teaching church history to the School of Ministry. We are going into our final three weeks so we are doubling up classes but that is easier said than done. Trying to find one or two hours in the afternoon is difficult. We scheduled this afternoon for 3:30 because we had an insurance guy coming to sell us some health insurance at 2:00. Which is good timing allowing me to take a nap for 20 minutes before he arrives. But he called at 1:45 to say he'd be late so we changed class to 2:00. There goes my nap!

Now typically 2:00 is a bad time for me as food shock from lunch makes me tired (no, eating less isn't an option) and then I take my afternoon medicine at 2:00 and it makes me very tired. But since it was the only time available, off I went to round up the students.

This was easy to do as apparently a morning class of three hours of church history makes them extremely tired! They were all sound asleep in their bunks. Except for Joseph who was studying out on the lawn swing. I left the others in their bunks to go inform Joseph of the schedule change. As I walked over I realized that he wasn't studying at all but was sound asleep in his history notes. I gently woke him up ( he really did hit the ground softly) and he soon was in class with the others who had by this time awakened after someone had apparently slammed their dorm room door a few times.

Class begins and we're looking at Martin Luther and and the birth of the reformation and things are going well but then my meds begin to kick in. They don't just make me tired they make me forgetful. As in, what was the point of my story. I have literally forgotten what I was saying in midsentence and have had to ask people what my point was. I've even been told that when I tell a story I should try to have a point. (that is not a good statement if you want a passing mark in Church History) Then the uncontrolable yawning starts and class is over. No point in fighting a losing battle. But we did get an hour and twenty five minutes in. Now I'm going to take a nap.

But as I head back to the house I see an old friend, Blind Grace, waiting for me at the hut and one of our street kids is sitting with him.. Grace always asks for water when he comes so I decide to get it first and then go greet. It was a good idea but for some reason this past week I havn't been able to hold on to the plastic cups we use. It was no better this this time. I get some nice cold water ( it was very hot today) and go to greet Grace. I get all the way to the hut and I realize Grace is sound asleep! Why is it everybody else gets to nap except me? As I approach him the plastic cup slips from my hand I reach for it and almost get it but not quite . Just at that instant Grace wakes up but being blind he doesn't see the deluge of water coming his way. Bosco the street kid is staring at me wide eyed at the thought that I would be so mean to Grace. I never saw Bosco or anyone else run out the gate so fast.

I must admit Grace took it well enough. He had come to see me because he had a toothache and wanted some panadol so I went to get it and some more water which Grace very kindly asked if he could have in a cup this time. I told him sure and then the insurance guy showed up. There goes my nap again. I got Grace taken care of sent him on his way and proceeded to the insurance meeting.

I have just found the greatest time to nap! I used to think it was Saturday afternoon watching professional bowling on tv but an insurance sales pitch on a hot day in Uganda beats the PBA by miles. I woke up fully rested and fully insured! And the rest is history.

Newton and Ministry

2010-03-10T22:58:00.000-08:00

I've been reading a biography of Newton, John not Isaac. John Newton is the man who wrote "Amazing Grace", Isaac wrote about "amazing gravity".

John Newton had gone to Africa to be a slave trader and became a slave to the man who was supposed to be his partner. For the better part of 18 months he was chained to a shallow riverboat and fed scraps to eat. It was only by God's grace, shown through other slaves who gave him food secretly that he survived. When he was freed he headed back to England and during a severe storm that was breaking up the ship he had a conversion experience. Nineteen years later he wrote "Amazing Grace". But He continued in the slave trade for six more years as a slave ship captain. Then became a pastor in the Church of England.

I am astounded by the idea that after being a slave himself he continued in the work of the slave trade. My mind says "How could he?" But at the time slavery was a part of normal society. God was indeed changing Newton's life but sometimes He brings slow changes that take time to fully develop in us to be the people He wants us to be. Newton had to see and understand the glory and righteousness of God more fully before God used him to help abolish the slave trade.

Many of us follow Christ but then get right back into the sinful mess we had left, just like John Newton. We don't see the evils in our society because God has to show us His righteousness first so we can see the unrighteousness of the world. But we can never stop seeking His righteousness. And He will never stop turning our hearts to him.

What is it we allow today that 100 years from now will be condemned by the Holy One? What are we blinded by in our world that we are content with but our grandkids will condemn. Brideprice? Immorality? Corruption? Is it the sinful things we allow into our homes as entertainment? What will we look back on at the end of all things and say, "Why didn't I see how this looks to God? How could I have not known this offended our Lord?"

Are we too comfortable with this world so that we cannot change it? Are we too content with the status quo to speak against or even see the evil that is there?

I pray that Jesus lets us see what is offensive to the Father in our world today by showing us what real righteousness is. The apostle Phillip said "Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us." To which Jesus replied,"Don't you know me, Phillip even after I have been among you such a long time." Let us know Jesus so well that we know what breaks our Father's heart. Let us put an end to those things. Let us be ahead of our time by knowing the eternal God.

Working for the women

2010-03-08T22:33:00.000-08:00

What is the difference between success and disaster, triumphant victory and utter defeat? Sometimes its all just a matter of timing. Yesterday was women's day. JB, Martin and I have, the past couple of years, cooked for our wives on women's day. So JB suggested we do the same but this year we also got Steven, Don and Joseph to join us too. With this many cooks we figured to take the endeavor to a new level and cook for all the women on the compound. Six fearless strong men going where no man has gone before, the kitchen.

JB and I decided on the menu and JB was appointed to purchase the food. Good plan, bad timing! Women's day is a holiday. The market was closed! No problem you can always buy from street vendors and even save some money! Good plan, bad timing! The rains began last week and street vendors don't sell in the rain so JB had to search to find the food. What should have been a 45 minute trip took 3 hours but the man got it done! (I don't want to hear how a woman would have planned ahead, we got it done).

Now we 6 brave men descend upon the kitchen with the confidence that comes from watching people (women) cook for years and assuming it is as easy as it looks. The phrase "Fools rush in where angels fear to tread" came to mind as we all had full ideas on what to do but only half a clue on how to do it. JB started cutting meat, Don-chickens, Joseph-carrots, Steven-onions, Martin-rice and I was the Head Man (I got to shred two heads of cabbage). We were a well oiled machine, each wearing a nice apron, and in no time we had food everywhere. I did learn that you need a really big pot for two shredded cabbage heads. Good enough I missed the pot about half the time so actually for two heads a one head pot will do. Irege was supervising
and almost gave himself an injury when he slipped in the puddle of tears that Steven had shed chopping onions. Don with JB and Martin did a superb job on the meat and poultry. I still wonder how that other 1/2 chicken got away. All we had to do was cook it all.

Now the team spread out. Some in our kitchen, some in JB's, and some in the cooking hut. Again we were so efficient that I went and did some counseling, Steven went and did some repair work.
We all came back about 6:00 pm and started setting up for dinner. By seven we were ready and all 43 people had a wonderful meal. Especially if you llike your rice slightly scorched or your posho Cajun style(blackened)All my fault.

We served the women first then the female kids then the male kids and finally the men. Then the men even did the clean up. Dishes were finished by 8:15 and women's day was over. Now I can rest up for next year!

Note: No persons were injured in the making of this event but some aviary and bovine helpers were lost. One person was injured but not during the celebration.(broken bones mend) Thanks to Ryan as advisor to the culinary portion of the day.

Thank you Father for the wondeful blessing of wives, sisters and daughters!

The Sting of Death

2010-03-02T09:48:00.000-08:00

William, our newest member of the elder board, lost his father today. He had been sick for a number of years and he passed away this afternoon. He was a believer in Jesus Christ and a great many people are expected at his burial. The problem is he died in Lugazi and he is to be buried in the north past Arua. This is an all night trip as he is to be buried tomorrow due to the lack of embalming. Someone has donated a truck and the church is helping with petrol. There will probably be 50 people on that truck as the man's entire village wants to go. That's the way it is here. The two most expensive things to do here are to die or get married. Of course it is better if you reverse the order! Families go into deep debt as they are expected to provide food for whoever shows up. For a week! But it is a sign of great respect and honor to have so many people so families do it gladly. Richard who is JB's assistant and Ryan's replacement is going to represent our church as it would look bad to the people for no one from his son's church to be there. We would send more but it will be a two day trip and most people can't be gone that long.

Ryan also lost his Grandfather today. It is tough on the mission field when your family member dies back home. Ryan is taking it well but can't get home for the burial so it bothers him that he can't comfort his family in person. That is one of the decisions that missionaries make when they leave home. But that doesn't make it any easier to not be there. Pray for Ryan that he will be able to console his family from a distance.

Death happens to all of us but it is when our loved ones die not knowing Jesus that we hurt the most. Don't miss the opportunities to share the reason for the hope we have in Christ Jesus. Take away the sting of death by sharing God's gift of life in Jesus.

May God bless you and keep you until we see each other again and keep praying for the lost of the world and in our families.

How do you sew a volleyball?

2010-02-28T09:38:00.000-08:00

I am sitting here wondering how they sew volleyballs together. All the stiches are inside and to get to them you have to turn your volleyball inside out. Which is exactly what I was doing this afternoon. I didn't really want to turn it wrong way out but it wouldn't hold air because it had apparently been impaled on one of the thorn hedges surrounding the house. I found the volleyball while looking into the hedge at what the dog was barking at. I don't think it was the ball he wanted but he was after something.

Normally this wouldn't bother me but the dog had earlier gotten out of the yard when I left the gate open after finding Bev's bike laying in the middle of the driveway. The kids had been riding it (the bike not the dog) and had left it laying out with the front gates wide open. This is typical and would not have concerned me much except that we almost lost two bikes this week.

Last Sunday night somone came into the yard and tried to steal Judy's bike. Not only her bike but also the 70 pound bike rack it was locked to. The thieves carried the rack with the bike 25 yards to the gate and lifted it over the 7 ft high gate out to the street and carried them down to the front gate where it either got too light (the night) or too heavy (the bike and rack). Well JB and Martin found them the next morning still locked together out on the street. But Acol's bike which had also been parked in the rack but had not been locked was gone. I only hope the thieves didn't realize it wasn't locked til after they hoisted it, or would that be heisted it over the fence.

So when I went to get the bike out of the yard with the open gate so it would not be stolen the dog got loose. After chasing him down and carrying him back to the yard I put the bike away. That's when I found the volleyball. I tried to inflate it but it wouldn't hold air. So I went on line to find out how to repair a leaking volleyball. I was assured it is easy to do you just need a leaking ball, a pump and and some ball sealant. Yeah right. Lots of that here in Jinja! Then it occured to me what a strange world Africa is. You can go on line to get info but there is no place to actually buy what is needed when you get the info.

So now I have a gutless, inside out volleyball on my desk. Couldn't find a website to tell me how to sew it back together. I know, I'll just leave the ball out in the yard for the thieves to take. They'll be looking for something lighter this time anyway.

The Lord amazes me

2010-02-22T10:25:00.000-08:00

Today I had a unique experience that just made my head spin.

We have a baptism scheduled for March 13th. Two of the men who want to be baptised are Hallelujah and Patel. They came for some instuction this afternoon on the meaning and purpose of baptism. Sounds well and good but they are both from India and I can't understand their accents and they don't get mine either. So I had to have my friend Hemchend come and translate. One problem, all three men speak different Indian languages. So I speak in English Hem speaks his language to Patel while Hallelujah fills in what Hem doesn't get right. Patel has been coming to church about 3 months and gave his life to Jesus three weeks ago while Pastor Mohan and his wife from CCKampala were here. They also are from India but speak a different language as well. He is excited to be baptised and really happy to belong to Christ.

Hallelujah has been saved 14 years and been attending our church since arriving 5 months ago. He is full of enthusiasm and we talk alot but we get maybe two out of twenty of each other's words. He is excited to be baptised since baptism is outlawed in his part of India.

Hem has been saved for 7-8 years but has struggled with some bad teaching in the past and has become a big part of our church family. He loves everyone. He loves the teaching at Calvary and can't get enough.

Anyway it just amazed me how God was using all four of us to minister to and instuct each other. It was almost like a dream. I was greatly awed by how Jesus builds His church with so many people of different backgrounds but all of the same family in Christ heading for the same eternal home. Can't wait to get there. Maybe I'll even understand Hem, Halle and Patel. Actually you can count on it!

Rain and the idiot!

2010-02-20T10:08:00.000-08:00

Okay so Kelli's back. First thing she did was make us all agree to the weather being 20 degrees cooler within seven days. Hey I'm no fan of hot weather but what can I do? So we all agreed. After all it been over 90 for a month and over 100 for at least half that. (no I'm not prone to exaggeration!)

This morning as I get up in the dark to go out running. I can see lightning off in the distance. By the time I get my shoes on the rain comes. Just a spinkle but as I walk out the door I hear a wall of water coming. I text my partner Don, "It just started raining." As I come back to the door the rain and wind hit. I text Don again,"It just started raining, heavily!" But Don's wife sends a reply, "He left a couple of minutes ago." Well I know Don's an intelligent guy so I figure he would turn back, but nagging me is the unwritten runners rule"If you start before the rain hits you keep running." Surely Don won't run in this. By now it is raining so hard I can't get out the door. Bev and I start closing every window in the house. Then the dogs start barking at the gate. What if it's Don? I grab my umbrella open the door get hit in the face by a torrent of rain from the roof. I step into a river that used to be the front path, wade through the lake that has replaced the front yard and go to the gate. The wind turns my umbrella inside out. Now I'm trying to unlock the gate holding the umbrella with my teeth and I drop the keys. Finally get the lock undone. Swim back to the house. I text Danielle asking if Don has come back. The response is from Don,"If? Ha! I'm not that manly!" But apparently I'm that much of an idiot. Good news is with my morning shower already taken and the run off for the day I can go back to bed. And Kelli is happy because the promise for cooler weather was kept. And Bev is ecstatic that she gets to sleep in.

I feel very content as if I made everyone happy all by myself. Thank you, Lord! You made the rain, You made Don smart enough to turn back, Kelli cool enough to sleep and my wife happy enough to sleep in that she didn't even get angry when I got back into bed all cold and wet! And you let me be just a big enough idiot to be happy for it all.

The Conference

2010-02-18T00:25:00.000-08:00

I have to admit that the Pastor's conferences are a real pleasure and a real pain. Although I get to share I look forward to being able to sit and be fed.

Denny shared Monday afternoon on Nehemiah. Are we following the pattern he gave us by having true concern for our community. Are we addressing the problems of poverty, teenage pregnancy, drunkeness to name a few that plague Uganda. Or are we just preaching a message in church but not carrying it into the community?

Steven shared on the life of Paul and following the pattern "even as I follow Christ." Are we looking beyond Paul's example and taking on the attitude and nature of Jesus in ministry. Are we truly concerned with people? Do we have Jesus' compassion?

Craig shared on the life of Samuel. God has prepared us, are we humble enough to serve under others or even under a leader who is less qualified? Do we have a heart to be near God and a heart to hear God like the young Samuel or are we merely lying down like Eli "in his usual place?" Am I serving with passion or just going along the same as always because it is what I've grown accustomed to?

JB shared on David and his denying justice to Uriah and taking his life so he could hide his sin and gain his wife. In the ministry are we helping others to succeed or are we using them to hide our mistakes and make ourselves look good?

Zane shared on the life of Joshua. Are we trusting God to be true to His word and being courageous in our ministry even though we are anything but courageous?

These are some of the challenges laid on us. I'm working on a response as soon as God finishes convicting me. And this is the pleasure part.

The pain comes when dealing with the village pastors. It seems they had a meeting Tuesday night and have decided that they need direct support. Not just provision for business but a salary to help them do the work of the ministry. They are good men who deserve their wages but it is such a danger to my friends. In America I didn't see men get corrupted by money, at least not as easily and quickly as here. Paul was correct when he wrote to Timothy and warned him about men who think godliness is a means to financial gain (1Tim.6:5) and then said in verse 10 that some people eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. I know these men need help but how can I keep them from piercing themselves. How can I encourage them to have contentment when every where they look the world and even the church sends a message to them "to get theirs first." How do we support men without becoming a denomination with all the hierarchy that goes with it? Is it even my place to try to watch over and protect these men or is that the Holy Spirit's work?

I look forward to our conferences but dealing with the issues God raises in my heart almost crushes me every time. Thank you Jesus for letting me lean on you. Continue to show us the path by being a lamp for our feet.

My level of Faith

2010-02-17T11:54:00.000-08:00

It's Wednesday and the week is only half way through and I'm exausted. We just finished a three day Pastor's Conference here in Jinja. We had 30 men attend as well as three missionaries. The theme of the conference was Living According to the Pattern Philippians 3:17. The guys that taught were excellent and I was really challenged, to examine our ministry. It was tough yet true and challenging (the way God can speak to your heart and make you want to crawl in a hole and die or crawl in His lap and cry). I hope to have some time to process it all.

A good week makes twelve years.

2010-02-08T08:20:00.000-08:00

What makes a good week? Lots of things. I'll tell you a few.
Paper work that works. Our NGO renewal was under consideration by the NGO Board and praise the Lord it was approved! First time it was submitted too! We never get any paper work approved on the first shot but it was. God gave Bev the time and diligence to wade through all the requirements and when ready off she went to submit it all. She had a suitcase full of stuff just in case they wanted one more paper, file, signature, stamp, letterhead or no letter head, handwritten or typed. Bev had a back up for it all and it was accepted. In 2005 it took eight months. Unbelievably this year it was done in ten days.

What time we saved on paperwork we lost at the wedding on Saturday. The wedding at CCJinja was to start at 11:30 so we started working at 7:30 to have the church cleaned and decorated in time. We just had enough time to change and get to the church on time. The groom arrived at 12:00, the first guest by 12:15 and the bride at 1:15. And everyone was surprised she was so early. But the important thing was they got married. And I figure we are still 71/2 months ahead by what we saved in the NGO cert process.

We also got our lease extended for another 99 years (that means we won't be homeless until I'm 1555 years old). This has been a fun experience as we went to a District Land Board meeting Friday. That started two hours late. Then went to town hall today to get the papers with the instruction to take the file to the Assessor whose office is right across the street from us. So I went to see Martin the Assessor who told me to see the Lands Officer. I got in to see her in 20 minutes and told her Martin had sent me. She told me "Let Martin come" meaning you go get him and bring him here. So I yanked Martin from a meeting that he wasn't leaving until I mentioned the Lands Officer wanted to see him. At her office she asked why he was dealing with me not her and he said I had gone to the wrong office and he had not been dealing with me. So they agreed the best idea was to send me to the clerks office to get the whole file. So I went. After a 45 minute search she remembered that the nice young man Ryan had been in 10 days earlier and that the file had been taken to the Lands Officer and was on her desk (the file that is not Ryan). I asked if I should go tell her that and the clerk said "Oh no! If you do she'll never speak to you again. You come back tomorrow." I asked her if she would go and she said, "Oh no! She'll never speak to me again. You just wait." Ten minutes later an office boy came and was sent to get the file. He did and brought it to the clerk who gave it to me and said, "take it to the Lands Officer." The Lands Officer then sent me to the clerk who sent me back to Martin who took me back to the clerk to have her fill in the lease offer form. She told me " I told you to come back tomorrow." Then she informed me that she needed six copies to fill out and that I must go make the copies. I left and arrived back home only an hour late for a pre-marital counseling session. I go back to the clerk tomorrow! But hey I'm still at least seven months ahead so maybe I'll take an extra day off this month. Got to spend time while you have time.

I did get to teach at Kirinya Staff Church and Main and Remand prisons which was good since Friday was Bev's and my 12 year anniversay of living in Uganda and here I was doing the exact thing Sunday that I did twelve years ago.

All in all its been a good week. A good twelve years for that matter.

Thank you Jesus for letting me be here with my sense of humor still intact.

Good, great or Christian?

2010-01-31T03:17:00.000-08:00

This morning I was sharing about a good man. He was a good friend, a good husband, a good family man and an active man of faith. His name was Philemon and he was a friend of the Apostle Paul. He was all the above things plus he refreshed the hearts of the saints.

I would like to think that we all could be that kind of good man or woman. It just requires us to love our friends and families and the saints. That should be easy enough. After all Jesus told us that the world would know we are His disciples when we love one another. The making of a good is right here.

But Paul encouraged his friend to be more, to go farther. He prayed for him to have an active faith so that he would have an understanding of every good thing we have in Christ. I was reminded that the more we tell the world about Jesus the more we see Him and know Him and ultimately are conformed to His image. This is what makes a great man! Paul encourages Philemon to be a great man in Christ.

If that was all to learn from this epistle it could be enough but Paul says there is more. Paul wants Philemon to be a Christian man! Apparently Philemon owned a slave named Onesimus who had escaped after stealing from his his master. Paul wants Philemon to forgive Onesimus who has gotten saved while with Paul in Rome. And take him back. And to treat him like a brother not a slave or a thief.

In my self confident, self righteous flesh I always thought this would be easy for Philemon or any Christian but then the Lord started to remind me of how many I had "forgiven."

Philemon was being told not just to forgive but to take this slave, who defied his authority, who had stolen from him and embarassed him, and put him back inside his home! To set him free and treat him like family. Who could do that? A Christian that's who!

The Lord was showing me that I have the talk down but the walk still needs work. I easily say "You're forgiven" but do I let them back into fellowship with me or even to be part of my family?
That's what Jesus did for me. He has forgiven me, brought me into His family as a brother and is even building me a place to live.

I tell you that I have no idea what that kind of forgiveness is like on the giving side. I know it on the receiving end but I still struggle on the giving end. But I will keep trying because Jesus didn't quit doing the Godly thing and I need to do the Christian thing.

Until this morning I was willing to settle for the good man and possibly hoping for the great. But now Jesus challenges me to be the Christian man.

Lord I need to learn to live an active faith by forgiving like you do. I have to admit I'm a little nervous to teach the last 18 verses of this letter next Sunday. But with God all things are possible!

Dust bunnies, fixing things and cool water

2010-01-28T09:45:00.000-08:00

I know I said I was going to stop fixing things but sometimes you just got to do it. The refrigerator has been slowly warming up over the last week (along with the weather) and when you can't even get a slightly cool drink of water, well enough is enough.

Apparently you have to clean the cooling coils once every few years! Taking the back plate off of the fridge revealed a large, fuzzy, dark brown lump where there should be the aforementioned coils. So with a 3 inch paint brush and a screwdriver I killed the dust bunny that had swallowed the coils but apparently the dust bunny had already eaten the fan. So tinkering with the fan (for the non technical that means banging on it with the paint brush) the fan is now working. GOD IS GOOD! We shall see in the morning if this has repaired the fridge.

I did however teach today. The SOM had a survey of Ephesians. It went well but it is getting harder every year to teach the survey classes as the Bible just has too much to say! But the guys are learning and that's what counts. God working in their lives.

I pray God is good in your life too. He never fails us but sometimes we are not as faithful as we should be. Sometimes the dust bunnies of sin overwhelm us and we lose our cooling abilities and the cooling fan of the Holy Spirit is grieved. But Jesus knows just what to do. (No, He doesn't bang us around with a paintbrush) He takes away all the sin that has clogged us up, washes us with the word, anoints us with oil and puts us back into service so the next guy can get some cool living water that flows from the Spirit through us to others.

I don't know if our fridge will work tomorrow but after Jesus gets done with us I know we'll be working just fine!

Crusades and Childrens Movies

2010-01-23T08:54:00.000-08:00

It was a very interesting day Friday. I was invited to teach at a crusade in Kajjansi being held by Pastor Aaron. I agreed to go but I had told them that we couldn't let them use the generator or sound system from the church as it was needed for the Friday night kid's movie, Saturday youth group and Sunday services. But I did bring our back up system. The choir sang for 1 1/2 hours but the set up guys didn't notice that the battery operarted system had become disconnected from the power source. So just about the time Aaron was to teach the system goes dead.

We finally get the sound system up again Aaron's teaching goes well the choir sings for half hour and the system dies again. Sound systems are meant to die but what bothered me was that no one wanted to fix the system they would rather complain about it! But we got it living again and it was my turn to teach. The sound system had no problems for the message but as soon as the altar call came and the choir started to sing the sound system went on holiday again. There didn't appear to be any fruit from the whole first day of the crusade.

My heart was getting hard by this point as the common refrain was "If we had better equipment God would bring us success." It was all I could do not to lash out at people and defend my decision. So I told Aaron that I was heading back to Jinja that night instead of staying. He was disappointed but I just couldn't trust myself to stay and say something that might hurt our relationship.

On the 3 hour ride home I asked the Lord repeatedly"Is there any fruit today" but I couldn't see anything.
I got home at 11 ate dinner and went to bed, thoroughly discouraged.

This morning JB came over all excited about what had happened last night. I told him that nothing happened but he said I just hadn't heard. At the Friday night movie, the children's version of the Jesus film, in Luganda, about 100 kids came. During the movie there was none of the usual talking and joking. When the time came to ask the kids to pray to receive Jesus as their Savior, every child quietly asked Jesus to save them. JB had never seen anything like it! All this was happening while I was driving and ask God "Where is the fruit?"

I am amazed at how self focused I can be. I was discouraged that God had not used me for a great harvest at Kajjansi. But God was busy with His plan not mine for His glory not mine! Praise you Jesus for saving all those kids. Thank you that your Father's will is done not mine!

Tomorrow I go back to Kajjansi to share the hope of life in Jesus. I don't care if the sound system works or that I teach well but just that Jesus is there and the Holy Spirit is working.

Maybe I'll just show a movie.

Eggs, Sugar, Eclipses and seeing through things

2010-01-15T10:41:00.000-08:00

It easy to get discouraged. Here in Jinja nothing seems to go as planned. Monday Aaron and Richard, pastors from Kajjansi and Lumuli came to see me. It seems like a they can't get their chickens to lay as many eggs as they should. So Aaron sold all his chickens and is buying new chicks to start over. Only problem is he sold them for 4,000 shillings each. That's at least 3000 Ugs below the Kelli blue book value. for a 2009 chicken. Man at that price I'd have bought them. But he is starting over hoping to learn from his mistakes. Richard on the other hand wants to sell his chickens and the buy chickens to sell to restaurants. His plan is to buy chickens in the village at 5,000 and sell them in town at 6,000 making 1000 shillings on each chicken. Funny how sitting between two guys who raise chickens one can't sell his birds fo 4000 and the other can't buy his for less than 5000. I guess the easiest solution would to be buy and sell to each other but I didn't think of that.

Anyway Richard can't seem to see past the 1000 shilling profit and get his mind on the idea that in raising chickens for 7 weeks he can make a 3800 shilling profit. So the three of us discussed for 3 hours the various problems of making money from poultry. But finally they have agreed to work at raising their birds and to put in the effort to succeed and not quit.

Tuesday and Thursday I spent part of each day with Pastor Apollo at the sugar works trying to get his money from the harvest last month of his two acres of cane. Apparently when Apollo goes to get paid they can't seem to find his file to send it for processing but if he pays 5,000-10,000 to the clerk his file magically appears. After two weeks of this nonsense He asked me to come and assist him in the file hunt. Amazingly when a mzungu is there the file never gets lost. Until I leave then it instantly is lost again only to reappear two days later just after I walk through the door.
It is so hard to watch a good man like Apollo have to go through this frustration just to get paid. But he does go through it with a grace and good naturedness that I only wish I had.

This morning we experienced an Annular eclipse. It will not happen again until 2125 so we had everyone out watching. But what I found fascinating was the people looking through welding lenses or smoked glass to see it. To a one, kids and adults would either look at the glass and say "All I see is my reflection" or they would look at the glass so intently that they forgot to face the sun. It amazed me that they could not see past the glass!

But then can I see past the glass? Do I see my friends, Christian brothers and sisters as Jesus sees them? Do I see who they truly are? Do I look through the same lens that God uses to make me look good in His sight? The lens of grace and love that makes me look like His Son? Am I willing to see the job through of helping raise up a new generation for Christ? Or am I willing to sell my chickens for new ones? Am I willing to play the frustrating game of hide the file of Christ until it surfaces in peoples lives and the walk it through to the end so the harvest is complete.

I'm seeing better now, Lord! Show me some more!

Psalm 18:1-3

2010-01-10T10:06:00.000-08:00

Friday morning 5:30 As I get ready for an early run my daily reading is Psalm 18. As I read verses 1-3 I am struck by how true the word of God is and how faithless I am. I claim to know that God is my rock, fortress, refuge, deliverer, shield and my stronghold. But I realize that too often when I am tired, weak or despairing I don't trust in God my refuge, deliverer and my rock. I trust not in God's Spirit in me but trust in what I used to do before I met Jesus. After 17 years of walking with Jesus still at the least trouble or any lack of peace in my heart I go back to who I used to be and what I did for comfort.

I used to be a mechanic and when stressed I fix something. But many of the problems in life I can't fix. So I fix cars, water heaters, fans, electronics or whatever I can to show that I still have control in my life.

I shared the verses from Psalm 18 with my class later in the morning to encourage them to hold fast to Jesus and let him fix the things in their lives and not go back to any other source of comfort, protection or deliverance. They understood what was shared and class went well. So well that we met for five straight hours (Bev was in Kampala so we didn't have to stop for lunch). It was great!

Later that day I shared with a young friend, Andy, about the end times for two hours. I felt as good as I had in quite awhile. God laid on my heart that sharing His word and His plan for His children's future was what He wanted me to do. Not spending my time fixing stuff. I told JB and Steven that I would not be repairing things anymore and it was up to them to get things repaired. It felt good to let the load of self imposed work go. I will trust in my Rock, my Fortress, my Deliverer.

Today I had the privilege of teaching at Calvary Chapel Kololo, the new offshoot of CCKampala.
It was the first time for me to teach there and I was incredibly nervous. As the worship team was singing my hands were shaking uncontrollably. I was afraid to raise them for fear that others would see them shake. Then God in His precious everloving way spoke to me. The worship team started singing Psalm 18! God reminded me so gently that He is my refuge when I fear. When I feel like I can't do it, He can! And my fear left. I was blessed again to be able to share God's word with brothers and sisters who needed and wanted to hear Jesus speak to their hearts the same way He had just spoken to mine.

I hope that I can remember the lesson I learned this week. I call to the Lord who is worthy of praise and I am saved from my enemies. Those outside and those within. Praise God our Rock!

Christmas in Uganda 2009

2009-12-25T04:11:00.000-08:00

It starts very early. SMS from 2 of the 4 networks are free from midnight to 6:00am. So the cellphone starts ringing shortly after midnight. Close friends or distant acquintances, it doesn't matter send them a greeting.

Then the day starts at 5:00am as the staff begins pulling all the benches out of the church and putting them in the tent we had set up on Wednesday to hold the overflow on Christmas. That done it then starts to rain. Because of the holes in the tent all the benches have to be moved and turned upside down so the water pouring through the holes in the tent doesn't soak the padding on the benches.
Meanwhile the ladies are trying to begin cooking lunch but Julie's rooster is missing. So the search begins and continues until the first hint of light when the missing bird crows from his perch on top of the fence in the thornbush. The thornbush hedge is planted around the outside of the fence to keep the thieves from stealing the fence or any rooster that might be inside the fence when it gets stolen. (But that was last month's saga.) Anyway the rooster turns out to be very wise in that he has hidden 7 feet up in the thorns and Julie is only 4 feet nothing so he is spared from being a main part of the feast.

Now that it is raining you have to take poles and lift the tent up so the water runs off and does not collapse the tent. Just don't get too near the edge as you push off the water or you get really wet! Richard thought I looked very good wet and decided to help me get that way. At least he was having a good laugh before 7:00 am.

Finally people start to arrive at 9:30 for the 9:00 service and by 10:00 we begin. One problem, the program starts with 2 Sunday school classes singing but the teachers and the kids have not arrived. Schedule of service is changed to compensate and the missing teachers and kids instantly appear so the schedule is changed back and service begins. By now we have about 200 people with dry seating for 150 so people sit on the wet benches but at least it has quit raining as the tent space for 300 can't cover the crowd.

The music, drama and dance went well and there where so many former students(now all grown up) in the crowd doing the moves and singing the songs that people didn't know wether to look forward or back. They had a truly fun and joyous celebration.

JB's teaching was a great encouragement to us to live a daily life of joy and not just on Christmas. If we lived joyful lives everyday how much farther and faster would the good news of Jesus our Savior spread.

The celebration ended at 12:15 but the fellowship lasted another hour. Then everybody either went home to eat or walking in town. That is Christmas here at Calvary Chapel Jinja. Here's hoping your day may be drier but just as filled with joy and love.

Hail the heaven born Prince of peace, Hail the Son of righteousness!

Jesse

The lost wallet and the joy of Christmas

2009-12-23T11:15:00.000-08:00

This week I and the rest of the staff of CCJinja have had the blessing of bringing the message of the birth of Jesus to the men and women in the Jinja prisons. It has been a fun, spiritually blessed three days of music, drama and preaching. The blessing for me this year has been in giving over the leadership role to either Steven or Simon at the prisons the serve. They did a fantastic job as well as Julie and Richard and all the young people who take part.

Today was our last presentation for remand and women's prison but after bringing all the equipment in setting it up I left to go load up 650 lbs. of rice back at the church. When I arrived I noticed my wallet was missing. My pocket had been picked or I had been careless and lost it. How foolish I felt and then came the anger at the man who stole it and the embarassment of having to tell the Officer in Charge. The only solution was to physically search all 600 men. It was going to ruin The Christmas Program.

Then I realized that my wallet can't ruin the joy of the sharing of the gospel. It is a minor incovenience to lose a driving permit. But it is loss of tragic proportions to keep others from coming to Jesus. And that is what I was in danger of doing to others because of myselfishness and desire to get that wallet back. I asked God to forget about the wallet and just bring peace, joy hope and love to the men. God changed my outlook and the day was a success! The inmates responded with enthusiasm people got saved and the prisoners were happy.

God was going to do that anyway but He let me see the joy that I was losing. He Knew what was true worth and He brought it! Salvation through His son, Jesus!

I hope you have a joyful Christmas with Jesus in your heart. For true joy is only found in Him!

Jesse

By the way, I did get my wallet back. The chief of boma (ranking officer in the barracks) was told where to find it and the OC gave it to me before I left the prison. Seems it was my heart that was harder to find than my wallet.