reflections

yes i am safely at home.
It is good to be back, but I wish I would have had more time there.

When thinking about what I have learned on this trip several things comes to mind. I saw a lot of things that challenged me, exited me, blessed me, encouraged me, and discouraged me; many things that were hard to organize in my limited western brain. I would like to think that I have benefited from this knowledge gained. That my the gap where my ignorance once existed will not only be filled with confusion and bitterness but also with truth. So I pray that I remain always awake to God's voice and always ready for him to mold me more into the man He wants me to be.

Africans live in a much more real way. I am not just saying that because I have been immersed in a culture that is new and exciting and I am completely infatuated. But in reality Africans know the truth about life and death. They have seen the gift of life given and taken away and know the futility and vanity of trying to predict and control it. The beauty of this knowledge is that it is completely liberating. When the inevitability of death is no longer ignored an element of the fear it uses to hold us passes away, and that is when we begin to live full lives. That is when we smile with great happiness taking advantage of the preciousness of our emotions and feelings and experiences and time here on this earth.

Africa has been a great reminder to me that this world is not my home. I am called to a much better place. I have made it my prayer and purpose to live, "ready to go." I will never truly fit in here on earth; not in Africa, not in America, not anywhere. There is an instilled longing in me for something more something greater and that is the presence of God. The times on this earth well I begin to get a sense of what it is to feel at home are the time when I am engaged in fellowship with others that is glorifying to God. Fore that is our hope and promise that we will one day be united with all believers glorifying our God. I am eagerly anticipating that fulfillment.

Kitgum 3

By far the crazy day. Kitgum Public Primary School.

we spoke to over 1000 kids from p4 to p7. Fortunately God has given me a loud voice but it was gone after that day. We tried several illustrations and activity to continually reinforce the dangers of extra-marrital sexual encounters.

Me and Milen dressed up in all black and wore signed that said Mr HIV AIDS then Chris asked us question like. "How do you attack people?" "What does your name mean?" "Why are you so powerful and dangerous?"
We also used puppets with this group with the hopes that the combination of fear and funny would make the experience memorable for the kids leaving a lasting life changing impression.
This group was a huge challenge and overall the my True Love Waits experience was very stretching. I saw some things that were depressing and learned some things I was not ready for, but reinforced my recognition of this worlds need for a savior.

kitgum 2

green light secondary school
250 students 10 teachers

Chris had already done one session previously with this school so we went to build on what was previously talked about. Our slogan for the kids was, "Youthful years of not regret." We talked alot about the importance of making good decisions and the affect our decisions have long term.
I did a illustration with donuts where i poisoned one and put it with good ones. Then i asked if it was worth the risk to eat one if there was a chance that they could die from the poison one. A few said it was worth the risk so i asked their friends if they wanted to watch their friend die if he chose wrong. We then talked about responsibility for our decisions and positive peer pressure. I tried to emphasize that as humans we have more than just instincts and therefore we do not need to be slaves to our desires.
The response at this school was good but we will have to pray for the future of these kids. 17 stood up to accept Christ eventhough there were kids laughing and yelling at them. It was so awesome to see, but they will have a tough road ahead. Thank goodness the kingdom is coming.

update kitgum part 1

thankyou to everyone who has been praying faithfully.
i am sorry i have not posted in a while, but i have some time now so i will update quickly and post pictures later.
i have three days left and time is of the essence.

Last wednesday i decided to go to Kitgum which is an area in the north of Uganda close to Sudan.
It was not an easy decision to make, but i am so glad i decided to go. I worked with Chris and Milen again (the two guys i met in Gulu) and along with Irene and Sarah (two student and Gulu University studying medicine) and Genero an elder in Chris's church we went to three schools to do abstinence training and aids education through the True Love Waits program.

Wednesday we were at Kitgum Integrated Secondary School a school that has about 600 students and 10 or so teachers. Chris surveyed the students and found that while people often get married about 24 they start having sex soon after the age of 10. We used an illustration called the multiplication factor to show through this trend how promiscuity in the area can easily spread disease, unwanted pregnancy, and adultery. Irene read a true story about a girl who had sex with her uncle so that she could get money for school, but then ended up contracting HIV. Then we gave them an opportunity to write down questions they had about sex, aids, and abstinence. Some kids as was expected did not take this seriously but there were some great questions. This gave us an opportunity to speak into their lives and situations and to abolish some of the lies that have been spread about these issues. Some questions were hard for me to read much less try to answer. I answered a few questions but was ultimately left shell shocked from the experience at the first school. Sarah then followed up what we had been doing with a gospel presentation and 37 kids stood to accept Christ, which was awesome. We were going to get them connected with the schools Scripture Union (bible study and fellowship group), but we found that they did not even have a Bible. We gave the students an opportunity to sign commitment cards for abstinence and very many did. I was able to talk to some of the students afterwards about school, sports, and just life which was good.

We got back to our hotel that night and discussed what worked and what did not. We read over some of the questions that had been difficult and planned strategies to help us the next day. Then we prayed together. We had dinner at the Pastor Francis' home. He is a pastor in Kitgum so we told of the kids who accepted Christ so he could follow up and get them into church and give their scripture union a bible.

Gulu

This week I got a chance to go to Gulu for a few days. I worked with a guy named chris who is a missionary in Gulu. He took me around to the different ministries he was involved in and we had some great talks about missions work. The young girls name is Brenda and the young boy's name is samuel. They are children that chris is planning to adopt. We were able to visit the families there are currently staying with. I was also able to visit some refugee camps and a school where chris taught a science lesson. The other guy with chris in the picture of the class is Milen. He is a Bulgarian who is working in Gulu for four months and staying with Chris. 

My experience in Gulu was very impacting. I got a chance to see kids being taught as a means of survival not just to meet curriculum. I met people who live with aids without knowing anything about the disease. I met people like Chris and Milen committing there lives to help educate and encourage these people. I have learned about ministry and ignorance lessons i will not forget. 

RUGBY

so this post is not really ministry related, but me Katie and Sara got to go see the Ugandan national team play Tunisia yesterday in a rugby match. Uganda got destroyed but it was a very exciting and fun experience like nothing i have ever been a part of before. the crowd was so intense as was the playing. The tunisians were huge but that didnt stop the Ugandans from trying to run right over them. i dont know exactly how the scoring works but we left when it was 10/26 and at the end of the game we found out it was 17/41

Culture Stress

curtsey of Dr. Park and Cultural Communication I learn about culture stress last semester. There are four stages and i have forgotten their actual names but here is the idea. #1 infatuation everything is wonderful, #2 frustration everything is awful, #3 recognition everything is ok, #4 resilience bi-cultural. for most people living in other culture stage 1 and 2 are encountered over the first year or two. That is why most "short termers" have a skewed view of missionary life because they never get out of the infatuation stage. 

for me culture stress comes into play a lot when it comes to language. I like to fit in to be a part of the jokes and laughter. Here in Kampala most people can speak English, however you rarely hear Ugandans speaking it to each other. Tribal languages are used most frequently with a few English words mixed in. We as a team have been learning the most common tribal language in Kampala known as Luganda. It has been helpful to learn greeting and simple questions and responses in the language, but to learn a language fully would take much more time then we have. 

So I am left out often in conversation, or I become the subject and not a participant. This is somewhat of a challenge for me as I am here. I am still deeply infatuated with the food, culture, friends, and lifestyle of the people I have met here. However as is usually the case God is teaching me some lessons i was not ready or expecting to learn. 

I need to be better at laughing at myself.

I will never go native anywhere except where I am from.

If i learn the language, make the funniest jokes, and become the white guy who breaks all the stereotypes, but i have not love; then i am nothing, and God cannot use me.

on another note. i am speaking tonight to a group of high schoolers please pray for me.

meltdown 2

last night was the second melt down i had been two. the theme was redemption and so i wrote this poem called underserving and i tried to do it poetry slam style but i didnt have it completely memorized so i read part of it. it went really well.

life and death so closely aligned
i took my first breath by my savior designed
and i ran
i ran from my creator and made my stomach king
i followed it around consuming worldly things
a slave to sin i put lies within
running from God's blessing his name i cursed
of all the sinners i became the worst
slaughtering the prophets that He sent
in His mercy so i that i would repent
i continued to run to lie to steal and kill
my soul was dead to sin and sin ruled my will
yet even still, God tried to reach me
sending his own son down to teach me
He humbled himself became a man
and caught up to me as i ran
but i hated him for loving me
so i crucified him on a tree
as He hung i began to yell
if your the Son of God why dont you save yourself
but instead He ask His father to forgive
to forgive me even as i mudered him
to forgive all the wicked thing i did
so i wandered away confused and cried
as Jesus remained and willingly died
and i fell
with no strength left to run
weight down with guilt from what i'd done
completely hopeless all alone
powerless to even stand on my own
and then He came calling me by name
the ressurected Christ to bring me back to life
He took my shame my burden my guilt my chains
He took my cloths so full of stains
He brought me back to the fathers side
and through His death i'm justified
He broke sins power and set me free
now i live in the promise of eternity
He game me a new purpose to pursue
dont forget what He's done for you

The Peter and Paul Pancake Party

Me, Paul, and Peter

Peter and Paul came over for a little slumber party pancake night combination last night and we had a blast. 

I work with both of them at church, and they have become very close friends. 

They loved the pancakes and the Ugandan rendition of syrup i got at the supermarket and it was all in all one of the best nights i have had hear so far. 

Melt Down @ 5

every sunday night at my church there is a program called Melt Down. i was asked to speak and was a little nervous going into it. When i got there i realized that this program is essential an open mic night for christian rap artists in the area with people coming to watch. As i realized this i got a little more nervous. So i decide to quick right down a poem and to add it to my short talk. I was given the topic of the word of God and explained that if we are to read God's word we must keep in mind who God is. Here is the poem i wrote.

God is my Jehovah 

with Christ at his right hand

I let the Holy Spirit guide me 

because i am just a man

no other god's before him

each one of them will bow

because my king's advancing

His kingdom's coming even now

only He is holy, 

only He is true

only He has mercy 

despite the wicked things i do 

only He is faithful

man has let me down

i looked for one to hope in 

he is the only one i found

He is my King He and my Saviour He is love

and i cant trust in anything except him above

Lesson from tortilla chips

 a good cook must first be a patient cook. (a consistent oven helps too.)

today was my second time trying to make tortilla chips and initially it was just as bad at my first attempt but then i finally figured out our oven and the right combination of thickness and heat. they are delicious. 

Taxi Park

Transportation in Kampala

You have four choices as to how you can get around in Kampala. 

1. drive your own car. (very few ugandan have this as an option but there are cars on the roads)

2. walk. This is the cheapest option, and it's pretty popular. I walked to my church this week and it took me 55 minuets.

3. taxi.  The taxis here are 15 passenger vans. The taxi system works like a wheel with different spokes going out from the center of town called New Park. For me to go to church i can take two taxis for less than a dollar.

4. boda. A boda is a motor bike with a little seat on the back for customers. The upside of taking a boda is that they will go to specific locations off the main road, they are less sweaty and cramp than the taxis, and they are much faster than the taxis especially during rush hour, because the boda drivers have no problem creating new lanes between cars and along the shoulders of the road. The downside is your safety is usually in jeopardy and they are most costly. To take a boda to my church would cost me about 3 dollars. 

Construction in Kampala from what i have observed, entails street workers cutting out a square section of the road and then refilling it. I have yet to see a cone or construction outfit, and when they are not working traffic seems to ignore the holes as much as they can. 

Last night my boda driver kept changing is mind on which holes he would go around and which he would drive through. 

Hostel Visit

Today i went with my friend Peter to visit a hostel right next to the church, which is largely populated by the students from the neighboring university. 

It blew my mind how open students were with us. They invited us in even though they did not know. They served us drinks. They talked to us about things that were happening in there lives. Really they were very willing to laugh and talk. 

one room we went into had five students in it, there of which were studying for final exams, but still they let us come right in. Not only did they welcome us they served us the lunch that they had been making for themselves. This was initially very awkward because i had to eat their food in front of them while they studied. They were so gracious, and it would have been very rude for me to refuse it. This part of the culture i do not think i will be able to get used to very well.

Tomorrow night i go to my church for youth fellowship. 

Please pray for this event.

God Bless

From Kampala

Hey wuts up? (rhetorical) but anyways my first half week in Uganda has been nothing like I could have planned for or imagined. God has shown me right away that this is his trip, which has been mostly humbling but also exciting. 

As a group we have gone through a lot of orientation in Uganda culture and Worldview. I have learned so much.

We have visited the city down town which is literally overflowing with people. Also we have been trying to get used to the transportation here. I am physically adjusted to the time here, and doing well so far on food digestion. The food here is great. I had an amazing piece of Tilapia yesterday. 

I got to visit my church yesterday and today for their weekend services. It was good to meet people but a little overwhelming. Tomorrow i go to meet with the pastor, and start in with a highschool bible study. 

there has been a great deal of culture stress to deal with in travel and culture but it has been a great experiencing learning. 

This week please pray for...

i am traveling around the city with paul who works at my church. pray that God would bless that relationship.

pray for the team as we continue to figure out public transportation and the city.

pray for us as week meet students and start ministry this week. 

God Bless you all and thanks for your prayers

Uganda Updates

so i am taking this idea from Johnny Wong so props to him.
This will be my update site for my trip.
I will be posting updates about my ministry work, prayer requests, updates about my group.
Some prayer requests before the trip
pray that God would prepare our hearts and minds as we go
pray for travel and for luggage
pray for health as we are jet lagged and transition to new food
pray that God would use us to serve
details of trip
we fly out from O'hare at 7:15 Monday night May 18th
our finaly destination will be Kampala, Uganda.
i will be serving at kampala baptist church.