Surprised by Hope Blog: February 2013

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Karamoja Photos

One evening we all sat under the moon together talking about very spiritual things (while playing cards). A phone call came in that prompted a very long discussion about politics. A local election was nearing and the candidates were campaigning for votes by calling all their friends. The part of that discussion that intrigued me was this.

Like America, various locations are established for voting. Unlike America, many people in Uganda and most of them in Karamoja cannot afford to go to those stations to cast their ballot. The cost could be close to $30 just to get to and from the voting location. Given that most people in this area would not have $30 for the entire year, voting was out of the question.

As another example saturated the discussion…conferences. Conferences, schools, and workshops are typically held in Kampala because it’s a central location. What this means, though, is that 50 or however many people must pay for transportation to get to these very valuable resources. Without the resources, growth and development cannot take place. Yet, for Pastor Martin the cost of transportation alone eliminates any hope of ever attending such a thing. For me to come to Takora, I paid the following:

1. Boda from home to main road = 1,000

2. Taxi from main road to Kampala = 2,000

3. Taxi from Kampala to Jinja = 6,000

4. Taxi from Jinja to Mbale = 10,000

5. Dump truck from Mbale to Takora = 15,000

6. Taxi from Takora to Mbale = 15,000

7. Bus from Mbale to Kampala = 20,000

8. Taxi from Kampala to home stage = 3,000

9. Boda from main road to home = 1,000

That means I paid almost $40 round trip. Though not a new revelation, one of the most valuable attributes of Surprised by Hope is the fact that we can meet the people where they are. We reach those who cannot otherwise have access to quality tools because of financial limitations. So…thank you. Thank you to everyone who gives to Surprised by Hope so that teaching and ministry can happen in far away places.

Women's Work

Every day the ladies from Pastor Martin’s family can be seen toiling…all day long. Add having visitors and that day just got longer. These ladies prepared the most lavish meals using food transported from more than four hours distance…because there is no food in Takora. The cost of that food tripled by the time transport is added to the mix.

Some of the ladies work as nurses at the next door hospital and when they return from that job they work more at home. I watched them either preparing meals or cleaning dishes nonstop. Literally. After a simple breakfast they began preparing for our lunchtime meal. After doing the dishes from the lunchtime meal they began preparing the dinner meal. Somehow laundry and hauling water got done as well, I think by the younger girls. Any effort I made to assist was met with a fierce rebuke.

Not being the domestic type, I very much appreciated all that they did…and they did it with little expression of appreciation because in Karamoja and most of Uganda…”that’s their work.” The sentiment is something akin to why appreciate them for something they’re supposed to do anyhow. There’s no malice or flippancy, it’s strictly a cultural mindset.

None the less my heart was filled with gratitude at how faithfully they work and how much harder they had to work because of the ministry event. I longed for a free moment with them to tell them how much God sees their faithfulness. We carved out 30 minutes after our lunchtime meal to watch NOOMA She. The film was perfect for these women, particularly given the example Rob uses of how women in Africa walk hours to haul water… They felt so respected and acknowledged because of that one line in the film.

We joined together in prayer for one another and for some very specific needs as well as in celebrating the knowledge that women are important, valuable, and essential to the voice of the family and the church. While the men were not invited to our gathering, I did take the opportunity to tell them about the film and to emphasize that if they were not already including their women in discussions about family and church matters that they were missing out on a perspective that God purposefully created in his own image.

NOTE: As our time of ministry wound down, the women said the men raved about NOOMA Rain and that they wanted to watch too. I thank God for fully charged laptop batteries.

Films Motivate Participants

As is common in all of Uganda, keeping time at the workshop in Karamoja was a challenge. I’ve begun to wisen up to some teaching strategies that will both reward those who arrive on time and encourage late comers to arrive on time the next day…films. It worked.

NOOMA Rhythm is a film that explicitly illustrates the art and science of creative and critical thinking – lessons taught in the first session of our workshop in Karamoja. Although these remote African leaders had some difficulty relating to the idea of a symphony, they certainly understood the importance of music in worship. Pastor Martin longs to have a keyboard for his church because when people hear the sound they come to see what’s happening…their inner hearts respond to the music…to the rhythm (click here if you’d like to give a keyboard).

The children were just as interested in the films.
Perhaps there's an opportunity there.

Not only were we able to successfully illustrate the way art and science combines to give us something more complete, but we were able to share a time of ministry together. We talked about being in God’s will, in rhythm, and how significantly our lives are impacted by this simple act of obedience. I adore the opportunity to pray very specifically with each of these people.

The next morning NOOMA Rain was in the lineup and the participants were lined up to begin on time too. We discussed the various metaphors in the film – a tool sometimes lost on people here – and the students began to awaken…light bulbs. From the film we moved into some warm up exercises to stimulate creative and critical thinking and today – I believe because of our discussion about metaphor in this film – the men and women were significantly sharper in applying their thinking skills.

I wonder if the leaders at Flannel ever expected these films to be useful in this way. I’m so very thankful for their generous provision of this ministry and teaching tool. Thank you! (Time to start thinking in Kiswahili J)

A Dolly for Little One from Zoe

This little one sat outside the church door along with who I assume is her grandmother and played quietly as only some children do. Her bright smile and curious gaze caught my eye. While the class watched a film I snuck out with her small gift. Handing the dolly to little one, she didn’t even seem to realize that she should reach up and receive the gift. It wasn’t fear, it was more like she didn’t know what to do to receive something.

A prompting from her grandmother encouraged her, though she was more observant of the giver than the gift. After I returned to the classroom – a safe distance away – she began exploring that dolly: dress, eyes, hair…under the dress. Each time I peeked out the door, she was checking to see if I watched her and would pause long enough for me to retreat.

I left her wishing I could give so much more.

Pastors Workshop in Takora

Twenty some pastors and community leaders gathered in the tiny church room. So many familiar faces returned from our last workshop together in May. What a joy to see them all doing relatively well in this seemingly hopeless place. The content of our workshop was not unlike that from the Watamu, Kenya event but the setting is exceedingly different. I couldn’t help but acknowledge that the principles will absolutely work in this dusty region, but there has to be something to start with in the first place.

For example, we used five common household items to illustrate asset-based development: Omo soap for laundry, a toothbrush, a plastic cup, a box of matches, and a booklet of paper. The props cost less than $2.00 in all. Even as I shopped for these goods, I realized that the average household in most parts of Karamoja would not have even one of these items. And if they did, and if they were able to make some small business from what they have in their homes, who would have the money to buy the product or service?

Although the workshop was excellent and absolutely addressed the needs for those attending – a somewhat higher functioning group of non-Karamajong – the people of Takora would only benefit of these students intentionally engage them and if they have some way of starting a project. I’d like to propose this as our next 100 Christmas Dollies project for the purpose of starting something like a poultry project.

UPDATE: The last time we were together, Surprised by Hope sewed the equivalent of $50 into a land purchase for the church. We visited a beautiful site of more than an acre not far from the main road. Pastor Martin eagerly showed me the purchase agreement as a means of accountability for the money he received and invited me to review the agreement should there be any concerns. What I learned is that this land cost less than $250. Can you imagine? More than an acre for less than $200 and it took the group 2 years to raise the money…2 YEARS.

Sanctuary Family

Children’s faces peeked through the iron bars that secured their home. Their voices shouted with joy as they anxiously awaited my approach. Tiny bodies piled on mine as soon as I sat on the bench to greet them all. Why did there seem to be so many? Who could ever leave such beautiful children alone in this world? Two additional young ones sat on the floor watching the chaos with veiled interest.

Valentine’s Day offers a great opportunity to talk about the love of Jesus to anyone at any age or stage of life. Even the young ones need to hear the simple story of Jesus’ sacrificial love. Using coloring as a way to help the children engage with the message, we talked about Jesus’ love for children. Specifically we talked about how loving him makes us sons and daughters of God and that we are part of a family in this way.

The children were seated at school desks which gave Michael the opportunity to explain that the landlord wants to sell the house they are renting and so they had to move the school structure outside the compound. So many of the children are old enough for school now and school fees are impossible in this situation. So, Silvia and another woman teach these children from a room about 12x20 just outside the gate. Michael and Silvia are doing the best they can with their growing brood – growing because local officials are recommending their home to the homeless babies in Bugembe.

Michael rarely asks for help of any kind but today he pointed out the condition of the mosquito nets on the 10 tiny beds shared by more than 10 growing children in that one-bedroom house. Not only would replacing those nets keep the children from getting malaria, but they would also keep healthcare costs low for Michael and Silvia as well as keep the children in school. If you would like to replace one or more of these holey nets, please contact me.

Rain is a Good Thing!

Raindrops spotted the ground and we prayed that the 20 minutes it would take to reach Bugembe Prison wouldn’t leave us soaking wet. Those gentle drops felt more like paintball shots given the speeds at which we drove. But we did indeed arrive before the deluge. Rainy season has officially begun and I sometimes fail to remember that from midday on the rains can disrupt any and all plans for the day…which only strengthens my resolve to accomplish SOMEthing.

The rain continued even beyond our time of teaching at the prison until finally we decided to dodge the drops and head for The Sanctuary Babies Home. Along the way, however, I found myself stopped under a simple business awning as shelter from the wet stuff. Four pairs of eyes stared at me from around a corner. I pulled out the coloring book pages I’d prepared for the children of The Sanctuary and we sprawled ourselves out on the step and spent some time “shading.”

Given that it was Valentine’s Day, I shared the simple story of Jesus’ love with these children – Dorrine, Dorrine, Sharon, and baby. They kept calling the picture of Jesus “daddy” because the younger ones didn’t know who Jesus was, though they weren’t far off by calling Jesus by that name. Rain IS a good thing!

Love Written in Blood

This message was delivered on Valentine’s Day to the inmates at Bugembe Prison.

A train derailed killing 11 people and injuring over 200 more. After regaining consciousness, John Phillips found himself pinned in the wreckage and lying in a pool of his own blood. Fearing his death, he scrawled a message on the upended train seat right above him. Using his own blood he wrote, “I [heart symbol] my kids. I [heart symbol] Leslie.” The rescue team was so moved when they found the message they had to get that train seat to his wife and kids. (True Story)

There’s another moving love story written in blood, the story of Jesus’ love for a lost world. John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world, that he have his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” Just like John Phillips’ story, we have symbols to remind us of Jesus’ love too – the bread and wine (John 20:54-56).

Jesus’ blood shows the depth of that love for us. I know about a husband whose wife left him and moved in with another man. That husband took on the roll of both father and mother, he did all the housework, he paid the bills, and he waited for his unfaithful wife to return…most importantly, he prayed for her. After living with this other man for over a year, she decided she wanted to come home. That husband gladly welcomed his wife back. When friends asked him why, he said, “Jesus doesn’t quit me no matter how I treat him. The least I can do is try to treat my wife the same way.” Hosea was an Old Testament prophet who modeled the love of God for his people.

Jesus’ blood shows proof of that love for us. The Old Testament tells about a system of blood sacrifices – lambs, bulls, goats. Those sacrifices were required to cleanse people of their sin. Hebrews 9:22 says, “And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without the shedding of blood there is no remission.” Jesus’ became our once and for all sacrifice by shedding his blood on the cross. We no longer have to meet some standard of law to be clean.

Jesus’ blood shows the promise of God’s love. Jesus’ sacrificial love affected our whole future. Someone once said, “You can give without loving, but you can never love without giving.” John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world that he gave…” He gave… God gave his son as a sacrifice so that our whole future would be affected. That sacrifice gives us a deeper relationship with our God. That sacrifice brings a fuller friendship with our God. That sacrifice brings a profitable partnership. This relationship, this friendship, this partnership will never disappoint us. Our whole future was changed.

John Philipps’ and his family will never forget the message written in his own blood. Men, there is someone who has written a message of love for you in his own blood too. Will you accept Jesus as your own? Will you accept his sacrifice of love? Will you allow this Valentine’s Day mark the day in history when your whole future changed?

More than 20 men in Bugembe Prison stood inside that small sleeping room with concrete walls. With tears in their eyes, they stood to receive Jesus and to receive the Valentine message of love that He gave just for them.

Some content taken from http://www.newsforchristians.com/archive/sermons/ser047.html

A Divine Boda-Boda Ride

Finishing my yummy bowl of fruit at The Source Café, a man standing just inside the doorway asked if I needed a boda. The truth is that I did need one, but usually when it seems that someone is stalking me I prefer to find someone who doesn’t know what I ate for my last meal. Somehow, though, I heard my voice saying “yes” and we were off to Bugembe Prison. Along the way this boda driver asked the usual polite questions and, when he learned that I love Jesus, revealed himself to be a pastor.

Ever skeptical of such claims and the various cons people use, I proceeded politely. He named his church, his head pastor, and a number of others whom I did not know. When we reached the prison he pulled his well used Bible out of his travel pouch – always carrying his Bible when driving boda – in order to get at his passport. He wanted to show me that he really is who he said he is.

Pastor Denis then told me about the time he used to do prison ministry before he had a family and providing for them became a higher priority. He asked permission to speak with me at the prison. Still cautious, I trusted Carpenter John would know how best to proceed…until the rain delayed him. Plan B…what would be Plan B? Um…God, protect us as we welcome this unknown servant into the prison.

Thankfully John appeared shortly after I began delivering my message and could at least offer post hoc feedback on the additional material added by Pastor Dennis. I must say, though, that through all the caution I felt like there might be some ministry opportunity with Pastor Denis which is why I didn’t shut him down from the beginning. I was particularly struck by the reality that a pastor who would rather be ministering in prison is required instead to drive a motorcycle so that his family has food. This isn’t an uncommon situation for pastors in Uganda but it still makes me sad.

Life in Africa

The main path to Charlie’s house is a dusty one and finding dusty children along the way is no surprise. This week, though, the children called out in their very best English “babies.” They remembered me as the giver of 100 Christmas Dollies and were trying to acknowledge that gift. When asked “babies ali wa?” (where are your babies) they all just stared at me. Maybe next time they’ll be ready to show me how their babies are keeping themselves.

The Battlefield of the Mind still epitomizes the struggles I see in so many people in Uganda. I brought ministry about the passive mind to these ladies to help prepare them for post-teaching work. I want them to see right now that they need to fill their minds with God’s Word and that they will have to be active in finding work. I want them to avoid the trap of the enemy…the expectation that money will just fall down from the sky or be handed out by some white person. We’ll continue to add ministry and business teachings each time I visit. Please pray for open and receptive minds.

The ladies continue to gather daily for tailoring teaching and their progress is wonderful. They’re learning to sew the last skirt style and we’re told the next project will be dresses. Teacher Carol has assured us all that we’ll get to learn all the different pieces of clothing before our time is up. I’m already thinking about how we can continue the teaching by adding non-clothing items to their skill set (curtains, pot holders, diaper covers, and the like).

Would you like to come to Uganda on a short term mission trip? We’ll focus on learning to sew from patterns, identifying those items saleable in Ugandan markets, and learning how to take the knowledge they have and make something new. Contact me if you are interested, I’d love to have three or four people invest their time and talents in these women and in this community.

Neighborhood Reading

The children of Beaverdam Baptist Church filled a shipping box with their Christian storybooks so that my neighborhood children in Uganda could have some books to read. While I’m amazed at how quickly books wear out here, I’m so thankful that the demand for these books creates such a problem. Sheffar is thrilled to have board books for her little yet destructive hands.

Faridah dove in to the pile and demanded to read on her own. She’s not interested in hearing me read anymore. It seems that no matter what I give her she can easily devour the text. She’s also discovering that most of the stories are the same (Noah, David, Jonah, etc.). I explained that because the stories come from the Bible they’re true. And true stories are told in different ways but the essence of the story is still the same…truth about who God is.

Thank you to the children of Beaverdam. You are making a big difference in your world!

Kipepeo Designs Gets New Line of Cards

Surly those doing business in one outskirt of the Kibera slum wondered what the two white ladies were doing tiptoeing purposefully up the road while dodging garbage piles. Arriving at the gate, we made our way to the new location for Kipepeo Designs. As is common amidst slum dwellers, finding and keeping a home or a business is a challenge here. Yet “here” is the best way to provide easy access to the ladies responsible for the beautiful cards that make up Kipepeo Designs.

The roadside approach was festooned with drying hand-made papers, as was the approach for everyone passing down this particular road. The office-house didn’t have the compound space that the former location had so the papers were spread out to dry along the semi-private roadside. The tiny “house” had three rooms and likely sprawled out over about 300 square feet. Can you imagine running a business where 25 ladies work in a 300 square foot space with products and designs that require even more space for drying, packaging, and the like?

Photo taken from Kipepeo Designs' Facebook Page.

This week Marcroy, a skilled screen printer, visited the group and taught new card-making techniques. The organization is expanding their line into famous artist designs made specifically for Kipepeo cards. Wait until you see the first of these beautiful new prints. Watch their Facebook page for regular updates.