Worship and Widows in Bukeeka

Today was Sunday and we got to worship at Pastor Robert's large, open sided pole structure in Bukeeka. His youth minister and manager Bosco was already preaching to a half full house when we arrived, and soon there were around 300 people filling the place.

The worship team included about a dozen young men and women who led the congregation in singing and dancing praises with such joy and enthusiasm that it made even contemporary services at my home church seem pretty apathetic. As we worshiped I wondered if the fact that people here have so much more real hardship in their lives contributes to a greater appreciation and gratitude for the good news of Jesus' redemption. Though very poor by economic standards, their cheerfulness as they danced forward to give their offerings demonstrated a richness of spirit.

When it came time for the sermons, Martha, Becca, and Charlie took around 80 children down the road to Fountain of Hope to minister to them with songs, stories, prayer books and the Easter eggs we had brought. Since many children stay at the school over the weekend, the crowd of children doubled to around 160 by the time they were done!

Pastor Ken and I both preached, I on Jesus' superiority to Satan demonstrated in His casting out of a demon, and Pastor Ken on the steadfast love of the Lord. Given the influence of witch doctors and pervasive poverty in the area, both messages were received well. After we spoke, Pastor Robert reinforced both messages and called people forward for prayer before concluding with a song, blessing, and announcements. The people then came forward and greeted us very warmly.

After worship we went to pray with a sick widow nearby. She was in a lot of pain and had a very distended abdomen. Sarah had taken her to the hospital in the past, where she was treated for stomach ulcers, and will follow up to see if she is again suffering from the same problem. We prayed for her and tried to reassure her, as her house was the gift of a previous team and she believes that her neighbors have cursed her as a result, hoping she will die so that they can take her house. Such are the politics of trying to help even one person where poverty is endemic.

Tomorrow we were planning to travel to Nawaikoke, a long drive north east of here, but we just found out that the drivers are calling for a total shut down of the highways, threatening to stone even bicycles moving on the roads, in protest of an extreme hike in the traffic fines levied by the police for traffic infractions. There is a meeting of the authorities in Kampala tonight, but if the situation does not change we will not be able to travel.

Please pray for this situation and we will let you know what happens tomorrow!

Joy in Jesus,

Kirk and the Preaching Passengers

Ceremony and Celebration in Bukeeka

It's 9 pm and we just ate dinner after a long but rewarding second day at the Fountain of Hope Football and Netball Tournament! In the morning we sorted out medals for the top eight teams in each sport, then we got to watch the games. By mid-afternoon it was time for the netball championship game, and we got to inspect, meet, and have our photo taken with the officials and athletes in both teams before the game. And the winner was...Fountain of Hope, for the fourth year in a row, easily defeating the second place team 20-6.

The students were jubilant, but immediately headed down to the football pitch for the championship soccer game. After inspecting, greeting, and posing with both teams, we watched and cheered along with thousands of spectators lining the field, though Fountain's team was outrun, out passed, and out scored 3-0. After that we headed up to the campus for a closing ceremony in which I was one of several officials to give speeches. We handed out the 400 some medals, awarded cash prizes and recognition to the best players and teams, and finally awarded the two bulls to the top teams in each sport. By that time it was already dark, but the DJ running the sound system put on the music and the huge crowd of students remaining were dancing in the dark and dust as we headed for home. 

This week two very happy schools will be shooting the bull and enjoying the taste of victory, quite literally, while hundreds of others will cherish their medals and memories. It was a great day, and we will all sleep really well tonight! 

Kirk and the Dignitaries

Sports and Sacrifices in Bukeeka

This morning we left right after breakfast for Fountain of Hope School’s Sports Festival, a two day tournament involving 32 teams from 16 junior schools in two sports: football for the boys (what Americans call soccer) and netball for the girls. Netball is something like outdoor basketball, in which the ball is passed without dribbling and thrown through a hoop—with no net. (If you think it odd, consider that what Americans call football involves moving something that is not round like a ball, primarily with our hands.)

As we turned off the highway onto the rutted, red dirt road leading to the school, we could already see hundreds of children in their colorful school uniforms and many adults streaming to the festival. Our job was to sort and hand out the participant t-shirts in 16 different colors, chosen by their coaches in a blind draw, for the different schools. We then handed out polo shirts for school staff, coaches, and officials like us. We did this in a warm, humid, plank sided, tin roofed junior classroom with any hope of a breeze blocked by the student bodies pressed up against the windows watching us, so it was sweaty work! After handing out the almost 500 shirts, we sorted Sarah’s suitcase of medical supplies and put together first aid kits for the four football pitches (soccer fields). Sarah serves as nurse, not only for the school, but for their churches, which are in villages where medical help is often either unavailable or unaffordable.

After our work was done, we got to lend our status as “mzungus” (white European types) to the games by watching from the sidelines. Though the netball games are all played within Fountain of Hope’s compound, the school has only one soccer field, so after lunch I went with Pastor Robert to make an appearance at the three other fields and scout out Fountain’s competition. To my surprise, the other fields were several miles away in two different directions, a long walk for the teams and spectators.

As we drove between the fields Pastor Robert pointed out a large rock formation with a cave in which human sacrifices are performed. Even the poorest people try to barricade themselves in their houses at night and get their girls’ ears pierced if they can, since the witch doctors and their followers will steal children without blemishes to sacrifice at night, leaving the parents to find the remains the next morning. Last year they also kidnapped and sacrificed a local butcher, leaving his family to fend for them selves. When we got back to the school I took a picture of two of the small signs around campus that encourage the children in their aspirations. The first said, “Stop late coming.” The second said, “Fight human sacrifice.” No, not all schools have the same set of problems.

The good news is that around the school many of the witch doctors are either dying or converting. Pastor Robert pointed out the dilapidated shack of one of the chief witch doctors, who had infiltrated his church when he first started. Unbeknownst to him, she had been terrorizing neighbors with a large snake she claimed was the embodiment of a demon. During worship one Sunday, Robert was inspired to predict that someone in the congregation would come home to dead snake, and it turned out to be her! She cursed Robert, then died, so her sister and daughter became believers.

Compared to that kind of conflict, the sports matches are a rather trivial diversion, though you would never know it to judge by the joyful, shouting children running through the compound, jogging and jumping in rhythm to celebrate Fountain’s third victory out of  three soccer matches today. Their girls team completely dominated in netball, but from what I could see the boys will have a run for their money in soccer tomorrow. To be specific and accurate, a barefoot run, since they do not have shoes, for their bull, since the teams win not only money but something perhaps better: a bull for their village.

Thanks for keeping us in prayer, and tune in tomorrow for the tournament results!

Kirk and the Mzungus 

Building Up Pastors and Blessing the Poor

Today was the final day of the pastor’s conference in Bukeeka, and nearly 120 people participated! It was a tremendous joy to work through the Book of Romans with such an eager and engaged group. There were several questions having to do with Christian submission to government as described in Romans 13, which seemed a fitting topic as rumors are already circulating here of Nelson Mandela’s death. We also spent quite a while discussing how Christians deal with disagreements in practice, an important topic since differences regarding spiritual disciplines have been a matter of contention among the local pastors. We managed to work all the way through Romans by the time the conference was to conclude, and the participants were delighted when we presented them with certificates of completion on behalf of Grace Giving International.

While Pastor Ken and I were participating in the conference, Martha, Becca, and Charlie were blessing five families in Bukeeka with food staples. Then they headed to Jinja where they bought shoes and backpacks for some of the Fountain of Hope students. After that they arranged blood work and a doctor’s appointment for Sarah, Pastor Robert’s sister. She has been suffering from malaria and severe pain below her abdomen, which is a great concern as her mother died young of ovarian cancer. Finally, they were able to arrange a doctor’s appointment for Pastor Peter, and get the surgery to restore his voice scheduled for July 9^th. We are all tremendously grateful and thank God for donor who responded to yesterday’s blog post by generously funding the surgery!

Tonight is our second night preparing for the soccer and netball tournament that begins tomorrow at Fountain of Hope. This year there will be 32 teams from 16 schools competing, and we are preparing to help bring order out of the chaos! Mwabule nwa—thank you very much for your continued prayers and support of the work we are blessed to help with here!

 

Kirk and the Helping Hands

Resupply in Jinja and Romans in Bukeeka

Today was a bit more laid back, and for that we are thankful! Martha, Becca, and Charlie went shopping in Jinja with Sarah negotiating prices to restock the food gifts with which we have been blessing poor people and the hygiene kits they have been giving out at the women’s conferences. Shopping for such supplies can be a long and difficult ordeal, since each item is available at a different market stall. Fortunately Sarah knows where the best prices can be arranged with the least amount of haggling. After shopping they went to Fountain of Hope to determine how many of the students need new mattresses. The mattresses cost $60,000 USH each, about $22 US dollars.

Pastor Ken and I spent the day at Bukeeka where I was privileged to teach on the Book of Romans for a second day. The pastors asked many excellent questions, some of which would be difficult to answer even without the language barrier. Yet it was a great joy as the group was very thoughtful, appreciative, and committed to serving their various congregations.

It is hard to exaggerate the faithfulness of some of the pastors we have met. Pastor Peter lives with his young wife and six children in a two room mud hut. He has no transportation except his feet and cannot afford to send all of his children to school. Nor does he have the $500 for a surgery to remove polyps on his vocal chords which are preventing him from working as a teacher. This spring he was in a serious auto accident with one of the other pastors while returning from taking an American guest to the airport and he suffered a chest injury. Still, this man is full of joy, and last night at the evangelism rally his wife got up to give her testimony of how good God has been to them.

Pastor Ken and I are compiling a list of the needs of the churches we are visiting, as well as what’s needed at Fountain of Hope. The cost to meet most of the individual needs is not great, but the sheer number of needs is overwhelming. When we get home we plan to prioritize the needs and raise funds to meet as many as possible. Please pray, not merely for us, but even more for the brave men and women who are so faithfully doing God’s work here in very difficult circumstances.

Sola balunji (good sleep),

Kirk and the Investigators

Ministry in Kikubamutwe, Bukeeka, and Wabiyinja

Today we again split into two teams. This time Becca and Martha took Charlie to Kikubamutwe, Pastor Robert’s home village, where they repeated their presentation on Body Stewardship and Service. Kikubamutwe means “hit on the head,” but the only thing that struck our team was how gracious and pleased the ladies were with the information, hygiene kits, and opportunity to meet together.

Pastor Ken and I went to Bukeeka, where I had the opportunity to teach the first four hours of a study on the Book of Romans to a group of around eighty pastors, their wives, and other church leaders. Of course, since this is Africa, we started with only twenty people and others gathered as the day went on.  I was more than a little concerned about the effectiveness of teaching a lengthy and complex topic through an interpreter, but the questions and comments from the pastors participating were very thoughtful and encouraging. Since the buzz was good, we expect even more people tomorrow.

During the lunch break, Pastor Ken and I got to eat rice, beef and broth “African style” without any utensils. In America, of course, we also eat with our hands at pastor’s conferences, but generally that means donuts!

The Kikabamutwe team joined us after lunch, and immediately after the conference ended for the day we piled into Jawale’s taxi and headed back to the crossing at Wabiyinja for the second night of the evangelism rally. The crowd was even bigger than last night, and again there was loud singing and dancing by a choir and soloists on the rickety platform. Eventually Pastor Ken was called up onto the platform, and as Bosco interpreted he shared God’s faithfulness in keeping His promise to overcome the power of Satan, as evidenced in Jesus’ casting out demons and defeating Satan on the cross. It was a potent message for those under the influence of witch doctors, and Pastor Ken managed to make it down the ladder of branches afterward without falling (barely!) in spite of his feet having fallen asleep on the uneven surface.

We again arrived home after dark, ate a delicious dinner, and made plans for tomorrow. It will be day two of the pastors conference for me, while other members of the team are planning to shop for some of the items we need for outreach and the soccer tournament coming up this weekend. Thanks for checking in and for including us in your prayers!

In Christ,

Kirk and a tired out team!

Body Talk in Bukeeka and Evangelism in Wabiyinja

This morning we split into two teams. Becca and Martha went to Bukeeka, where Becca presented a talk on Body Stewardship and Service at a gathering of women, weaving in the Biblical story of Dorcas, a poor woman beloved for her generosity. The presentation was very warmly received, and the women were pleased to receive hygiene kits assembled for each of their families. They responded by giving some beautiful hand-made jewelry to Becca and Martha.

Pastor Ken, Charlie and I went to Wabiyinja, where we blessed five poor widows with gifts of food and got a better understanding of the congregation’s vision for serving the many widows and orphans nearby. One woman’s story was particularly moving, as she was the childless second wife of a Muslim man, whose other wife’s sons had cast her out after her husband died. She so desperately needed to know that she was loved and not forgotten!

After lunch we reunited at the worship center in Bukeeka, then prepared for an evangelistic rally at a cross road near Wabiyinja. The site was chosen because many Muslims live within hearing distance, and some young men had prepared it by building a rough platform of tree limbs about five feet off the ground and a hooking up a powerful sound system.

When we arrived, Sarah, Steven, and ten members of the local congregation climbed onto the platform and began singing and dancing to loud African praise songs. This drew a crowd of curious onlookers to join the singing and dancing members of the congregation who had gathered.

After a long period of praise and inspirational songs by congregation members, Pastor Robert was introduced, then introduced me. I had the opportunity to share the good news, based on Jesus’ revelation to his followers in Matthew 16 that he was not simply a teacher of righteousness like John the Baptist, nor a miracle worker like Elijah, nor a prophet like Jeremiah, but the Christ, the Son of the Living God, who came to break down the gates of Hades and set people free through his death and resurrection. It was a very powerful message in a place where witch doctors hold the power of sin and death over people like spiritual mobsters and Muslims consider Jesus a prophet but then dismiss his words about his identity and purpose!

The sermon started so late that it was getting dark by the time I was done, but the crowd stayed to hear Pastor Robert call for their response to the message, and fourteen people came forward for prayer.   We were watching the bats come out into the night sky as we left, and as we jolted down the dirt road back to the highway I noticed a family had gathered their cows into their yard for the night.  I guess it is now proven that I literally can preach until the cows come home!

After a late dinner we are preparing for another busy day tomorrow. Becca and Martha will be presenting to another women’s group, I will be teaching at a pastors’ conference, and it will be Pastor Ken’s turn to preach at the evening evangelistic rally. Thanks for your continued prayers!

In Christ’s Service,

Kirk

Worship in Wabiyinja and Baptisms at Bukeeka

Today was a busy day! After breakfast we piled into Jawale’s taxi and bumped our way to True Worship Center in Wabiyinja. Before even getting out of the van we could hear the drums and the voices of the congregation singing praise songs inside the tin roofed pole structure. We were warmly greeted by about 50 adults and around 120 children inside the structure, especially as the team from last year and its congregation had funded rough wooden planks to side the building and protect the growing congregation from the weather.

Pastor Gabriel officially welcomed us and reported that congregation has been growing, both in members and in awareness of needy families in the impoverished community. In order to generate income and help provide food for the poor, the congregation has planted maize on their property and now dreams of obtaining a mill with which they can grind the corn to produce posho flour and a storage building to protect it.

 

While Pastor Ken preached to the adults on God’s grace revealed in His answer to Job out of the storm and in Jesus’ calming the storm, Martha, Becca and Charley went outside with all the children and taught them about Daniel and God’s ability to rescue us from death. The children especially enjoyed their first Easter egg hunt at the end of the lesson, in which each child was given an egg to keep as a toy with a piece of candy in it and a prayer book to take home as well.

After worship we were blessed to present Pastor Gabriel with his own brand new boda-boda motorcycle to solve his transportation difficulties.  The entire congregation burst into songs of praise to God when they saw the gift to their pastor and realized how it would help him in his ministry. The celebration continued as we enjoyed a delicious lunch of sweet potatoes, matoke, beans, rice, broth, peas, boiled bananas and sweet pineapple.

From the church we drove to Fountain of Hope School, where parents were visiting their children at the boarding school and enjoying lunch together. We waited and talked with the children while a large flatbed truck picked up people from Wabiyinja and several other villages for the afternoon’s baptisms.

The baptisms took place east of Bukeeka in the Nile River. I had the privilege of wading into the river and serving with Pastor Peter as one of three teams doing the baptisms following instruction by Pastor Robert.  It was a very moving experience as 69 people waded out to be baptized, accompanied by loud singing of praise songs by all those gathered on the bank. The power of baptism in the name of Christ was especially evident in the manifestation of demon possession in a young girl before her baptism and in two other women on the bank who went into convulsions and had to be exorcised.

Following the baptisms we headed back to prepare for the many outreach activities of the coming week, beginning tomorrow morning at 9:30 AM. Whew—time for bed! Except for Pastor Robert , who just got called out on an emergency. Please continue to pray for him and the ministry here, as the work is both deeply rewarding and desperately relentless! 

In Christ’s service, 

Kirk and the Gang

Mud Huts in Mpumudde

This morning we dressed up, piled into Jawale's van, and rattled up a deeply rutted track  to the bush village of Mpumudde, where Pastor Ken and I were privileged to speak at an "All Believers Conference." About 60 people were already dancing and singing praise songs when we arrived at the dirt floored, mud walled, thatch roofed shelter, the men in dress shirts and slacks, a few in suits and ties, the women in beautiful dresses, some with traditional pinched up shoulders, and many children, also in their best clothes.

The gathering was organized by Pastor Mike, who is Pastor Robert's physical father but spiritual son, since Robert came to faith first and oversees the congregation, and by Rebbecca, Pastor Mike's new wife, who first started the congregation. Mike explained that they had started in a coffee factory in Kisega, but built the shelter on Rebecca's property in Mpumudde when the factory needed the room. They are hoping to buy a one acre property nearby and build a more permanent structure, since the congregation is growing and the thatched structure leaks when it rains. They are also hoping to acquire musical instruments for worship, and transportation for the pastors, who live 25km away.

I got to speak first, with Pastor Robert translating for the enthusiastic group. I shared about Jesus' determination to accomplish our salvation despite King Herod's threats and noted that Jesus was not afraid of sickness, demons, death, rejection, judgment, or waiting for our repentance. When Pastor Robert emphasized that Jesus is not afraid of demons, a man in the back--whom we later learned was a witch doctor--quickly left the gathering! Pastor Ken preached from Ecclesiastes and the story of Jesus healing Jairus' daughter, emphasizing that "the steadfast love of the Lord never ceases," a message that seemed to really resonate with those present.

The conference ended with praise, prayer, and lunch for all those present. We were treated to a delicious meal in the mud walled home of another local pastor, also called Pastor Robert, which included matooke (cooked plantains), red beans, rice, some kind of meat broth, sweet potatoes, cassava, and a paste of ground nuts that tasted somewhat like peanut butter. After lunch we prayed for our host, as his wife had left him after he became a believer.

In the afternoon we had the opportunity to bless the families of five widows who lived nearby in the bush with prayers and packages we had prepared of rice, beans, flour, sugar, and soap. Truly, though, we were the ones blessed by the opportunity to share with these gentle women. It was a beautiful warm, sunny day, and even amidst human poverty we found wealth in joy of the children, the greenery of the fields, and the growth of God's kingdom around us.

Since returning to our home base, we have been preparing for upcoming outreach activities and tomorrow's worship events. Thanks for checking in, and please continue to remember us in prayer!

Kirk (Or as most Ugandans pronounce it, "Pastor Kook")

Greetings from Uganda 2013!

Greetings from Uganda! Last night the last of our team members arrived at the airport in Entebbe. Our fearless driver, Jawale, steered our van through the dark, smoky streets of Kampala, dodging trucks, taxi vans, motorcycle taxis called boda-bodas, bicycles, potholes, and swarms of people. After five hours of jolting travel, relieved by a nice dinner at a restaurant along the way, we arrived at the compound of Pastor Robert and Sarah for a very merry, if bleary eyed, late night reunion.

Since several members of our team were jet lagged, we all slept in this morning. After a late breakfast, we ventured out to the dusty shops and alleyways of Jinja, where were a bit of a curiousity as we bought huge bags of rice, beans, and sugar, along with boxes of toothpaste, toothbrushes, and other items to share with people we expect to meet in the coming days.

After lunch, we headed to Bukeeka for a visit to Fountain of Hope Junior and High Schools. The children and staff all greeted us warmly and we were given a tour of the facilities. It was my first time to visit, but Becca, who had visited Fountain of Hope four years ago, was astounded by the growth in children and facilities. Pastor Robert showed us the new concrete kitchen built to replace the old, wooden, open air kitchen a few years ago, but noted that by the time the new facility was built the enrollment had grown so that they needed both kitchens, and they are now again waiting for money to finish expanding the new kitchen. Similarly, a dormitory built for resident students with two sides, for boys and girls, now houses only girls because it had grown overcrowded, with bunks stacked four high. So now a classroom building has been converted to boys dorms and the high school students are back to using an old, wooden building at the junior school for classes. The schools now have over a thousand students and its enrollment continues to grow with its reputation.

After touring Fountain of Hope, we stopped at the new and improved pole church, True Worship Center in Bukeeka. I was delighted to meet Elisha, son of a local witch doctor, who is now a bold believer in Jesus Christ. Not long ago True Worship hosted over a thousand people at an evangelistic rally, which is particularly striking as the church looks out at a mountain where human sacrifices have been offered to the demons that still hold many people captive here.

It's now after dinner, and we are preparing for our first visit to one of the bush congregations nearby for an all believers rally in the morning and some outreach in the afternoon. Thanks for checking in, and please keep us in your prayers in the coming days!

Kirk