Radio

The prison ministry team is remembering our visit to the radio in April 2020.  We were invited to take charge of a radio church service during the first lock down.  The prison ministry team, including some that joined the team after hearing about us in the introduction on the radio, wanted to return to the radio.  That is not the focus of the prison ministry, so it is not in the prison ministry budget.

A short time later, a pastor of a different denomination (we strive to be ecumenical) invited us to provide two people to join him on the radio.  God will provide.  Last Sunday they were on the radio and preached about trusting God in general and especially in difficult (Covid) times.

Taraji

Taraji is the newest member of the other Koboko missionary’s family.  She is over six months now.  She has not done very much crawling.  I am told she occasionally scoots backwards but I have not seen it.  She has a large family plus another family living on the same compound, so she is usually being held.  No reason to start crawling.  However, she can stand on her own feet and if someone is holding both her hands and encouraging her, she will take steps.  Will she be walking before she is crawling?

Bowhab

Moses and Meta have started playing a bowhab.  I have also seen them when I was in Mugujai for a church service (before the lock down).  The one Moses and Meta are playing is tuned for sopranos, the part most people sing since they sing by ear.  I have yet to see anyone other than Leroy (a missionary) play or sing from sheet music.  The instruments in Mugujai are tuned for various vocal ranges and would work well for sopranos, altos, tenors, and base.  Not that anyone sings the other parts.  Someone there knows about blending different parts instrumentally.

Online systems

My bank has been encouraging me to go paperless.  I agreed.  It has been convenient now that I live in another country; however, it is only as good as the person who updates it.  For the second month in a row I have received the email that my statement is available only to discover it is not.  Oh, it is probably there, but they did not reinstall the routine that makes the “statement” button a button instead of a pretty little picture.  Last month people complained (that were in the same time zone as the bank), and they reinstalled the routine.  It does not do any good for me to complain because my day is their night, and no one is there to do anything.  Hopefully, it will be a “next business day” fix again this month.

Bugutu prison

Bugutu prison continues to be used as a quarantine center for new prisoners.  (Bugutu is a region in the southern division of Koboko town.  The local prison is named for the community it is located in.)  The word going around town is they were testing all the prisoners to see if any had corona virus.  This is the corona virus routine: bring new prisoners to Bugutu prison from anywhere in West Nile region.  Test for corona virus.  When the prison is full, wait 14 days and test again.  If there is nothing (which has been the case every time since March 2020 until now), then the prisoners are sent to prisons in the appropriate district.  Bugutu prison is sanitized (a 1-day process), and then it starts the routine over again.

The word going around is today’s testing produced a (one out of I do not know how many) positive result.  I am sure I will be told how they are treating for this and caring for the other prisoners the next time I check in with the officer in charge (OC) of the prison.  I have been checking in with the OC every six weeks and the next time should be mid-July.  I have not been in the prison since mid-March 2020, I only have occasional meetings (with social distancing, face masks, and sanitizer) with the OC.

Lock down 2b updated

I previously reported that version b of the second lock down banned transport both within and across district lines.  (Version ‘a’ only banned across district lines.)  I thought that meant computer skills in Mugujai and Ombachi would have to stop until the lock down ends.  Some of the students from my first class in Mugujai have volunteered to work with the students from the second (current) class until I can travel again.  This was great news for me!  I do not want the ministry, whether equipping people with practical skills or spiritual skills, to be dependent on me.  It needs to grow and be shared.

I had wanted the graduates (or soon to be graduates since the Mugujai graduation is delayed, Entebbe has had their graduation but Mugujai has not) to take over while I would come occasionally to support and to encourage.  Paul’s missionary model.  They were hesitant, wanting me to continue as ‘the’ teacher.  The lock down may have an unintended benefit.

Regarding the class in Ombachi, I cannot go to them because transport is banned.  However, those with bodas are allowed to move and to carry cargo, but not people.  Both members of this class own bodas and they have agreed to come to me.  For the duration of the lock down, I will have two classes in Birijaku (a region of west division of Koboko town).  On Tuesday it will be the class from Ombachi, on Wednesday it will be the class of students that are here in Birijaku.

The ministry is changed, not ended.  As the song lyrics say, where there is no way, God will make a way.

Mangoes

Some of the tree fruit is ripe.  Currently it is mangoes and avocados.  The guavas will be later and papaya season is going going almost gone.  The wonder (to me) is that some of these produce twice in a year.

Growing up I remember having a dish of peaches or a dish of pears.  Now it is mangoes. 

Church

There are reports on the radio of people crossing the border to Congo to go to church.  The churches in Uganda are closed, but so far, the border is open.  Uganda is trying to get people to stay put.  The idea is that will stop or greatly reduce the spread of the corona virus.  Transport is banned but walking is allowed.  The markets that sell food are open, but the others are supposed to be closed.  People just do not seem willing to accept a second lock down.

I met with the Ray family, and we had a home church service.  Some of the churches are trying to organize groups of families into home churches for the duration of the lock down.  The church I attend has not done it yet (or they have not reached me yet) but the church the Ray family is attending has done so and they invited me to join them.

Lock down 2b

Uganda’s President, Museveni, recently addressed the country again.  He is tightening the lock down.  The updated restrictions include a ban on private and public transportation within and across districts (previously it was only across district lines). Think in terms of states or provinces when Uganda refers to districts. Only vehicles carrying cargo and those transporting the sick or essential workers are permitted to operate on the roads.

Previously I had been able to continue my ministry in Mugujai and Ombachi.  Now I will be focused on computer skills in Birijaku (only) and prison ministry (also in Birijaku).  Birijaku is in the western division of Koboko.  Ombachi is in the northern division of Koboko town and I would need the now banned transport.  Mugujai is 35+ kilometers away but still within the district.

Roads

Two weeks ago I wrote about the roadwork on the dirt road to Mugujai.  They have reached and passed Mugujai now.  The work on the first half of the road (from the paved road to Kagropa) was done with greater care than the second half.  Even so, it is now possible to travel the second half without having to slow to a crawl every kilometer (or less) to carefully circumnavigate ruts or a mud puddle that takes most of the road and is of unknown depth.

It was taking an hour in private vehicle and two hours if I had to piece together a trip using public transport.  On Friday, the Ray’s drove their vehicle to Mugujai.  We did not time the trip out but arrived earlier than expected.  We did time the trip back and it looked like we were about to set a record, but we developed a flat tire and had to stop.  Even so, I am grateful for the roadwork and pray that they work on more roads.