Prison ministry – Monroe

The lock down of the prison system in Washington state, USA is beginning to be eased. It will be a gradual process and we do not know where Kairos will be in the process.

The Kairos Monroe team used to offer the following ministry at the Washington State Reformatory. God willing we will again, beginning with continuing ministry.

> Kairos first Saturdays. While graduates of the Kairos weekends are encouraged to form their own prayer and share groups and meet with them regularly, we come in from the outside to encourage and participate once a month. Only once a month so that we do not dominate or take away from their prayer and share.

> Twice a year, a full Kairos four day weekend. 2021 would be the 35th year of doing this if corona virus had not put it on hold.

> Twice a year, a one day Kairos reunion. Typically held 3 months after the last Kairos weekend which is also 3 months before the next Kairos weekend.

Washington state is in the process of reducing the capacity of the prison system because a study predicted less need (in the foreseeable future) than the current capacity. Pray that the Washington State Reformatory continues to operate. It has the largest (in Washington state), most fully established, ministry program where we can reach and share the word of God with the prisoners. However, it is also the oldest facility in the state.

Prison ministry – Koboko

The prison ministry team in Koboko has been developing notes and reviewing (practicing) them in preparation for the day when the corona virus lock down is eased. We used to, and will again, share the gospel, passage by passage in three languages (English, Kakwa, and Lubara).

Because my prison ministry experience was with Kairos, we are using the prayer and share format. We begin with worship hymns led by the prisoners, followed by scripture and then we discuss and pray over the scripture passage. We include questions in the discussion. It is more interactive and helps develop understanding, especially when crossing language barriers. We were, and in our practice we continue to take the passages of the gospel of Mark in order. The discussion includes how the current passage connects with the previous (one or more) so we try to develop a sense of the gospel as a whole as well as share the individual passage.

It is our hope that Kairos will be recognized by Uganda, allowing the full program to be offered. Until then, I am taking note of something the CEO of Kairos international said, “when someone expresses interest in prison ministry, respond to them right away.” There are people expressing interest in prison ministry in Uganda. I am responding. Maybe all I can do is invite them to be a team and work on a pale replica of Kairos’ prayer and share concept, but I am responding. God is blessing it too! We have grown many times over despite the corona virus pandemic. Not just in numbers, but as children of God too. Maybe it is not so pale a replica. Fortunately, that is not for me to decide.

Computer

I hoped to publish a newsletter shortly after returning to the US. It is a case of ‘best laid plans of mice and men’ by John Steinbeck.

The computer I have the luxury of using until I get my own does word processing through a text editor. It has been enhanced with some of the features of a modern word processor; however, the ability to handle embedded pictures and / or graphics is not there. This computer does not have anything resembling publishing software. Given these obstacles, I thought it best to delay publishing a newsletter. I will continue to put the same articles here as blog entries.

Driving

In Uganda people drive on the left. Here in the US we drive on the right. Also Ugandans sense of personal space is much smaller than it is here in the US. There are other differences, such as how the road is marked (a single solid line means do not use the other side of the road to pass instead of a double yellow line). I am certain there are many more details that I am not aware of. For these reasons I do not drive in Uganda. I think it would be dangerous for me to even attempt it with my understanding of a safe driving distance and where I would want to be on the road.

Driving in the US is okay for me. I have done it for decades and was able to come right back to it.

Computers

Not all computers are created the same. However, most will do the job if they have the right software.

Ah, that is the real issue. I am currently on a borrowed computer which does not have the software necessary for me to develop the next edition of my newsletter. I looked in the Microsoft store but they no longer offer the trial version and I do not want to buy an annual subscription for a computer that I will be on for only a week when no one else (using that computer) will use that software.

Changing Addresses

Family is moving. It can be a good thing. The house where I grew up is now occupied by only one member of the family. It is too much house for one person so it is time to move.

That means the address that I use for things that require a US address will be changing. So, once again, I have the joy of figuring out all the places the address is recorded and trying to update them. They have come up with password keepers that remember your passwords and what they go to. Has anyone come up with a physical address keeper that tracks who has your physical address and how to update it?

Church services

Yesterday I attended a church service in person in a church building. In Uganda, the building is still closed due to the second lock down; however, small gatherings can occur in the yards of homes. These small gatherings try to follow the order of service but something is missing when there is only a small fragment of the church community.

Music is frequently one of those things. It was great to be singing hymns that I knew well. Some of them I know from memory which is a good thing since we need to keep the mask on and I need to wear reading glasses to read the hymnal. The glasses fog up when I use that much breath (necessary for singing) and wear a mask, making it hard to read the hymnal.

I miss my church community in Uganda. It was great to be with one of my church communities in the US (St. Andrew’s, Seattle where I grew up). Over the next several Sundays I will be visiting with several of my US church communities.

Shopping

I have been shopping since returning to the US. Even in Koboko I could find more than one brand of some items (razors, deodorant, soap, …) but there is so much more here. More variety. Razors, for example, require not only choosing the brand, but the number of blades, even how many in the package. Bulk purchase is not an option in Koboko (unless you are buying a case of soap or two tomatoes instead of one).

The stores are much larger here, too. Their are supermarkets in Koboko; however, the shelves are packed tightly and it is not with ten different brands of the same thing, it is with ten different products. Supermarkets here carry stationary, and produce. Both of these are only found in specialty stores in Koboko.

There are many products available here that I cannot get in Koboko. Cotton balls and dental floss, for example, are available in Entebbe (other side of the country) but not in Koboko. And the quantity is much smaller. I have not found Sea Breeze in Uganda. Yes, things are different.

Computer

I am looking to replace my computer. Okay, I am looking to add a new computer. I plan to use the economic stimulus check I received last March. I have been holding on to it until I returned to the US and could shop for a computer.

The tropical environment in Uganda is hard on computers. I also knew from working for EDS (years ago) that the life expectancy of a laptop is three good years, after that problems and the potential for failure increase significantly. Asking around (in Uganda) has shown this is particularly true there. I have already had my laptop lock up and needed to take it for repairs three times. (I bought it in January 2018 and the problems occurred after its third birthday.) Before it fails and cannot be repaired, leaving me without email, internet communication, or the means to teach computer skills, I want to get a new one.

I stored the old one with the other missionary in Koboko because customs likes to charge excessive taxes if you bring more than one computer / laptop per person and expanding the capacity of the computer skills ministry means I want to use both the old and the new as long as both work.

I am online by mom’s generosity, letting me use her computer until I can buy my own.

I liked the promotions Best Buy was sending me earlier in the year, but I have not received any email from them lately. I visited their site and did not find any of the great laptop deals that were offered six to three months ago.

Phone

I did a little looking on the internet for a pay as you go phone in the US. It seems everyone wants part of the phone business. I did see that I can get a SIM card starter kit for just under 10 USD. SIM card? Maybe I just need to change the card in my Ugandan phone? Can it really be that simple? It is more expensive than a SIM card in Uganda; however, it is a better price than I expected to find – if this will work. I will have to visit a phone store or an electronics store and ask questions.