Meetings

The committee for planning the memorial for the late Reverend John Kamish Moju met again.  I went at the stated time for the meeting.  The family was still having lunch and the outdoor (tarp covered) meeting location was not set up.  I was the first to arrive for the meeting and I came at the stated start time since it is literally next door.  Knowing the culture is to be late, I decided the college standard of leaving if the leader is a half hour late was too short.  I decided to give it two hours. 

After 40 minutes, the chairman of the committee arrived.  Two ladies had also arrived.   More began to arrive half an hour after this.  One and a half hours after the stated time, the meeting started.

Another member of the committee expressed concern over the large budget.  I agree.  We should be able to conduct a proper memorial for far less; however, the chairman encouraged us to use the current budget for fundraising and we can adjust later.  Another lesson about the culture, fund raise to conduct a memorial and do it with intent to get (and spend) as much as possible.  I do not understand how a hand to mouth culture can think this way.

Transport

I find traveling to be more difficult since I became a full-time missionary.  I do not own a car anymore, so I cannot just pick up the keys, make sure the car has gas, and go wherever, whenever. 

If I am loaned a car when I visit the USA to share about God’s ministry through me in Uganda, then going whenever, wherever may be possible.  It is different in Uganda.  I do not drive here.  Too many differences in the rules of the road and about people’s sense of safe driving space for me.  My personal differences would make be a hazard on the road if I drove here, beginning with my desire to drive on the right when Uganda drives on the left.  There are more, especially about spacing, passing, and speed. 

There are public transport options for us non-drivers; however, putting a trip together can take a little work.  Getting myself to the bus station is not a big deal if it is just me; however, I plan to bring luggage, so I talked with a local driver.  Regarding the bus, verifying the bus schedule was just a matter of contacting the bus company.  Arranging for transport at the other end of the country required knowing who to call for a car to pick me up, when the bus would arrive (and where), and leaving enough time for traffic in the biggest city of the country while still scheduling an appointment at a time to avoid wasting the driver’s and my time.

Prison Ministry Team

Please join me in giving thanks to God for the prison ministry team. 

The team continues to prepare bible study material for when we can return to sharing God’s word inside the prison.  They continue to take turns practicing leading the team through the material, and proofreading it so it will be easily understood when we share it inside the prison.

Meeting attendance varies but remains reasonably high despite the long wait for the prisons to re-open following the lock down that closed them to ministry on 19 March 2020.  They team is also embracing other opportunities to share God’s word while we wait for the prisons to re-open.

Garden

Moses asked (two years ago) for permission to work part of my yard as his garden.  I agreed.  In the process he transformed the yard from a construction area to a yard.  He continues to tend the garden in my yard.  However, this year he has been occupied by other events at home, so he missed the first growing season.  Now the second growing season is here, and it was wonderful to come out after working on preparing materials for computer skills ministry and see the change.  Instead of knee-high weeds, there is dirt and cabbages.  He had planted a nursery bed at the side of the house and today he transferred the starts to the garden.  It has been a good deal for me.  On occasion I receive some of the produce and I can focus on prison ministry and computer skills ministry.

Rain

Kudu (rain) arrived around 5 a.m.  This is the second time this month when I traveled to Mugujai for ministry only to discover that the participants did not come because of the rain.

God uses all things for good.

When the students for computer skills did not show up, I visited Bishop Moses who lives next door.  He had asked me to type his notes about Paul’s letter to Titus.  I have and during the previous rain modified ministry trip I left a printed copy for his review.  It was an opportunity to visit, and then to make the minor corrections he found.

He is also working on a Bari translation of the ministry material about the gospel according to John.  Since the students did not come, I was able to help him find the Bari letters (in the symbol table) that are not on the computer keyboard.

Burial Service

Following the service in Moribongo (see previous post), we went to a burial service.  Samuel died early Sunday morning.  By the time of the first service at Birijaku (6:30 a.m.), notice was already being given for a burial service at 1:00 p.m. 

Samuel was young.  However, he had a history of illness. 

During the service, the sisters came, emotionally distraught, and asked to see Samuel.  They must have had some idea since they live in the same compound, they were prepared with chairs (for 1,000), canopy’s (shade from the sun), a dug grave, … but they were not emotionally prepared.  I think they were also too much like Martha to take time to see Samuel’s body.  Reverend Johnson directed the pall bearers to move the casket cover just enough for them to see the face.  The rest of the family joined in viewing the body while the rest of us watched.  Then the casket was closed and sealed, and the burial service proceeded.

Could it be that the cultural expectation is too fast for the human need?

Moribongo

I had an opportunity to visit another mission station of Saint John Birijaku.  Moribongo Church is north of Birijaku.  The church is on the boarder road, Uganda side.  Many of the members come from D.R. Congo.

I traveled with Rev. Johnson.  We went following the English service at Birijaku.  I was not the preacher at Birijaku; however, he asked me (the day before) to preach at Moribongo.  It was a Kakwa service, and he arranged for Mokili to come and translate for me.  (Mokili also translates for me when I preach at the Kakwa service in Birijaku; I think we work well together.  Apparently, Rev. Johnson agrees.)

Moribongo is a small but growing community.  They are in the process of building a larger building.  It is not finished, but they are already using it for worship.  They showed me the old building, it is becoming a side room / storeroom connected to the new building.

People of Moribongo Church, Koboko (a mission station currently connected to St. John, Birijaku, Koboko)

Moribongo Church, old building / future storeroom

Vision

The Scripture Union club at Daystar Secondary School, Koboko, just held their turnover ceremony.  A graduate of the school came back to preach during the service.  His message was, God can do more than we expect.  We need to pray and believe in the vision God gives, and then pursue it.

The outgoing leadership wanted to equip the club (and therefore the school) with “musical instruments” for worship.  (An aside: here in rural Uganda, “musical instruments” means all electronics.  It is not just guitars and keyboards; it is every part of a public address system too.)  They came up with an ambitious list and budget to achieve it.  To date they have already raised funds for (and purchased) a keyboard.  It will be for the incoming leadership to pick up the plan and get the microphones, wires, mixer, guitars, speakers, etc.

Kittens

The kittens have grown.  I thought the first one was going to a neighbor who did not like her substitute cat because it had not taken to her child.  One of Queen Sheba’s first kittens (previous litter) was given to this neighbor and settled in well and played with her child.  Unfortunately, it was bitten and killed by another neighbor’s dog (during a burial service!)  I do not know where the substitute cat came from. They initially asked me for another kitten – when Queen Sheba had another litter (which is the litter that is now ready to go to new homes). 

The neighbor received an offer from a teacher at the school across the street to take the cat.  I thought he would be taking the substitute cat, but my neighbor decided the cat was now too old to move to another home and stay there.  Fearing the substitute cat would just run away, she decided to keep it and send the new kitten with the teacher.

The other kitten went to Mugujai.  A friend of the bishop there had asked him if he knew where to get a kitten.

Prison Ministry Team

The prison ministry team is becoming known.  As we become known, members can invite others to join the team.  One team member had three ladies accept his offer last week.  One of them has already joined us for praying for the patients at the hospital this week.

The Christian organization (Scripture Union) at a local Secondary School (high school) invited the prison ministry team to be their special guests for the leadership transition ceremony this Saturday.  Some of our inactive team members are attending school at a variety of Secondary Schools in Koboko.  It is encouraging that the youth are thinking about ministry in general and prison ministry in particular.