Bible Study

I was encouraged to hear several members of the prison ministry team talking about our bible study.  We study the passage we plan to share in the prison that week so that those who will be presenting can practice working with the notes and how they want to present.  One team member was saying, and others were agreeing that our bible study is easy to follow.  Others they have encountered were more difficult.  They did not say what made the others more difficult.  We did talk about how this one was developed (so they can share it, and the process, with others).  We also talked about why our study in the Gospel of Mark starts each study with a summary of recently discussed verses, to build the complete story, and appreciate the continuity of the Gospel.

Padombu SS

The prison ministry team has several Secondary School students in the membership.  Four of them attend Padombu Secondary School (High School), which is near Lobule on the other side of Koboko district.  These students have asked me to talk to the headmaster, on behalf of the prison ministry, about sharing the bible study we have at team meetings with them and other students at Padombu, so they do not miss out.  They also want me to ask the headmaster to give them permission to leave campus on Sunday so they can be the team sharing at Lobule prison.  That would be convenient, because the rest of us are on the opposite side of the district (state if you are in the USA, although they are the size of a large county).

Setting up a meeting with the headmaster has been elusive, so I sent a letter.  In this culture, that may be more favorable.  Time will tell.

Archie

Rev. Canon Alige James is the Archdeacon of Moyo.  I knew him from his two years (during CoVid) as pastor of St. John Birijaku.  Early in 2022 he asked me to help him with some of the training he is doing for his church leaders in the Moyo archdeaconry.  Last Thursday we finally sat down to discuss it further while we were waiting for dinner.  Specifically, he wants me to pass along the training I received in confirmation class about how to find my way around in a prayer book (how to use a prayer book).  He also wants me to share some of the lessons about the foundations of our faith.  We did not set a time; however, he did share with me the format he has used to conduct the training he has done so far.  It looks like God is setting me up for short term ministry in another part of West Nile region.

Print request

We (Truth is Light) are preparing for a seminar.  There are handouts for this seminar’s topics.  The topic for the second half of the seminar is already at the printer.  It was only a matter of telling the printer how many copies to print.  He has prepared that booklet / handout for us many times before.  The first half of the seminar was a new topic for Truth is Light.  A new, much shorter, document was still in the draft stages a few days before the seminar.  To allow us to shorten the time needed to get it printed and to reduce costs, I offered to print it on my computer printer / copier.  (I invested in the printer / copier a while back to reduce the print document costs for the prison ministry.)  I received the last item I needed to accomplish the task the day before the seminar; however, it was after the solar power system was too weak to do the job that evening.  I had to print it in the morning, minutes before the seminar began.

Guests

I have been trying to catch up with Rev. Canon Alige for over a year now.  Shortly after he was transferred from St. John Birijaku to become the new Archdeacon of Moyo he talked to me about the prayer book I brought from the USA.  He liked the fact that it has all the parts in a single book instead of the local pamphlet for the order of service, another for prayers, another for collects, another for special services like Baptism, another for teaching church leaders, …  He wants to train some of his church leaders in Moyo and it has all that he wants to use in one place.

Now he plans to pass through Koboko, so he made plans to meet with me and spend the night at my home.  I am looking forward to his visit and the opportunity to finally catch up with him.

Patience

The Kakwa culture does not value time.  Let me give an example.  The bible study at St. John’s is scheduled for 3:30 pm on Thursdays.  At 4:10 pm the first person joined me.  It is common in this culture to begin with a few and let the rest ‘catch you on the way’.  Unfortunately, she was not confident in her English language skills, so I needed to wait for a translator.  I was not confident one was coming.  Both people that have been translating for me have a habit of showing up on time for church programs.

At 4:40 pm a member of the choir came in and sat with us.  He said he could translate, so we began.  A few minutes later one of my translators arrived.  The choir member turned translation over to him because he was not confident in how to translate some of the words in the bible.

The concept I learned in college, if they are 15 minutes late, they are not coming, does not apply in the Kakwa culture.  Here an hour late is acceptable for locals; however, foreigners are expected to ‘keep time’.  The key is patience.

Morobo

The other missionary based in Koboko was based in Morobo, South Sudan prior to the current South Sudan war.  South Sudan is working towards peace, although the peace agreement has not been fully implemented yet.  Some of the refugees (of South Sudan) are returning.  (This is the opposite of what is happening with refugees of Sudan – a separate country since July 9, 2011.)  Part of this (South Sudan refugee story) is because they had their rations cut in the refugee camp as the U.N. responds to other refugee crises and wants to encourage those who have been refugees for several years to sustain themselves.  The thought is the refugees that are returning think things are stable enough to return and put their efforts into sustaining themselves in the country they came from and want to return to.

Truth is Light’s leader training team, headed by the other missionary based in Koboko and his wife, have contacted the church leaders in Morobo.  They were asked to come for a visit and conduct some of the [church] leader training that they have been offering in Uganda.  They just returned from that trip and report that all went well.  They have been invited back to teach the next section.

Bible Study

Anguyo has met with me several times and is taking an interest in the prison ministry God has called me to do.  In particular, he is interested in the bible study that we are offering in the prisons and has asked me to offer it at St. John’s too.  He will partner with me in sharing this bible study while he is with us at St. John Birijaku.  He suggested Friday to Reverend Johnson but was told no.  The no was for Friday, Reverend liked the idea of offering a bible study and asked that we try Tuesday or Thursday.  Both are prison ministry days, but I think I can manage to make Thursday work.  Anguyo will be a co-leader of the bible study.  We will use the same materials that were developed for prison ministry, only the participants do not need to go to the prison to participate.  The prisoners do not have the option of coming after the program has been going for half an hour, they must come at the beginning or not at all.  Now we need to convince the members of the parish to come in a timely manner.

Prayer meeting

Some of the missionaries in Entebbe get together on Wednesday for Bible study.  Entebbe is in the urban area of the country.  They gather at a restaurant called CJ’s.  This Wednesday my host needed to attend another meeting at Calvary Chapel, but he dropped me off at CJ’s on his way to that meeting.  Some of the regulars were away for various reasons.  Those who attended remembered me and welcomed me back to Uganda.  We also had a first-time attendee, Michael, whom we welcomed.

We studied John 14:1-6.  The discussion focused on Jesus is the truth, verse 6.  My thoughts included Pilate’s response, “What is truth?” John 18:38. There are many sources of information in this world, some claim accuracy and authority, but Jesus is the truth.

Bible Tasting

I was invited to Bethel United Church of Christ’s Wine Study and Bible Tasting.  I was assured that I would not be the only attendee that did not drink wine.  True enough.

They tasted the first wine and talked about it.  Then they started a discussion of the gospel passage about Thomas not witnessing the first appearance of Jesus.  Another taste (different wine or other beverage for non-wine consumers) and then follow-up on some of the previous comments in the Bible portion of the discussion.  Repeat.

It was a great opportunity to meet as a community and explore the scriptures (as well as develop friendships).