The Bulengia Falls
We got back around 6pm I spent the rest of the evening writing my sermon for the morning based on the lectionary reading for the day Phil 3: 1-23 (I tied it with Acts 9)
Prayed hard...went to sleep. Very tired.
Saturday, 16 April 2011
Sat 9th Day off
The team went to Jinja accompanied by the Provost. What an amazing day!
The Bulengia Falls
then a boat trip to the source of the Nile.
Beautiful scenery, the most colourful birds, pretty grey monkeys with black faces.
Shopping for presents in Jinja town, Tim managed to buy a nativity set with just one wise man!
We got back around 6pm I spent the rest of the evening writing my sermon for the morning based on the lectionary reading for the day Phil 3: 1-23 (I tied it with Acts 9)
Prayed hard...went to sleep. Very tired.
The Bulengia Falls
We got back around 6pm I spent the rest of the evening writing my sermon for the morning based on the lectionary reading for the day Phil 3: 1-23 (I tied it with Acts 9)
Prayed hard...went to sleep. Very tired.
Friday 8th visit to rural parishes
Early pick up to visit the rural parishes with the Arch Deacon.
We visited a vocations centre where they teach practical courses, for example, IT, bricklaying, hairdressing, child care etc. As a group we shared our testimonies and taught a song with actions...Blessed be the name of the Lord!
We had lunch at the vocations centre, then went off in two's to various schools.
The vicar Michael was a lovely man. He opened his home to us, he was very moved by our testimonies and urged us to keep in touch.
After lunch back at the vocations centre we drove to a water fall on the Nile, and then met up with some local lay ministers for a prayer meeting on a grassy bank,
we shared our testimonies,
with the sound of the falls in the background. . .
Tim brought us a word from the Lord.
We ended up at a local home, there was quite a crowd of us gathered for a meal.
It was a very special time.
insight from today..
I'm feeling a bit overloaded by the need of the schools, anything we could give would just be a drop in the ocean of need, they all want us to pledge our support.
We are not the solution, it is not helpful for white men to come and give money, we are not the answer, there is a much deeper issue that needs to be addressed.
Sonja has advised us not to make individual donations, I think this is very wise advice...you could just give and give and give.
One of the Trinity students who was here last summer has given us £100 to donate to real need.
We decide to give £40 to the minister in the islands to alleviate his immediate need, and £60 to Chain - the orphanage where Tim and Suzanne are based.
The people we have met today out in the rural parishes have blessed and encouraged us.
It has been another really challenging day.
The vicar Michael was a lovely man. He opened his home to us, he was very moved by our testimonies and urged us to keep in touch.
After lunch back at the vocations centre we drove to a water fall on the Nile, and then met up with some local lay ministers for a prayer meeting on a grassy bank,
we shared our testimonies,
Nikki
& Tony sharing his amazing testimony....
Tim brought us a word from the Lord.
It was a very special time.
insight from today..
I'm feeling a bit overloaded by the need of the schools, anything we could give would just be a drop in the ocean of need, they all want us to pledge our support.
We are not the solution, it is not helpful for white men to come and give money, we are not the answer, there is a much deeper issue that needs to be addressed.
Sonja has advised us not to make individual donations, I think this is very wise advice...you could just give and give and give.
One of the Trinity students who was here last summer has given us £100 to donate to real need.
We decide to give £40 to the minister in the islands to alleviate his immediate need, and £60 to Chain - the orphanage where Tim and Suzanne are based.
The people we have met today out in the rural parishes have blessed and encouraged us.
It has been another really challenging day.
Thurs 7th
More schools today and fellowship with the youth from St Dunstan's.
In the morning we went to 2 schools within walking distance of the Mpima's. Ngandu Primary School is for the poorest of children, there are many orphans at this school. The children were packed into little more than a barn. The school encourage parents to come and take lesions too, which is excellent.
We had a Q&A meeting with the teachers, they grilled us on many subject including the Cof E, the homosexual stance of the church and culture in UK, the education system, by the grace of God I answered their very probing questions, and enjoyed the challenge of answering such direct questions, I felt I was able to give direct answers - which was really good.
We then visited a local private school Jessejonny, which we had passed on our walks around the village. We asked the children how many of them had seen us before...loads of hands went up!
The children gave us an exceptional welcome, this is also a very poor school, but they take boarders. We did the usual introductions for the children all gathered in the school yard - we taught them a song with actions.
The teachers were also very probing and we had another grilling! We answered all their questions and also shared our testimonies. Tony did very well, I think he is getting used to public speaking!
Later Tony went with Moses to the Mpima's farm, it is near Jinja. A heavy rain storm came over while they were there.
Moses
The storm coming over
Workers running for shelter.
Tony and a farm worker - think he is getting ready to cut some crops!
When Tony got back Enid took us to St Dunstan's for a MU meeting until the youth ministers arrived. The prayer meeting was really encouraging, they wanted to know about our experience of youth work, Tony shared a lot, and I was telling then about The Road Hog Bus in Lincolnshire, I gave them the details of the facebook link. They were really interested in this project. I shared a word from Lk 6:37-42, it was a very good meeting.
We were able to share the challenges and joys of youth ministry, we face many of the same challenges.
The evening ended with calls and texts from the team. We are all doing well.
In the morning we went to 2 schools within walking distance of the Mpima's. Ngandu Primary School is for the poorest of children, there are many orphans at this school. The children were packed into little more than a barn. The school encourage parents to come and take lesions too, which is excellent.
We then visited a local private school Jessejonny, which we had passed on our walks around the village. We asked the children how many of them had seen us before...loads of hands went up!
Later Tony went with Moses to the Mpima's farm, it is near Jinja. A heavy rain storm came over while they were there.
When Tony got back Enid took us to St Dunstan's for a MU meeting until the youth ministers arrived. The prayer meeting was really encouraging, they wanted to know about our experience of youth work, Tony shared a lot, and I was telling then about The Road Hog Bus in Lincolnshire, I gave them the details of the facebook link. They were really interested in this project. I shared a word from Lk 6:37-42, it was a very good meeting.
We were able to share the challenges and joys of youth ministry, we face many of the same challenges.
The evening ended with calls and texts from the team. We are all doing well.
Wed 6th
An early morning appointment with the Bishop of Mukono, we were beginning to pick up on the difficulties the diocese are facing over ministry in the islands. There are over 60 islands on lake Victoria, it seems to be a bit of a lawless place, inhabited by fishermen who move with the fish, and the poorest of the poor. The police don't go there because people disappear in the lake!
We visited every class!
We were late but we did get to the school in the end... Praise the Lord!The welcome we received was overwhelming, the children were in two lines from tallest to smallest, as the car door opened the singing and dancing and clapping was wonderful. I was in tears... It was like we were royalty arriving!
We met the head teacher and were taken on a guided tour of every class, we had morning tea and lunch provided for us, and the children entertained us with traditional songs and dance to the beat of African drums. It was something I will never forget.
In this picture the children were singing and acting out the story of a fishing trip, the boys around the edge are paddling the boat - they acted out hauling the nets, the waves, the celebration of the catch, the feast, it was amazing.
The orange and yellow costumes had been borrowed for the occasion.
This class room had been cleared of desks for the day so that the children could entertain us. Later I was able to teach the choir a chorus...For God so loved the world...Jn 3:16 
An American missionary and his wife had ministered on the islands for 29 years, but they both died (of old age) The Bishop asked us to pray that people would feel called to ministry in the islands, nobody really wants to go there because it is so dangerous. There is only one minister there at the moment, he is extremely poor and in desperate need of support both financially and prayerfully. The last time he met the Bishop, apparently the wept together over the situation.
Ronnie the youth pastor and chaplain to St Lukes Kirangira kept ringing me all morning, he had arranged for us to go to Nabbale C/U Primary school with him for the 8am service and to spend the morning at the school, Tim and Suzanne were also supposed to be at the Chain school, we were so pleased that we got to meet the Bishop, but the children were very disappointed their visitors might not visit their school after all.
We visited every class!
We were late but we did get to the school in the end... Praise the Lord!
In this picture the children were singing and acting out the story of a fishing trip, the boys around the edge are paddling the boat - they acted out hauling the nets, the waves, the celebration of the catch, the feast, it was amazing.
The orange and yellow costumes had been borrowed for the occasion.
This class room had been cleared of desks for the day so that the children could entertain us. Later I was able to teach the choir a chorus...For God so loved the world...Jn 3:16 I had been given 3 packs of Christian stickers by my friend Lorraine Keys, I had them with me, and every child in the school got a sticker, there were 160!
We also met some nurses who had come to vaccinate the children - and anyone else who got in their way! (James the curate from St Dunstan's)
We headed back to Bristol (the name our driver had given to the Mpima's!) for a short rest. We were then collected again and taken to Soroma Christian High School... the difference... This school has a reputation for excellence, the facilities were a mile apart from Nabbale
It has its own chaplain who lives with his wife and family on the campus. We joined the school for community worship which was vibrant, 1,700 students, all boarders.
We were invited to speak, we introduced ourselves, sent greetings and gave our testimonies, then Ronnie preached. We were invited to stay for supper, but we had arranged to meet with the rest of the team that evening to debrief, so had to decline.
Good to catch up with the team later at a restaurant in Mukono...
It had been a truly amazing day.
Tues 5th day 2 at UCU
Day 2 at UCU and a very helpful lecture by Rev Can Dr. Olivia Banja, on the challenges faced in expressing the gospel in a culturally relevant way today (focus on Buganda). The kiganda contemporary world view. Dealing with attacks of eveil spirits. The Intercessors. (I have a paper if anyone is interested)
The sermon was a complete culture shock to the whole group! The topic was abortion. Described in graphic detail with a power point presentation. We would never be able to do such a presentation in our own context - not without a health warning anyway!
This gave us cause to spend the rest of the afternoon on the lawn in the grounds of the UCU reflecting on the impact this had had on us.
Later we went to Chain the orphanage where Tim and Suzanne were based. They were moving Tim out of the boys dorm into a little hut which looked really nice. But unfortunatly, later Tim would find it was over run with rats, they ate his pencils and his soap!
Tim and Suzanne had been invited to the Mpima's for supper...and a banquet it was too!
We were taken by Moses (another family member) for an evening stroll round the village while the meal was prepared. Tim and Suzanne really tucked in!
I really struggled with the food...
But praise God I was not hungry at all, some days all I had to eat was a banana. It was not for lack of hospitality, just that I had a problem most of the time I was in Africa to eat what was provided. I felt I could not get food down, I also got through 4 packs of diocalm even though I was hardly eating anything!
God is good...All the time, I was not ill. None of us were!
We then joined the community for worship...A very lively and colourful choir and band were on the big stsage.
This gave us cause to spend the rest of the afternoon on the lawn in the grounds of the UCU reflecting on the impact this had had on us.
Later we went to Chain the orphanage where Tim and Suzanne were based. They were moving Tim out of the boys dorm into a little hut which looked really nice. But unfortunatly, later Tim would find it was over run with rats, they ate his pencils and his soap!
Tim and Suzanne had been invited to the Mpima's for supper...and a banquet it was too!
We were taken by Moses (another family member) for an evening stroll round the village while the meal was prepared. Tim and Suzanne really tucked in!
I really struggled with the food...
But praise God I was not hungry at all, some days all I had to eat was a banana. It was not for lack of hospitality, just that I had a problem most of the time I was in Africa to eat what was provided. I felt I could not get food down, I also got through 4 packs of diocalm even though I was hardly eating anything!
God is good...All the time, I was not ill. None of us were!
Monday 4th at UCU
We had a very interesting lecture on the East African Revival, which at some point I would like to read more about.
At lunch time we had a bizarre moment when our accademic registra Eeva John (who was supposed to be in Sudan) made an enterance! They had made a detour - some problem over entry visas.
Suzanne and NikkiThey are building a new Library at the University it is supposed to open later this year...
It was Suzanne's birthday today, on the way back to our families we stopped at a supermarket and randomly found a birthday cake... How cool was that!
In the evening we went with Jackie (a member of the Mpima family) for a walk arround the village, with Philip (another member of the family aged 7) and some local children... we gathered quite a crowd!
Joanne and Philip
We met William for the first time (Mr. Mpima) he is a lovely man. We had an enjoyable evening agin with the family.Sunday 3rd April
Up at 5.30! We are two hours ahead in Uganda, so our body clocks were a little out of sync.
The first service at St Dunstan's church is the 8am, Rev Fredrick led the service in Lugandan the local dialect, the preacher was a lady called Rachael, who is an ordinand at the UCU in Mukono, she preached at all three services, the lectionary readings for the day were Job 1 and 1 Peter 4.
The Gospel is powerfully proclaimed in Uganda... no holds barred! we had translation for the first service, but the second service was in English. The first two services the church was full (hundreds of poeple) the third service - a youth service (for 18-30 yr olds) the church was about 1/3 full.
We were sat at the front with a retired Bishop, and at both services we were invited up to introduce ourselves, and we had our first of many many formal introductions. Everywhere we went this was the patten, introductions, greetings, testimonies, (and on quite a no of occasions) the word of the Lord.
After the second service we were taken by Ronie a young minister who pastors a sister church of St Dunstan (there are 5 sister churches to the main parish church) St Lukes Kirangira. A tiny church with a dirt floor and no glass in the windows, a congregation of about 50 filled the building.
St Luke's KirangiraIt was at this service that I gained a sense of the world wide Anglican Communion. We are using the same liturgies, saying the same prayers, singing the same hymns. That tiny church, impacted me profoundly...these guys are praying for us! The scale/broadness of the Anglican church impacted me in a way I not imagined...we talk of the rich diversity of the Anglican church - but there in that tiny church I realised what that really means... it was a very moving and humbling experience to be with that congregation.
The second insight I gained was from Rachael's sermon:
She was talking about Jesus- the bread of life, she said "If you are sitting here thinking about your stomach and how you will feed your family today, you are not going to hear the Gospel and be fed by the word of God which is here in the church, your focus must be on Jesus and not your stomach and food for your family."
I have never been hungry, not really hungry like many of this congregation would have been - not knowing where your next meal would come from...
Jesus as the bread of life in this context is a difficult reality for me to comprehend...
We have so much - they have so little.
As I sit at home typing this reflection in my dust free, insect free, safe, clean study, hot and cold clean water at the turn of a tap, food in the cupboard with nothing to contaminate it, I'm free from fear, maleria, tropical desises, rats and wild animals.
I have only just begun to process the impact of this trip on my life as a follower of Jesus.
Later that afternoon we met up with the rest of the team at the Cathedral for a healing and deliverance service... wichcraft, demons and evil spirits are something the church in Uganda has to deal with...
deliverance ministry has a different dimension in this culture.
I remember Arch Bishop Henry Orombi speaking on this subject at New Wine last year.
I was a little concerned about what we might encounter out in the parishes...I was reminded by Sonja that we must daily pray to be covered by the blood of Jesus for protection in these situations, and that the pastor accompanying us would be experienced in these things.
I soon started to realise just how much the Lord had prepared the way for us..his protection over us, and the way my courage and confidence in Him has grown these past years, how the Lord has equiped us for this trip and every situation we might encounter.
We ended the day back with our family...tomorrow we will be at the Ugandan Christian University.
The first service at St Dunstan's church is the 8am, Rev Fredrick led the service in Lugandan the local dialect, the preacher was a lady called Rachael, who is an ordinand at the UCU in Mukono, she preached at all three services, the lectionary readings for the day were Job 1 and 1 Peter 4.
The Gospel is powerfully proclaimed in Uganda... no holds barred! we had translation for the first service, but the second service was in English. The first two services the church was full (hundreds of poeple) the third service - a youth service (for 18-30 yr olds) the church was about 1/3 full.
We were sat at the front with a retired Bishop, and at both services we were invited up to introduce ourselves, and we had our first of many many formal introductions. Everywhere we went this was the patten, introductions, greetings, testimonies, (and on quite a no of occasions) the word of the Lord.
After the second service we were taken by Ronie a young minister who pastors a sister church of St Dunstan (there are 5 sister churches to the main parish church) St Lukes Kirangira. A tiny church with a dirt floor and no glass in the windows, a congregation of about 50 filled the building.
St Luke's KirangiraThe second insight I gained was from Rachael's sermon:
She was talking about Jesus- the bread of life, she said "If you are sitting here thinking about your stomach and how you will feed your family today, you are not going to hear the Gospel and be fed by the word of God which is here in the church, your focus must be on Jesus and not your stomach and food for your family."
I have never been hungry, not really hungry like many of this congregation would have been - not knowing where your next meal would come from...
Jesus as the bread of life in this context is a difficult reality for me to comprehend...
We have so much - they have so little.
As I sit at home typing this reflection in my dust free, insect free, safe, clean study, hot and cold clean water at the turn of a tap, food in the cupboard with nothing to contaminate it, I'm free from fear, maleria, tropical desises, rats and wild animals.
I have only just begun to process the impact of this trip on my life as a follower of Jesus.
Later that afternoon we met up with the rest of the team at the Cathedral for a healing and deliverance service... wichcraft, demons and evil spirits are something the church in Uganda has to deal with...
deliverance ministry has a different dimension in this culture.
I remember Arch Bishop Henry Orombi speaking on this subject at New Wine last year.
I was a little concerned about what we might encounter out in the parishes...I was reminded by Sonja that we must daily pray to be covered by the blood of Jesus for protection in these situations, and that the pastor accompanying us would be experienced in these things.
I soon started to realise just how much the Lord had prepared the way for us..his protection over us, and the way my courage and confidence in Him has grown these past years, how the Lord has equiped us for this trip and every situation we might encounter.
We ended the day back with our family...tomorrow we will be at the Ugandan Christian University.
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