As I drove home from my family reunion it suddenly dawned on me how strange it was to be driving in America. I realized how bored I was on the baby-soft smooth roads in comparison to the cavernous trenches of the African Highway. I remembered sitting by John on our final departure from Arua at 6:00 in the morning: talking about all kinds of ministry and experience as the others slept in the back, me on the left side of the car (the passenger side) and he on the right (the driver's side). From that seat I played the DJ for the rest of the guys in our car, from that seat I looked down on the vast openness of the African valleys and mountains, the landscape that seems to never end, the trees which look like they came straight from the Lion King and cover the landscape in a sea of dense, overwhelming green, the kind of green so rich it actually penetrates your soul in wonder and awe. Today, I sat in that same seat on the left side only now the steering wheel was on my side. I looked to my right at my mom next to me reading and thought how odd it was that the steering wheel could be on her side, and to my left on an entirely different scenery; a flat scenery that contains it own majestic appeal as the sun sets over the vast farmlands and dense forests.
I do not think Indiana is plain at all, even if most of it looks the same, its ordinariness does not make it less glorious.
Sunday, June 17, 2007
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
Team Spirit--Saturday, May 20
We briefly planned out our itinerary and activities to do with the MKs next week and had an amazing lunch of rice, beans, and some really good chipoti that Jessica made. (I was able to get a recipe for chipoti which I am stoked about, but I haven't gotten a chance to make it yet).
We were planning to have a cultural experience by going to a pub to watch the anticipated Manchester United vs. Chelsea football (soccer) game. We wanted to appear as if we were long-time fans so we went to the market where John got a Man U jersey to get some more. The market itself was quite an experience and I felt very timid with the whole bartering system. John has it pretty well under control and helped us amateurs not to get cheated. To get there, we piled 13 guys (the ten of us, John Rinehimer, and our friends James and Edmund) into one car: John's Land Cruiser (I remember thinking it was uncomfortable for seven people!).
Of the ten of us, eight bought jerseys, and I was the only one to buy a Chelsea Jersey. The name on the back was "Drogba" who I was told is the lead scorer on their team. I put the jersey on and heard chuckles from men in the market who would call out to me "hey, Drogba," "how many goals will you score," and "I support you." They would tap me on the shoulder to tell me how bad Chelsea was going to get beat and the general consesus seemed to be the final would be 4-0 Man U. I learned through that to trash talk with them in a friendly manner. I don't know it ever really set in how incredibly important football is in the rest of the world (here it takes the place of all the hype of the sports we watch and the entertainment of movies) I also don't think it ever set in how incredibly social this culture is. In the US, we all have our own little worlds with our ipods, our cell phones and our cars; here, interaction is life. There is no one that you don't have anything to say to, because everyone has a part of each other's lives.
It was a gruelling game: both teams were very strong and each remained scoreless through the entire game and even through an additional 15 minutes of overtime. Finally, about half of the way through the second overtime, Chelsea (my team), Drogba (my jersey's namesake), scored
the first and only goal of the game. Man U made valiant efforts to retaliate, but nothing went through. Enduring the taunts from my friends and from strangers in the market, and after standing up to those taunts, I had developed a pride for the team and even became a fan. When that shot went in, me and the four Ugandan men (including Edmund in the picture at right) who were also Chelsea fans--the only others--jumped up and all hugged each other. It was kind of strange, but also really exciting at the same time.
We were planning to have a cultural experience by going to a pub to watch the anticipated Manchester United vs. Chelsea football (soccer) game. We wanted to appear as if we were long-time fans so we went to the market where John got a Man U jersey to get some more. The market itself was quite an experience and I felt very timid with the whole bartering system. John has it pretty well under control and helped us amateurs not to get cheated. To get there, we piled 13 guys (the ten of us, John Rinehimer, and our friends James and Edmund) into one car: John's Land Cruiser (I remember thinking it was uncomfortable for seven people!).
Of the ten of us, eight bought jerseys, and I was the only one to buy a Chelsea Jersey. The name on the back was "Drogba" who I was told is the lead scorer on their team. I put the jersey on and heard chuckles from men in the market who would call out to me "hey, Drogba," "how many goals will you score," and "I support you." They would tap me on the shoulder to tell me how bad Chelsea was going to get beat and the general consesus seemed to be the final would be 4-0 Man U. I learned through that to trash talk with them in a friendly manner. I don't know it ever really set in how incredibly important football is in the rest of the world (here it takes the place of all the hype of the sports we watch and the entertainment of movies) I also don't think it ever set in how incredibly social this culture is. In the US, we all have our own little worlds with our ipods, our cell phones and our cars; here, interaction is life. There is no one that you don't have anything to say to, because everyone has a part of each other's lives.It was a gruelling game: both teams were very strong and each remained scoreless through the entire game and even through an additional 15 minutes of overtime. Finally, about half of the way through the second overtime, Chelsea (my team), Drogba (my jersey's namesake), scored
the first and only goal of the game. Man U made valiant efforts to retaliate, but nothing went through. Enduring the taunts from my friends and from strangers in the market, and after standing up to those taunts, I had developed a pride for the team and even became a fan. When that shot went in, me and the four Ugandan men (including Edmund in the picture at right) who were also Chelsea fans--the only others--jumped up and all hugged each other. It was kind of strange, but also really exciting at the same time.
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
New Missions--Friday, May 18th
I was reading a book before coming to Africa called "Revolution in World Missions." I had hoped it would help me to understand better my role in missions and the importance of my
participation, but as I read more and more, I did not get that understanding. Largely, it was about how the work of evangelism is being placed more and more into the hands of the nationals so that Africans are preaching to Africans, Asians to Asians, etc. A bad feeling came over me as I began to feel that my only part in missions is to send money.
But now that I am here, I understand what the book was saying as I am seeing this new kind of Missions in action. The Coppedges and Rinehimers are not here in Africa to get more converts as is the impression given from "lifers" who stay to lead the church themselves. They are here to raise up pastors among the congregations to be trained in the developed theology of the universal church. If the church is all to be one body, it is essential for people like the Coppedges and Rinehimers and for short-term missions teams to keep the local churches all over the world on the same page. In this New kind of Missions, short-termers may very well have an even more vital role than before (I strongly encourage you to take the opportunity if you ever have one).
I thought about all this after our last time with the Bible school when the pastors thanked us for the time we invested in teaching the children and teaching them to teach the children themselves: "Children's ministry is unstable because it begins and it stops when we have materials and when we do not have them. But I see your methods of teaching and you do not use any materials and it makes me think 'that is how we should be teaching our children.' What you have done this week can continue without stopping because we can do this without materials."
participation, but as I read more and more, I did not get that understanding. Largely, it was about how the work of evangelism is being placed more and more into the hands of the nationals so that Africans are preaching to Africans, Asians to Asians, etc. A bad feeling came over me as I began to feel that my only part in missions is to send money.But now that I am here, I understand what the book was saying as I am seeing this new kind of Missions in action. The Coppedges and Rinehimers are not here in Africa to get more converts as is the impression given from "lifers" who stay to lead the church themselves. They are here to raise up pastors among the congregations to be trained in the developed theology of the universal church. If the church is all to be one body, it is essential for people like the Coppedges and Rinehimers and for short-term missions teams to keep the local churches all over the world on the same page. In this New kind of Missions, short-termers may very well have an even more vital role than before (I strongly encourage you to take the opportunity if you ever have one).
I thought about all this after our last time with the Bible school when the pastors thanked us for the time we invested in teaching the children and teaching them to teach the children themselves: "Children's ministry is unstable because it begins and it stops when we have materials and when we do not have them. But I see your methods of teaching and you do not use any materials and it makes me think 'that is how we should be teaching our children.' What you have done this week can continue without stopping because we can do this without materials."
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