Reminiscing

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.

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.

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."

Salvation Message--Friday, May 18th

Last night I started to feel sick. Mike and I were in charge of the next day's Bible School. Maybe I was tired, maybe the bumpy car rides aren't as exciting as they used to seem, maybe the food just wasn't setting right. Whatever it was, I knew it was not just sickness. I didn't want to say I was feeling bad and with every passing second, I got frustrated more and more with my team members, with the lesson plan, with myself. There was more to this than sickness and tiredness. I was in charge of the lesson about Jesus and Mike was in charge of the games and other activities. Satan was getting into my head and using my sickness as a means to frustrate me against my friends and against my confidence in the message I was speaking to these children. I prayed about it and talked to Mike and Justin about the stories for the next day as I cast everyone to play different people in Jesus' life.

Originally, our Jesus skit was going to be far more serious than the past couple days had been since we were talking about His death and resurrection. Then we got the idea to compile several shorter skits to encompass Jesus' birth (picture), his temptation in the desert, the story of Zacchaeus and the woman caught in sin, as well as the Triumphal entry and his death and resurrection. This allowed us to have some fun with some of the skits and be more serious in other parts. I told the stories through a translator and the other nine guys acted them out beside me. Maybe its because we are white that we are able to hold their attention so well, but they really listened to everything we said about God's love for us, his determination and his passion to seek us out and deliver us. They laughed a lot (Billy told us not to worry because laughter is how they express all emotion) and were very still when we got to his death.

"Jesus loves you so much that he came here seeking us. He loves you so much that he went through every kind of suffering for you. He only wants us to love and seek him the same way and to love others the same way. When we accept his love and love others the same way, he will take us to heaven just as he came here."

I'll have more about Friday tomorrow...

Written on their Hearts--Thursday, May 17th

I didn't actually write a journal on Thursday; either because of exhaustion or lack of motivation
but certainly not because of a deficit of material to write about. Even as I look back on the journals as I am rewriting them, I realize so many important and influencing events and observations of each day are left out. Some of them I leave out intentionally for personal reasons, but others I tell people about but for some reason never actually wrote about them (one reason to make sure you ask me more instead of only reading about it).

Bible School was generally structured that we would start off singing Lugbara songs, we would teach them American songs, and then we might or might not go back to singing their songs (all of the singing taking about half an hour or so; sometimes more, sometimes less). We would perform some sort of skit about a Bible Character in simple terms and in ways they could remember them and remember the application of them. we'd break off into 3-4 groups and retell the story, this time with a form of application and a memory verse. All this was done in English and translated by one of our volunteer translators. Finally, we would alter between games and quiz time. Quiz was a time when anyone could stand and say "Quiz" and after the whole group would respond "Quiz" to signify their attentiveness, they would ask a question, either about the story, about the Bible as a whole, or about other books of the Bible (This was all in English, since it is the language of education, and sometimes translated to Lugbara for the younger kids). I was stunned how much these kids have memorized (they have to when they don't have many bibles around) and how sadly they put a lot of us to shame--and we were mostly ministry students who have memorized a lot! I decided to try to start memorizing Scripture more (and I encourage you to do so as well) after seeing how easily I remembered these verses just after repeating them so often with the children. These are the verses we used: partly so you can see how the week progressed, but also so you can memorize them as well--don't worry, most of them are real easy, just repeat them out loud frequently.

Monday: character: Noah
verse: "I have placed my rainbow in the clouds. It is a sign of my permanent promise to you and to all the world." Genesis 9:13
Tuesday: character: Joshua
verse:"Shout! for the Lord has given you the city." Joshua 6:16
Wednesday: character: David
verse: "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" Philippians 4:13
Thursday: character: Daniel
verse: "God rescues and he saves." Daniel 6:27
Friday: character: Jesus
verse: "God so loved the world that he gave his only son, so whoever believes in him will not perish but have eternal life." John 3:16

Coming Light--Wednesday, May 16th

We had a time of worship and sang:

I can see a light that is coming for the hear that holds on
And there will be an end to these troubles but until that day comes
Still I will praise you
Still I will praise you

I really felt in my heart that there is a light coming into Africa. You can already see the glow of it as you can the sun before sunrise. Keep praying for Billy and Joanna Coppedge (below), for John and Erika Rinehimer (right) and for our family of believers there in Africa and all over the world.

More Lugbara from Edemara:
Mengone-how are you
Meimouke-I'm fine
Meingongwa-Where have you been
Gongwa ____-I came from ____
Mi iru'a di'ia-What is your name
Ma ru'a ____-My name is ____
I'esu le'ama-Jesus loves me
I'esu le'ami-Jesus loves you

Lugbara and other Lessons--Tuesday, May 15th

Erika started us off with a devotional that we all needed to hear. Mostly because I know from talking with some of the guys that most of us really feel like we are more of a burden to our hosts than a blessing. She told us how we have been a blessing to her in the ways we hadn't realized.

I don't remember what lead to it, but I realized as we debriefed over lunch how easy it is to become apathetic. So often I feel I need to read Scripture more often or that I need to spend more time in prayer or that I need to fast more or any number of good things. In actuality, I (we) need more to be more passionate about seeking God as if seeking a marriage or a friendship--and those are merely the means of doing so.

Bible School today was successful, but probably only by the grace of God. The memory verse was a huge hit and they learned it emphatically and easily: "Shout, for the Lord has given you the city" Joshua 6:16. However, we did not plan as well and there were many points of us not knowing what to do.

I met today a boy named Edemara- Kennedy (green shirt); Edemara being his birth name and Kennedy being his Christian name. Everyone is named like this--it is more noticeable with Children because unlike the adults, they are not used to introducing themselves by their Christian name (for the sake of remembering more easily) and so they introduce themselves by both names. Edemara was one boy I had a closer relationship with from the Bible School. Every day he would come find me and try to teach me Lugbara phrases--I turned out to be a poor student, but even though he was very excited to teach me, he wasn't the best teacher either as he mercilessly spouted off long sentences for me very quickly and expected me to repeat them exactly. It was difficult but very rewarding. Every time we learned a new phrase, the children got more and more excited to be able to use their native language with us.

Amamane Druzzi (I will see you tomorrow)

Real Experience--Monday, May 14th

Our first day of Bible School. I was not excited about started, I don't know really why but I am never very confident about how children and people will respond to me. Looking back on this morning though, I realize how silly that was. I don't want them to respond to me at all, but to the love of Christ we show. It breaks my heart how they responded to us on this first day. White people are such a rarity, I can't help but think they are responding to us as they do just because we are white. But I can't let my thoughts be that negative, we all have to stay focused on showing Christ to these boys and girls and not let ourselves get caught up in thinking about how and why they are responding to us.

Billy and John sent us on a sort of scavenger hunt around the city of Arua to help us get acquainted with the town. We met a guy named Bernard, who took off from his job to help show us around the market. A surprise to both us and him, he actually knew John from selling groceries to him. Riding a "boda" and bargaining a price was part of it. Bodas are the Arua equivalent of a taxi--a bike with a "seat" for a single passenger (pictured left). I really didn't feel comfortable with it and I really tried to avoid the task as much as possible. "really, we can probably just walk," I told the guys I was with. Come to find out, just about all of them shared my feelings about the Boda but like me, didn't want to blatantly say it. I ended up bargaining a price for our ride across town to an old church and come to find out, I did a really good job and got a better price for a farther distance than Billy had expected us to get. Not to mention it was far cooler than I had expected and we all found ourselves wanting to do it again later. And besides...those guys are FAST.

A Big Circle--Sunday, May 13th

We went to a church at the university for service and I was stunned at how liturgical
it was. We read creeds and prayers and took communion. All-in-all, I think the service lasted a little over two hours, not to mention another hour of greeting people and being welcomed (we were referred to all the time as "the visitors" with a clearly articulated "t") and of talking to the children who were amazed to see so many of us "whites" (wuzungu--the plural Swahili term).

After shaking a million hands of both children and adults, we went to the football field where we would host a sort of Vacation Bible School for the same children who so warmly greeted us just moments before. Along the way we got to meet Judah and Leviticus (Levy) who would be leading the music for the children during the week (pictured at right with John Rinehimer). Followed by a mass of curious children we arrived at the field to pray with the pastors and teachers from the university for the ministry that would take place on that ground in the coming week. Many of the children joined hands with us as we prayed making the circle very large. I would not doubt it was the largest prayer circle I have ever been a part of. I could feel the distance that stood between myself and some of the people on the other side. I could hear their prayers as if they stood beside me. I could feel the bond of the circle, the unbroken ring of joined hands, of heat being transfered and received, of faith in the ministry at the university and of the church.

Heavenly Father, you love all people equally and sent your son for the sake of your love for each and every person. I see here a circle of people of different ages, languages and cultures and it is a very large circle. But there is a much bigger circle of people from every church in every country, I pray the children and everyone else would not only see the differences in the way we look, the way we speak, and in many ways the way we act, I pray they would see that Jesus was sent and died for all of us the same and see the love that sent him, the same love that holds us all together in the bigger circle, the same love that has brought us here.

Unexpected Answer--Saturday May 12th

This morning was our final day at the game park. We ate breakfast and ferried across the Nile River again explore and then exit out of the other side of the park. We half-kiddingly prayed to see a leopard and a lion because it was our last chance and because Billy and John had never seen one either. We prayed it but we didn't actually expect such a direct answer to such a request. After meeting an experienced guide, Emmanuel, the day before on the Nile and talking to him later, he gave us a tip on where to find the lions and then agreed to lead us there with his group.

On our way down an overgrown and forgotten trail, the car ahead of us came to an unexpected stop. On alert, we all turned our heads in the direction of the pointing fingers just in time to see a leopard leap down from a tree and be lost in the high grass of the African plains. We didn't have time even to get our camera's out, so we only got a single snapshot from behind as it was facing away from us. Billy was set on seeing it again so we stayed behind when everyone else drove on and we ended up losing Emmanuel.

We drove up just a bit to catch up with John and stopped for a devotional looking at Ananias, the man who prayed over and healed Saul (Paul). Emmanuel came back for us only a few minutes later saying they found a lion, so we jumped up on top of the cars to head over. Unlike the other animals we saw, she (it was a female lion) harldy needed the protection of a herd and lay on the ground alone relaxed and with her head high, looking so regal and elegant. When she wandered off, we decided (foolishly) to leave the safety of the trail in pursuit. John said before getting in the car that he hadn't ever seen a male lion, ever. That changed when we closed in on the female to find the male laying in the shade of some nearby trees. We got stupidly close to it, we were easily in pouncing distance from him and we were on top of the car, but it was worth it to see a lion right there in its own environment.

We left the park shortly after lunch and arrived in Arua that night to meet Joel and Alfred (the guards), Erika and Joanna (the wives) and Jeannie (the volunteer)

Shallow--Friday, May 11th

We went on a Safari today, led by our new friends John and Billy. The outing was partly to have a lot of fun, but also for all of us to get to know one another and for Billy and John to give us an orientation training to the culture of Uganda, their work there and what our work was going to be.

We saw everything from Hippos, crocodiles, elephants, giraffes, dick-dicks, water buffalo, water bucks, bush bucks, impalas, kobs, lizards, and all kinds of birds. We rode through the park on top of the trucks and even took a boat ride up and down the Nile to see the bottom end of the massive Merchison Falls and see all kinds of wildlife. It felt to be a true experience of Africa and we all (shamefully) sang theme songs from the Lion King throughout the entire day. It was beautiful to see the endless landscape unimpeded by a window and unlimited by the frame of a camera. But as exciting as it all was, I can't help but feel restless for something more and I can't help but feel even all this beauty but a shallow taste of Africa when there is so much yet to do and so many people who are untouched: are they not a part of Africa also?

Tomorrow we meet Arua.

A Hope for the Future--Thursday, May 10th (continued)

"So HOW can I help these people? Anything I give them does not move them to progress, but to dependence, and when they are content on their own, dependence is the opposite of progress. Even if they aren't content, dependence opposes progress. So what do I do now that I am on the other side of this world? How can I not waste the little time I have with them? How can I see Africa develop? By giving them something eternal. I can help them understand the love of Christ and the love of the Church in his name--the love that has sent me here. I can help them understand their part in the church."

The people I am seeing outside my window can hardly be helped by the little money I have with me, they could hardly be made anything but dependent with the wealth of our nation. But if we and the people, the church we represent can give them a hope for the future-a vision of God's plan-then maybe those that stay after us can move them to progress.

We met a man named Charles the other night when we arrived at Entebbe. He was our escort to the hotel. After the formalities of introducing ourselves and how we are doing, the very first thing he asked us was "are you saved?" Immediately, I felt like we had a connection with him. It was encouraging to meet someone so soon and to really feel like he (on the other side of the world) and I (from so far away) were a part of the same body of believers. As we talked to him, he told us that he was raised a Muslim and that his parents were still of that faith. Intrigued and excited we asked what brought the change in him. "Muslim has no future," he told us.

I don't fully know what he meant by that, but it is interesting that it is the Christians who brought and are still bringing education and technology to Africa. More than that, though Christianity is a progressive kind of love and a progressive concern for the well-being of the whole. It is not mere peace as many other religions profess. Christianity transcends mere peace to seek an active love. At least that is what it teaches, whether many of us, whether I live it out is debatable.

"I know the plans I have for you," says the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you; Plans to give you a hope for the future."

Jeremiah 29:11

Trent

The Other Side of the World--Thursday, May 10th

The Entebbe Flight Hotel served as our accomodations until we could get to Arua (an 8 hour drive) in the north of the country with the help of our Missionary friends. These friends we are "visiting" still have a sort of ominous presence as none of us have seen them or met them or spoken to them. We know they exist because of their blog sites and through their families. But none of us have every seen John or Bill. They paid a small bus to pick us up with our luggage and even for the hotel to provide a "sack lunch" for the road. More evidense of their existance...now we knew they must exist somewhere...somewhere close...

It was a long and bumpy road to Murchison Falls, where Billy and John were to meet us. The ten of us were still a little tired from the jetlag and time change, but even so I found it curious that no one said a word to each other. Some dozed a little, but most just gazed out the windows, watching Africa pass by our faces, watching ordinary people doing ordinary things, watching the culture unfold before us, letting Africa soak into us.

As the sights seeped into my mind and as I processed them more and more, I became more and more aware of the distance I was from Indiana, that I was truly on the other side of the world. Back in Elkhart it was about only three in the morning. Even the night owls were in bed and there was no trace of the sun. Here, it was ten in the morning and even the late risers were in full swing. Here on the other side of the world, I was looking out my window at the very same sights I've seen in video clips, on television, in photographs. All of the memories of seeing the charity videos and thinking "What can I do?" "How can I help?" came to mind and I realized "this is my chance. This is the 'what,' the 'how' I've always asked about. So what am I going to do now?"

I came to several realizations as I watched the culture unfolding outside my open window. One is that they seem to get along contentedly without my presence; after all, not one realizes that we are there until we have already sped past them. Also, they seem to truly understand the temporary nature of material. When something does not last forever, they don't get angry, they fix it and move on with life.

So HOW can I help these people? Anything I give them does not move them to progress, but to dependence, and when they are content on their own, dependence is the opposite of progress. Even if they aren't content, dependence opposes progress. So what do I do now that I am on the other side of this world? How can I not waste the little time I have with them? How can I see Africa develop? By giving them something eternal. I can help them understand the love of Christ and the love of the Church in his name--the love that has sent me here. I can help them understand their part in the church.

More to come...

Trent

A Good Apple

It wasn't until I bit into this apple I am having for lunch that I realized there are no apples in Arua. At least not that I ever saw. It is a good apple. So as it turned out, there was internet access, but it was very limited since it runs off the cell phone towers. Imagine if you will, internet at the speed of dial-up with the reliability of cell phones 15 years ago. It cut out, wouldn't load, and stalled very frequently. I myself never even tried it, but the family we stayed with told us the dilemma.

As promised, I will begin to update the blog now with excerpts from my journals and any additional comments I have now looking back. In the mean time, you should know that God is working in Africa. Amidst all the bad things that are happening, great things are happening as well. Hope is rising and knowledge is rising. Thanks for your flexibility.

Trent

Getting started

As I prepare to leave for Arua, Uganda on what will be my first time going overseas (and my first time seeing the ocean!) I've been asking myself a lot of questions. I ask myself why I am going, what I hope to accomplish there, what is going to be the difference when I come back, whether I going to re-assimilate to Goshen life and go back to the way things always were, or whether I am going to let this experience infect me to the very core and if so, I wonder in what way I will be different and how I hope to see people respond to that change.

Excited and nervous at the same time, I don't really know how to feel or expect. I have great expectations though, about the impact that will be made: on the community in Arua, in me personally, and here as you and others hear about how lives are being changed by a God who seeks to renew a people that have long been abused and forgotten. I'm praying for the Church in America, for my family, for my friends, and for anyone else who hears or reads my accounts of this experience: not that people would be saddened or feel pity, but that we can get excited about developing a passion and understanding of the global Church. I'm praying that the church in Africa and the church in America both would feel the bond of unity between the two locations and be reminded that the church is more than a building and a denomination and sound teaching, it is the unity all of us share who call ourselves "Christians," the unity that allows us to be aware of more than each other's needs: to be aware of each other's humanity, the image of God that is instilled in all of us, the sacrifice of Christ for the forgiveness of all of us, and the work of the Spirit to renew and unite all of us. I'm praying for my team and myself for that same understanding of the church to be more than "head-knowledge" and be in our hearts, evident in our actions and our attitudes. Please join me in these prayers.

I don't know how often I will be able to update it while I'm in Africa because I don't know how available the internet is, I don't know how energetic I will be and I don't know that I'll have time to update. I will be journaling with an old fashioned pen-and-paper though, and I will post those journals and pictures I take when I get back if not while I'm there.

Trent