STRANDED IN MBALE

Fred writes:  Sorry to have been AWOL for a day - we've been a little sidetracked.  We decided to take a day off from the bodas on Friday because after three days of tearing up what they call roads over here Heather and I were experiencing some serious chafing in the . . . umm . . . well . . . shall we say, "seat department."  Another day on the motorcycles and we would have needed some awkward bandaging.  So we left for Mbale (mmm - bali) to visit a Christian school established by Pastor Alfred who also works as The Way Home's construction supervisor.  The mission's minivan had experienced some coolant loss problems recently but was thought to have been OK.  I was a little suspicious, though, and watched the engine temperature gauge closely from the  back seat.  About 40 km out from the compound the gauge suddenly went from normal to the peg at the top of the scale so we pulled over and discovered the radiator was empty.  Fortunately we had taken two cases of drinking water along with us and were able to fill it back up. We traveled on to Mbale where Pastor Alfred took us to his mechanic.  You know that thing about first impressions?  Yep.  Keep reading.  Three hours later we were  back on the road and visited the school.   It's amazing what God is doing through Alfred's efforts in a heavily Muslim area.  Since we were already almost there anyway, after leaving the school we headed up the mountain to visit Sipi Falls.  Still don't know what they look like.  Half way up the mountain the temperature gauge pegged again.  The repair made in Mbale was somewhat insufficient.  Turns out they basically tried to glue the leaks closed.  After several more stops to refill the radiator we found our way back to Mbale where we holed up in a hotel for the night.

The next morning Alfred took the van to a different mechanic who was recommended by a professional driver he knows.  First estimate was "mid-morning," then "mid-day," then "later on," then "45 more minutes."  We called Alfred after about two more hours had passed and they were "almost done."  We finally left as it was getting dark and returned to the guesthouse about 9:30 p.m.

We had big plans for the last 48 hours.  Seems that God's plans for us were different.   While we were disappointed to not get to see the falls, had to spend money to stay in a hotel, and spent ALL DAY sitting next to a beautiful swimming pool we couldn't use because we didn't have swim suits (always keep one in the glove box, I guess), we still had a great day.  We were forced to slow down and engage in deep conversation and experience some real community together that we would have completely missed if not for a broken car and a totally incompetent mechanic.  God protected us every step of the way and led us to a place we wouldn't have wanted to miss.  Soli Deo Gloria.

Director Russ, Pastor Alfred and one smokin' hot Toyota

The pool we couldn't swim in  Looked all over for one of those "No Swim Suits After Dark" signs  but couldn't find one.

ON THE ROAD AGAIN (sing it like Willie Nelson)

Fred writes:  Third day on the road today.  Began with a beautiful sunrise - see  below - and then we saddled up and rode about 1-1/2 hr. to our first stop.  Really out there but the ride was beautiful.  Tim Johnson rode with us, too.  We stopped at only eight granny homes today because of the remote locations.  We saw some beautiful babies today but were saddened to see that they were all wearing witchcraft bracelets.  Even those who convert to Christianity often maintain their previous practices of black magic and ancestor worship.  It's really hard to see that knowing that they will never know the abundant life in Christ unless they can be led away from the old practices.  Many of the Christian pastors here are uneducated and preach a gospel that isn't really the Gospel.  More on what The Way Home Africa is working on to help with that later.

We saw some beautiful gardens today - we were really impressed at one stop where there are three grannies in immediate proximity to each other and they have teamed up to do some major power-gardening.  Many hands make light work.  Their gardens produce a very abundant harvest and they not only feed their grandchildren, but also can sell enough excess to pay for all of their school fees.  This concept really works when it's applied and worked hard at.

As we visited some gardens that are a few years old it was really neat to see how the soil develops over time using the Farming God's Way method.  The soil here is naturally a gritty red clay.  It is not particularly fertile and is even hard on farming implements due to the angular abrasive nature of the grit in it.  The Farming God's Way method of using planting holes instead of tilling the soil, covering the garden with mulch to retain moisture and minimize soil compaction, and returning the spent plants to the soil results in a rich, dark topsoil after only a couple growing seasons.  It was very cool to see that the neighbors of the grannies being served by The Way Home Africa / Farming God's Way partnership are taking notice and beginning to employ the same methods themselves.  This is really a game changer for the folks over here.

We had a little excitement on the way  back this afternoon.  The rainy season is moving in and we were doing our best to skirt a big thunderstorm but just a couple miles from home base we were nailed by a pretty nasty hail storm and had to pull off in a small town and take shelter under a canopy with a large group of local men.  They looked at us like we're freaks but nobody bothered us.  We often wave to people as we blast down the back roads and they wave back, give us a big grin and yell "mzungu!".  The Ugandan people are very friendly and helpful.

This morning's sunrise

Upon my trusty steed

Witchcraft bracelets

Tim J. with Pastor Simon and driver Jeffrey

Uh oh, Jason

Hailstorm

Under the canopy

OUR SECOND DAY ON THE BACKROADS

Fred writes:  We spent another day on the backroads of Uganda visiting with 13 grannies at their homes.  We observed several fine gardens being prepared for planting.  They're prepping the planting holes now and will plant the seed in another week or two when the next semi-annual rainy season begins.  We also prayed with each one that their garden would produce abundantly.  No all of them have gardens - we've met a few who are blind and one today wasn't able to get up from her mat on the floor - but some of them we've seen have been astounding.  While the grand kids are away at school the grannies work on preparing and maintaining their gardens.  The idea is that they will be able to raise enough crop to not only feed their family but also enough extra to sell so they can pay the kids' school fees.  If you can't pay, you don't go to school here.

We're learning many things about how to best to help people in other cultures work their way out of poverty.  It's so easy as westerners to want to just put together a team, write a check, and fix the problem.  We can see, though, the dependency problems that creates.  As we ride the bodas  through the little towns along the way we can hear the kids calling out for money from the mzungus.  When we pull into the villages it's like the circus just pulled into town.  People come from all around the village to see what we have brought for them.  It's encouraging to see how The Way Home Africa is working to break that cycle with the people they serve.  They're working hard to fade into the background as they train up more and more Ugandans to do the work on the ground.  They're also willing to apply tough love in situations where the recipients sit back on their hands expecting the work to be done for them.  

Well tomorrow it's back to the bush on our trusty bodas and will be joined on our journey for a day by Tim Johnson.  Please continue to pray for us and for the work of The Way Home Africa.

African Sunrise

That's me?!?

BEATING AROUND THE BUSH

Fred writes:  Today was an adventure unlike anything I've ever experienced.  We were on dirt  bikes literally beating through the African bush.  When I talk about Africa I normally hesitate to use words like "bush" and "village."  In one of my classes in Bible college we had a student from Africa and I remember her complaining that Americans all thought everybody in Africa grew up in a grass hut out in the bush.  She was from a modern city and found our presumption both ignorant and arrogant.  Well, we weren't in the city today!  We visited 17 granny homes, meeting with them, taking photos, and looking at their gardens.  We were really in the African bush.  We went down roads that weren't even roads - some of them just a path between villages.  If we had lost our leader you never would have seen Heather or me again - there was no way to know where we were or where the next turn would lead.  I'd be building our grass huts as you read this.

My being here is an incredible gift and an experience I don't want to squander on myself.  I believe God provided the means for me to be here for a reason.  Today in the solitude of my motorcycle helmet I recalled a thought from our devotions last night.  The person who shared it didn't remember where she got it so I can't cite credit but it goes like this:  "In Christian life and witness so much is lost because we are indefinite.  The devil is not worried by our pious aspirations.  He is troubled when, in obedience to God, for the glory of Christ and in the power of the Spirit, we make firm practical decisions to do specific things for the Lord."  Pious aspirations.  Ever have any of those?  To be the best wife or husband your spouse could ever dream of.  To be the dad that yours wasn't.  To get out of debt.  To save for a secure retirement.  To have deep conversations with your kids so they don't make the same mistakes you did.  To be a godly man or woman.  I've certainly had more than my share of them and many of them have ended in my being indefinite.  My prayer is that through this experience I'll move beyond pious aspirations about spreading the gospel to the poor in Africa into practical decisions to do specific things.  In obedience to God.  For the glory of Christ.  In the power of the Spirit.  

Saddle up!

Granny with some of her grandkids

Old house on the left - new house on the right

LET'S GET YOU UP TO SPEED

Fred writes:  Well we arrived on schedule, safely and without incident.  The internet has been elusive up until now so let me update our status for you so far.  We spent Sunday morning in Bulenga at Pastor Solomon's church.  When I was here two years ago the building was raw brick with a very rough platform in front.  It has since been plastered inside and out with mortar (that's considered a finished product here) and the platform has been finished.  It felt completely different than before.  He is also progressing on his new building that we helped with through our participation in Christ Followers For Change as well as having constructed a new office building for the school and reconstructed the kitchen and school store.  They're about to put the roof on the two-story office portion of the new building and are working on getting one over the big room as well.  They even extended the foundation and put a basement under the addition to use for rice storage.

We were on the road Monday, making several stops on the way to Nasuti (Heather sure has a lot of friends over here!).  We delivered Bibles to Wakisa, a crisis pregnancy home and ran many errands.  We stopped in Jinja for coffee with Tim Johnson (He's fine, Lori.  Never looked better.) and then proceeded to The Way Home Africa where we will be spending most of our two weeks here.  They just completed construction of a new on site guest house and it is going to be a wonderful place to get renewed each evening after spending the day dirt biking through the bush to visit the granny homes.  "Guest houses" are a common thing here and can be anything from a hostel to a walled compound with private accommodations.  The ones I have been in are something you pretty much just endure as part of the experience.  This one is different and is really going to be a blessing. Tomorrow, it's to the bush!

Good News Ministry Two Years Ago

Good News Ministries Today

The Mud Run Water Station In Use

Good News' New  Building

NASUTI BOUND!

Fred writes:     We're off to Nasuti, Uganda, headquarters of The Way Home Africa.  The Way Home is a ministry to widowed grannies raising their orphaned grandchilden where KCC's own Jason and Heather Osborn serve as Senior Advocates.  Heather and I will spend the next two weeks traveling the backroads of Uganda on boda boda's (more on those little gems later), taking photos and video of the 70 or so "Granny Homes" that The Way Home has already provided so we can better share the story of this critical ministry with our friends back in the US.  We'll also be visiting with Pastor Solomon in Bulenga and have hopes of laying eyes on the Village Drill that was purchased two years ago with the proceeds of the Kalamazoo Mud Run.

Please be in prayer for our safety while traveling and in-country in Uganda and for the time of our absence to pass quickly for our families - especially for Jason as he's going to be home being Mr. Mom to four kids!  Check back here often as we will attempt to post updates as close to daily as possible.  Grace & Peace.