August 2009

Final Exams!

Dressed for the morning coldness of the high hills of Chihe, the adult literacy class students laboriously threaded their way up the steep paths to the church on top of the hill where they had been learning to read and write and do a little arithmetic. For three days a week, about 1 ½ hours per day, they had come and now two years later, they would be tested on how well they had learned. Some came with babies tied to their backs. Some came barefoot. All came with a determination to show what they had learned.

This scene is taking place throughout this week as I give tests to each of our nine literacy classes. For me it means getting up early, climbing the same steep paths they have to climb and being there by 7:30 a.m. to monitor the tests. No matter where in the world someone is taking a test, it seems that the same nervousness is always present for the students. Some stood before me to read, their paper literally shaking in their hands. It is a good feeling to know that most have mastered the art of reading and writing. They are also more knowledgeable about doing simple figures so that they are not cheated.

Over the next little while we will have a “graduation” for the advanced learners. This will probably take place over a series of Sundays so that others can witness the students receiving their achievement certificates. Hopefully this will encourage other adults who have never learned to read to come to the next classes starting in the new year. All those who pass will be given a free Bible in their language, thanks to Waterloo Pentecostal Assembly.

Rufumbira Grammar Book Finished!

After working for a year on writing a comprehensive grammar book in the Rufumbira language, I am happy to say IT IS FINISHED! I have to admit it is a relief to come to the end of

this project after working so long on it. This book is now in the hands of five reviewers–a retired bishop, three teachers and a business man. In another week or two we shall all meet together and discuss any changes needed and then I will make the corrections and drive the long road to Kampala to get it published.

There has already been a lot of positive feedback about this book. Up until now teachers have had no resource book to help them teach their own language. In fact, most are unaware of the rules of their language. They know how to speak it very well but why they say what they do they have no idea!

It has been a real challenge for me but has been very beneficial as well because the next task I want to undertake is to write a primer for new adult classes which we hope to start in a few months. The present primer is very difficult. Before I could write this first reading book, I had to discover the rules of the grammar and where words should be divided. Many people here have a tendency to write several words together as one word because their teachers have never had any systematic resource book to show them the right way.

Pray:

 that my language helper, Rev. Canon Muruta, will have a successful cataract operation on Friday and be able to return to Kisoro without too much delay in order to meet with the reviewers

 that the rains come as expected in mid August because the abnormally long dry spell has resulted in starvation for people in the northern areas and crop failure across the country

 that I find the right publisher for the grammar book

 that I get a much needed rest next month when I take holidays!

 that I find the right people in a couple of months to help me write not only a Rufumbira primer but also a pre and post-primer in the Rufumbira language

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May 19, 2009

What it is really like – The Inside Story

From time to time missionaries get the question “What is it really like on the mission field? How is your day different than ours in Canada? Newsletters often tell only the “spiritual” side of the story. Here is the everyday nitty gritty tale of absurd frustrations!

A few weeks ago I was asked to preach at a village church. Being too occupied with my language work, I asked for a rain check but said I would drive the person substituting for me who happened to be Pastor Jolly. Sunday we left Kisoro driving only a few kilometres and as usual I had to leave the car on the side of the road and we walked for about five minutes to the church. It was a new group and they were just beginning to set up the skeleton of their building. A few poles had been erected in a rectangle shape to hold up the wooden framework of the roof which was only about half covered with iron sheets. One directly over the platform area had already been pulled off by the wind. A number of backless benches served for the congregation. We on the imaginary “platform” had wooden chairs. A small table graced the centre serving as altar/podium, covered with a bright yellow cotton cloth.

The service had barely started when ominous dark clouds rolled in and rain started to fall. The rain made a beeline for that hole in the roof and gave us visitors a good shower! Gusts of wind blew through the wall less church. The tablecloth went flying and I grabbed it to use as a covering to keep off the rain. Most people had shawls of some sort or sweaters. I had nothing but the cloth helped a bit. Soon all the congregation were huddling together under the part of the shelter that was roofed. Talk about close fellowship! But still the rain swept in the sides. The pastor directed me to a bench that was a little bit dry. A child had no place to sit so I wrapped my arm and bright yellow cloth around both of us trying to keep us dry. I glanced down at him and saw that he was wearing a great big smile. He had a muzungu (white woman) protecting him from the rain!

The beating of the rain on the metal roof was so loud the service couldn’t continue so everyone began to sing. For half an hour they sang until the rain abated somewhat. Then Pastor Jolly and I moved back to the front. I returned the now rather damp cloth to its rightful place and the service continued. At the end it was still sprinkling so Pastor and I sprinted for the car. For the first time in two years, I put the heater on as we waited for the other pastor to join us. What a delicious feeling it was to have the warm air blowing on us. Both of us were shivering and quite wet. When the pastor of the church finally came, he handed us an envelope for our lunch since they had not prepared anything.

Off we went to Graceland Motel in Kosoro which offers relatively good food. However, after more than half an hour of waiting Pastor Jolly received her food but my order still hadn’t come. She finished her meal and I was still waiting. By this time an hour had gone by. I am not only hungry but also annoyed by now. What was the problem? Well there were no potatoes peeled for fries and the cook was just going to start! I told him thanks, but no thanks and we left. I consoled myself with a popcorn lunch at home.

Cooking for most people here is on charcoal but in my kitchen I have gas-not the gas that is piped in but cylinders which you have to buy. I realized my bottle was soon going to run out so one day I went in town to get another. Sorry, they no longer sell bottles here. You have to go to Kabale. To go there and come back takes 5 hours just of travelling time. What to do. I needed cooking gas.

One Friday I decided to go and get the necessary cylinder. The rough trip through the high hills is sometimes nerve racking, especially if the clouds have descended and you have to drive through them. It’s like driving in fog but there are sheer drop-offs with no guard rails. In any case, I made the trip safely and returned with a gas cylinder so that I could continue to cook.

Next day someone said, “You have an odd license plate.” That’s when I realized that part of the plate was missing. It must have broken off on the bumpy road to Kabale. I discovered I needed to go to the police to make out a report for a damaged licence plate. When I handed in my brief report, the officer said, “You write like a man!” I asked “What do you mean?” He showed me the way women’s reports were usually printed and men wrote longhand. I realized that here women have less opportunity to continue in school than men and so some had not yet mastered writing before having to leave school.

Now I needed a new licence plate. And do you think that is available in Kisoro? No way! They can only be purchased in Kampala, a gruelling 9-10 hour trip one way. Sigh. In any case, I had also broken the arm of my glasses and had to resort to scotch tape to temporarily mend them. And where could I get those fixed? Kampala of course. So I made the arrangements to go Easter Monday thinking it would take about 3-4 days to complete my mission. I could take my computer and get some work done while there. I cannot remember what the process is for getting licence plates in Canada but it must be easier than here! Early Tuesday morning I took off the damaged plate, hired someone to take me to the licence place and show me the ropes.

First of all fill out the forms in triplicate. Of course you are not given carbon paper so you fill them out three times. Then you go to one line and hand in the forms and the damaged plate. We are told we don’t need the police report but we attach it anyway. You are then shown another line to go for assessment as to how much you will pay. From there you go to the bank. Horrors! There are a lot of people in the bank and only two lines. We choose the one that has about 20 people ahead of us. Half an hour later we go back to the licence office to show we have paid. They tell us to come back on Friday for the results.

I am hoping to be able to go back on Saturday but at this point I am not sure it will happen. Friday afternoon we go back to the licence place and check our status. My application for a new plate has been rejected!! And it is rejected because I did not hand in the other plate which “assumes the plate was stolen” and therefore I need to have an original police report and an advertisement in the paper presumably stating that my licence was stolen. I am fuming at this point. The other plate was not damaged and is still on my car! By this time it is too late to go get it and return.

Early Saturday we set off again with the back licence plate which is totally OK so I don’t know why I am supposed to hand it in. Upon handing it in, smiles abound and no I don’t need a police report nor an advertisement in the paper but sorry the woman processing the next step isn’t in until Monday. I tell the Guesthouse that I have to stay longer than planned but can’t give them a date when I will leave. Monday dawns bright and hot as usual in Kampala. The right person is at her desk but there is a problem. I haven’t paid the correct amount. The assessment was wrong and I still owe about $3.00. It was their mistake but in any case I have to go back to the bank to pay the balance. Happily, there is no line-up.

That done, we go back to the office where we are told we still have to wait another hour-I can’t figure out why. A suggestion was made to go directly to the licence issuing place where the plates are actually made. We go there and explain our problem that I need to get these plates and get back to Kisoro. By this time I have absolutely no faith that we will get the plates. I pay the fee for the actual plates (the other payment was just for the processing) and after waiting only about 5 minutes, they hand over a duplicate set of my licence plates! I can hardly believe it. This is day eight to get something that took only 5 minutes to prepare! Nevertheless I am delighted but we still have to return to the original office to complete the paperwork and FINALLY we are finished.

The next day I drive the long journey back to Kisoro by myself as my passenger had already left a few days before. Nine days to get new licence plates!!! As I near Kisoro and wind through the high hills, I glimpse the Virunga Mountains. The day is very clear and I can see all the way into the Congo. I feel very grateful that I live in Kisoro and not hot Kampala. But there are disadvantages-like having no washing machine and here I am returning with a pile of dirty clothes.

Despite all the humbug of getting new licence plates, I am very thankful I have my own vehicle. I would not like to have to travel as many do on buses which are very dangerous. Uganda has the second highest road fatality record in the world. Thank God and all you people who helped to buy me a vehicle. Love ya!!

 I meant to get this newsletter out last week but for the past five days we have had no telephone or internet service. I went in town to try an internet café that had a satellite connection. No way. It seems they had not paid their bills and had been disconnected. There was another café in town so I thought I would try there. After waiting five minutes and the connection was still trying to go through I gave up and went back home. When things get to frustrating I work in my vegetable garden or on my flowers around my house (below). Yesterday our network was restored so things are looking up.

Despite the frustrations and inconveniences, I know I am where I am supposed to be and little by little, though not as fast as I would like, I am making progress on writing the Rufumbira grammar book. I met someone a few days ago who is ready to buy it to gain insights about his own language. Continue to pray that this book will be completed in the next few months so that I can write the Rufumbira primer needed for our adult literacy classes. Not only this book but others must be written as well. There are still problems with establishing an orthography that all agree on. Yikes! Our power just went.

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December 19, 2008

Triumph Over Witchcraft

This is a story which will stretch the imagination of those living in the western world where next to nothing is known about witchcraft. It is the story of a man called Edward who was born into a home controlled by evil spirits. His parents worshipped demons. As a young child his parents presented him to the spirits as an offering. For what purpose? To serve like a lightning rod. He was to draw any evil to himself rather than to the rest of the family.

When he became a man, he married. In the years that followed, his wife delivered five times but none of the babies lived more than a month. They had no sickness. It was the evil spirits that caused their deaths.

Then a sixth child was born and it caused great amazement. The day it was born it started talking!! But the voice coming from the child was the voice of a man. It spoke at length about all their ancestors. The newborn spoke for a day and a half astounding everyone in the community. But when the voice stopped speaking through the baby, the baby died. After the death of that child, the spirits often took Edward in the night to the forest where he would stay for at least a week before suddenly returning home.

Meanwhile, among the people who had heard the infant speak, there had been some Christians. They told Pastor Jolly what was happening. She and a prayer group of four others went to see Edward’s wife. They shared about Jesus and the wife decided to accept Christ as her Saviour. She began attending church and was there for about six months when the husband started acting different than before. He was no longer being carried by the spirits into the forest. Now instead the spirits would take him to the top of the house where he looked down at people, not with the face of a man but with the face of a four year old. He would stay up there for a day and a night.

The Christians started praying with Edward’s wife. After the church prayed and fasted, Edward came to see Pastor Jolly at her house. She welcomed him. He told her he was coming to be saved. As soon as she prayed for him the demons started manifesting and he rolled and screamed on the floor. She ran to call others to battle in prayer with her because she thought that his violent actions would lead to his death. That whole day he stayed with her and then she sent for his wife to come for him.

When they reached home, the demons took him to the forest again. The church fasted, and after seven days Edward came back to the pastor. They went to the church where they stayed a good two days before he was totally delivered from the evil spirits. That was ten years ago. Today he and his wife are fine Christians. They have four children who are in good health. Edward has recently helped me with yard work in my new home.

Jesus said he came to set the captives free. Edward is a living testimony of that truth. The problem here in Uganda is that this story of witchcraft is not an isolated incident. I mentioned in previous newsletters about other children being dedicated to Satan. Some have been freed and are serving God faithfully. Others still roam the streets dressed in weird, dirty clothes and carry strange paraphernalia. Last Sunday one of them threw books and others things through the door during service time.

Recently, a schoolgirl came to see Pastor Jolly in her small shop. Before long the girl was rolling on the ground, salvia coming from her mouth. She was totally out of control and had to be taken to the hospital for an injection to calm her down. Pastor found out later that she had a history for the past three years of having problems at exam time. Someone had witched her. She could write certain exams but whenever she tried to write her general exams the spirits would overpower her and she would be unable to do the work.

There is obviously a lot I have yet to learn about the reality of the spirit world here. I think we all need to get down on our knees and thank God that we were never dedicated to the devil as a baby. We need to thank God for the power of the gospel and deliverance over evil. We need to dedicate our children to the Lord and expect God to take an active interest in that child who has been offered to him.

Pray for all those bound by Satan and for Christians to move in the power of the Spirit to set them free.

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October 31, 2008

Using What You Have in Hand

Recently I was invited to a village church to preach. There was no building. The people were meeting outside under a tin roof shelter with mats strung up on one side and leaves closing in the other sides. This young church amazingly had an electronic keyboard and one loudspeaker. I am always surprised at how ingenious people are when they don’t have the means to do things in the normal way. They simply stood a wooden bench vertically and set the speaker on top of the bench leg!

I do sometimes get a little nervous preaching because I don’t consider myself a preacher but with the help of an interpreter I spoke about limiting God. At the conclusion of the service one young man came forward to become a Christian and one old man came forward also because he always had doubts about his salvation. That day they were removed, PTL.

I’ve mentioned in a previous newsletter how a number of churches use an old hoe (minus the handle) and a bicycle tool to strike a clear bell-like sound to accompany the music. Others use an empty cooking oil tin, perforated now with many holes and filled with stones. This becomes a shaker and keeps everyone on the same beat. Discarded things transformed into something useful.

All over Africa people rush to pick up what we would normally throw away. I remember in Liberia when I gave a widow a dozen empty jars that I was going to pitch. She took them to the local market and sold them, then later told me how the money kept her going for the rest of the month!

Here in Kisoro many people do not have water piped into their homes. They have to walk daily to one of the town water pumps to fill their plastic jerry cans and then lug them home. I was amused when I saw one person who had a jerry can full of water but she lacked the cap to close it. She simply found a hard green banana and shoved it into the opening!

Last week I saw another amazing thing. A Canadian Wycliffe member came with some Ugandan nationals to give a seminar at the church. He showed us a very ordinary carpenter’s saw that anybody might own. Then he proceeded to draw a violin bow across the jagged teeth of the saw producing a beautiful melody. Each hymn was totally recognizable-played on a saw! That such an ordinary thing can be put to such an extraordinary use is a lesson for all of us. We, who feel we are totally ordinary, in the hands of God, can be used to bring praise to Him if we get off the shelf and let Him use us.

Another Earthquake

I wrote in January that I had experienced my first earthquake. Well a few weeks ago another earthquake struck about 40 kilometres away. It shook me awake out of a deep sleep at 3:00 a.m. This time I instantly recognized that it was an earthquake tremor. After a few more seconds of shaking, everything returned to normal. Since I was now awake I got up and went to the bathroom but was really surprised at how disoriented I felt. I was glad to lie down again. Although many people said their houses really shook this time, no damage occurred.

Praise Report

After searching for more than a month I finally found a new home. Thank God that task is over. Moving day is still at least a week away since it is a brand new house which needs some finishing touches yet. Everything looks pretty bare with no grass but once I scatter a few flowers around, plant my vegetable garden etc. the place should start looking like home. The outside of the house is painted “tangerine”. It sits on a hill so is quite visible but it does have a wall all around for which I am very thankful.

Prayer Request

A pastor I highly respect was very worried a few days ago. He had had a vision of me and my pickup. In the vision, thieves stole the pickup and left me unconscious. Many people are fasting and praying that what the devil means for evil, God will change to something good. There is a reason why God shares visions with his people. It is a warning to pray to avert danger. Pray with me that any intended evil will be thwarted.