Fred's Journey: September 2012

Here is my journal from our Uganda trip. I apologize for not posting this sooner. I had intended to make daily blog posts but most days our internet connectivity was either not good or it was late at night and I was very tired. Anyway, here it is. I hope you enjoy it and will see how God blesses those who are faithful to Him. Blessings!

Fred

Friday, August 10

I departed for Uganda from the Lexington airport at 2:30 pm. My flight would take me first through Detroit, then on to Amsterdam, and finally to Entebbe, Uganda. It would be a total of almost 24 hours of travel time. I arrived in Entebbe at 10:30 pm Uganda time. We had one team member, Terri Roche, whose flight was cancelled and she will not be able to fly out until on Saturday.

Saturday, August 11

Arrived in Entebbe and was picked up by Tabitha and our bus driver James. We got our bags, loaded up the bus, and headed for our hotel. When we got to the hotel, we checked into our rooms and then ate some dinner at the hotel restaurant. I finally got into bed at about 2 am.

Sunday, August 12

We got up early and went to a church NW of Kampala and about 2 hours travel time in a very rural and mountainous region. This church received LLJ training by the Omega church from Kampala. This is exactly what we wanted them to do after we trained them last fall. Several church members testified about the LLJ Encounter and how they were using these principles in their lives. The church was packed and had probably 150 or so adults and lots of kids, maybe another 100 or so. Their service was from 9:30 am to 2 pm. Randy preached and was provided an interpreter. I was very touched by the children singing songs and praising God. The people thanked us for bringing LLJ to Uganda and they appreciated us being with them for worship services. We ate lunch with them. In fact, we were somewhat uncomfortable in that they brought plates of food for us to eat before the rest of the people had been served. To me, this just reinforced the idea of top-down leaders who stand “above” the people they lead. It was a long trip back to Kampala and we all were very tired and still not recovered from our long flight on Friday and Saturday. That evening, I went to the airport with Tabitha to pick up Terri Roche and bring her back to the hotel.

Monday, August 13

Today we traveled to Gulu. The first half of the trip was over very good roads. However, the second half was over some of the worst roads that I have ever ridden on. It may have been better to not have any pavement and to have only dirt roads? On the way to Gulu we were passed by the President of Uganda’s motorcade. The farther we traveled north the more primitive things got. We did notice that the terrain in the north is fairly flat with only a few rolling hills. It looks a lot like Texas or Oklahoma and the soil seems to be dark and rich. It looks like it would be good farming country, yet it remains largely uncultivated? After a 5 ½ hour ride, we finally got to our hotel in Gulu. The hotel was once the headquarters of the British Army and it did look like a military compound. We later found out that several US troops who are training and advising the Ugandan military were staying at the hotel.

Once we got to Gulu, we checked in, ate lunch, and then went to the church. That afternoon we did a VBS for about 250 kids and later that night we would do the first half of an Encounter. The VBS went fairly well even though we didn’t get much time to prepare. Randy and I facilitated the Encounter that evening. The church building was rather small, had a mud floor, no windows or doors, and the roof was tin and had a lot of holes in it. They did not have any electricity but they did have a generator and a sound system. We got started at around 6:30 PM and would go to about 9 or so. The Encounter started well and the people seemed very interested. We did have an interpreter and that slowed things down quite a bit. They really got into the Jesus/Pilate video on a contrast of influence. Things went well until it got dark. They didn’t have any lights. We couldn’t even see our notes nor could the people see to take notes in their books. We took a break and they finally found an extension cord that had a light plug on one end and they hooked it up for us. We left that evening hoping things would be better tomorrow evening.

Tuesday, August 14

Tuesday was not a very good day. The VBS had way too many kids. It seemed that the Pastor had told the kids to all bring a friend with them and the number of kids doubled from the previous day. It was very chaotic but our VBS team did the best they could and got through it. The Encounter, scheduled for the afternoon, got off to a very late start. We eventually started an hour late with only 5 or 6 people. Eventually, they showed up and we had about 150 or so. Not long after we began a tremendous thunder storm hit us. The generator went down. The roof leaked and rain blew in the windows. Water was everywhere. We got through it and finished at about 5:30 pm. Then, the Pastor lectured us for 30 minutes or so in front of the people about the short notice that he had in preparing for us. Not once did he thank us for coming, doing the VBS, or teaching his people about leadership, or anything. It was a terrible experience to say the least and very embarrassing. I guess it was his way of saving face with his people. This would not be the last time that we received some negative feedback from some of the pastors due to the lack of coordination and planning on the part of Tabitha our Ugandan host.

Wednesday, August 15

After breakfast, we checked out of the hotel and headed for Lira. Even though it was only about 90 miles away, it took us over four hours to get to Lira. The road was even worse than the road we traveled to get to Gulu. Our driver told us that the big pot holes in the road were caused by artillery and mortar shells that had been fired during the years of war and rebellion that had plagued the northern region of the country over a 20 year period. Once we arrived at Lira, we checked into the hotel and then visited the church and school where on Thursday we would hold a VBS and Encounter. The church was supposed to furnish our VBS team with 10-15 volunteers and limit the number of kids to no more than 200. We asked the church to have the volunteers show up the evening before the VBS so that we could inform them of what our plan was and coordinate with them. None of them came this evening. It would be an indication of what would take place the next day. Luke and his son Jamin joined up with our team in Lira that evening.

Thursday, August 16

We arrived at the church and school at 9 am and began to set up. Debbie and Luke would be facilitating the Encounter at the church and our VBS team would be conducting the VBS across the street at the school. Soon after our VBS team arrived things began to go south. Instead of 200 kids that we expected approximately 450 kids showed up and we had NO volunteers from the church to help out. Our VBS team only consisted of Terri, Charisa and James. They were overwhelmed. We tried to get some help from some of the women who were at the Encounter but no one else came to help. Our folks did the best they could and mainly played games with the kids. The Encounter, however, went really well. We had around 200 participants. Needless to say, our VBS team was totally stressed out after that day.

In coordination with Stone Kyambadde (Tabitha’s husband), we conducted our first soccer camp today in Lira. They had approximately 400 kids attend the half-day soccer training camp. Stone is a former soccer star for the Ugandan National team and now runs a ministry in Kampala that takes in orphans and helps them get a good education and skills they need to get a job. Stone is also a trainer with the Stephen Covey organization and teaches all over the world.

Friday, August 17

We left Lira this morning enroute to the city of Mbale. We would be doing the first half of an Encounter this evening in the nearby city of Palissa and then a VBS and the remainder of the Encounter on Saturday. Randy and I would travel on with Pastor Daniel to Iganga where we would do an Encounter with one of his churches on Saturday. The rest of our team would stay overnight at a really nice hotel in Mbale. After the experience of Gulu and Lira the team was somewhat discouraged. Saturday would pick up our spirits considerably. Praise God!

That evening, Randy and I checked into the Mums hotel and Iganga and had dinner with Pastor Daniel. What a visionary! He discussed his vision and plan for developing leaders and planting churches in the various villages around Iganga that did not have a church. Pastor Daniel gets it! He sees that too many well meaning do-gooders have made the Ugandan people reliant on outside aid and unable or unwilling to help themselves. His motto is “don’t give me a fish; give me a hook so I can catch my own fish”. It is truly refreshing to talk with someone who understands that if the Ugandan people are to be lifted out of poverty that they will have to do it themselves.

Saturday, August 18

Today, Randy and I facilitated an Encounter for approximately 100 business and professional people from Iganga. Debbie and Luke completed their Encounter and the VBS team held their VBS in Palissa. Overall, we had a very good day and a positive experience. Both Encounters and the VBS were well supported by the church leaders. Things were very well organized and for the most part the “right” people attended. It was a very encouraging experience for us and we all felt that the people who attended really got something out of our teaching. It was an awesome feeling! That evening the rest of our team joined Randy and I at the Mums hotel in Iganga. We had a very good dinner (even though it took them about 90 minutes to prepare our food) and we rejoiced and shared our positive experiences with one another.

Tabitha, our Ugandan host, became ill today and decided to return to Kampala. We later found out that she had come down with malaria. So, until we returned to Kampala we would be on our own.

Sunday, August 19

We attended two (2) church services this morning. Randy spoke at the first one and then Luke spoke at the second. Both gave very good sermons and we had a very good morning of praise and worship. The first church that we attended was in the city of Iganga. This church uses a combination of a tin overhang that is attached to the side of a building and a large circus-type tent for their services. The place was packed with almost 300 people. This church has about 1000 members and conducts three services each Sunday morning. The second church we attended is located a few miles outside of Iganga in a small village. The church building had mud floors, a tin roof, and clap board walls. There were about 75 or so people in attendance. This was a church that had just started in January. They planted it on their own with no outside funds from the US or Europe. After this second worship service, we visited a third church that recently just had started up a few months before. They meet in a make shift building of wooden supports covered by blue tarps. They already have 50 or so members! Amazing! Again, they started this church without any outside support or money. It proves that the “locals” can do this by themselves. It just takes leaders who have a vision and passion for reaching the lost.

After church, we ate lunch, rested a few hours and then prepared for our pastor/ministry leader training courses, Encounters and VBS that would take place on Monday and Tuesday.

Monday, August 20

This morning we led a Pastor/ministry leader training program at Pastor Daniel’s church in Iganga. Luke taught on “Becoming a leader worth following” and I taught a lesson on “Making disciples like Jesus did”. Randy preached during a lunch hour session. We had lunch at Pastor Julius’ home. We also conducted a VBS at a local school. Debbie and I led the first half of an Encounter that evening from 4-7 pm. Not sure how much they got out of it?

Tuesday, August 21

In the morning, Luke and Randy finished the Pastor/ministry leader for Pastor Daniel’s church. Randy taught on “Emotionally Healthy Churches” and Luke taught on “The Barnabus factor – the Power of Encouragement”. During lunch, Luke preached on “Cat and Dog theology”. It was a great session and was well received. We also had lunch again at Pastor Julius’ home. We even had ice cream! Debbie and I finished the second half of our Encounter workshop. The people’s participation and response was awesome and totally unexpected. After the first night, we doubted whether they were getting anything we were trying to teach. But, after tonight, we saw that they really understood the principles of servant leadership we were teaching them. A truly great and inspiring session; they really got into the Unconditional love activity and the Shoe shining exercise at the conclusion. You could really feel the love of God in the room as they shined each other’s shoes and hugged each other. After we finished, Betty, one of the women from the church that owns and operates a private school, had us over for dinner. Betty runs a private Christian school for about 200 kids and does so without any outside financial support.

Wednesday, August 22

This morning we left Iganga for Kampala. Dave woke up very sick. Randy believed that he has malaria so on our way to visit the “Source of the Nile” we stopped at a medical clinic in Jinja to get him checked out. Sure enough, Dave has malaria! He will have to take four shots (1 per day) over the next four days. He is a very sick puppy right now!

We then visited the Nile River and the team, less me, took a boat ride. There was NO way that I was going to ride in one of those old leaky boats on a river as swift as the Nile! They had a good time and made it back with no problems. I waited on them at the café on the river. We then boarded the bus and went back to Jinja to eat lunch and for me to find a bank to get us some more money out of an ATM machine. We ate lunch at the Source Café. The food was great! This café is part of a ministry started by the Church of Christ. They use the profits to fund development projects to help Ugandans start their own businesses. The complex includes the café, a church, internet café, library, and craft shop. After lunch we traveled on to our hotel in Kampala.

This evening Randy, Luke, and I went to the “Fire Center” church in the community of Ntinda which is located in northern Kampala to do the first half of a mini-Encounter that would take place over two nights. Just as we were getting started, the power went out. We were in total darkness. The church leaders took over and began singing songs and worshipping. They did this for about 30-40 minutes while they worked to hook up a generator. They finally got it to work and Randy and Luke taught for a little over an hour before they had to quit at 9 pm. This turned out to be a long, hard day.

Thursday, August 23

Today, we have a VBS at the Omega church, Randy and Luke will travel two hours (one way) to Nansana for the first day of an Encounter, and in the evening Debbie and I will finish up at Ntinda. When Terri and James came back to the hotel from the VBS they were very sick. So, I took them to a local medical clinic. James has a head cold and Terri is suffering from exhaustion. The Doctor told her to get some bed rest. Not much chance of that happening? Debbie and I went to Ntinda and even though we started a little later than we wanted things at first went really well. But, about halfway through the power went out again! Debbie was teaching and it seemed not to phase her one bit! She was amazing! She couldn’t even see her notes but she continued on and finished up. We packed up in the dark and James our bus driver took us back to the hotel. Randy and Luke got back to the hotel at about 10 pm. Another tiring and long day is over.

Friday, August 24

Today was supposed to be a day of rest for me in that I was not scheduled to teach. However, I once again had to go to the bank, get some more money, pay some of our bills, and balance the checkbook. Also, I came down this morning with a really bad head cold and decided to go to the doctor and get some medicine. I did get a few hours of rest in the afternoon, but still feel pretty bad. Today, the VBS team went to Ntinda and Randy and Luke went back to Nansana to finish up their Encounter. The VBS went great and Terri, Charisa, and James were glad that they made it through their last one of the trip. They would have Saturday off to rest and recover. Again, Randy and Luke would get back very late from Nansana.

Saturday, August 25

This morning Debbie, Dave, James, and I traveled to Entebbe to do a one-day Encounter. We had only 26 participants and about 10 or so were ones who had attended last fall’s Encounter. It was very good to see our friends Jeff, Ivan, David, and Martin. What a joyful reunion! Best of all, we had a great discussion with these leaders to develop a plan to go deeper and develop leaders who will take the LLJ message to others and eventually handoff the teaching of LLJ to them. On our way back to Kampala, we stopped by to visit Ivan’s home and family. We had a very nice visit. However, it had rained and the road leading to his home was muddy and slick. Our bus got stuck. With a little help from Ivan’s neighbors, who gave us a push, James our driver got back on the road. When we got back to Kampala we went over to Stone and Tabitha’s for dinner.

Sunday/Monday, August 26-27

Our last day in Uganda – we are all tired and ready to go home but we will miss our Ugandan friends. It has been such a joy to share the LLJ message with them and to know how much they love the Lord and are eager to serve him.

This morning we went to the Watoto Church in downtown Kampala for their worship service. The place was packed and what a service! This is the largest church in Uganda. They have around 25-30 thousand members and eight satellite campuses around Uganda. They have five services on Sunday at their Kampala campus. After church we went to the Women’s market and did some souvenir hunting. We then returned to the hotel, vacated our rooms, changed clothes for the trip back home, and went to a restaurant called “The Lawns” for a final team lunch. Great time and very good food! After lunch, Musa took Luke and Jamin to the airport and the rest of the team went to see a play that was put on by the Watoto church at Uganda’s National Theater. After the play was over we headed for the airport and the trip back home.

Our flight was on time and we departed at 11:30 pm for Amsterdam. Once we got there we all split up and traveled back through various cities to our homes. I was sure glad to see Michelle when I finally arrived in Lexington at 2:45 pm on Monday, August 27^th after nearly 24 hours of travel.

It is good to be home. I truly feel blessed by God for having had the experiences of the last 17 days. I have worked with a great group of people and have met so many wonderful Christian men and women who really want to make a difference for Jesus in their country. I have learned so much, both by our successes and by our mistakes, and will use these lessons to work with Randy, Debbie, Luke and others to rework our strategy and develop a more sustainable approach that will better equip leaders who will carry the message and equip other leaders as Jesus equipped and released his disciples to carry on long after he left them. Thank you Lord, for the great experiences we have had and for allowing me to play a small role in what you are doing around the world.

Fred's Journey

Friday, September 28, 2012

Tweet from LeadLikeJesus (@LeadLikeJesus)

Sunday, September 23, 2012

Tweet from John C Maxwell (@JohnCMaxwell)

Thursday, September 20, 2012

Hang in there and never give up!

Tuesday, September 18, 2012

Tweet from Winston Quotes (@WinstonQuotes)

Sunday, September 9, 2012

@RickWarren, 9/9/12 12:16 AM

Thursday, September 6, 2012

@RickWarren, 9/6/12 2:50 PM

@BillHybels, 9/5/12 7:52 AM

Tuesday, September 4, 2012

Uganda Journal 2012

	LeadLikeJesus (@LeadLikeJesus)
9/26/12, 4:32 PM A vision is an ongoing, evolving, hopeful look into the future that stirs the hearts & minds of people. #LeadLikeJesus

	John C Maxwell (@JohnCMaxwell)
9/23/12, 8:00 AM Behold the turtle. He only makes progress when he sticks his neck out. -James Bryant Conant

	Winston Quotes (@WinstonQuotes)
9/18/12 7:08 AM "An appeaser is one who feeds a crocodile, hoping it will eat him last."