Sorry to everyone that follows by email! I got the video fixed…

First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.  This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior.  1 Timothy 2:1-3

Tuesday was the first time in twelve years there was a vote for new LC 1’s. An LC is “Local Community Chairperson” and there were seats up for election (or re-election) in 60,800 villages. An LC 1 assists in maintaining law, order and security as well as receive and solve problems or disputes in villages.. There are five levels of LC’s, the highest level being LC 5 who is over an entire district.

We knew that the Chairman that was here when we came had been in office for twelve years and we just thought it was because he was well-loved, respected and had done much for the community. Now we know that he has been in office because there has been no voting for change in twelve years. I am not disputing any of the things we previously thought, truth is we don’t really know. Since we don’t always get information, or truth it is hard to know what really goes on. I do know that until the last year he has always been helpful to us, always tried to place bore holes where they were most needed to benefit the village and is a very friendly man. About a year ago we thought they were going to vote and heard a lot of rumblings of unhappiness with him. We now believe that was just the beginning of campaigning and wanting to oust him.

Monday night we were told that he had dropped out of the race, which was shocking for us. We talked with him last week about future plans for bore holes and there wasn’t any talk about it. We will probably never know the truth of it, we’ve heard rumors today but the one person I know tells me the truth in everything told me she didn’t have enough facts to tell me why and she wasn’t going to speculate or spread rumors. I have a lot of respect for her, rumors are always rampant here! She did tell me what happened at the polls. There were two different men to vote for, one is a Muslim, a business man that we have never met and she knows him to be a good man. The other was our former farm manager, who apparently had made a lot of promises using The Mandate’s name and then couldn’t make them happen. To the community he proved himself a liar and has brought shame on himself since leaving us. As my friend and “little sister” said “Pride will always be a person’s undoing”. And she is right. Christian and I cried today when we heard the things that happened at the voting. He was like a son to us and over the past two years we have done everything a parent and friend could do to set him on the right path. But he let pride and other influences rule. Even up to two weeks ago, we tried again to give him another chance and let him work on a job for us, which caused all kinds of trouble for us but he still couldn’t stop himself from the pride and building himself up. Then when he realized he was in trouble for saying too many things he couldn’t get us to do it was too late. We believe in second chances, in his case third and fourth chances but we can’t let one person bring down all that we have tried to do here. We say “he brought it on himself” but we say it with great sorrow. We know he had bad influences but he also had wise counsel and he made his own choice of which to listen to.

Because many of the people in our village don’t have national ID’s the Electoral Commission representatives had both candidates stand and then whoever was voting for each made a line behind the candidate they wanted to be Chairman and the representatives counted the people in each line. It was said that the line for the farmer went from the village center almost to the main road (very long line!) but there weren’t as many in the other line – even his brothers and other family members stood in the other candidates line. When the representatives investigated, the majority were under the age of eighteen – too young to vote.  So they were sent from the line. This made them and their candidate mad and they began stoning people. My friend said she was hit with big rocks and it was awful. The police came but before they got there all of them, including our farm manager/candidate ran and hid. She said that later there were some supporters for him that came and said they realized then that he was a coward. I say all of this with great sadness. My friend said she and her family have been praying about this election and we need to keep praying for the new chairman. I told her we need to pray even for the other candidate, he also needs many prayers.

“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. Matthew 5:43-45

I don’t know where we go from here, we hope to meet the new Chairman soon. Our current farm manager and good friend has been the Vice Chairperson for many years and I was afraid that her position might be up in the air with the new Chairman. It worried me so much that I walked down to her house to talk with her and found out that there was a vote last week among just the women of the village and a new Vice Chairperson was voted in. When the ladies asked for the day off to go and vote for a new woman leader we weren’t told that was the position Jenifer held. (See how we are left in the dark so much of the time?!) She said she was excited because it is her best friend and that she nominated her. She is an advisor to her now. With the other, we are pretty sure that just as we were used in promises we will be used in excuses for failure but we will survive that too. God is in control of it all and we pray that this new man can bring peace and growth to our community. And we pray for Bakali, that God will change his heart and help him see the error of his ways. God will forgive him, we forgive him, we love him and if he repents and truly means it we will be there for him.

All you prayer warriors keep our village lifted up and join us in prayer for the new leader. He will need it, all leaders need it. As I told my friend, even if we don’t like who our leader is, we are still to pray for them. Governing and leading others is a heavy burden, especially to good men. I printed out a list for her with specific things we can pray for the new Chairman.

And as always, pray for each other.

And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”  Acts 4:12

Christian and I have many many conversations about what it will take to reach people who are so entrenched in their culture, the mix of western religions that have passed through for so many years and believe that it is okay to mix them all together? He has taught Bible study and I have taught the children for over two years now, teaching that it all comes down to the relationship you have with Jesus and only Jesus. And still we get questions about worshipping spirits, lying and actions not lining up with words. We have watched growth in the two women who claim to be Christian and try very hard to learn the Bible, learn how to live the Christian life, yet because of their culture they struggle in so many areas. We spend a lot of time with them, know their hearts and that they love Jesus in earnest. But then they will ask a question that is so contrary to what we try to live and teach, it just shows us that not only is it a struggle for us but how much more the struggle is for those who truly want to follow Christ but don’t know how to separate the gospel from the culture and rituals that are all they’ve ever known. They believe they are born Muslim and can become Christians but not turn away from all that was taught before. And most really don’t know what Islam really is any more than they understand what Christianity is.

Ancestral worship is believing in the spirits of the dead. It is founded on the belief that the dead live on and are able to influence the lives of later generations. These ancestors can assert their powers by blessing or cursing, and their worship is inspired by both respect and fear. Many believe, and questions have been asked in Bible study about it, that ancestors can be reincarnated in their descendants. This practice used to be only in secret, shrines were hidden and the practice wasn’t known to neighbors. But over the years it has become widespread. People openly visit shrines to seek healing power from the spirits. Traditional healers today openly advertise their services to the public. What are called “traditional healers” were what used to be called witch doctors. There are shrines being put up in more and more places.

 There shall not be found among you anyone who burns his son or his daughter as an offering, anyone who practices divination or tells fortunes or interprets omens, or a sorcerer or a charmer or a medium or a necromancer or one who inquires of the dead,  for whoever does these things is an abomination to the Lord. And because of these abominations the Lord your God is driving them out before you. Deut. 18:10-12

It has been said that at least two out of ten Ugandans believe in witchcraft, sacrifice and ancestral guidance. But a survey that was done by the US organization Pew Research Center also showed Uganda is one of the most religious countries in the world. Many people will tell you Uganda is a Christian nation – the survey said nearly nine out of ten people say religion (Christianity or Islam) plays a key role in their lives. Their survey says Uganda ranks 15th in Africa and 20th worldwide in the “most religious” tables. But it also says Uganda takes 2nd spot in East Africa and 11th in Africa in the worship of evil spirits, sacrifices and believing in traditional religious healers. There have been higher numbers of child (and even adult) sacrifices each year, especially around election times.

So, when you look at all of these factors, and that they view Christianity, Islam and traditional religion as all options that can be mixed together, you can understand what we face everyday when trying to witness about Jesus as Savior. If you wear the garments for Islam you are a Muslim, if you go to church and have a Bible you are Christian but you were born a Muslim so you mix a little from here and a little from there. If you aren’t getting the results you want from either of those, you can still go to the traditional religious leader for quicker results (or so they believe).

Even though we teach and talk about how you cannot use “but that’s how we Africans are” to validate cheating, lying, stealing and disrespect, we still have questions over and over about people who come to church but then go out and lie and steal. We get questions even from the few that we believe are saved about worshipping angels and reincarnation. It astonishes us all the more when we see such growth at one time and then questions like worshipping angels comes up. The longer we live here the more we learn but it is so slow it feels like we really don’t know anything. I am reading “African Christian Ethics” and the author states that failure to understand African traditional beliefs is the source of many failures to understand African ethical problems and to suggest appropriate solutions in the light of Holy Scripture. It explains a lot about how culture and traditions in Africa defines morals and ethics and how hard that is to change without really knowing what is believed, what has been taught and passed down from generation to generations. We are challenged in learning the traditions specific to our community in that  we only have a couple people that can translate and many times they don’t actually translate but tell us what they think we want to hear. It is hard to find out life stories and what people really think or truth about their lives when every word is put through the filter of “Watch what we say or the Mzungus and the money might disappear”. We ask ourselves and each other so many times “What will it take to reach them?”. That there is a separation from what God’s word says and what other religions say? That you can’t live contrary to what God’s Word says even if you have to stand alone. I spent two weeks teaching the children about salvation – that it isn’t just saying words, coming to Church on Sundays and believing that makes  you saved. That it isn’t just about what you say or do but that you accept Jesus into your hearts and only the Holy Spirit can help you to live for Christ. You can’t do good things and be a good girl or boy and get into heaven without confessing Jesus as your savior. As soon as I was done, my interpreter, who I believe is saved and tries her best to learn God’s Word so that she can live for Him only – tells them that (to sum it all up) if they do good works, be the best they can be, never do bad things like lying, stealing, cheating – then God will let them through the gates of Heaven. I was astonished that after all I said, that is how she took it. Is it just in the translation, was she trying to put it in a way she thought they would understand – is that where the problem lies? Or is it that the truth is just so hard for them to understand in the culture in which they live. In America, contrary to what the media and politicians want people to believe, our nation was founded on God and our values were a result of that. When you come to a culture that doesn’t have that you see the huge difference. I don’t know. Some days I feel like a total failure and don’t know what else to do. But when I pray and meditate on His Word He reminds me that it isn’t up to me to give up, to decide I am failing if I know that I am doing what He has for me to do. I have to ultimately leave it to Him, teach them that in Christ other powers are nothing, be ready when one wakes up to the truth, when He has stirred their heart to His truth and do the best we can to make disciples and help them grow in Christ.

Ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he:before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me. I, even I, am the LORD; and beside me there is no savior. Isaiah 43:10-11

I put together some of the video clips I took. I loved seeing all the different times with the children, the joyful singing with our workers but I think my favorite part is where John is helping the children with their crafts and trying to figure out what they were telling him and their reactions! Again, thank you all for the love, joy and encouragement you gave and are still giving to us!

Your love has given me great joy and encouragement,because you, brother, have refreshed the hearts of the Lord’s people. Philemon 1:7

Just a warning – this post has A LOT of pictures! Some are mine, some are from others who were on the trip but there are hundreds more out there. I tried to pick enough to show all the different things the group got to see and do.

This group was the first big group we’ve had – eighteen in total. I was so nervous in the time leading up to them coming. Would we have enough for them to do? Too much for them to do? My biggest fear was that they would be disappointed or bored! My prayers were always that they see God’s glory here, the beauty of Uganda and it’s people and experience a taste of the life we live. They got a big taste on the second day – the solar went out for the first time since we got it! (That’s the one thing I didn’t pray about!) And we couldn’t get in touch with the man who put it in. So the entire time they were here there was no power, no internet, no fans in the hot apartments! They got to see a little of what we experienced when we first moved here. And to see that most things (like getting it fixed quickly!) don’t come easy here. They were great about it and I am so thankful God brought such a happy, easy going group! They were such a blessing to us and those around us.

I learned a lot – it’s hard to cook for that many people! But I see things I can do differently for the next time to make things a little easier on me and the group. I learned that you can make real connections in a short amount of time. I got to see some things through their eyes that in the daily, sometimes stressful life here I had forgotten.

They got to see some of the daily life of the people in our community – some made bricks and I think found it’s harder than the guys make it look! I know it’s harder than I first thought it would be. Some worked on a latrine for the school across the way. I think it was hard for them because of the distraction of beautiful little children! They learned that there is always an audience with everything we do! I am so thankful for the women that helped me in my first endeavor with the Hope For Girls project. And the children – they are the biggest part of our life here. They spent a day at OVU school with the kids. I know OVU has over four hundred students! Then we had kids day here with two schools – I would estimate four to five hundred students were on our grounds that day. I was very skeptical when I was told they would do crafts at each place but it worked out very well and the kids loved it. I think they lucked out because one school here came after the crafts were over! And as always EVERYONE loves Mr. Donny’s magic! They are all still talking about it and I get asked frequently if I know his secrets. I tell them I know only one but I am sworn to secrecy by the magicians code! They think that is funny.

¹Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. Colossians 3:12-14

I am so thankful for the sacrifices of time, money and separation from their families. I think that each of them took away a different perspective and were able to see and understand how blessed they are in their lives. I thank God for them and pray that the desire to help others that they felt here will grow everyday, not just for Africa but all around them. The scripture above makes me think above all else about this group, there was so much compassion, kindness and patience. I know that they didn’t all know each other well before they came but an experience like this will bind many different personalities forever and I think they had to have unity to get along in close quarters! I pray that they visit again, I can tell you four days isn’t enough, for us or for them! But even in that short time we were able to have meaningful talks with some of them. We don’t often get to have conversations with people who have things in common so it was a great blessing! We had praise and worship and a different person had a devotion each night, sharing this time with our workers and families. The last two nights we had it outside and I think I liked that more than in the building. The last night was a crazy one! I still don’t know who started the dancing with chairs on their heads but there was so much joy! Our workers and friends got to sing and show off for the visitors and they took full advantage of it!

I think our first time hosting such a big group was a success even with the challenges and definitely will make me better prepared for the next group that comes, and to better prepare them for life here! We have been here long enough that we have forgotten how important and how hard the little things can be, like keeping mosquito nets closed ALL of the time! We laughed a little at some things but then remembered we were once them and it wasn’t funny when we were learning about life here!

I am working on putting some of the videos I have together for another post. Hope you enjoy the pictures as much as we have!

And thank you Celebration Church for the joy you brought us and this little village in Uganda!

Making bricks!

I think this and the other boda pics are my favorite!

I love you Morgan – a girl after my own heart!

Morgan and Kitty. Kitty, you are a tough woman, sickness didn’t slow you down!

Working on the latrine

Getting ready to teach the girls!

The children loved having visitors!

He had four fighting to hold his hand!

The football teams!

Being silly with my sisters!

Making bricks

We had a great time in America, so happy to see family and friends but sad that as busy as we were we didn’t get to see everyone we would have liked to. We visited churches to talk about our life here in Uganda. Since coming back we have been quite busy! We are preparing for a pretty big group from America that are coming soon, that’s exciting and a little nerve-wracking! First time hosting that many people and praying they will see just a small part of our life, and daily life of our community. We plan on keeping them busy with construction, learning how to make bricks, entertaining children and educating girls about puberty. All in four days! Pray for us all!

I have been preparing The Mandate Newsletter so over the next week I will be posting some of those stories to update you on what is going on here. You can always go to themandate.com to check out what The Mandate does to help alleviate poverty and sign up for the newsletter.

Preaching the Gospel.

“Till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine.”
1 Timothy 4:13

We have seen God’s hand on our ministry mightily moving the past two months. Many youth are giving their lives to Jesus Christ. We have seen Him adding people hungry to study His word on Sunday mornings, and this month we added a preaching service on Sunday evenings. Last Sunday there were 65 people – over half were men. Some of the men that have just started attending study or preaching are muslim and are not accustomed to worshipping side by side with women so it has been a great encouragement to see them and hear them ask deep meaningful questions about God, His Word and His Son. We have also been seeing growth in some of the people who have been attending for a long time.

Every week Christian has been going to the men’s prison near us. There are three hundred sixty men imprisoned there and about half have attended for the message. Christian spent some time with the warden and had opportunity to answer some of his questions about verses in the Bible. Many of the men have no-one to visit them and a lot of them have had very little education. There are requests for soap and toiletries but also books and pens for a literacy program they offer. If the men don’t have anyone to help them with the cost, they aren’t able to participate. There are also many requests for Bibles. We are thankful we are able to help and bless them with some of these material things, but mostly that we are able to minister the Word of God.

The newsletter will be going out in the next week so if you’d like to receive it there is a newsletter sign up here themandate.com at the bottom of the page.

There are many requests for Bibles in our village and in the prison. We would love for you to partner with us in donating a Bible – the cost of one Bible is $10. I would like to make them personal so if you would like, we can inscribe your name and/or a short word of encouragement/scripture inside of the Bible. Together we are making a difference.

To learn more or donate to the Bible fund biblesforbusowobi

As we get ready to go back to the States for a visit, many have asked us if we are happy and excited to go “home”. I am happy to be able to see family and friends we haven’t seen in two years and seven months! But for us it is a visit, we are home and the thought of leaving home for six weeks has brought tremendous stress and anxiety for me. You think about leaving your home for six weeks and you will understand. I pray that those we are coming to visit can be patient and understand that just as we had to get used to the culture here, it will be in reverse when we go back. We have learned a new way of life, have different routines here. Life is much slower here than in America and living in a third world country is so different.. There is a different president since we left and as we can watch from afar, we see so many changes in America. So yes, I’m excited but also anxious! The first part will be the hardest, happy to see loved ones but feeling overwhelmed and bombarded – dealing with jet lag (we will travel close to thirty hours) and time change. There is a seven to eight hour difference so getting used to it at first will be hard. And then we will have to do it all again when we get back! This is our time of the year to have a break and relax and all of the visiting with family and friends will be joyful but tiring so I pray everyone will understand that the last part of our trip will just be for us three. To have quiet and rest and be refreshed and ready to come back with a new outlook and strength.

We went to visit our kids today, we haven’t seen them since taking them to school. I have worried about them adjusting and missed them so much. There’s a hole in Sunday School now where Naomi used to be. I didn’t realize until I saw her just how much I missed her. She came running as soon as she saw the car and it didn’t take long for the rest of them to come to us. Plus about fifty other students! They were all just finishing morning break and porridge so we got to talk with them before they went back to class. The first pictures was my attempt to only get our five – but as you can see I didn’t succeed! The next thing I know all kids dropped to their knees and there was quiet. The bell had rung and everyone got back up and went to class. The head master called our kids over so that we could have a few minutes with just them. They say they are adjusting well, they like their classes. The only problem they are having with the older three is that they can’t read. It is sad, but very few schools out in the villages teach reading. They learn everything by rote and memorization. There are no textbooks. And if they are taught to read it is English or Luganda but they speak Lusoga. It is quite confusing.

The two little ones had no stockings on, one didn’t have shoestrings – they were “lost” and they had lost their key to their metal locker that they keep their things in. Apparently there was a matron that was maybe not able to keep up with the little ones. We were told there is a new matron. Their stockings may be in there, but Jenifer warned them and us that they have to keep everything locked up because if not, everything will be stolen. We were prepared for that since they have never been away to school. So, I brought back a small list of things they need and Jenifer will take it to them (along with the spare keys we kept!) on Saturday.

The first thing the girls said to me was the school was having their party on Saturday, are we going to be there. Children that board stay for approximately two and a half months a term/three terms. Most parents don’t see them until holidays or on visitation day – which is Saturday. They come to visit and bring the kids food and candy and such. So I know they didn’t want to be left out not having family there. I had to break the news that we wouldn’t be there and I could see their happy expressions just fall. But I told them Jenifer is cooking for them and going to brings all kinds of good stuff and spend the day with them and they were happy again! We brought them cookies, fruit, juice and pocket money for the cantina today. We also told Jenifer that she needs to tell their father to go visit. He promised us he would go visit the first week but has not. I doubt he ever does. It’s shameful to just send your children away and not even know if they are taken care of or being abused. He knows nothing except our reputation so he I’m sure he is just relieved they are not his responsibility. Not that he felt that way when they were here, or do much to contribute to them. He was mostly living with his other wives and leaving five small children to fend for themselves.

God is good, all the time and I am thankful everyday that he brought them into our lives. That they have grown healthier, happier and now with the opportunity given them will gain knowledge. Not just reading and writing but also they are in a Christian community where they will learn everyday about Jesus – not just on Sunday! I believe with all my heart that God’s mission for us here is the children all around us. I believe that having relationship and teaching them God’s ways at a young age will give them a chance for a better life, a chance to change their community and eventually bring change to a country. What we put into our hearts and minds is what will come out so everyday I ask God for opportunities to love one more child!

Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it. Proverbs 22:6

The past two weeks have been back to school around here. Banks are full of people paying school fees, town is packed with people buying supplies and taxi’s full of people and stuff hurrying to take kids back to school. Our children were given a great opportunity from the school that our organization helps to support. The offer was to board the three children we have been supporting into their school. We’ve been asked previously but I had been hesitant to take the older girls away and leave the young ones to fend for themselves. This year there is one more starting school, our friend at the school didn’t know there were actually seven children but only five that live here, the look on his face was a little shock because he was counting on supporting three! We told him that there were four ready for school, and a little one around 4. We worked it out so that the three are paid for by them and we will support the two little ones. Cost wise it will work out about the same or less than what we spend in a year for schooling, clothing and food. But the opportunity for these kids to have supervision, love, and a great education is awesome. We are so thankful to OVU for the offer and thankful that the father let them go. The kids were beyond excited!

Because the kids have not had education on the level of the new school they could not pass the interview examinations for their grades. So each one will be put back a couple of grades. The main problem is they don’t know English and the school teaches, speaks and reads in English. All government schools are supposed to teach the kids English but don’t. They don’t even really know how to read in their own language. We were so worried about how they would feel about being put back – Phiona is fourteen and will be put back to a grade that will have more ten year olds. But, because of the problem of parents abilities to pay school fees and kids starting later and missing a lot of school it is very common to find twenty year olds still in secondary school. We went and talked to our friend who counseled them and said they are okay with it, they are so happy to be there.

The youngest one is a handful! He has never been in school, he hasn’t had a mother that he remembers. The older kids are very well behaved and the father told us that is due to their mother’s upbringing. But the little one – he’s a mess! When we went back a couple days after taking them, Raelee went to play on the playground when all the little ones were at recess. We didn’t pay attention that all the kids had gone back to their classes, except for little man. He was still out on the playground with Raelee! I had to shoo him back to class.

Of course, I cried. I have been Mama to them for over two years, especially the younger girl. I’ve held her when she was sick and crying. Fed them, tried to watch out for them. I am going to miss them so much, but I am so thankful especially for the girls that they will be in a safe, loving christian environment. And, we can go visit them as much as we want to. We pray every day that with this opportunity they will have a chance at a better life!