“I never knew you could become fat like that.” Yes, this is a direct quote, and from one of my good friends, and a man none the less. But people are happy that I am now fat. At least that’s what they tell me. One of my friends even tried to stop me from walking, for fear that maybe I was walking for exercise to reduce the body size. I told her I enjoyed walking from place to place and reassured her I would do my best not to exercise too much and lose all these fats I gained in America. Ha. I am definitely not in america any more. It’s funny the way cultures are often so different and at many times quite opposite. Like take for instant being overweight. Here they were worried about me because I was looking too thin before I left and now that i’ve come back, and i think i’ve gained like 5-10lbs being in the states, they now say I’m healthy. Here being what they call fat, what we might call overweight, shows that you have enough, you are happy in life and you are not in need, which is what most people struggle to attain. So while American’s are busy paying millions at the gym and other methods of reducing weight, most Ugandans are doing their level best to increase.
Another funny opposite is skin color. Most american brides will go tanning before their wedding, and millions of people will lay out in the sun and “bake” (as Ruudy likes to call it) in an effort to become darker. And yet from here a bride is actually hidden away for days before the wedding so that she becomes lighter. And telling someone they are brown rather than black is a compliment. Everyone is looking for ways to get lighter and stay out of the sun. Most ugandans will compare their skin color with others saying, at least I’m not as dark as so and so. Always looking for someone to be lighter than.
Culture has so much influence on the way we see things and our expectations and beliefs. And too often defines our “normal”. And we have been rescued from from the domain of darkness and transferred to the kingdom of God’s beloved Son, Jesus (Col 1:13). As christians we live in a different kingdom, which means we live according to a different set of rules and in a different culture, a different normal. So no matter what culture we live in on this earth, we should not allow that culture define our “normal”.
After several months in America I really realize that I am also somehow a foreigner there, and because of my skin color among other reasons I will always be a foreigner here. And because Ruudy and I come from such different cultures our home will never be completely american or ugandan. God is really teaching us about finding our home in Him, and allowing Him to define our “normal” and allowing His kingdom to define our culture.
Whether you are white or black (or brown), or fat or skinny, or whatever, you don’t have to live feeling you are out of place or you don’t fit in because, in the kingdom of God, He delights in His children and each child is celebrated, you are celebrated. His “normal” is unconditional love and that’s the kind of normal we try to live in. Knowing His unconditional love and giving it out. Let’s let God’s kingdom culture define our normal.
Thursday, February 26, 2015
Tuesday, February 17, 2015
A stranger in my own Country!
I have heard people talk about being culture-shocked when they returned to their own countries after being away for a while but i didn't know what that meant; somethings are better experienced first hand. As most of you already know, i am ready to return back home and couldn't wait to be back; in fact sometimes i felt like the plane was being slow. We briefly got delayed in London and this was not going down well with me, i did not want my dear friend to wait for us longer than he was expecting at the airport since we were arriving late.
Finally we touched down at Entebbe and we were all happy to have made it. However, the moment i stepped out of the plane, things started changing. When we left Michigan, i had almost three layers of clothing (these included a heavy sweater and a winter coat!). It felt normal in London to have these layers but now hear, i couldn't bear the heat! I was profusely sweating one could even wonder whether i was a nervous drug smuggler or terrorist! Entebbe is supposed to be one of the cool places in Uganda but it felt like desert. The layers had to come off one after the other. After an hour's drive, we arrived at our friend's house. Even though it was a few minutes to 1am, his wife still had food for us which she warmed up and served (bless her); she had prepared chicken and boiled potatoes. The food was so delicious that i kept eating until i could almost not walk! But we couldn't sleep because it was too hot; we had to take very cold showers in the wee hours of 2am in order to catch some sleep. And even after this, we couldn't cover ourselves. It seemed as though we were being baked in a low heat oven!
The next day we started off for Jinja and i had to wear the lightest clothes possible. It felt strange driving on the "right side of the road" again. However, everything seemed strange. From the dust, to crazy traffic, to meat hanging in the Butchers; everything seemed strange. It dawned on me that slowly and surely, the American life was starting to take its toll on me; my body (without my knowledge) was adjusting to the cold and the comfort there. I was getting used to everything being organized and now here, everyone has to look through their shoulders and be alert all the time because the unexpected always suddenly happen. My wife had to adjust driving in these roads and on a few instances, we had some little scary moments. Somehow, as i thought everything through, i came to appreciate and realize that as Christians, we called into this kind of life; a life of looking though your shoulders and being alert at all times, lest you will drift away and be left behind. Sometimes we need comfort, but we also need these kind of reality checks, moments like these keep us alive and awake all the time to keep praying and be thankful. The drive to Jinja was one of the strangest days i have ever felt. Young people taking every opportunity to sell something to you in slow traffic, to someone knocking on your car window begging for alms was touching.
I did not want to eat anything until we arrived at our new house in Jinja; our home. Our teammates and "parents" had also just made it back from the States and Australia a bout 5 days before we arrived and so, they had done a lot of work preparing the place for us. We made it to a very happy welcome. The hugs were longer and the smiles affectionate. The beds were all ready and the house looked great (hopefully we will be able to furnish you with some pictures once we get everything organized and in place). It felt so good to be in our own house! This is the first time we are living just the two of us in our house since we got married. We have always had people living with us and we hope to keep it this way for sometime so that we can enjoy each other more than before. Of course we welcome short term visitors. And the privacy did help with the heat in that we have had to sometimes barely had clothes on while in our house just to stay cool a little bit from the 100 degrees heat. Imagine transitioning from below 30 to 100 and above degree whether!
Unpacking and organizing the house isn't an easy task. Beckie has been doing most of the arranging of things in places she wants them to be (i am not good at this) and slowly, we are almost there. Our team mates have been a very huge blessing to us, in fact we don't know how we could have been without them. We have been out for dinner a few times already and we all agree that we missed this place and are happy to be back.
Tomorrow we have a class of about 36 rural pastors and church leaders and we have been busy putting things up and organizing for these guys. Buying food, setting the classes and dormitories, preparing training manuals, etc. And this week, i will be teaching two classes and i could do with your prayers for wisdom and ability to do a good job, that i will teach exactly what Father wants me to pass on to His beloved children. Beckie is busy helping with organizing stuff and shopping and helping with some administrative duties. We still feel a little bit jet lagged and are in need of His freshness and grace to accomplish the task ahead.
Hopefully on Saturday after classes, we will head to Soroti to see and do some ministry there as well as see some members of our family there.
One thing i have enjoyed since coming back is being able to have longer conversations. People are always available to talk longer, even though sometimes this is at a big cost. And oh, telephone calls are not that cheap, you have to pay by the minutes you use. I particularly had a very long conversation on phone with my former Pastor (he is the only person who can make laugh until my ribs pain and usually my wife knows straight away that it's him i am talking to). The first 5-10 minutes were just laughing sessions and then the next 20-30 were laughing and talking! He is a great man of God and i look forward to seeing him next week. Now we have to plan our phone calls carefully, otherwise, we could easily end up incurring huge expenses on calls since everyone is eager to talk to us and they usually just hijack our calls and turn them into theirs.
Going to church on Sunday seemed strange too after being away from the routine for 5 months. We had to adjust to 30 minutes of standing prayer sessions and 30 more of praise and worship. It was good to see that our small church in Jinja was growing with a few new faces including a new Pastor. (The old one was transferred) and the current Pastor comes from Soroti. In fact his parents and sister were members of my Fellowship Group in Soroti. It was good to see old friends and we cant't wait for the scenes that await us in Soroti next week!
Finally, i think it's a good thing to visit other cultures, to step out of your comfort zone and venture out, there are lots of things to learn and lots of things to appreciate. I am happy i got the opportunity to go to the States. Now, i look at my own country with new eyes, i see opportunities more than obstacles and i hope, i can help a few people to change their mindset and appreciate this country more and not to want to run away from it.
Keep us in your prayers, we will share the pictures with you soon once we get everything organized. We love you, God bless you.
Finally we touched down at Entebbe and we were all happy to have made it. However, the moment i stepped out of the plane, things started changing. When we left Michigan, i had almost three layers of clothing (these included a heavy sweater and a winter coat!). It felt normal in London to have these layers but now hear, i couldn't bear the heat! I was profusely sweating one could even wonder whether i was a nervous drug smuggler or terrorist! Entebbe is supposed to be one of the cool places in Uganda but it felt like desert. The layers had to come off one after the other. After an hour's drive, we arrived at our friend's house. Even though it was a few minutes to 1am, his wife still had food for us which she warmed up and served (bless her); she had prepared chicken and boiled potatoes. The food was so delicious that i kept eating until i could almost not walk! But we couldn't sleep because it was too hot; we had to take very cold showers in the wee hours of 2am in order to catch some sleep. And even after this, we couldn't cover ourselves. It seemed as though we were being baked in a low heat oven!
The next day we started off for Jinja and i had to wear the lightest clothes possible. It felt strange driving on the "right side of the road" again. However, everything seemed strange. From the dust, to crazy traffic, to meat hanging in the Butchers; everything seemed strange. It dawned on me that slowly and surely, the American life was starting to take its toll on me; my body (without my knowledge) was adjusting to the cold and the comfort there. I was getting used to everything being organized and now here, everyone has to look through their shoulders and be alert all the time because the unexpected always suddenly happen. My wife had to adjust driving in these roads and on a few instances, we had some little scary moments. Somehow, as i thought everything through, i came to appreciate and realize that as Christians, we called into this kind of life; a life of looking though your shoulders and being alert at all times, lest you will drift away and be left behind. Sometimes we need comfort, but we also need these kind of reality checks, moments like these keep us alive and awake all the time to keep praying and be thankful. The drive to Jinja was one of the strangest days i have ever felt. Young people taking every opportunity to sell something to you in slow traffic, to someone knocking on your car window begging for alms was touching.
I did not want to eat anything until we arrived at our new house in Jinja; our home. Our teammates and "parents" had also just made it back from the States and Australia a bout 5 days before we arrived and so, they had done a lot of work preparing the place for us. We made it to a very happy welcome. The hugs were longer and the smiles affectionate. The beds were all ready and the house looked great (hopefully we will be able to furnish you with some pictures once we get everything organized and in place). It felt so good to be in our own house! This is the first time we are living just the two of us in our house since we got married. We have always had people living with us and we hope to keep it this way for sometime so that we can enjoy each other more than before. Of course we welcome short term visitors. And the privacy did help with the heat in that we have had to sometimes barely had clothes on while in our house just to stay cool a little bit from the 100 degrees heat. Imagine transitioning from below 30 to 100 and above degree whether!
Unpacking and organizing the house isn't an easy task. Beckie has been doing most of the arranging of things in places she wants them to be (i am not good at this) and slowly, we are almost there. Our team mates have been a very huge blessing to us, in fact we don't know how we could have been without them. We have been out for dinner a few times already and we all agree that we missed this place and are happy to be back.
Tomorrow we have a class of about 36 rural pastors and church leaders and we have been busy putting things up and organizing for these guys. Buying food, setting the classes and dormitories, preparing training manuals, etc. And this week, i will be teaching two classes and i could do with your prayers for wisdom and ability to do a good job, that i will teach exactly what Father wants me to pass on to His beloved children. Beckie is busy helping with organizing stuff and shopping and helping with some administrative duties. We still feel a little bit jet lagged and are in need of His freshness and grace to accomplish the task ahead.
Hopefully on Saturday after classes, we will head to Soroti to see and do some ministry there as well as see some members of our family there.
One thing i have enjoyed since coming back is being able to have longer conversations. People are always available to talk longer, even though sometimes this is at a big cost. And oh, telephone calls are not that cheap, you have to pay by the minutes you use. I particularly had a very long conversation on phone with my former Pastor (he is the only person who can make laugh until my ribs pain and usually my wife knows straight away that it's him i am talking to). The first 5-10 minutes were just laughing sessions and then the next 20-30 were laughing and talking! He is a great man of God and i look forward to seeing him next week. Now we have to plan our phone calls carefully, otherwise, we could easily end up incurring huge expenses on calls since everyone is eager to talk to us and they usually just hijack our calls and turn them into theirs.
Going to church on Sunday seemed strange too after being away from the routine for 5 months. We had to adjust to 30 minutes of standing prayer sessions and 30 more of praise and worship. It was good to see that our small church in Jinja was growing with a few new faces including a new Pastor. (The old one was transferred) and the current Pastor comes from Soroti. In fact his parents and sister were members of my Fellowship Group in Soroti. It was good to see old friends and we cant't wait for the scenes that await us in Soroti next week!
Finally, i think it's a good thing to visit other cultures, to step out of your comfort zone and venture out, there are lots of things to learn and lots of things to appreciate. I am happy i got the opportunity to go to the States. Now, i look at my own country with new eyes, i see opportunities more than obstacles and i hope, i can help a few people to change their mindset and appreciate this country more and not to want to run away from it.
Keep us in your prayers, we will share the pictures with you soon once we get everything organized. We love you, God bless you.
Monday, February 9, 2015
America: An African Boy's Final Perspective.
Thanks for making it to this final perspective and well done if you have followed all my perspectives! I hope you have had a good read as i have enjoyed hearing compliments from different people regarding what i wrote. I have thought long and hard about this final perspective and i hope i can be able to put all my thoughts together in the following lines.
I guess i will start with some of the places/ events/ things that i have enjoyed most while here and they are in no particular order. I must confess that this country is more beautiful than i thought! I enjoyed the New England area so much, watching for the first time in my life the beauty of different trees bearing different colors was just amazing.
Off we headed to the west coast and had a great time at the Grand Canyon! This beautiful place just kept reminding me of the awesomeness of beautiful savior! I kept watching with awe the beauty of this place and i never wanted to blink even for just a second because i wanted to take in as much as i could see in the shortest time possible because there was just too much to see. From nature to spirituality, Bethel Church was an amazing place. I very much enjoyed being in their soaking auditorium swimming in the presence of God worshiping the risen Christ. I loved everything; the freedom and diversity as well as creativity in worship. Indeed it is a soaking place and i would recommend this place for all true worshipers.
Speaking to an attentive African American Students audience truly touched me. Watching them cry, laugh and smile as i shared my story with them was encouraging and reading their testimonies later was even more touching. It was good to know that some of them were struggling with the same things i struggled with at one point in my life and to hear and read them saying just like i did, they would never give up but instead strive on! Who knew an African boy's story would inspire an American boy and girl? Only God knew!
Watching the snow fall down for the first time was fascinating. With no previous personal experience wit it, i didn't know what to expect, even though i had read a lot about it both positive and negative. My own conclusion is that snow is pretty when you are watching it from inside than outside. I met someone who loves everything about snow; he told us he loves shoveling it, playing in it, watching it, everything. I wouldn't say the same thing about it (yet).
Having traveled to/though more than 20 States, i got the privilege of having favorites and although i must say each State is unique in it's own way, if i had to choose where i wanted to live in future, i would go in this order: Florida, California, New Mexico, Arizona...i guess you must have already figured out why. I enjoyed the sunshine in Florida and the warmth of the people there as well as the sea food, California is beautiful and i enjoyed their 13 lane free ways (especially when there was less traffic and we could drive fast with our windows down and fresh air coming in), Arizona and New Mexico are areas i would want to do ministry in because i saw some things that were similar to what we have in Africa.
The first place i felt comfortable at when i first came was the small Sunday evening prayer group. I went in there for the first time and at the end of the prayer meeting i felt i knew everyone there for decades! We were spiritually joined straight away and it became one thing i always looked forward to every week. It's beautiful that people who go to different churches can come together in prayer for the nations and the peoples and be in such strong spiritual oneness. To be sincere, i will miss this group so much because we all grew to know each other very well.
I have enjoyed some of the foods here; pizza here tastes better, i fell in love with steaks and sea foods and after a few hesitations (because of the name), i tried new soda called Root Beer though i know this will cause a few raised eyebrows back home. I have also enjoyed cookies made by my grandmas here as well as mother-in-law, i fell in love with apple pie and apple crisp, i enjoyed burgers too and my favorite being coulvers (not sure whether i spelt the name right) and also beef/pork roast.
There have also been things here that have left me chuckling and laughing. These crazy and funny things seem to only happen here in America and i can't wait to see the reaction on the faces of the people back in Uganda when i share these with them. Some of them are here: I doubt there's any other country in the face of the earth where people love their animals and pets more than America. Through our travels, we have heard and seen many things. We were told by someone how their mother loves her dogs more than her own children, we were told of a dog that sees a chiropractor quite often and has to be seen very early in the mornings before other human clients came in! It's ok to love animals, i had two dogs myself for hunting growing up and we have a beautiful dog in Soroti right now (in fact i had to shop for her a few playing dolls yesterday). My only problem is when people over do it and replace people with the animals and pets. My own belief is that nothing on the face of the earth should take the place for a human being because of the magnitude of the price someone had to pay for humanity!
Aside from pets, i have always laughed hard each time i hear someone misuse a verb or tense. We have always held it that English speaking people don't make mistakes because it's their own language and most of them have not had the influence of other languages (Uganda has over 53 languages and dialects). I have heard people use past tenses in place of past participles or present continuous tenses for example i heard someone say: "I have drove there several times...". I am sure this is going make many young people laugh back home when i tell them that even English people make such mistakes; we are not alone.
Another crazy thing is how people drink their drinks with ice in them even when the weather is freezing! I do like ice but i had never thought that people would put it in their drinks even during freezing weather conditions.
I have also seen that most people here consider themselves to be right in what they think or hold or know. I don't know how to put it rightly but that's at least how i feel.
In general, i enjoyed my time in America, i had a lot to learn and also a lot to be thankful for. It's different than watching it on TV, i must say Hollywood is not a real representation of America the way most people outside America think it is and i am grateful i got the opportunity to come visit and see it first hand. Tomorrow we depart for Uganda and i will carry with me memories; both positive and negative and hope to use this to create a positive and lasting impact in the lives of those in my sphere of influence. I have learned a lot that i hope to share with young people in my country.
Also, as i read the booklet i was given to read about American history in preparation for my citizenship interview, i have learned a lot of great things about this country that seem to be completely different from what is happening now. The founders indeed had a greater vision for this country and i would recommend that every parent gets a copy of this booklet not just for their children but for themselves too. I was surprised that a high schools student didn't know the name of the American national anthem, didn't know how many stars are in the flag and how many stripes are in the flag! Reading this booklet motivates me even the more to want to complete the process and become a citizen of this great country. (Keep praying for me in this regard).
I must also own up every word or sentence that has appeared in all my perspectives. None of my previous perspectives has changed and everything that i wrote before is still the way i first saw it or them for the very first time. I know some articles have been more critical than others and i am sorry if i stepped on your toes, but you must know that i am a free and honest thinker and i like saying things the way they are and express my thoughts the way i feel and my different perspectives have mirrored these. The next time you read from me, i will be writing from Uganda and i can't wait for my own experience in my own country after being away for the longest time ever, i will let you know of my culture shock in my own country if there will be any. Thank you so much for your love and support; you make us fight with confidence knowing we've got our backs covered. It was a pleasure to meet all of you and i hope to see you all again soon, if not in this life, then in the one to come. Grace and peace be multiplied to you through the knowledge of our Lord and savior Jesus Christ and God the Father. Amen.
I guess i will start with some of the places/ events/ things that i have enjoyed most while here and they are in no particular order. I must confess that this country is more beautiful than i thought! I enjoyed the New England area so much, watching for the first time in my life the beauty of different trees bearing different colors was just amazing.
Off we headed to the west coast and had a great time at the Grand Canyon! This beautiful place just kept reminding me of the awesomeness of beautiful savior! I kept watching with awe the beauty of this place and i never wanted to blink even for just a second because i wanted to take in as much as i could see in the shortest time possible because there was just too much to see. From nature to spirituality, Bethel Church was an amazing place. I very much enjoyed being in their soaking auditorium swimming in the presence of God worshiping the risen Christ. I loved everything; the freedom and diversity as well as creativity in worship. Indeed it is a soaking place and i would recommend this place for all true worshipers.
Speaking to an attentive African American Students audience truly touched me. Watching them cry, laugh and smile as i shared my story with them was encouraging and reading their testimonies later was even more touching. It was good to know that some of them were struggling with the same things i struggled with at one point in my life and to hear and read them saying just like i did, they would never give up but instead strive on! Who knew an African boy's story would inspire an American boy and girl? Only God knew!
Watching the snow fall down for the first time was fascinating. With no previous personal experience wit it, i didn't know what to expect, even though i had read a lot about it both positive and negative. My own conclusion is that snow is pretty when you are watching it from inside than outside. I met someone who loves everything about snow; he told us he loves shoveling it, playing in it, watching it, everything. I wouldn't say the same thing about it (yet).
Having traveled to/though more than 20 States, i got the privilege of having favorites and although i must say each State is unique in it's own way, if i had to choose where i wanted to live in future, i would go in this order: Florida, California, New Mexico, Arizona...i guess you must have already figured out why. I enjoyed the sunshine in Florida and the warmth of the people there as well as the sea food, California is beautiful and i enjoyed their 13 lane free ways (especially when there was less traffic and we could drive fast with our windows down and fresh air coming in), Arizona and New Mexico are areas i would want to do ministry in because i saw some things that were similar to what we have in Africa.
The first place i felt comfortable at when i first came was the small Sunday evening prayer group. I went in there for the first time and at the end of the prayer meeting i felt i knew everyone there for decades! We were spiritually joined straight away and it became one thing i always looked forward to every week. It's beautiful that people who go to different churches can come together in prayer for the nations and the peoples and be in such strong spiritual oneness. To be sincere, i will miss this group so much because we all grew to know each other very well.
I have enjoyed some of the foods here; pizza here tastes better, i fell in love with steaks and sea foods and after a few hesitations (because of the name), i tried new soda called Root Beer though i know this will cause a few raised eyebrows back home. I have also enjoyed cookies made by my grandmas here as well as mother-in-law, i fell in love with apple pie and apple crisp, i enjoyed burgers too and my favorite being coulvers (not sure whether i spelt the name right) and also beef/pork roast.
There have also been things here that have left me chuckling and laughing. These crazy and funny things seem to only happen here in America and i can't wait to see the reaction on the faces of the people back in Uganda when i share these with them. Some of them are here: I doubt there's any other country in the face of the earth where people love their animals and pets more than America. Through our travels, we have heard and seen many things. We were told by someone how their mother loves her dogs more than her own children, we were told of a dog that sees a chiropractor quite often and has to be seen very early in the mornings before other human clients came in! It's ok to love animals, i had two dogs myself for hunting growing up and we have a beautiful dog in Soroti right now (in fact i had to shop for her a few playing dolls yesterday). My only problem is when people over do it and replace people with the animals and pets. My own belief is that nothing on the face of the earth should take the place for a human being because of the magnitude of the price someone had to pay for humanity!
Aside from pets, i have always laughed hard each time i hear someone misuse a verb or tense. We have always held it that English speaking people don't make mistakes because it's their own language and most of them have not had the influence of other languages (Uganda has over 53 languages and dialects). I have heard people use past tenses in place of past participles or present continuous tenses for example i heard someone say: "I have drove there several times...". I am sure this is going make many young people laugh back home when i tell them that even English people make such mistakes; we are not alone.
Another crazy thing is how people drink their drinks with ice in them even when the weather is freezing! I do like ice but i had never thought that people would put it in their drinks even during freezing weather conditions.
I have also seen that most people here consider themselves to be right in what they think or hold or know. I don't know how to put it rightly but that's at least how i feel.
In general, i enjoyed my time in America, i had a lot to learn and also a lot to be thankful for. It's different than watching it on TV, i must say Hollywood is not a real representation of America the way most people outside America think it is and i am grateful i got the opportunity to come visit and see it first hand. Tomorrow we depart for Uganda and i will carry with me memories; both positive and negative and hope to use this to create a positive and lasting impact in the lives of those in my sphere of influence. I have learned a lot that i hope to share with young people in my country.
Also, as i read the booklet i was given to read about American history in preparation for my citizenship interview, i have learned a lot of great things about this country that seem to be completely different from what is happening now. The founders indeed had a greater vision for this country and i would recommend that every parent gets a copy of this booklet not just for their children but for themselves too. I was surprised that a high schools student didn't know the name of the American national anthem, didn't know how many stars are in the flag and how many stripes are in the flag! Reading this booklet motivates me even the more to want to complete the process and become a citizen of this great country. (Keep praying for me in this regard).
I must also own up every word or sentence that has appeared in all my perspectives. None of my previous perspectives has changed and everything that i wrote before is still the way i first saw it or them for the very first time. I know some articles have been more critical than others and i am sorry if i stepped on your toes, but you must know that i am a free and honest thinker and i like saying things the way they are and express my thoughts the way i feel and my different perspectives have mirrored these. The next time you read from me, i will be writing from Uganda and i can't wait for my own experience in my own country after being away for the longest time ever, i will let you know of my culture shock in my own country if there will be any. Thank you so much for your love and support; you make us fight with confidence knowing we've got our backs covered. It was a pleasure to meet all of you and i hope to see you all again soon, if not in this life, then in the one to come. Grace and peace be multiplied to you through the knowledge of our Lord and savior Jesus Christ and God the Father. Amen.
Monday, February 2, 2015
America: An African Boy's Perspective 16.
So, as most of you know by now; we are heading out back to Uganda next week on Tuesday and we are all very excited to go back! I am forever grateful to God for the opportunity to come to the States, it has been a huge privilege for me, one that i don't take lightly and one that has given me many memories that i hope to one day with my children.
I have been encouraged each time we have met someone who said they had been reading my posts; i never knew in the beginning that this was going to be something that many people would be interested in and something they would look forward to reading each week.
The winter hasn't been as brutal as first feared and i am proud of myself for trying to enjoy it, even though this has come after numerous fears and worries. Now i can say i shoveled the snow, i played in it, and watched it from the comfort of a warm living room! As i prepare to go back to mother Africa, i have been recollecting and thinking about some of the things that stood out from my time in the States; some positive, and some negative. I know every single country under the earth surely has its pros and cons as well.
Two weeks ago, i, my wife and my mom in-law flew to Florida for some warm weather as well as seeing the grand parents; a trip that i enjoyed and one of the highlights of my time here. I was amazed that even though it was snowing here in Grand Rapids and there was no sunshine, as soon as we went up beyond the clouds, the sun was shining and seemed to be very hot! This was fascinating to me; because it had never occurred to me that the sun never stops shining no matter the weather conditions in the earth–indeed God is amazing!
I liked everything about Florida: the weather was perfect, the people in the park where our grand parents live are a great community–everyone greets each other, they have games and competitions, they have friends (our grampa told me they have made more friends since moving there than they have ever made in their entire lives!) and they have parties too! (we attended a Michigan dinner there and oh boy, it was marvelous. Seeing these old folks dressed like in the 50s and 60s and seeing them dance to the tunes of their times was spectacular! In fact we got so motivated that we had to join the dancing for a couple of songs, something that i have seldom done before). I was taught new games such as Bingo, Hand and foot, among others and was on the winning side a couple of times! In short, i loved my time in Florida and could live there if i had to because i love the company of old people; i always learn a thing or two from old people and that's why i love being around them.
One of the things that i have learned from here is honesty and integrity. We have met some people that you can sense and see that they are honest; this is an area that is somewhat not common in Uganda. I think because of the different tragedies that people went through, honesty got left behind as people started telling lies in order to get something or avoid something. I am planning to go back and put more emphasis on honesty and integrity among the young people that we minister to. Of course i know, reading from the social media that there are also dishonest people here, but i haven't met any of them so far, which, if it was in Uganda, would have been a miracle!
I have enjoyed my time in the different churches that we have gone to. I must say the word is alive and i personally received a word for my self in all the churches that i have been to. I have been blessed, encouraged and rebuked. But there's something that we have in Uganda that is missing here just like the church here has something that is missing in the church in Uganda. I could say that the church here is like wood that is lacking a fire to spark it off and the one in Uganda has a fire but lacking wood. By this, i mean that there's more encounters with God in Uganda than here, you hear more of people's encounters with Him and you can see and sense the workings of the holy spirit in the glow in their eyes when they talk about it; there's a spark in their eyes and excitement and you can see it in the way they worship and dance and jump and ululate, while here, people know more about the word, and i would say it seems to me like they have become more familiar with it that there's rarely excitement about it and rejoicing about it, at least that's how i feel. My biggest worry though is that in 10–30 years time, it may become harder to pastor people here because they will be even more knowledgeable and trusting in what they already know that they will feel it's a waste of time sitting there listening to someone say what they already know. Sermons will become more of debating topics for the people because everyone feels they know enough and their way is always the right way.
Of course there's no doubting that the whole church needs a revival and that revival must start from the States because of the influence of the church here to the rest of the world. People look up to America for almost everything and that's why the revival must start from here.
However, one time as i was praying, the Lord told me the church in China is alive and making progress and it's a matter of time before it becomes the most influential church in the Universe. This is because the persecuted Church is living and depending more on God; He is their banner, their rescuer, their provider, their refuge and they know Him in a deeper level than most of us do. That's why they are willing to die for Him! I have been wondering recently what my reaction would be if i had to choose between death for believing in Christ or denying my identity in Him and live. What do you think would be your immediate reaction? I admire those who practice Christianity in countries where it is illegal to do so and my desire is to one day experience what it feels like to worship with these brothers and sisters.
One thing that separates America from the rest of the world is the generosity of its people! We have been and continue to be blessed beneficiaries of this generosity and i think that's why people here have so much, because they also give out so much. I know in my church, this is one thing that distinguishes us from many churches; giving. It's a principle that i have learned in a hard way and one that i have reaped it's benefits and hope to pass on to my own children in future. It amazes me that children here are taught about giving from the young age, while our children learn more about how to receive and beg from the young age! in fact children in our home church here (Remembrance) always collect their offerings to support the work in Uganda and at the end of last year, they gave us money enough to buy a bunk bed in Uganda! If i had one thing to tell the people here, it would be to never stop giving and never stop teaching your children about giving because it is what sets you aside from the rest of the world!
I will continue from here next week with my final piece on this series before we head home; till then, remain blessed in Him.
I have been encouraged each time we have met someone who said they had been reading my posts; i never knew in the beginning that this was going to be something that many people would be interested in and something they would look forward to reading each week.
The winter hasn't been as brutal as first feared and i am proud of myself for trying to enjoy it, even though this has come after numerous fears and worries. Now i can say i shoveled the snow, i played in it, and watched it from the comfort of a warm living room! As i prepare to go back to mother Africa, i have been recollecting and thinking about some of the things that stood out from my time in the States; some positive, and some negative. I know every single country under the earth surely has its pros and cons as well.
Two weeks ago, i, my wife and my mom in-law flew to Florida for some warm weather as well as seeing the grand parents; a trip that i enjoyed and one of the highlights of my time here. I was amazed that even though it was snowing here in Grand Rapids and there was no sunshine, as soon as we went up beyond the clouds, the sun was shining and seemed to be very hot! This was fascinating to me; because it had never occurred to me that the sun never stops shining no matter the weather conditions in the earth–indeed God is amazing!
I liked everything about Florida: the weather was perfect, the people in the park where our grand parents live are a great community–everyone greets each other, they have games and competitions, they have friends (our grampa told me they have made more friends since moving there than they have ever made in their entire lives!) and they have parties too! (we attended a Michigan dinner there and oh boy, it was marvelous. Seeing these old folks dressed like in the 50s and 60s and seeing them dance to the tunes of their times was spectacular! In fact we got so motivated that we had to join the dancing for a couple of songs, something that i have seldom done before). I was taught new games such as Bingo, Hand and foot, among others and was on the winning side a couple of times! In short, i loved my time in Florida and could live there if i had to because i love the company of old people; i always learn a thing or two from old people and that's why i love being around them.
One of the things that i have learned from here is honesty and integrity. We have met some people that you can sense and see that they are honest; this is an area that is somewhat not common in Uganda. I think because of the different tragedies that people went through, honesty got left behind as people started telling lies in order to get something or avoid something. I am planning to go back and put more emphasis on honesty and integrity among the young people that we minister to. Of course i know, reading from the social media that there are also dishonest people here, but i haven't met any of them so far, which, if it was in Uganda, would have been a miracle!
I have enjoyed my time in the different churches that we have gone to. I must say the word is alive and i personally received a word for my self in all the churches that i have been to. I have been blessed, encouraged and rebuked. But there's something that we have in Uganda that is missing here just like the church here has something that is missing in the church in Uganda. I could say that the church here is like wood that is lacking a fire to spark it off and the one in Uganda has a fire but lacking wood. By this, i mean that there's more encounters with God in Uganda than here, you hear more of people's encounters with Him and you can see and sense the workings of the holy spirit in the glow in their eyes when they talk about it; there's a spark in their eyes and excitement and you can see it in the way they worship and dance and jump and ululate, while here, people know more about the word, and i would say it seems to me like they have become more familiar with it that there's rarely excitement about it and rejoicing about it, at least that's how i feel. My biggest worry though is that in 10–30 years time, it may become harder to pastor people here because they will be even more knowledgeable and trusting in what they already know that they will feel it's a waste of time sitting there listening to someone say what they already know. Sermons will become more of debating topics for the people because everyone feels they know enough and their way is always the right way.
Of course there's no doubting that the whole church needs a revival and that revival must start from the States because of the influence of the church here to the rest of the world. People look up to America for almost everything and that's why the revival must start from here.
However, one time as i was praying, the Lord told me the church in China is alive and making progress and it's a matter of time before it becomes the most influential church in the Universe. This is because the persecuted Church is living and depending more on God; He is their banner, their rescuer, their provider, their refuge and they know Him in a deeper level than most of us do. That's why they are willing to die for Him! I have been wondering recently what my reaction would be if i had to choose between death for believing in Christ or denying my identity in Him and live. What do you think would be your immediate reaction? I admire those who practice Christianity in countries where it is illegal to do so and my desire is to one day experience what it feels like to worship with these brothers and sisters.
One thing that separates America from the rest of the world is the generosity of its people! We have been and continue to be blessed beneficiaries of this generosity and i think that's why people here have so much, because they also give out so much. I know in my church, this is one thing that distinguishes us from many churches; giving. It's a principle that i have learned in a hard way and one that i have reaped it's benefits and hope to pass on to my own children in future. It amazes me that children here are taught about giving from the young age, while our children learn more about how to receive and beg from the young age! in fact children in our home church here (Remembrance) always collect their offerings to support the work in Uganda and at the end of last year, they gave us money enough to buy a bunk bed in Uganda! If i had one thing to tell the people here, it would be to never stop giving and never stop teaching your children about giving because it is what sets you aside from the rest of the world!
I will continue from here next week with my final piece on this series before we head home; till then, remain blessed in Him.
Monday, January 19, 2015
America: An African Boy's Perspective 15.
I must say your prayers for us over the last couple of weeks have been encouraging. We feel closer to making a final decision now, keep praying for us and hopefully, we will have news about our return date by Tuesday evening next week; watch out for it.
It can be frustrating waiting for something that you don't have control over. You just keep praying and hoping and wishing. That has been and is still the case regarding when we are to return. It becomes even harder when you know that your call of duty is somewhere in Uganda, and yet here you are, still somewhat stuck not having the right answers. But blessed be God who gives us continuous encouragement and hope through His word and His body; without God's encouragement, i wouldn't be at peace at all.
However, in the midst of all this, the Lord keeps opening small windows of opportunities to serve; and serving Him excites me more than anything else. About a week ago, such an opportunity opened up for me. My "bestie" called me up one evening and asked me what my day looked like and whether i had some time. I always have time for him because he has a special grace of getting me happy and talking. After about 7:45pm, he picked me up, told me to pick a shovel and we off we went. I didn't know exactly what we were going to do this time around, but i couldn't ask because i didn't want to ruin a surprise; if that was what he was planning. I got a small tour of a large green house here in Grandrapids and later on, i was given an opportunity to drive on snow in that green house's large parking lot! I had never driven from here before since i don't yet have my drivers license; so, this was exciting, driving on snow was different from any other condition i have ever driven under! Felt strange and exciting at the same time and all the time, i was chuckling and laughing like a baby!
But, that was not the main thing. He told me there was one of his clients that he had seen that day that needed help. He had gone to give a routine service when he noticed that this old man, who is condemned to a wheel chair, needed help with his drive way. He couldn't come out on his wheel chair because the driveway was clogged with snow and his kids lived in a distant State. He thought that the two of us could provide some help by going in there and shovel all the snow and drive away so that this old man could wake up to a surprise in the morning! I was happy that he thought of me to help. I had never shoveled the snow before and this particular night was snowy and cold, but i felt this was a worthy cause to put my fears aside.
We arrived at our address and parked the car some distance from the house and armed with our shovels, we quickly accomplished our task. I actually enjoyed doing it! And with each shove that i made, the fear kept going away. Because of the liberation from the fear of snow, i was able to treat my mother-in-law to some jumps on the snow a few days later even though i was only wearing shorts!
After finishing up our mission, we went to a nearby McDonald's restaurant and had a meaningful discussion until the waitress politely told us they were closing. On the way home, i kept thinking how the Lord always looks at us when we are in different needs and situation that we can't help ourselves with and how He sends His angels and others to help us, i thought about my own life and the numerous times when things were out of my control and someone always happened to do something about it and the joy i always felt after each intervention. I hope that old man was happy to wake up and find his driveway clear; i hope it brought a smile on his face and i hope he was able to wheel himself out, even for a few seconds.
Over the years, i have come to believe that each act of kindness that we do, is a seed that we stand to reap from later on in life and if it's not us who will reap from it, then our children will. I hope to be able to do more of such acts this year and i hope you will continue to do the same too, because love conquers everything.
I am already thinking about my last blogpost as the day for our departure keeps drawing near and i hope to share about my surprises, my joys and my struggles while in the land of the free. This should wet your appetite for that post.
However, since today is Martin Luther King Jr day, i thought i should leave you with one of his quotes that suits the writing and here it is, think and act it out. Bless you.
It can be frustrating waiting for something that you don't have control over. You just keep praying and hoping and wishing. That has been and is still the case regarding when we are to return. It becomes even harder when you know that your call of duty is somewhere in Uganda, and yet here you are, still somewhat stuck not having the right answers. But blessed be God who gives us continuous encouragement and hope through His word and His body; without God's encouragement, i wouldn't be at peace at all.
However, in the midst of all this, the Lord keeps opening small windows of opportunities to serve; and serving Him excites me more than anything else. About a week ago, such an opportunity opened up for me. My "bestie" called me up one evening and asked me what my day looked like and whether i had some time. I always have time for him because he has a special grace of getting me happy and talking. After about 7:45pm, he picked me up, told me to pick a shovel and we off we went. I didn't know exactly what we were going to do this time around, but i couldn't ask because i didn't want to ruin a surprise; if that was what he was planning. I got a small tour of a large green house here in Grandrapids and later on, i was given an opportunity to drive on snow in that green house's large parking lot! I had never driven from here before since i don't yet have my drivers license; so, this was exciting, driving on snow was different from any other condition i have ever driven under! Felt strange and exciting at the same time and all the time, i was chuckling and laughing like a baby!
But, that was not the main thing. He told me there was one of his clients that he had seen that day that needed help. He had gone to give a routine service when he noticed that this old man, who is condemned to a wheel chair, needed help with his drive way. He couldn't come out on his wheel chair because the driveway was clogged with snow and his kids lived in a distant State. He thought that the two of us could provide some help by going in there and shovel all the snow and drive away so that this old man could wake up to a surprise in the morning! I was happy that he thought of me to help. I had never shoveled the snow before and this particular night was snowy and cold, but i felt this was a worthy cause to put my fears aside.
We arrived at our address and parked the car some distance from the house and armed with our shovels, we quickly accomplished our task. I actually enjoyed doing it! And with each shove that i made, the fear kept going away. Because of the liberation from the fear of snow, i was able to treat my mother-in-law to some jumps on the snow a few days later even though i was only wearing shorts!
After finishing up our mission, we went to a nearby McDonald's restaurant and had a meaningful discussion until the waitress politely told us they were closing. On the way home, i kept thinking how the Lord always looks at us when we are in different needs and situation that we can't help ourselves with and how He sends His angels and others to help us, i thought about my own life and the numerous times when things were out of my control and someone always happened to do something about it and the joy i always felt after each intervention. I hope that old man was happy to wake up and find his driveway clear; i hope it brought a smile on his face and i hope he was able to wheel himself out, even for a few seconds.
Over the years, i have come to believe that each act of kindness that we do, is a seed that we stand to reap from later on in life and if it's not us who will reap from it, then our children will. I hope to be able to do more of such acts this year and i hope you will continue to do the same too, because love conquers everything.
I am already thinking about my last blogpost as the day for our departure keeps drawing near and i hope to share about my surprises, my joys and my struggles while in the land of the free. This should wet your appetite for that post.
However, since today is Martin Luther King Jr day, i thought i should leave you with one of his quotes that suits the writing and here it is, think and act it out. Bless you.
"Life's most persistent and urgent question is, 'What are you doing for others?'
Martin Luther King, Jr."
Monday, January 5, 2015
America: An African Boy's Perspective Part 14.
After going for a great breakfast at the Westsider with an uncle and then proceeding to the gold place to get some golf equipment and having some great shots at the indoor golf range, we later connected to the live global 31st/1st service that evening and rejoiced when it was declared that 2015 is our year of Triumph; i and my wife, there after drove to my favorite Steak House; Outback to join the rest of the family for the New Year's Eve traditional family meal. We later had games and prayer time until after midnight here with our Ugandan friend and his wife, and other family members. Everything was as good as it could possibly be. It was the best 31st of December day i had ever had. The next day, we were joining the mother-in-law, other family members and friends in giving out lunch packs to the homeless people in down town; yet another big day to look forward to.
The 1st of January 2015 arrived so fast and there we were, dressed as warmly as we could since it was a cold day to be walking in town. I am always excited when it comes to doing charity work and this day was no different. However, by the time we were done, i was very angry, sad and emotionally upset. I wanted to run away to some hidden place where i could be alone to process things. Usually when i am upset about something, i want to be left alone to process stuff, but sometimes it's very hard to be alone.
Anyway, i was upset about many things. We saw people of pretty different races, so, it was not anything to do with race; but broken dreams. I was mad because i am certain each of these guys at one time had dreams, may be dreams of having a great family, of being a good parent, i don't know but now, looking at their eyes, these dreams were gone. I kept wondering when it all got out of control; could it be their parents? could it have been friends? I even got angrier when i thought about what these guys could have been; may be some of them could have been doctors, teachers, preachers, may be even worshipers, etc.
There was an 80 something year old lady who was walking with her walker; Uncle Dave and Aunt Anne who were with me encouraged me to run and catch up with her and give her some food. I did and caught up with her. I called out: "Ma'am, good morning". She stopped and turned to look at me and her face was beaming with a big smile as she replied my greeting. I went on to ask her if she would do with some lunch and she was glad to have food. She thanked me and said a blessing and she continued. As i walked back to my group mates, my steps were heavier; i kept thinking how her normal daily routine was. Did she have children? How could she have ended up in the streets? Such a sweet old lady, out in the cold, her life in the hands of others than in her own.
We also met another lady whom we offered food. She declined it and said there were others that could do with it more than her. She told us about some children in one of the shelters who could do well with lunch since these kiddos get food at 5pm. That heart of a caring mother was still big in this lady. She had compassion on others worse off than her, she cared more for these little kiddos than herself when she could have taken the food for herself. I couldn't stand going in to take the food inside because i didn't want to look at these children.
Most of the people we gave food had that thankful attitude. They were grateful for the food and always said "God bless you and Happy New Year!". At least somehow, they know God is always in it.
We also saw two cases of some people lying down by the road side. They looked very sick. One seemed to be getting attention from some cops while one was lying out in the cold and a lady (probably his girlfriend) was kneeling down by his side trying to give him some help.
I thought about how privileged we were to be inside a warm car and driving back to a warm house. These guys were out in the cold, waiting for the time when the shelters would be opened for them to go in later in the evening. How do they even get their treatment?
As i looked at these guys and knowing that the devil had robbed them off of their inheritance and futures, i got so angry with satan that if i knew where he was, i would have gone there straight to fight him. I also kept thinking about my own self; may be i could have ended up like one of them, had God not intervened and kept bringing the right people into my life at every delicate stage. I thought about all these people and how they each appeared and came into my life just at the time when things seemed to be getting out of control, and i prayed for them and thanked God for them. I kept wondering whether each of these guys had a privilege of meeting such people. Were they told the truth before their lives turned upside down? did they hear about His saving grace? Did they even have a choice in the events that led to their current state? How about these innocent children; born in the streets and raised in the streets, did they get an opportunity to be taken off these streets and given a home? I have little information on how things work out here, how the kids get taken to foster care and all that, so, all my writing is based on my own feelings. I have had contact with street children in Uganda, but not the homeless adults. So, that was quite an experience for me.
I know giving them food is great, but as good as it is, it's temporary. I am wondering whether some of these guys can be rescued and helped to get off the streets and lead normal lives, especially the younger ones. Could they be damaged beyond repair? Can some of them be salvaged?
I think this calls for us to share the gospel more and more and help people see the light before they are robbed off by the enemy in our own eyes. I wish there was a way for me to sit down and listen to these people's stories. May be if they had heard the good news of the saving grace of Christ before, may be one or two of them would have been rescued from going down to their current state.
I am glad i am not them and can't imagine if i had to trade my life with any of these guys even if it was just for a day! I know i am very blessed and privileged; i can't complain about anything, this has given me a new angle to be even more grateful. I can open the refrigerator and see all these options of what to eat and drink, and yet down the road somewhere, someone is hoping and praying for what i already have in front of me!
From that day on, i have purposed to keep praying for these homeless people, i know some of them don't even have anyone intentionally praying for them; i will keep praying for the Father to rescue them and for His will to be established in the hearts of these men and women so that some day, even though they are homeless in the earth, they will have an eternal home in paradise; just like poor Lazarus.
The 1st of January 2015 arrived so fast and there we were, dressed as warmly as we could since it was a cold day to be walking in town. I am always excited when it comes to doing charity work and this day was no different. However, by the time we were done, i was very angry, sad and emotionally upset. I wanted to run away to some hidden place where i could be alone to process things. Usually when i am upset about something, i want to be left alone to process stuff, but sometimes it's very hard to be alone.
Anyway, i was upset about many things. We saw people of pretty different races, so, it was not anything to do with race; but broken dreams. I was mad because i am certain each of these guys at one time had dreams, may be dreams of having a great family, of being a good parent, i don't know but now, looking at their eyes, these dreams were gone. I kept wondering when it all got out of control; could it be their parents? could it have been friends? I even got angrier when i thought about what these guys could have been; may be some of them could have been doctors, teachers, preachers, may be even worshipers, etc.
There was an 80 something year old lady who was walking with her walker; Uncle Dave and Aunt Anne who were with me encouraged me to run and catch up with her and give her some food. I did and caught up with her. I called out: "Ma'am, good morning". She stopped and turned to look at me and her face was beaming with a big smile as she replied my greeting. I went on to ask her if she would do with some lunch and she was glad to have food. She thanked me and said a blessing and she continued. As i walked back to my group mates, my steps were heavier; i kept thinking how her normal daily routine was. Did she have children? How could she have ended up in the streets? Such a sweet old lady, out in the cold, her life in the hands of others than in her own.
We also met another lady whom we offered food. She declined it and said there were others that could do with it more than her. She told us about some children in one of the shelters who could do well with lunch since these kiddos get food at 5pm. That heart of a caring mother was still big in this lady. She had compassion on others worse off than her, she cared more for these little kiddos than herself when she could have taken the food for herself. I couldn't stand going in to take the food inside because i didn't want to look at these children.
Most of the people we gave food had that thankful attitude. They were grateful for the food and always said "God bless you and Happy New Year!". At least somehow, they know God is always in it.
We also saw two cases of some people lying down by the road side. They looked very sick. One seemed to be getting attention from some cops while one was lying out in the cold and a lady (probably his girlfriend) was kneeling down by his side trying to give him some help.
I thought about how privileged we were to be inside a warm car and driving back to a warm house. These guys were out in the cold, waiting for the time when the shelters would be opened for them to go in later in the evening. How do they even get their treatment?
As i looked at these guys and knowing that the devil had robbed them off of their inheritance and futures, i got so angry with satan that if i knew where he was, i would have gone there straight to fight him. I also kept thinking about my own self; may be i could have ended up like one of them, had God not intervened and kept bringing the right people into my life at every delicate stage. I thought about all these people and how they each appeared and came into my life just at the time when things seemed to be getting out of control, and i prayed for them and thanked God for them. I kept wondering whether each of these guys had a privilege of meeting such people. Were they told the truth before their lives turned upside down? did they hear about His saving grace? Did they even have a choice in the events that led to their current state? How about these innocent children; born in the streets and raised in the streets, did they get an opportunity to be taken off these streets and given a home? I have little information on how things work out here, how the kids get taken to foster care and all that, so, all my writing is based on my own feelings. I have had contact with street children in Uganda, but not the homeless adults. So, that was quite an experience for me.
I know giving them food is great, but as good as it is, it's temporary. I am wondering whether some of these guys can be rescued and helped to get off the streets and lead normal lives, especially the younger ones. Could they be damaged beyond repair? Can some of them be salvaged?
I think this calls for us to share the gospel more and more and help people see the light before they are robbed off by the enemy in our own eyes. I wish there was a way for me to sit down and listen to these people's stories. May be if they had heard the good news of the saving grace of Christ before, may be one or two of them would have been rescued from going down to their current state.
I am glad i am not them and can't imagine if i had to trade my life with any of these guys even if it was just for a day! I know i am very blessed and privileged; i can't complain about anything, this has given me a new angle to be even more grateful. I can open the refrigerator and see all these options of what to eat and drink, and yet down the road somewhere, someone is hoping and praying for what i already have in front of me!
From that day on, i have purposed to keep praying for these homeless people, i know some of them don't even have anyone intentionally praying for them; i will keep praying for the Father to rescue them and for His will to be established in the hearts of these men and women so that some day, even though they are homeless in the earth, they will have an eternal home in paradise; just like poor Lazarus.
Monday, December 29, 2014
America: An African Boy's Perspective Part 13.
Our family could really do with your prayers right now. Beckie is down for the second day running with fever and general body ache and my self, am feeling general body weakness since yesterday. We know the power of prayer and that's why we are asking you to cover us in prayer.
Last week was really a great week for me personally. Gathering with friends and family ere and preparing Ugandan breakfast and lunch on Wednesday was fun. My mother-in-law (bless her Lord), woke up at 5 am to start smoking the meat because me and Beckie together with our Ugandan friend were craving for pasted smoked meat stew (this actually turned out very well!). My sister-in-law and her husband had also sent us locally raised chicken for the day as well as two live hens for my birthday! Then to put the icing on the cake, my wife came in beaming with a huge smile on the same day with some precious mail in her hands; my long awaited green card had finally made it and the Michigan Secretary of State had also found it necessary (at least in my mind), to send my State ID on the same day! I couldn't stop smiling and blushing like a little kid; The Lord's timing was just very perfect!
And then the next day on Christmas; was my birthday! My mother-in-law together with my wife and other family members teamed up to make it such a great and memorable event! I must admit it was my best birthday yet and i really feel blessed and privileged and after reading on, you will understand why i am feeling blessed and privileged.
Growing up, birthday was not different from any other day. No one celebrated them and most rural people up to now don't even remember their birthdays; if you ask the when they were born, they will probably tell you January 1st, because that's a date that is easy to remember and most people count their ages from the 1st of every year. My first birthday was celebrated when i was 26 in 2011 when i joined my current church. There, even if it's an African founded church, birthdays are celebrated and i was surprised when the pastor had announced there would be a leaders' meeting that was mandatory for every leader and others who hope to be leaders to attend. Only to enter church and everyone was singing "Happy birthday, we are saying we love you, God be with you till the end of time, we are saying well done". I was shocked, not only at the party, but also the new song, i was used to hearing "happy birthday to you...". They had cake and snacks and my first birthday gift ever was an apple and a chocolate candy, from a dear sister from church. People had not yet learned more about gifts, but at least, this was a good start since the church branch had just opened in my district 6 months before my birthday. I am happy that birthdays are now a big thing among the hundreds who attend our church.
I must also note that, at least among the middle class and university students, birthdays are these days celebrated (in fact while at university, there was a noted girl who always told her suitors her birthday was a week or so away so that they could bring her gifts; she had a birthday almost every month, because she wanted more gifts!). The trends are changing with the new generation, however, deep in the villages, birthdays still remain a mystery.
Christmas in America was more grand than i thought it would be. People here put in a lot into nativity and decorations. Driving through state after state on our way back from California, we saw numerous kinds of decorations; some modest and others so grand. There's no doubt people take it here more seriously (at least from the outside). But i kept thinking whether they take the same way from the inside! Is the Lord that grand in their hearts? Or is it just a fashion statement? Not judging anyone here, but that's just how i thought and i remember sharing this with my wife and we both wondered whether all these homes with these grand decors had a grand relationship with the Lord.
This is not to say that back in Uganda, people are saints; far from it. Growing up, Christmas was more of a day of eating good food (at least from a child's perspective). In most years, it was the only day most families would eat meat and rice or meat and posho (corn bread). And it was also the only day kids and mothers as well as daddies got new clothes. It was also (still is), the only day the whole village went (goes) to church! In most churches on Christmas day, men carry their own chairs to church and women have to carry their own mats to sit on because churches get so full, that other people will have to sit outside and listen, while others stand and peep through the windows! Everyone remembers the Lord on that day.
Christmas is also associated with feasting and drinking. People in villages usually collect what is needed and make local brew in one home where 10 or so families will gather together after lunch and sometimes dinner, to drink the local brew (usually from the 23rd of December to the 5th of December). Children would sit in one place with their own pot of brew drinking while adults sat in the big local tent or shade of a tree to drink. When it became dark, then music would start blaring (growing up, my uncles would play local instruments as we the children danced to the rhythm). However, these days radios and speakers are every where and you can hear sounds coming from different homesteads as the winds carried the sound waves in different directions. We, the children would always have dancing competitions where the winner was usually given about 1 cent! But it was fun!
People planned for the next Christmas on the last day of drinking in January on who would host the next celebration and what would be eaten. Some groups would plan to buy a piglet and raise it through out the year for slaughter on the day and the pork either cooked in one home where everyone gathered or distributed equally to every household for them to cook and eat in their own houses and then gather for drinking in the selected home. Other bigger and ambitious groups would buy bulls for Christmas. Food and drinking and music surmised the day.
It is also a day when family from far came home in the village. Those in distant schools, family members working in the cities and other urban places always return to the villages for Christmas. Public transport fares are always high and in some cases doubled a few days to Christmas because usually there are more travelers than vehicles.
When it comes to gifts, as i mentioned earlier, the gifts are always clothes and shoes and food. Women in the villages always perm or treat their hair during the festive season. The gift that stands out in my mind was how my grandmother would pound groundnuts (what you guys call peanuts here) with salt on it and would give each grandchild a portion in the morning before we went to church! Kids looked up for this gramma's special gift. Nothing like what kids here get, no toys, no painting stuff, nothing. That's one thing i liked about Christmas here. Watching the excitement in the kids' faces as they open their gifts and make grunts of joy as they hold their toys or whatever gift for all to see. That's very nice.
On New Year's eve, in the villages, usually people drink (drink either alcohol or milk tea and soda for born again Christians), share stories and stay awake until midnight. When the clock hits midnight, then ululations can be heard from all directions and shouts of joy accompanied with drumming, burning of car or bicycle tires (poor man's fireworks) and declarations of what the Lord has done for them in the previous year as well as announcing of their new year's resolutions.
Among Christians however, there are usually all night prayer and worship meetings every New Year's eve. Last year, for the first time, we had fire works display in our church during our new year's eve service. It's one of the most important services in the year for me and i am happy that since it's a global service for our church, at least i will be able to participate on line on Wednesday! (thanks to the joys of technology).
I am so thankful and privileged to celebrate the festive season in two different cultures; seeing the good things as well as the bad things of both, it's something that i am looking forward to sharing with my kids and grand kids and you never know, as long as the Lord tarries, may be even with my great grand kids! Happy New Year to you all, thank you so much for being a part of our 2014, hope you will continue being a part of our story in 2015, God bless you all! And by the way, thank you so much for the birthday cards and wishes; i got the biggest number of birthday cards ever!
With much love,
Ruudy and Beckie
Last week was really a great week for me personally. Gathering with friends and family ere and preparing Ugandan breakfast and lunch on Wednesday was fun. My mother-in-law (bless her Lord), woke up at 5 am to start smoking the meat because me and Beckie together with our Ugandan friend were craving for pasted smoked meat stew (this actually turned out very well!). My sister-in-law and her husband had also sent us locally raised chicken for the day as well as two live hens for my birthday! Then to put the icing on the cake, my wife came in beaming with a huge smile on the same day with some precious mail in her hands; my long awaited green card had finally made it and the Michigan Secretary of State had also found it necessary (at least in my mind), to send my State ID on the same day! I couldn't stop smiling and blushing like a little kid; The Lord's timing was just very perfect!
And then the next day on Christmas; was my birthday! My mother-in-law together with my wife and other family members teamed up to make it such a great and memorable event! I must admit it was my best birthday yet and i really feel blessed and privileged and after reading on, you will understand why i am feeling blessed and privileged.
Growing up, birthday was not different from any other day. No one celebrated them and most rural people up to now don't even remember their birthdays; if you ask the when they were born, they will probably tell you January 1st, because that's a date that is easy to remember and most people count their ages from the 1st of every year. My first birthday was celebrated when i was 26 in 2011 when i joined my current church. There, even if it's an African founded church, birthdays are celebrated and i was surprised when the pastor had announced there would be a leaders' meeting that was mandatory for every leader and others who hope to be leaders to attend. Only to enter church and everyone was singing "Happy birthday, we are saying we love you, God be with you till the end of time, we are saying well done". I was shocked, not only at the party, but also the new song, i was used to hearing "happy birthday to you...". They had cake and snacks and my first birthday gift ever was an apple and a chocolate candy, from a dear sister from church. People had not yet learned more about gifts, but at least, this was a good start since the church branch had just opened in my district 6 months before my birthday. I am happy that birthdays are now a big thing among the hundreds who attend our church.
I must also note that, at least among the middle class and university students, birthdays are these days celebrated (in fact while at university, there was a noted girl who always told her suitors her birthday was a week or so away so that they could bring her gifts; she had a birthday almost every month, because she wanted more gifts!). The trends are changing with the new generation, however, deep in the villages, birthdays still remain a mystery.
Christmas in America was more grand than i thought it would be. People here put in a lot into nativity and decorations. Driving through state after state on our way back from California, we saw numerous kinds of decorations; some modest and others so grand. There's no doubt people take it here more seriously (at least from the outside). But i kept thinking whether they take the same way from the inside! Is the Lord that grand in their hearts? Or is it just a fashion statement? Not judging anyone here, but that's just how i thought and i remember sharing this with my wife and we both wondered whether all these homes with these grand decors had a grand relationship with the Lord.
This is not to say that back in Uganda, people are saints; far from it. Growing up, Christmas was more of a day of eating good food (at least from a child's perspective). In most years, it was the only day most families would eat meat and rice or meat and posho (corn bread). And it was also the only day kids and mothers as well as daddies got new clothes. It was also (still is), the only day the whole village went (goes) to church! In most churches on Christmas day, men carry their own chairs to church and women have to carry their own mats to sit on because churches get so full, that other people will have to sit outside and listen, while others stand and peep through the windows! Everyone remembers the Lord on that day.
Christmas is also associated with feasting and drinking. People in villages usually collect what is needed and make local brew in one home where 10 or so families will gather together after lunch and sometimes dinner, to drink the local brew (usually from the 23rd of December to the 5th of December). Children would sit in one place with their own pot of brew drinking while adults sat in the big local tent or shade of a tree to drink. When it became dark, then music would start blaring (growing up, my uncles would play local instruments as we the children danced to the rhythm). However, these days radios and speakers are every where and you can hear sounds coming from different homesteads as the winds carried the sound waves in different directions. We, the children would always have dancing competitions where the winner was usually given about 1 cent! But it was fun!
People planned for the next Christmas on the last day of drinking in January on who would host the next celebration and what would be eaten. Some groups would plan to buy a piglet and raise it through out the year for slaughter on the day and the pork either cooked in one home where everyone gathered or distributed equally to every household for them to cook and eat in their own houses and then gather for drinking in the selected home. Other bigger and ambitious groups would buy bulls for Christmas. Food and drinking and music surmised the day.
It is also a day when family from far came home in the village. Those in distant schools, family members working in the cities and other urban places always return to the villages for Christmas. Public transport fares are always high and in some cases doubled a few days to Christmas because usually there are more travelers than vehicles.
When it comes to gifts, as i mentioned earlier, the gifts are always clothes and shoes and food. Women in the villages always perm or treat their hair during the festive season. The gift that stands out in my mind was how my grandmother would pound groundnuts (what you guys call peanuts here) with salt on it and would give each grandchild a portion in the morning before we went to church! Kids looked up for this gramma's special gift. Nothing like what kids here get, no toys, no painting stuff, nothing. That's one thing i liked about Christmas here. Watching the excitement in the kids' faces as they open their gifts and make grunts of joy as they hold their toys or whatever gift for all to see. That's very nice.
On New Year's eve, in the villages, usually people drink (drink either alcohol or milk tea and soda for born again Christians), share stories and stay awake until midnight. When the clock hits midnight, then ululations can be heard from all directions and shouts of joy accompanied with drumming, burning of car or bicycle tires (poor man's fireworks) and declarations of what the Lord has done for them in the previous year as well as announcing of their new year's resolutions.
Among Christians however, there are usually all night prayer and worship meetings every New Year's eve. Last year, for the first time, we had fire works display in our church during our new year's eve service. It's one of the most important services in the year for me and i am happy that since it's a global service for our church, at least i will be able to participate on line on Wednesday! (thanks to the joys of technology).
I am so thankful and privileged to celebrate the festive season in two different cultures; seeing the good things as well as the bad things of both, it's something that i am looking forward to sharing with my kids and grand kids and you never know, as long as the Lord tarries, may be even with my great grand kids! Happy New Year to you all, thank you so much for being a part of our 2014, hope you will continue being a part of our story in 2015, God bless you all! And by the way, thank you so much for the birthday cards and wishes; i got the biggest number of birthday cards ever!
With much love,
Ruudy and Beckie
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