I cannot thank you enough who are praying for me in Uganda. I feel very encouraged and loved. I am starting to miss a few aspects of home, besides all of my close friends and family. I miss being in charge of my life and needs, and this is most pronounced in the area of eating. I have three set times a day when I eat, and that’s pretty much it. I’m used to eating at home, and stopping for a sandwich or something whenever my stomach tells me it’s time. I also miss church! I do go to church here, but many of the songs are not in English, and the ones that are in English are mostly lacking the rich content I’m used to. And having been a church musician for a number of years, it’s easy for me to analyze and critique the services, things like the 80’s electric piano sound, the synthesized drum set, the overuse of the 1-4-5-4-1 chord progression, and (this is the toughest thing for me) the fact that everyone claps on the 1-3 instead of the 2-4, all the time, every time. It’s quite distracting for me! But I love Christ, and I love to worship Him and see Him cherished before His people, and all the things just listed are secondary, Lord help me!

I’ve begun teaching guitar lessons to people who ask. I don’t ever offer it, but just try to help people out whenever I can. It’s mostly informal. I help facilitate our morning worship times at the Institute morning classes, which is a wonderful time each day. We have a song list with lyrics, and many great songs are on there. The part I love, which seems more unique to Uganda, is that people are unashamed to lead out. I usually pick a couple of songs to start, then leave it open for any other song. Inevitably someone will lead out in another song, and we will join in. I really enjoy it when others desire to sing and lead, and it’s not dependent on me.

I’ve had a number of very enriching conversations with Keith(the guy in charge of the Institute, from Chicago, who went to Moody and Wheaton, who’s family is now here, who’s picture is on the right tab). I’ve felt a lack of input and comradery on a certain level, because there are any other theologically astute American men I am rubbing shoulders with here. Ever since I became a Christian I’ve had guys pouring into me, some who are above me, and many guys whom I feel I track with very closely. Keith is really the only guy here with whom I can freely converse with about the state of American church, theology, ministry, my walk, etc. I think he is going to be my informal mentor while I’m here in Uganda, praise God.  

My relationship with my family group is growing more and more every week. I can tell that the kids are becoming more and more used to me being around, and are opening up to me a little more. I had a conversation with a girl regarding someone who was about 28, who was a son of New Hope, who had died unexpectedly during a routine surgery. The whole school went to bury him, and she talked about her thoughts and feeling on this. Great open door! I’ve been playing with them more, and working in the field with them a few times a week. I often joke with them and try to get a little deeper each time. Remember, these kids are orphaned. The guys in my family and I were with one of the families from the UK, playing some games. The father wanted to see if any of the guys had a question for me, being that I was fairly new. After a few questions regarding my age and how many plates of food I eat every day, one boy asked, “Are both of your parents still alive?” Wow. I am so thankful that my parents are still alive, an immense blessing I often take for granted. I am often asked about my parents and my brothers, and I feel a deep inner pride and gratitute when I share about them.

I will now talk about what I’ve learned this week, but I must warn you, it’s kind of long, so if you’re in a hurry read it later. But if you don’t make it that far and just wanted updates on what I’m doing, here are some ways to pray for me: 1. That God would continually impress His will upon my heart and life, not so much for the future, but that I would BE who I need to BE right now. 2. That I would grow in holiness and flee sin and temptation. 3. That God would enrich my relationships with my family group, my roomate, Keith, and my classmates. 4. That I would really come to know God more. Seriously, that’s the biggest cry of my heart right now. 5. That I would be enabled to think more critically and honestly about issues.

That’s a good segue to talk about one of the things that has really been impressed upon my heart and life this week, which is the Fatherhood of God, and my relationship to Him as an adopted son. There are many ways and forms in which God has revealed Himself to humanity. He has given us many natural pictures that we might comprehend spiritual reality. Some examples of this include God as bridegroom(marriage picture), righteous judge(justification), and Father(adoption). This could also include God as Creator, Savior, King, Master, Counselor, Helper, etc.  All of these roles of God are given to us in God’s Word, the Bible, and they paint a picture for us of who God is. There are many colors and shades that make up the magnificent painting of who God is. And the more we find of who God is, the more we find who we are. If God is the bridegroom, we are like a bride. If he is a righteous judge, then we are the defendants.  If he is Father, we are His children. We must not neglect any one of these qualities in favor of another, lest we have a skewed view of who our God is, and who we are to be. Sometimes we can get very hung up on a certain aspect of God, and really miss out on other ways God wants us to know Him. In Reformed circles it’s easy to get very zealous about the sovereign kingship and reign of God that we forget that God is our Father, which is a deep, close, emotional, intimate thing. And it is the Fatherhood of God that I would like to highlight right now, as it was highlighted for me this past week.

True disciples of Jesus, Christians, were once enemies of God, having rebelled against His rule. Because of the work of Jesus Christ on earth, His death and resurrection, we have been “reconciled to God”. (Rom. 5:10) We were once objects of wrath, and now we are objects of grace. (Eph. 2) There seem to be two primary pictures that illustrate this relationship. One of them is justification, which says that we have been declared righteous before God on the basis of the finished work of Christ. What a wonderful and foundational truth! It is to this truth that we cling as Christians. Yet you cannot stop there, as wonderful as justification is. Scripture clearly gives us another glorious picture of this restored relationship, which is the picture of adoption.

I’m reading a book now called From Orphans to Heirs, by Mark Stibbe. In the first chapter he is trying to highlight what he sees as the lost coin of Christian theology. He sees spiritual adoption as an often marginalized truth. In many ways I agree with him. In much of middle class Christian culture we have reacted to affectation and mere sentimentalism in worship, and may be a little bit uncomfortable thinking of God as an intimate Father. I do feel comfortable thinking of God as Father. It seems to be harder for people who have either had no father, or have had absent, abusive, or abdicating fathers. I have had a great earthly father, so it’s not a difficult transition for me to think of God as the more perfect Father that my earthly father points to. But too often we emphasize justification, and de-emphasize adoption, God as our Father, and especially the role of the Spirit in this transaction.  J.I. Packer has a great treatment of spiritual adoption in his classic book, Knowing God. He writes, “To be right with God the judge is a great thing, but to be loved and cared for by God is a greater.” He writes elsewhere that justification is the foundational blessing of the gospel, while adoption is it’s highest blessing. Whether you agree with Packer on which is greater or not is unimportant. I don’t think we need to think about which one is greater or more important. We need to really learn to fully appreciate both, and have a more complete picture of who God is and what our relationship with Him is like.

In both Galatians 4 and Romans 8 Paul talks about the Spirit of adoption causing us to cry, “Abba! Father!” Abba is a close, intimate, familar term. I don’t think any English word is sufficient to really capture the idea. The closest would be something like daddy or papa. But it goes way beyond merely having our theology correct when it comes to the different roles of God. It is a spontaneous, emotional CRY for our Abba. It is a resting in the security and comfort of God. It is a trust in the good provision of God for all things, with no need to fret or worry. It is a painful joy when our Father disciplines us as His children. To realize that a loving Father has brought us out of Satanic slavery into adoption as sons should inspire our love and worship. We need not fear His wrath(justification), only His loving hand of chastening as a Father(adoption). The two doctrines go hand in hand.

Now I am careful about people who hold up one doctrine or truth as THE main truth, as if adoption and Fatherhood are the only ways we are now to relate to God as Christians. It is one of many ways, yet a way which we can never forget or marginalize. The Fatherhood of God is primary in how we relate to Him. See how many times in the gospels God is referred to as our Father. And how did Jesus teach us to address God when we pray? As our Father in heaven. But in that same prayer we read about God’s kingdom, and are reminded of another HUGE role that God holds, that of King. Now the Fatherhood of God and my role as an adopted son is enhanced when I realize that I am an adopted son of the King. A great King. My identity is bound up in my relationship with Jesus Christ, who, by the way is our brother, and He is not ashamed to call us so!(Heb. 2)  What a great truth! The sons of great kings work for the glory and honor of their father, the king, and they don’t revel and participate in things which dishonor the king, or dishonor their royal identity as sons of that king. There are such vast and glorious implications for this, but I’ll stop there.

If you are a Christian, glory and trust in your heavenly Father! Cry to your Abba every day, and express to Him that He is all that you need, and nothing else. You are fully satisfied in Him, and trust Him to lead, guide, and provide. If you are not a Christian, or if you think you are a Christian yet to do not look to God for TRUE provision and satisfaction, you will never be satisified until God is your Father. You will always be in spiritual hunger for a right relationship with your God, for satisfaction in relationship, for intimacy, and a thousand other desires that will not be met until you are adopted by our heavenly Father, and justified in His sight. As St. Augustine said, “Our hearts are restless until they rest in You.”

 May our Father continue to show us more of Himself, and may we be continually satisfied with all that He is!

God is good! He is continuing to teach me new things, and allowing me to go deeper into His truth. I am continuing on in my routine here as normal, still growing, being challenged, struggling, and enjoying. I feel I have been gaining ground with my family group in a relational sense. I have been spending more time with the kids, going to their devotions, playing games, and participating with them in their daily work in the garden. I enjoy good hard work outside, but I am still getting used to the way things are done. For example, I spent several hours cutting grass with a slasher, which is a tool shaped kind of like a putter, but is straight on the end. You basically just slash the grass(hence the name “slasher”) and cut it down. I had many blisters on my hand before one of the kids showed me a better way to do it. It’s all about the form.  These kids have so much going on in their heads. They all have a deep, weighty and painful past which they are trying to deal with. I’ll write about this orphan mentality probably next week. But it is a challenge to break down walls with them, and I’m realizing how much I need to depend on God.

Matthew and I are getting more comfortable. We have great discussions and joke around often. He has given me a nice window into his life and culture, and it is interesting. In class this week we hit on a few topics. Probably the main topic of the week was emphasizing that God does everything for His glory. We looked at a LOT of Biblical passages, and traced this theme throughout the Bible. The concept was not particularly new to me, but I found myself just being fed, and being led to worship God for His glory and grace. To nearly everyone there this concept was new. We are not the center of the universe, nor the Bible. God is! It was quite a glorious revelation to many, and a great foundation which will now be built upon. It was also very well taught, by Keith. I really enjoy his teaching and his style. Another issue we touched upon was how a Biblical Christian worldview changes our perspective of things like art, science, male and female roles, children, politics, etc. Should we merely put a Christian spin on these things? Or are they radically different under Christ? And how do we live them out in the world in a redeemed way while still being missional? I’ve begun to process these things, and again, I’m sure I will express my thoughts in a later blog.

For this week, here is what God has been impressing upon my heart, and causing me to wrestle through. A good clincher verse which summarizes my thoughts is found in James 4:14, and is reflected in the title of this entry. “What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.” Our life is a whisp of hot air, which is short. Very short. And we only get to live it once. When we reach eternity each of us will know what we should have done differently. But now that we have the Scriptures, and know what is truly important, what shall we do with our momentary mist?

Our lives are wasted if we don’t live them for what we were made to live for, which is God’s glory. What a great purpose in life! And to the degree that we fail to live for God’s glory, and instead live for vanity and small pleasures, to that degree we waste our life. So what can I do with my life, that I might live this purpose to the fullest? The possibilities are endless. I could expend myself on the mission field, plant churches, pastor an illegal church in a closed country. Or I could pastor a church in America. I have a high respect for most pastors, who make great sacrifices and work very hard for the ministry. This week we watched the movie Luther, which is the story of Martin Luther, the great reformer. What monumental things he did! In the end, it doesn’t really matter what we do. God will take care of that. The greater question that faces most of us is this: How can I glorify God more where I am at, and expend myself, even to the point of what may seem radical, for the gospel? What kind of person am I to BE?

As I reflect on my life, and observe the American church around me, I have a sense that we can be too safe sometimes. We say we trust God, but that trust is rarely put to the test because we have so many backup plans just in case. As a result we, myself included, are often afraid to take risks, or rather “so-called” risks. Trusting God is never a risk. But what is it that God may have us do? I can only answer that question for myself. But if you are reading this then you must answer it for yourself. Think big. What can you undertake for the gospel, for His glory? What will it cost? Being that this life is a vapor, and eternity is, well, forever, will you regret giving too much? How many people have you heard of who have given a lot (not just monetarily), and regretted it?

One thing that is spurring these thoughts is the fact that I am 24 years old, am as single as they come, have some money in the bank, and have no payments or debts. Yet I don’t think I am alone in the desire to accomplish something great for the kingdom. Whether you are 18 or 60, you should think seriously about what you can do with the life you have. This may mean raising the most godly family you can and impacting your middle-class neighborhood and church. It may mean leaving your career to plant churches in Kenya. It may mean intentionally reaching out to the women in your neighborhood during the week. I always want to be open to God abruptly changing my plans. Yet I know that’s a little easier for me to say, because I really have no plans. After Uganda I really just want to go to seminary. Beyond that, who knows? I think it would be great if we thought more in the category of radical and unorthodox when it came to God’s Kingdom priorities and mission.

Another thing that is spurring me on is a great need I see in Uganda, which I know exists all over the world. In my family group there are 20 or so kids, and the family father has been there for less than a year. It is nearly impossible to find family parents who will really lead and parent kids for a very long time. As a result, it is hard to closely disciple these orphans, and work with them on close life issues. And because some of these kids have had multiple parents, they are slow to give their trust away, and open their hearts. It’s not like a visitor who comes and goes, nor even like a best friend leaving. It’s their parents. Again. As a young child I think one of my greatest fears was losing my parents. These kids don’t merely need money, clothing, and food. Those are cheap. They need to be adopted. Every orphanage and children’s ministry will fall short of this ideal. I remember thinking this week, “Man, someone should just adopt one or two of them.”

To me, that is outside the box thinking for those who consider it, and it is a sacrificial, loving, joy-seeking venture. I know it’s expensive. I know it can be a pain. I don’t think I know anyone who genuinly couldn’t afford such a thing, especially if God was leading it. I know why I can’t adopt a kid. Why can’t you do it, or do something greater for Him? Is it because it will cost some money, or time, or reputation? I can’t and won’t tell anyone what I think they should do. My thinking has been seriously stirred on matters like this, and I hope that you will begin to ask yourself if any part of your life is being wasted on vanity, instead of being invested for God’s glory and your eternal good.

When we start to think of this life as a vapor, and eternity as huge, what will it look like? What will it look like for you? May God open our eyes to a greater vision of His glory, that we might truly count all things as loss compared to the surpassing worth of knowing Him.

This week our group examined different cultural worldviews. What do different cultures think of each other? Some very interesting discussions took place.

The first was the African worldview. Africa is very rooted in Animism, superstition and spiritism. So much is done to appease the spirits, and it is thought that virtually every disease or bad thing that happens has come by the spirits, so they try to seek out spiritual solutions in order to heal their disease, or have better crops. People resort to witch doctors and animistic priests who can be paid money to pray for them and bless them. A lot of Africans still believe this today. Now when a typical African becomes a Christian there is difficulty in leaving behind everything that has been engrained in their heads, so their Animism becomes Christianized. It’s not the spirits anymore who are making you sick, or causing your crops to fail, but it is demons, and they seek to “bind those demons in the name of Jesus!” Many people here are now being taught the Bible better, and are understanding amazing truth about how God is sovereignly at work in their lives. Many of the Africans in our class were still doing small superstitious activities without even knowing why, or even that they were doing it. It was very eye opening and freeing.

The kicker came when we analyzed Western worldview. First we looked at it from a Western perspective. I won’t go into the details, but suffice it to say, we can be a very proud people. I think most Americans think that Africa has the problem, and they need America to bring the solution, and fix the broken countries. They may even think that they are intellectually superior to Africans, and that’s why Africa is mostly poor, and America is mostly rich. I think this is due to a lot of ignorance on the part of many in the West who have never met an African, who have certainly never been to Africa, and who’s only exposure to Africa is TV commercials showing starving children who need your financial support. And to be honest, I myself had many of these thoughts coming in, to a certain degree. I didn’t KNOW Africans, or how they think, or why they think that way. But sitting in a room with twelve other Africans has helped me to catch a glimpse of why much of Africa is the way it is, and what Africans think of the West. It was very eye-opening, and I will try to explain to you what happened.

What do Africans think of the West? This was the question posed to the class. Here are some of the responses, from a secular perspective, in which most of them were raised before becoming Christians: They are greedy, and try to hoard the wealth. They seek to wipe us out and take over. The doctors who come over with immunizations are trying to make you infertile. The West invented AIDS. They think they are so smart and superior. The filth in music and movies comes from them. They think we are just a bunch of beggars who need handouts. They think we are animals. They tried to enslave us. We are in poverty because they are rich. Nothing good can come from them. They are only trying to make us western like them, and destroy our rich culture.

Are you shocked?

Sure, there are small glimmers of truth to some of the things. We do send over a lot of garbage in movies and music. Many of our solutions to their problems have been simply to give handouts, which creates dependence, not a better economy in the long term. But how could anyone think that of the West? If you know history, you can understand why many Africans might think this way. In the late 1800s there was a meeting in Europe regarding the “partitioning of Africa”. In it, they decided that the European nations needed to tap into the rich raw materials in Africa, and maybe even help them in the process. They basically divided it up between them, and invaded. Some came by sheer force, and others came through more political means. Britian took over a great part of Africa, and only recently has finished pulling out. Italy invaded Libya, and killed many people. The French were often brutal in their techniques. Nations were set against nations, and there was much civil war. For most of Africa this was their first experience with white people, westerners. And of course we in American know the history of slavery. Our ancestors abducted them from the coast of Africa and enslaved them in America. The West had the power, and they used it.

So imagine a father in Africa around the turn of the century, who’s family was abducted, or who’s brother died in a concentration camp, or whose fields were burned by some European nation. He will HATE the West! He will be very suspect of any white person he sees. To this day many Libyans hate Italians for these reasons. There is a very deep seed of anger and resentment, which gets passed on to his children, who pass it on to their children, who pass it on to their children. On day a white person, a doctor, comes to give immunizations. Animism combined with a generational distrust of the West will cause him to think the worst of this person and his motives. Missionaries come who have a westernized Christianity, whereby they preach a version of the gospel which says that you need to look and sound like the West in order to have real faith. In the process they destroy African culture instead of seeking to redeem it, and people develop and bad taste for Christianity, thinking that it is the “white man’s religion”. There was a woman in our class who had been hurt by some Westerners, so she had great difficulty getting close to anyone who was white. Think about it. If that’s all she experiences of the West, what is she supposed to think? Imagine a southerner raised on the farm, who has never left his house, and never met a black person. Finally he decides to visit Chicago, wanders on the South Side, and gets mugged and beat up. He may be suspicous of black people the rest of his life, no matter who they are. There is a deep-seeded bitterness in the hearts of many in Africa who have been taught to distrust white people. This came out in our class.

Many of the Africans in our class, who are Christians, were shocked to hear what they themselves were saying. Yet it was very liberating for them to say, “I have been hurt! I am angry at the West! I don’t trust them for what they have done to us!” The wound was uncovered. There were tears, and much conviction of heart. I felt a great need to apologize for what my people had done to their people. The wounds did not stay open and exposed, as if simply venting would solve anything. But then the healing power of the gospel took effect, the gospel which says that we are all sinners, and all under God’s wrath. We have been forgiven abundantly. Because of this, I am free to forgive wrongs suffered in the past. Even the really terrible wrongs.

God is building His church. His church is made up people from all ethnicities. Revelation chapter five says this: “Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and lnauage and people and nation, and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.” The blood of Christ purchased racial and national reconciliation under His reign. So I can join my brother in worship of Jesus Christ, and be reconciled to him, because Christ purchased this with His blood. I am convinced now more than ever that the ONLY thing that can heal this broken world we live in is the gospel of Jesus Christ. Only something with that kind of power can wipe away such deep scars and wounds. History isn’t just forgotten, but lingers in the hearts of generations. And the gospel will bring the healing that the people hunger for.

So, my American friends, let us be aware of what is going on in this world. Christians, let us be God’s agents of healing on this earth, which God is already beginning to restore through the gospel. There is no picture more beautiful than the sight of reconciliation of enemies, flowing from the cross of Christ where we are reconciled to God. Imagine one day a Nazi soldier who became a Christian, worshipping Jesus Christ with a Jewish Christian he once persecuted. Reconciled. A Libyan and an Italian, a southern slave owner and a slave, an Iraqi and an Israeli, Christians, worshipping Jesus Christ. We long for that day.

“Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever.” Revelation 22:1-5

That’s a big thing I learned this week. On a much lighter note, I did preach this Sunday at a small village church of about 40-50 people. It was translated into Luganda, the other local language besides English. I’ve never preached with a translator. But I thought it went well. God was faithful during my prep and delivery, and I believe eyes were opened to His truth.  They were very excited to have visitors come, and it was a sweet time. I have so much to say about the African church in general, but I will save it for another week. I will have several more chances to preach, so I will write more about it later. Thanks to all who were praying for me. It was truly a stretching yet glorious experience.

I am interested in some of your reactions to the essay above, so feel free to leave a comment! Or if it’s a private comment, just email me. I won’t post it here, but hopefully you know someone who has the address.

A few of you have asked me for a few more details about my life here in Uganda. Having finished the first week, I think I can tell you what my routine has been so far, and what it will likely be over the next few months. I will try to be detailed, without being obsessively boring. So here is a typical week for me, with other thoughts as well.

Monday through Friday I typically get up around 5:30. Some mornings I go for a run, and other times I wait until the afternoon, but I run at least every other day. There is nothing like running through the African countryside. It really is a beautiful place. I encounter many people when I run, and get some of the strangest looks you’ve ever seen. I have yet to meet a fellow runner on the road or trail. I spend about an hour every morning communing with my Lord through prayer, study of God’s Word, the Bible, and digesting it. I love just lingering in the text every morning, especially when God hits me with earth-shattering truth in my little hut, and turns it into a sanctuary of worship.

At 7:30 I have breakfast. Breakfast here is very light. Every morning it is the same, with white bread, jelly, and coffee. Sometimes they will have some hard-boiled eggs or sausages. But it’s not a big deal here. I try to really fill up at other meals. Now a word about coffee. If you know me, you know that I value a good cup of coffee, especially in the morning. The coffee served here is instant. That’s right. Powder and water. Some of you thought I would be roughing it, but never imagined this. Seriously though, it’s not too bad. I didn’t come here for coffee. I can deal with an instant cup of coffee. However, I recently was able to obtain an extra coffee maker from a family who wasn’t using theirs, so as soon as I get some other ingredients I will be in business.

After breakfast I prepare for class which starts at 8:30. I have kind of a private worship time with just me and my guitar just before class begins. There are about 15 of us in class, mostly Ugandans, but a few from other parts of Africa and America. Right now we are learning about what makes up a worldview, specifically from an African and American perspective. It has jogged my thinking on a number of issues. At 10:30 we have a tea break, where I just drink water and chat. Class ends at 1:00, at which time we share a community lunch. So far I have had very interesting conversations with my fellow classmates.

My afternoons are spent reading and studying, and usually will go for a run, play basketball, or do something strenuous. Here is what I am studying right now: The God Who is There, by Francis A. Schaeffer, Preaching the Whole Bible As Christian Scripture, by Graeme Goldsworthy, and various other readings for class. I write a lot of my thoughts in my computer journal. I am also re-familiarizing myself with my Koine Greek, and I spend an hour or two every day going through the grammar book, memorizing paradigms and vocabulary, and translating. I have felt a great sense of focus and clarity of thought in my studies, which I am so thankful to God for. I will also be called upon to preach on occasion, and I’ve decided to study the book of Colossians. My first sermon will be next Sunday at a small village church. That should be interesting. Please pray for that.

Before dinner I bathe. This consists of a jug of water and a pitcher, in an outdoor shower stall. I am actually more motivated to go running because of this, because then my water will actually feel good and not be too cold. Dinner is at 6:00, with the six other people who actually live here at the New Hope Institute. In the evenings I will usually do one of two things. Sometimes things and activities come up, which will take up a lot of time. Some evenings I will just read and study more, or sit and chat with Matthew my roomate, or go over to Keith’s house and pick his brain. But 3-5 nights a week I will join up with my family group. Let me explain what this is.

New Hope Uganda’s primary ministry is with orphans. There are many orphans who live here on site in family groups. The family I am assigned to is the Calvary family, headed by Uncle Fred (instead of saying mister or misses, the adults here are referred to as Auntie and Uncle). He and his wife have 23 kids in their family, ranging from a year old to 22 years old. Some of the kids are their biological kids, but most are orphans, raised in this home. I am pictured (in the picture link on the right) with Uncle Fred and one of his children. There are about 4 huts/houses and a meeting place in their little subdivision. I go to this family and help them with gardening, most of which will feed the family, homework, and participation in the evening devotions. This past week I felt like I was working in a church youth group again, only very different in a lot of ways.

At around nine or ten I will go back to my hut, do a final journal entry, and go to bed, usually no later than 10:30. That’s on weekdays. On Saturday I may hang out with the kids again and play with them some more. I may go into the village, travel to Campala on occasion, or just chill. But one thing I will do every Saturday is laundry, in a basin, by hand. This takes much more time and effort than normal, so I actually have to plan when I will do it.

Sunday of course is church. This past Sunday was a special thanksgiving service, and the vigor, excitement, and intensity in worship is so inspiring and joyous. I have much to learn about the African church. The latest service went from 10:00 until 2:00 in the afternoon. That was difficult. At around noon I went into overload mode, and couldn’t really take in much else. I will blog about the African church at a later date, as my experience so far has left my thoughts conflicted about ministry philosophy and doing church cross-culturally.

That’s it! I hope you made it through without nodding off too much. This past week Matthew and I purchased a bicycle to get aroud on. Things are quite inexpensive here, so it was no sweat at all to purchase it. Pray that I would become more and more immersed in this culture, and seek out the people as much as I can. Pray that I would know how to recieve the teaching in the classroom, and how I can edify my classmates. Pray also as I preach next Sunday, that I would be understood through the translator, and that God would enable me for His work. I am learning and processing through SO many things right now. Once my thoughts are more coherant I will put them on this blog in a semi-finished format. Pray that I would hunger after God daily, and seek his face continually.

One quick note: From now on I will post all my pictures under the “pictures” tab on the right, so that they are all in one place for you to view. There will be new ones every week, so keep checking!

May He be glorified in the nations! Let the peoples praise You O God, let all the peoples praise You!

Thank you for checking up on me through this blog, and praying. I plan on updating this every weekend, so on Monday morning you should be able to read a new post.

Well, I have nearly survived So far I have just been getting used to life here. I haven’t started any classes or work yet. Those begin on Monday. In the meantime I have been resting, talking walks, talking with people, and getting comfortable here at the New Hope center. I am living in a pretty cozy round hut, with fairly consistent electricity, a bed, and a second little room with some chairs. It seems odd that I also have wireless internet in my hut. I drink filtered water from a well, and get three meals a day, which so far I have greatly enjoyed. Pretty normal so farone week here in Uganda. There are so many small interesting things I deal with daily, I don’t know where to begin. I will give you a general overview of my life here so far, and will fill in some of the details in later posts.

I arrived on Thursday. Africa was beautiful from the airplane. I didn’t lose any luggage, which many people do. The drive from the airport in Entebbe over to Kasana where I am staying was probably the roughest ride I have ever taken. The van was probably from 1970’s, and the road had literally thousands of significant potholes. We were swerving, slowing down, and speeding up pretty much constantly. But I arrived safely, my breakfast where it should be, and I am thankful to God for that.

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My shower consists of an outdoor cement stall, a pitcher, and a jug of water which I fill everyday. My showers are, let’s say, exilerating. My bathroom is also a stall, with a rectangular hole in the ground. That was a challenge at first, but after my first successful run, I felt great satisfaction. I don’t think I have felt such satisfaction after using the litrine since I was potty trained. Enough about that 

          Matthew, my roomate

I encourage you to click on the New Hope link on the right to find out more about what this place does. Keith is the man in charge of the New Hope Institute, which is what I am apart of. He is my connection here, he being the cousin of a good friend of mine from college. He’s has been helpful. There are about 15 people in my class, but only a few of us are actually living on site. There is an older couple from the Congo, two young ladies from California, and my roomate, Matthew. You can see his picture. He is 24 years old, as I am, and he just finished at the University in Campala. He was orphaned and mostly grew up here at New Hope. He seems very intelligent, deep, and thoughtful. I look forward to getting to know Him, and seeing what he will teach me about the culture, himself, and his faith. It’s also great to have a local living with me who can show me things and places I might not otherwise know about.

I have had a lot of time to think and study already. My life has been kind of monastic, with a lot of solutude, studying, eating with others, and talking with people occasionally. Much of this will change once the program really starts on Monday. But I’ve been able to really take in the situation, and prepare my mind for action. Soon I will get into a routine, endeavor to stay disciplined, and find a good balance of study and people. Pray that I would do these things, and that I would just absord things around me like a sponge. The enviroment is very friendly here, and I can talk to people freely. I want to really try to engage people more, and try to hear their story. I have much to learn from them, and yes, nearly every speaks English. Pray that my pride would not get in the way. Pray also that I would love Christ more, and run harder after knowing Him. Pray that my mind would be clear of the fog and distractions, and that I would be able to think critically, think in large amounts, and think worshipfully. I am very hungry to understand His Word more, with a true uniting of head, heart, and hands.

By next week I will hopefully be more articulate on what I am actually learning so far. More pictures are coming as well. But now you have a general sense of my life here. I desperately need your prayers.  I am SO thankful to you all for supporting me in this, and yet not merely supporting me, but the glorious kingdom of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ. May He alone recieve the glory!