Earlier last week, my class began a special Mother's Day project. We planted flowers and decorated the tins specially for our mothers. It was really sweet to see them so excited about their mom's and making something just for them! The first picture is about half of my students showing off their flowers. The second is of one of my students from Korea, named Ji Soo, watering her flower. (And since we cannot be there to tell our mom's in person... Happy Mother's Day. We love you and miss you so much!)

Training Ugandans to be pastors has presented not only some incredible conversations, but many cultural challenges as well. Ugandan culture teaches men to have multiple wives and not to show those wives love or affection. Some Ugandan women do not feel loved unless they are physically beaten regularly. This week in the village, I was asked to teach 15 men and two women an overview of the Old Testament. When we talked about Song of Songs we dove into how much love and passion Solomon had for his wife. I had the opportunity to challenge these leader in the church to not be ashamed to love their wives both in public and in private. The men were full of questions, and the first man to ask a question is on the leadership board of the entire African Gospel Church for Uganda. It was clear that God was moving in their lives. (This picture is at the village Church with Pastor Gideon)

Diesel Mob

Bang!!! Parked in a traffic jam at the gas station, I looked over my shoulder just in time to see a motorcycle taxi (boda boda) get hit by a Land Cruiser and the two boda passengers go flying to the ground five feet from my car. The woman on the back of the boda boda stood up holding her head and crying. Immediately every African around swarmed the Land Cruiser and began yelling at the driver- who I quickly noticed was another missionary in my organization. Getting on the phone, I got in touch with our field director and in fifteen minutes we had an insurance man on site. Once we got out of our cars, we were able to talk to the Ugandans around the vehicle and work the situation out. Because the accident was the fault of boda boda, the mob died down. It was tenuous for a moment because of the recent riot acts have gotten everyone worked up. (Good news: President Museveni has backed down from his hope to sell the forest, and the people hopefully will have no more riots.)

God moves through whistles

Joining our friends John, Erica, and Jeannie this weekend in Arua, N. Uganda, Annie and I were able to see how God is opening doors for them to start local ministries. One month ago, John and Erica moved to Arua, N. Uganda to create new ministry opportunities for our organization (WGM). God began opening doors through a sport that John loves, volleyball. Just behind their home, John heard a whistle blow and he went to check it out. He told us his story... "Walking up a trail, I found two hundred African eyes shift focus from the volley ball court to me. Standing in the midst of the Africans, I heard someone say, "You are welcome." Soon I joined in playing volleyball with these Ugandans, and bump...set...spike later they began to accept me as one of their own teammates." This experience has opened doors for John to help coach several of the players, and the head master of the school even wants them to come in and help with the spiritual development of the students.

The Maasai village is surrounded by a wall of thorn bush branches that they use to keep wild animals from attacking their children and livestock. Entering the village, the children that were running and playing beside their mud/dung homes turned quickly to give Dad, Mom, Annie, and me a big, fly-covered smile. The Maasai are known for their warrior skills, but as they opened their homes to us they shared with us more about their culture- which is just like stepping into the Old Testament (OT). Here is a little bit about what we learned...
The Maasai man typically has many wives that he purchases with cows. The first marriage is an arranged marriage, and the marriages there after can be chosen for love. If anything is to go wrong (sickness, baby who cries, etc.) it is believed to be because an ancestor is upset with them. To appease their ancestor they take an arrow, cut a hole in the neck of a cow, let blood drip into a leather container, and then pour it on the ground next to their home. If the ground soaks in the blood, then the spirit has been appeased. The Maasai financial value is determined by how many cows they own, and typically the richest man in the village is the "Traditional medicine doctor", aka witch doctor. If you go to a witch doctor for treatment, he will give you herbs (good for malaria, stomach ache, and even Viagra). Witch doctors often fabricate stories such as telling a new Maasai parent that their child is going to die. For the price of five or so cows he will pray that it does not happen. If the child does not die then he has done his job. However, if the child dies, then the people have not had enough faith.
Many of these beliefs and traditions are some of the same beliefs and traditions that we have heard about our whole lives- straight out of the Bible. It was fascinating to see, hear, and imagine what life might have really been like then.

This adventure began with nine High School students, a loaded down van, rumors of riots in the city, and one goal in mind...to share Christ through skits, manual labor, and visiting the thatch roof homes. My Job, Brad, was to be a leader for the High School mission trip, Wednesday-Friday, and then to be a speaker for the spiritual retreat that weekend. A highlight for the mission trip was visiting several local homes. Walking up the dusty road to the row of thatch roof homes, we were quickly greeted and asked to sit with them. They offered us their only makeshift chairs as they quickly sat in the dirt. We soon learned that the majority of this particular family was dying of several life threatening diseases. They had no hope for decent health care and no money. Yet their faces were still beaming with joy. When asked, "Where do you find joy?" the elderly mother with aids quickly pointed at her husband and spoke up in her native tongue saying, "We find joy in Jesus and our children." Her youngest child, 40ish, that was suffering from Sickle Cell Anemia agreed, "Jesus is our Joy." As we walked back down the dust covered road a student remarked, "It puts things in perspective. When rubber meets the road Jesus has to be our everything." (Pics: Top left- Brian teaches village kids bible verse, right: Brad playing 11 vs 11 soccer with village kids, Mission student group)



Riots in Kampala
This past week we have been under several riot warnings. As for Annie and I, we are living just in the out skirts of the city and there is absolutely no problems with safety in our area. What began as frustrated Ugandan citizens hoping to save a forest from being turned into a sugar factory, unfortunately became a deadly mob scene. Annie's school was notified by the American Embassy that anyone who is basically not African shouldn't enter downtown Kampala. (We rarely do this anyway due to traffic and of course rarely having transportation.) The danger for "Mzungus", white people, is that if anything were to go wrong, car accident etc, there is a high chance of being blamed and then mobbed. Keep in mind this is a country that has only known war and fighting for many years. We are safe, our organization is safe, the school is safe, but the city could certainly use your prayers. *This picture came from the internet and not from our own personal camera.

Ripped from the raft, thrown into the air, and submerged under roaring white water until you cannot stand it any longer…this wraps up our Nile River rafting trip. Saturday, Annie, Mom, Dad, and I took on what many people consider the most difficult rapids in the world. Class five rapids are the most difficult rapids that can be rafted and survived. We paddled into the center of every rapid, and only flipped four times. To say the least it was a full day of heart pounding adventure.