Discipleship

Before Jesus left the earth, he gave this command in Matthew 28:19 "Go therefore and make DISCIPLES of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit..."

Notice there that Jesus never told us to go out and preach the gospel so that people will get saved. Instead, He is clear here that we are to make disciples of all those that we preach to. This is why it's so important to follow up with those that we share the gospel. One of the biggest things that God has put on my heart to do as His servant is to make DISCIPLES.

In Uganda I have been blessed with the opportunity to teach a class focused on just that...discipleship. Kabalagala Pentecostal Church has a curriculum that it teaches to new believers about being a disciple. I began teaching it in 2008 when I arrived here to help out, but received a class of my own at the beginning of 2009. I'm so excited that I have been able to really mentor these students over the last 2 years. We began when there were many...maybe around 25-30, but finished with only 8. Praise God. Our God is not a God of numbers, but a God of hearts and these 8 who finished this course have big hearts to follow our Lord. Please pray for them as they take the next step in their faith journey. May they continue to seek wisdom and knowledge in the aftermath of this course.

Yup...TIA

So I think in a lot of ways, I am very comfortable with my life in Uganda. I'm used to how life is here. I'm much more adjusted to the culture now. I know how things are and don't get to surprised by many of the things that happen here.

But then something happens just to remind me that I'm in Uganda. Last week I had my car in for service when a friend called to see if I wanted to grab lunch. Of course, I agreed knowing that I had to take a taxi or boda (motorcycle) down the road. What I forgot was that the university down on Gaba Road was having graduations. Being the cheap guy I am, I opted for a taxi versus a boda knowing that the taxi could drop me just steps from where I was meeting my friend. As the taxi began our adventure down Gaba Road, I realized my mistake. The traffic jam was ridiculous. I contemplated exiting the taxi and grabbing a boda, but I decided to be patient. We were seriously creeping down the road when the taxi decided to take a different route because of the jam. I again had another opportunity to jump out, but again decided against it. What I didn't think about at the time was that the road the taxi was going down was really only meant for one way travel at a time. So we eventually ran into taxis and cars coming in the opposite direction and were stuck. After a long delay, I finally arrived at the coffee shop where my friends had already bought my sandwich though they were finished with theirs...a 10 min. drive down the road became an hour adventure.

TIA (This is Africa) Just one of the things you have to get used to in this culture.

Too many funerals

Being in Uganda, you see people go through many challenges; you begin to see life from a very different perspective. When I was a child, I thought of my parents as invincible. Parents just don't die. They will always be there. Well, at least we don't think of their lives in an urgent manner. We know that they'll live to be 70 or 80 years old, and by that time we will be grown up and can at least take care of ourselves.

When I was teaching in the U.S., I don't think I knew of one parent who passed away and only a handful of grandparents. Such is not the case in Uganda. It seems like at least a few times in a month that I hear of a close relative of our children here at God Cares has passed. It is all too common out here. I guess it's one of the reasons that people here always give their testimony of "thanking God because I am still alive."

I guess I've never thought of thanking God because I'm still alive. That doesn't click for me. My parents are still alive. I still have one grandparent alive who is now 93. My brother is still alive. I guess I just don't see death straight in the face the way the people of Uganda do.

But in the face of so many deaths of people related to our children, I do thank God for allowing me to continue to serve Him. It's only because of Him that I continue to be on this earth to show others the love of Christ. (However, I won't complain if tomorrow He decides to take me home to heaven.)

Rebuked!

Have you ever had been in a place of uncertainty? Not really sure what God has for you in the present or the future? I recently found myself in this place. I was burnt out from planning the camp. Burnt out and frustrated with the "Uganda way" of doing things. I really began thinking about my future in Uganda.

As a result, I wanted to take some time away from the city for prayer in seeking God's plan for the next year and beyond. I wanted to get an answer from God regarding how long I would be in Uganda, who I would work with in the next year and what He might want me to do. I went to the YWAM base in Jinja where a good friend works and lives. He told me I could stay with him and I looked forward to time in prayer alone and with him.

The first morning I was there, I began to walk out to the prayer garden, but instead found myself in the ropes course area. I began to pray and seek answers to my questions. However, God had a different plan. He told me that I had sin in my life that needed to be dealt with and until I did, He was not going to show me the plan for the present nor the future. It was clear. It only took about 5 minutes to get this answer. So since that time, I've spent a lot of time identifying sins that had crept into my life. I've been humbled and prayed for forgiveness and deliverance from these struggles. I was rebuked by the Lord, but it was the best gift He could have given me as He begins a process of freeing me from that bondage and making me useful again for His glory.

Logos Bible Software

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Children's Camp 2010

So the 2010 Buyamba Children's Camp has come and gone. This year was especially crazy for me as Pastor Dongo decided to have me head the organizing committee. In a nutshell, I was not really able to enjoy much of the camp because of the work I was called to do.

However, the children were blessed. We had two teams visit this year in support of our camp. One was from Cross Timbers in Dallas, TX and the other from Bethel Christian Church in Bristol, CT. Each brought the hearts of servants as they ministered to our children here in Uganda. Members of each team served as teachers. They brought the Word of God to our children through our theme verse of Luke 2:51-52. They helped to run the games. They served food. But most of all, they loved our children, and we are better off because of it.

We also were blessed with the largest number of facilitators (what we might call youth leaders in the US) that have ever attended the camp. This allowed for smaller numbers of children per facilitator and more time to minister directly to these children. Many of our facilitators developed deep relationships with the children through the week and hopefully will continue to encourage and disciple our children to be more like Christ.

All in all, our children enjoyed a week away from their reality at home. They were blessed with the Word of God, times of fun, new friendships, and of course, good food. Thank you for all who were praying for our camp and to those who contributed financially to help make it a success. Please continue to pray for our children that the Word that was given to them sinks deep into their being and that they draw closer to Christ day by day.

Uganda bombings - a look back

I'm sure most of you heard about the terrorist bombings in Kampala, Uganda about a month ago. I delayed in telling this story as I didn't want anyone to panic back home. Let's just say that we were closer to the bombings than most people knew about.

The night of the World Cup final was also the same day that visitors from Calvary Community Church arrived to stay at my house. The four girls were sound asleep when I arrived home from my friends house, but the two boys were up because they were more adjusted to the time difference being in the UK for 5 days before arriving in Uganda. They asked if there was some place we could go to watch the World Cup final. My friend was leaving the next day for the U.S. so there was a small get together at another friend's house. I told them we could first go there then find out if any of them were going to watch the match somewhere.

We arrived at my friend's house and talked for a while. I found out my one friend was going to someone's house to watch the match. I just didn't think it would be right to show up uninvited with two extra people so I decided that was not a good option for us. As I asked my friends where we could watch the match almost all of them suggested Ethiopian Village. I had never been to the place, but one of my friends had just watched the semi-final match there a few days earlier and told me of the big screen and crowd that was there. Something in my spirit just told me, "No, don't go there."

So as we left I pondered where we could go to watch the match. I decided to follow my gut and not go to Ethiopian Village. Instead as we passed the road to my house, I saw in the corner of my eye the match projected on a wall. We stopped and decided to watch the match from there. About halfway through the match, we decided that we had seen enough and the boys were getting tired. We went home and went to sleep.

At a little after midnight, my phone began ringing. My friend had called to see if I was alright. I was a little out of it seeing as I was asleep a few minutes ago. He kept asking if I was alright and if I had gone to the Ethiopian Village. He knew that was one place we were considering. I assured him that I was alright. I didn't understand much of what he said, but I heard "bomb" in there somewhere. So the next morning when I woke I looked at the news to find out that Ethiopian Village had been bombed and there were a number of casualties.

As I looked back, I just saw the Spirit of God leading me and protecting me from that tragic event. I can't imagine what I would have said to the parents of those boys had anything happened to them. We are blessed to have been spared from all of that. So when you hear that still small voice leading and guiding you...you might want to heed what the Spirit is telling you.

Children in REAL need

So I've been working in Uganda for over 2 years now. I love working with the children here, trying to help them attain a good education and teaching them the Word of God. One of the things I have been so blessed to be a part of during the last year has been going to do social worker visits to the homes of these children. It really gives you an idea of what kind of life these children have outside of God Cares schools.

Some children's parents have homes built when they had good jobs, but now cannot find consistent work to pay for things such as school fees. Most live in 1 or 2 rooms places that they rent. Keep in mind that when I say 1 or 2 rooms, I don't mean 1 or 2 bedroom apartments such as most people have in the U.S. I mean 1 or 2 rooms where each room would be 10' x 10' with no running water or bathroom facilities. Within the 1 room apartments, the family might consist of up to 7 people staying there. I think you get the point. Most of our children come from difficult circumstances.

While visiting some of these families, I really wondered in my mind, "If these people have such a nice place, why do they need sponsorship?" "Is it really helping them for the long term or are we just solving a short term problem?"

Then two days ago, I met some people who had brought two children to our ministry. In fact, these children were in our boarding section. However, I had only known one of them somewhat well...basically because he's one of the most difficult children to handle here, but at the same time, a student that many of the visitors we have had this summer have grown to love in part because he would do some things to entertain them. Joseph and Douglas began to tell me a short version of these kids' background. So while talking to them, I suggested that we visit the home since that is our requirement to add any child to our ministry.

Yesterday, Douglas picked us up and took us to their father's home in Nateete. As I looked around, I didn't see an area much different than the places I had previously visited. Small apartment buildings were everywhere, but I remembered that they told me the father rented a place for just 10,000 shillings (~$5) per month. I couldn't imagine such a place since most of the places I had visited were usually at lowest 50,000 shillings for a single room. Finally, we stopped and he pointed out the house to me. At first, I was looking at a different place, but finally, I saw it. It was just a house made of a stick frame and mud used to fill in the gaps between the sticks. I was deeply moved by the horrible conditions in which these children were formerly living. Then I remembered that Douglas told me that the father often could not even afford to pay his rent. That is truly how bad off they were. Their father, Ssali, was a gracious and humble man. He never asked for anything, and you could tell that he was very grateful for everything that Douglas and his ministry had done to help him. After chatting with him for a short time, we thanked him for his time and bid him farewell.

Douglas suggested that we talk to a neighbor of theirs to find out more about the story of Ssali and his children, Ivan and Frank. She told us of a father whose wife ran out on him when Frank the younger of the two children was only 2. Ssali struggled to provide for his family and the children resorted to doing some things to get some money for food. Frank has some tricks that he knows how to do. It's difficult to describe what he does, but it is pretty cool to watch. Some people collecting scrap metal in their neighborhood saw them and the tricks they could do and decided to exploit them. Think of something similar to the movie Slumdog Millionaire except that these kids were just picked up each day and taken to town to do these tricks on the streets to get some money. For that, they might be given 500 shillings for the day (equivalent to about 25 cents) when the people were taking in much more.

The neighbor thanked us for taking these children into our ministry and pleaded with us to not send them back to this area for the term break because they would again be exploited. We are trying to find a way to keep them with us at the school.

These are the kids that really need our help. I feel blessed to be a part of being able to give these children an opportunity to have the education that would have literally been impossible had this other ministry not brought them to us, and I look forward to partnering with this other ministry to help the really needy as well as orphaned children.

I wanna go home!

The toughest question for me to answer when I'm talking to friends and family back home is "When are you going to move back to the U.S." The past month I have been wrestling with God regarding my future in Uganda. At one point, I found out that there were openings for teachers at my old school, Hillcrest. As a result, I considered moving back to California and giving up being a missionary. In that time as I begged God to allow me to return to what I consider a normal environment, God gave me a resounding "NO" as an answer for my plea to return home to the U.S. He revealed to me how selfish that would be and challenged me in that area of my life.

So I chose to be obedient and remain in Uganda for at least one more year. I'm confident that it's where God wants me, even though it's not really where I want to be. So instead of taking an easy road out and facing consequences of disobedience to the Lord, I take the tougher route and begin the last year of my commitment in Uganda. Does it mean I'm moving home in a year? I'm not quite sure yet. There are a lot of things that I'm investigating right now with some friends that might keep me here longer, but I can guarantee that if I'm doing the same things next year that I've been doing over the past 2 years, I will most likely be back in the U.S.

Please pray that God will help sustain me through this year and that He will reveal my future to me.

Making an impact

It's that time of year. The time to remember what Jesus has already done for us. As soon as I realized that I am a sinner and need to be punished for the sins I have and will commit, I came into a loving relationship with the one who already took the punishment for my sins. This completely changed my life. It took me from a party animal to a radical Christian desiring to serve God in any way that I could.

Before coming to Uganda, most of you know I worked with both middle school and high school students. The thought that often crossed my mind while serving as a youth group leader was "Am I making any difference in these kids lives?" I watched on the sidelines as so many kids fell into drugs, alcohol, premarital sex, etc. It was a tough pill to swallow. I can't lie...I was a little jaded. Lots of time invested in so many kids and I stood and saw so many walk away from the church. I wondered if there was any good to what I was doing. I was burnt out.

Lately, I have been struggling with that same feeling at times while serving in Uganda. I watch as kids take for granted the amazing opportunity they have to go to school and learn about a God that loves them so much. I wondered silently why God had brought me here.

Then God used some former students to really encourage me and show me how I might never see the fruit of the labor I am currently putting in. In the last 3 months, I have received about 5 random messages from students that I either taught or worked with in youth group. Each had something to say about the impact that I had on them in one way or another. I even had one student tell me that I'm like her Christian dad. That touched me more than I could imagine.

A few years ago, I was at In-N-Out when I noticed a young man staring my way. Finally, he came over and asked if my name was Darren. Instantly I remembered this kid from when I served at Ascension Lutheran Church as a confirmation teacher and youth leader. It was a time in my life where I was pretty radical with the changes in my life. He told me how much of an impact I had on him. How I played a part in his faith. He had wholeheartedly committed his life to Christ in part because of my influence on his life. I was amazed. This was almost 9 years later. What a blessing from God.

So whatever way you are serving God. If you are thinking that it's all in vain. I am here to tell you that the opportunity to impact just one life for Christ is better than giving up on what God's call is for you. Make an impact on those around you. You may never see the results, but God does. As we celebrate Easter, let us be who Christ wants us to be so that those around us are impacted by what Christ has already done for us!

A contrast...

So yesterday I spent part of my day with Oliviah, one of the social workers for Buyamba. The social worker's office has been diligent about doing their visits to the homes of our sponsored children (both in and out of God Cares Schools). Sometimes I go with her on these visits. It's always an eye opener to see the conditions in which these children live.

Yesterday, we visited about 6 homes of the families or guardians of our children. The living arrangements of these families varied widely. Some lived in one room apartments (like a studio minus a bathroom and kitchen...maybe 10' x 10'), others in two room apartments and others were blessed with houses. The purpose of these visits is to check up on their lives and situations...whether or not they meet the qualifications to be sponsored or continue to be sponsored.

Anyway, I digress. The last family we visited was that of a single mother. As I listened to the person giving me directions to drive to the place I just recall hearing Kiwafu Estates. I guess really what I heard was something about "estates". I mean what do you think of when you hear that word. I think of pretty good sized homes and so I just wondered where we were going. It took us a while to find the place where this family stays. As we finally found the road, we parked and began to walk down an alley between two huge homes with massive brick walls on each side of the alley/road. Looking down the road you could see some very small buildings amongst the near mansions of the area. This single mother lived with her four children in a small room.

I just couldn't get out of my mind the contrast in this area. There were very wealthy Ugandans, Sudanese, Americans, British, etc. living in these houses enjoying many of the comforts we have in the U.S. The houses in this part of Kampala might rent for $1000- 4000 per month. (I know, I would have never believe it either) And hidden behind some of them were some small apartments the size of some of our tool sheds. There could be anywhere from 3 to 10 people living in each of them while struggling to pay their rent of maybe $25 per month. It deeply broke my heart that there are such extremes here...the very wealthy and the very poor. Whatever happened to the days of the early church where all shared and no one was ever in need. I wish we could go back to those days.

Keep it in Perspective

Yeah, I haven't been on here blogging in a while. I've got lots to share, but not a lot of time to sit down and share it with everyone. The past month has been filled with lots of challenges. One of the main reasons I haven't written here in a while is that I've been sick...It began with the flu which then transformed into a sinus infection or bronchitis. Now I'm still remaining with a cough and being lethargic sometimes.

But in the last 10 days, some crazy things happened. Last Sunday I found out that I had a major water leak/problem at my house back in CA. I was informed that the best choice would be to tear out the master bathroom and then cut into the foundation in order to replace all of the piping for the house. There was a lot more to this, but it seemed like a no brainer. I had no choice. If I tried a quick fix, the problem would return again and again until I replaced everything. In fact, this is the second leak I've had under my foundation thus helping me to realize what needed to be done. Then I was given a ballpark figure for this major upgrade...I about pee'd my pants. Where was this money going to come from. I'm a missionary and don't have a clue how this was going to get done? Was I going to need a loan? How was I going to be able to make payments on this additional cost in maintaining my house? So many different thoughts went through my mind.

Then just a few days all of that was put into perspective. One of my former youth group students that I mentored throughout middle school had a horrible accident playing an extreme form of hide and seek. He sustained head injuries that eventually required surgery to release the pressure to his brain that was being generated from the blood accumulating there. I am happy to report that he is slowly recovering from his injuries day by day.

The point though is this. There are bigger things in life than the problems with my house and the money that is going to be required to fix it. There are bigger things in life than the Christmas presents we receive, what phone you have, the type of car you own, whether you have a mac or pc, etc.

We need to value every day with every person in our lives. You never know when the last time you'll see someone is. Often, we prioritize stuff before our relationships. We need to value our spouses, children, friends, family, co-workers, etc. because life is about relationships.

We must realize that this life is fleeting. We're all going to die someday. At that point, we'll be posed with the question of our faith. We'll stand before God (whether or not we believe) and be judged for our sins. For those of us who have confessed that Jesus is Lord and believe in their hearts that He truly is Lord, we will be taken to heaven. For the rest, well, you know where the other place is. Many people have confessed their belief in Jesus, yet their lives lack repentance and movement toward holiness. True faith is demonstrate just as much by what you do as by what you say.

The student with the injury should be an example to everyone around. He trusted Christ wholeheartedly and lived his faith in every aspect of his life. I've seen posts on Facebook as evidence to who he was to all people. Even those who were not close to him knew of his love for God and for others. He truly loves his neighbor as himself.

Here's the wake up call people.

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. (Matthew 6:19-21)

We need to put more value in our relationships than all the "stuff" in the world. Keep it in perspective.

Real life in Uganda

Most of you know that my residence here in Uganda is somewhat unusual in that I live on the top floor of God Cares Nursery & Primary School. I like to call it my penthouse, but it's really anything but a penthouse. My biggest complaints here are the lack of privacy and the noise in the mornings. Well, this month I have moved temporarily as I house sit for some friends who are currently in the U.S. to experience what most ex-pats do.

I began house sitting on February 1. It was a very weird move for me. First of all, the house is WAY on the other side of town. The other day it took me about 45 minutes to get to the school from there and it's only a few miles away. I realized how comfortable I am at the school as I prepared to bring necessary items to the house. At the school, I can wake up and just get on my computer and begin working right away. Now, I have to shower, get dressed, lock up the house, open the gate, drive outside, close the gate then drive to work. It's not something I'm used to in the morning or the evening.

The second thing is I really miss my kids. They've just returned and much of what I do is ministering to them. I even miss the noise that they make. The noises at the house are foreign to me, but I find comfort in the noises of our children. After all, the reason I moved to Uganda was the kids.

Lastly, living on the other side of town makes hanging out with people difficult. Most of my friends are on the school side of town. This week I've been invited to a game night and to watch the Super Bowl but they're all away from where I'm staying. I'll figure it out, but it just seems inconvenient.

All I'm saying is that it's just weird to be living a "real life" now. What I mean is that it's like being back in the U.S. in some ways. Living somewhere and working somewhere else. I'm not sure I'm cut out for this while I'm in Uganda. Thankfully I've been blessed with the opportunity to live with my kids and minister to them full time even if it means sacrificing my privacy. However, this month I am trying to appreciate my privacy and the beautiful house that I'm staying in.

Yes, I'm in Uganda

So I was quickly initiated back in the Ugandan culture on my few days back. I was immediately reminded of where I was upon exiting the airplane. I went from Switzerland and London where temperatures were warm and in the 40’s to Uganda where it was about 80 degrees upon exiting the plane at 10 pm, not to mention temperature controlled rooms to “I hope the fan blows enough cold air to cool me down”.

Secondly, I was reminded of the rules of the road…meaning that there really are none except for the police are always right. I guess those rules I made for my classroom have come back to haunt me. (#1 The teacher is always right. #2 if the teacher is wrong, refer back to rule #1) I think in one day of driving in Uganda, I’ve experienced more frustration than the 2 plus months spent in the States.

Lastly, this morning I had to get up early to wash my bedsheets. Let me rephrase that…hand wash my bedsheets and blanket because they were so dusty. Not my favorite thing to do, but much needed.

I’m sure there will be more realizations of what it means to live in Uganda, but that’s it for now. Funny thing is I’ve been here two days and still haven’t had any Ugandan food…been eating out a lot with friends and the team from Calvary. Weird though.

Back in Uganda

My time in the U.S. has come and gone and for much of the time there I felt a little lost. It was almost like a feeling of being displaced. I had "homes" to stay at, but nowhere really felt like home. Much of that might have been not really being in one place for very long, but I believe a lot of that was because though I have much in common with Americans, I'm not much of an American at heart these days.

As my plane took off from London to Entebbe and I saw lots of mzungu going to Uganda for whatever reason, my purpose in life (at least in this season) seemed to be blooming again. I felt like a foreigner when I was in London and Switzerland, but as I touched down in Uganda everything came back in no time. I was home.

I am ready to start this next journey of my life here in Uganda. I think God has huge things to show me this year and to use me in some mighty ways to help the people of Uganda draw close to him. Stay tuned for more.