Fields of Hope

Our New Home

2008-03-10T17:53:00.003-05:00

It has definitely been awhile since we last posted an update. It may give some indication as to what life has been like since returning from Uganda.

Eric has kept very busy with his CRWRC work. He is currently in Uganda helping orientate the new person that will take his position. It sounds as if everything is going smoothly. I must admit that I have been a little envious though over this past month as he has relayed information to me from our friends in Uganda.

I have been busy with getting outstanding medical issues dealt with. This process has meant a lot of recovery time. I have also contracted about every flu and cold that has been out there this season. Eric also got malaria after being back in the US for over a month. However, we are on the mend now. God has been so comforting during this transition.

We are both currently looking for jobs. Eric has several possibilities so we are just waiting to see which doors open up. We believe that we are going to be living around Springfield, OH. This is good as we had an offer accepted on a house in Springfield and will close on March 20th. It was one of the very sad foreclosure homes in the area. I have been through many foreclosed homes, and it is so sad to see such great properties becoming ruined as they await their next owner. I am sad for those that have lost their homes and pray that their needs are being met.

Thanks to those of you that are still checking this site to see if we ever post anything. We will try to keep you better informed over the next month as major decisions are made.

A Response to AB's Comment Box Question...

2007-11-04T01:33:00.000-05:00

Wood burning brick and clay stove

Making different shapes and sizes of rolls and bread

Mixing the ingredients without a modern mixer

Rolling the dough

Signs leading to Kucwiny community

Well, it's been a while since our last post. But we thought you would want to know that we have both arrived safely back in the US and been reunited. We'll catch you up in another post about our doings since making it back. For now, I thought we should take a few minutes and respond to a question left by AB in the comment box regarding the bread baking process used by the members of the Kucwiny community group.

I am adding pictures of the bread making process, as well as the wood burning clay oven for your review. The bread may look yellow-ish. This is due to the yellow food coloring they add, as that apprently helps with sales. The other main difference is that they would add more sugar than normal. This, too, is to make their product more marketable to the general public who might like their bread a touch sweeter to make it a desert item as well. They bake the bread in a variety of shapes - roles, buns, bread sticks, loavs, etc.

A Last Word from Uganda

2007-10-02T03:17:00.000-05:00

I am posting our last monthly reflection written in Uganda as our last word before leaving indefinitely for the US. My (Eric) departure for Ohio is just hours away. We are grateful that we were allowed these 15 months here in Africa. Blessings to you all and we'll see you on the other side. Hopefully I'll be able to post more pictures when I arrive in the US, as the internet speed has made this difficult here....

This will be the last reflection written to you from Uganda. In a short while our time here will come to a close and a new era in our lives will begin. These points of transition often give one pause – they are a time to ruminate on the direction one’s life is taking and to contemplate where one’s life has been. One question I (Eric) have been asking myself is, “What will I miss from my time here in northwestern Uganda?” The answer to this question is manifold. I could speak of the dear friends and colleagues that have played important roles in our work and lives this past year; I could speak of the beauty of the clear, star studded sky when staying over in a village with no threat of light pollution; I could speak of the warmth and hospitality with which we have been greeted and welcomed by partners and communities; I could speak of the resilient people we have interacted with, befriended, and served during our time here.

While I could easily speak about the above items, and many more like them, I have chosen instead to discuss one part of our reality here in northwestern Uganda that, yes, I will miss, but that also provides an analogy for the transition experience we are going through. Uganda is a beautiful country. I have found this to be especially true of our area of operation in the West Nile region. I have spent a great deal of time traveling this past year to and from Kampala in the southeast. But I always experience a lightening of the heart when I cross Pakwatch Bridge and return to the familiarity and beauty of West Nile. West Nile is full of grand vistas overlooking shaded valleys with grassy hills rolling off into the distance and the occasional babbling brook running through. Everywhere you drive, the landscape is incredibly alive and full of every shade of green that you can possibly think of. I will miss being surrounded by this inspiring scenery, even as I look ahead, intent on the road before me as it cuts through the lush countryside like a gray paved or red clay scar.

The other day I made my last community visit. In my drive home from Kucwiny, a small village nestled in the middle of the Padyere grasslands, I found myself contemplating the theme of life as a journey. What I discovered was that I could only really know the road that stretched out behind me. I could know what I had passed by, what I had seen, what I had experienced. But the road ahead was always less certain. There are many bends in that road; there are many points at which you cannot see what is around the next turn. Our life journey has brought us to such a bend in the road. We are peering around it, trying to know what is next, trying to understand the situation we have been faced with. But while there is uncertainty in driving into the unknown, we can still have the confidence that comes from the knowledge that God has ordered our journey up to this point and the faith that God has, “plans to give [us] hope and a future” (Jeremiah 29:11).

I could say many things about where I draw hope from during times of transition, but I will mention just one. I personally feel hopeful when I am mindful of the fact that the road representing my life is just one among many such roads. Every heart that beats this day, every life that has ever existed, is also on a journey. In the end, all these life journeys flow into the great story of our time, that is, the history of the entire world. And as when I cross over Pakwatch Bridge and enter back into West Nile, it brings a sense of lightness to my heart when I remember that the path the world is on will one day bring it back to a beautiful country. Indeed, the day is coming, and could even be upon us, when the world will pass over a bridge representing the old order of things and enter into a country that resemble, but also magnifies, the former glory of the Creation. It will be a land marked with rolling hills, shaded valleys, babbling brooks, and grand vistas. It will be a country full of life, hope, and promise. This land is not West Nile. This land is called New Earth.

“Behold,” cries God in Isaiah 65, “I will create new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind. But be glad and rejoice forever in what I will create, for I will create Jerusalem to be a delight and its people a joy. I will rejoice over Jerusalem and take delight in my people; the sound of weeping and of crying will be heard in it no more. Never again will there be in it an infant who lives but a few days, or an old man who does not live out his years; he who dies at a hundred will be considered accursed. They will build houses and dwell in them; they will plant vineyards and eat their fruit. No longer will they build houses and others live in them, or plant and others eat. For as the days of a tree, so will be the days of my people; my chosen ones will long enjoy the works of their hands. They will not toil in vain or bear children doomed to misfortune; for they will be a people blessed by the Lord, they and their descendants with them. Before they call I will answer; while they are still speaking I will hear. The wolf and the lamb will fee together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox, but dust will be the serpent’s food. They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain.”

Amen! What a beautiful destination we are heading toward!

All of life is transition. But we can hold on to the certainty that in New Earth, as explained in Revelations 21, “the dwelling of God [will be] with men, and he will live with them. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” The trick, I think, is to act as if it were wholly up to us to get the world to this point, to pray as if it were wholly up to God, and to live as if the beauty of New Earth were already an undeniable and present reality both in our hearts and in the world today. Even as I prepare for this last trip out of Uganda, even as I leave West Nile behind for the foreseeable future, I wish you God’s blessings in your own life journey.

Kucwiny Community Visit

2007-10-01T07:08:00.000-05:00

Kucwiny community members gathering for a visit under the shade of a mango tree

2007-10-01T00:56:00.000-05:00

Things have been busy of late. I (Eric) returned Saturday evening to Uganda from a trip to Zambia for some regional CRWRC meetings. I will try to upload some pictures from my last community visit which I snuck in before leaving for Zambia. I stayed a couple of days in Kucwiny. So far in Kucwiny they have three core groups specializing in various activities, though there is a lot of integration between the various programs.

The Archdeaconry Planning and Development Committee (APDC) in Padyere Archdeaconry, which covers Kucwiny, visits the groups regularly to train them on the latest technologies and techniques so that the hard work of the community members yields the greatest harvest possible. CRWRC works to build up the capacity of the APDCs (we work with 6 in West Nile) in partnership with the Church Diocese so that they can have a deep impact on the communities they work with. Using such an indirect approach ensures that the program is more community-based, sustainable and locally owned. In short, there is a lot of value added to our inputs because we work through pre-established institutions. In our case, the local institution is the Church of Uganda which is the largest protestant denomination in Uganda.

One core group that the Padyere APDC works with in Kucwiny is an agriculture group. This core group has planted thus far this year fields of corn, sunflowers, peanuts and potatos. Some of what they harvest is consumed by the community members as food, some is kept back to re-plant during the next planting season, some is put into a revolving loan fund to support community members and some is sold for extra income for the community members and their households.

The second core group is made up of members, most of them from participating churches, that make up a diaconal ministry team. What the team does is provide informal and culturally appropriate assistance in the areas of counseling, discipleship training and conflict resolution when called upon by families or individuals in distress.

The last core group is made up of women who have started their own bakery business. They meet once a week to make bread, roles, cakes, etc. to sell to the local population for income for their community. Most of the women have taken the techniques taught to the group and use them to bake and sell bread out of their houses to increase the income of their families as well.

2007-09-18T15:36:00.000-05:00

This will be the last blog posted by Team Smith from the Arua office. Tomorrow begins the final departure from what has been home for over a year now for the capital of Uganda. The remainder of my (Eric) time in Africa will be taken up with meetings both in Kampala and Zambia. It has been a memorable adventure and I wish our friends and colleagues in West Nile fulfilled lives.

Below are a couple of pictures from a strategic visioning workshop held in Koboko for community group leaders. We spent a total of three successful days together developing consensus on the future of their groups and the Koboko Archdeaconry program that serves to knitt them together.

The participants working hard in their groups. Each group gave themselves a name. The group in foreground of the picture is "Kunya," meaning, "Take Courage." Other groups had names referring to esprit de corps, overcoming the odds, etc...

Groups drawing their answers to the questions, "what does a developed person look like?" and, "what does a developed community look like?"

Rivers

2007-08-30T12:46:00.000-05:00

Fishing boats on the Nile just down the hill from Junam archdeaconry headquarters

A view of the mighty Murchison Falls from on top of the canyon

Pakwatch Bridge - just one of two Nile River crossings on our way from Kampala to Arua

The following is the monthly reflective piece we wrote for the August newsletters of our supporting churches. Just thought you might like to read this one....

The Nile River is associated with the country of Egypt when in fact the source to this mighty river is Lake Victoria in Uganda. Our first night in Uganda was spent at the Buziga guest house which is within sight of this truly great lake. So it is that we had the privilege of watching the sun rise above the lake our first morning in Africa, the light of the orange orb reflecting colorfully off the faded blue waters below. Since that first morning, we have had the opportunity to get to know the Nile River more intimately during our many trips to our home in Arua from the capital, Kampala.

We like to stop at Karuma Falls, which marks the half-way point between Arua and Kampala, to stretch our legs, eat a picnic lunch, and enjoy the beauty and power of the river as it cascades, churns, and roils across rocks, jetties, and drops. We also enjoy passing over the Nile River on the Pakwach Bridge, a couple of hours from home. The banks around the bridge harbor good wallowing spots for elephants. During our most recent trip we took the time to visit our favorite spot on the Nile, Murchison Falls. One can either take a scenic boat ride along crocodile and hippo festooned banks toward the bottom of the falls, or drive off the main road for a ways to reach where it is forced from a mile-wide river through a nine meter rock corridor. The thunder and roar is deafening and invigorating and the spray droplets come falling down on you like rain.

Water has become an important part of our life here in Uganda, much as it was and is an important part of life in the Middle East. The Bible is replete with references to water. And there’s a beautiful symmetry to be found in the imagery that is used. The first chapter of Genesis opens with the account of how, “The earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.” So begins the creation account. Then, in the last chapter of the book of Revelations, we find the same Spirit of God calling out to mankind, saying, “Come! Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life.” We are indeed fallen if we do not marvel with King David, “who is man that this God that created all things in heaven and on earth should be mindful of him; should offer him the free gift of the water of life defiant as he is?”

In between the first and last chapter of the Bible, the same imagery is used by poets speaking softly of lying, “down in green pastures,” and being led by “quite waters” (Psalm 23) and by prophets crying aloud, “let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream” (Amos 5). Most importantly, we find this imagery used in the gospel accounts where we find Christ, for example, affirming to the woman at the well that, “indeed, the water I give will become a spring of water welling up to eternal life” (John 4). But it is at Christ’s death that we come to understand the full depth of what this reference to life-giving water means. At the crucifixion, we read, blood and water flowed out of Christ’s body after his side was pierced by a Roman spear. The water, along with the blood, represents God’s grace, forgiveness, good will, peace, love, sacrifice, righteousness and so much more on so many levels.

Isaiah both described and expounded upon Christ’s death when he prophesied, “He was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed” (Isaiah 53). How amazing it is that this event would be so accurately and poetically portrayed by the prophet centuries before it occurred. And how much more amazing it is that Christ, who was present before time and through whom all things have their being, would be willing to step into human history and sacrifice so much in order to offer us peace and healing!

Christ’s broken body was resurrected to wholeness on the third day. While His physical body was later taken into heaven at the ascension, His figurative body, the universal Church, still exists in the world today. And just as Christ’s physical body was once pierced and crushed, there are times when members of Christ’s figurative body feel beaten and broken. While we can in no way compare our experiences this past year to that of the crucifixion, the fact is that we have felt emotionally bruised at times. This was certainly the case when we recently made the very difficult decision to phase out of our Arua position and return to the US where proper treatment for certain health concerns can be found. This decision was absolutely necessary, but the issues associated with it have been difficult to understand and hard to come to terms with.

And yet, through the bruising has come the realization that the figurative body of Christ, the Church family to which we all belong, continues to represent hope just as Christ’s physical body did to the apostles two thousand years ago. Your encouragement, prayer, and support of both our ministry and of us have been for this past year a stream of life-giving water. We thank you for allowing Christ to work His good work in our hearts through you, our dear family, friends, colleagues, supporters, and brothers and sisters in Christ. We are grateful to each and every one of you and our hope is that we will be able one day to pass along the same message of peace and healing that you have given us throughout this oftentimes exciting, and sometimes trying, period of mission work with CRWRC in Uganda.

We pray God’s rich blessings on you in your lives of service to the Almighty, who is the source of the river of life (Revelations 22). Amen.

Departure

2007-08-16T11:19:00.000-05:00

It has been a long time. What started out as a routine trip to Kampala at the end of June turned into anything but routine. I became extremely ill while in Kampala. It was the most sick that I have ever felt in my life. After several trips to see Dr. Stockley and three nights at International Hospital Kampala, I was emergency flighted to Nairobi Hospital. I spent five nights at this hospital. After many, many tests, the only thing that they could say was that I had some extremely acute virus. We stayed in Nairobi for a few days after being released from the hospital for more reviews with the doctors. Eventually we made it back to Arua for a very brief stay before leaving with my mom on a planned vacation in Kenya. Unfortunately, I became very ill again while in Kenya. I saw the doctors a couple of more times, but some of the symptoms are still persisting. It has been a very long couple of months. Thank you so much for your prayers and concerns during this time. Eric has been stretched extremely thin with my illness and his continuing work.

Before we even made the original trip to Kampala, I was having to take a lot steroids to ease my chronic health issues. It was at this point that we decided that I was not really being able to live my life here and that we should return to the US. I tell you this with a lot sadness from dashed hopes and dreams. We have come to love Arua and the community that we share here. We believe that God has control of even what is happening now. I know that he has a purpose for us and a plan for us even if it looks different that what we believed it to be a year ago. We have peace with our decision even though it comes with some pain.

As it is still necessary for me to continue receiving medical treatment, our exit from Arua will be very rapid. Eric and I will leave Arua next Thursday. I will leave that weekend for the US. Eric will return to Arua until Sept. 18th and then have a couple more weeks in Kampala. At that point, the office in Arua will be closed until a replacement is found. Eric will be continuing to work for CRWRC and with our partners here in West Nile until at the most January, 2008, or until a replacement is found. Ideally he will return to Uganda for handover once the new person is hired.

We ask for your prayers during this transition. Eric and I are not looking forward to more time apart, but it seemed absolutely necessary in this situation. We will be moving back to Ohio where I will begin looking for a job once I am fully recovered. As there are so many unknowns (where we will live, what kind of job will I search for, what church will we attend, etc.), we covet your prayers. One of the things that makes me very sad is that our faithful househelp, Grace (bread Grace), will no longer have employment once we leave. Please pray for her as she seeks other employment. We also have a cat that needs a home so please pray for Milo too.

Termites (AKA white ants) another Tasty Treat

2007-06-17T04:02:00.000-05:00

Another tasty treat that we just enjoyed this week is termites (locally called white ants). While this was nothing new for Eric, it was very new for me. As we are in the midst of the rainy season, termites are usually hovering around lights after the rain drives them out of their homes. People are very happy when this happens because it is a free source of good protein.

Now I must admit that I might have been more leery of trying a termite if I would not have been in a group situation. Our friend, Sarah, offered to cook some for us and our friends at a dinner party that we hosted this past weekend. We cooked them with their wings in a frying pan without any oil. The cooking killed them, and then we plucked off their wings and dug in. Eric used to enjoy these in DR Congo without frying them, but we weren’t quite up for that. Now to my shock, all of us that tried them for the first time agreed that they are very good. Granted it was a little weird knowing that we were eating an insect, but if you kept this in the back of your mind, then it tasted like you were having a very tasty bowl of popcorn or maybe they tasted a little like pork rinds. So if you were in Arua now, we could not only offer you some good avocados and passion fruit but also some yummy termites.

Green Goodness

2007-06-07T07:16:00.000-05:00

As our endeavor to have a garden has produced little fruit, we are excited to now have a plethora of avocados. If you were all here, we would have enough for each of you plus some. Our trees are bending at the weight of them. It is a nice problem to have. We now always have something to give to someone when they visit, and we have some tasty salads and toppings for our fajitas. When you mention to a Ugandan that an avocado in the US can cost $2, their face registers shock. Here an avocado costs around 200 shillings (about $.08).

Another fruit of choice here is the passion fruit. While you can find these in the supermarkets in the US, they are about $1 a piece. One would cost only a few cents here. We love the sour but sweet taste of this fruit. It makes a wonderful juice, but we prefer to just scoop them out with a spoon. This picture is one of our several passion fruit vines; as you can see, they have a very unique flower. We aren’t sure if they produce more passion, but they certainly don’t hurt.

Hope that you enjoy seeing a couple of the tasty reasons for living in Uganda.

A Safe Return

2007-05-26T10:56:00.000-05:00

Just a couple of sample photos from our time in North America...

Visiting with friends in Indiana

Visiting with Eric's parents in California

We have just returned from a whirlwind and harrowing trip to the US and Canada. We participated in a two-week orientation/training with CRWRC. Many were confused that we were just now going through orientation given that we have been in the field for almost a year. Well, we were the guinea pigs. CRWRC is now sending people to the field more quickly and then bringing them back after 8-10 months in the field for orientation. The hope is that we will have more pertinent questions once we have been in the field. We, for the most part, found this to be helpful. While we had some sessions on introductory issues, we also were able to ask some more detailed questions based on our experience. We spent one week in the Grand Rapids office and one week in the Burlington, Ontario office.

While we were in the US, we also took this opportunity to catch up with some friends, family and supporting churches. Our base was at Mom’s Terre Haute B & B. From here we enjoyed time with our family and friends based in the area. We also enjoyed some time in California with some of Eric’s family. One other highlight was Martha’s dad and his wife visiting from Florida. It was great of them to make the trip up and to bring along our dog. It was so much fun to visit with everyone. We only wish that we could have had more of it! We are sorry if we missed you this trip. We couldn’t possibly catch everyone so we will have to catch you on the next one.
For now, Team Smith is settled back into life in Arua. We are getting ready to host our good friend, Tanya, followed by a visit from Martha’s Mom, followed by....

Last King of Scotland

2007-04-18T01:56:00.000-05:00

Some of you may be interested in seeing, or may have already seen, the movie, "The Last King of Scotland". Kampala, the capital city of Uganda, does have a modern movie theatre. There was a lot of excitement when the first showing of the movie aired at the Kampala movie theater with president Museveni and other important figures watching. We were able to take the movie in during a recent visit to Kampala for a CRWRC country team function.

We didn’t find the movie as artfully or well done as some other recent films, such as "Blood Diamond". Still, it was fun to see it in Uganda with an audience that has a living memory of the Amin era. Generally, the people that we talk to that lived through the years Amin was in control from 1971 to 1979 feel that the depiction of the man was not truly accurate. Amin, they say, was much more shrewd and calculating and less given to outbursts of anger and/or laughter. Amin, of course, died over two years ago in exile in Saudi Arabia. It’s worth noting these facts since Amin seems to live on in the world’s psyche as a recent, or sometime even current, phenomenon. While his time is long since gone, the country is still recovering from the negative impacts of his many mistakes, such as his decision to expel all people of Asian decent. This decision alone was enough to send the country into an economic tailspin. Even more distressful was his decision to quietly execute all those that dared to oppose him. This decision had a chilling affect on the country’s budding civil society and fragile democracy. Some groups accredit him with the deaths of 300,000 people. Amnesty International puts the number at 500,000. In any case, Amin is not the central figure of the film, but is there as a foil to his Scottish doctor. There isn’t a lot of educational material on Uganda as a whole from that time period or since, though you do get some snapshots here and there of the country’s topographical and cultural diversity and beauty.

I have posted a picture of a carcass of an armored vehicle from the roadside not too far from Arua. I pass by three such vehicles when I travel to Goli to visit the headquarters of one of my partners. These vehicles are remnants of the last days of Idi Amin’s era when his troops fled to his homeland in West Nile as a last ditch effort to save their skins. Amin is said to be of Kakwa decent. Koboko, which is one of the districts in which we work, is largely populated by the Kakwa people-group. Because of this fact, following Amin’s overthrow, the people of West Nile were more-or-less persecuted by the incoming “security” force. The negative sentiment on the part of those living in the southern parts of Uganda toward those living in the northern reaches persist to this day. In fact, Uganda is sometimes described as being divided into two countries – the North and the South. This attitudinal divide does impact our work, as the north generally does not get the same attention or level of services as the southern part of the country. At the same time, the situation appears to have left people fairly independent and willing to grow in West Nile.

In general, things have started looking up under the current leadership that has been in place since 1986. There are still issues of gross corruption and mismanagement to tackle. However, we see some signs that the Ugandan civil society is starting to wake up to its rights and obligations. This fact demonstrates that some of the last vestiges of the Amin era oppression and suppression are slowly coming to an end.

A Community Visit

2007-04-11T16:23:00.000-05:00

Highlighted areas show our area of operation. The orange area encompasses all of Nebbi diocese of the Church of Uganda and the green encompasses Madi/West Nile diocese. We have over 100 communities we work with in this area. We are the only staff based in northwestern Uganda. As a whole this region is referred to as West Nile, because it lies to the West of the Nile River, which has its source in Uganda at Lake Victoria.

A traditional meal is being laid out for our consumption. The staple here is a cassava dish called "kwin," wich is paste-like in its consistency. Being that we are guests here in Leiko, we are offered chicken or goat meat and an accompanying sauce along with the kwin. Hospitality is very important in traditional Ugandan society and you can see that they offered us bottled pop and water, a treat that the average community member would not be able to afford.

To the right in this picture is a very astute development worker that helps keep the community groups in Koboko district running well. To the left is one of the pastors in the area. We had a time of fellowship on the evening of the first day in which the pastor shared a message. On the morning of the second day a woman and community member offered the devotional. A pastor in this kind of rural setting might make 4,000 Ugandan Shillings (15% of the offering) in a month. This isn't very much, given the fact that the exchange rate is 1,750 Ugandan Shillings to $1.00. One has to be dedicated to persist in this profession here in this country.

Here are the Anika community group members proudly showing off some of the things we worked on during our two days with them. Our time in Leiko, where most of the Anika members come from, was very insightful and inspiring. You can read about our experience in the post below.

A Community Visit

2007-04-11T16:21:00.000-05:00

Recently, we have spent a good deal of time in the field trying to wrap things up before a planned trip to North America for a CRWRC Orientation from April 23 to May 4. One of our favorite field experiences was from our time with the community group of Anika. We featured Anika in the December newsletter and we are following-up on the Anika story in our next letter which should be on its way to you even as you read this post. Anika is a community group with a strong savings and loan program.

We have over 100 community groups that we work with through our partnership with the Church of Uganda in Nebbi diocese and Madi/West Nile diocese (see illustration). The community groups are involved in a variety of programs that they select based on their unique and felt needs and priorities. These programs mostly fall under the following sectors: Agriculture (cassava, maize, fruit trees, vegetable gardens, and tree nurseries), Income Generation (savings and loan schemes, small business development), Animal Husbandry (goat, bee, and poultry raising and multiplication), Health (securing clean water, anti-malaria campaigns, HIV/AIDS care and prevention, nutrition increase), and Functional Adult Literacy (literacy in vernacular, literacy in English, functional math). Older community groups have integrated programs that might include a combination of Health, Literacy, and Savings and Loan programs, for example. These community groups are the vehicles through which we reach to the grass-roots and impact individual lives and increase the quality of life of families.

We spent two days in the community of Leiko, which is where most Anika members live. It was a good experience that helped us to connect with community members at a more intimate level than we can through normal monitoring visit. Part of being there was to build relationships. Part of being there was also to learn from the group and its successes. Finally, part of being there was to encourage the members to continue their quality work and build on their successes thus far.

How did we learn from the group? We did a very abbreviated version of a barrier analysis technique that is being promoted by USAID and Food for the Hungry. We treated the community group as a focus group and asked the members a number of questions, such as, “what are the advantages (and disadvantages) of being a part of a group?” and, “who approves (and disapproves) of your being part of a group?”

How did we encourage the members of Anika to build off of their successes thus far? We helped the group analyze their own strengths using an abbreviated version of the appreciative inquiry organization development techniques. We did this in conjunction with some visioning exercises where the members drew on flip charts where they wanted to be in the future. Socratic-style questioning ensued after the completion of their visioning to help the members see that the roots to their future success lay in refining their current strengths and building on their past successes.

How did we build relationships? Living in the community and participating in daily activities seemed to open the doors to the member’s hearts. We established that we were not in Uganda to do some CRWRC program, but rather to walk along side, learn from, and affirm the people of Leiko. In the end, we were impacted by the experience. And perhaps God was able to use us to make an impact, however small, on the community group of Anika and the people of Leiko. We believe that these are the kinds of encounters that, under God’s providential guidance, will help humanity to build toward the brighter future story that was prophesied by Isaiah in Isaiah 65 and beautifully poetically portrayed in Revelations 22 and 23.

Pictures For The Previous Post

2007-04-02T13:28:00.000-05:00

CRWRC-Uganda Country Team At Our Team Meeting

Main Speaker, HIV/AIDS & Justice Conference

February Work Team

Work Team

2007-03-25T14:39:00.001-05:00

Things have been busy, but good lately in our work. Some things that do not fall within the "regular" work duties have taken place. I have written some of them down below and will try and upload pictures on a separate post at a later date. Pictures are still being problematic and, unfortunately, I will be in the field during the next several days. Since I won't have access to the internet, I won't be able to work on posting pictures until I get back. I hope to also post some of what we are doing in the field at that time. Until then, these descriptions will have to do...

Work Team

In February we were busy preparing for and the hosting (for only part of their 2-week trip) a work team from Canada. The team was composed of 10 people all together that split into two groups so as to work on two projects. One of the sub-teams went to Junam to put the roof on the guest house at the archdeaconry headquarters. This guest house will serve as a place to host guests of the archdeaconry and also be an income generating project for Archdeaconry Planning and Development Committee (APDC) activities. We work closely with the Junam APDC on goat rearing and other projects. The second sub-team went to Koboko and finished the gables in preparation for the final roofing on the new archdeaconry headquarters office block. The Koboko APDC, which we also work closely with, will occupy part of the building. Folks on the team and in the host communities seemed to find the experience to be positive.

HIV/AIDS Workshop

There were also in February a number of CRWRC meetings and trainings in Limuru, Kenya (outside of Nairobi). In the middle of the program, there was a three-day workshop on the justice issues surrounding the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Africa. The workshop went off well with excellent speakers telling their experiences of living with HIV/AIDS, site visits to programs helping people living with HIV/AIDS in a variety of ways, and break-out workshop sessions on issues dealing with advocacy, programming, health, stigma, culture, behavior modification, and more. CRWRC is attempting to take this challenge on in a more systematic and intentional way in the future. We now have a regional HIV/AIDS Coordinator in our East and Southern Africa Ministry Team (ESAMT) that helps to support the work being done within each country.

Country Team Meeting

In early March we had our quarterly Country Team Meeting. These meetings are important because the team is moving in such a variety of directions. There is need every quarter to come together and give each other updates, identify issues affecting the entire team, set priorities and develop strategies, and plan for upcoming events. These times are also important for building the team, reconnecting with each other, and providing mutual moral support.

Reflections

2007-03-18T13:57:00.000-05:00

We have been putting regular reflections inspired by our time here in the monthly newsletter produced by the First Baptist church (FBC) of Springfield, Ohio. FBC is Eric’s home church and also the church that supported his parents during their time of service in DR Congo. The following is an entry that was written last December. If you would like to see them on a regular basis, please let us know by posting a comment…

The Art of Waiting

I am writing this edition of Smith’s Corner from the coast of Kenya at a CRWRC spiritual retreat. Today is a relaxing, if warm and sultry, December day on the edge of the Indian Ocean. The trip here, however, was not so relaxing. In fact, it gave us yet another opportunity to practice the art of waiting. Waiting is a normal part life here in Africa. Anything from heavy rains, to broken down river ferries, to family illnesses, can cause unanticipated delays.

We took the 5:10 a.m. Kenya Airways flight from Entebbe, Uganda, with the hope that, even with a lay-over in Nairobi, we would arrive at the coast with half a day left to enjoy the beach. However, we did not board the plane in Nairobi until after noon due to mechanical issues. And, after a 15-minute wait on the plane, we were escorted off again for further work to be done. To make a long story short, we only just arrived to our destination to catch a glimpse of the sunset before darkness blanketed the ocean view.

The long day was made all the longer because we were pining after a vision stuck in our heads of an idyllic retreat spot. We, as believers, also have a vision that we should be longing after. This vision is for a world where, “the sound of weeping and crying will be heard no more. Never again will there be in it an infant that lives but a few days, or an old man that does not live out his years. No longer will they build houses and others live in them, or plant and others eat their fruit. They will long enjoy the works of their hands. They will call and [God] will answer.” (Isaiah 65). Is this not what we pray for when we repeat the Lord’s prayer, “your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven”? Our longing for this kingdom should push us to play our part and make the vision a reality in our own lives and the life of our communities. But, we must not lose heart if things don’t happen as quickly as we like.

After all, until the mechanics plied their trade, we were stranded in Nairobi. In the same way, only Christ has the ultimate power to make the kingdom vision a complete reality. And, although we will have opportunity to catch glimpses of the kingdom breaking through, much as Martha and I caught a glimpse of the sun setting on the beach, the kingdom will not be fully manifested until Christ’s return. This is where the art of waiting comes in.

For those of us that might be on the verge of giving up hope; of giving up on the kingdom vision; of giving up on Christ’s return; of giving up on the possibility of healed and whole bodies, economic stability, healthy relationships, connectedness to God, and a just society, Peter reminds us to, “not forget this one thing dear friends: with the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. In keeping with his promise, we are looking for a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness” (2 Peter 3).

Photos from "Second Anniversary" blog...

2007-01-29T02:48:00.000-05:00

Today is a day when it seems that we are able to download some photos. These photos were taken on our second anniversary (refer to "Team Smith's Anniversary" blog) while visiting Murchison Falls National Park. We are sorry about the formatting but thankful that we can finally share some of them with you. The river viewed in the photos is the Nile.

Martha's Birthday

2007-01-15T02:22:00.000-05:00

It truly is an unexpected surprise that we are being able to load our pictures onto our blog. This is our most recent family shot. It was taken on Martha's 33rd birthday.

The birthday celebration began by going out to eat with our friend Sarah. There are basically two restaurants that we frequent in Arua. We ate at "Oasis" on my birthday. Eating out is always an interesting experience. The first 5-15 minutes is spent trying to figure out what they actually have on the menu. This process requires the server to run back and forth to the chef to find out what is really available. It is not uncommon to take 3 or 4 tries before finding something that they have. Nonetheless, it is nice not having to cook all of the time.

While we were waiting for our meal (this can take an extremely long time) I received a call from my family to wish me happy birthday. They all sang into the telephone. It was nice to connect with everybody.

After dining at Oasis, we went to the Waffler's (missionary friends here in Arua) house for a party. Pam made a beautiful birthday cake for all of us to enjoy. After the cake, I was informed that it was an Arua tradition to lift the birthday person in a chair as they yell "Hip, hip hooray!" I was a little uneasy about this but there was no getting out of it. As they didn't all lift at the same time though, I almost took a dive on top of Eric. However, it was quite fun!

Following this tradition, Eric and I taught the group how to play a new card game called Mau, the game of arbitrary rules. It was a fun evening and a good way to start of f my new year. God certainly has surrounded us with some wonderful friends in Uganda.

Christmas Photos

2007-01-12T12:20:00.000-05:00

We are excited that some photos actually downloaded onto our blog. Hopefully you will enjoy these few shots from our Christmas in Uganda.

My (Martha) first Christmas to make the traditional Bailey Christmas breakfast casserole. Eric and our good friend, Sarah, both gave it two thumbs up.

Sherry's 25 foot Christmas tree. Yes, there are evergreens in Uganda. They are usually grown for fuel and timber. Clearly this one has another value.

Team Smith at Sherry's Christmas Eve party. Sherry is the local Martha Stewart (although I don't know Martha and Sherry really is quite nice). She holds this event every Christmas. Kids and adults alike look forward to this celebration all year because we are celebrating the birth of our Savior (and Sherry makes 16 flavors of ice cream!!!!). What a great combination!!

It's a Christmas miracle. Okay maybe we are being a bit overlydramatic, but we are ecstatic that our furniture was finished just in time for Christmas. We spent the last six months "relaxing" on hard wood chairs or "really relaxing" under the protection of our mosquito net on our bed. This "Johnny Set" was built by a local carpenter. The cushions were purchased in Kampala and a tailor in Arua made the covers. While it did take a long time (even by veteran missionary standards), we are very happy with the end product.

The first 6 months of work in a nutshell

2007-01-08T09:44:00.000-05:00

Again, folks, sorry for the length of time between entry postings these days. We wrote most of this entry while in Kenya vacationing and attending the regional CRWRC Spiritual Retreat. We are thinking of you all and wish you well at the start of the new year….

No doubt you are wondering what we actually do on a day-to-day basis as Program Consultants with CRWRC. We’d like to answer that question in this entry. We will do that by first going over the “big” events that have required our presence and participation during our first six months here in Uganda. Then, we will take a look at what an “average” week entails (though there is no “average” week in this job). To do this, we will describe what our last full week of work before vacation was like. We won’t bore you with all the details, but will try and put in the highlights of each occasion and/or day. The Program Consultant job is a very fluid job, as it depends so much on the individual needs and strengths of our partners and partner staff. But we do hope that this entry gives you some idea of what is involved…

Big Events (during our first 6 months)

July – HIV/AIDS Integration Workshop:
In July, CRWRC held an HIV/AIDS Integration workshop in Entebbe, Uganda. In attendance were two to three representatives from each of our approximately 10 partner groups. The subject was integration, by which is meant the integration of HIV/AIDS interventions into existing programs. The workshop was not meant to force new HIV/AIDS programs on the partners, but to give them the tools to integrate HIV/AIDS issues into what they were already doing in their various sectors. Those partners working in agriculture, for example, could bring up information on HIV/AIDS when doing trainings on the latest agricultural techniques. The concept was that this type of intervention would be more cost-effective and help people to understand just how intertwined the HIV/AIDS issue is with all other aspects of development. We were still very new to CRWRC-Uganda when this event occurred, but we participated in, and contributed to, it none-the-less.

Aug – TEAR Australia Monitoring Visit:
CRWRC works toward sustainable development with its partners. Sustainability generally comes with having multiple streams of support (whether financial, technical, or other). One of the areas that we work on with our partners is to help them network so as to have a broader resource base. Thus, if CRWRC ever chooses to reduce funding or to completely phase a partner out, the partner will have means by which it can continue to exist and function. Toward this effort, CRWRC has entered into agreements with international organizations similar to CRWRC, such as Compassion Canada and the Food Grains Bank. These organizations contribute to local partner programs financially, often with CRWRC coordinating the effort. In August, a representative from TEAR Australia, another of the international organizations CRWRC has a relationship with, came to visit programs it funds in Ukuru, Junam, and Goli, all of them partner groups with which we consult. After visiting sample sites we drove the TEAR Australia representative back to Kampala to catch his flight back to Australia. This occurred at the beginning of August and was our first CRWRC activity after arriving in Arua at the very tail end of July.

Sept – East and Southern Africa Ministry Team Meeting:
CRWRC divides its program countries (30 in total) up into Ministry Teams. Uganda falls under the East and Southern Africa Ministry Team (ESAMT). Once a year our team congregates (usually outside of Nairobi, Kenya for logistical reasons) to discuss and prioritize regional issues, set strategies and budgets, and fellowship as a team. This year we were approximately 25 in number representing the countries of Uganda, Kenya, Zambia, Malawi, Mozambique, and South Africa. The regional HIV/AIDS, Justice Education, and Relief coordinators were also present. It was good to be able to visit with team members that we had heard about or communicated with, but hadn’t yet met. The trip there and back was not as gratifying, however. It took us 18 hours on the road to get back to Kampala. And we only just made it back in time to meet with the CIDA evaluation team heading to our neck of the woods in Northwest Uganda.

Sept – CIDA (Canadian International Development Agency) Evaluation:
CRWRC largely relies on donations from the Christian Reformed Churches in Canada and the U.S. for the funds needed to cover its administrative costs and to support its local partners. In an effort to boost the amount of resources available for partner programs, CRWRC has sought out extra help from agencies like CIDA. CIDA provides funding to 9 CRWRC countries currently. This year they embarked on an evaluation process to assess how well their money has been spent in advance of an up-and-coming 2007-2012 CRWRC grant proposal. CIDA selected two countries out of the 9 countries as a sample of CRWRC’s world-wide CIDA funded programs. One of those countries happened to be Uganda. Since the evaluator was only given one week per country, it was decided she should just visit one partner in Uganda to represent the work of CRWRC in the country as a whole. Again, it just so happens that the partner they selected was one of ours – Nebbi diocese of the Church of Uganda. Needless to say, this seemed like a tall order for some folks that had just arrived on the scene. But, in the end, things seemed to go okay and the evaluator seemed pleased with the work over all.

Oct – Partner Forum:
Once a year CRWRC-Uganda holds a Partner Forum. To the Partner Forum, CRWRC invites two to three representatives from each of its ten partner groups. The purpose of the forum is two-fold. On the one hand, time is set aside for training. This year, the training centered on the theme of human rights and civic education. Various speakers enlightened us on the makings of the Ugandan constitution, the importance of good governance, the state of human rights in Uganda, etc. The other purpose of the forum is to discuss issues of importance, such as the need for agreed upon report schedules, to pull together proposals for future projects, etc. It was good to be with our partners for this exercise, though all the time spent in Kampala/Entebbe makes us long for home.

Nov – Board Training
One of the needs that our partners have identified is the need for training for the board members of the various diocesan boards, including the Finance, Planning and Development, Advisory, and other boards. Many of the boards have not been functioning or have been functioning without a clear idea of their mandate. Performance of the various diocesan offices have been hampered by the lack of strong boards to keep the diocese moving forward toward the fulfillment of its vision. As a result of these factors, we scheduled a training for board members to be led by the CRWRC Co-Director from the Canada office. The members appreciated the information and recommitted themselves, through action plans, to the work.

Nov – Think Tank Forum
CRWRC prides itself on being a “learning organization”. One learning process that has been embarked upon is an analysis of the role of development in Africa. CRWRC, as part of this three-year learning process, will hold a series of Connecting Ideas to Impact (CITI) Think Tank Forums in three countries – Uganda being the first. At the forum, various issues such as the role of culture, globalization, agriculture, health, the economy, etc. were discussed. The forum concluded with each of the attendants developing an action plan, a plan for implementing one idea that struck them while at the forum. During yearly follow-up sessions, each attendant’s progress toward their plans will be looked at and discussed. The “best practices” will then be compiled and incorporated into CRWRC practices and methods of doing community development work.

Dec – Spiritual Retreat
CRWRC regularly holds spiritual retreats for its ministry teams. The East and Southern Africa Ministry Team, which includes Uganda, meets once every three years. As the travel to the event is costly, smaller retreats within regions are held annually during the interim periods. The retreat took us to Malindi, Kenya, up the coast from Mombasa. Each morning and evening we were led through times of reflection and worship. We also had time to relax, snorkel, swim with the dolphins, site see, etc. The highlight for us, however, was being able to fellowship with the rest of the team. CRWRC has managed to hire a really superb group of folks, with a good mix from North America, Africa, and even South East Asia represented.

Average Week (From Nov 27 – Dec 1)

Monday
We met with the Department of Planning and Development Officer (DPDO) for Madi/West Nile Diocese to discuss a few issues. One of the several issues on the agenda was the proposed implementation of a certificate-level Community Leadership training. The training would be designed specifically for the elected leaders of the many community groups that CRWRC, through the office of the DPDO, support. The training will probably be a two-year course. One year will focus on leadership principles and group dynamics. Another year will focus on the various aspects of Project Cycle Management, including how to design, implement, monitor, report on, and evaluate community-based projects. This is an exciting initiative. Community leaders play a critical role in keeping their groups motivated and effective. Yet, to date, the capacity level of each of the leaders has depended entirely on the abilities that they have when they are elected by the group. The purpose of the training is to provide a venue in which the skills, knowledge, and abilities of the leaders can be enhanced.

Tuesday
The internet was up for a brief period of time. We took advantage of that fact to catch up with some much needed correspondence. One group we communicated with was a work team from North America that is coming to assist our partners in Nebbi and Madi/West with some building projects. They will be here for a couple of weeks during the first part of February to construct roofs for two archdeaconry offices. There are always a lot of logistical and other details to work out with the coming of a work team. Yet we know it is well worth the extra energy involved, as visits such as this lead to changed perspectives and the forging of new relationships between people in this global village of ours. We also communicated with an individual in Canada interested in taking on some of the work we do with a coffee farmers association in Nebbi. CRWRC has been working with the group, mostly indirectly, to help them organize, gain fare trade status, and improve product quality. This is a critical time for them, as they need to find markets for their product if they are going to be motivated to continue their cooperative organic farming. We are grateful for this individual’s interest and energy. This is the kind of project we’d like to see really take off. Successful cooperatives and small businesses are key vehicles through which lasting development can take place.

Wednesday
Madi/West Nile has a Pastor’s Conference coming up in early January. The DPDO convinced the Bishop to set aside two days of the conference for in-service training. One day of the training will be on HIV/AIDS, an issue that the DPDO is highly trained on. The other day will be on the role of the local church in civil society. The DPDO added this issue to the Pastor’s Conference agenda because of the action plan that she committed to at the last CRWRC Partner Forum. We spent part of the day researching materials on the issue and pulling together an outline for an interactive workshop for the attendees of the Pastor’s Conference. The hope is that, at the end of the one-day workshop, the pastors will understand the strong Biblical principles behind the church’s mandate to hold political, social, and economic systems accountable to do justice. Beyond that, we hope that each pastor will return to their parishes with some concrete ideas of how to inspire their congregations to get involved in the life of their communities.

Thursday
We drove to the headquarters of Koboko archdeaconry along with the Madi/West Nile DPDO. The community leaders of Koboko had been called together for a technical training on project reviewing and reporting. We facilitated a large portion of the training, introducing the RBM (Results Based Management) model as a tool for effective project management and reporting. The RBM model follows a logical results chain moving from Activity to Output to Outcome to Impact. We have been working to integrate this model into the work we do with our partners at the diocesan level. The end goal of all this is two-fold. One, we are seeking to streamline the reporting system to make it more efficient. Having everyone, from the community leader up to us, talking the same language and using the same format could reduce time spent on compiling the never ending reports. Two, we are starting to emphasize the importance of monitoring and reviewing programs to maximize impact. The RBM model makes it easy to turn reporting into a monitoring activity as well.

Friday
Went on a field visit to two archdeaconries in Nebbi diocese. At each stop we spent time with the Archdeaconry Planning and Development Committees (APDCs). The APDCs interact directly with the DPDO to represent the needs of the community groups to the diocese and the wishes of the diocese to the community groups. They play a vital role in the decentralized community development process that CRWRC has undertaken in Northwest Uganda. For this reason, we have felt it to be important to encourage the APDCs through a rotating visitation schedule. Typically, we do not just visit with the APDC, however, but also visit a community group. The health of the entire system can best be measured by what is happening (or not happening) on the ground. Hence the importance of the community group visits.

Hi Folks

2006-12-17T15:04:00.000-05:00

Hi folks. We want to appologize for the delay in our blog updates. Our internet service in Arua has become problematic at best. We are currently at the country office in Kampala and have been able to post a couple of our backlog of blogs (though pictures are a problem even here). We have just returned from a trip to Kenya and are only here in Kampala a short while before heading off to Arua. We hope that you are all having a wonderful advent/holiday season. We think of you all often and wish we could stay in touch better. Know that our hearts are with you, even if our lack of internet communication would seem to indicate otherwise...

2006-12-17T14:58:00.000-05:00

One of the pics from our anniversary trip to Murchison

Another Smith!

2006-11-18T07:29:00.000-05:00

I would more than anything love to announce the birth of Jonah Joseph Smith. Don't let the last name fool you... as much as Christina and David feel like family they are really just some of our closest friends. Jonah was born on Wednesday, Nov. 15th at 7:53. He weighs 8 lbs. 2 oz and is 20 inches long. We wanted to share this with all of you that have been praying for Christina and David. Isn't he absolutely beautiful! God is amazing-- he even got the internet to work enough to get this photo posted. Talk about caring about the details.

Full House

2006-11-02T03:36:00.000-05:00

Team Smith has three new additions to the team. As we love diversity, they come in all shapes, sizes, and colors. To start off the lineup, we are now the foster parents of a German Shephard, Sheba, while her owner is in Australia for home leave for the next five months. She has shocked us with how quiet she is. We are used to a dog that is always making noise even in her sleep or especially in her sleep. She also does not get excited about squeaky toys. The only thing that seems to be consistent between her and Star is that Eric is one giant lollipop.

This past weekend (this was written over a month ago in hopes of having photos attached & it is finally possible) we also took in two kittens. Their owners will soon be leaving the country, and we have a mouse/rat problem so we thought that our home might be a good fit for them. They are extremely playful and get into everything.

The female is ginger and white and extremely intelligent and curious. She can get into anything. Believe it or not, she has actually opened a door on three different occasions. The doors here have handles for door knobs, and she somehow has figured out how to scale up the door and use the knob. I didn't believe it the first couple of times but this last time I know that the door was really closed. We are wondering what she will be like when she has grown. She also stalked and killed a large praying mantis this past week. We are just hoping that if she likes praying mantis that she will also like cockroaches.

The boy is white with some black markings. He was pretty wild when we adopted him, but he seems to be calming down. He isn't as cuddly or curious as the female but still can get into his share of trouble.

Our team is somewhat divided now as the kittens and Sheba don't particularly demonstrate teamwork. We are hoping that in time they will realize that we can accomplish more by working together.

Update on Star

2006-11-02T03:33:00.000-05:00

Star seems to be recovering quite nicely from the loss of her eye. My dad recently sent us some pictures of her diving, as usual, into the pool after her beloved squeaky toy. We are very thankful for this and very thankful for your prayers and love of our little girl. Unfortunately I am not able to poste the picture from dad, but we thought that you would like the update nonetheless.

Ode to our Tree

2006-11-02T03:20:00.000-05:00

We have had a least a few violent thunderstorms during our time here. They really are very scary even for someone who is not normally scared by storms. During the middle of the night this past Tuesday, we bolted awake as lightning hit what seemed like right beside our window. Poor Eric almost lost part of his face as I grabbed ahold of it. We lied awake for the next half hour thinking that the next bolt would hit the house. The following morning we unfortunately witnessed the real victim of the storm as we saw our lovely acacia tree completely uprooted. This was a very sad sight for someone that loves trees. We have exchanged good shade and beautiful scenery for a good view of the outdoor toilets. So while my sister posted a lovely picture on her blog of the view out of her kitchen window, our view is somewhat different.

Team Smith's Anniversary

2006-11-02T01:35:00.001-05:00

This post was written 1.5 months ago, but we were waiting patiently for our internet speed to be fast enough to add some photos. It has been too slow at our house so if there are photos accompanying this post it is only because the internet speed was fast enough in Kampala. Anyway, read and enjoy... oh, by the way, the baby animals pictures (if they upload) are dedicated especially to our niece, Erin. We love you, Erin.

Eric and I arrived back from a trip to Kampala this past Saturday. We were away for a week and a half so it was good to be back home. There were many things that took place during this week and a half, but I am going to first post the thing that I am most thankful for.

On Oct. 23rd we celebrated our 2nd wedding anniversary. How could I ever express enough thanks to God for bringing us together? I absolutely love being married to such an amazing man. He has in a very real and human way shown me a glimpse of how God loves us. As I could go on about my love for this man, I will save that for another time and another format and instead talk about what we did to celebrate.

Team Smith spent two nights at a lodge in Murchison Falls National Park. It was a nice break from the usual. We enjoyed having a pool to cool off in as Arua is a place where it feels like you should always be able to go swimming but never can. We also were able to take some longer game drives. It was the first time in the park that we were actually able to sit and watch without any time constraints a large family of elephants. Our favorite part though was the boat trip that we took up the Nile to the bottom of Murchison Falls. It was a three hour trip in which we saw beautiful scenes along the river's edge. My favorite part was being able to see hippo after hippo. The only sad part was that when we first saw a mother and baby hippo, I got so excited (I know, shocking! :) that I must have dropped one of our largest camera cards into the river. Below are some of the shots from our time in the park.

While we stayed in the park for two nights, our actual anniversary was while we were in Kampala for a partner forum. Eric, however, had a master plan for our celebration. He ordered dinner from our favorite restaurant and was planning on taking it back to the office and surprising me with a candlelight dinner on the balcony on top of the office. Unfortunately, like our wedding day, it was overcast and chilly so everything had to be moved indoors. However, Eric had some of his coworkers pick up some beautiful flowers to brighten up the room. (One bonus of being in Uganda is that they have amazing flowers that cost nothing compared to flowers in the states!) Along with the flowers, Eric also continued in his tradition of continuing the ballad that he first wrote for me for our engagement. In the ballad, the African Queen and the traveler have set off for another journey. I can't do justice to the beauty of the ballad, and I know that Eric would be somewhat embarassed if I posted it, but sufficed to say, the journey is continuing. Praise the Lord!

Star

2006-10-17T06:47:00.000-05:00

Eric and I received a sad email this past week. Many of you have met our dog, Star. She is currently living with my dad in Florida. One of the hardest things about leaving was saying goodbye to Star. That might sound silly to some of you but she is our baby.

Well apparently Star was having some eye problems which led to the iris rupturing in her left eye. She was taken to the vet where the only option was to remove her eye. I still can't write it or think about it without crying. It hit both Eric and I very hard. She seems to be recovering well, but we seem to be in a state of mourning. Star is very rambunctious and loves to play fetch so we are mourning for how this loss might affect her quality of life. However, she is too full of energy to be too slowed down too much. Dad has assured us that she is being a good patient. We don't know if you have ever prayed for a dog, but we are asking anyway.

Star if you see this, "We miss you and love you!"

Obstacles of Driving

2006-10-11T02:48:00.000-05:00

We have already posted stories about driving in Uganda so here are some pictures to go along with some of the challenges. Mom Bailey likes to know all of the details so this first picture is for her.

Eric with the Toyota Hilux that we use

One of the reasons that we have a 4 X 4-- extremely bad road conditions.

One of our favorite shots-- the back of the bus says, "God likes Patience". We found this very amusing as we waited and waited for buses and trucks to make it through the mudholes. Also notice the people. They had to get on and off the bus as they came to different obstacles.

A very common obstacle- COWS.

Trying to maneuver our way through Kampala traffic. Quite a challenge when you are driving a big pickup.

The Nile and Murchison Falls

2006-10-06T08:53:00.000-05:00

We just got a new internet service provider, and it seems as if we are really going to be able to post some pictures. It has been extremely difficult to do this in previous posts. Hopefully you will find the vast array of photos enjoyable rather than overwhelming.

This first set of photos is of the Nile and Murchison Falls. We cross the Nile one or two times, depending on which route we take, as we travel to Kampala. It is a beautiful sight and a highlight of the trip. We also go through Murchison Falls National Park depending again on which route we take. Murchison Falls is created by the Nile squeezing through a 9 meter space. Unfortunately we are unable to give you the real experience as the water thunders through the crevice. We have both visited Victoria Falls and Niagara Falls but somehow they don't compare with the power of Murchison Falls. It is amazing.

The Peaceful Nile

The Roaring Nile

A view of the Nile after the drop at Murchison Falls

Water thundering over the falls

Eric standing just behind a sign that says, "Danger. Please don't go beyond this point. Management." Not a big surprise, huh?!

Nebbi Visit

2006-09-11T00:31:00.000-05:00

We have made several visits to the field recently to see the work that is going on in Nebbi Diocese. At one stop we met with members from the Kaya and also the Maliri community groups. Together, Kaya and Maliri have 318 members, each of them participating in one or more of four group projects. Below is a brief summary of the projects the groups have been focusing on during their young history. In the coming year, the groups plan to add a kitchen garden, or horticultural, project to their list of activities. Kitchen gardens make it easier to cook healthier meals for the family. Excess vegetables can also be sold for a profit at the local market.

a. Goat Multiplication

In a goat multiplication scheme, certain members of the group are given “starter” goats. The stipulation for those receiving a starter goat is that the first offspring will be passed on to a member that does not have a goat yet. Other offspring after that may be kept, eaten, or sold. This is a popular project, as goats are an important part of life here in Uganda.

b. Poultry Multiplication

Poultry projects function in the same manner as the goat multiplication schemes. Eggs and chicks laid by the starter chickens donated by the DPDC result in better nutrition for each group member’s family if eaten, or more income to send children to school, buy materials for a permanent house, etc.

c. Malaria Prevention

Participants in malaria prevention projects are required to participate in trainings on malaria, its causes and effects. Oftentimes, simple changes in lifestyle (such as getting rid of any receptacles with stagnated water which mosquitoes like for breeding) can make an impact on the number of times your child gets sick. Successful participants are also given treated mosquito nets at reduced prices. Combined, the training and the nets have been having a real effect on malaria incidence.

d. Adult Literacy

Adult literacy participants take weekly classes in literacy with an adult literacy trainer. The classes are often functional and serve multiple purposes. On the one hand they teach the basics of reading, writing, and math so that adults can succeed better in life and work. At the same time, the lessons often incorporate such information as proper sanitation techniques, etc. Adult literacy groups often bond and start their own income generating projects.

TESTIMONY TIME

During our visit, several members stood up to give testimonies about how the group projects that have had an impact on their lives. These are all products of the support that CRWRC is indirectly providing via the Deanery Planning and Development Committee (DPDC) of the Church of Uganda (COU). Here are some of the comments that were made…

“I can remember a time when one of my students in the Adult Literacy program took her child to be vaccinated. She had brought what she thought was the correct documentation that she needed. It turns out that she had grabbed the wrong forms. Now, with her ability to read, she won’t make such mistakes.”

“When my husband died, I was left caring for our six children. I heard about this widow’s association and thought that it might be able to help. I was taught how to take care of a goat and then given one of my own. Since then I have had seven goats, I have been able to use them to pay for school fees, buy my children clothes, and get them medicine when they are sick.”

“I was taught mosquito control methods such as using a drying rack. With less standing water around the house, there are fewer mosquitoes, therefore, my children don’t get malaria as frequently. Not having to go to the clinic for malaria medicine has improved our household income.”

“Since being elected as a leader of Kaya, I have become more confident in myself and my leadership skills have greatly improved.”

“I am proud of myself because I can now read my own letters and go to the market and count money without any problem. It has made me happy to not to rely on others for these things.”

STORY TIME

Now we know that we have you do this a lot, but imagine that today is your thirtieth birthday. You are a woman with 5 children living in a rural village in Padyere. Two other children died at a young age. Life has been a constant struggle with no reason to believe that it will ever be any better. When you were five, you started helping care for other babies in the family. By age 8, you walked over two miles per day carrying water cans balanced on your head from the closest borehole. Because there was only enough money to send your brothers to school and education was not highly valued for females, you had to leave school at age 10. You are considered wealth for the family because when you marry, your family will receive a dowry. However, until you marry, you are considered an expense to the family. Because of this, you are encouraged to marry young. By age 15 you are married. By age 16, you have your first child. You are now responsible for most of the work in the household and in the field. When you were 27, you heard about a women’s Christian association that was forming to do adult literacy classes. While you knew that it would mean more work, you decided to join. Although it wasn’t easy, the solidarity of the group boosted your confidence; their encouragement pushed you to progress further in your studies. Today, on your birthday, you have just graduated to level 4 literacy classes. As an individual you are more confident; as a mother, you can support your children better in their studies; as the family provider, you can manage the family finances better; as a group member, you are now a leader; as a community member, you now are more confident to voice your opinions; as a Christian, you now believe that God cares about all aspects of your life. While you know that there will still be great challenges in the years ahead, you will always be able to look back at your thirtieth birthday with pride and believe that you are capable of making positive changes.

Ultimately this is not just a story about one woman, but the story of many women across Uganda and Africa. We hope that you will take time today to reflect on the challenges faced by people around the globe and consider how your prayers and support can contribute to a person’s transformation.

Prayer Request

2006-09-09T03:57:00.000-05:00

We would like to ask you to pray for our co-worker, Bethany. Bethany is the CRWRC Relief Coordinator for East Africa posted in Uganda. We recently learned that her long-term boyfriend, Ben, who also lives in Uganda, was killed in a motor accident. Our hearts are broken for Bethany and for Ben's family and friends.

Wildlife

2006-09-01T12:51:00.000-05:00

While you have heard about the plethora of ant wildlife, we have also had the opportunity to see some wildlife that we actually really enjoy. Most of these animals were sited during a couple of trips we took from Arua to Kampala via Murchison Falls Park. Note: one of the animals below does not belong on the list. See if you can pick out which one…

Elephants
Giraffes
Water buffalo
Hippos
Water buck
Oribi
Hartebeest
Ugandan bok
Impalas
Monkeys
Baboons
Tigers
Warthogs
Maribou Storks
Fish eagles
Great gray pelicans
Goliath herrons
Go-away birds
Polar bears
Vultures
Hamroks
Crested crown cranes (the national bird)
And many more…

Okay, actually there are two animals that don’t belong on this list. The polar bear and the tiger. Tigers live exclusively in Asia. It is possible, however, to see leopards, cheetahs, and lions in Uganda. Uganda also can boast the fact that it is one of only three countries where the famous mountain gorrilas live. The diversity of the wildlife here is fantastic, especially the birds. In fact, Uganda is supposed to make bird watchers out of many people who may not have been otherwise simply because of the large variety of birds here.

That being said, it should be noted that the wildlife population is still in the process of rebounding. During the Idi Amin era, much of the wildlife was destroyed by Amin’s military for food, especially when Amin was on the run from the incoming rebel group, the National Resistance Movement which was led by the current president, Museveni. The one positive side to this story is that Uganda, which has beautiful landscapes as well as amazing wildlife, is not overpopulated by tourists. The national parks can be enjoyed in a way that you can’t in many of the more popular destinations in Kenya, Tanzania, or South Africa.

Those rocks in the background will soon make a close-up appearance. Notice where the railroad tracks are.

Here one of them comes. I guess that they didn't like us hanging around.

Now note the railroad tracks. Yep, he came that close.

Now check out these two beautiful creatures. The maribou stork and...

Hakuna Matata-- the warthog

Koboko

2006-08-28T11:47:00.000-05:00

Sorry we haven’t been as faithful with our blog site as we would like to be. There are at least four factors contributing to the situation. First, we’re experiencing some technical difficulties in regards to the network/blog site. Second, things here just take more time to get done than they would in the U.S. The “washing machine,” for example, might not work because the electricity is down (Although we’re actually fortunate to have electricity most days for a full eighteen hours. The city generator is shut down between 12:00 P.M. and 6:00 A.M. Electricity wasn’t nearly so reliable in this part of the country even a few years ago.) The water here, as another example, needs to be filtered for health purposes before it is drunk. Third, we have been occupied even more than normal with a seemingly endless stream of ants welcoming us to Arua (Hosting our guests has taken up a surprising amount of time and energy). Lastly, we have been busy with travels. A couple of weeks ago, we took off to visit one of the projects we support in Nebbi diocese before making the long trek to Kampala to take a visitor from a partner organization to the international airport to catch his flight back to Australia.

KOBOKO, HERE I COME

Recently I (Eric) made a trip to Koboko archdeaconry to visit several of the self help groups that CRWRC works with indirectly via the Koboko Planning and Development Committee (KAPDC). The trip took me to remote parts of Uganda, to areas where: women still kneel when shaking hands with “distinguished” guests; a dry rainy season or long dry season is more than an inconvenience, as it leads directly to months of hunger for the family; time is marked by the rhythm of the planting seasons and market days; people all but cheer when a foreigner greets them in their local language or dialect; death, sickness, and hardship is accepted, not as an abstract, but as a very present reality; laughter, personality, and banter flow freely from adult and young alike; where four-wheel drive is a necessity and not a luxury; and where hospitality towards visitors (such as myself) is not just a nice idea, but a cultural requirement.

I visited a total of six groups out of the nine that the KAPDC supports. As this was my first visit to this particular archdeaconry, the trip was primarily for the purpose of introducing myself to, and getting to know, the various members of each group, as well as the KAPDC staff. Ugandan’s take such occasions seriously and they ensured that proper protocol was observed. This was the agenda at each of the six stops we made during my two-day visit.

We are offered seats at the front of the room with yours truly asked to sit in the very middle in front of the table that the group has provided to make things look official. To my left is the Diocesan Planning and Development Officer (DPDO) and to my right is the Archdeacon who is responsible for all activities within Koboko archdeaconry. On either side of them, in less comfortable seats, sits the KAPDC Chairperson and representatives of the KAPDC Executive Committee (or board).
The KAPDC Chairperson stands to introduces the KAPDC Executive Committee representatives traveling with us.
The board representatives offer brief greetings while remaining seated.
The KAPDC Chairperson stands to hand the floor over to the Archdeacon.
The Archdeacon stands to give his remarks, then introduces the DPDO.
The DPDO stands to offer her remarks, then introduces the CRWRC Representative.
I stand and make a few remarks. Typically I start with something like, “Kulia adinyo. Na ponda emeta nata.” In Kakwa (the primary language of Koboko) this means, “Greetings. Today, I am here to visit you.” Kakwa is one of many languages in Uganda.
The Chairperson of the self-help group stands after I have concluded my speal to offer a report of the group’s activities, successes, history, and needs.
The Archdeacon stands when the Chairperson is done to say a few words before asking the DPDO for any final remarks.
The DPDO stands to say a few remarks relevant to the report given, then asks if the CRWRC Representative has anything else to add.
I stand to say a few words of encouragement.
The KAPDC Chairperson wraps up the session and we adjourn to the site of the group’s work, if there is time.

This may sound tedious, but actually the trip was a success over all. There were signs of progress that I found encouraging. To give you an idea of the impact that CRWRC can have, by working through such partners as the KAPDC, allow me to introduce you to a couple of the self-help groups I had the privilege of visiting. Keep in mind that the Koboko project is a young pilot program that just started operating in 2003. Given this fact, think about how much impact it can have on the lives of interested community members over the long run.

AMITA SAVINGS AND CREDIT SCHEME

Amita is the name of a self-help group in Koboko that started in 2004 with 23 members, roughly half of them men and half women. The group initially formed when a KAPDC staff person held a meeting at the local church on the benefit of such groups. Once interested community members (whether part of the church or not) had congregated, the KAPDC staff person helped the group identify and prioritize their needs. The group decided, though a participatory process, that if members had more access to capital they could run small business that would generate income for their families. Out of this process the Amita savings and credit scheme was born. KAPDC offered a three-year loan of one million Ugandan Shillings (Aproximately 540 U.S. Dollars) to get them started. The members collected amongst themselves one thousand three hundred Ugandan Shillings to add to the fund. Over the next year, loans were made out to individuals from the pool of money on credit. Members used their new capital to buy products from the farm and sell them at the market for profit, purchase the equipment needed to properly bake and sell bricks made out of the local clay, and invested in sundry other ventures. Amita is currently worth three million two hundred forty thousand Ugandan Shillings (Approximately 1,751 U.S. Dollars – a gain of 1,211 U.S. Dollars) and is actively paying off it’s loan from the KAPDC so that that money can be used to assist the next self-help group interested in a savings and credit scheme.

OBIRIPRE FARMING ASSOCIATION

Obiripre is a self-help group that also started in 2004 with 20 members. KAPDC took them through the same self-analysis process as Amita. However, unlike Amita which decided to start a savings and credit scheme, Obiripre decided farming would be their best means of achieving better living standards for their families. The KAPDC gave the group the initial peanut seed they needed to get started. During the first season, the bag of seed they were given was planted and yielded twenty bags of peanuts. Productivity levels did not continue to be as high, however, due to unseasonably dry weather. In spite of this fact, the group managed in their first year-and-a-half of existence to make a profit, in peanut sales, of 324,000 Ugandan Shillings (Approximately 190 U.S. Dollars). In an attempt to diversify their projects to offset possible fluctuations in agricultural output due to weather conditions, the group invested the entire 324,000 Ugandan Shillings in a small business which has yielded 84,000 Ugandan Shillings to date. In the mean time, the group has continued their program of peanut, and now onion, growing.

OF MAN-MADE THINGS

This is how development work happens at the grass roots level. Groups form to shape their own future with the support of a locally organized and run institution, such as the church-based KAPDC. It should be noted that, though the gains made may appear to be small to some of you who are used to American salaries, even these small increases in member’s income can make a very real impact on their family’s standard of living. Children, for example, lose their eyesight daily in Africa due to a lack of vitamin A. A vitamin A treatment, which could prevent blindness, can be purchased for less than fifty cents. Each of the 43 total members that are part of Amite or Obiripre can now afford treatment for any child of theirs that might be affected by a vitamin A deficiency. Now consider the fact that, given the African system of caring for the extended family, each of the members is probably responsible for the welfare of up to fifteen dependants. The work that groups like KAPDC is doing ripples outward at many different levels. Ultimately, this is why I found the visit to Koboko to be encouraging.

At our last stop on the trip, we visited with a group that overlooked a deep valley. The view of the valley was beautiful and had a pleasant pastoral quality about it. It was here that the Archdeacon pointed to the lush, green hill that sat opposite us on the other side of the valley. He proceeded to tell me that a third of the hill belonged to the DR Congo, a third to Sudan, and a third to Uganda. I had reached a spot not too far from where all three countries collided. The thing that struck me was the fact that the grass looked just as green on all sides. This fact served to remind me of how artificial national borders really are. And just as the grass on the hill did not care about man’s demarcations, neither does poverty. I learned this lesson well during the five-plus years I worked with the unemployed and underemployed in what is the economic powerhouse of the world, the U.S. I have heard it stated that there is enough current agricultural output to feed everyone on this good earth, provided the environment is cared for and we all became conscientious stewards of our resources. Does this mean that both poverty and national boundaries are entirely man made? I wonder...

OF GOD ORDAINED THINGS

One of the central beliefs that I have arrived at at this point in my (still young!) life, is that we are all called to combat poverty, along with its myriad causes and effects. I have also come to believe that we are all uniquely and wonderfully made for just this purpose. A question that I have asked of people at times is, what form of poverty are you called to fight? Is it physical/economic, social/emotional, mental/intellectual, or spiritual/moral in nature? Perhaps a better question is, what unique combination of these malaises are you specifically gifted to combat? And where and how are you called to combat it? I suppose that if I were to answer this question right now, I might say that my calling for this period of life is to increase people’s (intellectual) understanding of the principles of development here in Northwest Uganda. The primary purpose of this is so that the groups we support can seek out effective solutions to their (economic) poverty? By encouraging people to pursue their own path toward economic stability, their (socio-emotional) sense of self-worth will increase and their identity restored. And, as this is done through the institution of the Church, my hope is that people will discover that God cares about all aspects of their life (including the spiritual).

I am guessing that most of you reading this do not feel called to face Third World poverty, or at least not to face it in the same way as I. You can combat it, however, when you encourage your kids, teach your students, arrange your flowers, drive your semi, hammer your nails, etc. We are all called to play a role in transforming this world. A transformed world, a world without poverty, is a world where God’s “will has been done on earth as it is in heaven.” This is the kingdom we are to pray fervently for and to single-mindedly seek after. This is the vision we must hold on to, the mission we have been called to. You must be careful, though. I have experienced it where, as I have confronted brokenness in the world, my own inner poverty has been revealed. Does God use our meager attempts at transformation to make out of us a “new creation”? Is this the ultimate and creative end that God is orchestrating? I wonder…

The Terrible, Horrible, No-Good, Very Bad Day (s)

2006-08-20T09:32:00.001-05:00

Today, if the truth be known, I (Martha) woke up not wanting to be in Uganda. Believe it or not, this can be a difficult place to live. Last week we made another trip to Kampala. The beginning of what seems like a difficult spell began on the way back.

My stomach has rejected the idea of living in Uganda from day one. This is made worse by rough travel. It is now the rainy season so roads that were rough during the dry season are just awful now. On our way back to Arua, we were forced to spend one night in Karuma. Without going into details, let me just say that I hope that we never have to stay in Karuma again.

When we finally arrived back home last Friday, I was feeling pretty under the weather. Probably flu so no big deal, but then on Monday I started feeling worse. I was having terrible pain in my right eye. I thought that I was getting another case of iritis. As I haven’t had iritis in almost 2 years, I was pretty discouraged. I postponed seeing a doctor, because the idea of seeing someone unfamiliar was too much. By Tuesday morning, it became essential that I see an eye doctor. A new found friend, Sarah who is here with SIL (Wycliffe), informed us that there is a new eye clinic in Arua that is a beacon of hope for NW Uganda. We decided to give the eye clinic a try.

I am not quite sure how to explain visiting a doctor in a foreign context like Uganda. I don’t enjoy going to the doctor in the US so magnify that by about 100 and it gives an idea of how much I did not want to go to the clinic. As it couldn’t be helped, I eventually sucked up enough fortitude to go. There were many people at the clinic, and as is true everywhere, Eric and I stuck out. As we waited for the doctor, I was noticing the other patients. There were a couple of children that would probably lose sight in at least one eye from something that would have been treatable if they had earlier medical attention. It was humbling. I was dreading the visit to the clinic but could do it very easily whereas many Ugandans will have to make a long journey to receive good medical attention.

When the doctor was able to see me, he diagnosed me with an eye infection and gave me some antibiotic drops. After returning home, we began putting the drops in my eye every couple of hours. Well as is true for most medicines, my body reacted poorly. I must have been allergic to the drops because by the end of the day my eye looked really horrible although it didn’t feel quite as badly. We had been instructed to come to the clinic every morning for as long as needed so we returned the following morning. My eye had greatly improved during the night (when I was not applying drops) but was still a bit red. This time there were five students or other optometrists or something in the room watching the doctor. I already feel on display here so having more people in the room staring into my eyes was not a good feeling. The doctor then decided that he needed to flip my eyelid and leave it like that while he examined my eye. I am sorry to those of you who as a child used this trick to freak people out, but I found it to be extremely uncomfortable. So now I had a lot of people staring at me, close around me, and my eyelid flipped inside out. I was ready to leave. The doctor eventually put my eyelid back to normal. However, my body did not let it go. I continued to have a strange feeling in my eyelid. I must have started to think about this, because before I knew it, I was feeling quite dizzy. I then looked over at Eric through the people around me and mouthed that I was feeling dizzy. Next thing I know I could feel myself sliding off of the chair and hands all over me. Then I came to on the floor. So what should have been a relatively easy eye exam turned into much more.
Because I had passed out and remained weak for some time, the doctor thought that there must be something else wrong with me. He phoned another physician to come check me out. While waiting for the physician, I started regaining some strength. When the second doctor arrived, he decided that we needed to rule out malaria or other infections. I guess that he didn’t believe me when I told him that I really think that I passed out because of the eyelid scenario. So now he wanted to do some blood work, and as many of you know, I don’t handle needles very well. I started feeling dizzy again before they even came in with the needle so I went outside for some fresh air. I am proud to say though that I did survive the needle without passing out, although if the procedure would have taken a minute longer, I might not be able to say the same thing. The eye doctor then gave me some different drops and three hours after arriving at the clinic we were able to leave. Since then my eye has improved quite a bit although it is still a bit cloudy.

When we arrived back at home, a visitor awaited us. We spoke for a little while and then before she left she said that she noticed that we had red ants and that we really should get rid of them. We walked around front with her where we very easily noticed the huge lines of ants going up our walls. Now while it may be hard to believe after the last story, I really do not fear many insects or rodents or anything like that just weird body things. However, I am scared, absolutely scared to death of ants. It was my nightmare that we would move to Uganda and that during the night our house would be invaded by ants. You can imagine then that I could not stand for very long watching the ants. I ran around the house and in through the backdoor. I went to the spare bedroom and with great trepidation pushed the door open. There were several columns of ants moving up the walls. Eric and one of the watchman then used many bottles of insect spray to kill the visible ants leaving corpses all over the house. Some of these corpses were in our bedroom and even on our mosquito nets.

Since then, we have contacted different folks here in Arua to find out a solution to our problem. We have employed all of them. However, to this minute, nothing has worked. They continue to come out of different wholes throughout our house. We are now in the fourth day of ants. Millions have been killed, (I love that!!) but they continue. We have been told that these ants are not common especially in houses like ours. They are also very dangerous as they have a horrible bite. The fact that I have slept in this house now three nights since the initial onslaught is a miracle. I was already having horrible dreams that wake me up at night from my anti-malarial meds. Eric and I have moved our bed to the center of the room and put white flour and poison around the legs of the bed. I guess that this usually deters ants, but as it has been unable to deter them in all of the other rooms, I don’t know why we believe that it will deter them from our bed. We have used bottles and bottles of spray along with other things like banana leaves, ashes, poisons in order to stop the onslaught. Right now Eric is using a syringe to apply another poison down the many, many holes that the ants are using. Most people have been shocked that we are being attacked like this as they have been here for X number of years without any ant problems. Lucky us! Believe it or not, this doesn’t make me feel any better.

Now mind you, I know that God is still in control in the midst of this but for me right now, honestly if you add up the bad eye, sick stomach, ants, and add in a little bit of homesickness, you may begin to understand why I didn’t want to be in Uganda when I woke up this morning. Maybe I should move to Australia (last line from The Terrible, Horrible, No-good, Very Bad Day book)

Eric's Work

2006-08-06T08:32:00.000-05:00

“It is good that you are here. You could have just sent money, but money doesn’t transform people, people do.” These words, uttered by the energetic Bishop Joel during our brief initial meeting, gave me (Eric) hope that ours would be a durable and progressive partnership. His wish to see transformation occur closely correlates with the Christian Reformed World Relief Committee’s (CRWRC) goals and commitments. CRWRC has a vision, a vision of a world “where people experience and extend Christ’s compassion and live together in hope as God’s community”. CRWRC strives to make this vision a reality through transformational community development activities. To CRWRC, a community in the process of transforming is a community where:

People gather to shape their future together
People work together on programs that benefit their quality of life
Everyone’s gifts and talents are welcomed and used
Leaders are identified, developed, and affirmed
On-going learning leads to awareness and improved lives
Justice prevails, laws protect, and civic life is active
Mercy is generous and flowing
Input by the local Christian community is valued

CRWRC’s approach to community transformation is unique in the world of development organizations and agencies. It seeks to bring about transformation by developing partnerships with local institutions and organizations that have a stake in the community at a grass-roots level and that already have a track record of doing community development using local resources. The rational behind this is that in order for community development projects to be sustainable, the community must value the work being done. A project directed by an external donor may or may not be valued by the local community and, therefore, may not be sustainable.

In Uganda, one of our strongest partnerships is with the Church of Uganda, which is part of the global Anglican community. As a Program Consultant, I will be providing consulting services to two (Nebbie and Madi/West Nile) of several diocese, or regions. In Madi/West Nile diocese alone, there are approximately 800 churches with over 200,000 members. Given its size, the Church of Uganda has the capacity to positively impact many communities across this nation. It is also a strategic partner because it can bring a holistic approach to community development that encompasses both the material, economic, and physical aspect of life, as well as the spiritual and emotional.

I will primarily be working with the Planning and Development Committee (PDC) offices at both the diocesan and archdeaconry levels. Archdeaconries are the structural subdivisions within each diocese. The diocesan PDC is responsible for providing logistical support to the archdeaconries, coordinating the archdeaconry programs, and representing them to external organizations and entities. It is the responsibility of the archdeaconry PDC to work on the ground initiating and helping to implement development projects at the community level.

Some projects already in progress include the following: agro-forestry, animal traction, and other food security programs; bee-keeping, goat multiplication, and other income generating activities; diaconal, leadership, and civic training; etc. The purpose of my consulting work will be to enhance the diocesan and archdeaconry PDC’s capacity to make a more lasting and far-reaching impact in the lives of community members. A community may, for example, ask the archdeaconry PDC for assistance with setting up a village banking system. If this is not a strength of the PDC, I could network to get the training and/or resources necessary to implement a workable and effective program.

Needless to say, it is a big, but exciting job that can have a substantial impact on a community’s standard of living, if done right. I hope to keep you updated on the progress of the work so that you can get a sense of what community transformation looks like in less developed countries. I welcome your prayers for wisdom and for the work, for the Church and the communities it will be serving, and for Uganda as a whole. This is a dynamic land full of great potential, but also a land facing many challenges. It is projected, for example, that it will lose nearly 14% of its labor force to AIDS by the year 2020. Besides your prayers, I welcome your words of wisdom or encouragement, advice, recommendation, helpful resources, or stories of transformation you have witnessed in your own community, neighborhood, church, school, business, home, farm, etc. We can all be agents of transformation so long as we bear in mind that the process usually begins within.

Blessings and peace to you all as you continue this meandering journey called life…

Grasshopper

2006-08-06T01:43:00.000-05:00

There have been quite a few unusual sightings since arriving in Arua. Some of these undoubtedly were things that some of the Ugandans saw Eric and I doing :), but we have also witnessed some eye-openers. These range from large herds of cattle with gigantic horns walking up the roads (I have seen large herds on the roads before, but some of the cattle here have the largest horns you can imagine. I am sure that eventually we will have a camera in tow when we see one of these herds.), monstrous cockroaches (don't get me started on this as they are my sworn enemy), and a couple strange grasshopper sigtings.

Eric and I were on our evening walk when from a distance, we saw what we thought was a line of soldier ants. As many of you know, this is a scary sight for me so it was a relief and a quandary when we discovered that it was a parade of grasshoppers. All different size grasshopper were hopping in a line across the road. I think that some of them were even carrying instruments and riding on floats. It may have even been larger parade than the Terre Haute Memorial Day parade.

The following day Eric came upon the king or perhaps queen (we really don't know the difference :) of all grasshoppers. He/she was HUGE and beautiful. I really think that the picture does not do this grasshopper justice. Right after the picture was taken, he/she jumped right onto me and proceeded walking up to my shoulder. When he/she finally jumped away, the flight showed that he/she had the most beautifully colored wings that glowed with different colors in the sun. I love little blessings like this. Creation is just astounding!

We've Arrived...

2006-08-03T10:05:00.000-05:00

Eric and I just got hooked up to the internet today. We arrived in Arua last Friday evening with our possessions in tow. I wanted to quickly get a post published with a picture of our home before hurrying to make supper. Sufficed to say that we are very happy to be in our home. We thank God for having such a wonderful place to live. Any and all are welcome to visit... we are open for business.

Kampala "Driving"

2006-07-24T06:11:00.000-05:00

Martha has referred to the driving in Kampala on a couple of occasions. Driving in the city requires two mental shifts. First, you must learn to drive on the opposite side of the road and shift gears with your left hand. This is an easy mental sift to make. The second one takes a little more time, however. You must stop thinking of driving as a means to get from point A to point B in as short a distance as possible and start to thinking of driving as an obstacle course to overcome, or a race car video game. I would like to illustrate this by using a method used in the “choose your own ending” books I read as a youngster…

Here is the situation. A taxi-bus has pulled over with no turn signal or warning of any kind to let off a passenger. Since there are no bus stops, the bus still covers two-thirds of your lane. The opposite lane is packed with cars, because the number of vehicles in Kampala has grown much more quickly than the number of roads. A boda-boda (moped or motorcycle used as a taxi) is coming toward you, weaving its way your lane and the opposite lane. At this point, what do you do? Do you choose to try and squeeze in between the stopped taxi-bus and the oncoming traffic? Then go to line “A” below. If, however, you choose to stop and wait for the taxi-bus to start back up before proceeding, go to line “B” below.

A. You have chosen well. The fact is that in Kampala you are expected to maintain your forward momentum except in extreme situations. The boda-boda manages to slip by you, even as you push out around the taxi-bus. The finely balanced dance that is Kampala driving is maintained.

B. You cause mild consternation among the drivers following you. The car immediately behind you swerves around and in between the lanes creating a more dangerous situation than before. You quickly learn that when driving in Kampala you should try and maintain forward momentum if at all possible – which it somehow usually is.

Some might refer to Kampala driving as lawless, as complete disorder. But the fact is there are rules, just not the ones you might be accustomed to. We have been given to understand that this is due to the fact that driving lessons or licenses were not required until just recently. I don’t know what is taught in the newly formed driving schools, but if they are preparing people for driving in Kampala, they probably look something like this:

1. Don’t stop your forward momentum if at all possible.
2. Your brights are to be used to flash people and drivers when you are on a collision course with them.
3. Turning your lights on before complete darkness sets in will cause other drivers to think there is something mentally wrong with you. And if you don’t have lights… that’s okay.
4. Turn signals are called “indicators.” And don’t forget that the turn signal is on the right and windshield wipers on the left. Some Americans have trouble remembering that and it’s pretty funny.
5. Even though you probably won’t do anything besides read the newspaper when you get to work, you should drive like mad to get there.
6. Two-lane roads can fit three cars, a motorcycle, and a bicycle easily.
7. Sidewalks, etc. are part of the roads and can be used at will.
8. Try not to breathe while driving. Only one out of a hundred cars would pass an emissions test.

Common things in Kampala to try and avoid hitting:
1. Goats and cows roaming the roads
2. Pedestrians not aware that they can die if they walk out in front of the road unexpectedly
3. Big pot holes and even bigger speed hills (bumps) at completely random locations
4. Taxi-buses that stop without any warning whatsoever.
5. Boda-boda mopeds carrying up to two passengers.
6. Bicycles carrying plywood, large stacks of brooms and buckets, very large wooden trunks, chickens, or several people.

I suppose that if I were Luke Skywalker, I would nonchalantly say, “it’s just like the races at Beggar’s Canyon back home on Tatuine.” In my case, though, I’m mostly just glad that we will be leaving soon for calmer roads in Arua. The interesting thing about this whole driving phenomenon in Kampala is the fact that the Ugandan culture is, by in large, extremely laid back, gentle, generous, and welcoming. I was asked once what kept me coming back to Africa. My reply was short… the people. My experience in Uganda so far has confirmed this sentiment. Indeed, it is a joy to be able to walk along side and serve the Ugandan people.

Buying Items in a Foreign Land

2006-07-21T07:39:00.000-05:00

Wow, I had no idea that purchasing items could be so difficult or time consuming. I guess that we take for granted that we slowly pick up things as we move throughout our lives. I will at the very least never, ever take IKEA for granted.

Eric and I have been purchasing items this week for our new home. For those of you that don't know, our house is completely empty except for the desk in Eric's office. Now while I would have been a little overwhelmed doing so much purchasing in the states in stores that I know, purchasing items in Uganda is a whole other thing entirely.

As we are going to be living in a smaller town about 8 hours from Kampala, it was suggested that we do some of our major purchases here as to avoid the high prices in Arua. For us this meant purchasing a fridge, gas oven, washing machine (not like the ones in the states :), table with 6 chairs, two beds, and some appliances and dishes. For someone like me, that doesn't like to make decisions, this was an issue. I struggled! I am happy to say though that as of now, we should be able to eat and sleep in Arua. What else could we need :) We will probably have to hire a truck to take the things to Arua, but I think that one of our coworkers will be able to do this.

Once we are in Arua, we will start talking with carpenters and looking for used things so that we have a couch, dresser, bedside tables, etc. There really are a lot of things in a house. I don't know that I ever fully appreciated this.

One funny thing that happened while we were doing our shopping... there are two supermarket type stores in Kampala. While we were doing some shopping at one of the stores, we noticed that they were cleaning the floors, etc. A floor waxer kept continually trying to run us over. We kept having to move to get out of the worker's way. This went on for quite some time. We then headed up to the checkout. Upon arriving up front, we discovered that all of the registers were closed. Then we looked around and noticed that we were the only customers in the store. Yep, they had closed up shop long before but we had NO IDEA and no one had told us. So here are the silly white people with their shopping cart hoping that someone will check them out. Eventually a very annoyed cashier rang us up. So the moral of the story is: "When someone continually tries to run you over with a floor waxer, it is time to checkout."

I hope that you can all find a way to use this valuable information. :)

HIV/AIDS Workshop

2006-07-14T10:22:00.000-05:00

This week Eric and I were a part of an HIV/AIDS workshop for CRWRC partners. The workshop's focus was integrating HIV/AIDS initiatives into already existing programs within the church. As you can imagine, this is a monumental task. If it were easy to combat AIDS and its horrific effects, it would have been done long ago.

Thinking about this issue absolutely breaks my heart. Everyone at the workshop was somehow touched by AIDS. There is no way to avoid it here. I confess that I do not pray about this enough. I think that it can be easy to separate myself from the horrors in the world when they feel like they are too big to comprehend. But yet when I do this, I am also separating myself from Christ's work in the world. I am forgetting about the HOPE that we have. I sometimes want to run and hide from so much pain but yet Christ lived with and loved the most oppressed. Please join me in praying for Christ's work in Africa with those affected and infected by HIV/AIDS. By God's grace there is so much to be done in the world.

Time

2006-07-14T10:19:00.000-05:00

I just want to apologize for not being able to post very much on our blog. We have been so incredibly busy. I am guessing that this will be the case until we move to Arua. Once in Arua, we should have internet access whenever we desire. So please, keep checking back and thank you for your comments. Your love and support is such an ecouragement.

The klutz strikes again and again

2006-07-08T05:06:00.000-05:00

Okay for those of you that know me and love me (Martha), you might know that I can be a bit of a klutz. Well, add to my natural tendencies a very rough surface to walk on, including large holes as well as many people vying for my attention. Yes, I know; it sounds like a fatal scenario.

On my first day in Kampala, we were changing some money. On the way back to the car, a taxi man was harassing me trying to get me to ride in his van. Next thing I know, my left foot goes into a relatively large hole, and I go down fast. I landed extremely hard on my right knee. Of course, all of the folks around me starting saying, "Oh, sorry, sorry," (I have heard this same response many a time on other African visits as I made a similar fall.). My knee was pretty scraped up but the worse part was that it was my bad right knee. It was quite swollen and sore for a couple of days and now it is faded to a nice shade of yellow and purple. End of story #1.

So a week later, as my right knee was healing, Eric and I were looking at new pickup trucks (yep, we are getting a brand new one as the one that we are currently driving is going to be given to another staff member as they shuffle around older vehicles). Well, I was busy talking with the salesaman about the value of a hand grips by the doors of the truck while you are driving on rough roads, when out of the blue, my left foot rolls off of a little ledge. Next thing I know, I am down on the ground again. I am again met with, "Oh, sorry, sorry." (They have no idea how often this happens.) My left knee, while it didn't hit the ground as hard as my right, is more cut-up including cuts across the top of my left foot and ankle from the roll. So I went around for awhile then with blood trickling down my leg. Sufficed to say... I have the most lovely knees right now. If only there were some kind of contest for this kind of thing :)

Kampala or Bust

2006-07-08T04:52:00.000-05:00

For those of you that haven't heard, we arrived safely in Kampala on June 27th, with everything but our blog information. This is why we haven't posted anything until today. Sorry about the delay.

Our first two weeks have been very full. We have spent a lot of time at the office meeting with some of the ten different staff working in Kampala. We are enjoying them all. They seem to be a very intelligent and thoughtful group.

We were also able to take a three day trip up to meet some of Eric's new partners and to see our future home. The trip was an adventure in itself. I will allow Eric to describe driving here but sufficed to say that there are no rules. I have never seen or imagined anything like it. It truly is insane!!!!! Driving on the left hand side of the road is truly the easy part. We will be happy when we are no longer plagued with Kampala traffic.

Our new home is beautiful. It is far nicer than anything we would have expected. The backyard is fantastic. It is a large fenced in area that includes a wonderful garden, an avocado tree (yum!), three guava trees, and some other beautiful trees and flowers. We are looking forward to moving to Arua and starting our life there.

Right now it looks like we will be in Kampala for at least a couple more weeks. We are living with Eric's boss and his family for the time being. They are a wonderful family. It is good to have some time to get to know them.

It would take a lot to catch you up on everything that has happened so now that we have the blog information, we will do a better job at posting more frequently.

Thank you again for all of your love and support as we prepared for this next phase of our lives.

2006-06-14T21:32:00.000-05:00

The Title

2006-06-14T14:27:00.000-05:00

Eric and I believe in the potential of Africa. Our title "Fields of Hope" expresses our conviction and desire to work with people to develop that potential. We hope to share our experiences with you. Please join us in prayer as we work with the people of Northwest Uganda.