upward & inward

When I enlisted in the US Army back in 1980 (yes, June 17 will make 30 years since my enlistment), the Armed Forces had been a volunteer fighting force for a mere 7 years and it showed. Morale was low and esprit de corps was even lower. Looking back now, I wonder if the pain of the Vietnam conflict, only 5 years over by then, manifested itself in a fighting force with a self-esteem problem. Maybe it was only found in the US Army and then only where I was trained and stationed. But, then again, I don't think so. Since then, the US Armed Forces have celebrated many victories and now even though the main stream media often struggles to do so, citizens and corporations are celebrating our warriors. It now seems more "cool" to be courageous and perfectly appropriate to be a patriot. This is what I witnessed as our son Lewis graduated from Basic Military Training in Lackland AFB, TX this past weekend. The picture is of him and his friend Sam Dixon in front of the Alamo...

How do you read the Bible? I know, left-to-right, top-to-bottom, page by page. Ha-ha. No, seriously. How we perceive any source of information dramatically shapes how we receive the information. For example, if I'm reading a tabloid magazine or one of those forwarded internet stories, I'm going to question the truth of the story until I have confirmation from a separate source (another publication or a place like www.snopes.com ). On the other hand, if I have grown to trust a newspaper and/or magazine or author, I may believe the story a little more readily before I look for outside confirmation. Get it? So, how do you read the Bible? I hope this description of an approach I've come to might help you provide your own answer. First, I believe that the Bible is true. Therefore, when I study the Bible, I open my eyes, ears, and mind to the Bible giving it every measure of the “benefit of the doubt.” If there is something that seems amiss, then my first a...

Heading back to the United States today and plan to update this blog with pictures and text once I get all my resources together. As I consider my nearly two weeks here, I offer just a few observations of the time spent here. Generally speaking, the people of Africa are welcoming and pleased to receive guests. This is especially true in the rural areas of both Uganda and Kenya. In fact, a very common phrase we heard was "You are welcome." This wasn't in response to a "Thank You", but simply a declaration that we were welcome there. I want to be more welcoming to my guests. Although poor economically, the rural communities we visited are rich spiritually. Their faith is strong as is their resolve to be obedient followers of Christ they're called to be. This spiritual wealth is something I want to invest in! The infrastructure in Uganda is quite limited. Although the infrastructure was more advanced in Kenya, they still struggle in the rural areas, espe...

On Tuesday, it was another warm day. Joni had a great idea the previous day of setting out the tarp used to cover luggage from the top of the van as a sort of awning. Modified somewhat to make the most shade we could this was put in place again. Shade always draws a crowd. Soon we had kids, moms, and grandmas resting under the awning. After shooting an interview with Tim and Colleen, Colleen had arranged for me to meet my new sponsor child, Janette. She's a sweet girl and shy. Because of the timing of her visit to the church site, I was unable to spend a lot of time speaking with her - so I still don't know her age or circumstance. I do have pics, tho. Because Colleen had to drive to Kampala, I volunteered to drive the van on TAPP visits. It's amazing how that van can fit into walking trails. We had good visits and even led two older men to the Lord! Meanwhile work continued on the building as the platform was completed, a door installed, and the roof was finished o...

As we arrived the first day (Monday), we saw that the roof was already begun. The building is an elongated octagon. The rafters, already in place, have been treated so that they can resist termites. These pests are a problem as we learned of another church in the district which lost its original building due to an infestation. The roof is made of overlapping corregated steel. The building itself is brick. By the end of the day, the roof was in place. All that remained was the steel caps that cover where the roof angles meet along the ends and sides. The doors and windows would come in the next days. The building site was a hive of activity as the floor was cleared and rocks were brought in to support and fill the platform area. Many of us helped in this and we were humbled as the village women and girls would haul huge rocks on thei heads! They are accustomed to this as they have to carry water from the local well to their homes. Water is carried in Jerry cans weighing 45 pounds. Some ...

Sunday morning, after breakfast, we split up into two teams of 8 each. My team had Grant, the Toupins, Joni, Twyla, Cassie, and Matt. Tim Stevenson was also with us. They sang several songs, we sang two (I played guitar) and they asked for an encore for which we were unprepared, and there were testimonies from the community and our team. Then I spoke from John 9. The service was less than 3 hours but didn't seem that long. The picture here is of the table at the front of the service. People were instructed to come forward to present their tithes and offerings. The tithe basket was empty. The other was filled. You can see the offering basket at the top of the picture. Most of the cash came from us. There was an egg from a woman (possibly like the widow from the Bible), a note, and a partially eaten roll. Humbling. After service there was an altar call for those who needed prayer. I was asked along with Tim to pray. All women, one had a baby wth malaria (baby Lazarus a...

After arriving from Kamuli, I had the opportunity to shop for some Ugandan gifts. This is something I don't do well. In fact, this is something my bride does really well - wisely choosing the right gifts is itself a gift that she has received. After getting an email list from Sherry, I made my purchases and, because some of the articles were made by widows, I was able to help others, too. When the team travels we go in two vans with our luggage, supplies, and tools on top. Our group, piloted by Moses Magoolo, left first and landed last. In the group were Jill, Grant, Joni, Jeannie, Twyla, Heather, Cassie, and me. When we left Kampala, the plan was to go to a guest house first because we would arrive so late. En route, plans change. We went directly to the church and was welcomed by singing, dancing, yodeling women, smiles, shaking hands, and cries of "You are welcome!" If I had to imagine what a believer's reception into heaven would be like, this picture would com...