Week 11

November 22, 2012

I have been working with the CHE group. I am teaching a farmer in Massese, David Kurubba, a prominate CHE member, concerning Farming God's Way. He likes the material and has caught the vision of the spiritual aspect and would like to teach others in Massese.

Chris and I traveled to Mbale at the foot of Mt Elgon and spent two days. He taught a workshop there, expecting to teach around 30, when 100 very attentive adamant people showed up from all over Uganda. FGW spreads like wildfire fire.

I am going to miss the boys I am discipling. I will always pray for them. Two prisoners escaped from Jinja main, causing there to be no church meetings. I will be home soon. If you would like Amazima Ministry beads let me know. I'll sell them for $5 if you pre-order.

Soaking up the last of Uganda, it’s almost dreamlike. I am leaving buried treasure for Chris's children to follow a map and find when I leave.

In Christ,
David Greene

 

Farming God's Way

Week 10

Week 10                                                                                                          November 15, 2001

I took Eddy, David and Elvis, the boys I am discipling, to go camping on Kira Higland Island. I knew the boys would not have sleeping bags or a tarp, so I borrowed a tarp from Chris, and decided not to bring my own sleeping bag. We arrived late to the island and so we were rounded on by the island population’s chair person, who was adamant that "munzungus" or white people don't sleep in the woods for fun. He was convinced that we were not who we said we were. He imposed that a sum of money must be given for protection and was very rude to the boys, while still being quite scared to look me in the eyes. But eventually we got out of it and got to set up our camp. The boys stated over and over they could not believe they were in the middle of a lake, nor had they ever been camping. We had a great night, playing cards, telling stories, and sheltering from a thunderstorm. You can’t beat a first camping experience like that.

I just turned down a Ugandan girl who has been coming to Chris's house to find me to ask me to marry her. I have been back to the Sifa house, but not to prison this week or to the orphanage. This week has been mostly Christian study and inward disciplines. I have finished reading the Adventures of Tom Sawyer to the kids. Now we are a good portion into 20,000 Leagues under the Sea. I have explored the railroad track from town to Chris's house, a few hours’ walk, several times. I have found walking to be an excellent ministry opportunity, not to mention, it was the preferred method Jesus used. You get those interesting run-ins.

Like at village of hope I got to know two boys, Sam and Paul, very well and shared the gospel with them. And whilst I was walking in Massese 3, I met a woman called Julia. After some talk I discovered that she was their mother, but too poor to support them. We had a Bible study at their house in Deneda or Massese 2 and she showed me their pictures in her album. Then it came, the inevitable question, "Can I have money?" Do you give money and hurt the oppressed by just giving, expanding an already prevalent dependency syndrome on white people, NGOs (Non-government Organizations) and the government? What could this woman do for money? Then I thought of the terrain ropes I need to make for my garden in Black Mountain. The ropes require bottle caps to make measured markers and we just don’t have too many bottle caps at home, unless we lived near a Cracker Barrel, so I proposed to her that I would pay 50 shillings per bottle cap. She could collect the caps, ending the deal at 400, that would give her the amount she had requested to pay her hospital bills. Whether her story is true or not, the need is real and we are to "Give to everyone who asks of you." Within a few hours the lady had all that I wanted and the deed was done. I invited her to CHE, but we did not have a meeting today, so I never saw her. 

"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the Earth."
Praying for you all,

 In Christ,

David Greene

 

Week 9

This time I am just plain late. I have been fishing with the Zema boys. They have never been on a boat before. On Saturday we are going camping on an Isle out on Lake Victoria. Chris took his family, Chelsea and me to Sipi Falls at the base of Mt Elgon near Kenya. We brought home two chameleons, who are now eating all the flies on my window to their hearts’ content. The hike was dangerous and it had just rained, so extreme caution was used with the smaller boys and those (Chelsea) who are not used to mountain terrain. I can proudly say my feet have been tested by four years of mountain XC and the black clay of Sipi Falls both without falling once.

The Village of Hope is doing well; a lady had a baby this week and named it after my friend Ann-Marie. David and Farook Zema and I hiked a nearby ridgeline and came down in a neighboring town of Kakira, known as the largest sugar producer in Uganda - fields and fields of sugar cane as far as one can see from the mountain tops. We passed groups of twenty or more men sitting around a five gallon bucket, each with hoses in their mouths. I assume they are drinking alcohol from all the sugar production. Our venture was awesome and I was able to share some of the wonders of science that I knew. We talked of atmosphere and ozone, of light and radio waves and I was able to show them the trick, that if you hold a camera screen between you and a TV remote you can see ultraviolet rays as they are seen through a phone camera. Try it.

I have been back to Massese with Luke several times. I have been attending the CHE meetings, seeing what I was taught at Equip in action. I taught at the prison ministry with Jane, Ann-Marie, and Chelsea and three men came to the Lord. Pray for Kibaluma Dohm, Oporoti Simon, Balyavish Devis. Pray for their growth and development, that they be given joy in Christ, that they are discipled and given guidance in critical times, for absolute assurance of salvation, that they grow and develop as Christians. I can’t remember what happened before Monday and neither can anyone here. Oh well, couldn’t have been anything more than the usual Sifa house disipleship, Village of Hope visits, and shenanigans that come with life here.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight.  Proverbs 3: 5

In Christ,

David Greene

Week 8

11/3/12 

I apologize for my lateness with this report. This house runs on solar and it has rained for the past three or four days.

My ministry with the Zema boys is going well. I have done some ministry on an island in Lake Victoria with Andrew’s and Micha's pastor training organization. For lunch we ate small silver fish that were dipped in some sort of cooking oil. I did not bring my camera for this as the boats have a reputation for being less than quality. Even, I had to bail out water the whole trip when it was not my turn to paddle. It was beautiful though. The island was not very big, but its inhabitants were fishermen, casting nets in much the same way, as I figure, they did in Jesus’ day. This inspired me to tell one of the parables Jesus told from a boat. It was a lot of fun.

I was asked to look at a sick baby at the Sefa house, where the Zema boys live. The child’s name was Daniel and he had cauliflower sores coming from his ears, a runny nose, and high fevers. He was in pain and on medication. I took the Village Medical Manual that I had brought from Equip. It is used in Equip's Mission Medical Intensive course, a class designed to train laymen and those with a formidable background in the medical field at the same time. I am told it is like trying to drink water from a fire hydrant. I will be taking this two week course when I return.

I was able to enter Masese with Luke Anderson, another Equip Missionary I got to meet, and select members of CHE (Community Health Evangelism).  I saw all the impact Jeremy, Tamera, Anna, Luke and Katie Davis have made. Luke tells me of significant improvements and I believe him. My mind wonders to what I may be able to join the Lord in doing in my future. We were brought to another sick infant and Luke let them purchase a Clinic Ticket that costs 500 shillings (2500 Shillings is 1 US Dollar). With this ticket Equip picks up the clinic bills. The tickets used to be free, but they often found them wasted.  When an impoverished parent is willing to purchase this for someone, it means they will more than likely also take the responsibility of actually using it.

After this I was brought into the hut of a lady whose name was Lillian. She even fed us and gave us sodas. “Give and you shall receive.” When an impoverished person gives, God’s irrevocable laws of the universe come into place. The way to escape poverty is to give your way out of it. (In the hut I noticed a picture hanging on the wall of Black Mountain in the fall, with my parents’ church’s steeple, white and raising above the trees. My hometown! I bet it was even bought out of the Black Mountain Hardware store.) I was led and guided by a resident of Masese, a man named Elijah, whom I really like and was able to meet his family and enter his hut as well. There were lots of bead and necklace making ladies all throughout Masese, some former prostitutes. God is at work here!

In other news, Andrew Olson, a friend of mine here, received a Dear John phone call and was incredibly distraught.  I went that day to share his sadness, but arrived only to find his roommate and partner in missions picking up his disheveled room. “Where is Andrew?” I said to Micha. “He's gone.” ”Gone where?” I asked. “Gone back to America,” said he. That night Andrew was in the air flying home. I wish the best for him, but it still doesn’t seem his lady is going to take him back.

With the rain I have been held at the house and have been reading To Kill a Mockingbird to the older children. I found that when you read a book out loud to someone you can get pretty emotional, more so than reading in quiet alone.

I went back to the prison ministry. It happens on Thursdays, but as that’s Chris' day to go to CLD he has not allowed me to stay, until now, when he is on vacation. Many of the prisoners had been shipped to other prisons and so, only half of the faces I knew were there, but new members were present. I shared on hearing and obeying God and the necessity to seek him in quiet alone.

As well, the Zema boys, Ann-Marie and I went to the top of Monkey Mountain Thursday evening. This was the most beautiful sight I have seen since I came here: the setting sun over Lake Victoria, rain sweeping across green fields, the sunset, the stars, and a lightning storm to finish it off, and of course, monkeys, lots of them. But after just coming from the prison, I did not bring my camera. Sorry.

Best wishes, praying for all of you.

 

In Christ,

 

David Greene