Kirk Hayes adds
this additional list of suggestions
Support of the Sending Church
1) Prayer
a) Mission Prayer
Update – weekly by email
b) Prayer bulletin
– printed weekly for Sunday AM service
c) Mission Sunday
d) Sunday morning
7 AM prayer
e) Wednesday
morning 10 AM prayer
f) Elders’
meetings
g) 24 Hour Prayer
Vigils – semi-annually
2) Involvement by
the Members of the church
a) Those serving
on the Missions Committee
b) Elders
c) Treasurer
d) Office Staff
e) Numerous members during Christmas in July
3) Mission Events in the church
a) Missions Sunday
– 1st Sunday of each month
b) Christmas in
July – annually
c) Elders trying
to send one person annually
4) Logistical
Support by the church
a) Fund Raising
b) Newsletter to
Supporters
c) Bookkeeping
d) Monthly
i) Salary
ii) Insurance
iii) Retirement
Fund
e) Contact
Person/Elder
f) Furlough
Support
i) Consideration
for extra expenses incurred
5) Re-entry Support
a) To help when
the final re-entry is made
Kirk highly recommends the book “Serving as Senders by Neal Pirolo for
additional information on this topic.
Return to top
World
Mission Workshop
Journal Letter #289 from Uganda
1 November 2002
Below is the second paper I gave at the World Mission Workshop in Abilene,
Texas on 5 October 2002. I thought it might provide some helpful suggestions
about changing teams.
Relationships:
"When the Team Changes"
RM 117 – 1:30-2:30 PM
Introduction:
My name is Shawn Tyler.
I married Linda Watkins, my wife, in 1978.
We have two children – Noah (almost 15) and Natalie (a precocious 10).
I have a degree in Missions from ACU, and I am continuing studies when on
furlough.
I have been a missionary in East Africa for 21 years:
1981-1994 in Kitale, Kenya
1995-present in Mbale, Uganda
My teammates in Kenya included:
Rolland and Jessie McLean (1981-1984)
Kirk and Susan Hayes and family (1984-1994)
Mike and Karolyn Schrage and family (1987-1994)
Dan and Traci Harrod and family (1988-1994)
My teammates in Uganda have included:
Ian and Danetta Shelburne and family (1996 to present)
Sandi Piek (1996 to present)
David and Brenda Vick (1997-2002)
Phillip and Laura Shero (1998 to present)
Phil and Elaine Palmer and family (1999-2001)
Mike and Judy Shero (2002 to present)
Many singles have
come and gone in Mbale with one to two year commitments including:
Jeana Shrum –
teacher (1995-1997)
Shannon Linderman – teacher (1998-1999)
Melissa Mears (Johnson) – teacher (1998-1999)
Laura Bartlett (Smith) – nurse (1998-1999)
Wendi Wagner – (1998-1999)
Jennifer Giddings – women’s ministry (1998-2000)
John Cundiff – teacher (1999-2000)
Rebekah Cohoon – teacher (1999-2000)
Melissa Owen – nurse (2000-2002)
Nicoletta Diels – teacher (2000-2002)
Melanie Wilks – teacher (2000-2001)
Bethanyanne Hunt – teacher (2001-2002)
Jenny Lair – teacher (2001-2002)
Christi Michener – teacher (2002 to present)
Sheri Clear – teacher (2002 to present)
Ashley Mullins – (2002 to present)
Change as a Natural Circumstance to Mission Teams
Historically mission work was done by priests sent out to distance places.
Within the last 230 years, missionary families from the Protestant movement
began mission work. They often went in teams.
William Carey, Joshua Marshman and William Ward to India (AD 1793)
David Livingstone and Robert Moffat in Africa (AD 1841)
Hudson Taylor and William Burns to China (AD 1854)
The fact is almost all mission teams change.
Some negative
reasons for change include:
Death or sickness of
a team member, spouse, or family member
Disagreement and departure of team members
Finances dry up and force missionaries off the field
Government change or political upheaval (war or coup)
More recently - educational needs of missionary children (might be a neutral
factor)
Positive reasons
for change include:
Growth of the
mission work and the need for more personnel
Change in direction/emphasis (personally or in the mission work)
Evangelism to leadership training
Addition of projects
More recently:
Short term
volunteerism, which is on the rise in America, brings specialized short term
workers into partnership with long term missionaries. This may soon become
the largest single reason for changes to mission teams on the field.
Change is inevitable.
Change is stressful (Mike Schrage).
Successful mission teams don’t avoid change, but deal with those changes in
positive ways with God’s guidance (David Vick).
In order to stay within my time limits, I will restrict the scope of this
paper to the expected changes within a team of new members coming and older
members going. I want to list some of the disadvantages and advantages to
such changes, and give some practical suggestions on how to smooth the
transition on a changing team.
Advantages and Disadvantages to Changing Teams
Disadvantages:
Disrupts continuity
and harmony of existing team.
The team is never settled.
Routine can not be established.
Relationships are always stirred with the adding and subtracting of new
personnel.
New partners entering change ministry roles for everyone.
Often requires lots of time and energy to bring new partners “up to speed.”
New members need to be introduced to team policies.
New members need explanations on why the team does something or does not do
it.
New members are more likely to make cultural mistakes.
The rest of the team will have to repair the mistakes or suffer with new
members.
New members may not share the same focus as older members.
Short term commitments against long term cause disunity in perspective.
Commitments are not parallel in time, scope, finances, etc.
Language learning and problems follow new members.
New members may enter with different ideas on missiology, methodology,
teamwork, or personal spiritual growth than the already established status
quo.
When older team members leave, there is a loss of experience (Dan Bell)
Advantages:
Provides additional
workers on the field who could not make long term commitments.
Provides specialized workers for projects outside the abilities of long-term
missionaries – i.e. construction, medical clinics, eyeglasses, crusades,
etc.
Provides outside contacts and encouragements to local Christians.
Verifies, validates a Christian fellowship greater than is seen locally.
It generates interest. To community-minded Africans, this is very important.
Provides more hands-on participation of sponsoring church with field work.
It increases communication, understanding, and agreement.
Provides new perspectives – (Dan Bell) As iron sharpens iron, so one man
sharpens another (Proverbs 27:17)
Provides new vision and desire
Could promote new focus or growth for spirituality – (Lendel Wilks)
Practical
Suggestions:
Information and
advice received from:
John Barton – Missionary to Jinja, Uganda (1994-2002)
Dan Bell – Missionary to Kisumu, Kenya (1985 to present)
Mike Schrage – Missionary to Kitale, Kenya (1984-1994) and Nairobi (1995 to
present)
Greg Taylor – Missionary to Jinja, Uganda (1994-2001)
Shawn Tyler – Missionary to Kitale, Kenya (1981-1994) and Mbale, Uganda
(1995 to present)
David Vick – Missionary to Sotik, Kenya (1987-1997) and Mbale, Uganda (1997
to 2002)
Lendel Wilks – Missionary to Thondwe, Malawi (1964 to present)
Mbale Team - Mbale, Uganda
Return to top
Bulamogi
Visit
Journal Letter #290 from Uganda
10 November 2002
Africa has the ability to sometimes prick the fingers and arms of those who
try to embrace her. Its harsh climate and terrain, its tropical diseases and
desperate living conditions all combine to punish those who try to live
here. Even when someone has money and the ability to live above the average
national, Africa can still reach out and pull down the highest from their
perch. Africa is a maiden that no infatuated suitor should ever turn his
back on.
I don’t mean to wax poetic here, I simply want to set the stage for my first
village visit after recently returning from America – the land of everything
and city block size stuff-marts. After a month of fast foods, quick service,
smooth roads, polite drivers, and cozy living conditions, my first visit to
the village was a wake up call.
James Luchivya and I had agreed with Joseph Musenze in September to visit
one of his preaching points after our return from the States. It was a jog
to the memory when Joseph showed up at our office on Tuesday requesting the
date. We decided upon Saturday, November 09, 2002. He said he wanted us to
visit Bulamogi, a small village with lots of interest a little beyond his
place. Now we remembered that Joseph’s church, Kisowozi, was 55 kilometers
down the tarmac from Mbale, BEFORE turning right down a goat path for 20
more kilometers and two swamps. The road (and I use that term liberally
here) snaked through the swamp – in more than one sense of that word.
Potholes were many, and in some places the swamp crept up to within inches
of the truck tires on both sides of the road. I got to wondering how much
rain was needed to cause the water to flow over the road and indefinitely
make me the newest member of the Basoga tribe. Joseph informed us that
Bulamogi was FURTHER down the road than his church at Kisowozi. The only
thing he would say was to allow an hour to get there – from his church.
James and I discussed the need to take a tent or an extra day’s rations
before leaving this morning. It wasn’t necessary, we actually made it home
before sunset.
The road beyond Kisowozi slips through one more large swamp and a couple of
valleys that would qualify for alien eco-systems on the National Geographic
channel. The amazing thing was that at no point did we drive without seeing
at least one person on the road. We drove 20 kilometers PAST Kisowozi
through a couple of small trading centers. In one, we stopped to allow
Joseph the chance to purchase four cokes. If only we could preach the gospel
the way coke has marketed its product! In one of the swampy areas, I passed
a small motorcycle going back toward the tarmac. The passenger kept pointing
over his head to the road ahead of us. As we passed, I asked Joseph what he
was signaling about. Joseph said casually that the culverts were broken out
up ahead and to be cautious as we proceeded. I slowed down a bit wondering
how we were going to cross a stream with broken culverts. When we reached
the place, I found that several large rocks had been thrown into the holes
and crevice making a two tire path across the chasm. I decided to try it and
pray that my tires hit the rocks. I passed. My elation was quickly deflated
as I realized that I had to pass over the same rocks and chasm on the way
back.
Our two hour journey ended in a small, freshly cleared compound of a simple
church building. The roof was grass loosely woven to crooked poles. Banana
leaves were tied at the thick end and hung upside down over poles parallel
to the ground to make a leafy wall round about. The leaves had dried out
long ago, so any time a person leaned up against the wall (which was often),
there was a rustle of crinkly leaves.
The small enclosure was full of people and became more so as the meeting
progressed. During the singing, people stood and jumped and clapped and did
what I would call Christian aerobics exercise for 20 minutes. No wonder
these people are thin! With sweat pouring off most of them (and me), we sat
down for more entertainment. I came to learn that our singing was
pre-meeting, and that a local band wanted to perform for us before we really
got into our worship service. Just as this was being announced a huge
bow-shaped pole was thrust through the door to my right followed by a
miniature boat covered by cow skin. I surmised by the ten strings on it that
this construction was not built to be sailed but to be played as a base
instrument. Two smaller stringed instruments entered with ten young people.
They sang three songs with the base player sitting less than three feet from
me. It was a deep and resonant sound that some how made my chest thump with
the reverberation. Our modern theaters in the round have nothing on these
entertainers who literally stand within spitting distance and who could all
comfortably fit and play inside a telephone booth. Personal space is just
not that important here.
Our “short” meeting began with a multitude of greetings, announcements,
personal testimonies, and recognition of the local government authorities
who came to see what all the singing was about. One of the authorities was
wearing a Muslim hat, but he seemed content to sit in the front row and
listen to my preaching and even record a later song with his small, plastic
Mickey Mouse tape recorder. I tried to look as interested in it as all the
rest around me.
James preached first and used the Laodicea church in Revelation 3 to hammer
home the fact that we can’t be lukewarm Christians or churches. I followed
this with Saul’s failure to follow God’s instructions in 1 Samuel 15 giving
a one-two punch to a group of people we had never seen before. If they
learned anything from us today, it was that no one can be fence-sitters when
it comes to following Jesus. When the preaching was finished, we were
escorted outside and told that lunch had been prepared not far away. We were
given the option of walking or driving my car. Since the car was parked up
against our building and the meeting was still going on, I decided that we
could walk. MISTAKE! The “little way” turned out to be over a half a mile
down the road in the blistering afternoon African sun. I could feel the
moisture evaporating from my body as I walked. Without a hat (which I forgot
at home), I could feel myself getting the $29.95 suntan special advertised
in most American cities. Only this one was doing a laser number on my head.
We reached the house and food was eventually served on a table half the size
of all the dishes placed on it. We were served yams (which taste a lot like
wet chalk without seasoning) and passion fruit – strong enough to take the
enamel off my front teeth. My first sip made me involuntarily suck in breath
and scrunch my eyes. James noticed my reaction. He laughed at me and then
avoided his juice throughout the meal. Joseph informed me that he had
forgotten the cokes in the car, so we did without any other drink. As I
write this, I can still taste the passion fruit juice.
The walk back was hot and longer than when we came. (Did we go a different
way?) The crowd had gathered around the truck in anticipation of free rides
back along the path. My truck was overcrowded, but I was happy to be on my
way home. I thought only 40 kilometers to tarmac – and a chasm. Worse things
awaited than the chasm. I had a flat in one of the low swampy areas that
required us to unload everyone and get down on our hands and knees
underneath the truck to disengage the spare tire. Toyota builds tough
trucks, but their Hilux four-wheel drives in Africa have the most
inconvenient holders for spare tires around. James and I changed tires
(praying that the spare was up) while all the passengers stood around and
shouted instructions on how to do it. I was amazed that we were surrounded
by such a swarm of mechanically-minded passengers when none of them owned a
car or had probably ever changed a tire in their lives. Distractions aside,
we changed tires and were on our way toward the chasm in no time.
No, I am not building you up for a surprise on the chasm. We actually drove
across it with little problem. I did scrape the back axle on it and hit the
differential pretty hard, but we made it across with the back wheels still
on the truck and all our passengers in tow. We reached the tarmac just as
the clouds were gathering up to pour out their contents. A wall of rain hit
us about 6 kilometers further down the road. We were reduced to creeping
along on the road with lights on, hoping that no cows or pedestrians were
out in the rain. It cleared some about ten kilometers down the road. We made
it home just a little before sunset. I was so tired I couldn’t figure out
which was more punishing – the four hour worship service with me sitting on
an extremely uncomfortable chair, or the four hours in the truck driving
some third-rate safari rally with a load of passengers.
For my first village visit, Africa rose up and pricked me with the road,
swamps, passion fruit and chalky yams, scorching sunshine, four hours of
wooden chair, a tire puncture, and a wall of rain on the way home. I think
it was a pretty good day. Normal. I loved it!
Shawn
Return to top
Internet Stories
Journ Letter #291 from Uganda
20 November 2002
I am sure the Internet has proven to be a great source of information for
many who have wondered into its websites and “surfed.” I am a novice at it
myself and only recently obtained Internet access in Mbale – though I have
had email access since 1995 through a long-distance server in Kampala.
A recent event through the Internet has proven to be so unusual, that I
thought I would share it with you. A British woman by the name of Helen
Chester was doing an Internet search on Mbale, Uganda. She was hoping to
find out information that would help her in her search for Frederick
Chapman’s gravesite, an uncle of hers who died in Mbale in the late 1940’s.
She found the Mbale Mission Team’s website and decided to write an email and
see if we could help. I have included her short letter below:
“Hello - my name is Helen Chester. My uncle (Frederick Chester) died in
Mbale late 1940's/early 1950's whilst he was a vet in the area with the
British Veterinary Service. He died around 30 yrs old, and none of our
family has ever been able to visit to see the grave - if it's still intact.
If you could give any suggestions about how I could track down his grave I
would be very grateful. Thanks for reading.”
I responded with the following:
”Greetings!
I don't know if anyone on our team has responded to you yet. Let me try. I
live in Mbale, Uganda and have for the last 7 years. There are not many
cemeteries within the municipality, so if he was buried in town, then we
have only a limited number of places to look. I will ask the local officials
if they have any records. Also, some older churches (Catholic and Anglican)
may have buried members in their yards. Do you know if your uncle attended
any church? Finally, I will talk to some older members of the community who
may recall Frederick Chester in the veterinary service. Any other
information you may have concerning his activities while here may be
helpful. I am traveling out of town this weekend, but as soon as I return
and the rain lets us, I intend to make a personal visit to the cemetery to
look for headstones. Should be an interesting visit since most Ugandans
don't think it is wise to walk around among the dead. Shawn Tyler”
Helen answered with the following:
“Hi - thanks very much for this reply (it is the first), it’s really good of
you to help on this. My uncle was Captain in the Royal Army Veterinary
Corp., and he died on the 2nd May 1948, aged 27 from appendicitis. I don't
know if he was a member of any of the churches, but came from a Church of
England background. Now that I've got a 'live' link I'll check for a little
more family info, to see if there's anything useful to add. In the meantime
thanks again, and good luck!”
Ian and I visited the Mbale graveyards today and below is part of the letter
I wrote to her.
”Greetings from Mbale!
I am sure you were hopeful but not overly positive that your Internet search
would provide you with results concerning your uncle's gravesite. But
Internet is a marvel of the modern world, and there is always the
possibility that you will make contact with someone that can actually help.
We may have been able to do that for you in this case.
Ian Shelburne and I drove over to the public cemetery at noon today. We
walked among the bushes and tall grass noticing the many crumbling
headstones whose plaster had long been washed away. Our first thoughts were
that it would be nice to find the gravesite for you, but with the condition
of the cemetery, we thought it would be a small chance. A cursory search
through the graveyard led us to believe that the public cemetery held more
Muslim graves than older British graves. This made us abandon our search
there and head for St. Andrew's in hopes that they also had a graveyard. We
know that it was a custom to bury expatriates near the churches of their
choice during those days. As we neared St. Andrews, we spotted a small
graveyard to the right where the weeds and grass had been recently slashed.
There among the older graves, we found Frederick Chapman's headstone.
The headstone is made of white marble as well as the four-inch wide boundary
all around the grave. The back of the headstone remains white because the
rain does not fall directly onto it. The front of the headstone is covered
with a moss-like substance or lichen. The lettering is made of flat metal
and pinned to the marble, so with a little rubbing of our fingers we were
able to read the lettering. I copied this picture (with Ian inspecting
the headstone) in a higher quality hoping that you could enlarge it and
perhaps read the headstone yourself. In case you cannot, let me give you the
words.
IN LOVING MEMORY OF
FREDERICK ARTHUR CHAPMAN
BVS MRCVS
DEAR HUSBAND OF MARION
AND ELDEST SON OF
MR. AND MRS. J.A. CHAPMAN,
WORLABY HALL, LINCOLNSHIRE, ENGLAND,
DIED MAY 2ND 1948
AGED 27 YEARS.
I took an additional picture from the gravesite, showing town and the
mountainous outcropping beside which Mbale sits. It is called Nkokenjeru,
and it is part of Mount Elgon’s base. Today, Mbale has a population of
almost 70,000 and is the largest city in the eastern part of Uganda (not
included here). You can just make out the town clock at the end of the
truck and partially hidden by the tree branch. The main street begins there
and heads east toward the mountain. Frederick Chapman’s headstone is at the
east end of his grave. If you have any other questions let me know. We will
be glad to assist.”
Shawn Tyler
Return to top
Will They Make
It?
Journal Letter #293 from Uganda
29 November 2002
“The following letter was written BEFORE the Luchivyas, Linda and I traveled
to America for the October visit. I include it here to let you taste a
little bit of the red tape we struggled with to get James and Noeli to
America.”
Many of you know that James Luchivya was asked by Abilene Christian
University to speak at this year’s World Mission Workshop 3-5 October. He is
to be one of the main speakers in the last session on Saturday morning. What
you may not know is the red tape that we have to go through in order to get
him there. As I write this, I do not know if we will succeed in getting it
all completed. Let me narrate this for you.
First, before we can do anything we must ascertain where the funds are going
to come from for his ticket to and from the States. ACU said they would pay
for that. So, I booked tickets through a travel agency in the Netherlands
because of their discount prices (one we have used for many years). We
corresponded on the dates and length of stay and finalized the booking. They
then requested money for the ticket. I forwarded this on to ACU and began to
work on a more difficult aspect of the trip – visas.
If James and Noeli are to visit America, they need to get an entry visa. To
do that they must visit the American Embassy and apply for them. We gathered
up some money and sent them off to Kampala to begin the process. Visa
application for East Africans is open only certain days of the week for a
few hours in the morning beginning at 7:00 AM. You must register in advance
for this process. James and Noeli went to Kampala and spent the night so
that they could be near the front of the line. After hours of waiting, and
tremendous security checks, they were told (briefly) that since they were
Kenyans, they had to go to Nairobi and make visa applications there. Kampala
would not process their paperwork. So we lost two days of work and over $100
dollars in expenses for this bit of knowledge that was not given to us over
the phone.
A new plan was made to send James and Noeli to Nairobi. They were given a
little over $200 for the trip and visa application. They took an overnight
bus to Nairobi to save expenses for a hotel. During the next day, they had
to go to a bank and deposit $69 each (a total of $138) for the two visa
applications. This money is non-refundable should they be turned down. Then
the next morning at 7:00 AM, they went to stand in line for an interview.
James and Noeli took with them: their passports; a letter of invitation from
ACU’s president requesting James to speak at the conference; a letter from
their employer (me) stating that the Luchivya’s were gainfully employed and
would be returning to work after their trip to the States. In fact, I would
be traveling with them and escorting them the entire time away from Africa.
They took several letters from the travel agency showing the tickets were
booked and that payment was in process. They also had advertisements from
the States listing James’ name in the Restoration Forum for 20-22 October in
Lubbock, Texas. The interviewing officer was cold, uncaring, unsympathetic
and unhelpful. He told them that they did not have sufficient evidence that
they would be returning from the States. Visa requests were denied. The
money deposited was lost. They returned to Mbale broken-hearted.
I wrote two emails to the consular at the Nairobi US Embassy requesting
additional information as to why they were denied. The first reply was to
inform me that due to the privacy act, they could not discuss the issue with
me. In the second email, I asked what information would be needed for a
hypothetical case of a couple wanting to attend a conference in America. No
answer was given. In fact, the interviewing officer did not give any help in
what the Luchivyas needed to produce in order to prove they would be
returning to East Africa at the appointed time. James did say the
interviewing officer asked about air tickets as a possible proof.
I checked on money for the air tickets. ACU delayed in sending the money so
the travel agency sat on the tickets until last week. On Monday, we learned
that DHL had received a small packet (probably containing our tickets) in
Kampala. I sent James to Kampala to pick them up after verifying that the
DHL attendant would release the package to him – with proper identification.
James spent another day and $30 doing this. The tickets cost almost $3000
and show they are to return on October 29. However, they can not board the
plane without visas to America.
We also learned that England has developed a new form of highway robbery –
not with guns but with rules and regulations. British Airways has changed
their operating procedure. Passengers flying in from Africa now enter
England through Heathrow Airport, but they must depart out of Gatwick.
British Airways no longer provides shuttle service, so each passenger pays
about $40 for the transfer. Additionally, British Airways will no longer
transfer the luggage. Each passenger is required to clear their luggage
through customs and carry it themselves to the other airport. AND British
Airways no longer has connecting flights going out within a few hours of
each other. This means passengers must spend the night in high-priced
hotels. The overnight excursion and luggage transfer will cost the average
person $150-200 each. But wait, England requires East Africans to purchase a
transit visa in order to let them into the country to change airports. Each
transit visa costs $65. This visa must be purchased at the British High
Commission only on certain days and hours of the week. It can only be
purchased AFTER the on-going visa has been obtained. That means James and
Noeli must get their American visas first before they can purchase transit
visas. There is another hidden trap within all these rules and regulations.
Once in England, British Airways has been known to change luggage allowances
on American passengers changing airports. I know several who have had to pay
excess baggage charges for bags that were cleared in America, but stopped in
England. It would seem to me that if a bag is cleared in America for the
beginning of a trip, then it should be cleared all the way. If not, then it
would be the responsibility of the beginning airline to alert the passenger
of baggage allowance changes mid-trip. Instead, Britons rob passengers of
money mid-trip because of their change in rules. All of this is due to
England’s inefficient new system of making passengers change airports and
incur huge, unexpected expenses. Another question quickly comes to mind.
What kind of an idiot came up with the idea of making passengers change
airports? In a time of heightened security and terrorist threats, why turn
loose thousands of passengers each week into the English countryside to
travel from one airport to the other by themselves, unsupervised? What kind
of security is that? It would seem to me security personnel would demand
that all passengers stay in one airport and remain within a tightly
controlled waiting area.
So at this writing, James and Noeli left last night on another overnight bus
to Nairobi. They are to deposit money (non-refundable) today in the bank
account for two visas ($138 – again). They have an appointment on Thursday
morning to be interviewed again. This almost didn’t come about because the
embassy personnel told me on the phone that after being denied, the
Luchivyas could not apply again within a three month period. I told the
woman on the phone that they already had tickets in hand to fly out in a
week, and the conference James was to speak for was only 10 days away. What
good would it be to wait three months. She put me on hold and finally came
back to say they could come in on Thursday since I was “contesting” the
three month rule. They will not allow me to be present. James and Noeli
return with more letters, pictures of their kids, air tickets, and big
hopes. If they are successful with the American visas, they still need to
scamper around Nairobi looking for the British High Commission and purchase
the transit visas. Then they need to rush home, pack, and get to Entebbe
before Monday morning. Then we can all look forward to dragging our luggage
around London to change airports.
Aaahhh! I just love to travel.
Update: James and Noeli did obtain visas for America and learned after
standing in lines at the British High Commission for several hours that they
did not need the transit visas after all. James and Noeli did not know they
were going to America until Friday noon before leaving on Monday. To get
ready, they had to travel back from Nairobi by bus arriving in Mbale
Saturday, pack in one day, travel to Entebbe on Sunday, and fly out Monday
morning.
Shawn
Return to top
James
and Noeli in America
Journal Letter #294 from Uganda (America)
29 November 2002
I have often dreamed of bringing someone like Benjamin Franklin or Napoleon
from the past into the future and introducing them to the wonders of modern
living. I have wondered what it would be like to share current marvels of
technology and the vast storehouses of American products. Bringing James and
Noeli to America was not quite that dream, but it was pretty close. There
were so many new and interesting things for them to experience, and Linda
and I had the privilege of witnessing their exploration and discovery. There
is no way to describe how we felt, but I will try to chronicle a few of the
insights during their four-week stay in Texas.
Linda has likened airplane travel to C.S. Lewis’ wardrobe in the Narnia
books. Walk through the doorway into the plane and within a few hours you
come out in a whole new world. It may be colder or warmer, the people will
be different, and new things await you.
James and Noeli stepped onto a plane
in Entebbe and braced themselves for air travel. For Noeli it was a first.
She physically tensed as the plane revved its engines and accelerated down
the runway. She gripped the seat tightly as the huge metal plane leaped off
the tarmac and climbed into the blue cloudy sky with loud roaring engines
just a few feet outside. As scared as she was, she couldn’t keep from
looking out of the small window and watch the earth and everything on it get
smaller and smaller. As the plane climbed through the clouds, she stared for
long moments at the tops of the clouds. (At one point she told me she had
spent her whole life looking at the bottom of clouds. The airplane ride gave
her a chance to see them from above – and they do look different.)
Everything seemed so calm outside. Airplanes are a marvel to anyone who has
not been in one before. The small trolleys with hot or cold food. Attendants
serving all manner of drinks, TV screens showing movies, and the earphones
that plug into your seat. Perhaps the most amazing thing to Noeli were the
toilets. Where does the water go? How high are we? Did you say five miles?
How long will we be up here? Did you say nine hours? Does this plane have
enough fuel for that? How does the pilot know where he is going? How will he
be able to find London’s airport?
We landed safely and grabbed our carry-ons. As we filed out of the plane and
into a new world, James and Noeli both were all eyes. We walked a long
tunnel before coming out into the terminal. Signs showed us the way to the
baggage claim area. We cleared customs without difficulty (though James and
Noeli were scrutinized more than us) and then looked for a way to get to our
nights hotel. Our transfer bus had another surprise. There was an on-board
toilet. On a bus?
As our bus moved out of Heathrow on its way to a hotel near Gatwick, James
and Noeli made several observations about the English countryside. Where are
all the pedestrians along the road? All the cars and trucks carry only one
person. The traffic is so orderly. There are no chickens, cows, or
bicyclists on the road. All the vehicles look new. There is no black smoke
coming out of the trucks. The roads are so smooth. Look, there are phones
along the road for emergencies, but no one is broken down. There are so many
cars! Though we were tired from our journey, James and Noeli seemed excited
to learn as much as they could.
Even though our hotels were moderately priced, their lushness was far better
than anything James and Noeli had experienced before. The bed was
comfortable. Everything was clean. There was a TV in the room. Carpet was
everywhere. Supper was a whole menu of strange tasting foods (for me, all
English food is strange tasting) and expensive.
The second flight from Gatwick to America was similar in experiences, but
James and Noeli seemed a bit calmer. However, there were slight differences.
We sat in the middle aisle and had small, individual TV screens. James and
Noeli couldn’t believe they had several channels to choose from. James
switch back and forth for 30 minutes just sampling all the shows. Whenever
the movie channels were running, James and Noeli were watching something.
Eating during the flight had become easier.
Texas was hotter than Uganda when we arrived. Family and friends were there
to meet us. We passed though a web of cement walkways and loaded our bags
into the back of David Vick’s pickup truck. A 30 minute trip to my parents’
house provided James and Noeli their first look at D/FW traffic and
highways. They would just laugh and point at the multi-lane freeways full of
vehicles. The towering overpasses were architectural marvels. No potholes!
So many cars! Signs everywhere!
Over the next few days, James and Noeli discovered jetlag. They had a hard
time understanding why they wanted to sleep in the afternoon and stay awake
during the night. Why are we hungry at 3:00 AM? We introduced the Luchivyas
to fast food, and they liked it. In fact, James said the thing he would miss
most about America is the free refills of Coke. They were amazed how quickly
the food was prepared, and the restaurants always had what we ordered. James
noted at one place how big the glass windows were. He said no such place
would be safe in Uganda. The windows would be smashed during the night and
all the furniture stolen. The biggest delights were the all-you-can-eat
restaurants. You mean we can go back for more food without paying again? We
can eat all we want? We can eat as much meat as we want? This place would
never survive in Africa. People would come and stay all day eating.
Visiting Northwest Church of Christ in Abilene provided another shock to
James and Noeli. So many of the Christians present on Sunday morning were
older saints. As James stood to speak he noted all the white hair and said,
“Truly this is a congregation full of wisdom.” After worship, we had a
luncheon in the fellowship hall. One lady was telling us about their 50th
wedding anniversary celebration held the day before. James and Noeli were
amazed about that. Being married for 50 years in Africa is not unheard of,
but neither is it that common. As the woman finished speaking another woman
came up and mentioned their 55th wedding anniversary a few months back.
James and Noeli audibly sucked in air at that one. Then Les Thomason came up
and mentioned something about their 50th wedding anniversary a few years
back and how his mother fussed about some arrangement. James and Noeli
looked at each other with wide eyes and wondered how his mother could still
be alive to attend his 50th wedding anniversary. America has a lot of old
people in it! And they still drive their own cars! My parents’ neighbor,
Christine, who is over 80 (I shouldn’t tell you that much because she may
read this), wanted to see James and Noeli, so she drove her car around the
block to see them. James and Noeli couldn’t believe she was as old as she
was, and they were even more surprised that she was still driving.
Driving out to Abilene provided James and Noeli with their first look at the
countryside. After being in the metroplex for a week, James and Noeli who
farm three acres of their own wondered where all the food came from. They
said they had traveled around for several days without seeing any food
growing. As we moved along the highway, James asked again about food. There
was hardly any cultivation between Fort Worth and Abilene. Also, the
interstate roads were amazing. You mean the road is divided? You don’t have
to worry about on-coming traffic? You can drive in either lane? How far does
this go before the one lane returns? There are no potholes? It is so smooth
we can relax and talk easily. They really were amazed at the cruise control
I used. You mean the car can maintain a certain speed all by itself?
The super-stores were stuffed full of goodies. They couldn’t believe how big
the Target or Walmart was. James said all of Mbale’s market area could fit
into one corner of Target. You mean you can buy lunch in here? You can take
your drink around with you? They even let us sample some meat on special
that day. Free food? In the produce area, we laughed at the small avocados
and were surprised at how big the onions were. The bananas looked pitiful
and the price of fresh pineapples was five times the price of Uganda’s.
There were many strange fruits too. What are in all these frozen sections?
There are four or five aisles of frozen things? What happens when the
electricity goes off? To James and Noeli, the electronic checkers and 40
checkout stands shouted a service-oriented culture.
During the Restoration Forum, we started the second day by driving to Quaker
Avenue for breakfast at 7:00 AM (still dark). We moved from the fellowship
hall straight into our first session. During the day, breaks, lunch, and
supper were all held in the hall adjacent to the auditorium. We finished
about 10:00 PM and left in the dark again. James said, “Now I know Americans
live inside and Africans live outside. Not once did we go outside. No one
seemed to care. Did the sun come up? Can we prove that the day came and
went? If this meeting had been held in Africa, at every break, we would have
run outside for rest.” James figured this inside mentality is one reason we
place so much emphasis on beautiful church buildings. He said Christians in
Kenya do little to the building because it is not that important to them. It
is just a structure they meet in for a few hours.
Generally speaking, James and Noeli found Americans to be fun, loving,
generous, and accepting. Hospitality was evident everywhere, and nearly
every person wanted to know what they “thought” about America. Four weeks
also provided the Luchivyas with a good taste of American Christianity. The
Restoration Forum outlined our church’s history of idealism and failures.
James could not believe the divisions caused by Sunday School and musical
instruments, and our unwillingness to work with other Christians because of
such small issues. He told me that he would not tell his brothers in Kenya
and Uganda about such problems. He felt American missionaries should leave
those problems in America and not bring them to the mission field. He
considered them our cultural problems. Overall, though, they were impressed
with our churches. Worship is different – cultural. Again, our current
struggles with worship styles, seemed to him, to be a cultural problem and
not a basic tenant of Christianity. A missionary can often speak directly to
the weaknesses of a particular culture because he stands outside the
influence of that culture, though he may be blind to his own cultural
biases. James and Noeli discovered some of America’s spiritual struggles,
and that perhaps helped them to understand American missionaries better. In
fact, I think the biggest advantage of them coming to America may be just
that – a better understanding of their American brothers and sisters. James
told me more than once that he now understood why we did something or taught
a certain way. He said he understood more clearly what we were trying to
accomplish with our training center and mission outreach. It is now my
prayer that he can help us translate those dreams and goals into an
understandable message to the Ugandans and Kenyans we work with. If they
can, then this trip will reap even greater benefits than we had hoped.
Shawn
Return to top
America’s Aged
Journal Letter #295 from Uganda
19 November 2002
I want to revisit one of James and Noeli’s observations about America,
because I have not adequately expressed the profound impact it made on them
and also on me. James and Noeli were deeply affected by the “affluence and
influence” of America’s older citizens.
In Kenya, where James and Noeli have grown up, retirement is forced upon
government and educational employees at the tender age of 55. Many older
citizens, who have lived so close to the poverty level all their lives, are
unable to save anything for their later years. They literally enter
retirement with no money in the bank and a few possessions that would not
fill an American living room. To make matters worse, the sons of older
parents press for their inheritance (dividing up the farm) as early as
possible, leaving older men and women with meager financial and societal
powers. In fact, most older citizens find themselves relegated to the care
of their children by the time they are in their sixties. Few make it to
their seventies or eighties. Medical cases of old parents become a “family”
decision because others will be paying the bills. Sometimes a story comes
out of some older parent who was carried out of the house, by his children,
to lay in the shade of a small tree and was forgotten during a hail storm. I
myself have seen retirement parties where the retiring employee is given a
hand plough, a watch, and a few months’ wages, and then graciously told to
go home and plant a small garden and tend his cows.
One of the first observations made by James and Noeli about older citizens
in America was that they lived alone in their own homes. Of course American
extended families are not as cohesive as Kenyans’, but most still tend to
have family living close by – seldom next door or on the same compound.
Living independently was a major difference between Kenya and America’s
older citizens in the Luchivyas’ eyes.
A second observation was the apparent mobility of older people. James and
Noeli marveled how older people drove their own cars, jumped on airplanes,
and would take long trips without anyone helping. In Kenya, older people
driving a vehicle is a rare sight. Most public service vehicles and trucks
are driven by young men. Only the wealthiest families have cars for older
people. Almost no older people in the village drive. In America, everywhere
they went James and Noeli saw white-headed people driving cars and engaged
in the daily chores of life.
A third observation was the financial independence of older citizens. James
and Noeli remarked several times that older people were shopping in the
stores, wearing the latest fashions, eating out in restaurants, carrying
large shopping bags, taking grandchildren to the movies in the newest cars,
and doing numerous activities that to them reflected much more money than
was available to their Kenyan counterparts.
Their fourth observation struck me as a wider gap than the previous ones.
James noticed that many older people in America were actively involved in
the Internet, worked on computers, and wrote emails. Many older people
carried cell phones, used VCR’s, took digital pictures, and seemed to be at
ease around many technical gadgets that older Kenyan citizens would not even
know how to turn on. James thought older Americans were much more interested
in continuing to learn and engage in modern technology than older Kenyans.
The most significant observation had to do with power. Older Americans are
still in charge of large corporations, run for President (Reagan was in his
eighties, and Senator Thurman recently retired at age 99) or some other
political office, work, lead churches, help their children, and go to
school. Generally they participate actively in every part of the social,
political, economic and spiritual life of America. Instead of being
sidelined, older citizens are very much the leaders of American society.
This is so far from the Kenyan experience, that James and Noeli were really
struck by the reality of this in America.
I am not saying there are no old people in America who have to depend upon
their children for help. There are many. Nor am I saying there are no
independent, active older citizens in Kenya. Both exist. But the difference
in percentages is so great that it was a staggering reality for the
Luchivyas.
As I reflect on this one observation by a Kenyan couple visiting America, I
am deeply shaken by it. Is there any other nation on earth past or present
that has (or had) as many older citizens with as much wealth, independence,
and active lives beyond 60, 70 and 80, as America? We have a life-expectancy
that is almost 30 years longer than East Africans. Americans speak less
about whether or not they are going to live, and more about the quality of
life they will have. America is truly a blessed nation. At least James and
Noeli think so, and so do I.
Shawn
Return to top
Trans-cultural Missionary
Principles
Journal Letter #296 from Uganda
12 December 2002
William Carey is often called the “Father of Modern Missions” at least in
English-speaking books. No doubt he followed a long line of missionaries
that went out before him and was among a large number of missionaries that
braved the unknown during the nineteenth century. However, his successes in
India made him noteworthy even among such a “cloud of witnesses.” A little
later, Hudson Taylor would make the same kind of mark on the landscape of
missions. His efforts in China produced, for a while, the largest mission
work in the world. A lesser-known missionary, by American standards, was
John Williams. He spent 22 years working in the South Pacific islands
visiting every known island within 2000 miles of his home base in Tahiti.
While reading about these men in Stephen Neill’s book “A History of
Christian Missions,” I came across basic mission principles used by these
three men. I have reflected on them for several months now and feel it
important to share them with you.
William Carey’s principles for India included the following five points:
1. As far as political conditions allowed, preaching tours were carried out
in all directions, and as the work developed, missionaries were settled far
afield.
2. Translation of the Scripture and printing were considered important
factors in getting the Word of God into the hands of nationals.
3. As quickly as possible, establish a church on the field to be a model for
others and a home for the first converts.
4. Understanding the language and thought world of those to whom the Gospel
was preached was an important step in converting them.
5. From the earliest point, train Indian fellow-workers. Carey proclaimed,
“It is only by the means of native preachers we can hope for the universal
spread of the Gospel through this immense continent.”
John Williams’ principles for the South Pacific included the following three
points:
1. Train the local natives to preach the Gospel on their own islands. This
would be the only way to carry out evangelism on so many islands. Often
native preachers were sent out with the smallest of qualifications.
2. Visit every possible island (even remote areas) and preach the Gospel.
3. Think big. Do not contain yourself “within the narrow limits of a single
reef.”
Hudson Taylor’s principles for China included the following five points:
1. The mission was to be interdenominational. Conservative in its theology,
it would accept as missionaries any convinced Christian, of whatever
denomination, if they could sign its simple doctrinal statement.
2. The mission would accept missionaries even from those of little formal
education. Rather than leaning toward professionalism, China Inland Mission
chose to keep its door open for any who would serve.
3. The direction of the mission would be in China. This sprang from the
conviction that mission work needed rapid decision and flexible
administration, and that this was best supplied by those on the field, not
some distant homeland.
4. Missionaries would seek to identify with the Chinese people as afar as
possible. In some instances this meant even dressing like them.
5. The primary aim of the mission was always to be widespread evangelism.
Shepherding and training could be undertaken, but not to the point of
hindering the one central and commanding purpose.
From these pioneer missionaries, I can draw some important principles for me
today.
1. See the big picture and do not limit the scope to what is at hand.
William Carey succinctly summed this up in his last sermon before leaving
for India on 31 May 1792 – “Expect great things from God, attempt great
things for God.”
2. Do not leave mission work only to the professionals. Use any committed
Christian with a heart for missions in whatever capacity they can perform to
advance the Gospel. Isaiah’s phrase “Here am I, send me,” aptly applies.
3. Seek to incorporate the local people in the work of the kingdom. Train,
commission, and send national leaders. A few highly-trained professionals
working by themselves will accomplish less than a larger force of
lesser-trained but motivated workers under their guidance.
4. Leadership and administration must be practical and adaptable to keep
pace with the ever-changing mission field. Missionaries on the field should
have a large say in the policies and direction of the mission since they are
closest to the work and may have the better grasp of needs.
5. Longevity is a key to success. Consistent, long-term efforts will produce
greater fruit than short-term works. William Carey spent 41 years in India
(1793-1834) and died on the field. Hudson Taylor spent almost 50 years in
China (1854-1900?). John Williams spent 22 years in the South Pacific
(1817-1839). He probably would have stayed longer, but he was captured by
cannibals and eaten on the island of Erromanga along with his traveling
companion Harris.
Important Note: It seems to me that these same timeless, trans-cultural
principles should also work today in any church in America.
Shawn
Return to top
_small.gif)