Perhaps the most surprising blessing of all was fund raising. In some of my previous furloughs I have tried to raise funds and actually went in the hole because I received less than it cost me to print the materials I put out. This year, as Phillip Shero helped me phrase, was a year of harvest. God saw fit to rain down showers of blessings that came from all directions – often times from the most unexpected places. As we began our furlough, I was hoping to raise enough money to pay for half the cost of the school property we were seeking to buy in Mbale, Uganda for our future Messiah Theological Institute’s campus. We needed about $40,000 for the total purchase, and we were hoping to raise a minimum of $25,000 more for the most basic of renovations. When we started, Ian and Danetta Shelburne and others had already raised about $19,000. During our five months in the States, we saw that number climb past $40,000, past $65,000, past $80,000 to reach almost $98,000 dollars. The donations poured in with wonderful stories attached to them. I wish I could recount for you all the wonderful things I have seen and heard over this furlough in connection with those giving. Since money was coming in so well, I decided to begin the second phase of the MTI project by starting a drive to collect books for the library. We need a minimum of 10,000 volumes, mostly religious books, to seek accreditation with the Ugandan Ministry of Education. As we put out the appeal, friends and acquaintances once again overwhelmed us. By the time we left, over 7,000 books had come in. We still need more books, and Quaker Avenue is continuing to collect them. They plan to purchase a container and fill it up with books before shipping it in May. If you have any books you wish to contribute, you may contact Carey Jones at carey@quakeravenue.com for more information. In the mean time, we are in the process of making the final payments for the school property in Mbale and taking possession of it. If all goes well, we should begin renovations in February with an estimated time of completion later this year.

Along with renovation plans, we are pleased to announce that Tom and Julie Varno (first two months) and Ken and Nova Vaughn (follow up) are planning on coming to Mbale over the next few months to oversee the initial stages of MTI’s renovation. We are so happy to know that none of us will be pulled away from the church work to wrestle with building. It is a tremendous help for the Varnos and Vaughns to volunteer for this project.

Another amazing financial blessing came in for the formation of a Sudan work. The Mbale Mission Team has felt for a year or better that God was leading us to facilitate some kind of mission outreach to southern Sudan. Through several connections and openings that I need not outline here, let me say that several key individuals came forward to give funds that will enable us to make steady progress in Nimule, Sudan. I have created a Sudan Interest email list to keep those interested in Sudan up to date with developments. If you are interested in this news, you may write me back and request to be put on the list. I have already sent out four emails with background information about the country and its people. Soon we will be outlining prayer points and mission plans for 2004.

Special Thanks To:

Quaker Ave. for the extra funds to rent an apartment not far from our parents.

	Ashley Adamson for the use of her car during our entire furlough.
	Bobby and Sherry Ford for the use of their dining table, computer desk, couch and love seat for our apartment.
	Leslie and Gloria Bingham for the use of their chest of drawers and microwave.
	Wynn and Hazel Tyler for the use of their TV, desk, chairs, sheets, and towels.
	Mildred Watkins for the use of her pots and pans, crock pot, computer desk, skillet, and a vehicle for Linda while I was in Abilene.
	John Ketchersid for the use of a printer.
	Pat Kennedy, Haney and Faye Poyner, and Tom and Faye Williams for an enjoyable day in Granbury.
	David and Brenda Vick for hosting us and keeping Natalie for sleepovers.
	John and Teresa Cundiff for inviting us to their wedding.
	Lots of people (you know who you are) for meals, fun, fellowship and laughter.

Shawn and Linda Tyler

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Traffic in DFW

Journal Letter #308

January 21, 2004

I suppose I am too used to driving in Uganda. I find myself getting nervous driving in traffic in the metroplex (Dallas, Fort Worth area). I feel claustrophobic in parking lots. I become frustrated sitting through lights more than once. I am beginning to hate the sight of orange cones and barrels along the road. Is there any part of the Texas highway system that they are not working on? It has been a long time since I wrote a humorous list, so to vent my frustrations about traffic and for your amusement (I hope), let me give you the following list.

You know you are in a MAJOR traffic jam when:

You left work when your car was last year’s model and reach home in a classic.
The green blur that passed you was a turtle.
You have to shave three times before you get to work.
The guy in front of you pulls lawn chairs out of the trunk and grills hotdogs on the side of the road.
The truck to your right has pizza delivered.
You watch a construction crew in front of you start, build, and complete an overpass.
The bank signs along the route stop flashing the date and time and start posting the month and season.
You leave for work and miss the entire football season.
Seventeen is the fewest times you have ever sat through the light to get on the freeway.
Jiffy Lube offers on-the-road oil changes… and guarantees you won’t lose your spot in traffic.
On your way home from work the storefront decorations change from Halloween to Thanksgiving to Christmas.
Care flights don’t take away people in involved in accidents, they carry away people who have died of old age.
You get to know the names of all the highway department crew who mow the sides of the freeway.
You get home and find out you missed two different American Presidencies.
Your family lists you with missing persons – you see your picture on the milk carton when you stop at the local convenience store.

You know driving habits have changed when:

The woman passing you is looking in her rearview mirror and putting on makeup.
The van in front of you has six kids watching a DVD movie on the overhead screen.
Yes, the truck next to you does have a hemi!
You nearly get hit by a car swerving in the lanes because the lady driving is trying to dial a number on her mobile phone.
Connected to the thought above – you see bumper stickers that say “Hang Up And Drive”.
You can’t find the eight-track player, or even the cassette player for your car stereo.
The 37 buttons on your door’s armrest control the side mirrors, door locks, seat positions, inside lights, and some kind of a global positioning system. (What happened to the little chrome ashtray that used to be there?)
There are adjustable cup holders to place any size cup or mug you can think of.
The lights stay on long after you have gone into the house. (I spent a lot of time looking out the window to make sure everything went off.)
The windshield wipers have 27 adjustments for any amount of rain.

Expected improvements in the future:

The door will refuse to close and the dashboard will call you an idiot if you try to leave your keys in the ignition.
The steering wheel will send an electric shock to your hands when you go over the speed limit.
The car ignition won’t come on if the car interior detects the smell of liquor. It will also call 911 and report a suspected DWI.
Microwaves will be installed in the back seats. (See hotdogs and pizza above.)
Satellite TV for the front and back screens, but the front screen will go off as soon as the car accelerates.

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Where Did Coffee Come From?

Journal Letter # 309 from Uganda

28 January 2004

Do you want automatic drip or French press? Ground or whole bean? Fiery or frosty? Regular or decaffeinated? Americano, cappuccino, espresso, macchiato, mocha or latte? To me these are all strange phrases that mean very little. I don’t really drink coffee, but Linda does. I have dabbled in the cappuccino arena a little bit, but I have to add extra milk and sugar to make it palatable to me. (I don’t need a lot of emails telling me what a whimp I am about coffee.) However, I live and work in an area that grows coffee. Often when I visit a village church I walk through coffee plantations, so I have “cultivated” an interest in the beverage even though I am not a coffee junkie. A few months ago, I planted four coffee trees in my yard. I told Linda I wanted to learn more about the entire process from planting a tree and harvesting beans to making a cup of Java. How are coffee beans prepared? How does coffee get from the hills on which I walk to the stores in America? I know very little about this process, but I do want to share a few things about coffee that you may not already know.

Legend has it that coffee was discovered in the highlands of Ethiopia by a goatherder named Kaldi. He noticed that his goats, after eating berries from a certain tree, became so spirited that they did no want to sleep at night. Kaldi reported his findings to the abbot of a local monastery who made a drink with the berries and discovered that it kept him alert for the long hours of evening prayer. The monk shared his discovery with other monks and slowly the knowledge of this energizing drink spread to the Arabian Peninsula and eventually gained a worldwide reputation. Today coffee is grown in over 50 countries and all can trace their heritage back to the coffee forests of the Ethiopian plateau.

The Arabs were the first to cultivate coffee and begin its trade. Coffee was being grown in Yemeni by the fifteenth century, and by the sixteenth century it was known in Turkey, Persia, Syria, and Egypt. Coffee grew in popularity among Muslims because its energizing quality was an acceptable substitute for the alcoholic drinks forbidden by the Koran. Coffee houses, called qahveh khaneh, began to appear in many cities and became the center for conversation, music, games, and the exchange of information. European travelers to the Near East took back reports about the unusual black drink and by the seventeenth century coffee had made its way to Europe. Opponents of coffee called it the “bitter invention of Satan” and the clergy in Venice condemned the drink upon its arrival. The controversy was so great that Pope Clement VIII was asked to intervene. He decided to taste coffee himself before making a decision and found the drink so satisfying that he gave it papal approval. Coffee houses sprang up all over Europe and by the middle of the seventeenth century there were over 300 coffee houses in London alone. Settlers moving to America brought coffee first to New York, but it did not replace tea as the preferred drink of choice until 1773 when Americans revolted against King George’s heavy tax on tea (we call it the Boston Tea Party). Missionaries, travelers, traders, and colonists spread coffee plantations throughout the equatorial regions of the world during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries creating what is today a billion dollar industry.

Colonialists brought coffee and tea to the highlands of Kenya and Uganda in the early part of the 20th century, though coffee had been introduced along the coast much earlier by the Arabic traders who sailed the Red Sea and Indian Ocean. By the end of the 20th century, tea and coffee were the largest exports of Kenya.

Coffee trees produce their best beans when grown at high altitudes (between 2,000 and 6,000 feet) in tropical climates (ideally between 59 and 75 degrees year round because a heavy frost can kill coffee trees) where the soil is rich and the rainfall (about 60 inches a year) and sunshine is plentiful. The best area exists between 25 degrees north and 30 degrees south latitude. Besides location and climate, soil chemistry and the way berries are processed after being picked contribute to the variations of quality and taste. World famous coffees include the Hawaiian Kona, the Mexican Altura, Columbian Supremo, as well as the mild blends of Brazil, African Arabica, Sumatra, and Java.

While 25 to 100 different species of coffee plants exist and may range from small shrubs to trees 30 feet tall that can live for 20-30 years, there are only two important species among the coffee industry – arabica and canephora (robusta). Arabica represents about 70% of today’s world market even though it is more costly to produce. It tends to be cultivated in steep terrain where access is difficult, and the trees are more disease prone than the hardier robusta variety. Robusta, which makes up the other 30% of the market, is more disease and parasite resistant and can withstand warmer temperatures (75 to 85 degrees) making it easier and cheaper to cultivate. Though its beans are rounder and smaller than the Arabica beans, robusta has a distinctive taste and contains about 50-60% more caffeine. This may be the reason robusta is primarily used in blends and instant coffee.

Columbia is the world’s best-known producer of coffee, but it ranks second in worldwide yearly production behind Brazil. Columbia still brings much of its coffee to market by mule or jeep because of the rugged terrain. Indonesia, with its thousands of islands, is also famous for coffee. Its larger islands of Sumatra, Java, and Sulawesi are known throughout the world for their fine qualities of coffee. Indonesia is also known for its aged coffee. Traditionally farmers held their coffee over a period of time to sell at higher prices. Warehousing, it was found, gently aged the coffee in Indonesia’s warm, damp climate and resulted in a coffee prized for a deep body and low acidity. It is a process that technology cannot match.

Will I become a bona fide coffee drinker? I don’t know. I must admit that the trees, red beans, and the whole process from farm to market intrigue me. I will keep a watch on my coffee trees and see how they grow. During our recent furlough in America, I took Linda to a Starbucks a couple of times, and I did imbibe in the black, hot, drink sympathetically for her sake. Yet, I still consider myself a cola man. No wise-crack emails PLEASE!

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Internally Displaced People of Soroti

Journal Letter #310

19 January - 11 February 2004

Note: Yesterday (18 January), Ian Shelburne, George William, Linda and I traveled together to Soroti. Here are my observations about the church visit.

I have been to Soroti a number of times, so the changes in town became evident as we entered from the southeast. I immediately noticed a greater number of people walking the streets, riding bicycles, or sitting under shade trees in the warm January weather. To the more trained eye, it was obvious that there were more people than on a market day. These people were not carrying bundles of recent purchases or things to sell. Absent were the small herds of cattle being driven to market. These were people without a destination or purpose for the day.

Upon closer inspection, I began to notice that under every tree were scattered the familiar three cooking rocks, an open fire, and a smoking pot in which boiled the day’s rations. This was everywhere. No tree was free. I have never seen so many pots and rocks, plastic jerry cans full of water, and small sacks of corn meal or beans concentrated in a small area as Soroti town. It was as though some big event was happening and people were camping out for the festivities. In truth, these people were displaced from their homes due to rebel activities just a few miles up the road (northwest).

The Lord’s Resistance Army, a euphemistic name for a band of killers and thieves, has existed in the north central part of Uganda since shortly after Museveni took control in 1986. For years they did nothing more than hit-and-run attacks pillaging homes, small centers, and dispensaries, in order to support their lawlessness. Occasionally they issued some press statement about how they were politically opposed to the governing powers and were valiantly resisting the corrupt Ugandan government. They called themselves freedom fighters. The government called them rebels. Since Museveni fought against Obote (in the early 80’s) in much the same way and won, he has had to narrowly define the difference between freedom fights (those who fight against a corrupt government) and rebels (those who pillage and burn the neighboring towns and not engage the government). To my knowledge the LRA possesses no vehicles. They move through the bush on foot. They band together at some specified place on a certain date and begin their raid. Then they disband and blend into the population until the next campaign. Neighbors either support their activities or are afraid to point them out.

In early 2003, the LRA’s tactics became more organized and bold. Rumors came in that a white man on a horse was working with them. Others said new guns and ammunition came in from Sudan. The largest mobilization of LRA forces since our arrival began marching south pillaging and burning centers and houses as they came. They shot rocket-propelled grenades at several vehicles along the major roads killing many. They moved close to Soroti town and on one night fought a gun battle with government forces at the local airfield. By June and July the army moved in and began engaging the forces. A large contingent of LRA soldiers were captured and paraded through the streets of Soroti to show the people how the government was winning. After months of struggle, the Uganda army is camped out in the area, and no large, mobilized LRA force is evident. However, small pockets of raiders continue to wreck havoc on villagers. People are afraid to return to their homes. Stories abound of some local person being shot and killed for returning home to harvest his cassava. This has led to a mass exodus of certain districts into the safer municipalities like Soroti. Those with cattle moved farther south to protect their herds from raiders.

Within this affected area are 12 churches of Christ. We have been working in this area for years and now know of at least five churches that are disbanded, temporarily, because of the raids. The Christians have scattered to the four winds, but many have come to Soroti to find safety and shelter. Our Sunday visit was to encourage those who gathered under a mango tree along the main road for worship.

The Bible is full of comforting words. The difficulty lies in what I can say to people who have lost homes, food, cattle and sometimes their friends, without sounding like a hypocrite or a clanging symbol as we drive up in a truck from the safety and comfort of a large house some 60 miles further south. How do I express compassion without sounding false and uncaring?

I chose a text from 2 Corinthians 4:1-16 because the phrases “Do not lose heart,” “The treasure within us,” and “Fixing our eyes on the eternal and unseen” seem to resonate with the situation. As we worshipped, I was filled with admiration for these people who gathered under the tree to worship God without any visible doubt in their faith. No one expressed the age-old question of, “Why does God allow bad things to happen to good people?” I sensed a spirit of joy and patience and acceptance of the current situation. I encouraged them to use the time in Soroti to start a new church in town that would remain behind after they returned home.

To this last point of establishing a church in town, the Mbale Mission Team has already been working. Several weeks ago, the church leaders suggested we try and buy a piece of land within the municipality so that Christians would have a place to build temporary shelters. They said the municipal officials were open to the idea and after some discussion Ian and Phillip used available funds to purchase about an acre of land. Our Sunday visit a month later found about 50 small houses in the process of construction with more asking for permission to build. Church leaders wanted to know if it was all right if Christians from other church groups could build on our plot. We suggested that we first let all the Christians worshipping with us and who wanted to build have a place, then let any other Christians from town come in. Our only request was that they come to church and say thank you for helping them. Then they asked us if it was all right for Muslims to build small shelters as well. We said it was all right as long as they agreed to come to church seven times as a way of saying thank you. This brought a laugh by all the leaders, but they agreed that it was a fitting answer to the requests. In effect, we did not say no to the requests, but we did ask for something in exchange – attend worship services.

After the worship service that morning we discovered that ten of the youth wanted to be baptized. We loaded them into the truck and drove about a mile away to the local stream. William Eboyu, a local leader from Aparissa, baptized them as Linda took pictures. The youth came from three of our village churches now worshipping together in town.

After returning, we drove to the plot of land. A brief tour around the perimeter allowed us to see the number of houses already under construction. Ian noted with amazement the amount of work accomplished in just four weeks. One house already had poles on it and was waiting for grass. Others had walls between a foot and six feet high. William Eboyu said the municipality was giving a deadline of February 2nd to move out of the government buildings and find some place to sleep other than the verandahs of public buildings. The church leaders were requesting help to build a large temporary shelter to house those unable to build for themselves. We thought such a building could also be used as a church building on Sundays. We need to discuss as a team how we might be able to help in the short time before February 2nd.

We could not leave until we went to William’s rented house for a meal. He presented each one of us a small bowl of meat broth with two small pieces of beef. He put two bowls of millet ugali (bread) in front of us and then sent someone to the store to bring us a cold soda. It was overwhelming to me to have people who are displaced from their homes offering me lunch. Their graciousness was truly an example of hospitality that has rarely been matched.

I had come with little money in my pockets, but I gave a contribution for the service and then emptied the rest into the hands of local leaders pleading with them to at least buy each person a pound of corn meal. Perhaps just returning from America and the tremendous contrast in wealth, security, and peace played some part in my feelings. Soroti was a good reminder that I am so blessed compared to the millions of people who surround me. Lord grant me wisdom to know how to minister to others less fortunate than me.

P.S. - James Luchivya visited the Soroti plot yesterday (18 February) and reported that over 100 small huts are being constructed in close proximity on the land we purchased. A large community/church building is going up and we have already purchased 54 iron sheets to cover it. It should be finished within the week.

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Handling Requests for Assistance

Journal Letter #311 from Uganda

12 February 2004

Recently, I received an email from a friend in the States. He had received a very informative letter from a Kenyan evangelist seeking assistance. He forwarded the letter to me and asked for my advice. Since many people in America receive such letters these days, I thought it might be good to include portions of the letter of request along with my suggestions on how to handle it. Perhaps it might be helpful for future references.

Letter of Request

Dear brother,

You have been introduced to me by brother XXXXXX. I would also like to introduce myself to you. My name is XXXXXXX, I am a Christian man 52 years old. I am married to XXXXXXX. God has blessed us with three children…. My parents are both still living... in Uganda.

I became a member of the Lord’s church on 15th May 1978 in the city of XXXX Kenya. In 1988 I went to XXXXX school of Biblical Studies in XXXXX. I graduated 5th August 1990 and came back to… and continued to preach for XXXXXX Church of Christ in…

On May 1992 I went to XXXX… as a missionary with my family… I helped to establish three congregations around XXXXX.

On 24th Dec. 1996 I arrived in XXXX… I started a Bible School for all people to come to learn the word of God. We also have established 17 new congregations of about 10-30 members in XXXXX region.

Due to the spiritual needs in Uganda we are starting a new work in XXXX on the border of Kenya and Uganda. I will be working with XXXXX people who are in three districts. The three districts have about 1,500,000 people who need to be saved from their sins.
We plan to start a school of Evangelism. It will be a two year program in which the students will be in class for six months in the first year and four months doing evangelism in the village. In the second year… Each student will be required to start a congregation during this period. A student who fails to establish a congregation will not graduate.

During this time they will be doing personal work, they will also be learning a trade or self help projects. The school will be working with government centers where they can learn these skills. The school will be paying these learning expenses. Students who graduate will be helped with some funds to start their own projects so that they can have an income as they preach the word of God.

When these brothers are taught in these areas and helped with funds to start, they will have an income and not depend on American money monthly. The churches in East Africa are still too poor to support their preachers.

Our operational needs for the school will be $280 dollars per student per month. We will have 10 students in the first year and 20 in the second year. You can assist by supporting one or more students per month.

We also need your assistance with our one time set up cost. The one time set up costs are:..

My Response

First, let me say thank you for including me in the request and consideration of XXXXX's proposal for a combination Bible and Polytechnic School. So many American Christians receive such proposals (internet is an amazing communication tool) and make their decisions without consulting missionaries who are on the field. This has led to great disappointments for some and burnout / discouragement in missions for others.

Before I comment on the proposal, let me say that during my time in Kenya and Uganda I have helped start (along with my teammates) two polytechnic schools, two clinics, one orphanage, one primary school, many nursery schools, and one Bible school. I am very familiar with government regulations and procedures concerning the establishment of such schools (in Kenya and Uganda) and the steps to get them going. I currently serve as chairman for an orphanage (Kenya Church of Christ Children's Home - Kitale, Kenya) and I am a teacher for a Bible school (Messiah Theological Institute - Uganda). I am part of the Mbale Mission Team that works with over 250 churches in Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania.

Now let me divide my comments about XXXXX's proposal into several categories.

Government Regulations

In order to establish a licensed polytechnic school, the government will require at least the following things:
 

1. A piece of land large enough to hold the school, dormitories, kitchen, latrines, garbage disposal, offices, and recreation area.

8 July 2004

I have shared several times our team's dreams for Messiah Theological Institute, our Bible school with multi-level training. I have spoken of the property we recently purchased, our current project of renovating the existing buildings, and our need for additional funds. What I have not done is give a factual update on the progress of MTI's MINISTRY. Sandi Piek recently went through our database of students and courses and compiled the following statistics. I give her all the credit for this report. The statistics are not complete since several courses have been taught following this survey. However, they give a detailed picture of MTI's ministry and scope. I hope you realize, as I do, the importance and impact of this program.

Student Base:
 

As of January 2004, there are 1,146 different students in the database who have attended and successfully completed at least one course.

 

These students break down in gender to:

922 men
224 women

Nationality - We are working to identify every student's nationality. Our current statistics reflect the following breakdown:

MTI Courses:
 

	We have taught 69 different courses in 12 years (from April 1992 to January 2004)
	104 courses have been taught all together (with some courses being repeated)
	The yearly breakdown of MTI courses we taught is as follows:

1992 – 2 basic courses

1993 – 4 basic courses

1994 – 4 basic courses

1995 – 3 basic courses

1996 – 9 basic courses

1997 – 7 basic courses

1998 – 8 basic courses

1999 – 4 basic courses

2000 – 7 basic courses

2001 – 14 basic courses

2002 – 14 basic courses and 3 advanced courses

2003 – 18 basic courses and 5 advanced courses

Note the significant jump in number of courses beginning in 2001.

There have been 50 different men and women involved in teaching these courses including many visitors from the United States and Kenya.

 

The number of students that took courses each year since 1992

1992 – 38 basic students

1993 – 52 basic students

1994 – 34 basic students

1995 – 70 basic students

1996 – 194 basic students

1997 – 215 basic students

1998 – 251 basic students

1999 – 118 basic students

2000 – 231 basic students

2001 – 294 basic students

2002 – 231 basic students, 17 advanced students

2003 – 335 basic students, 48 advanced students

According to the database, we compiled a list of students and the number of courses they have completed. The results are as follows:

 

In November 2001, ten students graduated with a basic certificate (seven Kenyans and three Ugandans) (One woman).

 

In November 2002, ten students graduated with a basic certificate (two Kenyans and eight Ugandans) (One woman).

 

In November 2003, eighteen students graduated with a basic certificate (ten Ugandans and eight Kenyans) (Three women).

 

Of the 28 graduates, twenty-three have been men and five have been women. MTI Notes:

 

A container of 11,582 books for MTI's library departed June 26th from Lubbock, Texas. Its arrival in Mbale is scheduled for late August or early September.

 

Caleb McLean from Lockney, Texas is planning on coming to Mbale late August 2004 to work for several months on MTI's library.

 

MTI will host its first extension course in Nimule, Sudan 20-24 July 2004 for 40 Sudanese church leaders.

 

MTI currently conducts extension courses in Mbale, Kumi, Rakai, and Soroti Districts in Uganda, and Trans Nzoia District in Kenya.

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Bishop Patrick Khisa Wamalwa

Journel Letter #316 from Uganda

3 August 2004

Bishop Patrick Khisa Wamalwa came to Mbale Church of Christ on Tuesday last week while we were signing students up for our two Bible courses. A loud and forceful man, Bishop Patrick explained clearly he was from Tabala, Kenya and that he wanted to sit in on the courses we were offering. Since he arrived at mealtime, he promptly stepped into line and wanted a large plate of food and something to drink. When the cook refused to give food until he had registered, Bishop Patrick was sufficiently perturbed at the rudeness of the cook and let everyone around him know it. At the registrar's desk, Bishop Patrick was shocked to hear that he was being requested to pay for the courses - even though the total amount was only a fraction of the cost of food he would eat over the next five days. He refused to pay. In fact, he demanded to be let in free and could not believe that someone so far beneath him would hinder his registration by asking for money. Ian, not knowing all of the details of Bishop Patrick's behavior beforehand and wanting to encourage a larger participation in our school, agreed for Bishop Patrick to take one course free. Sufficiently satisfied by his achievement, Bishop Patrick ran off for the food line.

During the course on Galatians, Bishop Patrick distinguished himself by asking such irrelevant questions as how many angels could dance on the head of a pin, where did Cain get his wife, etc. His questions seemed less connected with the study and more designed to stir up controversy. Bishop Patrick further endeared himself to the rest of the students and teacher by coming and going throughout the lectures. His attention span seemed so limited and his energy for grasping the lectures so lacking that some students may have falsely concluded that Bishop Patrick was actually not interested in the studies at all.

The high point of Bishop Patrick's endearment to the staff of the school came on the final day when students were leaving. Bishop Patrick insisted that he be helped with transport back to his home in Kenya. While he was not entitled to any help at all, Ian generously gave him enough money (3,500 Ushs.) to reach the Kenya/Uganda border some 35 miles away. This did not please the bishop. He insisted that he needed more. He wanted 40,000 Ushs. and would not settle for less. My calculations would suggest that such a meager sum of 40,000 Ushs. would allow Bishop Patrick to travel three hundred miles beyond his home destination and reach somewhere south of Nairobi, Kenya. It is here that the staff of MTI dug in their heels in defiance. Bishop Patrick must have worn his welcome too thin. Not another shilling was added to his 3,500, so the bishop left in a huff vowing to return on the next Tuesday office day and get his fair fare (pun intended) for home.

I was not around for Bishop Patrick's escapades during the course and I had only heard second hand about his questions, actions, rudeness, and pushy behavior. So, I was a little surprised to see that he actually came to office this morning to fill out a form demanding 40,000 Ushs. for transport that was still owed to him. Noeli Luchivya handed me his form and asked if I could handle it. She did not want to tangle with him and other staff members seemed to roll their eyes at the mention of his name. Since I am not shy by nature and will gladly hold my ground against obnoxious people, I was curious how far Bishop Patrick would get in my office.

After making him wait for sufficient time to help him realize that he was not necessarily higher than everyone around him, I went out to the reception area and called his name. He jumped up and came forward. Bishop Patrick was a man in his late 50's, balding, medium build, and dressed in a dirty navy blue jacket. His dress gave me the impression that he was less than rich, and his position in society less than what his title of Bishop implied.

He shook my hand forcefully and even before I got into the office he began explaining to me his need for transport. I raised a hand for quiet and asked him where he lived in Kenya. He said, "Tabala." Since his name reflected his Bukusu origin, and I was familiar with the Bukusu area of Kenya, I pressed for more specific directions to his home. He evaded the question by showing me a map with western Kenya highlighted. I glanced at the map and asked again where he lived. He pointed in the general direction of Bungoma and said it was beyond Bungoma. Without looking at the map, I asked in Swahili if Tabala was before or after Webuye. This may have been the first time that Bishop Patrick seriously looked at me. He took the map again as if he were unable to describe his home without it, looked at it for a moment and then pointed to Turbo. He said Tabala was "inside" around Turbo.

I knew Turbo well enough. Again without looking at the map, I asked which road he took out of Turbo to go "inside". When he hesitated, I explained that Turbo had two roads that turned north out of town. The first one, before the police check and speed bumps, went toward Naitiri. The second road after the speed bumps and before the bridge turned toward Mawe Tatu. I asked him which one he took. This time he was silent for a minute and then said, "No I didn't understand him." He took the map and looked it over again mentioning the fact that he did not have his reading glasses with him. He finally pointed at a place on the map called Malava. He took his pen and wrote the word "Tabala" next to Malava and said he lived there. When I repeated the name "Malava." He intentionally corrected me and said, "No, not Malaba, as in the border town, but Malava." I ignored his correction and broke out with a big smile and said, "Well it just so happens I know that area very well. In fact, Noeli Luchivya's home is less than two miles from Malava". At this point tiny beads of sweat began popping out on his forehead. I called Noeli into the office and introduced her to the Bishop. I told Noeli that Bishop Patrick Khisa Wamalwa was practically a neighbor of hers. I turned to Bishop Patrick and asked him why a Bukusu man claimed to be living in the Kabras tribal area. His eyes became really big and his eyebrows raised slightly. I asked again, "How do you get to Tabala from Malava"? He buried his head in the map and started mentioning some ridiculous drive from the border through Kimaeti (which is not on the main road to Malava and would be cut off from Malava by the Nzoia River - a point I never got to make). I reached over and took the road map from him. I said again, "You do not need a map to tell us how you get to your home. Nor do you need glasses to read the names of villages. Just tell us how you get home and how far it is from Malava." At this point, Bishop Patrick was desperate. He looked at Noeli and started speaking in Bukusu. He started going over his journey again beginning in Mbale, Uganda and jumping across the border. I interrupted him and said in English that he didn't need to start in Uganda again. Now the Bishop was frightened. He looked at Noeli and asked in Bukusu if I understood. She said, "Yes". I said, "Yes". It was then that Bishop Patrick started looking for a way to get out of the office.

I finally had had enough fun. I spoke to Bishop Patrick in a less than flattering tone. I told him he was lying to us about where he lived. I told him he was not going to get a single shilling from us for transport. I told to get out of my office and never come back for an office visit, a Bible course, or to worship with us until he was ready to humbly repent. Then I remembered one thing someone had told me about him - that he had been on the radio in Mbale all last week. I asked him why he had not told us about his speaking on the radio. His shoulders visibly fell and he bowed his head and admitted that he had spoken on the radio. He stood up to leave, and I said, "Wait, let me pray for you first." I gave a short sermonette in my prayer and finally released him. Bishop Patrick Khisa Wamalwa bolted for the door and didn't look back. He was as glad to leave. Noeli and I sat looking at each other and we both burst out laughing. It isn't every day we can discover a phony so easily or quickly. I have to admit, it was the most interesting part of my day. Who knows? Perhaps he will repent and come back and be a great friend. Unless he can't find his way back from Tabala - wherever that is.

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The Secret Weapon

Journal Letter # 317 from Uganda

10 September 2004

Fact: Kenyans and Ugandans value the printed word very much.

Fact: More than one person will read any tract that we hand out.

Fact:The written word is considered more reliable than the oral word.

Fact:There is a tremendous thirst for printed materials in East Africa.

We met with a crisis in 1986. The Kitale work had grown large enough at that time that the missionaries felt as though they could not visit each church often enough to adequately cover the area. The missionaries in Kisumu had been feeling the same tensions for a couple of years before that. A meeting between the two groups resulted in our answer - a monthly teaching publication that could be mailed to each church containing solid Biblical teaching and encouragement that could substitute for a missionary visit. This publication would be called Mkristo - Msaada Kwa Wakristo Wa Leo which means in Swahili "The Christian - Help for Today's Christians".

In our meeting we divided up the responsibilities. The Kitale team would be responsible for writing and editing the publication. The Kisumu team would oversee its printing and mailing. Our first edition was mailed out in July 1986 and went to over 200 churches in western Kenya. Within a couple of years, the Kisumu team moved and Kitale took over sole guidance of the Mkristo. Also during the next few years, other missionaries in Kenya requested the Mkristo to be mailed in bundles to churches in their area. By the early 90's, over 4,000 copies of the Mkristo were being mailed out to about 500 churches in Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda.

In 1994 the Kitale team transitioned into new ministries, and Kirk Hayes and Mike Schrage took the Mkristo with them to Nairobi. Among all their responsibilities of setting up Good News Productions, International in Nairobi, Kenya, Kirk and Mike found the time to edit, write, print, and post the Mkristo. By 1999, Tom Ommemo and others at GNPI, under Mike's continued supervision, took over most of the responsibilities of editing, gathering news, printing, and posting.

Even before Mike Schrage set a date in 2003 to leave Kenya and begin his new position at GNPI in Joplin, Missouri, the Mbale team sent him a proposal to take over the Mkristo and move it to Mbale, Uganda. After some discussion and sharing of dreams and goals, the Mkristo moved to its new home in Uganda.

Since the Mkristo has been in Uganda, it has gone through some ups and downs. I will not hide the fact that Mkristo suffered through some months of neglect where our printing and posting was not always punctual. However, our team took notice of this wonderful tool and renewed its commitment and energy for the publication. A new sub-committee on the Mbale team was set up to make revisions and improve the overall quality of the publication. Some of the major changes have come in overhauling our postal policy. We reduced the number of copies we mailed out to each destination and have worked for months to update our mailing list. This has brought about an increase in more efficient mailing costs. Another major change was to change the Mkristo to an English publication rather than a Swahili printing. We knew that some of our readers would suffer because of this shift, but we also felt that we would gain a larger audience than what was currently possible. We knew by experience Ugandans generally did not know Swahili well and that they preferred English. We learned many educated people preferred English over Swahili and saw the East African trade language as the communication medium of the less educated.

Over the last few months, we have been able to iron out several problems in Mbale on our printing and posting. Last month we had a 24-hour turn around between printing and mailing. We hope to continue to improve our system so that readers will get their copy of the Mkristo in a timely manner. Even though we cut the number of copies we send out each month, we have increased the number of places. In Uganda, we currently send bundles of Mkristo to missionary centers in Jinja, Kampala, Mbarara, and Fort Portal. In Tanzania, it is sent by bundle to the church in Masasi. Also, bundles are sent to Nyeri, Nairobi and Mombasa, Kenya. Three bible schools in Kenya receive it: Siriat Bible School in Sotik, Uzima Chrisitan Training Center in Mombasa and Mijikenda Resource Center in Kilifi, as well as the Children's Home in Kitale, Kenya. Three months ago, Mkristo began sending issues to Nimule, Sudan. Though I cannot be certain of the number without a major survey, I estimate the Mkristo is now reaching between 700 and 800 churches in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, and Sudan. We are also in discussion right now with an individual to increase our circulation to even larger areas.

While the mailing list and area of influence for the Mkristo has grown, we now need to seriously look at its content quality and long-range goals. Do we keep the Mkristo to a one-page (front and back) sheet of paper with series of teaching material, scant news, and an occasional editorial comment on the front page? Or do we seriously overhaul the Mkristo and expand its ministry? I think it is time for the Mkristo to be recognized as a vital printing ministry with an already large readership base. We need to make several important upgrades in its size, material and news quality including printing and communication between readers and writers. For some time the Mbale team has been talking about and praying for a multi-media person who is interested in writing, editing, and running a small publication that could reach thousands of church leaders on a monthly basis. We need someone who can champion this ministry and take it to higher levels. With 17 years already under its belt, the Mkristo is ready for new and exciting approaches to teaching, encouraging, and speaking to East African church leaders and their daily struggles. I know of no other ministry we are doing that can reach so many leaders in such a large area, with so few hours of effort.

Would you pray with me as we seek ways to increase Mkristo's ministry?

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Judith Furuha Simiyu

Journal Letter # 318 from Uganda

14 October 2004

In the 1980's we began working with a man named Joseph Furuha to begin a church in his home area of Maridadi about 8 miles north of Kitale, Kenya. Joseph, a man in his thirties at the time, exhibited above average business savvy. He successfully operated a butchery a few miles from his home and seemed by all accounts hard-working, reliable, and interested in spiritual things. I remember teaching a church seminar at Maridadi in the late 80's - one of many visits our team made during those years. Because of some problems, the church had to relocate further up the hill and closer to Joseph's house - a place I visited several times. About three years ago, we took George and Diana Franklin (See Ministries) to Maridadi to hold an eye clinic in the church's new building. We helped over 100 patients and received gracious hospitality afterwards. After almost twenty years, Joseph Furuha has remained faithful to his walk with Jesus and his support of the Maridadi church. In almost every respect we can count Maridadi a successful church plant and use it as an example for others. But the story I want to tell doesn't end here. It only begins in Maridadi and in the home of Joseph Furuha.

One thing I constantly learn about our mission work is that you never know where the seed will fall, take root, and produce fruit. Sometimes the people we think most likely to succeed manage only average results. Sometimes the ones we never think of or even notice are the ones that surprise us most. The latter is true of Joseph's family. During our first visits to Joseph's house we met his little seven-year old girl Judith. Not unlike other girls her age, she had a big smile, shy disposition, and playful attitude about the white missionaries that came to her house. She ran in and out of the church building and was among the crowd of kids that always watched our every move.

Judith grew up in the Church of Christ in Maridadi. When she finished high school, she surprised her father by asking for permission to attend Nairobi Great Commission School, a Bible school designed to train church leaders in Kenya. Joseph, being a man of enough means and spiritual discernment, supported Judith's decision and sent her 240 miles away to Nairobi for a two year diploma program in Bible. A diploma in Bible is not the most useful training for the average Kenyan woman who grows up to marry, keep a house and farm, and have an average of 8.2 children. But then Judith did not seem to be average. She moved to Nairobi, endured the hardships of being away from home in a large city without her friends and family, and settled into a challenging lifestyle of attending classes and studying long hours. She successfully completed her diploma level Bible program, but still did not content herself with stopping there. She did something most Kenyan women never get up the nerve to do. She sat down and wrote me a letter. In it she stated that she wanted to be a missionary and asked if I knew of any church work that she could begin to do. I was so impressed by the sincerity of her letter, the boldness of her dream, and her initiative that I couldn't stop thinking about it.

After several months an opportunity came up. We needed a new bursar for our primary school in Kitale. The Bahati Primary School was started several years before to help us educate the orphans at the Children's Home. It was located on the home's compound and had over 20 of the orphans from the home attending it plus more than 150 children from nearby homes. I called Judith and asked if she was interested in the position. I suggested to her that she look at the position as a ministry. She could use her Biblical training to provide a greater spiritual atmosphere among the staff of the school and at the same time influence the orphans in the home. I suggested she try this work and if she proved herself capable we might be able to find some other ministry for her to do. After all, I only knew a small Judith, not one with a Bible diploma.

Over the next 18 months, Judith did her work well. She found several inconsistencies in the school accounting records and worked to bring all the books of the school into balance. She helped us erase a large operating deficiency. Then when the Kenyan government began offering free primary school education and our paying students moved away, Judith oversaw the termination of our teaching staff and successfully negotiated our severance payments. In all this, no one ever spoke a bad word about her. No rumors were heard. Judith conducted herself in a manner her father Joseph and her father in heaven would be proud of.

The closing of Bahati Primary School at the end of last year was a nervous time for Judith. While she fired and settled accounts with all the teachers, she had to be wondering what would happen to her. Ian Shelburne gave her the answer. In January of this year Ian, the administrator for our Messiah Theological Institute (MTI) in Mbale, hired Judith as an administrative assistant. She now oversees student enrollment, student transcripts, and myriad office details. Since we conduct MTI extension courses, Judith often goes to the extension site and stays throughout the week enrolling, grading, and overseeing the general operations of these courses. Judith has already traveled to several distant places in Uganda - probably much farther than her father has ever reached. Additionally, she helps us run one of the most important ministries we have in Mbale with students coming from Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, and Sudan.

Judith told me recently that her father was planning to come and see her in Mbale. I told her I wanted to be around and watch him as he sees where his daughter works and lives. I want to talk with him about how the Lord blesses his children from generation to generation. For me Judith represents a second generation Christian that has now become one of my coworkers. This is especially thrilling to me and it is a blessing beyond what I can express in words.

I have included below a picture of Judith that I took last week in her new office at Messiah Theological Institute.

May the Lord allow us to see third and fourth generation Christians!

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Speed Bumps

Journal Letter #320 from Uganda

6 December 2004

For a long time I have believed there was a conspiracy among road crews and their placement and construction of speed bumps.  I did not believe such random placement, uneven and harmful construction, and camouflage techniques were without design.  I recently stumbled on the following secret memorandum that proves my theory is correct.  I was able to furtively obtain it without the road crew's knowledge.  It proves there is a massive conspiracy in east Africa.  Let the document speak for itself.