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Journal Letter #341 25 June 2006
It has been so long since I wrote a journal letter that I have had several people ask me if they had been dropped from the list. To those who have been looking for some kind of communication from me and have not seen it, I am sorry it has taken so long. For all of you who have not missed my boring letters and are surprised I still have your email address, I am also sorry.
As I tried to think about how to begin again after several months of not writing, I thought it might be good to remind myself why I have been crafting these letters. Some missionaries write monthly newsletters and tell about their work. Others send reports or an annual Christmas letter. I decided years ago to take a different approach based upon our leaving Kitale, Kenya. I discovered as we were moving that I had spent 13 years of my life there, but I had no record of what I saw, learned, thought, or felt. In some ways, I could remember certain events and important days, but the details of much had already been forgotten. As I left Kitale, I felt as though I had experienced so much and at the same time had lost most of it because it was not written down.
So when I came to Mbale, Uganda and had the chance to begin again, I decided I would keep a journal of what was happening around me. I made no parameters for the letters. I decided I would write about anything and everything that came to mind. Some of my letters have been reflective. Others have been descriptive. A few were funny. All of them together provide the most miniscule insight into what it is like to be a missionary on the field in East Africa. A little over 10 years have gone by since I wrote the first letter. I started out by typing them into a computer, making hardcopies, and then mailing them out to a very short list. I discovered that many people liked them more than a monthly report. Others would write and ask to be included on the list. Eventually, I began to send them through email. To those who did not yet have email, Ken and Nova Vaughn in Amarillo, Texas would mail a hardcopy of the letter to over 100. Through the years the email list has grown and the postal mailing list has shrunk. I think the mailing list is about 30 and the email list is over 400.
Throughout the years, I numbered each journal letter. The number was less a count of how many letters I wrote and more a way of filing them on the computer in an easy way to locate. The number on this journal letter (340) indicates the number of letters I have written since January 1995. I have averaged about 30 letters a year, but have not written that many in 2005.
As for purpose, I write first of all for myself. I want to record significant events, insights into life and culture, and to help me remember. Second, I write for my children, parents, and extended family. I want to provide some general information about our lives (at least the way I see and experience it) so that they will gain a better understanding of how things went, what we did, where we traveled, etc. Third, I write for friends and supporters to provide a general framework of the mission’s progress and my personal learning curve. Let me say that in a different way. Because I write, I am able to give an eyewitness account of how I see God moving and acting among the people of East Africa. Perhaps more personally, I write to testify how God is working in my own life and the lives of those around me. To those of you who have just begun receiving these journal letters, I hope my explanation of the journal’s rationale helps. I might add that many of the last few years’ journal letters have been posted on our web sight. Perhaps some day I can get them all on the Internet and can provide a topical index. My past letters cover a wide range of topics and if you ask yourself why I don’t write on a certain topic, it might be because I have already done so.
I have learned that my email list is not the sum total of every place my letters reach. Many friends forward a journal letter that was meaningful to them – or funny. I have received replies from people I do not know asking a question or commenting on something I wrote. One such time comes to mind when I wrote on the crusades and the parallels I see in today’s jihads. I received a reply from someone in Scotland commenting on my thoughts. I know I send letters to people in New Zealand, Australia, Europe, Africa, and North America, but there may be times when these letters find a new destination.
Email is an amazing thing. I feel much more connected to family and friends than when I was folding aerogrammes, writing everything by hand, and waiting 17 days for a reply.
Let me end with a thought I had walking through the British museum a few years ago. One whole room was dedicated to documents. There were copies of ancient texts, personal letters from famous people, and even a piece of paper with John Lennon’s handwriting where he penned the words to the song “Yesterday”. As I noted how personal the handwritten documents felt, I wondered what the same room would display in the years to come. With computers and email, we lose the personal handwritten letter format. Will future displays show us an old floppy disk of a famous author? Will there be printouts of famous speeches? To me computers and email sanitizes correspondence by removing some of the human element. Maybe someone will develop a program that will allow us to write out all of the letters of the alphabet and incorporate them in our typed letter so we can get more of a personal feel? Perhaps I am old-fashioned, but I enjoy a long letter from a friend. I like being able to touch it, fold it, read it again and again, carry it with me, and know that my friend held the same piece of paper. I like the connection. Will modern women keep a disk of love letters like women of old kept hand written letters in a shoebox? To me it just doesn’t seem the same.
With that in mind, let me push the send button and initiate a cyberspace transaction that will push this electric missive to you in the typical 0’s and 1’s format of computers.
Shawn
Journal Letter #342 26 June 2006
A few months ago Linda and I had the privilege of visiting Queen Elizabeth Game Park in western Uganda with George and Diana Franklin (See Ministries) and Rebecca Evans and Rachel Corder (Mbale Mission Team teachers). It was our first time to visit the game park since we moved here in 1995. The trip was very enjoyable and we have lots of pictures and fond memories. I also have the following observations, hopefully funny, for your amusement.
You would think that common sense would kick in whenever a tourist visits a game park in East Africa. However, that is not always the case. Evidently some tourists in the past have displayed such a lack of intelligence that road signs have been posted along the paths to remind visitors of common sense rules. Like the sign that reads: Do not get out of your vehicle! What intelligent person would stop his car and get out in the middle of a game park where lions, hyenas, elephants, cape buffalos and a number of other animals could do serious bodily harm? Never the less, the sign is there. Some might suggest a person would get out of his vehicle because of mechanical failure. Yes, cars do break down even in game parks, but that does not mean a person’s first thought is, “Let me get out of my car!”
Then there is the sign that says: Stay on main tracks! Again common sense would kick in and ask why anyone would purposefully drive off into the bush. Yes, there are times when a bush trek may provide a closer look at an elephant or lion. Yes, there is a sense of adventure. But yes, there are also huge mud holes, hidden rocks, and thorns that will quickly disable the sturdiest of vehicles and outwit the smartest of drivers.
Another sign greets the visitor as he enters the game park: Speed Limit 50 Kph (about 30 mph). Now why would anyone want to race through a game park? How could anyone spot animals if every passenger is bouncing around on the inside of a vehicle and the engine is so revved up that every animal within a mile knows its coming. Isn’t part of the game viewing experience driving slowly, stopping often, taking pictures, and using binoculars to spot elusive birds and small animals? Why treat the game park as an Indy 500 event?
Another sign suggesting brilliant tourists have been through already is the one that reads: Don’t feed the animals! I suppose some tourists think that by sticking their arm out the window with food in their hand will entice a wild animal to come closer. Is this for picture taking (why not get a zoom lens?) or to get a better look at the animal? Is there not a single red flag that goes up when someone you are sitting by suggests they use food to bring a large carnivore closer to your person? Is there no understanding of the word “wild”?
In line with these thoughts and in what has become a tradition for my journal letters. Let me regale you with a few witty potential LAST sayings of not-so-bright tourists. They might include the following:
And of course:
Evidently a smarter tourist,
Shawn
P.S. Don Yelton reminded me that even emails can give the “feel” of Africa and move people (ug 341). He said he has often forwarded one of my journal letters and has quoted me on occasion. Don’s gentle reminder does help me consider a less “sanitized” view of email correspondence. Thanks Don for writing.
Journal Letter #343 26 June 2006
It has taken a long time for me to figure it out, but I finally did it. At first I thought I loved teaching more than anything else. Yet, I could not escape the fact that I enjoyed sitting under a tree with people and preaching. Then I thought perhaps I am an evangelist more than a teacher. Yet, the pull of preparing teaching material was still powerful. Teaching in a classroom setting was less desirable than visiting in a mud hut or under a mango tree. Still there was a strong interest in the people. I enjoy building relationships and learning about individuals. Then it hit me. I enjoy discipling people. Discipling involves the teaching, preaching, encouragement, and mentoring of others in a variety of settings and situations.
With this in mind and also a strong belief that we missionaries need to stay connected to the grass roots movement and pulse of the mission work, I decided to develop a series of lessons for selected church leaders. I asked James Luchivya and several other church leaders to choose 10-15 church leaders in a district. I agreed to visit five different districts including Mbale, Tororo, Pallisa, Kumi, and Soroti. In each district, I planned to meet with the selected church leaders once a month for seven months. I would develop a special series of lessons on the heart of a preacher to teach and discuss with them. I would encourage them to use the materials in their own churches and preaching points. We could discuss relevant problems and come to mutual solutions. We would use the time to communicate the dreams, goals, and struggles of the leaders on a personal level.
It was only after I had been given the list of names for each district that I heard James and others using the term discipling classes. Yet, they were correct. What I wanted to do was to disciple key leaders in the districts where our mission work flourishes.
The series of lessons is called “The Heart of a Preacher”. All seven lessons cover an important aspect about the kind of heart a preacher must have. The first lesson begins with the most basic of all teachings – salvation. I decided it might be good if we made sure that all of the church leaders were truly Christians. I didn’t want to make that assumption. The second lesson dealt with having a heart of righteousness. In that lesson we realized the holiness of God, our sinful nature, and our need for putting on righteousness. Lesson three delved into a heart with pure motives. Lesson four covered a heart without greed focusing on Elisha’s servant Gehazi. Lesson five discussed a heart without lust using King David and his poor choices concerning Bathsheba and Uriah. Lesson six focused on a heart without pride showing that pride is an offense against God (rebellious), against others (quarrelsome), and against self (deceiving). Lesson seven emphasizes a heart of love. Linda has helped me edit and print out all of the lessons for handouts. She is working on printing a small booklet of the materials for a gift at the end of the series. Should these lessons prove successful in developing solid friendships and there is enthusiasm to continue, I want to develop several more series of lessons on the preacher’s ministry, the preacher’s family, and the preacher’s walk with Christ (dealing with some personal spiritual maturation ideas).
Our current series of lessons began in December and will run until June. I begin lesson seven in two weeks on Wednesday. To help me keep these leaders in prayer, I have developed a PowerPoint program which has each leader’s picture, name, personal stats, current ministry, and some personal prayer requests. I am trying to figure out how to get this program to America so that others would join me in praying for these men (and one woman – the wife of one leader who really wanted to attend). If anyone has a suggestion out there, please let me know. I would be keenly interested in soliciting more prayer partners for this discipling effort.
The places I am teaching are called Kanyamutamu (Kumi District), Asinge (Tororo District), Kaderuna (Pallisa District), Buwangota (Mbale District), and Soroti Town (Soroti District). There are a total of 66 men and one woman in the discipling program. If this series goes well, then I will begin a new series after I return from furlough and increase the number of places from five to perhaps eight and see if I can reach 100 church leaders each month. I would keep the same groups in five places and begin the second series of lessons. For new church leaders, I would form new groups and re-teach the “Heart of a Preacher” lessons.
The benefits of such a series of visits are many. I have the opportunity to meet and build friendships throughout the mission work. I can encourage those who are struggling with their work. I can teach lessons that will hopefully motivate others to walk more closely with Jesus. I can provide an opportunity for church leaders to ask questions. We can spend time in prayer. I can learn about the churches represented and gain a better understanding of what is happening at the grass roots level. I can express my concern and interest in each person by coming each month and spending time with them. I can express friendship by sitting and visiting before and after the meetings and also eating together. I also pray that I will be able to mentor, influence, and strengthen these men who are daily ministering to others.
Let me close with some interesting Jesus moments. During the first lesson on salvation, I was hitting repentance pretty hard when one man named Raymond Oluka stood and asked to confess something. I agreed. He confessed to deceiving me about the church building being ready for iron sheets. He had come to collect money for iron sheets when the building had not been completed to ring beam, nor did it have rafters up. He said he would work hard to complete the building as quickly as possible, and he asked for my forgiveness. I quickly forgave. The next month, we sat in a building with rafters up and all the iron sheets he was able to buy. The transformation on the building had been truly amazing. On another occasion, I gave out three Bic pens to each church leader in the program. When a visitor came in, one leader asked if I would give him some pens also. Deciding to test the man, I said, “I didn’t buy pens enough for additional visitors. However, you now have three pens you received freely. Why don’t you give the visitor one of your pens?” The man looked down at his pens, clutched them tightly and refused to move. I asked if anyone else would like to give the visitor a pen. Everyone sat still for a moment before one man stood up and gave away one of his pens. I asked if anyone else wanted to give the visitor a pen. No one moved. Then I walked over to the man who gave up a pen and gave him a pen to replace the one he gave. I also added a fourth pen to his collection suggesting that a spiritual principle was in action. To him who gives, more will be given. I illustrated the shallowness of the first church leader’s concern for his visitor, and pointed out that hidden blessings may be in store for those who give sacrificially.
Though some of the men travel dozens of miles to attend the meetings, I have completed numerous rounds of lessons with 100% participation. Praise God for this wonderful opportunity. May he help me complete the series and know what to do for the future.
In Him,
Shawn
Journal Letter #344 27 June 2006
The entire Mbale Mission Team has traveled (April) to Eldama Ravine, Kenya for its annual team retreat. Our destination this year is Sunrise Acres, a small private farm with rental cabins, playground equipment, and lots of space for kids to run and play. It is an excellent place to restfully reconnect with nature. I am sitting in an octagon-shaped, covered, picnic area about 15 feet in diameter. The cement floor and freshly cut wood reflect its new construction. The wooden chairs and octagon table remind me of homemade furniture that tried very hard, and succeeded, to imitate the more expensive camping equipment.
All before me lies a wooded, grassy pasture with a thick bushy perimeter that stops my line of vision at about 150 yards in any direction. Most of the trees are eucalyptus about 50 feet tall with trunks just wide enough for an adult to hide behind. The trees sway slightly in the gentle breeze, and leaves rustle enough to create a pleasant sound. The scene exudes a calm and lazy morning.
I notice for the first time how messy the eucalyptus trees are. The ground is littered with brown flat leaves that are curved like small bananas. They make a slight crunching sound when I walk among the trees. Small twigs and branches that have fallen from above clutter the ground and almost beg to be made into kindling for the fireplace. The trunks of the eucalyptus are mottled with colors of brown, gray, ash, and light greens, because they are constantly shedding thin layers of bark. Further away black plots on the ground identify places where leaves have been raked together and burned.
A few brown and black milk cows graze among the trees. The sun filters through the trees and displays ever-changing patterns of light on the transitory cowhide canvasses. Occasionally a cow stops eating and looks my direction. Its eyes seem unconcerned. Its ears flick back and forth – less a sign of curiosity and more of swatting pesky flies. The cows appear content and peaceful adding to the atmosphere of serenity enveloping me.
A gray wooden fence separates my area from the rest of the cows’ pasture. Its rough cut pieces and design remind me of an old west farm yard. I feel at any minute a chuck wagon will appear from the bush and set up camp similar to the 1880’s old west of America’s heritage. Somehow my surroundings do not fit in western Kenya, East Africa.
The breeze that often brushes my face and arms comes from an unseen place of origin and travels silently to its destination – except for the tree leaves’ announcement of its movement. The air is a little cool but will warm up during the morning. The fresh coolness reminds me that we are about 5,000 feet above sea level. The altitude gives our cabin and grounds the feel of the Rocky Mountains.
The most obvious contradictions to our location are the birds that flit, fly, and hop around. Instead of bald eagle, magpies, thrushes, vultures, and owls, we observe lilac-breasted rollers, red wing starlings, cinnamon-chested bee eaters, hunter’s sunbirds, tropical boubous, Ross’ and Hartlaub’s turacos, and white-eyed slaty fly-catchers just to name a few. Distinctive bird calls catch our ears from above and gently remind us that we are indeed in equatorial Africa.
Behind me sits our green, wooden-planked cabin sitting on a pier and beam foundation. The inside area contains a large living room, dining room, and kitchen. The second half has two bedrooms and a bathroom down stairs and another bedroom upstairs. The bedroom above has a balcony overlooking the large living area. The cabin’s design, decorations, furniture, and craftsmanship are distinctly American. Sitting inside at night time, the cabin magically transports us to some southwestern destination of America. Chris Shelburne said on the first night of our stay the cabin reminded him of a place he visited in New Mexico a year or so ago. The wooden structure of the house is creaky and noisy. The wooden floors, squeaky beds, furniture, and hard walls seem to amplify the sounds every human being makes. For some reason such living conditions recall to mind the simpler lifestyle of yesteryear America. Visions of the Waltons and John boy come to mind - a large family including grandparents lives under one roof during the 1920’s.
A large playground area provides wonderful recreation for the kids. Even a few of the adults have been seen swinging on the huge tire swing or climbing the jungle gym. A couple of volleyball games have spontaneously started by the net strung between to trees. Though we must provide our own food, the ladies have planned well. Cookouts will produce hamburgers and hotdogs, steaks, and fajitas. Fruit salads, chips, bread, cookies, and a whole host of snacks adorn the dinner tables and side bars tempting anyone who would think of being hungry. Water, tea, coffee and sodas exist in abundance to wash down any food consumed.
This team retreat will give us a much needed rest from the recent spiritual battles we have endured. Rest brings relaxation. Rest brings an opportunity to re-evaluate our goals and priorities. Rest brings renewed vigor and attitude. Rest brings a sensitive realization of nature around us. Rest helps renew friendships. Rest helps us spend quality time with the kids. I wonder why we don’t do this more often? I wonder why Americans don’t do this more often? I seem to remember that Jesus took time out from his schedule for rest and seclusion. I wonder if God designed us in such a way that occasional rest is needed. I vote for more retreats.
Shawn
Teddy Roosevelt and the Rift Valley Academy
Journal Letter #345 19 July 2006
Theodore Roosevelt was born on East 20th Street in New York City on October 27th 1858. He grew up and went to school in New York City and attended Harvard from 1876-1880. On October 27th 1880, Teddy married Alice Hathaway Lee on his 22nd birthday. He was elected to the New York Assembly from 1882-1884. On Valentine’s Day in 1884 double tragedy struck when he lost his mother and his wife on the same day in the same house from different diseases. Teddy Roosevelt waited two years before he married his second wife Edith Kermit Carow in London on December 2, 1886. Later Teddy became Police Commissioner of New York City in 1895 and served there until he was chosen as Assistant Secretary of the Navy in 1897. When war broke out, Teddy Roosevelt became a colonel of the 1st Volunteer Cavalry Regiment (Rough Riders) in early 1898. He fought in the Spanish-American War and was nominated for the Congressional Medal of Honor for his battle victories and outstanding courage in the Battle of San Juan Heights, but he did not receive it. However, he was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor posthumously 100 years later. Teddy Roosevelt returned to America and became Governor of New York on November 8, 1898 and served in that capacity until December of 1900. He was elected as the Republican vice president with William McKinley as president and won the U.S. elections for 1900. He was sworn in as vice president March 4, 1901 and served in that capacity until September 14 when William McKinley was assassinated. Teddy Roosevelt became the 26th president of the United States at the youngest age of 42 (Kennedy became the youngest elected president at the age of 43). He remained president of the United States until 1909. During his administration, he helped establish 5 national parks, 51 bird reservations, and 4 federal game preserves. He established the first 18 national monuments of the United States, and he set up the National Forest Service. President Roosevelt signed a treaty with Panama to build the Panama Canal, and he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1906 for his work in the Russo-Japanese War. After he left the presidential office, he led a hunting expedition with his son Kermit to Africa to gather specimens for the Smithsonian Institute. During his life he published 24 books before dying in his sleep at the age of 60 in 1918.
In 1901, an American missionary named Charles Hurlburt along with a small group of others took a two month sailing trip to East Africa to establish what became the largest interdenominational mission station in the world. Mr Hurlburt’s plans were not without difficulty. Having selected a prime piece of land near the railroad line north of Nairobi near modern day Naivasha, Charles Hurlburt returned the following day to discover that Lord Delemere was adamant that such a great piece of farming land should not go to a group of missionaries. During an evening supper, Lord Delemere had convinced the land commissioner to give the land to him instead. So, Charles Hurlburt had to move to his second choice in Kijabe, Kenya, along the railroad on the slopes of an escarpment overlooking Mount Longonot in the Great Rift Valley. There Charles established the African Inland Mission (AIM) station and a school (in 1906) to educate missionary children which eventually became known as the Rift Valley Academy (RVA). Our son Noah, who began attending RVA during his seventh grade studies, was among the graduating class that celebrated RVA’s 100th anniversary. Natalie also began this year and successfully completed her eighth grade at RVA. For us, Noah and Natalie link our family to the rich heritage of Rift Valley Academy.
These two divergent stories of Teddy Roosevelt and Rift Valley Academy cross paths in 1909. During Roosevelt’s presidential administration, he heard about Charles Hurlburt’s work in Kenya and invited him to the White House in 1905 during one of Hurlburt’s furloughs. They instantly liked each other and that led to Roosevelt’s later remarks that Charles Hurlburt was “the greatest man he met in Africa”. Teddy Roosevelt was invited to come to Rift Valley Academy which he did twice in 1909. On August 4th 1909, Teddy Roosevelt, former president of the United States, laid the foundational stone for the administration building at RVA. During the ceremony, President Roosevelt said, “Mr. Hurlburt, I think I need hardly say that it is a real and great pleasure to me to be here today, and to take my part at the laying of the cornerstone of the building, which I believe will be associated with real and permanent good to the people of East Africa, and which will be associated with an amount of good which we cannot at present foretell”. Concerning the school itself, Roosevelt said, “Much can be done through this school, and I am happy to say that it is evident… it will be a particular pleasure to me when I go back to my own country, to report what is being accomplished by this mission”.
A few days ago, as we stayed at Rift Valley Academy to watch Noah graduate with the senior class of 2006, we stopped by the foundation stone laid by Teddy Roosevelt and touched a part of history that strangely connects a great American president with Noah’s and Natalie’s high school.
Have you ever stood in a place where you know someone famous or important has also stood? Did you feel any kind of connection with that person or perhaps realize the impact of that person’s life on others while standing there? I could not help but imagine what RVA looked like when Teddy Roosevelt was there. Somehow, standing beside that cornerstone, I felt transported back to a historical moment and felt the slightest brush with a great president. I just never thought I would feel that in Kenya, East Africa. As I stood there my thoughts turned to the future and I wondered if some current student from RVA would become famous and another cornerstone or monument would mark their RVA presence. Life provides strange opportunities to tie the past and future together. Or is it that our past always walks with us and occasionally makes itself apparent? If I feel this way about a cornerstone at RVA, I really need to visit Jerusalem and walk the streets where Jesus walked.
Shawn
Journal Letter #346 (in America) 5 August 2006
The pace has been fast and furious since we arrived in America. Our flight from Africa was uneventful except that my parents were with us. Their presence made it a little more special than our regular trips. We got to share a hot and humid hotel in London right under the flight path for British Airways takeoff and landings. We also shared a three hour delay in the plane on the ground in Newark, NJ because of a storm to the west of us. We actually stayed in the plane longer than the flight took to go from Newark to DFW. Think about the discomfort of being on a plane for six hours where the only thing they served was a can of cola. And that was at the end of two other flights for us. We were weary, but safe in DFW on Thursday evening July 27th.
We stayed with Mildred Watkins, Linda’s mom, the first week or so of our stay in America. We messed her house up a bit and certainly inconvenienced her schedule, but she was gracious enough to let us stay any way.
In the time since our arrival, we have updated Noah’s driver’s license, bought insurance for a small Nissan pathfinder for him (yikes! – The rates are horrible.), purchased a new computer for him, bought clothes for him and Natalie, obtained cell phones, bought a car for ourselves, moved into an apartment (last Friday night), hooked up to the internet (wireless and speedy), preached at Baker Blvd on our first Sunday here, and we are working on our furlough schedules for the rest of the summer and fall.
Special thanks goes to Ian Shelburne and kids, Brenda Vick and her kids, Rachel Corder, my sister Donna Mangum, Linda’s mom Mildred Watkins and her sister Patti Kendall and Nicoletta Diels for meeting us at the airport. Your presence was very encouraging – even though we came in three hours late!
Special thanks to Mildred for letting us crash at her house and get adjusted to the time zone changes. Also for letting us borrow her car while we were struggling during the first week.
Special thanks to my parents, Win and Hazel Tyler, Donna and my nephew Joseph Mangum, for helping us move furniture into the apartment. It is an apartment about half way between my parents and Linda’s mom. My mom found it for us and put a deposit down before we arrived so that we did not have to apartment hunt. That was so helpful.
Special thanks to the people at Baker Blvd who welcomed us the first Sunday morning and for all the friends who came to the Sunday evening service from Westworth and California Lane Churches of Christ. It was great seeing so many old friends. (Let me say “old” in the sense of a long time acquaintance rather then being aged. Some of you, though, are getting kind of long in the tooth.)
Special thanks to my sister Donna, again, and my aunt Yoma for organizing a graduation party for Noah. We had family members from my side of the family as well as Linda’s. It was a fun cookout in the park, even though we might have technically broken the law for having an open flame in a dry, grassy park. Noah enjoyed the presents, but probably appreciated the recognition and encouragement from his family even more so.
Special thanks to Ali, a Yoruba from Nigeria who installed our cable, internet, and phone system from Charter. He was quite excited to find someone who could hear his African English. To us he didn’t have an accent at all.
Special thank to some unknown person for donating $2500 toward a vehicle for us. We covered the difference and hope to sell it when we leave to cover our up-front expenses. Someone is a detail person and has thought about our transport needs. Thank you whoever you are.
Realizing that many of you who receive this email might want to contact us, let me give some information for you. We live at 4257 Rufe Snow Dr. Richland Hills, Texas, 76180 – Apt #611. We have four cell phones (Noah has to have one because he stays when we leave, and Natalie did not want to be left out.). Our phone numbers are:
Shawn – 817-253-1694 Linda – 817-253-1879 Noah – 817-253-9680 Natalie – 817-253-7641
Our home phone will be hooked up on 11 Aug. Feel free to call us and try it out. The number is 817-479-3445.
We will travel with Noah to Lubbock on Saturday to let him begin LCU’s orientation (12th of August). He will probably move into his dorm and begin getting settled before school starts. We will visit Muleshoe church on Sunday (13th) and then at Quaker on the following Sunday (20th). We hope to visit friends in Lubbock during the week, attend Chris Shelburne’s wedding to Shayla Weatherly on the 19th and return to Richland Hills on the 21st. Noah begins schooling on the 21st. I begin three classes at ACU on Thursday later in the month. I intend to travel back and forth and perhaps stay in Abilene on Wednesday nights to help break up the day. Natalie has enrolled in an Internet school called NorthStar Academy which is accredited in the U.S. and was recommended to us by Rift Valley Academy in Kenya where Natalie plans to return in January. She will be taking only the four core courses (English, American History, Algebra 1, and Physical Science), for ninth grade and will leave off choir, Bible, P.E. and Swahili. This lighter load should help us and her during all the travel we need to do.
We have a long wish list of people to visit, churches to attend, and good causes we are seeking help with. Be warned ahead of time, I plan on writing to you to ask for help in finding resources for projects in Sudan, Uganda, and Kenya. They will range in size, length of commitment, and area of ministry. Please begin praying with me even now about these items. I need to know how best to present them and how to direct people who may respond.
Finally, let me say we are thankful to be here. It has been a long time and the last 18 months have been difficult beyond most years on the field. We are enjoying electricity on a regular basis, fast food, smooth roads, and the convenience of cooking at home with lights. Please pray for us as we prepare to leave Noah in the States at the end of the year. That will be hard for us.
Let us hear from you.
Shawn
Journal Letter #347 (in America) 7 August 2006
Bruce Wesson has an unusual hobby. He did not start it when he was a kid. He would say he married into it. His father-in-law got the bug first, kept parts around his garage the whole time Debbie, Bruce’s future wife, was growing up in Haltom City. Marrying into the family put Bruce into immediate contact with it. What is this unusual hobby? Bruce drives, works on, and is a charter member of the model T club in Fort Worth.
When I heard Bruce mention his model T at church last week, I asked when he would be willing to take us on a spin. He was quite happy to accommodate us. His son, Randy Wesson, came by Mildred Watkins’ house (Linda’s mom) on Friday and we followed him 15 minutes to Haltom City to a typical urban house on David Street. There resting in the shade of a small tree was a 1924 Model T touring car. Painted black with black leather seats, the canopy down, and spoke-tires that reminded me of old wagon wheels, the touring car set ready for our ride.
Before we got in though, Bruce gave us a tour of the garage in the back yard where he learned how to work on old cars from his father-in-law who now suffers from Alzheimer’s but still enjoys visiting the garage. We watched a friend take out the transmission belts for a 1926 model T and we inspected a 1912 wedding car that seemed hardly big enough for two people to sit on. We learned about the original arrangement for driving a model T. Did you know the model T had only two forward gears? There was a low gear and a high gear. The high gear obtained a maximum speed of 25 miles an hour – if you were going down hill. A separate pedal on the floor board (and I do mean wooden boards) was for reverse. It is a stronger gear; so on steep roads uphill, model T drivers would often back up the hill before proceeding on their journey. A third pedal on the floor was a brake. An acceleration bar and a choke bar are located on opposite sides of the steering column just below the steering wheel. So to go faster, you pull on the acceleration handle instead of using a foot pedal. Bruce has done some modifications such as installing a starter so that he does not have to crank it up like the original models. Even for their antiquity, the model T remains classic in its looks.
After our initial lessons on how a model T was put together we were ready for our tour. One interesting note is that all passengers had to enter from the same side. The door opened on the passenger side so the driver had to get in first. The front seat was wide enough for two people only. With Bruce and I being plumpish in size, Bruce had to drive with the emergency hand brake pressed against his left leg (also coming up out of the floor board). The back seat is large enough to accommodate three people (smallish in size).
The sound of the engine and the unfamiliar sounds of the transmission give the model T a “tinny” sound. It would jerk and shake and rumble as it changed gears. The suspension system seemed more like a wagon than a modern day vehicle. Still the ride was surprisingly comfortable. Let me give a few observations about our trip.
There was no air-conditioning, so it was hot. Yet, there was a strange feeling of wonder that accompanied us. We seemed more in tune with nature around us. For a brief moment I thought driving slower and in the open was more pleasurable than buzzing through the streets enclosed, air-conditioning humming, and with music blaring. I wondered if we were missing something in our modern era. The slower ride was fun. It has been a long time since I would have said driving was fun.
The most enjoyable sensation was unexpected for me. As we drove down the road, people young and old would stop, point at the model T, wave, and smile. I found myself smiling and waving back (the limp hand toggle wave like Queen Elizabeth). The model T provided an opportunity for me to connect with people I did not know. For an instant the barriers came down and there was a sense of community. I told Bruce the model T had the potential for being an intriguing ministry.
Part way through the first of two rides, Randy asked me where we wanted to go. I did not hesitate. I said I wanted to go to a McDonald’s drive through and order a coke. It isn’t every day that you get to drive through McDonald’s in a model T. So Randy maneuvered through the back roads and came upon a McDonald’s parking lot. We gave our order and surprised the attendant at the window as we drove up to pay. She gave us a big smile. Some people sitting under a tree (during out second trip to McDonald’s) pulled out cell phones and took pictures of us in the car. Almost everyone waved.
Of course it was so much fun, I asked for second trip on Sunday afternoon. I thought my parents and Linda’s mom would enjoy it also. They all declined the offer to ride in the old cars – perhaps fearing the 100+ degree weather. With the tops up, it was warm but not too uncomfortable. On our second trip, Bruce drove us into Mount Olivet Cemetery. He was unaware of the fact that Linda’s dad was buried there. Right in the middle of the cemetery, we ran out of gas. Bruce hung his head and said his son was going to really give him a hard time. Randy had suggested they check the gas before they left and Bruce had told him they had plenty. (There is no gas gauge to look at). We sat in the cemetery for about 45 minutes while Randy brought us some gas. I joked with Bruce about what kind of message he was giving us having the car die in a cemetery. We spent a nice time visiting before we were on our way again.
Besides the ride, we got a wonderful chance to learn about Bruce and Debbie, and their son Randy. We got to wave and smile at a lot of friendly folks. We had a fun ride and connected with nature. It was indeed a pleasurable experience. It is one I think we should do again. Oh, and Noah had a thought too. He said a ride in a model T would be a cool idea for a date. Not just any date – a special date. Okay, now that gets me to worrying.
Journal Letter #348 (in America) 28 August 2006
When my parents visited us in Uganda recently, they were surprised to find out how many things I was involved in. My dad said he just didn’t have any idea concerning the scope of my work (he wanted me to write it all down for him). I thought if my own family was unaware of the work I do, then I probably have not done a good job telling anyone else either. Coming to America recently has only confirmed this suspicion. So, let me outline some of the work and responsibilities I have. This is for my dad.
Village Visits – Several days each month I spend driving to village churches and preaching, teaching, attending meetings, solving problems, and occasionally conducting a wedding or funeral. I often leave at 9 AM and return home between 3 and 5 PM depending upon the distance to the church. On rare occasions, I spend the night. Discipleship Program – One of the most satisfying things I did recently was to write a seven lesson series called “The Heart of a Preacher” which I offered to 78 selected church leaders in five different districts in Eastern Uganda. I held one meeting in each district once a month to teach, pray, listen, answer questions, and lead some lively discussions. I had almost 100% attendance in all five groups over the seven months it took to complete the series. They have asked me to develop a second series of lessons to begin in early 2007. I will probably write a series called “The Work of a Preacher”. I would like to expand this ministry to 6 or 8 groups each month and increase the leaders mentored to more than 100. Tuesday Morning Office – Every week we set aside Tuesday mornings for anyone to come to Mbale and meet with us at our office. Most come for church business, but a few have personal requests. We ask everyone to fill out an office form, drink some tea, receive prayers from one of our counselors, and then talk to the appropriate staff member. My role each week is to receive all the benevolence requests and to apply, as close as possible, the wisdom of Solomon to make decisions on whom, how, what, and when to help. This is a very difficult job but it allows the rest of the missionaries to concentrate on other aspects of the work. Instructor for Messiah Theological Institute – I really enjoy teaching courses at MTI. I try to teach at least one and if possible two or more courses during the year. Besides MTI, I may also teach courses at one of several extension centers. In 2007/2008, I would like to teach courses at extension centers in Uganda, Tanzania, Sudan, and Kenya. Chairman of New Testament Churches of Christ – The registration for our church in Uganda allows us to obtain work permits. Currently there are more than 15 missionary families and even more single missionaries in Uganda. We must have a chairman, secretary, and treasurer to make reports to the government and hold at least one annual meeting. While I was on furlough in 2003, I was voted in as chairman without my knowledge – a great point of enjoyment for all the other missionaries. I occasionally sign letters for missionary work permits and chair 3-4 meetings each year. It is not too strenuous. I have not been able to vote in a salary for myself yet. Board of Trustees for Good News Productions, Incorporated – Africa (Nairobi) – About a year ago, GNPI asked me to be one of three trustees for their center in Nairobi. This opportunity allows me to give counsel on GNPI-Africa’s financial matters, encourage the staff, and make suggestions for future projects in East Africa. We meet in Nairobi two times a year. Board Member for Nairobi Great Commission School – Twice a year Ian Shelburne and I attend board meetings for NGCS in Nairobi. We give counsel on school matters (legal, financial, staff, salaries, curriculum, and its extension centers’ program). A second meeting is also held for the extension schools in East Africa connected to NGCS. It is during that meeting that we report on Messiah Theological Institute and our own extension centers in Uganda, Kenya, and Sudan. Board Member for SEE Ministries – About three years ago, George and Diana Franklin of SEE Ministries in Clovis, New Mexico asked if I would join the board for their 501(c)3. SEE Ministries has come to Uganda and Kenya for several years conducting as many as 17 eyeglasses clinics a year and helping over 2000 patients annually with free eyeglasses. This year SEE Ministries is scheduled to conduct their first ever clinics in Sudan (October). Also SEE Ministries is preparing itself to offer mobile eyeglasses clinics (for reading glasses) called “Do It Yourself” (DIY) clinics. SEE Ministries will offer 52 pair of readers, eye charts, instructions on how to conduct the clinic, a form for clinic results, instructions on how to care for glasses, and a return envelope all in a carton about the size of a shoebox. This can be mailed to any place in the world (postage included) for about $100 per clinic. Additionally, SEE Ministries is also preparing to set up a permanent clinic in Nimule, Sudan by the end of 2007. Editor of Mkristo – In July 1986, the Kitale mission team began a monthly teaching bulletin in partnership with Larry Stephens of Kisumu, Kenya. The idea was to supplement our village visitation with a monthly source of teaching and news that would encourage and strengthen churches and individuals. Mkristo has now completed 20 years of printing ministry. It is sent out each month to over 600 churches in Kenya and Tanzania, 300 churches in Uganda, and 4 churches and numerous individuals in Sudan. I currently write a monthly cover article for the bulletin, gather news items, and help Linda with any formatting questions she has. Linda formats, prints, and helps distribute the paper each month. Board Member of AIDS Orphans’ Program (Mbale) – Stephan and Chris Shelburne from Muleshoe, Texas came to Mbale in 2004 as teachers for our missionary school. During their year in Mbale, they both developed a dream of helping AIDS orphans. With the support of Christian Relief Fund of Amarillo, Texas, they have set up a program that is currently interviewing children who have been orphaned because of AIDS. They are carefully sifting through applicants to find legitimately needy children. By the first of July, we had submitted more than 20 children to CRF for sponsorship. Linda and I both sit on the board that reviews potential candidates. We give counsel to Stephan Shelburne and other staff members on how to handle difficult cultural situations, and we enjoy the opportunity to identify orphans for sponsorship. Member of Interim Executive Committee for a University in Uganda – One of the biggest dreams we have going in Mbale is the future establishment of a university. We recognize this dream will take years to develop and is much larger than any of us. However, we feel God’s leading in this. Linda and I both sit on an Interim Executive Committee, together with Ian and Danetta, and Phillip and Laura, to work on submitting an application to Uganda’s National Council for Higher Education. Our team hosted a “summit” meeting in July this year where visitors from Ghana, Ivory Coast, Zimbabwe, Egypt, Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, and America came to offer their expertise in establishing a comprehensive master plan for a university in Uganda. We work in conjunction with what is now called the Harmony Project International in America – a consortium of interested individuals from the Churches of Christ and the Christian Church who would like to see a university founded in Uganda. This program is growing momentum and it is exciting to be in a position to help guide it. Intern Coordinator – Each year the Mbale team hosts interns from several universities. These interns come for a seven week program that introduces them to mission work, cross-cultural ministry, language learning, team relationships, business meetings, and family life on the mission field. They live in our homes and travel with us to villages. We have lots of opportunity for mentoring. Linda and I help select the interns and communicate with them before they come to Uganda. When the interns arrive, we help coordinate the schedule of village visits, oversee intern finances, conduct orientations, outline intern projects, and participate in the debriefing and blessing times at the end of the internship. Generally we help to make the internship run as smoothly as possible. Chairman for the Kenya Church of Christ Children’s Home (Kitale, Kenya) – During our Kitale Team days, a children’s home was established to take in abandoned children (up to 40) whose extended family could not be found. I currently chair the children’s home committee that oversees the home’s affairs, finances, discipline, projects, and inclusion of new orphans. For about a year, we have benefited from a group of four talented young missionaries from a Seattle church. Their contribution has greatly enhanced the home’s work and conditions. Though they leave in November, we are hoping one or more of them will decide to return and help, or that someone else can be found to help this special ministry. Sudan Mission – Beginning in late 2003, funding came in for us to send two Kenyan evangelists to Nimule, Sudan to establish a mission presence. David Bikokwa and Kennedy Obura were chosen and they moved to Nimule in 2004. After two years of work, Nimule has four rural churches, a mission station with two houses, a guest house, latrines and showers, an office and kitchen, and a large building used for church on Sundays, a nursery school during the week, and a Bible school when we can get teachers there. I coordinate the funding of this mission outreach and have made four trips to Sudan since April of 2004. We hope to partner with FAME to construct a clinic on the mission station to provide dentistry, and SEE Ministries plans to provide an eyeglasses clinic. Mbale Church of Christ – Since the departure of some of our teammates, I have returned to a previous role of chairman of the town church planning committee. We meet monthly to organize more than a dozen ministries, plan our preacher rotation (I preach occasionally on Sundays as does Ian, Phillip, and James Luchivya), keep up with maintenance, and pray. Weekly Activities – There are several weekly events that Linda and I participate in. Tuesday morning office (where I do benevolence work), Tuesday afternoon team business meeting, Wednesday morning men’s prayer breakfast, Wednesday evening team devotional, and a Sunday evening community devotional. Additionally Linda has a Thursday afternoon Ladies’ Bible study and a Friday morning prayer breakfast. We tend to have dinner guests at least one or two times each week. Because of the nature of our work, Linda and I host numerous visitors who may stay for one night (like Peace Corp volunteers living nearby) up to a week or more (teachers for our MTI courses). Monthly and Yearly Activities – Every four months we have an all Uganda missionary meeting for fellowship and to take care of a few mission responsibilities. These meetings rotate around the country between Mbale, Jinja, Kampala, Mbarara, and Fort Portal. Twice a year we attend a team retreat. We feel it is important to get away from Mbale for some fellowship and relaxation. In the past, we used one retreat a year to set team goals. Once a year I attend a men’s retreat at Rondo Retreat Center in Kakamega, Kenya. It is a spiritual highlight for the year. Once a year we hold a national meeting for Uganda. Christians from all over the country attend. Its venue rotates like the missionary meetings. Office Work – How can I forget to mention the numerous emails and reports, course materials, journal letters, sermons, and phone calls I generate to support the work we do here? Filing and hole punching, rubber stamping, stapling, pinning, organizing, and throwing excess paper away is a constant battle to keep my desk top clear (which doesn’t happen often enough).
I am sure there are lots of other things I could have written – things that happen all the time that aren’t scheduled. There are unexpected visitors. There are sudden trips to Kampala (shopping or paying rent) or Entebbe (picking up visitors at the airport). There have been trips to Kenya to see Noah and Natalie in school.
Someone once told me that I had a lot of plates spinning. I have thought about that over the years and have come to an odd conclusion. I like spinning a lot of plates!
Journal Letter #349 (in America) 2 October 2006
I am a native of Texas and often enjoy the bragging rights of my home state. For those of you who were born somewhere else, let me give a short class on just a few facts about Texas. All of these and about five times more information can be found in a great little book called Tremendous Texas by Barbara Bartels, 2002. I am ashamed to admit it but the book was printed in Tennessee of all places. For that I suggest we string up Barbara.
We Are Here, Our Luggage Is Not
Journal Letter #350 31 December 2006
Lest someone should say that I am not a thankful person, let me note that Linda, Natalie and I traveled safely from Dallas/Fort Worth, to Newark, to London, to Nairobi within the span of 23 hours. These three flights started on Friday the 29th of December at 1:40 PM in Dallas and ended on Saturday the 30th of December at 9:40 PM in Nairobi (you must add 9 hours for traveling east). The flights were smooth, and the landings almost unnoticeable. The attendants were kind and helpful. The security was thorough and slow, and our waiting time between flights was almost non-existent. We waited in Newark for an hour and a half before boarding. In London we exited one plane, went through security and got in line for our next flight without even sitting down. That turn around in London was the fastest connection we have ever made. However, it evidently was faster than our luggage could travel. We arrived in Nairobi late at night and slowly realized that none of the nine trunks we checked in DFW would come out of the baggage carousel. A couple of thoughts about this before I move on. On the London flight to Nairobi, they delayed our flight a little while they looked for a couple of late passengers. They told us over the intercom that if the passengers did not show up, we would be delayed as they searched for and removed their luggage. I admired their determination not to let baggage travel with us without the passenger. I only wish that each airline would show the same diligence in making sure every passenger that does show up also has his luggage on board before departing. I wonder why they check one and not the other. When all the passengers had departed Nairobi airport with their luggage, those of us who remained moved to the lost luggage counter and started filling out forms, giving telephone numbers and addresses, and learning when the next possible flight would be. However, there remained more than 50 pieces of luggage that continued circling on the carousel unclaimed by our group of passengers. I wondered where these passengers were. I wondered why these came with us when they seemed so concerned about our two missing passengers before take off. I also wondered if these bags had accidentally come to Nairobi and they were supposed to be in some other city where newly arrived passengers were looking for them. Or perhaps these bags were supposed to arrive on a previous flight and a large number of people would show up tomorrow to claim luggage that had not traveled with them. As I surveyed the airport luggage area, I wondered how many people this holiday season reached some destination only to find out that their bags did not make the same trip. The young woman at the lost luggage counter was polite and smiled often even though many irate people surrounded her. I knew in an instant that I would never want her job. I also thought she was not being paid enough to merit such verbal hostility. I marveled at her demeanor in the face of such frustration. After filling out our forms we were sent across the parking lot to the British Airways office were another woman gave us a visa card with a little money on it as a way of saying sorry for the inconvenience. The money would not cover the cost of replacing everything currently lost, nor would it pay for the lodging, transportation, and meals we would incur while waiting for our luggage to appear. Yet, neatly printed in large letters on the paper accompanying the visa card is a legal paragraph saying in a kind yet firm manner that accepting this pay voucher released British Airways from all legal obligations for lost, damaged, or stolen items we were currently claiming. Thinking about the bags sitting in the lost luggage bin at Nairobi and remembering ours still in London, I figured British Airways could not afford to compensate entirely for every lost piece of luggage without going bankrupt. Such is the state of their luggage handling. Such is the magnitude of the problem. Such is the risk each passenger takes flying with them – especially during holiday seasons. As I write this, we still do not know the final fate of our luggage. We will drive out to the airport tonight in hope of our bags arriving on the next London flight. Linda has just hand-washed our clothes from yesterday. We are wearing the one change of clothes we brought in our carry on bags – which British Airways has trimmed down to one bag only per person – limited in weight, size, and amount of liquid substances (think toothpaste, deodorant, cologne, shampoo, shaving cream and a whole host of other items used for personal hygiene). In effect, British Airways has diminished our ability to prepare for lost luggage by limiting what and how much we can carry with us. This makes us even more vulnerable to lost luggage than in the past. Have you ever landed in a foreign country and discovered that none of your luggage came with you? Can you imagine the distress, the inconvenience, the complications for traveling upcountry, and the added expense of delays? Linda and I decided not to let the lost luggage wreck our arrival. We cannot control if or when the bags will come. However, we can control our attitude about waiting without them. We mentally changed our plans for traveling home. We scheduled a light and restful day as we wait for the next flight. I am writing and Linda is reading. Perhaps this interlude between trips should be seen as an opportunity to rest and recuperate rather than a problem to wrestle with. We like Nairobi. We know how to get around in the city. Tonight is New Year’s Eve. We have friends who live here. Let’s make the best of the situation and not worry about it. A closing thought: I wonder if British Airways ever loses a flight attendant or a pilot. I wonder if the pilot ever shows up at the wrong gate at the wrong time. Surely the flight industry is not as smooth and well-oiled as we are led to believe. After all, it is run by fallible human beings who struggle with life’s situations just like us. As I think about it, our situation could be worse. We could be working at the lost luggage counter at the Nairobi airport.
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