Profile of a true HERO!
Today is Monday, June 1.
It was time for a special time with our staff to talk about the transition from the close of the Gospel’s after Christ had died, rose from the dead (according to the various witnesses, including the report of Dr. Luke) and the beginning of the Church in Acts. Several men were on our compound and are temporarily working with a sub contractor. I’ve enjoyned speaking with them and admiring their work the past few days. None of them believe in Jesus as God or as Savior. They were kind of skeptical, at the suggestion Jesus is God, but were very interested at the testimony of Luke talking so confidently, just reporting what happened but in so doing expressing his own belief in it all. Because they are of another faith, with so many of their friends and family of the same faith around, there’s a lot of pressure to be skeptical of a Christians’ motives. One thing I wanted them to know was what I called an American proverb. I said: ” a person’s judgement is only as good as the information he has”. I told them “we will continue with Acts tomorrow to be picked up by Alfred and Simon when I leave in a week, but remember, whether you believe what the Bible says, or even want to come to a study like this tomorrow or any time, is a matter of free will. Your job is not at risk if you don’t come”. I told them “I examined the scripture for years myself, but after that, I believe it is all true, but you should decide for yourself. The meeting to hear scripture is only the sharing of good, and I believe very accurate, information”. We will see who shows up tomorrow!
We met with three more Granny’s to sign their home construction agreements (one a mother but a terrible situation she is in and an exception was made for her). One is Granny Fatina who with her 4 daughters, one son and three grandchildren all sleeping on the dirt floor together in a 9′ x 10′ feeble hut. Her eye had a thorn in it. It has been worked on by a Physician who knew what to do, thanks to our nurse, Asaph, who took care of her needs. In the process of signing an agreement we talked of a number of points but when I told her “Jesus loves you very very much” she gasped and cried very quickly, caught herself and gained her composure, trying to conceal her emotion. She also is of another faith but something special happened just then. Fatina accepted our Granny Coordinator, Simons’ invitation to join the Granny Group meeting very close to her for the group Bible study Simon leads. Please pray for Fatima and the children in her family.
Our new guard dogs (well…”guard-puppies” so far!) are lodged in our guest house courtyard to allow them to be nurtured and grow. A very nice environment to raise them to a bigger size. The staff love them although generally Ugandans cannot really love dogs. But these dogs are here as “guards that do not take bribes”. As such they protect and cannot be corrupted according to one of our guards. Hope so. Already I’m looking forward to seeing how much Ricky and Lucy will have grown when I return again to Uganda in August, God willing.
God bless, Russ
Praise the LORD for what He has done ~ and will do…
Alfred’s contracted with a man having experience to put a proper grass roof on TWH. That looks to be so! Alfred built a foundation with bricks and cement that is very strong and this roofing contractor is doing his part to put the stick built trussing structure up to support grass roofing material. When the poles are all up and in place grass is put on in bundles, layered and secured. I hope the end product looks so good. But by the quality of the rafters the grass will probably be good too! Now, where does he get the grass? He travels by taxi from Nasuti about 5 hours to the shores of lake Victoria, then by boat to an Island where the grass is growing. He hires local men to cut it, and bundle it, and stack it. They don’t have termites there. We do, so we need to spray our grass as it waits to go up and finally again when it gets to the roof. After the cutting on the island, they heap it on one or more boats (it’s going to take a lot!) and the boat travels over pretty dangerous waters (a storm can kick up any time like one of the great lakes of Michigan). When it arrives they load it onto a truck then to its home in Nasuti. We’re hoping all the grass we need arrives soon as the rafters may be done next week.
The Latrine too is nearly done, a four stall beauty with a real septic system hand dug and hand mixed and poured concrete made right there. With the 4 pit latrine style toilets there are two baths for bathing and changing. What luxury we will make available to our Pastors!
Again, you all, thank you for your generous praying, and your generous giving and praise the Lord over and over for what He has done. We look to what He will do as well!
I meet our teacher, Daniel Isabirye Friday, to talk about things I need to know to facilitate a Pastor Bible Training Program. Marcia and I are so thankful it will be run by Pastor Terry Nester (our missionary Pastor from our church in Jinja) and taught by Pastor Daniel and probably a few others along the way. Pray for men on our staff and those others God has to come, that they will come and be faithful to work diligently and persevere to transform, and become the Shepard of their community God calls them to be.
We’ve signed agreements Monday with two Grannies to receive 3 room homes and latrines.
They are Beatrice (having 4 grandchildren ages 2 1/2 to 14)
and Elizabeth (having with her two grandchildren ages 8 and 10).
Yesterday we approved two more after the interviews. Fatina lives in the smallest straw and broken brick home (9 x 10) with four daughters and her son PLUS her 3 grandchildren (ages 9, 6, and 3). She has a thorn stuck in her eye.
We will get her to an eye doctor and hopefully get her agreement signed next week and start her home and latrine very soon. Please pray for God to be their Husband and their God.
Thanks and talk to you soon!
Russ
There’s an immediate change in attitude that is pleasing. Ugandan’s value relationship. They know respect and are trained as very young children usually with some firmness that respect matters, being polite matters, and understanding other people have problems so “we don’t need to push or hurry them or condemn them for being late because there probably is a very good reason they are late. Even if the reason is not good, it’s ok”. Paramount is that they generally really really honor and respect their parents and grandparents. Uganda is a hot culture where people matter more. It’s changing, the West has it’s influences and many are good, but Uganda is changing, especially in the Capitol and larger cities. I witness more Ugandan’s speaking with one another in English! Just noticed that.
But the Village has been the same and is pretty much the same for centuries. The Way Home ministries work in the Village. What an interesting time and place to be serving the Lord as Missionaries in Uganda.
Today in Church one of our staff, Asaph, who is Ugandan of course, like me as being a visitor introduced himself. He said: “I am DeWuke, Asaph. I come from where I come from”. That brought laughter…. but how that struck me as so true. Asaph moved around a lot growing up the son of a Church of Uganda Pastor who has been transferred so many times from area to area within Uganda. Asaph with his siblings always moved with his parents. Such a young man, but wise beyond his years. I think he knows more of where he is going (in eternity), more of where he’s going than he realizes about where he’s been. This is how we want it to be for those with whom we share the Gospel Village. To know Jesus as Savior, and “to know what today and the future in Christ has stored up for me”. I love that. Of course, being the only white person, I was asked to speak. I introduced myself as Russ Baugh and “I come from where I come from”.
Alfred, our General Manager and Construction expert, and Pastor, driver, etc. etc. picked me up on time at the airport on Friday evening at about 11PM. We have already covered so much in our conversations, getting the most current news from his side and my side. We have prayed together, laughter, shook our heads at this and that. Alfred is a Kingdom builder. Like Asaph, he comes from where he comes from, but he knows where he’s going.
God Bless!
Russ
At the end of the day we were treated by the Ugandan staff here at The Way Home to a traditional Ugandan dinner of mitoke (an un-sweet banana kind of thing cooked like mashed potatoes), greens, rice, potatoes and even some of Tom, one of the turkeys we’ve been watching strut around the yard all week. It was great to sit down and break bread with the builders, farmers and pastors who work so diligently bringing shelter, food and Jesus to the people of Uganda.
We saw some beautiful gardens today – we were really impressed at one stop where there are three grannies in immediate proximity to each other and they have teamed up to do some major power-gardening. Many hands make light work. Their gardens produce a very abundant harvest and they not only feed their grandchildren, but also can sell enough excess to pay for all of their school fees. This concept really works when it’s applied and worked hard at.
As we visited some gardens that are a few years old it was really neat to see how the soil develops over time using the Farming God’s Way method. The soil here is naturally a gritty red clay. It is not particularly fertile and is even hard on farming implements due to the angular abrasive nature of the grit in it. The Farming God’s Way method of using planting holes instead of tilling the soil, covering the garden with mulch to retain moisture and minimize soil compaction, and returning the spent plants to the soil results in a rich, dark topsoil after only a couple growing seasons. It was very cool to see that the neighbors of the grannies being served by The Way Home Africa / Farming God’s Way partnership are taking notice and beginning to employ the same methods themselves. This is really a game changer for the folks over here.
We had a little excitement on the way back this afternoon. The rainy season is moving in and we were doing our best to skirt a big thunderstorm but just a couple miles from home base we were nailed by a pretty nasty hail storm and had to pull off in a small town and take shelter under a canopy with a large group of local men. They looked at us like we’re freaks but nobody bothered us. We often wave to people as we blast down the back roads and they wave back, give us a big grin and yell “mzungu!”. The Ugandan people are very friendly and helpful.
FAMILY investing in FAMILY this CHRISTMAS
One Family decided this Christmas their family gift exchange would set a NEW tradition. A tradition of giving that will make a real difference in the lives of FAMILY. Instead of choosing names and dollar limits for a family gift exchange … they decided to pool their family giving dollars and build a house. Not just any house, but a house for a destitute Widow struggling to raise her own orphaned grandchildren after burying her own children.
The Way Home identifies these women living in poor conditions, often living in mud huts in remote areas of Uganda. For just $2,200 you can bless a grandmother this Christmas with a new brick home! In addition to their new home, they will receiving training and mentoring for sustainable farming through Farming God’s Way Biblical Worldview program. This farming program will assist the grandmother in increasing her yield up to ten times and, most importantly, Faith in God’s provision. Each new home purchased also includes a latrine as well as weekly Bible teaching and preventative medicine.
Celebrate the birth of Jesus by making a difference this Christmas, prayerfully consider giving a new home for a widow in place of a family gift exchange, office exchange or just because you want to make an impact this year.
You would think so!
I mean that’s what it seriously feels like each year when we interview the ‘neediest of the needy’ widows, left to raise their orphaned grandchildren, deep in the village of one of the most destitute areas of Uganda.
If you can…imagine this?
…they have lost their husband and now, without any time to grieve the death of their own children
…opened their humble leaking thatched roofed, mud hut to their now, orphaned grandchildren
…when they don’t have a clue where their own next meal is coming from!!
would numbers help you imagine? The average number of children our grannies have in their care is 5.5…one of our grannies has 14!
There is nothing more humbling
It is obvious throughout scripture…that God cares for widows & orphans…and because He does…we do/can too!
but to actually SEE it happen before our very eyes..
AND to be the one’s called by God to deliver that news to them is a privilege that there are no words for…
but a picture is worth a thousand of them right??
What happens when a destitute widow raising her orphaned grandchildren hears that her prayers for provision have been heard and answered?
#HOPE!!!!
Sharing that picture of HOPE with you from deep in the village of the “Pearl of Africa”
P.S. wish you were here 🙂