tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-44057158899434013572024-03-05T01:09:24.223-05:00The 3-5 PlanRev Deweyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02636317108104758725noreply@blogger.comBlogger26125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4405715889943401357.post-19366365668348965132013-10-03T10:20:00.000-04:002013-10-03T10:20:47.031-04:00Some Photos<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Dewey Miller and Joseph Kanyike outside the Namboole United Methodist Church, site of our first training event in Kireka.</div>
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Wesley Primary School at Namboole UMC.</div>
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Students at the first training event.</div>
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The church ladies doing the dishes after lunch.</div>
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Dorcas and Shalom. By the time we left on Tuesday Shalom was noticeably better. The welts on her legs had gone down and the blisters on her face had nearly disappeared.</div>
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Praying with the pastors after the first training session.</div>
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This is most of the group from the first training event. Dewey, Chad Yoder and Brad Beatty are on the far right.</div>
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This is the entrance to the church in Ngugulo where we had our second training event.</div>
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Brad teaching in Ngugulo.</div>
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Chad teaching in Jinja, site of our third training event.</div>
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Praying with two Muslim girls, Saphina and Shiratt, in Jinja.</div>
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Joseph Kanyike, our host and coordinator for all events.</div>
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Rev Deweyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02636317108104758725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4405715889943401357.post-14500210857976340752013-09-30T13:21:00.000-04:002013-09-30T13:21:11.072-04:00A Day of Firsts<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
It seems that it is true every day of our trip, but this has certainly been a day of firsts.<br />
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<li>To begin with, this was the first time that we have done any ministry in the Town of Jinja. Jinja is an historical place that lies on Lake Victoria at the source of the Nile River. We were able to train 20 pastors, mostly United Methodists, in discipleship, ministry, spiritual gifts and worship. Our work was well received by those who attended.</li>
<li>The church which was the site of today's meeting, Community Church of Faith, is an interesting place. They also have an orphanage which is home to 25 children, most orphaned by AIDS. They also have chicken coops at two locations. They eat the eggs and sell the chickens. They get most of their funds from contributions, but are trying to become self- sufficient.</li>
<li>Simon Ndegwa was our host pastor. He is a man of God from Kenya who serves as an associate pastor at Community Church of Faith. He was a gracious and caring host. I am hoping to get to know more of him in the future.</li>
<li>The highlight of my day was after our training was complete. We had a lunch provided by. The host church and as we were finishing up I stepped outside onto the very busy street. One of the pastors joined me to tell me about a ministry he is involved in, MJK- Making Jesus Known. They focus on street evangelism, drama and music to reach teens in the community. As he was telling me this two young girls walked by. This pastor called the girls over and told me that they needed prayer. I thought this was his "pick up line," but it turns out that they a part of a group of teens he has been trying to reach who are Muslims. He asked me if I would pray for them. I said I would love to. The girls knelt down on the ground to pray because that is what Muslims do. I pulled them up, held their hands and prayed that The Lord would reveal himself to them. And I prayed in Jesus' name. Please be praying that God will work in the lives of Saphina and Shiratt.</li>
<li>Joseph Kanyike, John Kiviiri, Chad Yoder, Brad Beatty and myself have been discussing ways. To coordinate and organize our efforts in Uganda. We think that we have finally hit on it. Luanda is a Swahili word that means to prepare. Our mission is to prepare pastors and church leaders for the work of ministry. Be praying for this effort that we might glorify God and his work may be accomplished.</li>
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We are officially done with our work now. Tomorrow we are going to do a little sightseeing, visit with some friends so that we can say goodbye and then we are flying home tomorrow night. It will be a long trip (twenty hours of flying time) but we are all exhausted and ready to be home. This may be my last post for a few days, but keep checking back for updates and photos.</div>
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Rev Deweyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02636317108104758725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4405715889943401357.post-3038898475299757632013-09-29T15:19:00.001-04:002013-09-29T15:19:44.395-04:00The Lord's Day<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Today began very uneventfully. We left our hotel for worship at 10am. It is just a short ride to Namboole UMC. In about 10 minutes we arrived at church and were getting ready for worship to begin when John Kiviiri, the pastor brought out a guitar for me to work on. While everyone was in the church singing and worshiping God- doing all the good stuff- I sat outside stringing an old Yamaha.<br />
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When I got it finished I was able to return to the service. There were songs by the choir- five young adults who sang beautifully, the children- about 10 elementary aged kids, and the congregation. Brad sang a couple of songs and I accompanied him on guitar. Chad preached this morning and did a great job. All in all, both of my teammates are doing good work. And I mean work. We are all working hard. Today we got one hour off to rest between five and six pm. Brad and Chad are both keeping a great and positive attitude as well.<br />
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After church- which lasted a little over two hours- we were invited to Pastor John's house for lunch. We were served rice, pineapple, boiled Irish (potatoes), a pan fried bread, chicken and a tomato sauce. It was all delicious. John said to me, "I am so honored you came to my house. You were so gracious to me when I came to America, I could never repay you." What a humble, lovely man.<br />
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As church was dismissing it began to rain. It is the rainy season after all. It rained throughout lunch and was still raining when we finished eating. We had to wait awhile because our van was being repaired. So we talked and relaxed and visited. After awhile we were still waiting for our ride. John made a phone call and we realized that the repairs were taking longer than we thought. We would need to walk home. We sat out for the mile trip in the rain. First down hill from the church and then uphill to the hotel. As we got to the last half block before the hotel, our driver pulled up to pick us up. We told him to go home we could make it the rest of the way. As he drove away, the sun came out and it stopped raining. Our timing was terrible.<br />
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Two things to especially note today-<br />
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<li>I got to see my old friend Racheal Newumbe. I met Racheal on my first trip to Uganda several years ago. We have corresponded occasionally and I brought her a music book for guitar. Many of you will appreciate knowing that it was Racheal who taught me the song <u>Wange Wange.</u></li>
<li>Also this evening I got to meet Joseph Kanyike's fiancee, Carol. She is a very nice young lady who is committed to Jesus and loves Joseph. As they were leaving this evening she pulled me aside and said, "Thank you for loving Joseph." Of course my reply was, "Thank <i>you</i> for loving Joseph." They seem well suited for one another and I believe they will have a long and happy marriage.</li>
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Tomorrow we are going to be teaching some pastors in the morning at Jinja, a larger town about one hour from here. They have confirmed that there will be at least 30 pastors there. Following that we are having some fun time. We are going to visit Lake Victoria, the source of the Nile River and a water fall before we have a nice dinner out in Kampala. I'll update you tomorrow.</div>
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Rev Deweyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02636317108104758725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4405715889943401357.post-55795712020941661012013-09-28T14:05:00.000-04:002013-09-28T14:05:54.984-04:00Another Day, Another Training<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Today was quite an experience for us in Uganda. We were picked up at our hotel for a day of teaching in Joseph Kanyike's village. Joseph is my dear friend and an exceptional young man. He now lives in the city but grew up in the village of Ngugulo. So we left our hotel at 8am, only to stop less than a mile later. The van pulled off the street and we were told to get out for a few minutes because the clutch needed an adjustment. Of course, we Americans rolled our eyes and prepared to return to the hotel. We know that such an extensive repair would take several days and a lot of money. However, within 15 minutes we were back in the van and on the road. This place is a little bit amazing.<br />
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Once we got on the road it was quite a trip. First we drove on a road that was a little bit like a road in America. It was paved and relatively smooth, but there was a lot of traffic on it. There were more pedestrians everywhere than you can even imagine. We drove through several roundabouts until we were on a two lane road about 30 minutes later and clearly in the country. Another hour of riding and my seat was getting a little sore. This road was interesting in that periodically it was equipped with speed bumps. That is one way to save money. Fewer traffic enforcement officers are required. That is when we turned off for the last hour of our trip on an almost two lane dirt road. There were lots of ruts, holes and ditches.<br />
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Finally, we arrived at the church in the village. It was a tiny building, but was packed with about 50 people. There were mostly pastors and church leaders, but many of the local church members, including children, as well. It's hard for me think that there are very many churches in America that would be full on a Saturday afternoon.<br />
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Brad sang Lord, I Lift your name on High accompanied by two boys on the drums. He also sang Give Me Jesus and Amazing Grace. He did a great job. Chad taught on discipleship and Brad taught on worship. I spoke for quite some time on ministry issues including spiritual gifts and the work of equipping the saints.<br />
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We have found that fielding questions has been very popular. Between the three of us we can handle most of them. The only difficulty comes when we have issues with translation. Although the official language of Uganda is English, we are working with country, mission pastors who are much less fluent. So, we are all using translators. So a pastor asks a question in Luganda and it gets translated into English. Then we offer an answer and it gets translated into Luganda. If we misunderstood or if our answer needs followed-up on the process starts all over again. This becomes very tedious, but everyone seems to be staying engaged through it all.<br />
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After about three and a half hours today the final question was, "When are you coming back to teach us more?" It was definitely a positive ending to the day.<br />
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As we were leaving the church and heading back to the city, the pastor, Grace Ndembe (a man, by the way), asked how he could join the United Methodist Church. I didn't know what to tell him exactly, but we are working on a plan. God is moving here and I am glad to be a part of it.<br />
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Be praying for us. We have worship in the morning where Chad will be preaching. We are planning on a great day of rejoicing and worship. Then, we have a lunch with Pastor John Kiviiri, Joseph Kanyike and other members of Namboole UMC. After that we get to rest!<br />
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Rev Deweyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02636317108104758725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4405715889943401357.post-75153482749402605892013-09-27T15:09:00.002-04:002013-09-27T15:09:52.309-04:00A Little Update...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<b><u>First things first-</u></b><br />
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Shalom, Dorcas' two year old daughter, was taken to the hospital today. She saw a doctor, had some blood work done and received 30 days medication for the fungal infection she has. The cost was $35. Joseph, one of our main contacts, apologized because it cost us so much. We all smiled because we know in the USA that a visit to the ER with lab work and a prescription would only cost a little more than $35.<br />
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One sobering note about the hospital was seeing a family enter a building with a sign posted that said HIV/AIDS Clinic. That is something that we do not think nearly as much about in America as they do in Uganda.<br />
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Dorcas is very emotional about our visit. We helped her sick child, of course. But she apparently had a dream last week that some white people would come to her house. This dream occurred before she knew anything about our mission trip. She now knows that God prepared her for us and that he brought us to her. He orchestrated our meeting while we were still 8,000 miles apart. She said that she is already sad about us leaving and we still have four days.<br />
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<b><u>Today's Teaching Time</u></b><br />
Today we spoke mostly about the Bible, the importance of it, how it came to be, etc. The pastors were very appreciative of all our teachings. For three days we have been sharing things that seem very basic to me. But these men and women are eating it up. They are encouraged that people from the other side of the world are concerned about them and are taking the time and effort to support their work.<br />
<br />
At the close of teaching Chad, Brad and I prayed for each pastor. They came up one by one and we laid hands on them and prayed. It was a powerful and moving experience for us. When we had finished, the Ugandan pastors asked if they could pray for us. Of course we said yes. They surrounded us. Laid hands on us. And prayed for us in English and Luganda. It was one of the highlights of the trip for me so far.<br />
<br />
<b><u>Miscellaneous Notes</u></b><br />
<br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>Our bags arrived today. Yippee! We were able to give the pastors some of the materials we brought for them just before they left for home. More importantly to Chad and Brad, I was able to put on deodorant and a clean shirt.</li>
<li>We met the cutest little girl today. Promise is about two years old, but unfortunately for me she is scared of me. She cried and cried. Maybe these children are a good judge of character. One lady said, "I don't know what's wrong. They have been wanting to see Muzungos (white people)."</li>
<li>That led to an interesting conversation with some others. Muzungo is the name for white people, but it doesn't seem to be an indication of prejudice. I was told that when I am greeted with "Hello, Muzungo," I should respond with, "Hello,..." But unfortunately I can't remember the name for black person.</li>
<li>Money is the biggest issue for these people. They don't have any. There is no industry to speak of and the wealthiest people are employed by the government. One person we met makes a living by buying things in the market and selling them at a profit. That is problematic because no one else has money to buy either.</li>
<li>We are considering what is next for our little project. Look for details on what we are calling Mission of Hope (for now anyway). Joseph wants us to support pastors and church plants. That has been in my heart for a long time and it truly seems to be where God is leading.</li>
</ul>
</div>
Rev Deweyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02636317108104758725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4405715889943401357.post-6156956686347423572013-09-26T14:17:00.000-04:002013-09-26T14:18:43.421-04:00Day 4<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<b><u>God at Work</u></b><br />
A few weeks ago I learned about a man called Allen Howe. Allen is a pastor who does pastoral training work in Uganda. I initiated a contact with him so that perhaps we could meet and share ideas and plans. I didn't hear from him for quite some time, but last week I received an email in which he indicated that he would be glad to meet with me, but was getting ready to go to Uganda. He schedule would not allow for the meeting before his trip. He suggested that perhaps we could meet in Uganda, but that didn't seem likely. He sent me his schedule and it turns out that Allen was on the same flight as we were. We got to meet momentarily in the airport in Brussels and then were able to visit for quite some time during the flight. God is at work in everything we do.<br />
<br />
<b><u>Our Favorite Thing... so far</u></b><br />
By far, we have all enjoyed the music the most. Namboole Church, where our training is held, is providing their praise team for our seminar sessions. John Kiviiri's son, Daniel, plays the keyboard and drums (at the same time) and there are 3-6 young ladies who lead the singing. Most of the time we do not understand the words, but we certainly experience the worship. There is clapping, waving, hand raising, dancing, shouting and lots of energetic and loud singing. As Brad began his teaching on worship today he wondered what he was going to teach these people who have such a glorious relationship with God.<br />
<br />
The different pastors at the training session have also been given opportunities to sing solos. They are not necessarily beautiful songs, but they are definitely heartfelt and true. Yesterday, two young men put on a cd and then danced to the Lord. It was different than what I would expect at home, but it was definitely good.<br />
<br />
This morning we got to spend some time at the Wesley Preschool. There are 40 students there from 2 1/2 to 7 years old. The school is humble. Visual aids are all homemade. School uniforms are stained, tattered and nearly worn out, but these children are loved and cared for. They sang us a song to the tune of Frere Jacques called "Baby Jesus." It was beautiful.<br />
<br />
<b><u>Heartbroken</u></b><br />
We know that the world is a difficult place. Today we came face to face with that reality. It really began yesterday. Dorcas is one of the singers in the praise team. She also serves meals, washes dishes, listens to our teaching and has sweet and gentle spirit. At the close of our session yesterday, Dorcas invited us to her home. At first we thought she was being polite. We teased each other that she was flirting. But she seemed very serious about it and today she persisted.<br />
<br />
Our plan is that tomorrow we will end the training after lunch. I suggested we come to her home after we finished then. But she insisted that she had been preparing for us to come today. So we relented and went.<br />
<br />
She was so excited to have us come. We traveled in our van down one dirt road after another. It rained this afternoon so everything had turned to mud. Nothing looked nice today. Finally we were driving down a street that was filled with pedestrian and auto traffic, but was the size of an American alley. Children stopped to look at the van with the Mzungos (white people). Everyone was friendly, but we were very conspicuous.<br />
<br />
Finally the van was parked and we set out on foot. The small homes were packed together in what seemed like a mishmash pattern. We followed Dorcas for about a block between homes, past latrines and through the mud. For a moment she took my hand and thanked me for coming to her house. When we finally arrived, her two youngest children greeted us. Maria is four years old and Shalom is two. When Shalom saw me she screamed and burst into tears. I think I was the first white man she had ever seen.<br />
<br />
When we got into Dorcas' home she invited us to sit down. The total of her home was one room of approximately 10 by 15 feet. In it is a bed, a small couch, two chairs and a large cabinet. Chad, Brad and I sat, along with John Kiviiri and Joseph Kanyike our hosts. Then Dorcas told us the story of Shalom. For the last 10 days Shalom has had welts on her legs. She now has a large blister that covers the entire area between her nose and her upper lip. She is in constant pain and has a fever. Dorcas thinks that Shalom has small pox or measles or something. She really has no idea. Dorcas doesn't know what to do and can't afford a doctor. When we asked how much it would cost to see a doctor for Shalom we learned that it would cost between $10-$20. Dorcas does not have any money. We decided that we will be taking Shalom to the hospital tomorrow afternoon. Please pray for Shalom and Dorcas.<br />
<br />
As long as you are praying for them:<br />
<br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>Pray for Maria as well.</li>
<li>There is another daughter who is 11 years old. She lives in a village with her grandfather because her mother cannot afford all the children.</li>
<li>Dorcas lives alone with her two daughters, but her husband is her landlord. She does not pay rent, but lives next door to him. He provides no help or support to her. I am not sure of all the details, but Dorcas definitely has a hard life and complicated relationships.</li>
</ul>
<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
Rev Deweyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02636317108104758725noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4405715889943401357.post-57845094433243571982013-09-25T13:31:00.001-04:002013-09-25T13:31:22.660-04:00Check this Out<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
If you are interested in seeing what our work is looking like find Chad Yoder and Joseph Kanyike on facebook. They have both posted pictures from our trip so far. </div>
Rev Deweyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02636317108104758725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4405715889943401357.post-1193374120262604542013-09-25T13:26:00.000-04:002013-09-25T13:26:10.736-04:00Days 1-3, 25 September 2014<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
So much has happened since we left Indiana on Monday. We have been in non-stop motion. I'll try to hit the highlights, but I may not get things in order. Check back each day for the latest news on our Uganda Mission 2013. And stay tuned later in the week for some photos.<br />
<br />
<br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>We left Argos, Indiana at noon on Monday. Dave Shivers drove the three of us to O'Hare Airport in Chicago. It was a great day for a ride and Dave was especially congenial. It was great to have someone who was willing to lead out in prayer for us as we left.</li>
<li>We checked in at the airport for our 6pm flight to Brussels, Belgium on United Airlines. I am not sure the size of the plane, but there were nine people in each row in the economy class and I was in the back row, row 45. The flight was good and we arrived in Brussels without incident at 930am. We then had to navigate through an unfamiliar airport that was not marked very well, at least for my liking.</li>
<li>By the time we found our way to our connecting gate, the flight was ready to board. This time we all sat in the back row. The flight left at 1130 and arrived in Kigali, Rwanda at 9pm. We took on more passengers there and then flew to Entebbe, Uganda. By the time we got off the plane in Uganda it was 11pm. This is where our first difficulty came up. (In fairness, it is our only difficulty so far.) Our luggage did not make it to Uganda. Thankfully the clerk was able to locate it right away. Our bags, including toiletries, clothes, snacks and even the Bibles that we collected for the pastors, will not arrive until Friday morning. We do believe that our luggage is having a nice vacation in Europe, however.</li>
<li>Our hosts, John Kiviiri and Joseph Kanyike were waiting for us outside the airport. They have arranged transportation for the week and got us to our hotel. By the time we got to our rooms it was 2am. This trip took us over 30 hours.</li>
<li>This morning we started our seminar for the local pastors. There were nearly 50 in attendance. We were hoping for 20, were promised 30 and now there is some thought that there will be more tomorrow. God is good. </li>
<li>Brad was able to do some research on the possibility of getting internet connections for the pastors. Like most things in Africa, it seems as though it is going to be complicated and expensive. Please be praying that we will use wisdom and determine the best way to share the 3-5 Plan and the support and training that it hopes to provide.</li>
<li>Teaching/ Preaching is hard with a translator. Although Brad and Chad agreed that I should preach that way at home. Apparently they think I need a translator all the time.</li>
<li>The music and worship times have been great! We did not understand any of the words, but it was apparent that these people love God. There was singing, shouting, clapping and dancing.</li>
</ul>
<div>
Here is the tentative schedule for the rest of our stay.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Thursday- Seminar at Namboole UMC</div>
<div>
Friday- Seminar at Namboole UMC</div>
<div>
Saturday- Visit to Ngogula and training for pastors there</div>
<div>
Sunday- Worship at Namboole UMC, Some touring</div>
<div>
Monday- Meeting with Pastors in Jinja</div>
<div>
Tuesday- Visit and fact-finding at Wesley Nursery School</div>
<div>
Departure from Uganda at 11pm</div>
</div>
Rev Deweyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02636317108104758725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4405715889943401357.post-72161611762827926652013-09-22T18:39:00.002-04:002013-09-22T18:39:11.402-04:00Prayer Focus Times for Uganda Mission Trip, by Brad Beatty<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Prayer Focus Times for Uganda Mission Trip<br />
Monday, Sept. 23 – Tuesday, Sept. 24<br />
12 noon Mon.–6pm Tues. – Travel<br />
Wednesday, Sept. 25<br />
2am-12 noon<br />
Preparation for teaching, meeting new friends, and visiting needs of the church<br />
Thursday, Sept. 26 – Saturday, Sept. 28<br />
2am-10:30am – Worship and Teaching<br />
Sunday, September 29 – Tuesday, October 1<br />
2am-10:30am – some teaching, evangelizing, and visiting surrounding villages<br />
Tuesday, October 1 – Wednesday, October 2<br />
5pm Tues.- 4pm Wed. – Travel<br />
We want to thank you all for your prayers and support for this trip! Our prayer is<br />
that the Lord will work in amazing ways and that He will bless our time spent in<br />
Uganda, and everyone’s time spent in prayer throughout this awesome adventure!<br />
God bless you!<br />
Pastor Dewey Miller<br />
Pastor Chad Yoder<br />
Brad Beatty</div>
Rev Deweyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02636317108104758725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4405715889943401357.post-51644031359879956392013-09-12T17:19:00.003-04:002013-09-12T17:19:49.475-04:00What We Will be Doing, by Chad Yoder<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I have always wanted to travel the world. Since my first week in ministry, I have wanted to tell everyone in the world about my God who reached out to me and changed my life. I am getting that opportunity this year on a global scale. In just 11 short days, I will board a plane in Chicago and, after a whole complete day of travelling, land in Entebbe, Uganda. I have had many inquiries about this trip so I will lay out the basics as I understand them so that you can all join with me in prayer for the pastors in Uganda.</div>
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<br /></div>
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As a basic starting point, we leave on September 23rd at 6pm from Chicago. (When I say ”we”, I mean Pastor Dewey Miller, Brad Beatty, and myself.) After a lengthy flight, we will land in Brussels, Belgium sometime during the day on the 24th. After a 3 hour layover, we will board another flight directly to Entebbe, Uganda, just north of Lake Victoria. Then, it is just a short cab ride to our hotel in Kampala, the Sportsview Hotel right next to the national soccer stadium. Wednesday will then be a recovery day. We will be getting ready for the rest of our week, as we prepare to teach.</div>
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Our mission is simple: we want to train pastors. We could travel anywhere and preach the Gospel, but we want God to take a permanent place in the hearts of Ugandans. We want continued discipleship taking place, a continuing renewal of Bible study, prayer, and accountability. The best way we can do that is to train new ministers on the ground in Uganda. So that is our whole purpose in Uganda.</div>
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<br /></div>
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We have called this idea The 3-5 Plan. 3 days, 5 topics of teachings. Pastor Dewey will be teaching the men on leadership, Bible study, and prayer. Brad will teach worship, as he is the worship leader at Dewey’s church. I will be training the men in discipleship and preaching. The seminar will span across 3 days. This time around, that means Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. There will be a time of prayer and devotion each morning, followed by 2 hours of class time before lunch. We have 20 men (the most we felt we could really handle with only 3 of us going) split into two smaller groups of 10. So in the morning, the groups will go to different classes. Then in the afternoon, they will switch and attend the other session, followed by group worship in the late afternoon. We have done this not only to help with getting everyone’s questions answered during sessions, but also to promote small accountability groups for the men to call upon later. We want to promote the building of relationships among the pastors who attend. Ministers here need support and so do our men in Uganda.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Our original plan was to have 20 men trained during the seminar in Mukono, just outside the capital city of Kampala. However, we received an email with wonderful news: not only had they filled the 20 slots in Mukono, but they had an additional 20-30 men who desired training as well! Since we just learned of this about 2 weeks ago, we have added a one-day teaching session on Monday the 30th in Jinja, a couple hour drive from Kampala, to accommodate the added demand. In total, we will be training 40-50 new ministers from all across Uganda during 4 days of teaching. God is so good!</div>
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<br /></div>
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Our plan doesn’t stop there, though. The men who attend the seminar are expected to, in turn, have 5 disciples of their own by the time we return again next year. In essence, we are training 20 men, but we expect them to pass on the knowledge we give them to 100 more young men. There will be a continued correspondence when we get back to the States as well, including Youtube videos they can get together watch each month for additional training on specific topics. They will have regular email and Facebook contact with us, as well as continued updates on their own disciples.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: small;">
There will essentially be a sort of licensing system. This first group of men will be second year leadership students when we return next year and their disciples will be first year students. The hope is that over many years, this multiplication will yield significant results not only for the salvation of Uganda’s people, but also for deeper discipleship and a greater percentage of disciples instead of just converts.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Our goal is to reach Uganda the best way we know how. I love the idea of training new leaders and sending them out. They can accomplish much more over their lifetime than I can in just the few days we will be there.</div>
<div style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: small;">
I hope that answers some questions and explains the 3-5 Plan in a way you can understand. We are extremely excited for this opportunity and are praying for God’s favor to be with us as we travel. I simply ask that if you have read this, please add us to your prayer list and even say a quick prayer for us now. Don’t just pray for us, though. Pray for these men who will be attending to learn more about God and being a disciple. Pray for God’s favor in their lives. Pray for God to open doors not only for us, but for these men to share the Gospel in their communities. We are praying for <strong>AWESOME</strong> things to come from this trip and we hope you will too! Thank you so much for your support and prayers!</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: small;">
P.S. – I will post regular updates, if possible, from our hotel each night. If not, I will post a lengthy summary of our trip when I return. Stay tuned for good news from Africa!</div>
</div>
Rev Deweyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02636317108104758725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4405715889943401357.post-26956983225371467872013-09-10T12:09:00.000-04:002013-09-10T12:09:06.471-04:00The 3-5 Plan<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b><span style="font-family: Constantia; font-size: 14pt;">The 3-5 Plan</span></b><i><span style="font-family: Constantia;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<a href="" name="en-NKJV-16461"></a><i><span style="font-family: Constantia;">Trust in the <span style="font-variant: small-caps;">Lord
</span>with all your heart,</span></i><i><span style="font-family: Constantia; mso-bidi-font-family: Constantia;"><br />
And lean not on your own understanding. <b>Proverbs
3.5</b><o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Constantia;">The 3-5 Plan is a
program designed to support Christians and churches in Uganda. The church in
Uganda- particularly the United Methodist Church- has the opportunity to expand
and grow in monumental ways, but there are many issues holding it back. One of
those issues- perhaps the most important one- is a lack of trained and
qualified pastors and leaders in local congregations. To that end this program
will seek to disciple Christian believers in the basic tenets of the Christian
faith, from a United Methodist perspective. There will be a special emphasis on
training pastors and church leaders. In this way we will see that the local
church will be built up to the glory of God.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Constantia;">The 3-5 Plan consists
of three levels of training and involvement that will cover a time of
approximately three years.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><u><span style="font-family: Constantia;">Level
I. Intensive Discipleship</span></u></b><span style="font-family: Constantia;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Constantia;">In the first year of
the 3-5 Plan there will be an 'intensive' training component. The Intensive
component of the 3-5 Plan will consist of a 'retreat setting' in which the
leader and participants of the program will spend three days together at one
location covering the basics of church leadership and discipleship. There will
be an emphasis on face to face interaction between and among the leader and
participants, relationship building and establishing accountability. Topics
included in the Level I Intensive will include:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Constantia;">Basics of Bible Study. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Constantia;">Old Testament.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Constantia;">New Testament. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Constantia;">How to study the Bible. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Constantia;">How to lead others in Bible study.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Constantia;">Prayer Ministry. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Constantia;">How to pray for the sick. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Constantia;">Praying for the lost. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Constantia;">Leading in prayer ministry. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Constantia;">Public prayers and praying.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Constantia;">Preaching. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Constantia;">Sermon preparation. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: OpenSymbol;">◦<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Constantia;">Sermon planning.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: OpenSymbol;">◦<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Constantia;">Lectionary. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: OpenSymbol;">◦<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Constantia;">Sermon series'.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Constantia;">Discipleship. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: OpenSymbol;">◦<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Constantia;">Church planting. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: OpenSymbol;">◦<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Constantia;">Spiritual formation. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: OpenSymbol;">◦<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Constantia;">Spiritual disciplines. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: OpenSymbol;">◦<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Constantia;">Tools for spiritual growth.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Constantia;"> Worship. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: OpenSymbol;">◦<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Constantia;">Theology of worship. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: OpenSymbol;">◦<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Constantia;">Worship practices. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: OpenSymbol;">◦<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Constantia;">Baptism and Communion. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: OpenSymbol;">◦<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Constantia;">Leading worship. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: OpenSymbol;">◦<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Constantia;">The importance of music.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Constantia;">Evangelism. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: OpenSymbol;">◦<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Constantia;">Faith-Sharing. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: OpenSymbol;">◦<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Constantia;">Missions. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: OpenSymbol;">◦<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Constantia;">Outreach. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: OpenSymbol;">◦<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Constantia;">Giving a testimony. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: OpenSymbol;">◦<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Constantia;">Relationship building.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Constantia;">The second component of
Level I could be called “Discipleship.” This aspect of Level I is focused on
follow-up after the intensive. A sincere effort will be made to continue
accountability and relationships in a 'long-distance' setting. The objective is
to motivate all participants to maintain consistency in training, study and
application.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Constantia;">There will be some
follow-up materials provided for Ugandan participants of the 3-5 Plan. There
are many resources that will be included, but among them will be resources on
Bible Study methods and suggestions, Bible reading and small group resources
and booklets and tracts that can be used on an individual basis as well as in a
group setting. Most importantly, at
least to begin with, will be this book and the resources included in the
Appendix.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Constantia;">Additionally, there
will be monthly video teachings via a dedicated YouTube channel. These will be
coordinated with the printed materials.
Topics of these teachings will vary according to needs in the Ugandan
church and the expertise of those creating the videos, but may include:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: OpenSymbol;">◦<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Constantia;">Youth ministry<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: OpenSymbol;">◦<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Constantia;">Developing a financial base for your congregation<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: OpenSymbol;">◦<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Constantia;">Ministry to the hurting and oppressed<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: OpenSymbol;">◦<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Constantia;">Issues in contextual ministry<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: OpenSymbol;">◦<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Constantia;">Suffering in ministry<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: OpenSymbol;">◦<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Constantia;">United Methodist Doctrine, History and Practice<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Constantia;">Ugandan pastors and
church leaders involved in the 3-5 Plan will also receive weekly emails, or
have access to regular internet, facebook or blog posts. These weekly posts
will be coordinated with the YouTube teachings and other printed materials. The
specifics of these teachings will be based on the needs of the church, the
strengths and weaknesses of the Ugandan leaders and current issues in church
leadership. Each weekly contact will be original and unique, but will focus on
a monthly theme.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Constantia;">All of these materials
will serve to increase accountability and evaluation. Local participants in
this program will be expected to participate fully at each of these levels.
Although we anticipate that there will be difficulties in some ares with
internet access and communication in general, there is a hope (and an
expectation) that each of these components will serve to move each pastor to a
more full and focused ministry.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Constantia;">The final component of
the first level is prayer. The 3-5 Plan group will serve as a prayer and
accountability group. Each member will covenant together to pray for one
another and support all members in the Christian faith and the journey to
effective and faithful discipleship. This aspect of the 3-5 Plan will continue
throughout the three year program, and hopefully beyond it. The intensive will
be bathed in prayer before it begins and prayer will be a hallmark of the
retreat. Each piece of the follow-up procedure will be thoroughly prayed over.
Video teachings and email correspondences will include times of prayer. There
will always be opportunities for prayer at every turn.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Constantia;">There will also be a
part of the entire program that allows for and encourages prayer requests and
needs from Ugandan participants to US leaders and their congregations and
supporters. This program will only succeed as leaders and participants pray
together and for one another. We must not take this for granted. Perhaps the
most important element of prayer is that the participants will be praying for
one another. Meetings among participants throughout the three year program are
focused on encouragement, accountability, sharing of needs and resources and
prayer.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Constantia;">In Level I participants
will be recognized for for completion of the intensive. There will be a
concluding evaluation that will focus on participation and involvement in all
aspects of the program. During the discipleship phase there will be check-in
requirements for online assignments and regular written work that will be
graded.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Constantia;">Leaders who complete
Level I will receive a certificate.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><u><span style="font-family: Constantia;">Level
II. Replication</span></u></b><span style="font-family: Constantia;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Constantia;">In the second year of
the 3-5 Plan each of the original five leader/ participants in Level I will
find five more leaders to mentor and disciple. This means that Level I is
duplicated five times over. Each leader is responsible for finding, discipling
and training five others. In fact, each leader can (and is encouraged) to begin
more than one group of five. The 3-5 Plan can quickly move from addition to
multiplication in its impact. All of this activity should happen right away.
Within one month of the original intensive there should be five Level I groups
in addition to the original group that is now considered to be Level II.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Constantia;">Each leader is expected
to recruit and disciple others. This expectation will be a part of an annual
evaluation of every 3-5 Plan participant. There are no shortcuts and very few
exceptions. Christians are called to make disciples and the 3-5 Plan makes this
an imperative.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Constantia;">It could be that this
aspect of the plan will manifest itself in the planting of new churches or
'faith teams.' Each 3-5 leader is expected to recruit, train and 'pastor' at
least one new group.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Constantia;">Leaders who complete
the faith team requirement will receive a recognition certificate.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Constantia;">Level II leadership can
manifest itself in local churches, schools, workplaces, community or small
group settings. Although the “intensive” three day retreat experience is not
necessarily repeated at this level, there is plenty of room, opportunity and
material for these groups to cover. The
focus is for each leader to begin the work of fulfilling the Great Commission
right away. Each believer in Christ is responsible to share the message of the
gospel with others. Leaders in the 3-5 Plan will do this by building up other
believers and by recruiting new Christians within the church and alongside the
church. It will be no surprise then, if new churches are started wherever 3-5
Plan participants live and work.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Constantia;">As a part of this
replication, each student will translate one lesson (or resource) into his/her
native language for use by all future leaders. Care will be taken to ensure
that material is translated accurately and in a balanced way. The process of
translation will have multiple benefits:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Constantia;">Access to the material will be easier for all people
regardless of their ability to read and understand English.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Constantia;">Those who are involved in the translation of material
will necessarily be more familiar with it and therefore have greater benefit in
terms of personal discipleship.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Constantia;">Creating resources in Luganda will have a long term
effect as the material will be available and used in perpetuity by those who
long to grow in faith.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Constantia;">This newly translated lesson is then taught to the five
leaders that follow the original participant as part of Level II. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Constantia;">Participants in Level II groups can join in and
participate in the follow-up activities of Level I. There is no limit on
reading on-line materials, participating in video lessons or other supplementary
activities. Level II participants have access to all the resources of Level I
participants. And since the material will be archived, and because new material
will be consistently added, the library of available resources will quickly
become significant. All of these materials will eventually be translated for
use in Uganda.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Constantia;">This replication should take place among both church
leaders and church members. The 3-5 Plan works to train leaders for ministry as
well as leading all Christians in discipleship activities. Therefore, a leader
of pastors/leaders could easily lead a group of pastors at the same time that
he leads a group of his local congregational members. This will build up the
church on two fronts.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Constantia;">Leaders who complete
Level II will receive a certificate.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><u><span style="font-family: Constantia;">Level
III. Instruction</span></u></b><span style="font-family: Constantia;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Constantia;">The goal of all this
activity is for pastors to gain the experience, knowledge and competence to
plan and lead their own groups, churches and studies. In Levels I and II
leaders are given the tools and experience to begin to lead of their own
volition and planning. In Level III a pastor begins to take the initiative in
the work of ministry with the safety net of supervision from Level I and II
leaders. This will be accomplished in the third year of the 3-5 Plan.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Constantia;">Each leader will select
one topic of local significance in his/her community. S/he will develop a lesson plan and write resources appropriate
to their setting. These resources will be used in leadership forum and training
settings, as well as local church and ministry settings.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Constantia;">Some topics might
include:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: OpenSymbol;">◦<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Constantia;">Evangelism in a Muslim community<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: OpenSymbol;">◦<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Constantia;">Christianity and local religions<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Constantia;">Leading worship in the local setting<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Constantia;">Issues in local church ministry<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Constantia;">History of the church in Uganda<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Constantia;">Methodism in Uganda<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Constantia;">The ultimate goal of
the 3-5 Plan is that local pastors and church leaders will be able to take full
responsibility for every aspect of the local church ministry. To that end,
Levels I and II will seek to prepare participants to assume the reins of
responsibility in Level III. Accountability, training, support and
encouragement will continue, but ultimately in Level III Ugandan leaders will
take charge.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Constantia;">Leaders who complete
Level III will receive a diploma.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Constantia;">Those leaders who
complete all requirements and courses at every level will receive a
“ministerial certification.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Rev Deweyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02636317108104758725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4405715889943401357.post-62108418937488485492007-09-13T19:00:00.000-04:002007-09-13T19:01:26.381-04:00Picture UpdatesOver the next few days we will be adding Uganda photos to the entries in this blog. Be sure to check back for a visual account of our trip and ministry in Uganda.Rev Deweyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02636317108104758725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4405715889943401357.post-48038589067891324852007-09-13T18:17:00.000-04:002007-09-14T15:17:35.050-04:00We Made It Home!!<div>We made it home. It seemed to take forever, but the United Methodist Uganda Bible Academy teaching team arrived in Indianapolis during the very early hours on Tuesday morning. Here is a rundown of our activities between our last blog entry and our return home:<br /></div><br /><ul><br /><li>We put our luggage in our van for the trip to the airport. After a discussion it was decided that there would not be enough room in the van, so the luggage was moved to the roof.</li><br /><li>We left the Colline Hotel in Mukono at about 1pm on Saturday.</li><br /><li>We made a pit stop at the site of the new (not finished) Namboole United Methodist Church. We visited with Rev John Kiviiri for a few minutes before continuing on.</li><br /><li>Bob C and Dewey wanted to attend the Futbol (soccer) game at the national stadium. The game was a part of the Africa's Cup of Nations tournament featuring Uganda vs. Niger. We had a view of the stadium from the Namboole location. Bob and Dewey were outvoted and we moved on.</li><br /><li>Moses, our driver, decided that it looked like rain. So we stopped the van in downtown Kampala and took the luggage off the roof and put it back in the van. </li><br /><li>Bob C, Byron and Dewey walked from that spot to exchange some money from US dollars into Ugandan Shillings.</li><br /><li>The rest of the group went to the Episcopal office with the van. There they put the luggage back on top of the van and covered it with a tarp.</li><br /><li>After reuniting, we filled the van with fuel and moved onto Entebbe, site of the national airport.</li><br /><li>Upon arrival in Entebbe, we took the luggage down at the Golf View Inn. That lasted for only a few minutes as most of us would be sleeping in another location. Therefore, we had to put most of the luggage back on top of the van.</li><br /><li>Although we were only going to be in the Golf View Inn (there was a golf course across the street) for a few hours, it was quite a bit more primitive than anything that we would stay in at home.</li><br /><li>We ate dinner at a nearby resort and then said goodbye to our hosts, Moses, David and James, and returned to the Golf View.</li><br /><li>At 200am we left the Golf View from Entebbe airport for our 430am flight. The airport at Entebbe is very interesting. Security was a challenge. Dewey and Jim were stopped for a time because someone was carrying a Swiss Army Knife. Our group was cleared of the crime and the knife was located and confiscated.</li><br /><li>The flight from Entebbe to Cairo, Egypt took about five hours.</li></ul><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2sd4gMaIKME09VnkryKvQCpac4v3sqzLaj_47riJjyqOce9VOwkXzW1rGHYSbUKYp1B5GKH9ZDQp786xCK_n2y5vlVoN3QPF7HrSEQRtdtwnlK8wyjDTENlaz6clIwM9UEFzNR4PH3XQ/s1600-h/dewey+uganda+149.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5110141017677195090" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2sd4gMaIKME09VnkryKvQCpac4v3sqzLaj_47riJjyqOce9VOwkXzW1rGHYSbUKYp1B5GKH9ZDQp786xCK_n2y5vlVoN3QPF7HrSEQRtdtwnlK8wyjDTENlaz6clIwM9UEFzNR4PH3XQ/s320/dewey+uganda+149.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><p></p><br /><ul><br /><li>In Egypt, we had 25 hours before our connecting flight to the US. Egypt Air provided meals and a room for each of us at Le Passage Heliopolis hotel. It was by far the nicest place that we slept. We were a little uncomfortable because Egypt Air kept our passports during this time. However, when we arrived at the airport at 700am the next day, our work was easy. We had boarding passes and seat assignments already.</li><br /><li>Then there was 12 hours on the 777 from Cairo to New York City. And that's where all our troubles really began. Carol and Bob L both had luggage that did not arrive from Cairo. Egypt Air will not return luggage beyond New York City. This was very frustrating. Bob L then lost his toothpaste and shaving cream to the TSA at the security checkpoint. Dewey's bag was overweight and he had to pay a fee to get it on the plane. </li><br /><li>Our flight was originally scheduled for 640pm from NYC to Indianapolis (that's what it said on the tickets and itinerary anyway). When we arrived at the gate departure time was listed at 700pm, then 735, then 800, then 830. When we finally got on the plane, we had to sit on the runway for a long time. It was almost 1000pm when we finally got in the air.</li><br /><li>When we arrived in Indianapolis we were all greeted by family, friends and our leader and motivator, John Elliott. We are all extremely glad to be home.</li></ul><br /><p></p>Rev Deweyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02636317108104758725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4405715889943401357.post-55248108968754914222007-09-08T03:34:00.000-04:002007-09-08T03:49:04.436-04:00Our last day in UgandaToday is our last day in Uganda. But it has been an eventful fortnight. Last night, Friday, there was a big closing celebration for the Academy. Bishop <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Wandabula</span> attended to congratulate and encourage the participants. Each student-pastor was presented with a certificate of completion. It was truly humbling to realize how excited these men and women were to receive a simple piece of paper. The same certificate would be almost a nuisance for us at home. However, for these people it may be the only time in their lives that their accomplishments and efforts have been or will be recognized.<br /><br />Jim spent some time with Noah, a young man that is special to him. He arranged for Patrick <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Isabiyre</span>, one of our student- pastors, to mentor Noah. Noah's desire, and Jim's dream, is to become a United Methodist Pastor. It looks like he is well on the way.<br /><br />At the close of the celebration each teacher-pastor received a gift of appreciation from Bishop <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Wandabula</span>. The men received wooden plaques with scenes and sayings from Uganda. Carol was the recipient of a woven rug or mat. We were all overwhelmed that we received anything at all.<br /><br />This morning we are all finishing our packing and preparing to return home. Although we have all had a wonderful time, we are really ready to get home. Today we are in a 'killing-time' mode. We got a late check out from our hotel at 100pm. But our flight from <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Entebbe</span> to Cairo is not until 435am tomorrow. We are going to see some sights and spend some time in a hotel near the airport.<br /><br />We will arrive in Cairo via Egypt Air tomorrow morning around 1000am. Then we have almost 24 hours in Cairo. Thankfully Egypt Air is providing us with rooms so that we will not have to spend the whole time in the airport. We hope to see some more sights in Cairo, but mostly we are planning to take it easy.<br /><br />Finally, we will get to Kennedy Airport in New York on Monday evening and will arrive (if all connections go well) in Indianapolis on Monday night at 937pm.Rev Deweyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02636317108104758725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4405715889943401357.post-58970444543898275892007-09-06T09:19:00.000-04:002007-09-14T15:15:12.452-04:00another day<div>This is Thursday, September 6, 2007. This entry is being written at 419pm. This means that most readers can read this at 1030 am on the same day. You can read it before it is written.<br /><br />The last two days have been somewhat uneventful. Bob C. attended the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Mukono</span> Rotary meeting last evening. It was not like the Rotary Club in Franklin. There was no meal, and he didn't even get a flag. One of the goals of Rotary in Uganda is to bring every family up to poverty level. That amount, translated into dollars, equals $334 per month... for a family of eight. It is a different world here.<br /><br />Byron and Carol are holding a meeting at the Academy this afternoon for all clergy couples. They plan to share from their experience to encourage this group that they can speak to somewhat authoritatively.<br /><br />There is now only one more day of class. Many students and teachers began saying their goodbyes today. At the close of the Academy there will be a special ceremony with the Bishop in attendance. We are not sure what the ceremony will be like, but we believe that it will be long.<br /><br />We got a substitute driver for our van today. Moses, our regular driver, was needed by the Bishop in Kampala. No one seems to know the new driver's name and he does not speak English. The highlight of riding with him is the speed, or rather, lack of speed with which he drives. It took us forever to get back into town today. We were being passed by trucks with heavy loads going up hills.<br /><br />Finally, some thoughts on the professions of Ugandan people.<br /><br />Most Ugandans barely survive. In nearly all homes there is no electricity or running water. In fact, doors seem to be optional. Often a curtain or some other piece of material divides inside from out. Many Ugandans farm. For most Americans, a Ugandan farm would be the size of nice garden at home. This is the source of much of the Ugandan diet.<br /><br />Other sources of income include:<br /><br /></div><ul><li>Charcoal. Many people make charcoal and sell it for cooking. No one cooks inside the house. Many families have an outdoor shelter, or what we would call a barbecue pit for cooking.</li><br /><li>Brick-making. Bricks are made from the clay/mud that is everywhere. They are molded into a uniform shape and then allowed to dry in the sun for several days. After this they are fired in a kiln.</li></ul><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi1r29y4XL7Luz1D7smpy0WZYX45b1yaPdp_CsGZeK1kAflMoDDvNcUVNOQyNswfbcphzCx90HnQ9SpoU3N9o4h4xWo7luOSBwYxiGDPmn-voL2u42ETpwZV-0ZYXSNo33Jwh-1i0ntRI/s1600-h/dewey+uganda+094.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5110140330482427714" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi1r29y4XL7Luz1D7smpy0WZYX45b1yaPdp_CsGZeK1kAflMoDDvNcUVNOQyNswfbcphzCx90HnQ9SpoU3N9o4h4xWo7luOSBwYxiGDPmn-voL2u42ETpwZV-0ZYXSNo33Jwh-1i0ntRI/s320/dewey+uganda+094.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><p></p><br /><ul><br /><li>Bananas. Bananas are the main agricultural product of Uganda.</li><br /><li>Sugar Cane. It is not unusual to pass a bicycle on the road loaded with sugar cane to take to market.</li></ul><br /><p></p>Rev Deweyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02636317108104758725noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4405715889943401357.post-54650285249415446202007-09-04T11:10:00.000-04:002007-09-04T11:32:31.003-04:00A Lot of ThingsAnother good day of school was dampened at the end by several bad things. One of our students, Isaac <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Wandera</span>, from <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Busia</span>, learned this afternoon that his brother has died. Please be praying for Isaac and his family. Isaac will be leaving the Academy yet today to join his family at this time of <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">grief</span>.<br /><br />In addition, several of our students are becoming ill. They are very crowded where they are staying and sickness could potentially move from person to person very quickly. Please pray also for those students that are sick to be made well, and for the others to not get ill in the first place.<br /><br />One of the things that has struck us about Uganda is the greeting that we here over and over. Christians often greet each other with a 'praise God.' At home when someone gives my a 'praise the Lord,' I think that they are phony. There is none of that here, however. When I hear a 'Praise God,' I know that the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">praiser</span> is completely sincere.<br /><br />There is a gift shop at the Humble School. Many items in the gift shop are made here in Uganda. There are shirts and dresses, stools, jewelry, baskets and bowls. It is very interesting to see this sort of thing. The proceeds from the store go toward supporting the school.<br /><br />One of the Bishop's plans for the future, as he shared with us on Sunday, is to start a children's choir based out of Humble School. This choir would travel to the US to raise support and awareness of the School and the United Methodist Church in Uganda.<br /><br />Here are two stories for today:<br /><br /><strong>Solomon</strong><br />Solomon is a young pastor from the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Gulu</span> district of Uganda. He lives in a tent with his mother and ministers in a refugee camp for children. There is a resistance movement in the north of Uganda, the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Gulu</span> area, led by the Lord's <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Resistance</span> Army. One child became fascinated by a water faucet. Running water is rare in those areas of Uganda, but it is not unheard of. This boy was mesmerized by the running water and no one knew why. Finally, Solomon asked what was so interesting about the running water. The boy responded that it reminded him of how the blood used to flow in his village during the war.<br /><br /><strong>Isaac</strong><br />In class today there was a discussion about clean and unclean foods. The students were told about the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Levitical</span> requirements and then they reviewed the Acts 10 passage in which Peter was given the freedom to eat any animals. There was then a long discussion about pork and Jewish people and Muslims. Finally, Isaac spoke up and told us that we should never eat pork because Jesus cast demons into pigs. He believed that if you ate pork, you would get the demons that were in the pig.<br /><br />There are many tragic stories of hurt and loss here. There are just as many stories about <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">superstition</span>. Please pray for us as we try to minister here. Pray for our students that they will be able to learn and become more effective in their own ministries.Rev Deweyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02636317108104758725noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4405715889943401357.post-8142560631310335072007-09-03T11:21:00.002-04:002007-09-14T15:11:56.653-04:00A lot of exciting things<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbB5DBJ3CS50lQoDG9qvBPe4yfJLLjD7GsU3yDENXJjPgmdHPK2g1h2FnNRhkjx8mXIba7HgVUhx8gpkVb4Kov5wK_c1okU6DASHoJskZnwkoUZLZsGlOpNxjdulTnPDAScbex_u_XPec/s1600-h/dewey+uganda+091.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5110139308280211250" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbB5DBJ3CS50lQoDG9qvBPe4yfJLLjD7GsU3yDENXJjPgmdHPK2g1h2FnNRhkjx8mXIba7HgVUhx8gpkVb4Kov5wK_c1okU6DASHoJskZnwkoUZLZsGlOpNxjdulTnPDAScbex_u_XPec/s320/dewey+uganda+091.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>There are a lot of different things to report on. Today was the first day of the second week of the Uganda Bible Academy. The team members from Indiana are all doing well. We are healthy and getting along famously. We bonded quickly and we are still doing well together. Other than that, let's just offer a summary of recent activities and observations. </div><br /><div><br /></div><br /><ul><br /><li>Yesterday after worship one of the students brought us a jakfruit (sp?). It is a large green fruit that grows on trees. It is watermelon like in size and shape, but the texture of the rind is rough and bumpy like a walnut. It was quite a procedure to get to the meat of the fruit, but when we finally got there it looked a little like pineapple and tasted like a pineapple/ banana combination.</li><br /><li>There are several clergy couples in the Academy. This is very encouraging to see men and women entering into and working in ministry together. In addition, there are some other women (young and old) who are participating.</li><br /><li>One of our constant struggles is with the exchange of money. Ugandans trade in the Shilling. This is not a problem except that the current exchange rate is 1775 shillings to one US dollar. Thankfully, Byron made everyone a conversion chart. Otherwise we would be constantly scratching our heads and trying to divide everything by 1775.</li><br /><li>The singing of the pastor/students in the Academy is phenomenal. We could listen to them for hours on end. They sing with such gusto and passion that we Americans could easily be ashamed of our half-hearted attempts at worship.</li><br /><li>We finally had our meeting with the Bishop last night. Bishop Daniel Wandabula arrived at our hotel at 7pm with his wife and two visitors from New Jersey. After sharing with us his plans for a children's choir that would travel from Humble School, we were able to share some of our thoughts and concerns about the Academy with the Bishop. The gist of what we shared with him follows:</li></ul><br /><ol><br /><li>The Humble School, as it currently stands, is not conducive to the school. The pastors are sleeping on bunk beds (three persons high) in classrooms. The bathrooms are not complete. And there is no running water in the available restrooms.</li><br /><li>There are many questions among the students about the increase in the influence of Islam. A future class on that subject would be good.</li><br /><li>Many of the students really struggle with English. There needs to be some sort of English training for them. At the very least, someone who attends the Academy could then hold a brief seminar on the content for those who cannot speak English.</li><br /><li>The schedule is too long for the student/pastors. They are in three classes each day, each lasting 2.5 hours. By they end of the day they are barely conscious. (Every student makes a great effort to stay awake, however).</li></ol><br /><div>There are many other thoughts and concerns that have come up regarding the Academy and the training of these pastors. Among the ideas includes a FAQ or Q&A session dealing with practical ministry issues relating to communion, baptism, practical theology, etc., and some information about United Methodist program resources and other materials from the UM Publishing House and other agencies.<br /><br />The longer we are here the more it seems that there is to do. Pray that we can accomplish all that God has for us.</div>Rev Deweyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02636317108104758725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4405715889943401357.post-85503028571357591072007-09-02T11:12:00.000-04:002007-09-14T15:18:42.403-04:00A Day of Worship (but not of rest)<div><br /><br /><div>We got to sleep in a little bit this morning. Our van picked all of us (six pastors) up at 900am. We were on our way to church. Each pastor was to preach at a different congregation this morning. With a little bit of nerves, and much excitement, we departed.<br /><br /><strong>Bob Land</strong> gave the morning message at Loving Example United Methodist Church which meets at the Humble School. He had a congregation that included all of the resident children of the school and the pastors who are staying through the weekend for the Academy. Bob was the only one who did not have an interpreter translate his message as he preached. Bob had a lot of time to spend with the people after the service as his ride was extremely late in picking him up.<br /><br /><strong>Bob Coleman </strong>preached at Mount Olive UMC in Mukono. It is a congregation meeting in a rented building. The pastor of the church and his wife, Patrick and Rachel, are among the best students at the Academy. We have all been very impressed with both of them.<br /></div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixXgDvg0eH-6e-qyApQZEWYbalgbpGv7HK7L0vAAwmy_QLR2Xlqke7RIvib8jQZjSJeJgHIK5Zy0ygoOb7mI3bjPoBmtk3KEzcBPDL0yZvGZOIxzw3yE35OGJ8ZeCPXqmqkqQkVAGzu4c/s1600-h/uganda+cd+063.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5110138084214531858" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixXgDvg0eH-6e-qyApQZEWYbalgbpGv7HK7L0vAAwmy_QLR2Xlqke7RIvib8jQZjSJeJgHIK5Zy0ygoOb7mI3bjPoBmtk3KEzcBPDL0yZvGZOIxzw3yE35OGJ8ZeCPXqmqkqQkVAGzu4c/s320/uganda+cd+063.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><br /><strong>Byron and Carol Fritz </strong>were able the share at Nambole UMC. This is the church that we all attended last week. Attendance was down from a week ago, but worship was spirited and vital nonetheless. Nambole Church is currently meeting in a sort of lean-to. However, they have purchased property and have plans to build by this time next year. There are three or four members of the congregation who are attending our Academy in preparation for answering God's call to ministry.<br /></div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAcLbF8XUrhFt6SF9M0KkZp0lF_5X7iIFJpqKQvIiEUPg5zCaggep-ZyeXyXvkLStJdSFFQddvuAEtqSBS7MqXv4i1Q11NTT7RJ3O3EZimM-6cKxRCZxz7Qj734Pq14qSErpCmbCBtJV0/s1600-h/dewey+uganda+089.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5110138646855247650" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAcLbF8XUrhFt6SF9M0KkZp0lF_5X7iIFJpqKQvIiEUPg5zCaggep-ZyeXyXvkLStJdSFFQddvuAEtqSBS7MqXv4i1Q11NTT7RJ3O3EZimM-6cKxRCZxz7Qj734Pq14qSErpCmbCBtJV0/s320/dewey+uganda+089.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><strong>Dewey Miller </strong>was the speaker at Mutungo UMC in Kampala. It is a very small church (approximately 25 people) meeting in a rented lot on an alley behind a store. This congregation is the one that is pastored by Fred, who was mentioned earlier this week in this blog. Although the congregation is small, they were very gracious and supportive.<br /><br /><strong>Jim Hertel </strong>preached to the congregation at Kawala, also in Kampala. This congregation is made up mostly of refugees from Congo. The room that they meet in (25' x 25') is in what can only be described as a slum. There were 80 people at the worship service who love Jesus with all their hearts.<br /><br />Currently we are awaiting the arrival of the Bishop. We had an appointment with him at 3pm. It is now 630pm and we still do not know where he is. Oh well, such is life in the UMC.<br /><br />Tomorrow classes begin again at 8am with worship. That is always a highlight of the day. The school is half over and our trip is more than half over. What seemed to take forever to arrive is not flying by.<br /><br />The entire mission team is having a good time. We are healthy and laughing a lot. Every day it seems that God is answering prayers. Thank you for your support and continued prayer.</div></div>Rev Deweyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02636317108104758725noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4405715889943401357.post-89969860588827550232007-09-01T11:14:00.000-04:002007-09-14T15:01:27.320-04:00A Day Off?!?<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYlSLkCaXGN63xfi6RKvXjw9x7kDV60eXqz593eyxMM90fQltPE5pkftExXvQp889NZfyYcvc66g8J0pch1_i16t47Pbk5XjSu4tQV0NI26IjA3isboZRi-9oiZmFHPTJZ1m3TU3RNeds/s1600-h/dewey+uganda+069.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5110136864443819778" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYlSLkCaXGN63xfi6RKvXjw9x7kDV60eXqz593eyxMM90fQltPE5pkftExXvQp889NZfyYcvc66g8J0pch1_i16t47Pbk5XjSu4tQV0NI26IjA3isboZRi-9oiZmFHPTJZ1m3TU3RNeds/s320/dewey+uganda+069.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>Today, Saturday, was a day off for us. That means that the Academy was not in session. We did do some things though. Some of it was just for fun (and education) other parts were research for possible future trips. We started the day by driving to the town of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Jinja</span>. It took us about 90 minutes to get there. The ride was beautiful. We drove through a forest and past sugar cane and tea plantations.<br /><br />When we got to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Jinja</span> we traveled to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Bajaguli</span> Falls. This is just a remarkable place on the River Nile. It is a long series of rapids, white water and islands. At first we just stood and watched God's beauty, and then we noticed <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">kayakers</span> and rafters running down the river. That made us watch even longer. No one on our team was bold enough to try it.<br /></div><br /><div><br />Upon leaving there we met up with Julius, the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Jinja</span> District Superintendent. He took us to his home and introduced us to his family. It is safe to say that his home is below standards for adequate parsonage in Indiana. It had about four rooms (very small) and a dirt floor. The walls were made from mud. He invited us in and we were able to pray that God's blessings would be on his house, his family and his ministry. Julius also took us to visit some members of his congregation. What an eye-opening experience for all of us.<br /><br />Next we traveled to a vacant lot that the United Methodist Church owns. In the future it will be the site of a church building. We are exploring ways that <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">UMs</span> in Indiana can participate in the building of this church. It is a lovely location high on a hill overlooking Lake Victoria. We also visited with Isaac, another UM Pastor. Isaac's congregation of about 100 is losing their lease and has to move. He showed us where they are going. All they have at the new location is the start of a hole for their latrine. That hole (pit) seemed to go down forever. It made us all a little nervous when we got too close.<br /><br />For lunch we traveled to the Triangle Hotel overlooking Lake Victoria. The view was breathtaking. We saw birds there that you cannot imagine. The most dramatic was probably the stork. In addition, there were dozens of fruit bats living in the palm trees between the hotel and the lake. Not all of the bats slept during the day. We saw several (and they were pretty large) flying around.<br /><br />Lunch itself was interesting as well. We had a choice between <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">talapia</span> and chicken. Those that chose the fish were greeted with a very large, staring, smiling fish. Those who chose the chicken thought that they might be consuming some of the fruit bats from outside. The <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">consensus</span> was that the fish was very good, but the chicken was not.<br /><br />Before we left Ninja we went to the site known as the source of the River Nile. The Nile begins at Lake Victoria. While we were there we enjoyed the cool breeze and caught a brief glimpse of a wedding. Adjacent to the Nile attraction there is a statue of Mahatma Gandhi. Apparently his ashes were sprinkled in the Nile and the statue commemorates that event.<br /><br />Tomorrow we are preaching in five different churches in the area. Since we do not speak <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">Luganda</span>, we will have to use interpreters. This should be an interesting, but great experience. In the afternoon we are scheduled to have a conference with the Bishop. It should be a good thing as we discuss future plans and the direction of the Uganda Bible Academy.<br /><br />Pray for us. We have reached the halfway point of our mission. So far everyone is in good spirits. We have all taken turns being a little sick, but so far nothing serious. Pray that God will work in us and keep us help.</div>Rev Deweyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02636317108104758725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4405715889943401357.post-16768565766971235632007-08-31T09:02:00.000-04:002007-08-31T09:26:48.023-04:00Blessed Grace and MosesOne of the first things that we noticed in Uganda is that everyone (it seems) has a biblical name. There are <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Isaac's</span> and <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Noah's</span> and <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Martha's</span> and <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Rachel's</span>. The funniest thing is that there are so many men named Moses. Our driver, who works for the school, is named Moses. We have gotten to know him pretty well. There are at least two or three <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Moses's</span> that work at our hotel. I have had a whole life of never meeting a Moses, and know I know several.<br /><br />Grace may be the most popular female name. There is one girl at the Humble School who is named Blessed Grace. She loves Jesus and can sing like an angel. This Grace truly is blessed. There are two different Grace's who wait on us at the hotel. Both have the prettiest smiles and personalities. Last night as we were eating supper, one of the Grace's came to our table and asked us to pray for her and her family. She said that they had taken in 20 AIDS orphans and they were having a hard time financially. We think that Grace- she is about 20 years old- might earn about $100 a month. She lives with her family, and do not know their income. In any case, 20 children in any family would be a struggle. Pray for Grace and her ministry. (By the way, Grace always greets us with 'Praise God.')<br /><br /><strong>Humble United Methodist School</strong><br /><br />The Humble United Methodist School in <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Mukono</span>, Uganda is where our Bible Academy is being held. It is the only official UM institution in Uganda other than the churches. It is a residential primary school (K-7) which is focused mainly on orphans. There are currently 204 students at the school. Of those, about 30% are AIDS orphans. Many of the children are also HIV positive.<br /><br />The school has been funded and built primarily with support from United Methodists in Virginia, Kentucky and Georgia. Currently they are working on a clinic (for the children and the surrounding area) and bathrooms (with running water).<br /><br />The main problem for the school is in the area of funding. The staff are committed to the students, to education and to ministry. There just isn't enough money. One of the East Africa Annual Conference leaders told us earlier this week that it costs $1095 per student to run the school for a year. That is just a little over $90 a month to feed, clothe, house and educate children who have nowhere else to go. It doesn't seem like a lot.<br /><br /><strong>Weekend Plans</strong><br /><strong></strong><br />We are almost to the weekend. On Saturday we are traveling to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Jinja</span> to see a wild animal park, the place where the Nile begins and place where we might coordinate a work project in the future. It sounds like a fun and full day.<br /><br />On Sunday each of our team members will be preaching in different churches. For most of us it will be the first time preaching with an interpreter. It ought to be exciting. In the afternoon the Bishop (Daniel <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Wandabula</span>) is coming to our hotel to meet with us.<br /><br />Keep us in your prayers. The Academy is going very well, and you share in the success we are experiencing.Rev Deweyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02636317108104758725noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4405715889943401357.post-27172169875848845792007-08-30T08:51:00.000-04:002007-09-14T14:59:00.286-04:00Lots of Things<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpatZGJQ3F4TSMjve1God28Q6XXK6vzLoYtHWr5pBaId3Ct8Sr1_gSpYBCkpZg1kcyUmp4ciKD5mzEZrcv7F3w_6zIaLfyFoS5PGueVfIo1gM1JZ1qNpqKFZRYAcbV0d1zNgQ4-JkW3ls/s1600-h/dewey+uganda+117.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5110136258853431026" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpatZGJQ3F4TSMjve1God28Q6XXK6vzLoYtHWr5pBaId3Ct8Sr1_gSpYBCkpZg1kcyUmp4ciKD5mzEZrcv7F3w_6zIaLfyFoS5PGueVfIo1gM1JZ1qNpqKFZRYAcbV0d1zNgQ4-JkW3ls/s320/dewey+uganda+117.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>Yesterday was a very busy day, and there was no time to blog. That is not completely true. When there was time, the power was off so that we could not blog. Here are a couple of stories and concert review from yesterday.<br /></div><br /><div><br /><strong>Joseph</strong><br />Joseph is a young man who wants to make a difference in Uganda. He was born in Rwanda in the late 1980's. In 1994, at six years of age, Joseph witnessed the genocide that ravaged that country which borders Uganda. Joseph remembers his father lifting him into the rafters of their home and telling him to be silent. Guards barged into the house and Joseph watched as his father was hacked to death with machetes. His mother and all his siblings also died.<br /><br />Miraculously, Joseph survived and was able to get to a refugee camp where he witnessed the deaths of several more extended family members and friends. Eventually, he made his way to Kampala, the capital of Uganda. In Kampala, with a friend, he was able to scrounge the materials to build a shelter to live in. They took pieces of lumber and metal from local dump sites and garbage bins to make what continues to be their home. Now, while supporting three young cousins, he sells newspapers to make a living and attends the local university. Joseph wants to be a counselor and work with teens. He is especially interested in the lives and faith of teens in USA. Keep Joseph in your prayers.<br /><br /><strong>Fred</strong><br />Fred is the pastor of a small church in rural Uganda. The ladies of the church make beads and turn them into bracelets and necklaces. This jewelry is sold to support the church. Fred said that a while back his church built a 'church' (probably what we in the USA would call a lean-to). The problem is that the congregation has a hard time paying rent to the property owner. When asked what the rent was, Fred told us that they pay about 50,000 shillings a month. That is less than $30 US.<br /><br /><br />And now for the review, four members of our team attended a concert last night. Percussion Discussion Africa was playing at Club Obligato. The venue was neat. It is an outdoor bar in Kampala. The band was great. They played traditional African instruments and songs. We don't know what all the instruments were, but they sounded good together. One of the highlights for us was when we realized that the words to one of the songs was hakuna matata.<br /><br />There were also girls who danced as part of the show. The weather was great. The music was good. The dancing was fun.</div>Rev Deweyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02636317108104758725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4405715889943401357.post-76155332117633425992007-08-28T10:53:00.000-04:002007-08-28T12:03:12.933-04:00Day 2Day 2 of the Academy is almost finished. Actually, the Academy is closed for the day. I am sitting now in an <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">internet</span> cafe that Moses, our driver, brought us to. The rates for using the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">internet</span> are a lot lower here than at our hotel, but it is farther to go.<br /><br />Today was a much better day as far as the Academy itself is concerned. Yesterday's morning opening celebration threw the whole schedule off. Today we were able to stick to it better. Each class lasts for two hours followed by a 30 minute review and test. The students have three classes each day. That is seven and half hours of class each day for students have not been in school for years. By the end of the last class they are all pretty tired.<br /><br />Our classes are:<br /><ul><li>Prayer and worship, taught by Byron Fritz</li><li>Paul's Epistles, taught by Carol Fritz</li><li>Church history, taught by Bob Land</li><li>The Prophets, taught by Jim <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Hertel</span></li><li>The Pentateuch, taught by Dewey Miller</li><li>The Synoptic Gospels, taught by Bob Coleman</li></ul><p>It is clear to all of us that these students are extremely motivated. They are called by God to pastor and are doing their best to prepare themselves to learn and minister more effectively. They are filled with questions and interesting comments on each subject.</p><p>This afternoon the power and water were off for a while at the hotel. Although it was inconvenient everything has returned to normal now.</p><p>Lunch today included <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">talapia</span>, goat, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">matooke</span>, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">posha</span>, rice and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">irish</span> potatoes. Irish potatoes don't seem to fit on that menu. We are about to go to dinner. We'll see what's next.</p><p>Tonight there will be an equatorial full moon. We don't know what it will be like, but we'll see it anyway.</p><p>Most of us are surprised by the weather. Here we are on the equator, in Africa and the weather is beautiful. Sunny and 70's all day. We think that is probably lots cooler than it is at home.</p><p>Byron and Carol led some of the children (about 25-30) from the school in an assembly this afternoon. They did magic tricks, sang songs, gave gifts and had a Bible lesson. They had a great time and the children had a lot of fun too. David, our coordinator, still does not know where Byron put the scarf in his magic trick. (Byron made a scarf disappear to illustrate how Christ takes away our sin.)</p>Rev Deweyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02636317108104758725noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4405715889943401357.post-55665246700098737522007-08-27T13:50:00.000-04:002007-09-12T12:04:29.398-04:00Academy Day 1<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjravBOLLhVFVs3D4Qv6KLcovxZzyXdr_mYYHSXQv1JxPIlP9d7xaH1XApg2xd-4n7hRiubeT7PC3En1fuedaeCMs7U9wZ-GUd1wxK6xBv6FbfKIevRkA5iyKrdIFWgYDrdMXvxn4sT6s8/s1600-h/uganda+cd+083.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5109349158851798722" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjravBOLLhVFVs3D4Qv6KLcovxZzyXdr_mYYHSXQv1JxPIlP9d7xaH1XApg2xd-4n7hRiubeT7PC3En1fuedaeCMs7U9wZ-GUd1wxK6xBv6FbfKIevRkA5iyKrdIFWgYDrdMXvxn4sT6s8/s320/uganda+cd+083.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>Well, today was Academy day 1. The Indiana team left our hotel at 730am for the Humble United Methodist School. Humble School is a great place. It is a boarding school supported by United Methodist K-7<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">th</span> Grade orphans. Most of these orphans are residents because they lost their parents to HIV/AIDS. There are 204 students at the school 10 months of the year. We learned that $1095 supports a child for the entire year including food, room, teacher and staff salaries, a health center and more. It's a bargain! We were told that there will eventually be 1000 children at Humble School, but there could be more.<br /><br />At 8am the opening celebration of the school began. There was a time of worship and then greetings from EVERYONE! The headmistress of the school, the chaplain of the school, the host district superintendent, the team leader, the Academy coordinator and the Bishop's representative all thanked everyone. By the time we were done it was 1130. We had to abbreviate our class sessions, but they went generally well.<br /><br />There are a few students who are having a language problem. They understand very little English. (Maybe we have the language problem.) We are trying to get someone lined up to provide interpretation for the rest of our time here.<br /><br />Here are some prayer concerns:<br /><br /><ul><br /><li>Bob Coleman missed half of the day because of illness. He is better now, but we are still concerned about his stomach.</li><br /><li>Some of the other members have had some stomach discomfort as well. Be praying for all of us.</li><br /><li>There are great needs all around us. Pray that we will be able to discern what to do, and how to do it.</li><br /><li>All of the classes were very rushed (but good) today. Pray that beginning tomorrow we will have a more regulated schedule.</li><br /><li>The Bishop may be coming to visit tomorrow. Pray that if he does he will not be a distraction to the students (pastors), teachers or the schedule.</li></ul><br /><p>There are some exciting things coming up. Be sure to check back regularly.</p></div>Rev Deweyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02636317108104758725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4405715889943401357.post-63921896685713731712007-08-26T10:49:00.000-04:002007-08-26T11:08:34.469-04:00We're here!!We did not sleep for two nights while we sat in <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">airplanes</span> and airports, but we did arrive in Uganda at 4am today. School starts tomorrow, but here are some of our highlights so far.<br /><ul><li>We waited in an Egypt Air 777 on the runway at JFK for two hours.</li><li>That meant that we were two hours late for our tour of Cairo. We made the most of it though.</li><li>We saw highlights of the Cairo museum including some of the treasure from King Tut's Tomb.</li><li>We went to the Coptic (Christian) area of Cairo where we tried to see a church where it is believed that Mary and Joseph hid with the baby Jesus.</li><li>We stopped on a bridge over the River Nile to take some photos of the river and the Cairo skyline.</li><li>Next we got to see the pyramids and the sphinx. Because of our flight delay the site was already closed, but we were able to enjoy the view.</li><li>We next went to a papyrus museum. One of the guides demonstrated how papyrus is made. Jim bought a papyrus with an Egyptian painting on it. </li><li>We had dinner at a Greek restaurant with a great view of the pyramids. One interesting thing is that the bar was outfitted with water pipes.</li><li>On the way back to the airport, our guide took us past the site of the <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">assassination</span> of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Anwar</span> Sadat. He is buried right across the street.</li><li>We boarded our flight to Uganda at about 1045 and took off a little past 11pm. We arrived at <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Entebbe</span> airport at about 4am where our ride was waiting to take us to our hotel. </li><li>After a little sleep (an hour or two) and a quick shower we went to church at <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Namboli</span> United Methodist Church in Kampala. It was a great experience except that several of us had a hard time staying awake.</li></ul><p>Now we are relaxing for this evening, trying to get rested up. Tomorrow we start teaching at 8am.</p><p>If you would like to send a message to someone in the group, please feel free to post a comment here.</p><p>Also, we are staying at Hotel Colline, <a href="http://www.collinehotel.com/">www.collinehotel.com</a>. </p>Rev Deweyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02636317108104758725noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4405715889943401357.post-41366663502314270772007-08-13T17:51:00.001-04:002007-09-14T14:56:33.402-04:00Team Members- Prayer Needs<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNByHADvASASbCABwIqB57vp6rHTHxoNOQMhqmSHw87jeGJuWsLmNI3G3VjvOBd2UghKCalNaepOTP4lrmwam3yVeROaIGb5dqLoAanDOF7qm40MZKzZrDmRTjoyNWsEKBjJ8R5hmzkuc/s1600-h/dewey+uganda+144.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5110135593133500130" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNByHADvASASbCABwIqB57vp6rHTHxoNOQMhqmSHw87jeGJuWsLmNI3G3VjvOBd2UghKCalNaepOTP4lrmwam3yVeROaIGb5dqLoAanDOF7qm40MZKzZrDmRTjoyNWsEKBjJ8R5hmzkuc/s320/dewey+uganda+144.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div></div><br /><div>Please be praying for the members of the Uganda Bible Academy Teaching Team. All members of the team are United Methodist pastors. They would appreciate your prayers.<br /><br />Rev. Bob Coleman<br />Franklin, Indiana<br /><br />Rev. J Wesley Hertel<br />Greenwood, Indiana<br /><br />Rev. Byron Fritz<br />Edinburg, Indiana<br /><br />Rev. Carol Fritz<br />Sheridan, Indiana<br /><br />Rev. Bob Land<br />Centerville, Indiana<br /><br />Rev. Dewey Miller<br />Howe, Indiana<br /><br />The coordinator of our trip should also be included in your prayers, although he will not be traveling with us. John will be taking care of arrangements at home.<br /><br />Rev. John Elliot<br />Franklin, Indiana</div>Rev Deweyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02636317108104758725noreply@blogger.com0