Because the work we participated in focuses on sharing the gospel with the very poor, the issue of a meeting place is paramount.  The local Ugandan congregation is not able to financially support their pastors (pastors keep jobs and minister to their congregations…that is why the majority are still single!) and paying rent for meeting places normally consumes the entire wealth of the congregation. Some of our friends here in the United States have been burdened by this situation and are giving funds for the procurement of land for these congregations.  This plot was recently purchased for the sum of $8,000 USD, which is a small fortune in Uganda.  The congregation is currently paying week by week for the excavation of a pit latrine which must be completed before the local town council will allow for construction to commence.  After the latrine is ready, the congregation must have enough funds and labor available to put the entire structure up within a day.  Because this plot is in the center of a Muslim neighborhood, any partial structure will be torn down and the materials “disappeared” by the Muslims in order to prevent a Christian influence in their neighborhood.

50 ft. straight down...called a "long drop" latrine.

It is my understanding that the Muslim world sees Uganda as a “gateway” country to Southeast Africa.  If Uganda can be pressed or persuaded into being a Muslim state, then the thinking is that there will be a power base established for the subsequent “conversion” of the neighboring countries.  Prominent Muslims like Muammar Khadaffi, of Libya, have poured money into Uganda in order to support the advance of the Muslim religion.  It seems to me that the purchase of religious adherents is far better than conversion by military or political force, but it was heartbreaking to talk with people who were Muslim only because someone said to them, “I will feed you if you convert,” or “I will give you a business if you convert.”  Nearly all those I spoke to had little idea of even the basic ideology of the Prophet to whom they have sworn allegience.  They were fearful of incurring either the wrath of Allah or the wrath of their benefactors (or both) even by speaking with an American Christian.  Several such individuals who were made Muslim without their consent (by threat of loss of family connection and/or ability to make a living if they did not become or remain Muslim) came under cover of dark to watch the Jesus Film. We showed the film in Banda (Kasokoso) and in one of the marketplaces in Namuwongo, near Soweto.

For a few shillings just about anyone can rent space...even in the middle of a marketplace.

Just the mere setup of a film screen began to attract a crowd.  The merchants were not happy as they thought that free entertainment would somehow stunt their normal business.  From an American point of view it would be an opportunity to attract nearly 1,000 people to a marketplace, but perhaps the local merchants were right and we cost them business.  The prospect of lessening the ability of some to provide for their families bothered me quite a bit, but making things “right” with the merchants was not a possibility.  If I were to participate in this kind of thing again, I would make allowances for reimbursing the merchants for lost sales ahead of time so that the aroma of Christ remained as a sweet memory and not a bitter stench.  Some things are best left to the work of the Holy Spirit, however, and I trust that God made good even of our misstep.

A small sampling of the crowd gathered for the Jesus film.

One of the greatest privileges of the whole trip was the training session we conducted with the church leaders.  We presented the pastors who had completed basic training with NIV Study Bibles with their names imprinted on the cover.  The were so overwhelmed that we were embarrassed.  Two of the Pastors stood and gave testimony that our bringing of these Bibles was a direct and specific answer to prayer.

Praying over the meeting with the Kampala Urban Team church leaders.

The Bibles are available in Uganda but cost about 120,000 shillings–which is simply too much. 

We taught the leaders about using the simple things in their lives to draw out spiritual lessons.  We believe that too often churches are so focused on the esoteric that we forget that God always met people in the midst of their life.  Even the spiritually central exodus from Egypt is marked by God’s presiding over the mundane needs of his people by providing food and water. 

Three of the top KUT pastors exchanging ideas.

Most of the pastors caught on right away and they were excited to put their new Bibles to work.  We split into small groups and had the pastors practice the driving principle of the afternoon’s session “information with application is just air.”  On a side note, early this afternoon it rained…I mean really rained.  It seemed as if all of Kampala came screeching to a halt.  For the Ugandans, rain is something akin to our snow storms.  They don’t like to go out into the rain, they won’t work in the rain, they absolutely will not travel in the rain.  Our meeting got started about an hour late so that those who were avoiding the “bad weather” could finally arrive.   We thought it kind of funny…after all it was just rain, but I am positive people from Iceland think it ridiculous when we cancel school over a dusting of what we call in the Cinci area, “white death.”

Maytag has nothing on this lady...one good reason to have few clothes!