faithhudson
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A New Mission | Trip #2 | Post #7
Friday, March 31st. Today we finished our first course, Knowing God, Scripture and Ourselves. Lesson ten had all three learning groups combined for our closing session and Mike Evans did a great job of wrapping things up. It was obvious that they retained the information we shared as Mike sought, and quickly got answers to his review questions. He asked eight and Stu was quick to point out that his guys answered five of them. I replied that one of my guys answered the question with a voice somewhat like James Earl Jones. I’d call on him to read Scripture just to hear his voice. Stu, the competitive one stated he has a trainee with a better voice. He also reminded me that he won two of three of the card game I taught them (called 7’s). We pastors are an insecure lot.
Our Fridays are usually pretty busy. Packing, saying goodbye to our hosts, and hitting the road for our six-hour ride across country to Entebbe…this one was a bit more adventurous than previous trips. Although we once had an eleven-hour, six-hour trip, today was only eight. About sixty minutes after leaving the van started jerking, slowly losing speed. Another passenger, Evan from Oxford, AL, is a gifted videographer (and I took the selfie with him, Mike and Stu). He is a friend of the ministry and took footage of the week. Evan mentioned when he was in the car the other day it did the same thing. Their remedy was to pull over, stop, and then start it again. So we did it…and it worked. We only had to do that six more times on the trip.
Then there was the traffic. I have survived John Nanda trips in India, but I am really surprised that we did not make contact with another vehicle, or those motorcycles and as it got dark…Ugandans are hard to see as they dart across the streets. I seldom react physically on a close call…but on one move Otim (oh team) Stephen (our driver) made, both my arms flew out to the side to brace for the hit…but nothing.
Otim is a cheerful man who seems to know everyone in Uganda. When we get to the airport, they usually have us get out of the van, walk through security, and the van drives in and gets looked at separately. Otim greeted the man, said a few words and he waved us through, we never had to get out of the van. We then went to the next point and he drove up to the VIP entrance. Otim greeted the man, showed an ID, and mentioned the name of the friend and pointed out his elderly passengers (obviously talking about Mike). He gave him the card back, moved the cone and took us up a ramp to the VIP area. We didn’t go in there, but it shortened our walk considerably.
We are now one hour away from boarding our KLM flight to Amsterdam (8 hours), five-hour layover and eight hours to MSP. I’m pretty tired right now, but its all so, so, so very worth it. I’m starting to get brain dead, so I’ll sign off for now. God willing, you will see me Sunday with hopefully a reasonable amount of sleep. I assume I will add one more post when I land.
A New Mission | Trip #2 | Post #6
Thursday, March 30th. The vision of the Pastoral Training Center is “an abiding network of Gospel-centered, Bible-saturated African-led churches.
This is about efforts others will make, and not us. Our call is to equip them in making this network a reality. Central to this task is equipping certain leaders for the future of this ministry.
Mike, Stu and I each have two Lead Trainers (LT) assigned to us. These are graduates of the last training cohort (with one exception) who set themselves apart and have interest in further training toward the end of becoming instructors in the future. They come to the Pastoral Training Center (PTC) two days early so we can work together and prep for the Monday-Friday week of training. Each of my LT’s did one of the ten lessons that we have in this course. Vincent had session six, entitled “Scripture Reveals God Through One Unified Plan”. He did incredibly well-I’d give him a 9 on a 10 scale. If he can do what he did in our class for an entire week, we have a future PTC impact player on our hands. On our next trip (September), they will also teach one session; we anticipate their load increasing after that. We want to work to make them successful.
Vincent and Moses (not THE Moses) have a number of TA-like roles: administering and correcting daily quizzes, lining up trainees for their presentation that they make each course, and drilling the class with our memory verse for the week, Colossians 1:15-18. Vincent not only shows skill in communicating in front of a group, he also shows great sensitivity to needs one-on-one. He also has given me feedback on areas that I can be more effective-really rare in African culture, getting tips from a person ½ your age.
Week one is coming to a close. We go a ½ day tomorrow, jump in a vehicle for the drive across the country, grab a bite to eat, and catch an 11:50 pm flight to Amsterdam then on to MSP. A guy in my small group is piloting a flight from Amsterdam to MSP, but he leaves Friday and not Saturday. I really love it here, but I get the itch to get home about this time in every week.
Today’s quote from Union with Christ by Rankin Wilbourne. “In all his letters, the apostle Paul never once uses the word “Christian.” Rather, his most common descriptor for those who follow Christ is that they are “in Christ.” Page 29.
A New Mission | Trip #2 | Post #5
Monday, March 27th. Today we began the real work of training African leaders. After a time of prayer at the guest house, Mike, Stu and I walked to the Pastoral Training Center, arriving a few minutes before our 8 am start time. Every trainee was in place and they had been singing and praying together for 15 minutes. They were eager. When we had our breakfast break (10:00-10:45 am), my guys were in their seats five minutes early. Apparently, they don’t attend FCC!
We had a great start. My team consists of 15 guys, three of which are from Congo. They are hungry, eager, and participative. There were a few times my questions were not responded to. Fortunately, the guy sitting right in front of me is very expressive and when his face gets contorted, I know I’ve missed the mark. It took me two do-overs to make a few of my questions more accessible. Our lessons today were on Knowing God and Making Him Known and focusing on God’s attributes of sovereignty, wisdom and goodness. Our trainees are intelligent and hard-working: I think it’s going to be a great three years!
With my clothes arriving yesterday, I felt I could take a good walk since I could now sweat in the clothes I am wearing. I met my goal of 12,000 steps and hope for more. I ran (walked, actually) into a young man wearing a Wisconsin t-shirt. I asked if I could take a picture and he was willing (see the picture?). He had no idea what the W stood for. I broke my sweat and am at 14,500 steps….a good day.
We had dinner tonight (roast beef, potatoes, green beans and chocolate cake!) at Kris and Julie Mobb’s home. Kris is the main guy out here and Julie is a gracious host and a very disciplined jogger. We shared stories about leaving our first kids at college, as their oldest will be attending Samford University in the fall. They will take a furlough starting in May to help him with the move.
We started sharing stories about getting married and it turns out that Julie’s dad never officially said yes amidst the tears he was shedding. Kris is pretty sure he approves as Kris has helped provide five grandchildren. We are now at the guest house winding down and hoping for a better night’s sleep than last. I slept from 10:30-11:30 and 2:00-6:00.
Is it worth it? Absolutely. I’d still like a good night’s sleep.
Today’s quote from Union with Christ: The Way to Know and Enjoy God by Rankin Wilbourne is…
“When you become a Christian, Christ unites his life to yours. “You are not your own” (1 Cor 6:19); you gain a new identity.” Page 104.
A New Mission | Trip #2 | Post #4
Sunday, March 26th. As you can see from the picture, my luggage finally made its way to Gulu. It is a relief to have my toiletries and underwear to make it through the remaining six days. There was one surprise. I usually bring three buttoned-down, short sleeve shirts to wear as I teach. I can tell you right now the exact place in my home on 12th Street where they are…guess it’s time to get creative. There are some cultural differences (surprise!) here. One makes buttoned shirts a requirement of sorts. One other is the absence of shorts. So no matter how hot it gets here (today it’s a gloriously cool 77), long pants will be worn. As soon as we get in the guest house, shorts are thrown on. Fortunately, Kris Mobbs, the director of the Pastoral Training Center, is about my size. I hope to hit him up for a couple of shirts. The good news is that my shirts for next time are all ready to go for the trip in September.
This morning we walked 2/10 of a mile from our place to Living Stones Community Church. Vincent is one of two Lead Trainers (think college TA) assigned to me for the next three years (God willing). He preached this morning and did a solid job. He has been discipled well by Kris and other leaders of this church, and I look forward to seeing his growth in this season.
Mike, Stu and I all had a rough night’s sleep, so staying engaged in the service was more difficult than usual. The singing often happens with a clapping beat starting, singing next, and electronic keyboards jumping in last. Today I was able to persevere and clap till the end. ☺ The service is in Acholi (the local dialect) and translated in English. This is true for every part of the service except the singing. When we got back, we all made a bee line to our rooms and caught a nap. Hopefully, it won’t mess up our sleep for tonight.
Every Sunday late afternoon the missionaries and their families go into Gulu town for dinner. I’ll be heading there soon. When we get back, I will watch FCC online and prep for tomorrow (I’m probably good to go now-but I want to be really helpful), as a new season of pastoral training begins!
Please consider praying that Mike, Stu and I will come as servants and not experts. That we communicate well to serve the churches and their leaders.
I realized today I forgot to give a quote from the book I am currently enjoying Union with Christ. “He came to atone for us, that we might be at one with him. In Christ, God has united his life to our and made it possible for our lives to be made new.” Page 109
A New Mission | Trip #2 | Post #3
Saturday, March 25th. Today things started to get exciting. We had our first meeting with our Lead Trainers for this cohort. Lead Trainers (LT’s) are those from the past who have so set themselves apart by their scholarship, character, and leadership, that we could see them moving forward in leading future pastoral training for other Africans. There are currently 12 lead trainers. Three of them will be leading a cohort the week after we do, and the other nine are playing support roles (kind of like TA’s in college) for them or Stu, Mike and myself.
We met for three hours. The first hour we went around and gave updates on life. We then broke for breakfast. We then gave them instructions about their responsibilities as LT’s. We then broke into smaller groups.
Part of the developmental process is to have them share in the teaching load from the very outset. By way of reminder, what we are setting in motion is a three-year, nine-course curriculum designed to help pastors become more successful in understanding and communicating the various styles of Scripture. My two LT’s, Vincent and Moses (pretty common name in northern Uganda) will each teach one lesson: Vincent, lesson six, Moses, lesson seven. I worked with all the LT’s who would teach lesson six, and Stu, lesson seven.
I helped them understand the nature of the curriculum and how it flows. I also gave them some tips on how to manage the class and help the trainees stay engaged in the workbook they would be using for our five days of training. Then we spent time on the material itself.
This introductory course is titled Knowing God, Scripture and Ourselves. Lesson six is an overview of the Bible as a cohesive story. Understanding this rightly makes interpreting any particular passage more likely as one interprets the parts of Scripture by the whole. I went through the lesson, encouraging certain areas to emphasize and others to pass on if time became an issue. Each lesson usually takes 2.5 to 3 hours in the classroom.
I have to admit, my level of confidence was not high after the session. These brothers are all bright, but I wonder about their teaching ability. Then I remembered we are at the starting point in this process. I thought back to the changes that took place in the previous cohort and my confidence was restored. We’ve got three years to grow them…it will be fine. The picture here is of my lesson six group sitting outside the recently completed library for the Pastor’s Training Center.
Turns out my luggage made it to Entebbe last night-so we are both on the same continent! The plan is it will be sent on a bus cross country today for a reunion tonight. I hope so as I have missed two days of walking due to trying to keep my limited clothing from getting too ripe. Today the high is supposed to be 85 with a real feel of 97!
Tomorrow we get to worship with our friends from Living Stones Community Church.
A New Mission | Trip #2 | Post #2
Friday, March 24th. Last night we stayed at the guest house we have become accustomed to. It is close to the airport and comfortable. We arrived there around 11:45 pm as I had to make a claim for the two of our five bags that didn’t make it with us. One was a tote with supplies for the week. The other was my luggage! The people at Entebbe told us that they would arrive on today (Friday night’s flight) and get placed on a bus for the ride to Gulu. I could stand almost three days in the same clothes….86 degrees and abundant sunshine is making things a bit…sticky.
We met at 6:45 for breakfast and went into our rooms to pack. It doesn’t take too long when you only have a backpack! We hit the road and discovered the rains here have been impactful. One van was swept off the road by the water and was being pulled out as we drove by. The rest of the 6+ hour trip was uneventful.
We arrived at Abaana’s Hope, got to our place, and started getting situated. Every time we come, our return includes greater anticipation as our friendship and partnership deepens. We studied a bit, as tomorrow our Lead Trainers will come, and we will be equipping them for their contribution to teaching for the week. Putting them in a position to succeed is key to all we are doing as the day will come when they take over this enterprise and we will no longer come back. These relationships are really special. Each session we bring the nine of them a book for their personal library. We have copies of The Knowledge of the Holy, by A.W. Tozer. It is one of the books that I read annually, focusing on the attributes of God.
We dined on chicken fingers and fries and played a new card game I learned recently. We had to start over three times as the first deck had 31 cards, the second had 41, and we had to borrow from deck number 2 to complete deck number 3. Stu and Mike like the game, so, in addition to hearts, we now have another game to play.
Stu received an email tonight saying his luggage (a tote with no personal items) was on a plane heading for Entebbe…no word on yours truly…uh oh. Could get sticky and smelly!
A New Mission | Trip #2 | Post #1
I am currently sitting in a KLM plane at Kilimanjaro airport in Tanzania. We are waiting for some to exit while we (Mike Evans, Stu Dix and yours truly), along with others, wait to board and take off for Entebbe, Uganda, to begin our next round of pastoral training. We were very fortunate that this leg of the trip was only about 2/3 full, so we got to spread out a bit. This makes our second consecutive eight-hour flights a bit more pleasant.
Usually, we fly from Amsterdam to Kigali, Rwanda, before turning around to Entebbe. I mentioned to Stu that this was my first time in Tanzania. Sitting in the plane in the dark, he said from his vantage point (sitting in the plane), it looked just like Kigali.
Many would say I have never been to Tanzania, and I would agree with them. My wife, Carol, would disagree. Ask her about having been in all fifty states—some encounters with states she has not been in much more than my experience in seat 16D (one row short of comfort plus) of Tanzania.
For those of you who have followed our (the St. Croix Valley LEAD team) exploits, this is actually our third round of trainings. We learned A LOT in our first round and came to some conclusions as to how things would need to be different in order for us to participate in a second round. We met a man named Kris Mobbs, a missionary with Four Corners Ministry. He was able to check all the boxes regarding our concerns and in May of 2022, we took part in the first-ever graduation of the Living Stones Pastoral Training Center. There was much joy as 36 trainees who participated in our three-year process and their families celebrated.
We are now starting another three-year process with Kris and Four Corners. Men from nine different people groups will be part of this cohort. I am really looking forward to starting another round of training.
Just met a couple from Kansas who came with their two sons to meet their Compassion child. What a great outfit Compassion is!
I’m reading a really good book on this trip: Union with Christ: The Way to Know and Enjoy God by Rankin Wilbourne (I never heard of him either). I’m going to share a quote from it each time I write.
“The call to be radical can make you exhausted, but the call to be ordinary can make you apathetic.” Page 48.
Wilbourne is suggesting a third way. We’re off to Entebbe!
I’m in Entebbe…my bags are still in Amsterdam…let the fun begin!