Uganda – A New Mission

The flight from Entebbe to Amsterdam was uneventful. Actually, there was a great event. I slept for nearly four hours! That is a rarity for me, and I am grateful for it as my last night in Gulu netted only two hours of sleep (which did allow me to finish my John Grisham novel and continue deeper into my current read on nationalism-interesting stuff. I’m also doing my annual read of The Knowledge of the Holy during this trip. One chapter a day).

We had a six-hour layover in Amsterdam, spent in comfort in the KLM lounge. Mike, for all his foreign travels, has access to this perk-and Stu and I took full advantage of it. Caught a few winks and spent the last hour walking around the airport trying to get a little exercise before another eight and a half hours for the plane ride to MSP. It was obvious by the amount of people that were waiting that the plane was pretty full. During the time in the KLM lounge, Mike was able to move me from a middle seat to an aisle-which is really helpful when your bladder is as small as mine is!

Stu and I were on the aisle seats with two seats in between us. The very good news we found was that of the ten or so seats that were open on the flight, the two between us we vacant. If there is any flight you want that good fortune, you want it to be the final leg. I sit now with my iPad on the tray table next to me, using my wireless keyboard. 

One of the upsides of all our technology is that I have been able to keep up with emails, respond to all texts, and help plan a funeral from Africa. This means when I land in six hours, I won’t have a pile of matters to address. I can settle in at home, hopefully stay up late enough to watch Blue Bloods, and get (maybe, hopefully, probably not) a good night’s sleep. It’s always a guessing game how it’s going to go. Sometimes reentry is a breeze, sometimes four days later, I’m still dragging. I’ve learned not to overthink it, but get the work I can done, and try to sneak a nap in when I’m feeling like a zombie. 

It is all worth it. The jet lag, the fatigue, the intensity, upending my sense of routine (which I value highly). Avoiding the snow and cold for nine days was nice. In my next (and last) post, I will try to put into words why this matters so much, not only to me but to FCC and God’s purposes for us. 

The picture here is the addition that is being put on the Pastor’s Training Center that, beginning in March, will host 71 pastors and church leaders to help them receive biblical and pastoral training that the majority of them would never receive.

Last night was disappointing…As I mentioned in our last post, Delta changed our flight path back, due to Uganda’s recent history with Ebola (I already had COVID on a previous trip, how bad could Ebola be?). We were told the CDC required that we be routed through one of five airports in the US, and Delta chose Atlanta for us. This would result in us landing seven hours (a layover in Amsterdam airport) later than we originally planned.

By the way, when it is 6-7 hours to cross the country to the airport, you look for ways to consolidate trips. This meant that Mike, Stu and I jumped in a van at 6:30 this morning to drive to appointments Missionary Dave Hagins and his daughters needed to make in Kampala. With the early take-off, and our flights being later, we would land at MSP 49 hours after jumping in the van! I have been struggling with my attitude.

One of the great phrases trainees will learn over the next three years is that “God is sovereign, wise and good.” God reminded me that was true for me in this situation, not just in the classroom – time I paid attention to my own teaching. Travel is one of the challenges of this gig, especially at the end. I remembered this was a small price for the great privilege, and laid down for 3 hours of sleep! God is sovereign, wise and good…repeat, repeat….

We had an uneventful trip into Kampala, appointments were made and we had lunch. When the five of us were on our way to Entebbe, Dave got a ticket! The cop said that he had been clocked at 78 in a 40 km zone. She walked away to get some documentation and Dave said “she’s looking for a bribe”. She came back and mentioned that he was looking at a fine-he acknowledged that he was speeding and apologized. She walked away and a colleague came up to the door. Dave said, “I was speeding, I apologize”. The colleague said, “perhaps you could show some appreciation”-which is code for “give her some cash”. Dave confessed his speed again. The original cop came back and told Dave he was facing 200,000 Ugandan Schillings, approximately $55. Crickets…Dave said he would pay the fine. He was reluctantly handed the ticket.

We then made it to a hotel that Dave and his girls were staying that night about two miles from the airport. We had about seven hours to kill before we needed to get back to the airport. We sat down (by beautiful Lake Entebbe-see pic). I opened my Delta app and was surprised to see that the trip I had no longer was going through Atlanta, arriving seven hours later. I told Mike and Stu and they jumped on their apps and discovered the same. Dave jumped on the internet and said that at 2 am today the Biden administration removed the Ebola rerouting restriction. So we’re back to the original plan. God is sovereign, wise and good.

Today was an important day. We finished our time here with some final words of encouragement and afterward, those who came to kick the tires were asked to come forward to sign a document committing to the time (three years) and the tasks involved in pursuing an informal theological education with Training Leaders International (TLI). The document would also be signed by Kris Mobbs (the on-site host, handling all the logistics), Mike Evans on behalf of Training Leaders International (the curriculum), and yours truly, for the St. Croix Valley LEAD Team, who is charged with providing three teachers three times a year over the next three years. 

There were a total of 71 potential trainees. 34 of them were closer to our site and are being trained by indigenous leaders that we trained from 2018–22. The other 37 were from further away, including South Sudan and Congo and would be trained by Mike Evans, Stu Dix and myself in the future, and others who would round out our team of three for future trips. I was excited to see that all 37 who came decided to sign on the dotted line and go for it. It was a reflection of my assessment of our time together. We were effectively communicating and demonstrating the opportunity before them, and they are eager to learn. This group seems a bit brighter than the previous group. That can be deceptive, because a solid grasp of English does not necessarily compute to intelligence-although the one man who speaks eleven languages probably is quite smart. 

I’m very excited about the two men who will be working alongside of me. Their names are Moses and Vincent. Moses is from Congo and has a desire to train many of his countrymen. He has displayed spiritual zeal, relational skill, and when some cleaning had to take place, he was the first one to grab a broom. The second one is Vincent, who is actually an employee of Abaana’s Hope, the compound that houses the Pastoral Training Center. Vincent started as a security guard and was promoted to running their small farm (with great effectiveness). He has shown great intelligence, leadership and biblical insight when he took the courses in the last cohort.

They will serve as Teacher’s Assistants but will also carry some of the teaching load. For example, the first course contains ten lessons. I will teach seven lessons, Moses and Vincent will each teach one, and someone else will lead session ten when our three learning groups convene for the final lesson. Their teaching load will increase over the three years, with the hope that at the conclusion of this cohort, they will be equipped and ready to lead future cohorts without help from Americans. This is toward the goals of a gospel centered, Bible saturated, African lead networks of pastors and churches. Picture number one is of me with Moses and Vincent.

After we said goodbye, I went back to our guest house and caught a nap (which was a surprise as I slept really well the night before), and got up and played three games of two on two basketball with Kris Mobbs, the leader of the Training Center and his two teenage sons. My feet moved like they were in cement buckets, but fortunately, my younger teammate carried me toward winning two of the games, allowing us to give ourselves the title of world champs. 

I wanted a little more exercise in the 97-degree heat, so I grabbed a bottle of water and took a walk-traveling further than I should have. Grateful for the water bottle, I ran out only about 1/3 of a mile back from our guest house. The water was warm by then as well. As I rounded the corner, I walked by a bicycle and I heard a pig snort about a foot from me, causing my heart to jump. On the back of the bike there was a pig laid out with leaves over it to protect it from the sun. I asked permission to take a picture (after I regained my composure) and include for your education. 

Tomorrow, we get up early and head to Kampala, eventually heading to the airport for a very long travel stint. We got a notice from Delta telling us our seats were upgraded on our longest leg, which is good news. This good news was to soften the blow that we would be rerouted through Atlanta, arriving at MSP six hours later, including a seven-hour layover in Amsterdam. I wonder if Paul and Silas ever had to put up with such challenges! As always, I love my time here, but once we start to head back, It’s all about getting back to Carol, FCC and Hudson. 

Today, we took prospects for the next cohort and exposed them to the Training Leaders International (TLI) curriculum in the classroom. Mike, Stu and I took about 15 each into a classroom for three hours of experiencing what we have to offer: rigorous equipping in understanding and communicating Scripture. We spent time studying Mark 2:1-12, asking and answering three questions:

1. What is the author’s main point?
2. How does this passage fit in the Bible?
3. How does it apply to my life?

There wasn’t a lack of intelligence (this group speaks 11 languages) in the group. They quickly caught the concepts we were teaching. It was clear these men were lacking exposure and resources-it was fun to provide for them and to see not only gratitude, but seeing the lights come on. The thought of equipping them in the future is quite appealing.

I did struggle with jet lag today. I was up at 2 a.m. (finished the latest John Grisham novel) and got down for about 45 minutes before my alarm that was set for 6:30. We spent some time with the larger group, did our classroom, and then spent a one and a half hour Q & A session on the covenant we are asking these men to consider. I hustled back to our place to get a 35-minute nap, before waking up 15 minutes before a service that I was going to preach at. I felt brain dead (for you medical personnel-this is not true in a technical sense) as I made my way to the chapel, felt a little life in the singing, but felt pretty lethargic and dead during my message. I got a lot of positive feedback, but my mind and body simply felt detached (again, a figure of speech). 

I made it back to our place and took a long walk. On this walk, I encountered something I never encountered before. Walking down the road, I was walking toward a herd of bulls and I wondered if I was going to have a life-altering experience. I considered turning back, but after taking a picture, I assumed I would probably be ok. About 50 feet from the first bull, a ten-year oldish boy emerged from the back of the pack, hit one of the bulls lightly with a piece of rope, giving me ten feet on my side of the road. No problem. See the picture attached to this post.

The other picture is a lot more tame. I will take a picture of groups of kids and then show it to them. They really enjoy them. 

I hope for a good night’s sleep. Tomorrow is the big day. Decisions will be made and agreements will be signed to work together for three years, or not. Stay tuned.

Larry Szyman

Pastor for Missional Life

Today (Monday) we get down to business, helping those interested in the next cohort understand what is being offered and expected of them. Kris Mobbs put the schedule together and he did a masterful job. He started by going through the schedule for the next two and a half days. We broke the group of about 70 in half. One group did a get-to-know-you exercise, and the other took a tour of the 100-acre facility known as Abaana’s Hope. An hour later, the groups alternated their activity. This was followed by two testimonies given by men who participated in the last cohort, testifying to the impact it had on their ministry. Then we had lunch.

After we got back together, Mike Evans and I had an hour to help the cohort know about the curriculum: how it is laid out, the goals, and how we would present it. It was well received and only a few questions were asked. We had two more testimonies and called it a day. These testimonies were so encouraging to us. We had not realized the impact that had been made upon these leaders. One in particular, was from a man named Vincent. He started as a security guard for Abaana’s Hope, held a variety of roles, and is now an effective pastor. Today’s focus was on half of the training they receive through the Training Leader’s International material. Tomorrow (Tuesday) they will hear about the other half of the training. Materials from Nine Marks ministry will help them in what is commonly referred to as pastoral theology, that is, how to be a pastor. The combination of these two facets are proving to be quite helpful. 

Part of what takes place in these cohorts is having fun. We went out at 4 pm and in 97-degree heat to play volleyball, while many played football (aka soccer). The relationships that are built during this season can serve these pastors well into the future. I played some volleyball and gave evidence of the body and mind that were not in sync! 

This group seems to be better communicators in English than our previous one, which is really good news. There is one guy in the group that speaks eleven languages. As I tell these trainees, I don’t consider myself smarter than they are, I simply have been given resources that they have not. I look forward to seeing how this process unfolds.

Larry Szyman

Pastor for Missional Life

January 6-8

We woke up in Entebbe to drive across the country 6-7 hours to Abaana’s Hope, the name of the compound we stay at. Over the years, I’ve grown accustomed to the sights, sounds and smells of Uganda. People generally follow the rules as they drive. The road is shared by eighteen-wheelers, small motorcycles, bikes and everything in between. It is not unusual to have a cow or herd of goats on the road as well. The roads have improved significantly since my first trip here, through leadership provided by the Chinese government. 

Along the way, Kris Mobbs (our key contact and leader of the Pastor’s Training Center) is our driver and host. We were able to catch up on the road and begin discussing the specifics of our time on this trip. Our friendship with Kris and his family is one of the great gifts of this enterprise. We know each other well enough to ask each other questions of significance, tease each other and share the challenges and joys of our ministries. Mike Evans, who has a bit of car sickness, sits in the front, while Stu Dix and I sit in the back. There is plenty of room in the vehicle.

We arrive at our place, settle in, and do some prep work for the days ahead. Having been to this location about ten times, we understand well how things work, including upgraded wi-fi! I am blessed with an unusually good night’s sleep.

Saturday is an important day as we meet the men who will partner with us in leadership in this next season (if everything comes together). There are two cohorts. The one Mike, Stu and I will teach in is cohort A. We have discussed and been assigned Lead Trainers (LT), who are indigenous leaders and will act like Teacher’s Assistant’s (TA) for college days. They will help with logistics, give feedback, do some teaching, and, God willing, lead future cohorts without the help of Americans. Cohort B will be taught by three leaders from our last cohort. Half the trainees will receive their instruction from fellow Ugandans only. If all works well, and we see this cohort through to the end, in 2026 there will be two cohorts that will be lead by local leadership and we will be out of the picture. It is an exciting prospect.

I have been assigned two Lead Trainers, one of whom I never met before. The first LT is Vincent, who was a trainee in the last cohort. He demonstrated both heart and skill to take this next step. The other LT, Moses, is new to me and to our group. Kris sees him as an exceptional leader who has a solid education (currently working on his master’s degree) and can be trusted to jump in and out of our norms and do well. I’m very impressed with his vision, his knowledge, his English and his hunger to learn. If things move forward as we hope, I will be well served by these Vincent and Moses, and future cohorts will prosper under indigenous leadership. 

The forecasted highs of 100-104 are off and we are in the the low to mid 90’s, which makes life a bit easier. With fans blowing all night, I am not sweating in my sleep.

Sunday, we go to church at Living Stones Community Church, which is on the same compound we are staying at, about an eight-minute walk. We are becoming increasingly familiar with the people here and it is good to see the increasing amount of familiar faces. Their service is a blend of Acholi and English songs. When singing in Acholi we invariably clap. Not knowing the words, I seek to clap in order to participate. After about ten minutes of clapping, it gets to be a bit of a challenge, but I want to engage to the degree I can. 

Tonight, we went into town with the three missionary families for dinner (Indian) and then came back to the compound to meet the next group of trainees. Tomorrow, we start our taster event, and will seek to discern what God is up to. Will do a little prep tonight and hopefully get a decent night’s sleep so we can engage the trainees and serve them well. 

The picture is a bull I came across on my morning walk (a little different than Vine St on my usual path!)

Larry Szyman

Pastor for Missional Life

January 4 – 5, 2023

I woke up on Wednesday morning to a winter wonderland. After a brief time of marveling, I spent about an hour and fifteen minutes shoveling wonder. I commend the city of Hudson for the great job of clearing off twelfth street. I wasn’t as excited for the pile waiting for me at the end of the driveway. Our plane was on time and we (Mike Evans, Stu Dix and myself) needed to be as well. Brian Nelson was kind to see us to MSP-he only had to engage the four-wheel- drive briefly on the way. 

I am currently sitting in the plane in Amsterdam, waiting to take off and land at Kilimanjaro Airport in Africa and on to Entebbe, Uganda. Airline travel is up, evidenced by the full planes to Boston, Amsterdam, and now this flight. Stu and I were in row 35 last flight. It was announced that rows 20-35 did not have functioning media, so no movies for eight hours (I wonder if Paul and Silas had to face such challenges on their journeys!) I made some progress on my John Grisham novel, played some solitaire, and got a bit of sleep. The lady next to me had a 1-2 year old on her lap and he was incredible the whole flight. They are heading to Uganda as well.

We are on our way to do a “taster” event, where we will give an abbreviated training for a group of pastors from South Sudan. We hope to give them a window of what to expect to see if they are willing to make a three-year commitment for future training. This would happen in conjunction with Four Corners Ministries, who will host the event, and our little team from western Wisconsin. If all three groups agree to move forward, we will be back. If not, this will likely be the last time I make it to the Pearl of Africa. I have much to learn about this group and will report more in future posts. 

The traveling is a bit of a grind, but I am so thankful for the opportunity ahead of us. I am still amazed that I can leave snowy MSP and twenty-five hours later land in Uganda. People file in a tube and leave the ground, flying over the Atlantic, eating a beef stew meal (pretty good). We will then drive across the country, ending in one hundred-degree heat! Maybe I can start making progress toward 2023 weight loss goals.

Please pray that God will grant us clarity as to our next steps. I hope we get to move forward, but if God is not in this next phase, I’m happy to stay in St. Croix County with you all.

Larry Szyman

Pastor for Missional Life