Uganda Trip 9

Thursday, June 2nd

I am home and I think the jet lag is behind me (one never knows) on this the final trip of our four-year excursion (COVID made it longer) into Africa. The goal has been met and I am grateful. We believe we have established the foundation for the vision of an abiding network of Gospel-centered, Bible saturated, African lead churches. 

The most gratifying part of this whole process is that it looks like it will take place. I have had many “visions” in life not come to fruition. This is especially gratifying given the complexity of doing so cross-culturally. We have completed our task; now it is time to get out of Africa.

Or is it? After our graduation of the 37 church leaders from the pastoral training center, Mike Evans and I joined five others for a trip to South Sudan. We have been invited to consider doing something similar for this young country (independence came in 2011). 

Archbishop Stephen Dokolo oversees three other bishops and around 500 Anglican churches in four dioceses in and around Mundri County. The South Sudanese people have lived at war with those from the north. There have been conflicts from

• 1955-1972 (civil war-north/south)
• 1983-2005 (civil war-north/south)
• 2013-2020 (civil war-south/south)

In the most recent conflict, a civil war within South Sudan, over 400,000 people died, with another 4,000,000 people displaced home and abroad (many to Uganda, where we just trained two South Sudanese leaders in a refugee camp near the border).

During the conflict that ended in 2020, Stephen (that’s what the archbishop asked us to call him) was doing anything he could to hold his churches together, including appointing pastors who are not well grounded in the Scriptures. He is looking for outside help to get these four dioceses on a healthier path and have asked us (Four Corners Ministry and the St. Croix Valley LEAD Team) to join forces to help.

In our four days, we held a two-day gospel clarity conference and Stephen was excited by it. He kept saying, gospel clarity is what we need-this is most helpful. He shares a robust faith in Christ. 

This has really gotten my attention. To help the church in a war-torn country find their footing for the future seems like a very worthy task. The logistics here present significant hurdles. The longer we were there, from my vantage point, I couldn’t see it working. My pragmatic side was winning out.

As we shared these insights with Stephen, he handled them quite well (people in such settings are used to disappointment). Then he came up with an idea that really changed my mind. What if he and the trainees from South Sudan would take a two-day bus trip both ways to Gulu, Uganda (where we have solid logistical help) for a next cohort? This group would meet right before the ongoing cohort led by Africans, taking advantage of the logistical strengths that exist. 

There are many things to work out:

• Can he secure enough English proficient pastors to make it worthwhile?
• Will Four Corners provide the resources for a second cohort?
• Can and will the St. Croix Valley LEAD Team of churches provide the trainers (usually pastors) and resources for another round?

If all of these matters (and other matters I’m sure I’m not aware of yet) can be worked out, there would likely be a practice session in January of 2023. If all goes well, an agreement would be signed for three trips per year for three years beginning in May.

Are we out of Africa?…we’ll see!

The pictures are of Stephen and me in front of his home (that’s what 500 churches under you will get you), some remnants of the latest conflict, and Stephen sharing his heart with our group.

One last post to come!

Larry Szyman

Pastor for Missional Life

Sunday, May 29th

The day after we finished our training, we headed to Murchison National Park so Joel, the Training Leaders International Curriculum Director, could go on his first safari. We had a decent safari (you become a snob of sorts when you’ve been on three!), and Joel left for the airport the next morning. Mike and I stayed two more nights before continuing the trip to South Sudan (more posts coming about this portion of the trip coming). The whole time we were there, our meals were served to us by a delightful guy named Junior. He took great care of us the entire time-every meal.

We asked Junior about his life, and he told an amazing story about his grandmother. She was banished to an island as a pregnant twelve-year-old, left to die! The island, known as Punishment Island, was the price the pregnant girl would pay, because they were no longer suited to generate a dowry for the family. I’m no doctor, but I think the pregnancy involved a man as well-I don’t think there was an island for them!

As tragic as the whole enterprise was, there is an amazing redemptive element here. I was able to point out how this story points to Jesus’ work on behalf of the forsaken. The fact we were talking about his grandmother is a hint of what took place. There is an article and a three-minute video (after the obligatory ad) and is instructive and eye opening. Check out the link below.

It is quite common for the man (like Junior) to live apart from the family to make money to send home to care for them in Uganda. At the conclusion of our trip, we left him a note with a $20 tip for him and he was excited to send it home to help with his kid’s school fees. School fees are a constant battle for Ugandans, and fathers and mothers go to great lengths to make this happen for the kids they for whom they want a better future. 

It is one of the many joys of these trips to get to know people like Junior. I’m amazed at the resilience and intelligence of so many we meet. Junior speaks four languages and his English is really solid. Our driver, Otim, speaks seven languages. Between his language skills and his delightful personality, wherever we go, he seems to know someone. I’m home, but there are more stories to come, especially some opportunities that lie ahead. Click the link, you will not be disappointed. 

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-39576510

Larry Szyman

Pastor for Missional Life

Thursday, May 26th.

Today was time to say goodbye to South Sudan and make our way home! We left the Lui Cathedral at 7:00 am to start the 35.5 hour trip home. We drove to Mundri airport which was a bit busier than on Monday. There were about 75 UN peace keeping troops, as well as about 8 vehicles for their transport. Archbishop Dokolo sent us off with a prayer and a hug. Right before we were to take off with our two pilots and the seven of us, the troops pulled out near the runway, which gave me a little pause-is something wrong here? A few minutes later they pulled out and we were able to get on the runway and take off. 

Jim (one of our pilots) found out that a couple of government officials landed very shortly after our take off. One plane and two helicopters came. Jim explained what a gift it was that we took off first. If the copters had landed, he and Elisha would have to take some time to clean the intakes of the plane as the rotors would have sent dirt from the runway everywhere! The first leg from Lui to Yei was only half an hour.

When we landed in Yei, we went through immigration to be let out of the country (the pictures are of the “terminal” and going through immigration). The COVID test results that we took in Uganda on Monday in order to leave South Sudan (SS) on Thursday, came back negative, so we knew at least we could get to Uganda. That was a relief as there are a number of personal allies on the ground in case we got stuck there. Turns out the SS immigration folk didn’t even ask for the results…oh well. We were cleared for leg two our flight from Yei to Arua, a border town in northern Uganda in order to be cleared for what we (Mike Evans and me) hoped would be about an eight hour stay in Uganda. 

Arua had a cement air strip and something that felt more like a terminal. Mike and I would need to take a Rapid Antigen Test on departure day in order to be allowed to land in the US. While others went to pick up a “quick” breakfast for us, we were tested. Allen, the Four Corners based partner stayed back with us in case anything happened.

Turned out we needed him. When it came to pay for the tests ($35 USD each), they would not accept our money as it was old, or had marks on it. Allen came to the rescue with Ugandan Schillings and we got on with the tests. We were told the results would come in about fifteen minutes and the results would be emailed-which would be great IF you have wi-fi. We were swabbed and went wi-fi hunting which proved unsuccessful. About a half hour later (the “quick” breakfast run was not so quick), I went back in the office where they had already had a hard copy of the results for both of us. We both tested negative, so now we both are cleared to head home. That was a great relief as I tested positive in January and my stay was extended five days. A half hour later the “quick” breakfast was received and we hustled to the plane to begin leg number three of the journey. From Arua to Gulu, our home base in Uganda.

In Gulu, we were greeted by Kris Mobbs who was supposed to go with us to SS but tested positive. We got out, spoke five minutes, did a quick potty break and made our way back to the plane. We hugged Kris and our four other companions on this trip as they had another week in Gulu. Mike, Allen and I continued on the same small plane (a twelve seater) for the one and a half hour flight to Entebbe (which really beats the 7-9 hour drive over some less than ideal terrain), leaving us only flights to Nairobi, Amsterdam and MSP left! The plane was now spacious (I’m currently typing on the flight) and it is starting to feel we are heading home. 

Jim, the lead pilot, is giving us chances to sit in the front seat as he is in the first-row monitoring Elijah, who is still being trained in this craft (he’s been flying for six years-he’s simply new to this plane). Allen is occupying the co-pilot position and I am enjoying overlooking the Nile and the green scenery below. You haven’t heard from me in a number of days, since I have had no wi-fi access and I didn’t bring my laptop to SS due to a fifteen pound weight limit on our charter. There will be much more to come. I have some incredible stories of people I have met, what they have endured and some unshakeable faith that is a wonder to behold. Even after I land on Friday, I will send some reflections-depending on how my energy holds up. I’m quite tired.

Larry Szyman

Pastor for Missional Life

Saturday, May 21st

Meet the first cohort graduates of the Living Stones Pastoral Training Center! Graduations are a big deal in Uganda, and it is not that out of the ordinary for family members to run up to a student after receiving a certificate and dance and shout around them as they make their way back to their seat (they’d fit right in the upper Midwest!). Our very first meeting four years ago included forty-four men and today thirty-seven of them received certificates of completion. 

As the picture shows, the graduates had matching pants, shirts, ties, and clips. Their joy was obvious. When Mike and I walked toward the chapel and the graduates, they started clapping for and hugging us. I had wondered how long it would take for me to start feeling emotional. It didn’t take long as I started tearing up as they celebrated us. It would not be the last tears of the day. It was humbling and gratifying.

The cohort marched in with big smiles on their faces. Their joy was obvious. Kris Mobbs, our Ugandan based American leader here, was wise during the welcome. He asked that everyone remain in their seats due to time constraints (it didn’t work). Kris greeted everyone, including the friends from US (four others) and Africans who came. It became clearer to me all the people who had invested in bringing this day about.

We sang in Acholi, in Made, in Arabic and in English. Mike and I were each given ten minutes to speak (for the record, we were both done under ten!). Had my sons been present, they would have been betting with each other about how long it would take for me to start crying. I made it halfway through the entire first sentence! More singing and a message from Mwindula Mbewe, a church planter from Zambia (whose young daughter brought us much joy before leaving on Sunday). 

Before the certificates were handed out, we acknowledged our Lead Trainers, perhaps the five people in the cohort that worked the hardest. Our vision is to see an abiding network of Bible centered, gospel saturated African lead churches. In January, these five men will lead the next cohort, making it truly African lead. They have shared the teaching load with us starting in course four of nine and have given indication that they can and will carry on.

After the service, we made our way out to the lawn to meet family members and friends. It was great to meet the wives, parents, siblings and others of the thirteen in my learning group that made it to the end. We shared in a feast in which we were all well fed and called it a day, saying goodbyes that will likely have to wait till heaven.

This marks the end of our time in Uganda…or does it? Stay tuned for more!

Larry Szyman

Pastor for Missional Life

Friday, May 20th

I woke up this morning (Friday, May 20th) in Uganda. Several texts awaited me when I entered the wi-fi zone, alerting me that a hailstorm had come through Hudson, denting cars, and scarring roofs. My neighbors let me know that our cars and home were not exempt. Our insurance agent says that it was the worst storm in his multi decade career.

There’s not a lot one can make happen from Africa, given the distance and eight-hour time change.  I simply moved on with my morning, recognizing my powerlessness. At breakfast I was struck at how relaxed I was given the recent news and the impending tasks ahead. I found a surprising liberation in my powerlessness. 

The Scripture gives many examples of how the acknowledgement of human weakness and limitation are, in fact, a platform for liberation. This is because a climate is created that makes it more likely that we look outside ourselves for another power, in the God who is there. The Apostle Paul said God’s power is made perfect in weakness. I’m not a big fan of weakness. I live in a country where we make a way for ourselves and a city of relative affluence. 

You’d be surprised at what you can find in a moment (or a season) of weakness. I have found incredibly helpful neighbors, trustworthy contractors, an insurance company who kept their promises. Behind it all, a calm assurance that the God who knows when a sparrow falls to the ground, knows of my plight, my inconvenience, my weakness.

Ultimate validation in weakness comes through Jesus Christ. He came in weakness and took on powerlessness as he yielded his life on a cross for others. On the third day rose again, according to the Scriptures. For those who trust in his death and resurrection, who admit powerlessness in self access to God, he gives the right to be the child of God-today and forever. In doing so, we move from a frantic attempt to keep all of life in order, to finding ourselves in the work-rest trusting relationship that mortals may walk in before putting on immortality.

What (or who) is ruling my heart is made abundantly clear when I am feeling powerless. Panic, or a peace that passes understanding (or pick you spot in between) or all possible. Next time you find yourself powerless, consider it an invitation to humbly look in the direction of the one who became weak that we might rest in his resurrection strength.

Larry Szyman

Pastor for Missional Life

Friday, May 20th

Meet Jonathan (see the picture). Mike and I met Jonathan at the lodge we stayed at between finishing our teaching and heading back for graduation. Born to American parents in Brazil, they currently reside in Lakeland (not THE Lakeland, the one in FL). He has seen a lot in his life. He works in the oil and gas industry and mentioned that huge reserves had been found very close by. We have become very aware in our relationship with this country that a significant part of infrastructure improvements come through the nation of China-with strings attached (not that they are the only country that does so). There is a huge hydroelectric plant on the Nile that we pass on our every trip here that were the result of Chinese leadership and money. My concern is that a dependence is being created that will result in anti-freedom challenges in this country I have come to love. 

I assumed somehow this move was somehow another example of Chinese influence. When I asked Jonathan, he answered “No” quickly and loudly. His role in the company is to train Ugandans to do the work related to the gas and oil discovery. His goal is 80% of the workers to be Ugandans in three years, including his job. To be sure, his company is going to make some money. Their hope is that in the long run the Ugandan economy and this region will flourish as they secure and deliver needed resources for their people and nearby nations. This common grace of businesses moving in to help local economies in the long run is a gift. 

Jonathan spoke of their commitment to sustainability, both for the environment and the people of Uganda. I simply wanted to pass along this hopeful story to you. Every trip we meet some interesting folk-there is more to come!

Larry Szyman

Pastor for Missional Life

Thursday, May 19th

We arrived at the Pakuba Lodge in Murchison Falls National Park on Tuesday. Every time a newbie comes on a trip, we investigate the possibility of going on a safari. Joel seemed quite interested and so the plan was for us to drive the 4.5 hours there, catch the 4 pm safari and see some animals!

The people at the Lodge are incredibly hospitable and our driver was ready to go at the appointed time. We hopped in and were off. We immediately started to see animals. In the 3.5 hours (supposed to be 3) we saw thousands of antelope of several varieties. We also saw a few wart hogs and elephants. More plentiful were giraffes and water buffalo. On this, my third safari, I saw my first lion about 70 yards away. Hard to get a good picture as (the animal is no idiot!) it sat in the shade. I did manage to get it to smile (see the picture!). 

You do pass other vehicles on occasion; but you can get pretty isolated in this national park of 1500 square miles. We moved down by the water where we passed two homes. We drove in between them and came across a ravine we were not able to navigate. As we backed out we could see our driver stuggling…turns out he was pulling the clutch up with his foot-NOT a good sign. He was able to back out only get stuck trying to move forward on a relatively flat piece of land. What do you do when you can’t find AAA? You get out and push. We moved it a bit, only to get stuck again. We were amusing the people (including three men who seemed to possess ample pushing strength) in the two houses as we became their late afternoon entertainment.

After looking longingly in their direction, the aforementioned helped and we jumped into a moving vehicle for a direct return back to our place-in second gear. The driver tried to shift up a few times but played it safe. We were slowly making our way back (and how our 3 hour trip became 3.5). 

It is not unusual to be stopped by rangers to make sure you have the correct paperwork that you secure upon entrance. As we approached one, our driver yelled out that he could not stop and continued. The ranger was on foot, so we were pretty safe of not being stopped-for a while. 

Our slow pace did allow us to watch for animals well. Our guide let us know that that the antelope gather in large groups on the plane at night to see predators better. It was amazing to watch them gather in anticipation of a night together. Hundreds and hundreds of them.

Then we came to place where to road was blocked by two other vehicles-I guess it’s time to stop! It was obvious they were looking at something good, evidenced by the binoculars we saw and everyone gazing in the same direction. We stopped and the vehicle died-the bad news. The good news is that they were observing the lion! After about 10 minutes of observation (the lion was certainly less impressed with us, than we were it), the guide started the modified jeep in gear and was able to get it going in second gear. Mike’s assessment is that we had a great starter and a really bad clutch. And we made our way back to the lodge a half hour late, grateful that we weren’t walking and becoming a buffet for wildlife!

Turns out Joel, the director of curriculum played out a scenario in his head that was neither comforting, nor accurate (thankfully). He had taken some security classes and he flashed back to this being a really great time and site for an ambush. I was partly annoyed and amused at the whole episode. In America, we are used to life working. We ended up with a story and muddy shoes which was addressed the next morning as the cleaning lady took it upon herself to address. We never made the call AAA. Next post-an interesting man we met at the lodge.

Larry Szyman

Pastor for Missional Life

Wednesday, May 18th

Monday marked the last teaching session with a group of church leaders that I have come to love. We completed lesson nine of the nine courses that make up the curriculum that Training Leaders International created to help the 70% of pastors worldwide who serve without any formal biblical training. Our goal is to assist this little group from northern Uganda and South Sudan, putting them in the position to apply what they have learned to interpret and communicate God’s Word for God’s precious people they serve.

The picture included with this post is of the thirteen men of “my” learning group. I have come to appreciate them. They have taken their work seriously. We have laughed and grieved together. We gave each other nick names. I have worked directly with this group for six of the nine courses with this day in mind: to take what they have learned to strengthen and establish churches throughout the region. We have men from eight different people groups (each with a unique language) in this cohort to advance our shared vision to see an abiding network of Bible saturated, gospel centered, African lead churches emerge. By God’s grace we are seeing this take place.

For those of you who are keeping score, each course we have taught in the last four years has ended with lesson ten, which consisted of a brief review, a reminder of our shared vision, and the assignments to be completed for the next course. We have completed nine of the ten lessons before leaving the Pastoral Training Center for a few days (more on these days in upcoming posts!). Lesson ten will take place in our absence as this lesson will include vision casting by Africans for Africans and their shared future together in ministry. We have moved from the driver’s seat and our African brothers are now behind the steering wheel. It’s a great day.

Larry Szyman

Pastor for Missional Life

Sunday, May 15th

Today we worshipped at the church on the compound known as Abaana’s Hope, which also houses the Pastoral Training Center which we serve in. Things were definitively livelier than I’m used to as over thirty pastors from our group joined the regulars. Without any sermons to preach or matters to be responsible over, they were able to enjoy themselves. One of our Lead Trainers did the teaching. He not only asked for input but gave us permission to do a feedback session with the other trainees, so they could better understand what type of sermons would result from our nine weeklong sessions over four years (counting COVID). His humility is the type of leadership we hope will mark the future network we envision.  

In the afternoon we finished a lesson we started the day before, which included a one-hour presentation/discussion by 1/3 of our group. It went well, with the four participants displaying good ability to apply what they have learned. It is good to see the fruit of their efforts (and to be honest, ours) played out in this arena. 

We went out for dinner at an Indian restaurant in town (Gulu), which is 45 minutes away. The eighteen of us made our way into town in three different vehicles, leaving at different intervals, because you never waste a trip into town. We preordered the meals and they came out quickly-but it would have been worth it a bit of a wait. Good food with people you enjoy is more than worth it. We were celebrating the 40th birthday of Jessica, one of the three couples who have made the move to Uganda. She spoke of having a desire for the nations since age nine and after securing a Ph.D. in microbiology, getting married, and five kids (all girls) later, she and David have hopes of long-term service here. 

The early dinner discussion was about one of the three vehicles they didn’t dare drive home and one that was suspect. Every “check” light was on, and the power steering goes out when in reverse. The picture included here is during the time we were trying to figure out how to get eighteen people home, making sure all the kids were in the “good” cars and the rest of us in the “iffymobile”. We made it home without incident, with one day of teaching left. Tomorrow our teaching commitment is over, but Mike Evans and I will stay around for a while longer. Stay tuned for future posts.

It’s nice to watch FCC online from here.

Larry Szyman

Pastor for Missional Life