Day 5

7:50 AM (Guest House)

I slept through the night! Praise God! It was actually hard to get up, but fresh bananas and Nutella called my name.

I read further in Acts this morning and was encouraged by the healings and miracles in the new church. It also talked about being bold as Peter and John.

"And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak with boldness, while you stretch out your hand to heal and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus." (Acts 4:29-30)

And then the Holy Spirit shook the place they were in!

The lifestyle here is fascinating. These people live in the same 2012 I live in, with some of the same things such as cell phones and even Facebook, but they live in one room huts. They don't really use toilet paper and laundry and showers are scarce. We see a "nice house" comparatively, but then I think of our houses in the U.S. It is this odd concoction of today and Bible times with differences probably neither I nor the Ugandans could fathom. One second you want to cry, but the next you are filled with wonder at their resounding joy.

5:00 PM (Guest House)

Today was my hardest time leaving a village! We split up this morning and headed to a more remote spot. When we reached our driving destination we still had to walk another 1/4 mile or so up a narrow hill to reach the houses. There were two houses in this little clearing and hardly any children. The view was just breathtaking and I wondered if they even notice them anymore, like we don't notice ours. One boy asked me if America is beautiful and said that people always say Uganda is beautiful but America is probably better. I told him some parts are pretty but there are often buildings (he corrected me and said skyscrapers) in the way. He went on to say that he is working hard to get to America and oddly my initial response was sadness. Mainly because he is so kindhearted and America is so different to this culture and I would never want the shock and distractions of America to change his strong character. But also because the people here need strong Christian men like the one he growing into!

I'm not sure if this set-up is normal, or if it is just because everyone gathers to assist in the cement flinging (like a barn raising!), but all of the women were gathered around shucking these plantains (well...I think that's what they were doing!) and chatting in a circle.

It didn't take long for the kids to come out of the woodwork and soon about 20-30 were gathered around us. It may be different layout (yesterday was kind of a clearing in a jungle of banana trees) but these children were a bit different in that they weren't just clinging to us for a moment of attention, but seemed more invested all around.

First we sang some songs which, despite being unable to understand me, they tried to sing along. Next we shared the Gospel story and made the crosses by folding paper. As you can see below, they were very intent on listening to us!

Let me tell you, it has a pretty powerful effect on someone to see a child discover the purpose of a crayon for the first time at 7 years old. They just stood there, holding them. Once we showed them how to use them, they were thrilled, and I hated having to ask for them back when we left. Note to self: If I come back I will bring enough crayons so each child can keep one! I mean, what is a crayon worth, a penny? They gladly gave them back though.

We brought out the bowling game we played yesterday, filling our empty water bottles and plane socks with little rocks. They were eager to help us fill up each thing :)

The boys below were too cool to gather around us as closely as the others, but they sure loved coloring!

Next was jump rope and boy was that a hit! They loved it! They also somehow knew how to count in a bit of English, which was cool. These kids knew the least English out of anyone we have met.

Somewhere in here a little girl named Janta Maria stole my heart. She was probably 7 and taking care of a baby who cried every time his head wasn't covered by his blanket. The kids seem to rarely cry so I'm pretty sure he was sick and either the light was bothering him or it was the flies that wouldn't leave the sores on his head alone :( But this girl was so joyful and her eyes so captivating. She was dripping sweat and exhausted, but loved the jump rope.

I sat down to show 2 kids pictures of my family and all of them flocked to me. They tried so hard to talk to me and teach me words! One boy accidentally kicked me while getting up and the interpreter heard Janta Maria tell him (irritated) that he has no manners. He also heard them talking to each other saying that they loved me (*insert big sigh). As we sat there, one girl just kept tucking my stray hair behind my ear and when my hands/jeans got dirty, she would wipe them clean. Here they are filthy and their concern is for my cleanliness! Just struck me. When we left for lunch Janta Maria trailed along holding my hand and ran to follow the bus with all the kids, but shyly held back just a bit all the way down the hill. Which was far. By the time we got back from lunch, we were hooked. She immediately grabbed my head and didn't let go.

We did the Gospel bracelets and had a pretty neat experience. The bracelets are on a string that represent us--

Black Bead: Sin

Red: Blood of Christ

White: Pure & cleansed

Green: Growing and living our lives for Him

Yellow (pointing up in the back): Heaven

We had Gilbert (18 year old translator) translating and we gave/explained bead by bead. Of course they loved it because a) they were getting something and b) we were helping them. But also Gilbert was adding things and asking them to repeat key words of the Gospel. When he explained the good news of Christ rising from the dead, they just started clapping! Not like he told them to do so, but spontaneously. Next Tery asked them if they wanted to put their trust in Jesus and about 20 of them stood and she/Gilbert lad them in a prayer. AWESOME. I'm not sure where their hearts all are, but I trust God will care for this planted seed. These kids just have been through so much and have so little!

My attempt at being artsy was thwarted by their excitement of being in a picture, so below are our Gospel bracelets!

I sang a bit more with them and they were all yelling something that I of course couldn't understand. I thought they wanted a jumping song again, but then two girls tied together some corn leaves and started twirling them :) We jumped rope a bit longer, but then the cementing was done and it was time to go. We gave the jump rope to one of the widows to that no one kid was given the gift, but they could all enjoy it in the future. I kind of just wanted to cry as we drove away. The next time I see Janta Maria may be in heaven. Even if I return to Uganda, the likelihood of me finding this village again seems slim. Just overwhelming. Of course I couldn't get a picture of just the 2 of us seeing as every child runs to the camera within seconds, but we both got in the picture and I won't forget this beautiful little girl! (She's the one in the red checkered dress)

After a draining day of heat, work, and emotions, it was nice to come back and chill. The whole team ended up in our room and we shared a good time of laughter! The evening ended with Isaac coming in to pray for Jessica since she wasn't feeling well and I had a pretty strong feeling that I was supposed to ask him about getting baptized. I knew it was a possibility on the trip, but fear and pride had been hindering me from asking about it. I'm so glad I asked though because he said we could and Jess wanted to as well so that will be even better! You should know that you can smell this river from literally a mile away and it is pret-ty dirty looking. The cows hang out next to is so there is a lot of manure and it is in the middle of no where so there isn't really a place to change...

Anyway. I'm doing it. If God strikes me with illness while being baptized....then His will be done!

Phew! All right bed time!

Day 4

6:35 AM (Guest House)

“It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by His own authority, but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witness in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the end of the earth."

So much on my mind this morning. I had a restless night of sleep (slept well when I was asleep, but woke up a number of times), but was blessed by praying during those waking moments. I prayed that the Holy Spirit would come upon me on this trip and that my words would come from Him. Witnessing to villagers in huts may not come easily, but I trust His will be done. I've started reading through Acts and am encouraged over the joy and excitement of the new church. Wonderful reminders of the power of the Lord and His Spirit!

8:00 PM (Guest House)
Phew. What at overwhelming day.

10:00 PM (Guest House)

We ate breakfast and headed into Kiburara around 8:30 this morning. The children were eagerly awaiting us and I met some sweet girls. It is interesting to interact with them and see how thy treat one another. They are all very careful to look out for one another and they are quite tender. Clearly they learn to be responsible at a young age, as 6 year-olds have babies wrapped around their backs. The older ones are motherly to their siblings and are eager to explain to whom they are related. One little girl, Anook, appeared to have her ears pierced with two little toothpick looking things, but many do have their ears pierced for real. They kept asking if we were going home, but we promised we’d be back after working.

We split into 2 groups to go work on widows’ homes. Our groups included translators named Edson and Andrew; they are young guys eager to serve us and the Lord. Edson asked me if I’m married, and when I said “no,” he replied, “but you’re in the process?” Ha. It struck me since to him, it is probably quite strange not to be married at 24, so the question was natural. My typical response would have been some dramatic sigh (not on purpose) followed by a “no,”but I held back since he probably already thought I was weird. He said “Elizabeth” was a hard name to say and asked if I had another one…So now at least one Ugandan calls me EB!

Edson is 19 and wants to go to school for science to become a doctor, but cannot afford it and needs to care for his 5 younger siblings. He has had 3 moms because the first 2 died, and the 3rd one does not care for the children from the other mothers. His father is getting old and is a banana farmer. It is just so crazy. Many Americans have trouble affording college, but few can blame it on caring for siblings and farming two acres of bananas. He just kept saying he will continue to pray and put his hope in Jesus. A story about him is that about 2 years ago he laid hands on and prayed for a woman on the CLC team who was unable to have children. Soon after they got home from Uganda, they conceived and when the baby was born they named him after Edson :)

As we drove to our village we got pretty far out. You should know that as far as you can see are mountain-hills with beautiful trees and terrain. Every village had children and parents working and very few were too proud to wave. Sometimes all the children would run after our bus with smiles and screams of delight.

We finally got to our destination and the children were the dirtiest we've seen. I noticed some clearly infected sores and some were lacking much clothing.

The guys set to work watching the Ugandans work (ha) and then were able to help add cement to the mud/wood home.

The women of the village sat preparing food (at 9:30 AM) and the children surrounded us. At one point I got down on my knees to teach O-Bo (Mexico fave) and within seconds 20 kids were surrounding me and helping their little friend pick up the hand clapping game while I sang :) It was precious and loved it! They also LOVE having their pictures taken so they can see them on the digital screen. Taking one picture promised having to take 5-10 more.

At one point we joined the kids for the trek down to the well. I guess some CLC $ over the last 5 years has helped build these wells that save them ½ hour trips to water, so that was neat to see as we were nearly swallowed by 12 ft. banana trees and corn stalks. I carried one of the containers back up. Definitely out of breath, but they told me I have “power,” so it was worth it!

We did some arts and crafts telling the Gospel story and also created a bowling game out of dirt, airplane socks, and empty water bottles.

We also taught them a couple of songs—

* Lord’s Army

* Hallelu-Hallelu-Hallelu- hallelujah, Praise Ye the Lord (even the split in 2 groups stand up/sit down part and they loved it!)
* This Little Light of Mine
*Then they taught us one!

I think most schools teach English school, but most people are pretty limited in their vocab. They are good at “Hi. How are you? I am fine.” Some villages know a lot more English than others.

One little girl probably about 10 was lying on the ground the whole time. Tery went to talk to her and found out that she is a Christian and since her grandmother wouldn't take her to the witch doctor, the witch doctor cast a spell on her so that she couldn't walk anymore. I guess now they carry her on a bike to church every week. So young for such hardship and evil! Some of our group prayed over her, but no visible change happened while we were there. For the rest of the day we made sure she could see all of our games/lessons from where she lay in the dirt since she couldn't move at all. Pretty sad.

Thankfully we finished the house before being subjected to a lunch of goat stew that the girls watched hair/skin go into. We made it back to Pastor Moses’ before a rainstorm and wolfed down lunch and chilled until the Pastor’s conference finished for the day.

Came back, “showered” (not as simple as yesterday), hung out, and went to bed too late. Motrin PM kicked in about 10 minutes after I took it and about 2 lines ago in this journal entry where my hand writing started growing illegible!

Day 3

9:00 AM (EAT) - Somewhere near Kampala, Uganda

After a beautiful night of sleep (a phone call from 517 was a weird wake-up at about 3AM..who from Hillsdale would be calling at 6 PM on a Saturday?), a final shower and attempt at using a real toilet, I ate a very light breakfast and we embarked on our 10 hour bus ride. Apparently we stop once so I didn't risk any meat. No siree!

Driving through Kampala was a cultural experience. People were walking everywhere. One house would be ornate with bricks and a wall around it, and the next would be a shack. Everyone was working: washing cars, hitting metal, chopping wood, preparing food, scrubbing the porch. Most had kids around and many were helping each other. Every building had ads painted on the side. Lots of Coca Cola, Mt. Dew, Bic, and cellphone companies.

It is all so green! The fog was heavy this morning, but the hills were still beautiful, as were some of the homes on them. We were quite curious as to who lives in them. Lani speculated that it could be Angelina Jolie's vacation home. Ha. We crossed the Equator, so that was pretty cool!

The bus is quite bumpy, thus this beautiful handwriting, but currently we have AC and a paved road, so this is much better than anything I expected! We are driving on the left side of the road. Cows, meat markets, just seeing lots of random things. Apparently seeing Muzungo (white people/foreigners/anyone who isn't African) is very

rare!

10:03 PM (EAT) - Kamwengay Guest House

Phew! In bed, under my mosquito net canopy. We made it safe and sounds today, Praise the Lord (PTL)! The ride was much better than I anticipated. It was fairly overcast so not hot. I stared out the window or was in conversations the majority of the trip and never even opened my book or turned on my ipod. There were far too many fascinating and beautiful sights! The land is green and the further we went the bigger the mountains got. At most points you could see for miles. Cows were anchored to yard posts, roaming in fields, and even in our way at one point. Despite being so far from home, there were cell towers and electric towers fairly frequently. Apparently the roads have been paved a lot further since last year so we seemed to move fast. Ha, they were a bit crazy though, between the walkers, the bikes, the motorcycles, cars, and buses, the road was a bit crowded at times and we barely missed the pedestrians! As we got further out, the people started waving to us. Everyone. Their big smiles stood out in stark contrast to their dark skin; they are beautiful!

(Picture of the Ugandan countryside from the bus window)

At about the time church was starting in Maryland we said a prayer for Covenant Life (CLC). I am so thankful to God for this church and these people! News Flash: I just placed the canopy over my bed. It is magical. I always knew I would love one of these, but I thought I'd just have to live vicariously through my daughters one day...Never imagined I'd experience it for myself...in Africa!

Let's see...Oh. The toilet's I've used thus far deserve a detailed explanation:

1. Ethiopian Airport: No flush or TP; smelly.

2. Hotel: Deep bowls, but fairly normal with a button to flush.

3. Equator: Toilet, no TP or flush.

4. Gas Station: Hole in the wet dirt floor (men's didn't have a hole-just a tile floor with a drain in the corner...we later learned that this may have been a shower, but Yvette didn't know that at the time).

5. Kiburara: Hole in the dirt floor; aim cautiously.

6. Guest House: Flush toilets. PTL! :)

Oh, before I forget- Oscar, our friend from yesterday was sitting in a circle with all of us and the Foster's were asking us all to share a bit about ourselves. When I said I grew up at a great church in Minnesota, naturally Pastor Piper came up from someone in the group. When I said he was my pastor even Oscar, a 22 year old from Uganda, was excited and voiced his appreciation for Piper. Crazy! It was definitely kind of cool.

Hmm, I'm running out of fuel. We finally got to Kiburara (pronounced Chibur-ra) and everyone came out to greet us. Basically the villages have one street with houses and little stores and all of the people are outside. The people who live on these main roads often have their homes connected to their business, I think. As we got off the bus we were surrounded by joyful reunions between the children and our team members who have come in years past. Most even remembered names! The children would walk up and stick out their hands and with strong accents say, "My name is..." they would shake it and then ask our names. Always "yesses," never "yeas." I was quite impressed. Some just didn't let go of my hand. Everyone was all smiles and giggles.

Pastor Moses (the main pastor with whom we've always worked) has a nice home with multiple one room "buildings" connected by an outdoor hallway. We had goat with spices and chipote (thick tortillas) and some sort of french fry thing for dinner, quite tasty.

All righty, I'm falling asleep and have a big day tomorrow. I'll explain bathing at a future date.

"For this reason I, Paul, a prisoner for Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles—assuming that you have heard of the stewardship of God's grace that was given to me for you, how the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I have written briefly. When you read this, you can perceive my insight into the mystery of Christ, which was not made known to the sons of men in other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit. This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.

Of this gospel I was made a minister according to the gift of God's grace, which was given me by the working of his power. To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things, so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. This was according to the eternal purpose that he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in him. So I ask you not to lose heart over what I am suffering for you, which is your glory.

For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen." (Ephesians 3 ESV)

I opened this before I went to bed. Oh how the Spirit can work in curious ways! He reaches all this way across the earth in a way that none of us can fathom in a place I will never fully understand. Being here for 2 weeks staying in this (comparatively) nice guest house, I will never comprehend the hardships of the lives these people lead. His love surpasses this knowledge and we are bound together by that love.

He truly is doing far more abundantly than we could ask or think.

Day 2

6:56 A.M. (Eastern Africa Time)

11:55 hours into the flight. Well, I had some semi-decent sleep on the flight, probably 6 hours? Not because I can’t sleep, but because I wasn't really tired. Hopefully I get a little on the flight to Uganda, but I also would love a window seat on that flight! We flew over Europe and the Mediterranean all night. So crazy thinking I was actually over it and not just looking at it on a map in a book! I’m not sure what to expect upon this landing! Breakfast was eggs and potatoes, so that was good. All righty, I’m out. Next stop, Ethiopia!

Oh yea, I forgot to mention the “open kitchen” I discovered on board. Drinks, sandwiches, granola bars, a pleasant late night snack! People were all just walking around like they were at a reception! I’m never going to fly comfortably on a U.S. flight again and the upcoming (tomorrow) 8 hour bus ride isn’t sounding very pleasant.

10:00 P.M. (EAT) – The Imperial Hotel, Entebbe, Uganda

Phew. The day is finally winding down and I successfully avoided napping and I am laying in my very comfy bed at the Imperial Hotel. Basically Africa’s Ritz Carlton…kinda. It has beautiful lush (guarded/gated) grounds and sits on the shores of the world’s biggest lake, Lake Victoria.

There are monkeys in the trees and salamanders in the bedrooms :)

But I suppose I should back up. After several hours of hanging out at the Addis Ababa airport, we boarded a much smaller plane in Ethiopian Air’s fleet. The ensuing 2 hours made my most comfortable flight ever and least comfortable flight ever, all happen in one day. I’m not sure if it was because I had grown quite fond of the B-777 over the long hours we spent to together or just the small rows, being elbowed by the stewardess or my seatmate every time they moved, or the smell that bothered me the most. As I mentioned before, I normally fall asleep on the take-off, but we went so fast for so long on the runway that I wasn’t sure we were going to make it off the ground. I also was regretting having eaten the eggs on the previous flight, so I avoided the meal and had restless nap on the bumpy ride.

Entebbe International Airport (EBB) is a small airport. Customs went fast and were easy. I breathed a prayer of relief when my beautiful blue suitcase came onto the consul!

The hotel is beautiful and apparently where VIPs stay when they come to Kampala, Uganda's Capital. We played on the playground that reminded me of Mexico's "death rides." Below are the teeter totter swings that nearly killed Gavin when Lani was laughing too hard and fell off. They are awesome.

We met Oscar, a 22 year old who has attended the youth conference the past couple of years. He travels 16 hours to attend, but can't this year because he is saving money to visit the states. He came to our hotel after traveling all day to see his friends on our team. He moved to Eastern Uganda when he was 12 from Northern Uganda after his father died and his uncles sold all of their belongings and kept the money for themselves. His mother moved their family, but he still calls the North home. Several weeks ago he went home for a funeral and his uncle tried to poison him. He said he prayed over his food for safety and God gave him a bad feeling about the food. Right before eating it, his other uncle came in and warned him that if he wants to live, he should not eat the food. He said the maid asked him what was wrong with the food, but then after he chose not to eat it, he watched her take the food and throw it away behind the home, outside the gate in a ditch.

Oscar's dream is to build an orphanage. He has already been given 4 acres of land and is building a meat house. He and his friends are coming to the states to raise money for his dream. So crazy what he has been through and he's younger than me. Not a surprise after reading about the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) before I came and the child soldiers; the children of this country have been through a lot, but it is still crazy to see for myself.

We practiced our skits after a tasty dinner. I played it fairly safe with potatoes, some rice, some corn type mush that wasn't corn, and some meaty thing with a tasty sauce. Oh! And peanut sauce and fruit. Took some Motrin PM and conked out before I could completely finish this entry!

(I had to give a special shout-out to this beautiful pool they have!)

Day 1

10: 40 A.M. (EST) – Dulles International Airport
Here I am! Sitting on my B777 flight to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia! Amanda got up bright and early with me (I’m going on about 3 hours of sleep) and brought me to Dulles to meet with our team. Going through check-in and security was thankfully uneventful and I had an emotional parting with my suitcase. I said a little prayer that it makes it. Okay. So the plane. Stop, I can’t get ahead of myself. The terminal we were in had flags from all over the world. Pretty cool. We were definitely in the international area of Dulles.

Okay, so the plane. Is. Huge. A woman, in what I imagine is traditional Ethiopian garb, greeted us and pointed us in 2 different directions. This is because the plane is massive. I didn’t book my ticket, but I did finagle an aisle seat with an open seat on my right. The seats are green, 3 sections, and 3 seats per section, but they are labeled A, B, C, D, F, H, J, K, L…hmm, where are E, G, & I? The blankets on the seats are beautiful blue-green pashmina-type (beats Delta red by far, though I have been known to swipe those…Verdict is still out, but I thought that was allowed, either way, I’m keeping this one!). Also, a face/sleeping mask and some other cloth I have yet to figure out. Each seat has a TV complete with 20+ movie choices, TV shows, and games such as Solitaire & Soduku. There are multiple languages and also an interactive flight map, which I love to watch. Speaking of: We leave Dulles at 11:00 AM and after a 12 hour flight, get into ADD @ 8:00 AM, I've been taking bets as to what hour in the flight we will hit nighttime. It is all so fascinating and good because now sleeping through this flight is basically a must cuz’ we will go through a night despite leaving early. Thank you, Motrin PM. I think I’ll stop here for now since I’m feeling that all too familiar heavy eyelid pull that has enabled me to fall asleep on take-off 6 of my last 7 flights (not drug induced, and neither is this!) We just starting taxiing and BAM, I’m out!

2:20 P.M. (EST) – Gloria Ridge, Atlantic Ocean
We traveled up to Canada, over Montreal and Newfoundland before starting our crossing of the ocean. I thought my prediction (like 6 hours, which was more than anyone else said) may do well since we didn't go straight across, but it is getting pretty dark, I can still see the wings and I’m not doing the math til I deem it dark so that I’m not biased. News Alert: The flight attendant just walked by with a cart of cigarettes and something else…cigars, maybe? Weird.

So it appears that we did get socks too and everyone is walking around in just them. Also, the front row of the middle section has a crib type basket sticking out of the wall with a very new baby sleeping in it. Slick!

I just watched Romancing the Stone and loved it. Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner, who plays a hopeless romantic author on an adventure, right up my alley. Favorite line was from her book: “That was the end of the man who killed my father, raped and murdered my sister, burned my ranch, shot my dog, and stole my Bible!

2:31 P.M. (EST)
3:31 minutes into the flight and it is completely dark, dad wins! I’m contemplating taking Motrin PM, but pretty sure I will not be able to sleep the entire 9 hours we have left. Oh yea, the first meal was decent, some chicken and rice thing with basically spaghetti sauce. I didn’t eat much though.

Spiritual Warfare

Our last two meetings have taken some time to discuss spiritual warfare in Uganda. As I mentioned in the post about animism, since many in America haven't seen clear evidence of evil spirits, we discount it and neglect to approach it with appropriate amount of solemnity and prayer. Friends, it is real. It is real in America and it is real in Uganda. We may hide it under the label of "spiritual warfare," but it is human sacrifice, evil spirits, demon-possessed people, and plenty of other things I'll never even know.

A couple of our team members experienced some of these things last year on the trip and have shared a bit with us already. One of the clear problems in Kiburara, where we are going, is the power that the witch doctor has in the village. Most of the children have terrible scars on them, many up and down their chests. Apparently, when babies are born, their parents take them to the witch doctor so that they can be cut to satisfy the spirits and bless the family. It took a couple years for our team members to learn what the scars meant, because the children are ashamed of them. To me, this shame is just further evidence of the evil of this practice. Nearly every child has the scars, yet they are still embarrassing. If it truly did bring blessings upon their families, shouldn't the scars represent something good and therefore a source of pride? It doesn't because it is evil.

Apparently the witch doctor is consulted frequently and is even a problem within the church.

Our team leaders handed out these articles (Where Child Sacrifice is a Business and Battling Uganda's Witch-Doctors) at the last meeting. When I started the first one I assumed it was probably several years old. I was shocked when I saw that it was only several days old and child sacrifice is a still, now, today, a major problem in Uganda. It is hard for me to even fathom this as a reality in today's world.

The thing that stuck out to me the most about the article is that child sacrifice has "re-emerged, seemingly alongside a boom in the country's economy." People sacrifice children to secure wealth and good fortune. As Uganda's economy has grown, so has the number of child sacrifices. I can hardly get beyond the sadness of this to dwell on my sheer disgust at what greed can do in our sinful world.

These children are kidnapped, buried alive, cut apart, and all kinds of other horrible things, and the government all but turns its head.

"...As a rule, we are told to respect people's beliefs, and that these beliefs are not to be subjected to critical scrutiny. But it is this protection from scrutiny we accord our various beliefs that allows many of these dangerous superstitions, like child sacrifice, to flourish."

I'll finish off this heavy post with the reminder that our God is stronger than these evil spirits. Pray that God would work through our team as we minister to the people of Kiburara. I have no idea how I'll relate to a little girl who has scars all over because her parents took her to a witch doctor, but I trust that God will give me the words. It may start with a couple of people in one village, but Lord-willing someday this belief will be trampled by the Truth.

"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the WHOLE ARMOR OF GOD, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the Gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication." - Ephesians 6:10-18

Animism

Our team leaders have assigned several readings to help us prepare for this trip. The ones this week were heavy and sobering. Like many tribal cultures, Uganda has many animistic beliefs. While I'll never fully comprehend what this all entails, I do know that it leads to beliefs that involve, among other horrid things, child sacrifice.

Before reading the first article, entitled, Animism: The Religion of the Tribal World (International Journal of Frontier Missions Vol. 15:2), I thought animism referred to something having to do with animals being sacred. I was off by quite a bit.

"The term "animism" comes from the Latin word anima, which empowers or gives life to something. It follows, then, that animism is the religion that sees the physical world as interpenetrated by spiritual forces-both personal and impersonal-to the extent that objects carry spiritual significance and events have spiritual causes."

You don't have to be going to Uganda for a mission's trip for this to be an important topic of study. This is a persuasive religion that is appealing to many. While religions can make God out to be a distant and abstract being up in the sky, animism brings it down to earth in a way that can fill a "spiritual void that calls out to be filled."

Attractions of Animism:

1. It infuses the sacred into a reality that has been emptied of anything spiritual by the scientific/evolutionary perspective.

2. It offers a way to cope with everyday needs: healing, jobs, excelling in school, restoring relationships, finding a mate, and gaining guidance for the future.

"We have all experienced those times when God seemed silent and distant and when His apparent lack of action leaves us feeling helpless. The feeling that God is distant and that He does not care what might overtake us after hearing the news that one has cancer, or after experiencing the death of a child, or being laid off from a job. At such times we become desperate, and we are tempted to grab for something that works--anything that will give us the power to get us out of our suffering or to fix what is wrong. Animism promises such power...To the extent that we seek to manipulate spiritual powers-including seeking God for the "quick fix" or for our personal benefit-we are coming from an animistic rather than a biblical perspective. In that sense, we all have animistic tendencies."

Animistic Beliefs and Practices:

1. One God and the Many Spirits: For animists, their supreme being is so far removed from their earthly lives, that it uses intermediate spirits to do his will and serve as his representatives, but the supreme being himself cannot be known directly.

2. The Ultimate/Immediate Division: Animists view Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, etc. as religions dealing with the ultimate questions of life and death. However, when it comes to every day life, they turn to their animist beliefs. Therefore, people can be a practicing Catholic, but still consulting a shaman (an animistic priest) for healing, etc.

3. The Spiritual Realm: According to animism, the spiritual realm consists of personal spirit-beings and an impersonal spiritual energy.

4. Personal Spirit-Beings: There are two kinds of spirit-beings, thoat that have been embodied (such as deceased ancestors) and those that have not (spirits and gods).

5. Impersonal Spiritual Force: "...An impersonal spiritual energy infuses special objects, words, and rituals. Such energy gives these objects the power that people need to accomplish their desires."

6. Concept of Sin: Cause and effect. Animists certainly don't want to offend local spirits. "Animists live in contiunal fear of these spiritual powers."

After giving this brief overview of the animistic beliefs, the article went on to share some important way Christians, missionaries in particular, should respond. I think the number 1 warning is to not scoff at their beliefs. Some parts of Western Christianity nearly dismiss the entire idea of the spirit world and this is unbiblical. The chart below helps point out some of the simililarities/differences of animism and Christianity and may be a helpful starting point:

Bottom line: Christ sent His son to Earth, a man, living in the flesh, to give His life for us. A "one and for all" type deal. Not something we continuously have to live in fear of losing or have to sacrifice in order to maintain. A free gift of grace.

Suggestions for Missions:

1. Be sensitive to the Animists' Perspective

2. Be aware of the influence of secularistic thinking in our lives

3. Find common ground

4. Highlight the differences

5. Trusting in God alone

6. God works in mighty ways--seek guidance from the Holy Spirit!

7. In relationship with God

8. Address their fears: "While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8) and "Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in the time of need." (Hebrews 4:16)

9. Who is Christ and who are we to Him: Jesus triumphs over demons over and over in the Bible

10. The deceptive nature of the spirits

"In conclusion...Satan will not let go of those in his kingdom without a struggle. So be prepared in your own life to do spiritual battle when witnessing to animists. Have others pray for you and with you."

I hope this gave you a small understanding of what animism entails. My next post I'll talk a bit more about the way they carry out these beliefs.