May 21

Hello from Ingrid in a rainy Karamoja!!!  We are praising the Lord and thanking Him for sending the rains.  There was rain, a lot of rain three weeks ago and then very few sprinkles until today.  I call it rain but it is really a deluge.  We sincerely want to thank everyone who has interceded for this dry and weary land, for physical rain and for the living water of Jesus Christ to be a reality here.

I have been seeing the actuality of theology being lived out here in Moroto, and continue to self examine to see what theology are others seeing in my actions as I go about my life.  I don’t know where this saying comes from, but I am experiencing it to be true here: “Who you are, speaks so loudly that I can’t hear what you say.” It is amazing to me how much what we say we believe doesn’t line up to how we act and what we care about, myself included.  As I seek the Lord to examine my heart and to have the courage to face where He desires change in me, I find that my trust in Him is way too tied to what I see and experience on a physical level as being reality, when what is real is very much tied to the invisible world.  So truly trusting Him with all of me, circumstances and experiences notwithstanding, is the cry of my heart.  I am learning to accept everything as it comes, as from Him whom my soul loves.  My responsibility in every circumstance is to love with His love and to hunger to beat with His heart.  The longer I am here in Karamoja, the more I comprehend that only God’s love has the power to change the imbedded darkness of this land. I am wrapping my self in Ephesians 6:11-18 and knowing that it is not I who lives but Christ Who lives in me.

The Holy Spirit has exposed a new concept for me on verse 14 about wearing the belt of truth.  I have always associated this verse to be about me being truthful in all matters even when it hurts, that is, I exemplify Christ’s character, but I am now standing on the firm ground of Jesus as the Truth and everything He says is real. This is the truth I am to wrap around myself as a belt.  For instance, in Luke 1:37 Jesus says: nothing is impossible with God.  When I look and listen to the way things have been here for hundreds of years, and the way even those who call themselves Christians live, it looks impossible for change to occur and for two old puny Christ followers to have any impact.  But my Bible says that God uses the weak to show His strength, and I am trusting “His Truth” as never before.

When the Lord affirmed to me years ago that Lyle and I would live in Africa, He told me that He was going to send us to people who felt invisible and valueless.  I experienced the affirmation of this as God’s Truth just the other day. A young Kjong man, hired for construction of the house being built for us, had gestured to me at lunch that his back was hurting.  I asked him if I could pray for him and he nodded yes.  A lot of this communication is my few childish Kjong words and lots of gestures.  He indicated later that it was better.  The next day, Lyle and I were over at the construction site and I asked him how he was, he again indicated that it hurt.  I knew the Kjong word for medicine and felt I was to offer him some ibuprofen. I said when he was finished to come to the Hotel and I would give it to him. At the end of the day he showed up and I had a little packet of pills ready for him.  I got him some water and gave him two.  He cried, the first Kjong I think I have seen really cry, and raised his hands to the sky and he spoke in Kjong.  The staff interpreted for me, this is what he said;  “Now I know that God sees me.” I was so moved by what a very small act of compassion produced in this precious man’s heart, and it reminded me that the Karimojong do not think God sees them.  Love, God’s love, in little acts of kindness will break the lie this tribe has believed that they are invisible to God and have no value. 

Typical open ulcerated wound

Another aspect of this kind of compassion is treating the “first aide” kind of wounds the street boys have. They cannot get their wounds treated because they are too dirty and do not have a book to take to the outpatient clinic.  Each person must bring their own book to be charted in by the medical teams before they are able to receive treatment.  So on a given day I can see two or three wounds needing to be cleaned and bandaged. Our prayer is that we will be willing instruments for God’s glory each and every day, by being led by Him in every loving thing He leads us to do.  We all do live our theology, whatever that may be, and I pray that what I do, speaks to the truth of Who I believe in, the Only Living God, Love Incarnate, Who is and will change this land.

Example of typical borehole

God has opened doors for us to work with a group of manyattas in putting together a proposal for a US donor who wants to fund sustainable water projects.  It has been wonderful to see the tie between physical water for people, livestock, and gardens and the living water Jesus gives, which changes souls and minds and sustains them no matter the circumstances.  

Joseph and Thomas

Also, the Lord has led us to follow through with two more of the street boys we became acquainted with at the crusades, sponsoring them in boarding school.  We decided on boarding, since they are truly orphaned (no parents or grandparents) and they have no safeplace to live. We were able to corroborate this sad fact through people from their village.  Part of the market in Moroto burned up in the middle of the night a few weeks ago, and these boys were sleeping in the area that was burning. So having a bunk in a dorm for them is the safest place we can find to put them for now.  Their faces said it all after we had taken them there, paid the school fees, and purchased everything necessary for them to function.  The only thing the school provides is the dorm, one big hall, with a few frames for mattresses that must be provided by the boys. We came back after the first day of school on Monday, the 19^th, and they had set up their bunks. There was a peace and joy replacing the fear and apprehension that had always marked their faces before.  They took out their notebooks and with smiles showed us what they had worked on that day.  They are 12 years old and had not completed second grade yet, we don’t know how long they have been out of school.  The headmaster decided they should be put back in second grade. The word has gotten out and we have been approached by at least 5 more boys who want to go to school.  The Ugandan system is very confusing, because primary school is supposed to be free, but it isn’t. So just wanting to go seems not to entitle one to be able to go. Every humanitarian organization that we have spoken with that are suppose to be helping children, are not addressing those with no parents, that are on the street. This group seems to have fallen through the cracks. Even without uniforms and school supplies, we were required to pay 9,000 UGX for Peter to attend day school. So much we still need to learn and understand. We continue to pray that we will have hearts to learn about this culture that God has created to reflect a part of His great variety of people made in His image.

Children in the "bush"

Since my opportunity to teach a women’s bible study, I have been asked to help this women’s group be able to minister to women in the manyattas in Moroto district. They have a vision of going out on Sundays and sharing the Good News that God has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us who believe in Jesus, into the Kingdom of light, through Jesus’ purchase of our freedom and forgiveness of our sins.  I drove two of the leaders out for a survey trip of the two areas they were going to start with on Friday the 16^th.  I was a week into feeling sick, but I was not thinking I had malaria because I didn’t have a temperature. I was excited to be in the bush and meeting more of the people I feel God’s love for.  We had a productive time and the survey trip was a very good idea, because what the women thought were sites for meeting ended up being different.  Lyle had to step in for me on Sunday, the actual day to go, because by Saturday I did have the fever and was down in bed. I was praising the Lord, because Lyle as a man was thinking this was valuable enough to put his efforts there and I hope this will be an example for others to follow.  Lyle is also pursuing Bible studies at the police barracks and we would value prayer on this as well.  I am past taking the malaria meds, but it still takes very little effort before I feel very weak, which is challenging for my nature J.   Another area I am surrendering more and more to the will of my Lord and Master.

Please keep the house being built for us in prayer. We were supposed to move in on May 16^th, but this is continuing to be pushed back. We are hoping the work will be complete when we return from our visit to the States. We know that God knows where He wants us and for how long, and I remind myself that He started this, we didn’t, and that it will be finished according to His will.  We desire prayer that nothing holds back what God has planned for us, please.  AIM has graciously allowed us to travel back to the USA to greet a new grandson in Florida, Pat and Amy’s new addition.  We are grateful and excited to have this unexpected opportunity to reunite with all our loved ones, as we travel from Florida to the West coast to see most of the rest of the family and all our friends.  We are praying that the house will be complete when we return to Uganda the end of August.

For all of you who have prayed for me thru my maiden experience with malaria, my heart felt thanks!!!  It has been sobering to personally experience what is the leading killer for Ugandans and most Africans. I think this gives insight into the “real world” – the one we experience, but can’t see. There is an invisible war being waged between light and dark and seemingly small things, like the tiny mosquito, can cause sickness and death. This is true spiritually as well as physically.

Thank you all for your love and for continuing to communicate and support us in so many ways as together we are serving Jesus Christ in Karamoja.  Hopefully we will get to see many of you in less than two months.

Large tray of "white ants" ready to be dewinged

We do pray for all of you, seriously, and are humbled by your ongoing love and communication.

Love, 

Ingrid and Lyle

PS...the photo to the right has nothing to do with this blog other then to show there is no waste. When it rains the "white ants" come out then they are caught and either eaten raw or cooked. Excellent protein. Tastes like sunflower seeds.