This has been our life over the past couple of months. As we've stated before, the property we are living on was formerly used as a school for mission kids and their teachers.
Most properties here in Mbale have the main house on the grounds and then a smaller house nearby for workers to live in. Many people convert these into space for visitors to stay in, which is what we are in the process of doing.
I cannot tell you how blessed we were to have
a place like that to stay in while we were having our home fumigated, painted and repaired.
Our goal is to have a com-fortable place for visitors, including local folks, as well as those who will be coming to visit from outside of Uganda.
We began the work to create more guest space
at out place but then hit delays that wound up stretching into four months.
Construction has now resumed. It is slow going because almost all of the work is done by hand and interior walls are built of brick, not the typical 2 x 4s and sheet rock that is used in the US. So the 'tearing down' and 'building up' process is labor intensive.
Our church is also in the 'tearing down and building up' process in a way. They are looking at a better discipleship/mentoring process than what's in place at the moment. One of our teammates, JP Robinson, is rewriting a booklet his church is US uses to be more easily understood by Ugandans.
Some Ugandan churches, out of desperation for leaders and ministers, are using men that have no real training. The church leaders in Mbale along with trusted nearby preachers are forming a group through or 'tear down' the booklet so that American slang and phrases are removed to make it easier to use to 'build up' the leaders first and then once the book has been thoroughly gone through and taught, to empower ALL Christians to make disciples. The was the last command Jesus gave us before he ascended into heaven so we feel it's an important one we must teach also.
This may be a difficult road in some respects. Many African countries teach to just repeat back what they are being taught. This works well in a classroom where there are not enough books for students. There are even times at LivingStone International University where professors are met with looks of confusion when students are asked to give their opinion or to express a thought of their own because this is just not the way they have been taught to learn. Thinking 'outside the box' or in a different way to be intimidating that they will answer wrong.
It will be a long process, almost like a turning of a ship. But we have confidence in the blending of the African and American group working on the workbook that it will be a valuable tool that will give freedom of thought and unlimited potential to learn about and from each other and our desire to develop strong Christians on the continent of Africa.
Laurie recently spoke at the All Ugandan Ladies Day and had an exercise in this very thing. The topic was 'A Woman of Difference". She decided to speak on how we all have different personality types. She began her session by handing out a paper and saying that everyone was taking a personality test.
She received blank stares. After repeating the instructions multiple times and using two translators, they were finally able to find out that many of the women had little schooling and were fearful of answering 'the test' incorrectly. After explaining the 'test' could not be answered 'wrong' and that it was just to get to know themselves better, everyone visibly relaxed and enjoyed themselves.
Most properties here in Mbale have the main house on the grounds and then a smaller house nearby for workers to live in. Many people convert these into space for visitors to stay in, which is what we are in the process of doing.
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| This area is being turned into two en suite bathrooms |
a place like that to stay in while we were having our home fumigated, painted and repaired.
Our goal is to have a com-fortable place for visitors, including local folks, as well as those who will be coming to visit from outside of Uganda.
We began the work to create more guest space
at out place but then hit delays that wound up stretching into four months.
Construction has now resumed. It is slow going because almost all of the work is done by hand and interior walls are built of brick, not the typical 2 x 4s and sheet rock that is used in the US. So the 'tearing down' and 'building up' process is labor intensive.
Some Ugandan churches, out of desperation for leaders and ministers, are using men that have no real training. The church leaders in Mbale along with trusted nearby preachers are forming a group through or 'tear down' the booklet so that American slang and phrases are removed to make it easier to use to 'build up' the leaders first and then once the book has been thoroughly gone through and taught, to empower ALL Christians to make disciples. The was the last command Jesus gave us before he ascended into heaven so we feel it's an important one we must teach also.
 |
| L to R: Henry Buregea (Congo), Dennis Okoth (Kenya), Zachariah and Christina Manyok (South Sudan). JP and Jill Robinson (US), Yvette Buregea (Congo) |
This may be a difficult road in some respects. Many African countries teach to just repeat back what they are being taught. This works well in a classroom where there are not enough books for students. There are even times at LivingStone International University where professors are met with looks of confusion when students are asked to give their opinion or to express a thought of their own because this is just not the way they have been taught to learn. Thinking 'outside the box' or in a different way to be intimidating that they will answer wrong.
It will be a long process, almost like a turning of a ship. But we have confidence in the blending of the African and American group working on the workbook that it will be a valuable tool that will give freedom of thought and unlimited potential to learn about and from each other and our desire to develop strong Christians on the continent of Africa.
 |
| Leaders standing before the church telling them about a decision that had been made |
Laurie recently spoke at the All Ugandan Ladies Day and had an exercise in this very thing. The topic was 'A Woman of Difference". She decided to speak on how we all have different personality types. She began her session by handing out a paper and saying that everyone was taking a personality test.
She received blank stares. After repeating the instructions multiple times and using two translators, they were finally able to find out that many of the women had little schooling and were fearful of answering 'the test' incorrectly. After explaining the 'test' could not be answered 'wrong' and that it was just to get to know themselves better, everyone visibly relaxed and enjoyed themselves.
 |
| All Uganda Ladies Day at Mbale Church of Christ |
Thank you for your prayers!!
