Anaka.... wow. I feel quite speechless when I even begin to think about the past two weeks we have spent there. The village is located on the edge of Murchison National Park, which is where people travel to for Safari. The school and the surrounding village (as well as the Catholic parish where Chris and I are staying) are located on the top of a large hill, so as you walk around the perimeter and scan the countryside- the view of the landscape is right out of a dream. The area is very rural, and as far as the eye can see, the green terrain of agriculture fills the horizon... and every once in a while you catch a glimpse of a woman walking with a bundle of g-nuts on top of her head or the sight of a grass-thatch hut comes into view. It is picturesque Africa.
Most evenings Chris and I sit on the front porch of Jacob's villa (a peace-corps volunteer) and sip hot tea as the sun goes down. The horizon is also gorgeous in the morning. Every day we walk to school at 7 am- we walk past the church and the soothing sound of African worship fills the air, the children from the village are up pumping water at the well, and we are greeted by everyone that we pass. We now have Acholi names... Father Martin has given me the name "Lamaro" which means "one who is greatly loved" in Acholi... and Chris has been given the name "Okeny" which means that he is the "only man in a family of women" because he is the only male teacher among our I.C. group at Anaka. Those names are becoming a beautiful part of our experience here as we build relationships with folks and share life together.
The parish, where we live, is a beautiful community of believers and Father Martin has truly become a spiritual father to us here. Chris has started a service club with students and they are working in the garden at the parish everyday after school. He is hoping to inspire them to serve others in a great way. The gardening at the Parish helps support the feeding of those in need in the surrounding villages. The students love Chris, and I think they are pretty fond of us all. It warms my heart to even reflect on the joyful smiles that conquer their faces when I am teaching. We have fallen in love with the kids that we are interacting with, and our relationships with the staff at the school are growing into strong friendships. Because of student interest, I have started a writer's club. The student leaders at the school have applied to be a part. Together with them, I am trying to help develop a school newspaper where the students can express their views and build an intellectual culture at the school.
This past Saturday morning we received such a gift. We heard amazing music filling the air from the parish, so Chris and I followed the sound down to a classroom filled with students who were playing instruments, singing, dancing, and praising Christ with their whole hearts. On their own, they were holding a church service. Tears were streaming down some of their faces and their prayers echoed off of the walls. The spirit was so heavy in that room and God used their worship to touch my soul.
We have received so many gifts like this while we have been a part of the Anaka family. Beautiful moments that I am already cherishing in my heart so much. A few of them... Chris and Father Martin exchanging worship songs on the guitar out underneath the stars in the Parish garden... going for a walk with Doris, a young English teacher, and getting invited to harvest g-nuts with an elderly Acholi woman during our stroll... playing scrabble for hours with teachers in the staff room after school... going for fieldwork on a 3 mile hike through the bush with the entire history department and 200 students... watching Chris be the only white guy in the staff vs. students soccer match (he played awesome by the way)... sitting in my partner teacher's (Florence) living room looking through albums of pictures and listening to her heartfelt stories of her life and the war... and watching the students perform traditional Acholi dances on the soccer field in the evening. All of these moments... and many more... leave me so thankful and literally, speechless, when it comes to articulating how my heart feels in this place. Chris and I are so humbled, and blessed, to have this incredible experience. We love you all so much. Thank you for your prayers. They are much appreciated and the fruit of them is being witnessed by us everyday.
Monday, July 18, 2011
Sunday, July 3, 2011
The Wisdom of Michael
Oddyseus has just been released from the island of the goddess Calypso and was off for "home at last" when the god of the sea Poseidon wrecked his ship and left him to his fate in the churning waters. But with the help of Athena and Ino he reached land on the coast of Phaeacia. It is here that he is welcomed by king Alcinous with the utmost hospitality... I can say that I have felt the same here in Northern Uganda among the Acholi, as Oddyseus felt among the Phaeacians. We spent a couple hours this afternoon at St. Jude's Orphanage playing with the children there. I had a blast playing soccer with Joshua and Paul. These kids are ballers. When I missed the ball on our record setting attempt of kicking it to each other in the air, I was assured that "there is no need to sweat." The only thing that can rival their coolness on the field is their suave personalities; joyful dudes to be sure. It seems odd or even awkward dropping into an orphanage for a few hours and then leaving. However I was very glad to hear that Invisible Children has developed a relationship with this orphanage for several years and we will have an opportunity to go back each week. At the least, it was humans interacting with humans, all with smiles on their faces. This afternoon I sat underneath the well built pavillion in our compound with its architect Michael. We talked about the history of Uganda, the Acholi people, religion and I felt as if I was receiving a private lecture. This 30 year old father of three who finished O Level(high school) but did not go on to A level talked with the ease of any University professor. When we came to religion, he told me that there are people in Northern Uganda who are becoming turned off by religion because it is becoming more and more like a business. So many branches and denominations are popping up and many are modeling themselves after churches in the west where building size and programming takes precident over actually taking Christ's Kingdom to the poor of a person's community and helping to transform their lives. We talked about the passage where God says "heaven is my throne and the Earth is a footstool for my feet, what manner of house will you build me?" Also where Christ prays that believers would be united, not divided, so that the world would recognize His followers. There is so much to process in this life and I think that two of the main tools needed along the journey are humility and awareness. It was good journeying with Michael today and having "church" with an Acholi member of Christ's Kingdom outside while the rain beat on the thatched roof of our pavillion.
Teacher Exchange in Northern Uganda
click on this picture link to see more pics of our first few days! :)
Beautiful Community... the Body of Christ
Today we attended Watoto Church. As we walked down the African rich red dirt road this morning, children ran out of their huts to greet us (the "munos"- white people), and the sound of worshipful singing filled the air. It was beautiful. We entered the church and I began to pray. It was incredible to catch a glimpse of what the heavenly kingdom of God will be like; many nations praising and worshiping Christ in every language and tongue. We felt so welcome.
The Pastor mentioned something that was so powerful, he said... "When you came to know Christ and were born again, God did not immediately take you up into heaven to be with him because you are suppossed to rub shoulders with His loved ones, the needy of the earth." He went on to speak about Christ and how we have all be called to love and serve those who are suffering. He spoke about the needy in the community here, and encourgaged the body of believers to reach out and love them. We also partook in communion with one another- a beautiful demonstration of the Spirit that we share.
Humanity is humanity. There is nothing new under the sun. Gulu is beginning to rebuild and there are some people here who are prospering, but there are many who are suffering, very many. It is very similar to our own communities. We often turn a blind eye to those around us in the U.S. who are hurting. Our eyes, all of our eyes, must be opened to the least of these in the world. Those who Christ loves and has called us to love. Chris and I hope that yesterday's post did not come across as our saying that we, or you, should not be reaching out to the people in Northern Uganda (or other developing nations)- we are just trying to encourage thoughtful consideration about how people should reach out... as Christ did... with real relationship, education, and sustainability. We know that we have been called to serve here. If you think about it, all of our bible studies, prayers, songs, and services mean absolutely nothing if we don't actually live a life that resembles Christ's... one that fully loves God, and wholeheartedly loves others in such a way that we die to ourselves so that it is not we who live, but Christ in us and through us into a lost and broken world.
We love you guys. We go to Anaka tomorrow... so the next update will be in about 5 days. Keep us in your prayers. :)
The Pastor mentioned something that was so powerful, he said... "When you came to know Christ and were born again, God did not immediately take you up into heaven to be with him because you are suppossed to rub shoulders with His loved ones, the needy of the earth." He went on to speak about Christ and how we have all be called to love and serve those who are suffering. He spoke about the needy in the community here, and encourgaged the body of believers to reach out and love them. We also partook in communion with one another- a beautiful demonstration of the Spirit that we share.
Humanity is humanity. There is nothing new under the sun. Gulu is beginning to rebuild and there are some people here who are prospering, but there are many who are suffering, very many. It is very similar to our own communities. We often turn a blind eye to those around us in the U.S. who are hurting. Our eyes, all of our eyes, must be opened to the least of these in the world. Those who Christ loves and has called us to love. Chris and I hope that yesterday's post did not come across as our saying that we, or you, should not be reaching out to the people in Northern Uganda (or other developing nations)- we are just trying to encourage thoughtful consideration about how people should reach out... as Christ did... with real relationship, education, and sustainability. We know that we have been called to serve here. If you think about it, all of our bible studies, prayers, songs, and services mean absolutely nothing if we don't actually live a life that resembles Christ's... one that fully loves God, and wholeheartedly loves others in such a way that we die to ourselves so that it is not we who live, but Christ in us and through us into a lost and broken world.
We love you guys. We go to Anaka tomorrow... so the next update will be in about 5 days. Keep us in your prayers. :)
Saturday, July 2, 2011
What is poverty?
Apwoyo (Hello in Acholi, sounds like a-FOY-yo) everyone!
Chris and I are sitting in a cafe here in Gulu, Northern Uganda. It's called Cafe Larem. Outside the window that I am sitting beside, there are children running down the gravel street and music is playing loudly from a nearby storefront. Our senses are so alive and engaged here. The scenery is majestic... the rich red earth, thatched roof huts, and lively city. We have had the most beautiful 3 days here. The Acholi people are so welcoming and Gulu is absolutely amazing.
We met our partner teachers last night at a formal dinner and party. My teacher's name is Florence, and she is so lovely! She taught me some Acholi dance moves last night- and she has been teaching for over 30 years! I am looking so forward to moving to Anaka on Monday to work with her! Chris met Geoffrey, his partner teacher. He loves him so much as well. The Acholi were so impressed with Chris' dance moves... His C-walk :). lol!
The past few days we have been here have been very busy. We've had orientations on language, culture, Ugandan teaching curriculum, etc. It has been a very enlightening experience to live in community with 30 other teachers from all over the U.S. and Canada. Our conversations have been interesting and encouraging. Yesterday, we had a powerful dialogue about good intentions and the impact of our being here. There was one question that truly stood out in my mind....
"What is poverty?" How do we measure how someone is poor, especially across cultures. During our conversation, an Acholi man named Jude explained to our group how many times western governments measure poverty here in Uganda by the number of families that live in huts. Jude shared that there are many successful Acholi who choose to live in a hut, because for most people it is highly revered and valued in their culture to retain some aspects of their traditional way of life. He then asked a painful question, "What, or who, are you trying to save us from? Ourselves? We are not in need of your way of life. What we do need is essential to all of humanity: education, long term relationships, and economic sustainability."
If, by western material standards, we evaluate the Acholi way of life, many of us would consider them poor. However, their simple way of life is much more rich than many of the affluent people in our American society who are isolated in their big homes- who have become slaves to time, the accumulation of stuff, and profit. Are the countless number of humans that occupy a countless number of huts in a countless number of villages throughout the world really poor? We are not talking about the starving, sick, or the homeless- but those who retain their diverse cultural way of life. Is their lack of electricty, plumbing, television, multiple rooms, or vehicles the appropriate measurement for determining their economic label? Or, does the fact that many of these people know everyone in their village and share life together make them rich in a way many Westerners can't understand? Do the materially poor only become unhappy and aware of their "poverty" when westerners show them what they don't have?
Jude went on... He said that people from the U.S. and other places have beautiful intentions of trying to help, but often times their aid does more harm than good. Often African Governments rely on the aid they know will be coming in from the governments of the world and use that money and loans from the IMF and World Bank to try and build up their economy. This usually helps the IMF, World Bank, and large corporations far more than it helps the actually people of the country. As long as the heads of these governments look to the west instead of their own entrepeneurs and businessman, the plight of the poor shall remain the same. He said that you can walk through the local market and see all kinds of broken computers, old refridgerators, and air-conditioners that were shipped here by people with good intentions, but by people who had no idea what the Acholi actually needed after the war... how can someone use any of those things living in a hut without electricity? We desperately need to have a long term relationship with those we serve, so that we can understand how to help meet their needs in a sustainable way that recognizes their humanity and culture... that is exactly what Invisible Children strives to do. What does this mean? Well, perhaps we should take an objective look at how we think developing nations should develop.... is it inevitable that they conform to hegemonic powers and the western world, or can they prosper and develop according to their own culture in a way that empowers and encourages healthy growth? We believe the latter to be true. And, in a very practical way, Jesus beautifully demonstrated this type of love to the people he interacted with by living in solidarity with those in need and providing for them according to their needs. He did not hand the blind or the leper golden coins or build them a big house... He gave them the healing that they desperately needed to satisfy the spirit and to acknowledge their value as human beings. Moreover, he did the same for all of us. He has known us even before we were in our mother's womb and he knew our direct need- spiritual healing and reconciliation to the Father. So, instead of handing or promising any of us the riches of the world, he offered us healing and freedom- an invitation to be a part of the eternal Kingdom of God. We have much to learn- and our prayer is that Christ would be so in us and love through us that the Acholi would not see us but Him and sense the powerful aroma of His grace. More to come... Love you all.
Chris and I are sitting in a cafe here in Gulu, Northern Uganda. It's called Cafe Larem. Outside the window that I am sitting beside, there are children running down the gravel street and music is playing loudly from a nearby storefront. Our senses are so alive and engaged here. The scenery is majestic... the rich red earth, thatched roof huts, and lively city. We have had the most beautiful 3 days here. The Acholi people are so welcoming and Gulu is absolutely amazing.
We met our partner teachers last night at a formal dinner and party. My teacher's name is Florence, and she is so lovely! She taught me some Acholi dance moves last night- and she has been teaching for over 30 years! I am looking so forward to moving to Anaka on Monday to work with her! Chris met Geoffrey, his partner teacher. He loves him so much as well. The Acholi were so impressed with Chris' dance moves... His C-walk :). lol!
The past few days we have been here have been very busy. We've had orientations on language, culture, Ugandan teaching curriculum, etc. It has been a very enlightening experience to live in community with 30 other teachers from all over the U.S. and Canada. Our conversations have been interesting and encouraging. Yesterday, we had a powerful dialogue about good intentions and the impact of our being here. There was one question that truly stood out in my mind....
"What is poverty?" How do we measure how someone is poor, especially across cultures. During our conversation, an Acholi man named Jude explained to our group how many times western governments measure poverty here in Uganda by the number of families that live in huts. Jude shared that there are many successful Acholi who choose to live in a hut, because for most people it is highly revered and valued in their culture to retain some aspects of their traditional way of life. He then asked a painful question, "What, or who, are you trying to save us from? Ourselves? We are not in need of your way of life. What we do need is essential to all of humanity: education, long term relationships, and economic sustainability."
If, by western material standards, we evaluate the Acholi way of life, many of us would consider them poor. However, their simple way of life is much more rich than many of the affluent people in our American society who are isolated in their big homes- who have become slaves to time, the accumulation of stuff, and profit. Are the countless number of humans that occupy a countless number of huts in a countless number of villages throughout the world really poor? We are not talking about the starving, sick, or the homeless- but those who retain their diverse cultural way of life. Is their lack of electricty, plumbing, television, multiple rooms, or vehicles the appropriate measurement for determining their economic label? Or, does the fact that many of these people know everyone in their village and share life together make them rich in a way many Westerners can't understand? Do the materially poor only become unhappy and aware of their "poverty" when westerners show them what they don't have?
Jude went on... He said that people from the U.S. and other places have beautiful intentions of trying to help, but often times their aid does more harm than good. Often African Governments rely on the aid they know will be coming in from the governments of the world and use that money and loans from the IMF and World Bank to try and build up their economy. This usually helps the IMF, World Bank, and large corporations far more than it helps the actually people of the country. As long as the heads of these governments look to the west instead of their own entrepeneurs and businessman, the plight of the poor shall remain the same. He said that you can walk through the local market and see all kinds of broken computers, old refridgerators, and air-conditioners that were shipped here by people with good intentions, but by people who had no idea what the Acholi actually needed after the war... how can someone use any of those things living in a hut without electricity? We desperately need to have a long term relationship with those we serve, so that we can understand how to help meet their needs in a sustainable way that recognizes their humanity and culture... that is exactly what Invisible Children strives to do. What does this mean? Well, perhaps we should take an objective look at how we think developing nations should develop.... is it inevitable that they conform to hegemonic powers and the western world, or can they prosper and develop according to their own culture in a way that empowers and encourages healthy growth? We believe the latter to be true. And, in a very practical way, Jesus beautifully demonstrated this type of love to the people he interacted with by living in solidarity with those in need and providing for them according to their needs. He did not hand the blind or the leper golden coins or build them a big house... He gave them the healing that they desperately needed to satisfy the spirit and to acknowledge their value as human beings. Moreover, he did the same for all of us. He has known us even before we were in our mother's womb and he knew our direct need- spiritual healing and reconciliation to the Father. So, instead of handing or promising any of us the riches of the world, he offered us healing and freedom- an invitation to be a part of the eternal Kingdom of God. We have much to learn- and our prayer is that Christ would be so in us and love through us that the Acholi would not see us but Him and sense the powerful aroma of His grace. More to come... Love you all.
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Post 2: Chris' thoughts on "The Odyssey"...
"How fortunate are we, whose home is timelessness; we who have wandered down from fragrant mountains of eternal now to frolic in such mysteries as birth and death a day or maybe even less." - E.E. Cummings
Odyssey- An epic or adventurous journey; an intellectual and spiritual quest.
I like the idea that everyone's life is an Odyssey, a journey through X number of years fighting, wandering, questioning, crying, sharing, laughing, searching... all in an attempt to reach our spiritual home; a kingdom not of this world. Much like brave Odysseus, man tries with all that he has to see "home at last." But it is only through the help of the One, True God, who knew us from a point of timelessness, that any of us should walk through the gates of that kingdom.
Odyssey- An epic or adventurous journey; an intellectual and spiritual quest.
I like the idea that everyone's life is an Odyssey, a journey through X number of years fighting, wandering, questioning, crying, sharing, laughing, searching... all in an attempt to reach our spiritual home; a kingdom not of this world. Much like brave Odysseus, man tries with all that he has to see "home at last." But it is only through the help of the One, True God, who knew us from a point of timelessness, that any of us should walk through the gates of that kingdom.
Who are we making visible?
As you may catch a glimpse of below, Chris and I began this journey of involvement with Invisible Children (http://www.invisiblechildren.com/) through our students. Year before last, we were both teaching 8th grade at rival middle schools and our students came together to passionately collaborate on an art show to raise money for Invisible Children. It was amazing to witness the fervor and compassion that our young students demonstrated toward youth their own ages who live in another part of the world.
This past school year, I had the honor of moving up with that class of students to Bradley Central High School. As soon as we started school I had many students coming up to me wanting to start an Invisible Children Schools 4 Schools club. So, we started the club- started raising money for the Schools 4 Schools competition- and by the end of a 100 day period, BCHS students won their region by raising $15,404. It was an amazing semester. Through our winning, Invisible Children gave BCHS the opportunity to send one student to Uganda and four students to San Diego this summer to attend an awesome activist conference called the 4th Estate.
Through these experiences we became inspired to apply for Invisible Children's Teacher Exchange Program. We witnessed our students demonstrating great passion to provide a voice for the voiceless in the world. For over 25 years a war has been waged in Central East Africa by a rebel army called the LRA, led by warlord Joseph Kony. During this time over 30,000 kids ages 5-14 have been abducted and forced to fight and kill. Just as our students could not hear this story without being compelled to act, we could not hear this story without being challenged to reach out as well.
Through every travel experience we have had, we are always changed in a great way. Many people have been asking us as we were getting prepared to leave for Uganda, "Is this a mission trip?". Well, that question is a very tricky one. You see, Chris and I believe that our whole lives are called to be a mission for the love and servanthood of Jesus Christ. Therefore, every aspect of our lives is a mission... our classrooms at home, our rafting trips, and our teaching in Uganda this summer. We hope that you will not interpret our blog title as a righteous endeavor to take some sort of special knowledge to a developing country and make their poverty and plight visible to you. Rather, we are travelling to Uganda as educators and as learners, most of all we hope to embody what Christ compels us to be- the servant of all. We hope that we will not only make the beautiful stories of Ugandans known to you, but that they will bring out beautiful things in us as well... that our eyes may be opened to a greater understanding of humanity and of God.
There tends to be a great poverty in Western civilization... a poverty of the spirit in which we believe that there are no needs we can't meet on our own- the goal is to be an island unto ourselves. Few of us believe that we need those on the margins of society as much as they need us. However, God desires to rescue each of us from our own brand of poverty. We need the economically and physically vulnerable to teach us that we are also vulnerable. We need "the least of these"- the Lazuruses of the world- to help us see ourselves, and God's kingdom, differently. It is good to remember that despite our economic security and relative power to affect change in the world, we are as poor in spirit as anyone. We are not anyone's savior; just two more vulnerable human beings. To remember this truth is to be rescued from our own self-sufficiency and from an inflated sense of our own self importance. We know that the experiences that we are about to have teaching and living in Uganda may be painful and beautiful all at once, which is often what it feels like to be ushered a step further into the kingdom of God. (Note : most of the ideas in this paragraph were taken from my recent reading... "Economy of Love" by Shane Claiborne).
This past school year, I had the honor of moving up with that class of students to Bradley Central High School. As soon as we started school I had many students coming up to me wanting to start an Invisible Children Schools 4 Schools club. So, we started the club- started raising money for the Schools 4 Schools competition- and by the end of a 100 day period, BCHS students won their region by raising $15,404. It was an amazing semester. Through our winning, Invisible Children gave BCHS the opportunity to send one student to Uganda and four students to San Diego this summer to attend an awesome activist conference called the 4th Estate.
Through these experiences we became inspired to apply for Invisible Children's Teacher Exchange Program. We witnessed our students demonstrating great passion to provide a voice for the voiceless in the world. For over 25 years a war has been waged in Central East Africa by a rebel army called the LRA, led by warlord Joseph Kony. During this time over 30,000 kids ages 5-14 have been abducted and forced to fight and kill. Just as our students could not hear this story without being compelled to act, we could not hear this story without being challenged to reach out as well.
Through every travel experience we have had, we are always changed in a great way. Many people have been asking us as we were getting prepared to leave for Uganda, "Is this a mission trip?". Well, that question is a very tricky one. You see, Chris and I believe that our whole lives are called to be a mission for the love and servanthood of Jesus Christ. Therefore, every aspect of our lives is a mission... our classrooms at home, our rafting trips, and our teaching in Uganda this summer. We hope that you will not interpret our blog title as a righteous endeavor to take some sort of special knowledge to a developing country and make their poverty and plight visible to you. Rather, we are travelling to Uganda as educators and as learners, most of all we hope to embody what Christ compels us to be- the servant of all. We hope that we will not only make the beautiful stories of Ugandans known to you, but that they will bring out beautiful things in us as well... that our eyes may be opened to a greater understanding of humanity and of God.
There tends to be a great poverty in Western civilization... a poverty of the spirit in which we believe that there are no needs we can't meet on our own- the goal is to be an island unto ourselves. Few of us believe that we need those on the margins of society as much as they need us. However, God desires to rescue each of us from our own brand of poverty. We need the economically and physically vulnerable to teach us that we are also vulnerable. We need "the least of these"- the Lazuruses of the world- to help us see ourselves, and God's kingdom, differently. It is good to remember that despite our economic security and relative power to affect change in the world, we are as poor in spirit as anyone. We are not anyone's savior; just two more vulnerable human beings. To remember this truth is to be rescued from our own self-sufficiency and from an inflated sense of our own self importance. We know that the experiences that we are about to have teaching and living in Uganda may be painful and beautiful all at once, which is often what it feels like to be ushered a step further into the kingdom of God. (Note : most of the ideas in this paragraph were taken from my recent reading... "Economy of Love" by Shane Claiborne).
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