December 2003
Dear Uganda Mission Supporters,
Greetings from the hinterlands of northwest Uganda, also known as Madi/West Nile Diocese. Please forgive a form
letter, but in the interests of contacting as many as possible, I am resorting to this method temporarily. This is
coming to you via bushnet, which is a worldwide radio system that the Wycliffe Bible Translators use. I still have not
been able to establish a direct Internet connection, but am getting close. In the meantime, you can reach me at
Jim.Short@bushnet.net. Or my cell phone is (from the States) 011 256 7745 3243. Yes, it actually works! when I'm
near a tower. When I'm away from Arua in the villages, the service is nonexistent. But this is what one should
expect when leaving the richest country in the world and going to live and work in one of the poorest countries. Life
is primitive, but enjoyable.
Our mission is going extremely well so far. Other muzungus here (Swahili for white men) ask me how I'm
adjusting to life here. All I can honestly tell them is that I'm adjusted - they literally threw me in the deep end of the
pool when I arrived, and I have had to swim. Everything in the diocese has basically broken down - everything - the
phone, the duplicator, the motorbikes, the vehicles (that still have air in their tires). And now last week, even the
bishop's vehicle died. So you can see that I have my hands full!
Take transport, for example. It is difficult enough here under the best of circumstances. The roads are like our
worst jeep trails, and there is no AAA or towing service if you break down. (Of course, this assumes that you are
rich enough to even own a vehicle, or you are with an NGO (non govt. organization), the UN or a company like BAT
(British American tobacco). Then if you have a vehicle, it has to be thoroughly serviced because of the road
conditions. None of this has happened in the diocese for years, from what I can see, with the result that I have
inherited a veritable junkyard of landrovers, Suzuki's, motorbikes, and other assorted pieces of equipment that are
"very strong, very strong, only something little is wrong with it", but can't even begin to run. Yes, this is a true banana
republic (Ugandans eat more bananas per capita than any other country in the world - they are delicious). So my
first act of profligacy was to go to the market and buy a new bike (made in India in the old Raleigh style) for $60(high
end model, includes lights and a pump for the tires) so that I can get around locally while trying to sort out this
incredible mess. But take heart. Mechanics here are cheap - $20 a month, and they will try to fix anything even if
they lack tools. So with a little patience, and a lot of looking the other way, I have been able to resurrect an old
Landrover, a motorbike, and am now close to salvaging an old Mitsubishi truck.
And then I was able recently to resurrect the diocesan phone line and an old Gestetner duplicator for the
secretaries in the office. So now they love me and all Americans. I have also been able to restore a solar system
on my house (no, not the one I'm really supposed to have, but another one), and this week will do the same with the
solar system in the library at our new "university". These are small things, but the people affected by them are
ecstatic, since it has been a long time since they were able to use these various "tools" to do their jobs.
I see part of our mission here to the diocese as one of encouragement. The people have been demoralized, but
they respond immediately with joy when we help them to get "back on their feet" and go forward. It is a terrible thing
to know how to do something, but not have the tools to perform it. The doctor could save the patient, but the right
medicine wasn't available. In the States, we would say this was malpractice. But here, its just life.
The diocese is so huge that infrastructure is a big concern. Two weeks ago, the bishop and all the senior clergy
met for staff "postings". They were so happy with what is going on that they decided to make me the "administrator",
a position that I think they created so that they could slot me in right after the bishop - i.e., little bishop, or number 2.
Now of course, this wasn't in my job description, but there we are. The bishop retires in October next year, but in
the next few months, he will only be here for approximately two months. The rest of the time, you can guess who is
left in charge. This will be a VERY interesting year, but a very rewarding one, as the diocese prepares to elect a
new bishop in June or July and I try to get all the books straightened out, the infrastructure back in order, and work
as much as possible with the priests and lay leaders in the field. And then of course, there are the Hebrew and
Greek classes at the new "university", the library (they think I'm a librarian), the extensive needs of the church
hospital at Kuluva (I haven't even started on that one yet), and then the ten archdeaconaries and the 800 churches
in them. The wonderful thing about all this is the continued growth in numbers of churches and Christians, in spite
of all the formidable obstacles in the path. Even the simplest of things to help is received with great thanksgiving
and faith. For example, there is a huge need for bibles, prayer books and hymnals. I have been able to distribute
over 100 Lugbara bibles, and am working on the prayer books and hymnals. You can just imagine the excitement
of the Christians who receive a copy of the bible for the first time, and can actually read it for themselves, in their
own language! If we did nothing else in this mission except distribute literature to every Christian in the diocese
(over 600,000) that in it would be a remarkable achievement. Most of the people here are poor peasants, living off
the land in grass hut villages. Many of them cannot speak English, and many of them have no education at all.
The diocese has thirty church schools that I know of, and they are all full. We need textbooks, teaching materials,
etc. I especially need textbooks for the university library, as the new education department and social studies
department have almost nothing for the students to use. Any suggestions as to how we can get these materials
would be very appreciated. I took over twenty Hebrew and twenty Greek sets of textbooks on the plane, and they
were enthusiastically received! I was supposed to have ten students in the Greek class, but it seems to keep
mysteriously growing because I have tools to work with. Now that I'm here and can't even go to a decent bookshop,
my gratitude for the abundant blessings we have in the States has increased exponentially. It's not that the people
here aren't smart, or hard working, or unwilling. They lack the tools. And of course the culture and "mindset" is very
different. But as Christians, I believe we have a duty and an opportunity to help each other, no matter what happens
in the rest of our world.
So thank you again for the support. I think I am the only person here in Arua who is not sponsored by a missionary
society or NGO. But I have far and away the most responsibility. So we have a unique opportunity here to do good
and to build the kingdom. I'm trying to be faithful to that, and all the time trying to build up the prayer life of the
diocese and the staff, so that we have clarity as to what the Lord wants done here.
I hope to be able to send you some of my pictures soon in another newsletter, when I am finally able to set up a
direct Internet connection through MTN in Kampala, the capital.
Yours faithfully,
Fr. Jim
P.S. I forgot to mention the banking, if you can call it that! It is as primitive here in the north country of Uganda as are
the roads. But Debbie Roberts at the Diocese of San Joaquin is very efficient and helpful, and has been able to
wire me some funds without any difficulty. So the best way to send funds is through her at the Diocese 559
244-4828. You can send funds directly here, and I have a dollar clearing account, but it takes a lot longer. If you
want to write directly, the address is Madi/West Nile Diocese, PO box 370, Arua, Uganda. I would love to hear from
you!
Greetings from the hinterlands of northwest Uganda, also known as Madi/West Nile Diocese. Please forgive a form
letter, but in the interests of contacting as many as possible, I am resorting to this method temporarily. This is
coming to you via bushnet, which is a worldwide radio system that the Wycliffe Bible Translators use. I still have not
been able to establish a direct Internet connection, but am getting close. In the meantime, you can reach me at
Jim.Short@bushnet.net. Or my cell phone is (from the States) 011 256 7745 3243. Yes, it actually works! when I'm
near a tower. When I'm away from Arua in the villages, the service is nonexistent. But this is what one should
expect when leaving the richest country in the world and going to live and work in one of the poorest countries. Life
is primitive, but enjoyable.
Our mission is going extremely well so far. Other muzungus here (Swahili for white men) ask me how I'm
adjusting to life here. All I can honestly tell them is that I'm adjusted - they literally threw me in the deep end of the
pool when I arrived, and I have had to swim. Everything in the diocese has basically broken down - everything - the
phone, the duplicator, the motorbikes, the vehicles (that still have air in their tires). And now last week, even the
bishop's vehicle died. So you can see that I have my hands full!
Take transport, for example. It is difficult enough here under the best of circumstances. The roads are like our
worst jeep trails, and there is no AAA or towing service if you break down. (Of course, this assumes that you are
rich enough to even own a vehicle, or you are with an NGO (non govt. organization), the UN or a company like BAT
(British American tobacco). Then if you have a vehicle, it has to be thoroughly serviced because of the road
conditions. None of this has happened in the diocese for years, from what I can see, with the result that I have
inherited a veritable junkyard of landrovers, Suzuki's, motorbikes, and other assorted pieces of equipment that are
"very strong, very strong, only something little is wrong with it", but can't even begin to run. Yes, this is a true banana
republic (Ugandans eat more bananas per capita than any other country in the world - they are delicious). So my
first act of profligacy was to go to the market and buy a new bike (made in India in the old Raleigh style) for $60(high
end model, includes lights and a pump for the tires) so that I can get around locally while trying to sort out this
incredible mess. But take heart. Mechanics here are cheap - $20 a month, and they will try to fix anything even if
they lack tools. So with a little patience, and a lot of looking the other way, I have been able to resurrect an old
Landrover, a motorbike, and am now close to salvaging an old Mitsubishi truck.
And then I was able recently to resurrect the diocesan phone line and an old Gestetner duplicator for the
secretaries in the office. So now they love me and all Americans. I have also been able to restore a solar system
on my house (no, not the one I'm really supposed to have, but another one), and this week will do the same with the
solar system in the library at our new "university". These are small things, but the people affected by them are
ecstatic, since it has been a long time since they were able to use these various "tools" to do their jobs.
I see part of our mission here to the diocese as one of encouragement. The people have been demoralized, but
they respond immediately with joy when we help them to get "back on their feet" and go forward. It is a terrible thing
to know how to do something, but not have the tools to perform it. The doctor could save the patient, but the right
medicine wasn't available. In the States, we would say this was malpractice. But here, its just life.
The diocese is so huge that infrastructure is a big concern. Two weeks ago, the bishop and all the senior clergy
met for staff "postings". They were so happy with what is going on that they decided to make me the "administrator",
a position that I think they created so that they could slot me in right after the bishop - i.e., little bishop, or number 2.
Now of course, this wasn't in my job description, but there we are. The bishop retires in October next year, but in
the next few months, he will only be here for approximately two months. The rest of the time, you can guess who is
left in charge. This will be a VERY interesting year, but a very rewarding one, as the diocese prepares to elect a
new bishop in June or July and I try to get all the books straightened out, the infrastructure back in order, and work
as much as possible with the priests and lay leaders in the field. And then of course, there are the Hebrew and
Greek classes at the new "university", the library (they think I'm a librarian), the extensive needs of the church
hospital at Kuluva (I haven't even started on that one yet), and then the ten archdeaconaries and the 800 churches
in them. The wonderful thing about all this is the continued growth in numbers of churches and Christians, in spite
of all the formidable obstacles in the path. Even the simplest of things to help is received with great thanksgiving
and faith. For example, there is a huge need for bibles, prayer books and hymnals. I have been able to distribute
over 100 Lugbara bibles, and am working on the prayer books and hymnals. You can just imagine the excitement
of the Christians who receive a copy of the bible for the first time, and can actually read it for themselves, in their
own language! If we did nothing else in this mission except distribute literature to every Christian in the diocese
(over 600,000) that in it would be a remarkable achievement. Most of the people here are poor peasants, living off
the land in grass hut villages. Many of them cannot speak English, and many of them have no education at all.
The diocese has thirty church schools that I know of, and they are all full. We need textbooks, teaching materials,
etc. I especially need textbooks for the university library, as the new education department and social studies
department have almost nothing for the students to use. Any suggestions as to how we can get these materials
would be very appreciated. I took over twenty Hebrew and twenty Greek sets of textbooks on the plane, and they
were enthusiastically received! I was supposed to have ten students in the Greek class, but it seems to keep
mysteriously growing because I have tools to work with. Now that I'm here and can't even go to a decent bookshop,
my gratitude for the abundant blessings we have in the States has increased exponentially. It's not that the people
here aren't smart, or hard working, or unwilling. They lack the tools. And of course the culture and "mindset" is very
different. But as Christians, I believe we have a duty and an opportunity to help each other, no matter what happens
in the rest of our world.
So thank you again for the support. I think I am the only person here in Arua who is not sponsored by a missionary
society or NGO. But I have far and away the most responsibility. So we have a unique opportunity here to do good
and to build the kingdom. I'm trying to be faithful to that, and all the time trying to build up the prayer life of the
diocese and the staff, so that we have clarity as to what the Lord wants done here.
I hope to be able to send you some of my pictures soon in another newsletter, when I am finally able to set up a
direct Internet connection through MTN in Kampala, the capital.
Yours faithfully,
Fr. Jim
P.S. I forgot to mention the banking, if you can call it that! It is as primitive here in the north country of Uganda as are
the roads. But Debbie Roberts at the Diocese of San Joaquin is very efficient and helpful, and has been able to
wire me some funds without any difficulty. So the best way to send funds is through her at the Diocese 559
244-4828. You can send funds directly here, and I have a dollar clearing account, but it takes a lot longer. If you
want to write directly, the address is Madi/West Nile Diocese, PO box 370, Arua, Uganda. I would love to hear from
you!
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