February 2008
THANK YOU FOR THE WORK YOU ARE DOING
This is a Bantu expression for thanking someone for showing up, for work and all kinds of
other things. Phili and I hear it more and more these days, but we have certainly been
busily at work!
Phili’s Garment Business (E Designs)
This week, Phili and her three men finally completed a large order of uniforms for the
Compassion International office here in Masindi. She is now working on her summer
collection, several “back orders” from friends in the U.S. and Canada, and beginning work
on a large school uniform order.
In December, I was able to find a commercial buttonhole making machine for her in Los
Angeles, and shipped it back with me in early January. There have been many electrical
challenges to getting this machine operational, but the end is finally in sight. We have now
stocked up on many beautiful African fabrics, a new high speed cutting machine, and many
spare parts and supplies. We are also rebuilding all her old Singer machines, to serve as
backup to the commercial machines. The three men are very happy to be working for her,
as she is an excellent employer and pays well. We will train one of the men, Abiriga, to
operate her chain stitch embroidery machine next month.
A new label (from a specialist in L.A.) is on its way also. I am extremely excited about the
label (as well as the good start to the business). The label is classy and unique for Uganda,
indeed for most of Africa. The fashion design business is in its infancy here, and I expect
her to be well known for her work within a couple of years, and have several other people
employed.
Phili’s Tailoring School
In the meantime, she continues to direct the Mothers Union Tailoring School, and teach
some of the subjects in her curriculum. The third class of students starts next week, and it is
full. We are even getting the wives of pastors coming to enroll, which is a new development
indicating increased seriousness about the school.
New Constitution
After a mad dash to the finish (Jan 9th to 13th), I was able to complete the draft of the
Masindi-Kitara Diocesan Constitution, present it to the Diocesan Synod on the 15th, (along
with the Chancellor), and have it approved with only one change. If all goes well, the
constitution should be approved by the Provincial Assembly in August.
Some will question why this is particularly important to my mission here? It is indeed a rare
opportunity to structure the future of this diocese, which is comprised of 165,000 Christians
and seventy educational institutions. The Constitution has extra checks and balances, and
state-of-the-art language in such areas as the roles of church leaders, land issues, and
financial issues. It has given me a real insider’s view of the Province of the Church of
Uganda In a way, it also provides a context to assess the inevitable challenges that lie
before the American church, which is now coming apart at the seams. A constitution is not
a rule book (that is the role of church canons), but a vision of where the Church should be
heading, and how it should get there. The Church here needs clear, Christlike vision
desperately: maybe this constitution can be of some use towards that end.
The Buliisa Project
The rest of January was spent with Bill Sullivan, Bill Haines, and Gary Horsmann (the
Buliisa Boys) in repairing the roof of the original hospital building at Buliisa (a glorified
village on Lake Albert) and cleaning and painting. It was very successful, the locals
participated, the children were entertained by the two Bills (the Unpaid Bills), and new hope
was instilled in a very dysfunctional small “country” hospital. Please go to www.the
bulisaproject.com, for full details of an amazing two weeks! Or contact Bill Sullivan directly
at wildbillsullivan@yahoo.com. We hope to continue with this mission next year,
approximately the same time of year. Volunteers are welcomed.
Farming Projects
After two years of seeing results in the pilot churches, there is a widespread demand by
many more churches to have their own farming project or kitchen garden project. My new
projects manager, Rev. Francis Mulinzi and I have been making the rounds of the churches
and schools, receiving reports from the last growing season, and making plans for the new
growing season which starts in March. In the process, I have been places, (almost always
off road), where muzungus (white men) are unknown and rarely seen. In the villages and
“the bush”, it is possible to go back in time probably 2-300 years, and experience life
before the invention of electricity, locomotion, radio, the pneumatic tire, the tractor and
computer. When there is no road, only a footpath, what does one do? Life is primitive, but
it is also far simpler. It is essentially timeless, tied to the rhythm of daybreak and nightfall.
In such an environment, the introduction of a tractor and tools can have an enormous
impact.
This is the first tractor of our program. It is simple and rugged. There are few electrical
parts, so the engine starts by a crankhandle (see the picture). I remember funny stories
about my “California” grandfather (whom I never met) trying to crank his old cars into life,
and almost getting killed in the process. Now the grandson is going full circle, back to an
earlier time?
The air cleaner is the old oil bath type – I had several of these on my old cars in college; a
1948 Plymouth, 1937 Dodge coupe, 1947 Chevy convertible. It’s very basic, and a lot
cheaper than throwing away a paper air filter every 30 days.
The engine (which is diesel, by the way) is water-cooled. You pour water in the tank on top,
and the little pin with the bobber on top tells you if you need more water or not – pretty
basic. The instruction manuals are in Chinese, with a fractured English translation in parts.
This is the real thing – not like all those fancy “Chinese” things made in China by American
or European companies (like this fancy HP computer I’m using). It was even sold to us by a
nice Chinese fellow in Kampala – velly good! tractah, velly good!
Diocesan Training Center (for catechists and church leaders)
The diocese has given me three buildings to use for the new training center. I am in the process of
renovating the first one (the smallest – one classroom, one office, one storeroom) in a mad dash to
be ready by the opening of school, March 25th. The curriculum will be different from last year’s
pilot. We will teach literacy, agriculture, leading worship, biblical studies, and church administration
– also remedial language as required. For the spouses, we will offer sewing and kitchen gardens.
The focus will be on community worship and life, and the academics will be held to a minimum.
Phili and I send you our thanks for all the prayers, the interest and the support! We wish you a time
of renewal and rediscovery during the blessed Lenten season. And we pray that what we do is for
the glory of God, and that the Son of God will be glorified by ‘the work we are doing’.
This is a Bantu expression for thanking someone for showing up, for work and all kinds of
other things. Phili and I hear it more and more these days, but we have certainly been
busily at work!
Phili’s Garment Business (E Designs)
This week, Phili and her three men finally completed a large order of uniforms for the
Compassion International office here in Masindi. She is now working on her summer
collection, several “back orders” from friends in the U.S. and Canada, and beginning work
on a large school uniform order.
In December, I was able to find a commercial buttonhole making machine for her in Los
Angeles, and shipped it back with me in early January. There have been many electrical
challenges to getting this machine operational, but the end is finally in sight. We have now
stocked up on many beautiful African fabrics, a new high speed cutting machine, and many
spare parts and supplies. We are also rebuilding all her old Singer machines, to serve as
backup to the commercial machines. The three men are very happy to be working for her,
as she is an excellent employer and pays well. We will train one of the men, Abiriga, to
operate her chain stitch embroidery machine next month.
A new label (from a specialist in L.A.) is on its way also. I am extremely excited about the
label (as well as the good start to the business). The label is classy and unique for Uganda,
indeed for most of Africa. The fashion design business is in its infancy here, and I expect
her to be well known for her work within a couple of years, and have several other people
employed.
Phili’s Tailoring School
In the meantime, she continues to direct the Mothers Union Tailoring School, and teach
some of the subjects in her curriculum. The third class of students starts next week, and it is
full. We are even getting the wives of pastors coming to enroll, which is a new development
indicating increased seriousness about the school.
New Constitution
After a mad dash to the finish (Jan 9th to 13th), I was able to complete the draft of the
Masindi-Kitara Diocesan Constitution, present it to the Diocesan Synod on the 15th, (along
with the Chancellor), and have it approved with only one change. If all goes well, the
constitution should be approved by the Provincial Assembly in August.
Some will question why this is particularly important to my mission here? It is indeed a rare
opportunity to structure the future of this diocese, which is comprised of 165,000 Christians
and seventy educational institutions. The Constitution has extra checks and balances, and
state-of-the-art language in such areas as the roles of church leaders, land issues, and
financial issues. It has given me a real insider’s view of the Province of the Church of
Uganda In a way, it also provides a context to assess the inevitable challenges that lie
before the American church, which is now coming apart at the seams. A constitution is not
a rule book (that is the role of church canons), but a vision of where the Church should be
heading, and how it should get there. The Church here needs clear, Christlike vision
desperately: maybe this constitution can be of some use towards that end.
The Buliisa Project
The rest of January was spent with Bill Sullivan, Bill Haines, and Gary Horsmann (the
Buliisa Boys) in repairing the roof of the original hospital building at Buliisa (a glorified
village on Lake Albert) and cleaning and painting. It was very successful, the locals
participated, the children were entertained by the two Bills (the Unpaid Bills), and new hope
was instilled in a very dysfunctional small “country” hospital. Please go to www.the
bulisaproject.com, for full details of an amazing two weeks! Or contact Bill Sullivan directly
at wildbillsullivan@yahoo.com. We hope to continue with this mission next year,
approximately the same time of year. Volunteers are welcomed.
Farming Projects
After two years of seeing results in the pilot churches, there is a widespread demand by
many more churches to have their own farming project or kitchen garden project. My new
projects manager, Rev. Francis Mulinzi and I have been making the rounds of the churches
and schools, receiving reports from the last growing season, and making plans for the new
growing season which starts in March. In the process, I have been places, (almost always
off road), where muzungus (white men) are unknown and rarely seen. In the villages and
“the bush”, it is possible to go back in time probably 2-300 years, and experience life
before the invention of electricity, locomotion, radio, the pneumatic tire, the tractor and
computer. When there is no road, only a footpath, what does one do? Life is primitive, but
it is also far simpler. It is essentially timeless, tied to the rhythm of daybreak and nightfall.
In such an environment, the introduction of a tractor and tools can have an enormous
impact.
This is the first tractor of our program. It is simple and rugged. There are few electrical
parts, so the engine starts by a crankhandle (see the picture). I remember funny stories
about my “California” grandfather (whom I never met) trying to crank his old cars into life,
and almost getting killed in the process. Now the grandson is going full circle, back to an
earlier time?
The air cleaner is the old oil bath type – I had several of these on my old cars in college; a
1948 Plymouth, 1937 Dodge coupe, 1947 Chevy convertible. It’s very basic, and a lot
cheaper than throwing away a paper air filter every 30 days.
The engine (which is diesel, by the way) is water-cooled. You pour water in the tank on top,
and the little pin with the bobber on top tells you if you need more water or not – pretty
basic. The instruction manuals are in Chinese, with a fractured English translation in parts.
This is the real thing – not like all those fancy “Chinese” things made in China by American
or European companies (like this fancy HP computer I’m using). It was even sold to us by a
nice Chinese fellow in Kampala – velly good! tractah, velly good!
Diocesan Training Center (for catechists and church leaders)
The diocese has given me three buildings to use for the new training center. I am in the process of
renovating the first one (the smallest – one classroom, one office, one storeroom) in a mad dash to
be ready by the opening of school, March 25th. The curriculum will be different from last year’s
pilot. We will teach literacy, agriculture, leading worship, biblical studies, and church administration
– also remedial language as required. For the spouses, we will offer sewing and kitchen gardens.
The focus will be on community worship and life, and the academics will be held to a minimum.
Phili and I send you our thanks for all the prayers, the interest and the support! We wish you a time
of renewal and rediscovery during the blessed Lenten season. And we pray that what we do is for
the glory of God, and that the Son of God will be glorified by ‘the work we are doing’.
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