January 2005
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Jan 30, 2005
Dear Friends,
Yes, it’s true. “God’s obedient servant”, the holy muzungu, our spiritual father the Revd. Short, Jamesi, has finally
made it back to Uganda. He hasn’t made it back to Arua just yet: that comes next week. This is a brief respite to
catch up on thank yous, paperwork built up over six months in the States, old diocesan business from six months
ago, find a clearing agent and destination for the “Phoenix Bibles”, and rest to get rid of the jet lag.
the rest of the country. Besides, they haven’t heard of the EPA yet in Uganda. This isn’t California, where too much
the rest of the country. Besides, they haven’t heard of the EPA yet in Uganda. This isn’t California, where too much
smoke from your car will get you a nice ticket. So diesel smoke belches out everywhere, blending with the ever
present red dust, the roadside litter, drycleaning chemicals, restaurant smells, and everything else that makes its
way into the air. (In Arua, we don’t have this problem, because there are so few vehicles and it is so rural that
pollution hasn’t yet arrived).
pollution hasn’t yet arrived).
Driving here is a lot like a demolition derby. There are no painted lines, no stop lights, no traffic control, no cones or
coneheads to place them, minimal street lighting, and probably not that many drivers who are licensed either.
Noise pollution abounds. God invented the horn so that it could be used, and so every driver “hoots”freely
(Ugandan English for ‘honk’). The object is to intimidate everyone to get out of your way.
90cc Yamaha motorbike with a seat bolted where the luggage rack used to be. The U.S. Embassy cautions its
90cc Yamaha motorbike with a seat bolted where the luggage rack used to be. The U.S. Embassy cautions its
citizens to avoid the taxis at all costs. For some reason, I have ignored that advice and tried each variety.
citizens to avoid the taxis at all costs. For some reason, I have ignored that advice and tried each variety.
The most exciting is the bodaboda. This kind of ride has no rules at all, with all the thrills of a rollercoaster and
probably more. The “taxi driver”, usually a young fellow who wants to get an education but can’t afford the school
fees, is required to wear a helll met (that’s how you say it in Ugandan English), but not his passenger. You can go
anywhere the Yamaha will take you – sidewalks, parking lots, gardens, whatever. Yesterday, the fellow took me
over dirt paths leading through a city park! If the traffic gets too congested, then just go ride in the other lane. You
can also go the wrong direction, if needed. Who says travel can’t be fun?
ARUA
I arrived here on Tuesday evening to a real mess. The election of the new bishop has turned into a real taxi ride, in
spite of my best efforts last year to keep it from being stolen. A Nominating Committee of fifteen people, elected
from the Diocesan Synod, is responsible to considering all the eligible candidates for bishop, determining the two
most qualified names from the field, and then sending them to the House of Bishops for their final decision. It
seems a little unrepresentative to me for a diocese of around half a million people, but that’s how they do it. You
can see the potential for mischief here!
The previous bishop and some of his cohorts tried to sabotage the process right after I left for the States and force
a man of their own choosing. Fortunately, the House of Bishops rejected this charade outright and told them to go
away and pray for themselves. Confusion is everywhere now, and there has been a lot of trauma caused,
especially among the diocesan staff. All this reminds me of how much Paul struggled in his congregations to
keep the Judaizers and the naysayers from coming behind him and destroying his work. Galatians is a good
example.
As I watch my fellow Anglicans here fighting over who should be the next bishop, it makes me think more and more
that maybe the Presbyterians got it right (although I know they have problems as well). My mother taught me a
poem as a child which perhaps says all that needs to be said about a bishop: “when he was good, he was very
very good. And when he was bad, he was horrid!”
This will be a time of watching and waiting, and nobody knows how long it will last. Of course, it doesn’t prevent the
Kingdom work from going on. Within a few hours of my arrival back here, several people had already come to see
me, and the phone was ringing steadily. So it will be a good time, even if not exactly what was envisioned six
months ago. I keep thinking of 1 Cor. 16.9: ä wide door for effective work has been opened to me, and there are
many adversaries.” Satan doesn’t want us to succeed in building the Kingdom, and so he sows weeds and
confusion in the fields the Lord has sent us to dig. We must be vigilant, and not get too discouraged. This too is
part of mission. The Africans are very good at being patient and “waiting”. For Westerners, the waiting is very
annoying, since we think it is completely counterproductive. But it is biblical. Our timing is not necessarily that of
the Lord. In fact, if we are not careful, Satan can enter our hearts and confuse us, as he entered into Judas. Jesus
even had to say to Peter, “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat, but
I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail; and when you have turned again, strengthen your brethren.” Lk
22.32
Was it Hemingway who penned the line “he also serves who only stands and waits?” He was reflecting the
thoughts of one of the greatest prophets, Habakkuk, who wrote
For still the vision awaits its time; it hastens to the end – it will not lie.
If it seem slow, wait for it; it will surely come, it will not delay.
Behold, he whose soul is not upright in him shall fail,
But the righteous shall life by his faith.
Let me thank you again for the support and prayers that enable me to be here. The time in the States was a
wonderful time, very busy, but also very fruitful. There is a real heart for mission work in the Church today, and I feel
privileged to be a part of it, even if sometimes the watching and the waiting is disorienting. Let us pray that our
work together will continue to bear fruit in this place, for that is the Lord’s will.
My email addresses are now yakoboshort@yahoo.com, and jamesshort@infocom.co.ug. It is always wonderful to
hear from you. In the meantime, I hope you enjoy your taxi rides!
Dear Friends,
Yes, it’s true. “God’s obedient servant”, the holy muzungu, our spiritual father the Revd. Short, Jamesi, has finally
made it back to Uganda. He hasn’t made it back to Arua just yet: that comes next week. This is a brief respite to
catch up on thank yous, paperwork built up over six months in the States, old diocesan business from six months
ago, find a clearing agent and destination for the “Phoenix Bibles”, and rest to get rid of the jet lag.
the rest of the country. Besides, they haven’t heard of the EPA yet in Uganda. This isn’t California, where too much
the rest of the country. Besides, they haven’t heard of the EPA yet in Uganda. This isn’t California, where too much
smoke from your car will get you a nice ticket. So diesel smoke belches out everywhere, blending with the ever
present red dust, the roadside litter, drycleaning chemicals, restaurant smells, and everything else that makes its
way into the air. (In Arua, we don’t have this problem, because there are so few vehicles and it is so rural that
pollution hasn’t yet arrived).
pollution hasn’t yet arrived).
Driving here is a lot like a demolition derby. There are no painted lines, no stop lights, no traffic control, no cones or
coneheads to place them, minimal street lighting, and probably not that many drivers who are licensed either.
Noise pollution abounds. God invented the horn so that it could be used, and so every driver “hoots”freely
(Ugandan English for ‘honk’). The object is to intimidate everyone to get out of your way.
90cc Yamaha motorbike with a seat bolted where the luggage rack used to be. The U.S. Embassy cautions its
90cc Yamaha motorbike with a seat bolted where the luggage rack used to be. The U.S. Embassy cautions its
citizens to avoid the taxis at all costs. For some reason, I have ignored that advice and tried each variety.
citizens to avoid the taxis at all costs. For some reason, I have ignored that advice and tried each variety.
The most exciting is the bodaboda. This kind of ride has no rules at all, with all the thrills of a rollercoaster and
probably more. The “taxi driver”, usually a young fellow who wants to get an education but can’t afford the school
fees, is required to wear a helll met (that’s how you say it in Ugandan English), but not his passenger. You can go
anywhere the Yamaha will take you – sidewalks, parking lots, gardens, whatever. Yesterday, the fellow took me
over dirt paths leading through a city park! If the traffic gets too congested, then just go ride in the other lane. You
can also go the wrong direction, if needed. Who says travel can’t be fun?
ARUA
I arrived here on Tuesday evening to a real mess. The election of the new bishop has turned into a real taxi ride, in
spite of my best efforts last year to keep it from being stolen. A Nominating Committee of fifteen people, elected
from the Diocesan Synod, is responsible to considering all the eligible candidates for bishop, determining the two
most qualified names from the field, and then sending them to the House of Bishops for their final decision. It
seems a little unrepresentative to me for a diocese of around half a million people, but that’s how they do it. You
can see the potential for mischief here!
The previous bishop and some of his cohorts tried to sabotage the process right after I left for the States and force
a man of their own choosing. Fortunately, the House of Bishops rejected this charade outright and told them to go
away and pray for themselves. Confusion is everywhere now, and there has been a lot of trauma caused,
especially among the diocesan staff. All this reminds me of how much Paul struggled in his congregations to
keep the Judaizers and the naysayers from coming behind him and destroying his work. Galatians is a good
example.
As I watch my fellow Anglicans here fighting over who should be the next bishop, it makes me think more and more
that maybe the Presbyterians got it right (although I know they have problems as well). My mother taught me a
poem as a child which perhaps says all that needs to be said about a bishop: “when he was good, he was very
very good. And when he was bad, he was horrid!”
This will be a time of watching and waiting, and nobody knows how long it will last. Of course, it doesn’t prevent the
Kingdom work from going on. Within a few hours of my arrival back here, several people had already come to see
me, and the phone was ringing steadily. So it will be a good time, even if not exactly what was envisioned six
months ago. I keep thinking of 1 Cor. 16.9: ä wide door for effective work has been opened to me, and there are
many adversaries.” Satan doesn’t want us to succeed in building the Kingdom, and so he sows weeds and
confusion in the fields the Lord has sent us to dig. We must be vigilant, and not get too discouraged. This too is
part of mission. The Africans are very good at being patient and “waiting”. For Westerners, the waiting is very
annoying, since we think it is completely counterproductive. But it is biblical. Our timing is not necessarily that of
the Lord. In fact, if we are not careful, Satan can enter our hearts and confuse us, as he entered into Judas. Jesus
even had to say to Peter, “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat, but
I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail; and when you have turned again, strengthen your brethren.” Lk
22.32
Was it Hemingway who penned the line “he also serves who only stands and waits?” He was reflecting the
thoughts of one of the greatest prophets, Habakkuk, who wrote
For still the vision awaits its time; it hastens to the end – it will not lie.
If it seem slow, wait for it; it will surely come, it will not delay.
Behold, he whose soul is not upright in him shall fail,
But the righteous shall life by his faith.
Let me thank you again for the support and prayers that enable me to be here. The time in the States was a
wonderful time, very busy, but also very fruitful. There is a real heart for mission work in the Church today, and I feel
privileged to be a part of it, even if sometimes the watching and the waiting is disorienting. Let us pray that our
work together will continue to bear fruit in this place, for that is the Lord’s will.
My email addresses are now yakoboshort@yahoo.com, and jamesshort@infocom.co.ug. It is always wonderful to
hear from you. In the meantime, I hope you enjoy your taxi rides!