Prayer Letter Summer

December 2012

Merry Christmas!

I hope this is a season filled with great joy and peace.

Seven women gathered under the big tree near the KACHEP office. They were called from several different villages around Nabilatuk, specially chosen by the community leaders. These are women whose lives have been marked with difficulty; women whose hearts have experienced sadness, women who have toiled to provide for their families. These women have been deemed ‘vulnerable’, most of them are widowed, all of them are in poverty. In a culture that revolves around animals, these women have none. And so they have been chosen to participate in a goats project. The goats project is sponsored through donors in the States and facilitated by KACHEP. We hope that through participation in this program these women will have a tangible reminder that God loves them, that God is providing for them, that God is with them.

The program is set up as a ‘revolving loan’. The women receive a baby she-goat along with training, vaccinations and on-going care/support. The women are expected to take responsibility of the goat and care for it appropriately. When the goat begins to produce, the first female kid is to be given back to the program. The program then gives the baby goat to another woman in need, thus the program continues to bless the community. After the first female kid is returned to the program, the woman can use all ensuing offspring as she deems best. Many of the women use the goat milk to help feed their children, or they sell the male offspring to pay for school fees. In this way there are many long-term benefits for the recipients of the goat project. This is currently our third round of goat distributions.

As with all of our animal health projects, we incorporate Bible teaching into the program. As I prayed about what story to teach, I thought about the Christmas story. I reread the passage in Luke 2 with renewed interest. This story is one of shepherds. Simple people, whose lives revolved around their livestock, people who lived off the land and who would probably have a lot in common with the Karamojong.

The shepherds were watching their fields at night. I can imagine the Karamojong shepherds in the
kraals at night. Their make-shift grass huts open to the night sounds. Bows and arrows readily at hand
in case any raiders or wild animals came crouching in the dark. Mosquitoes buzzing in ears and flies
tickling the nose. Smelly. They would be smelly, the sweat of the day mixed with dust and piles of sheep, goat and cow manure- but the smells would be familiar to them, comforting even. Smoke would curl through the air; flames bright against the penetrating darkness surrounding them… for the first time I can truly picture it, these shepherds watching their flocks by night. Away from the modern conveniences of the American life, I can see what it means to be a shepherd. I can appreciate the difficulties of it. I can understand it in new ways.

Shepherds are the caretakers of God’s creation. Shepherds are near to Gods heart. Smelly and dirty though they are, God looks at them and calls them his own. And so it was that God first revealed Himself to the lowly shepherds of Bethlehem. With the brilliance of the heavenly hosts, God exalted His name among the shepherds. They go running to see the Christ-child, the long-awaited Messiah. I love that God met the shepherds where they were at, in their fields, then He took them to the familiar surroundings of a manger and then He transformed their lives. When they saw Jesus, they could not remain the same. They could not return unchanged to their fields. They were now worshippers of Jesus, they were now witnesses of Jesus, they were now filled with the joy and the peace of the message of the Messiah. They returned to their fields, but they would never be able to return to life without Jesus. Their lives were now conduits for the glory and praise of the Lord.

I look at the seven women sitting before me and think that for the first time these women will become shepherds. They will receive a goat and take on the responsibility of caring for God’s creation. But I pray that as they hear this story they will be more than just shepherds of goats. I pray that they will meet Jesus and be transformed by His presence in their lives. I share this story with the women and proclaim the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. What greater gift could I give them? I pray that as they go about their lives- as they fetch water, look after their households, care for their goats, that God will meet them at each of those places. I pray that God will reveal to them the glory of the heavenly hosts and that they will choose to seek Jesus, just as those shepherds of old did. I pray that their hearts will be full with the joy and peace that comes through meeting Jesus.

The following day, the KACHEP team, Melissa and I went to the village of Ngakobokobe. There we met with twenty four elders of three villages. We conducted a training on keeping healthy animals. I once again shared the story of the shepherds meeting Jesus. Once again I could envision the shepherds of old, the ones first entrusted with the message of Jesus. They were shepherds, but they were also people of influence. When they shared about Jesus, people listened to them, they were amazed by the message that they shared. These Karamojong elders were also shepherds. In fact one cannot be an elder without having been a shepherd, without having animals to shepherd. The community would only listen to the shepherds, the warriors who fought to protect and care for their animals. It is not a light responsibility to be a shepherd. Once again I think about the role of spreading the message of Jesus to others. God knew that the shepherds were the perfect ones to be entrusted with this message. So my heart prays that these elders will become bearers of God’s message. I pray that as they build their capacity for caring for their animals, they will also build their understanding of who Jesus is. I pray that as they hear the message of Jesus they will begin to share it with others. I pray that they will use the influence that God has given them for the glory and praise of God’s name.

Sometimes I feel overwhelmed with the vast needs around me. Needs that reflect both physical and spiritual elements of the Karamojong. But I am reminded today that the most pivotal event in all history- the coming of the Messiah was shared with simplicity and spread through shepherds. I am in a land of shepherds. I am sharing the Good News of Jesus. I am praying that those who hear it will be quick to respond and joyful to share.

I also pray for you, that as you are reminded of the Good News of Jesus Christ this season, you will be filled with the peace and joy of that message. I pray that you would be empowered to share this message with others and that through you many more people will hear about Jesus. I pray that we would all be shepherds of God’s flocks.

Thinking of you this Christmas, with much joy and gratitude
Summer


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Posted by Summer Root at 8:31 AM

Update Kachep

Per mail from Jean:

Just got this from Mukisa a few minutes ago in Karamoja

Just keep praying for us,the warriors have just come at office they
shoot at the watchman and the bullet went off truck.He ran away and
his let is now hut.

Guessing last line is 'his leg is hurt'

Per Facebook from Miriam:
For my english speaking friends: the KaCheP office got raided yesterday night. Shootings. Watchman survived luckily. One woman killed (not from our staff as far as I know)

My Last Week in Nabilatuk, Karamoja!

26th November - 2nd December

At the beginning of our week, Summer prayed that God would bless this week for me and make it a week to remember; that all of our programs for the busy week ahead would go smoothly and be beneficial to the community and that by God's grace He would sort out all the loose ends and that we would have fun.

Man, did God answer her prayer! What a week :) Tuesday and Wednesday were big training days. Thursday was my goodbye party with KACHEP members and some people from our community and Saturday we were doing the last of the vaccinations for our chickens and debeaking them as well.

On Tuesday we had another goat distribution (when I first arrived in Nabilatuk in March this was the first thing we did, and now it is one of the last things I'll do as well!), Seven goats to seven women in the community. A goat can give hope to a woman who is struggling with no income and no family. The women are selected from within the Nabilatuk community by a criteria of 'vulnerability' (it sounded weird to me when I first heard it too but it makes sense now), women who are widows, orphans, impoverished, etc. The goats were ear-tagged, given an antibiotic and dewormer to see them off, vaccinated for Clostridium/Tetanus and then tick sprayed.

For impartiality, the women picked a number out of a hat and were given a goat accordingly, which was a strange concept for them to understand initially haha, there was a lot of talk over this! It was a really wonderful day. Summer told the story of Jesus' birth, linking it back to Genesis and our need for a saviour because of our sins and then fast-forwarding to Jesus' final work on the cross which accomplished that need. One of my favourite parts was seeing each woman walk to their homes from the office with a goat and a smile planted on their faces.
"Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself unpolluted by the world." James 1:27

Wednesday - It is so hard for me to explain how cool it is to see Karamajong warriors putting up their hands like they are in school to answer questions on animal health and about their cows. They get sooooo excited about learning new information that will help them keep their cattle healthier. On Wednesday we had what we called a 'Keeping Healthy Animals Awareness Day' and we went to a village that is too far for the people to come and receive health care for their animals in town regularly. Our aim was to empower them with knowledge of how to diagnose common diseases (what specific symptoms to look out for in particular) and what medicines they can buy to treat them with. Also, importantly, how to dose correctly so that their animals do improve from their illnesses and don't just get better for the short term but suffer in the long run because of bacterial resistances caused by underdosing.


'Keeping Healthy Animals Awareness Day'

Something that I've learnt this year that I'll really take away with me is how to couple my faith with deeds that are an expression of that faith. For the people here, they are in poverty and live off the land. What is important to them? Cattle. It is their status in the community, their currency (or bank, they call them), symbolism of God's blessing, bride-price, identity. How can I serve them in the name of Jesus? Help them with what is important to them and do the greatest service of love, tell them about Jesus and the salvation and hope that comes through him.
"What good is it, my brothers and sisters if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them?... As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead." James 2:14-26

On Saturday, Karamoja farewelled me good and proper with a stomach bug, eghhh. Typical. We left Sunday morning and said many, many goodbyes. Closure has its place, but it'd be easier if we never had to say goodbyes. It's been a year of ups and downs and I've learnt so much. I am praying I can come back again one day but for now, Vet school. Goodbye Uganda, Keep it real!