Summer Root Update

Updates and happenings:

We have just completed a training in Nairobi on
Church Planting Movements (CPM). This came at an
opportune time for us as a team as we struggled with knowing
what our next steps are. We brought one of our national partners, Joshua Sagal with us and together we felt encouraged and enabled to fulfill the calling that God has placed on our hearts for Karamoja.

In the next couple of weeks we have some practical living things we have to take care of. We have been asked to switch houses with KACHEP. We have been staying in the rock houses that Tom and Jean built, while KACHEP has rented a local building for their office. Now we will be taking over the rented building as our residence and they will be taking the rock houses as their offices. This means that we have some work ahead of us as we clean, paint, build a pit latrine, shower shelter, a more secure fence, and move our possessions.

In the months of July through August we hope to continue to
work closely with KACHEP in their projects on animal health. We also hope to focus on trainings and producing some literature materials in relation to those trainings. We desire to empower the KACHEP staff as much as we can. In addition to this we will continue to do Bible Storying and Discipleship Bible Studies in the communities, putting into practice the things that we learned during the CPM training. As part of this, we are praying to find individuals who show a particular interest in spiritual things. We hope to disciples them into roles of leadership and empower them in being able to story to their people.

Plans for coming home!

In September I am coming home for five weeks!!! I leave Uganda September 8 and I hope to spend a lot of time the first two weeks visiting many of you and speaking at churches. Then I go to my friend’s wedding on the East coast and the last two weeks will be for rest and family. This visit wasn't on my original plan, but I think this visit timely as the last year and a half have been full of challenges. During this time Simon and Carina will take a couple of weeks for a vacation and then will head up to Kaabong for three weeks of intensive language study with our Baptist friends.

I will send out a schedule of my speaking engagements, in case you would like to come and listen.

My time home is rather tight, but if you would like me to come and speak to your church or Bible study group, please contact me and we will try to work something out.

Future plans:
I return to Uganda Oct. 15. In the months of October through January, we hope to be based in Nabilatuk and continue to participate in some of KACHEPs projects and the CPM work, but we will begin to take exploration trips into the greater Karamoja area. As I have expressed before, I believe that God made be moving us out of Nabilatuk into a new area. We want to find the pockets of Karamoja where the Gospel has not yet reached.

It is our hope that by February or March we would know what steps God wants us to take. If He tells us to stay in Nabilatuk, we will stay, but if He tells us to move we want to move as He directs. We are earnestly seeking Him.

Praises: 

• Team unity, I really love Simon and Carina Gruber and praise God that He sent them my way
• Continued support for KACHEP- when Tom and Jean left last year, there was a great question as to whether or not KACHEP would survive. In June, Christian Veterinarian Mission officially withdrew their support for KACHEP since Dr Jean was no longer serving with them. In May God provided another ministry partner called Uttermost Ministries. This will allow KACHEP to continue to work and to receive donations through Uttermost Ministries. It also continues to give us an umbrella of support so that we can live and work in Karamoja. 
• Pioneers International has been registered as an NGO in Uganda. This has been a two and a half year process. This is a blessing for us because now team members can receive their work permits through Pioneers. Simon and Carina are currently in the process of getting their work permits. 
• For the doors God is opening through Bible storying and discipleship.

Prayer Requests

• That God would give us grace and strength as we move compounds. 
• That God will direct us to people who want to be disciple
• We have started storying in a new village called Napoingae and though we have only been there a few weeks, there seems to be a great spiritual interest. This interest is not limited to women and children (as in most of our other Bible study areas), but also includes the youth, warriors and elders. Pray that the seeds of truth will bear good fruit in this village. Pray that individuals will become leaders for their people and will take the Word to heart. 
• Pray that God will enable us to train the staff at KACHEP well, so that when we leave, they will remain empowered to continue the work. 
• That God will show us where to go and what to do every single day of our ministry, and that we would have humble, listening ears to hear and obey His voice. 
• For health and safety for our team
• For more workers to work alongside us

Prayer letter June 2013 Summer

June 8, 2013

Dear Friends and fellow workers, The time of planting is upon us. Early each morning oxen are hitched to plows and under the commands of whistles and whacks from the shepherd boys the thorny ground is made ready for seeds. The plow makes rough scares across the hard packed earth. Beautiful grass fields become jagged brown expanses, the uneven ground difficult to walk on. Women can be seen bent over at the waist
digging with hoes. Determination to feed their families spurs them on. Survival is essential. Sweat runs down faces, pain runs down the spine. This is tough work. These are tough people.

The ground is hard, like brick beneath the hoe. A month ago the rains were here, loosening the soil, promising a great harvest. But the rains are fickle and the remnants of their promises evaporated under the equatorial sky. Clouds gather most afternoons yet they reserve the right to release their gift upon other lands.
The ground becomes harder, the work more difficult. Rain becomes the topic of every conversation. “Ekalip. Akuj Papa, abunare nakiru.” You pray. Father God, bring the rain. We arrived in Nabilatuk when the rains were here in April. The people named Carina “Nakiru” which means “rain”.

A few weeks ago a baby from our community died and we attended the second day of the three day mourning process. The wailing had ceased and the body was buried, the people sat and talked. They drank “nagwe” the local brew and rested beneath the shade of a tree. We joined them there. An old man who was learned and spoke English sat in the circle with us. As we passed the nagwe around the circle he spoke of the traditions of the Karamojong. Then he spoke of the meaning of names. He turned to Carina “Nakiru” he said, “this is a good name. Rain. Rain brings life. Without rain we do not eat and without food we cannot survive. So your name means life. You come to bring us life.” A prophetic message honoring the purposes that God has brought us here.

Last week we participated in a large community celebration. The celebration was to honor Dr Jean. She has spent the last couple months with us finishing up her time in Karamoja. Saying goodbye to what has been her life for the last fifteen years. Her adopted Karamojong clanwanted to express their gratitude to her by spearing a bull.

Spearing a bull is not a simple matter. It is surrounded by traditions and customs of which I am mostly oblivious. I have read about such ceremonies in books, but to experience them is a different thing altogether. As a woman I would normally be banned from such events, but as an outsider, a guest, I was given the privilege of attendance.

Sitting on the fringe of the circle, I watched the ceremonies play out with some fascination.

The bull is sacrificed so that his head is facing north-east, toward Ethiopia, the origin of the Karamojong. The story is recounted of how long ago they migrated from Ethiopia to here, and so they honor the place of their birth. Facing the bull are three half-circles of men. The initiated elders sit in the innermost circle they are called “the mountains”. The second half-circle consists of the elders who are waiting initiation they are called “the antelopes”. The final circle is filled with the warriors and the guests they are called “the rats” (glad to know which category I fit into!). These are the three age-set groups of which every member of the community is a part of.

The members of the innermost circle get most of the attention for they are the most important. They get to drink the blood (straight from the carcass of the bull- but don’t worry, they added sugar to help clots form faster), they get to eat the choice cuts of meat, they get to smear the contents of the stomach on their bodies as a blessing, they get to lead the prayers, and speak as they desire. The rest of the people wait until the elders are finished before the meat is distributed to them. No one piece of meat is consumed by a single person. Every piece of meat is shared between people, it is said that if you eat with someone you cannot be enemies. This is a peace treaty of shared meat.

As we sat there participating in this event, listening to the kind words spoken on behalf of Dr. Jean, watching culture play out in front of us, it was explained that they sacrificed a brown bull. Brown, the color of the earth. Brown, the color for calling on the rain.

Unknowingly we had participated in an animal sacrifice to call the rain.

The first missionary with the Catholic Church came to Karamoja eighty years ago. The New Testament has been in print for nearly twenty years, and the full Bible was printed two years ago. Karamoja has been riddled with Christian activities and services for years and yet it is still an “unreached” land. Still the Gospel has not penetrated to the heart of the culture, into the inner circle. It has remained on the fringe, a guest among the rats. Weeds grow among the seeds, creating a syncretism of beliefs that causes confusion and false hope. There is no indigenous church, one that worships in spirit and in truth.

Planting season is upon us. The ground is hard. Seeds have been scattered for more than eighty years and yet the enemy has snatched them away, has overpowered them by the lies of tradition and culture. The people are dry and thirsty, yet they do not know that their thirst can only be quenched by the mercy of God poured out through Jesus Christ.

How many times over this last year have I desired the greatness of harvest only to discover that God first has me do the mundane work of preparing the fields and planting the seeds? So much of this year has been weeding out that which is not of God-in my team, in my own life, in the culture of Karamoja- it is a painful process but necessary for the health of the harvest. As we do the hard work of learning language and culture, the plow blades cut into the soil.

As we do the hard work of building relationships, the plow blades cut into the soil. As we endure sickness and difficulties and the people watch our responses to these circumstances, the plow blades cut into the soil. As we link scripture to culture, the plow blades cut into the soil. As we care for the animals and serve the people, the plow blades cut into the soil.

And where the soil is prepared, we begin to plant seeds. We tell Bible stories to shepherds under a tree. We have a Bible study in a village hut. We pray with the sick and suffering who come to us. We hold devotions with the KACHEP staff. We sow the seeds wherever we find the opportunity. And we search for prepared hearts.

But we cannot send the rain. Rain, life, is the work of God. He is the God of the Harvest.

We must be faithful to do the work that He has called us to, and that work is hard, that work is long. Questions plague us, “how do we do this work?”, “where does God want us to dig?”, “how do we remove the weeds of syncretism?”… There are many questions. And steadily the answer comes: Micah 6:8 “He has shown you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly, to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” In this way, my life plows the soil and plants the seeds. I set my eyes on the God of the Harvest and walk humbly with Him.

Galatians 6:7-9 “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will he reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from that Spirit will reap eternal life. Let us not become weary of doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not
give up.”

Oh my friends, the time of planting and harvest are upon us. Sow according to the Spirit. Do not give up. The work is hard, but the reward is of eternal value.

Pray for me as I labor in Karamoja. Pray for wisdom to guide us in this work. Pray for perseverance when the soil is hard and difficult. Pray that the Lord will send more workers to work alongside us. Pray too for the rain to come and bring life to this land (both physically and spiritually).

Matthew 9:36 “When Jesus saw the crowds, He had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples ‘the harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.’”

Thank you for your prayers, through your prayers, you till the ground. Through your support you enable the work.
With hope for a fruitful harvest,
Summer

Joshua

Please pray for Joshua, he had a motorcycle accident 2 days ago, injured his arm leg and abdominal