Update Melissa

Ministry in Peace Villages

Sunday 19th - Monday 27th January 2014

Sorry it's been a while since our last post. We have experienced so much over this last week! We are currently sitting on the floor of Summer's house in Nabilatuk, Karamoja, babysitting the newest member of the team. The new member is named "Tangles" and is a 3 day old ostrich! Possibly the cutest thing in the world.

On Saturday the 18th we met up with Summer in Kampala and spent an evening out being encouraged by her and Jean and Roger Tripp (who are a British couple that act as the country coordinators for Pioneers International in Uganda - the mission organisation that Summer is with).
The next morning we gathered up our packs, threw them into Summer's newly tuned up 4wd and headed off to Jinja to visit Sarah and her daughter Naomi and the 13 foster children who stay there! After a brilliant day of relaxing, chatting, volleyball and general hanging with the kids we headed off to town to stay the night at Calvary Chapel with Bev and Jesse Rich (friends of Melissa's and the church Summer has her visa here with). Brenton found it cool how, if he had still been in Australia, he would probably have been doing the exact same thing at 3pm in the afternoon whilst on holidays - playing volleyball in the lake up in Forster with lots of people!
After a great evening and morning of fellowship we once again jumped into the 4wd and headed off to Soroti to meet up with Daniel and Rachel Graham from the NGO CLIDE (Community Livestock Integration and Development) and to meet the E3 (Equip, Evangelise, Establish) mission team from America with whom we were linking up for the next week in Karamoja. By the way, organisations over here really like acronymns!

It was so awesome to meet the team from America. It's amazing how God calls people from all over the world together to serve in His mission. We had a brief orientation as to what the plan was for the week, had some dinner together, spent some time in getting to know one another and headed off to Nakayot the next morning (we made sure to throw in some true blue Aussie phrases to entertain). We all worked together setting up camp and were quite suprised by the sudden rain storm which came flying in to rain cats and dogs upon us. It was a great team building time.
Nakayot is the central village of the Peace Villages that were established by Dr Val and some key Karamojong elders in the middle of the 'raiding corridor'. This is a strip of valley between two mountains (very beautiful) that men from one tribe wishing to steal cattle from another, pass through. By placing the Peace Villages in this corridor, the men are discouraged from coming through and are sometimes even stopped and told about Jesus! Pretty cool.
We all gathered together with Dr Val and Waffle (married couple whose main ministry this area is) and went through some methods of presenting the gospel in Karamoja for the culture (e.g. tribalism is obviously massive so this can be used in explaining the gospel, e.g. God invites us into his tribe!) as well as looking at what we were all hoping to achieve over the week.
Brenton found it really interesting to learn about the different culture here and how that would alter the way the gospel could best be presented. The plan for the week was to meet with the churches in the surrounding villages and spend time with them encouraging them in their walk with God and to present them with tools to help them gain access to God's word as the communities are mostly illiterate. We were blessed to be given the opportunity to serve the village 'Alakas'.
Each morning we would be up by 6:30am and have a morning devotion surrounded by a lot of worship songs, most of which were in Ngakaramajong. The Karamojong people sing their songs so enthusiastically with lots of clapping and jumping. Their songs are sung with call and reply; the song leader will sing a verse for you to repeat after they sing a section. Devotions were followed by a breakfast of porridge made from corn flour with tea (sometimes coffee!) and a banana.
After breakfast we headed out with our team of 13 on foot to Alakas along rocky paths, up and over a hill, a bit steep in parts, and just over 5km for a round trip. The church in Alakas is led by a young man named Micky who can read and understand both english and ngakaramojong! What a blessing. We split up for our time at Alakas with Brenton teaching with the men and Melissa teaching with the women.
The tools we had at our disposal were mp3 players with the Bible on them in ngakaramojong and some other languages that they could play through and listen to, booklets with study questions that go along with each Bible story on the mp3 player, a cloth with about 30 pictures on it that depicted each Bible story so they could see a picture and be reminded of the Bible story, ngakaramajong Bibles for anyone who could read (these were first printed in 2011 so are recently translated which is cool) and evangelism cubes if people wanted to use them as well. None of the women could read but a few of the men could which was neat so Brenton could give out and use a lot of the resources.
Melissa and the other people in the women's group went through a Bible story (the stories are chronologically in order), using the cloth as an aid and asked 4 questions that could be reproduced for every story to learn, as they couldn't read the study booklet. These were; what was the story about/retell the story, what did we learn/hear about God, what did we learn/hear about people (in the story) and how will we change/be different, after hearing this story. Over the four days of meeting up, we did this again and again as we progressed through the stories (with prayer and a lot of singing accompanying each session as well of course) so that by the 3rd and 4th day, the women were leading the group and using the mp3 player without us as we sat back and enjoyed.
The men's group, Micky included, spent the first day learning about why it is important for christians to be looking at God's word. They spent some time sharing testimonies with each other and Brenton was amazed and greatly encouraged by what was shared by the men; it is a big thing to be willing to share your testimony within a group and be open and vulnerable. The mens group then all listened to the first story on the mp3 player; the creation account. It was awesome to see the men all listening intently to the story of creation; how exciting that those who were iliterate were now able to have access to God's word. Brenton was able to spend time showing Micky and the men in the group how to ask questions of the story using the study book and was very encouraged by the responses of the men in the group to the questions. It was amazing to see these warriors sitting together and allowing themselves to be vulnerable to attack or ridicule from the others as they gave their responses. All throughout the week the people involved with the men's group were encouraged by the willingness of the men to respond to the studies. It was particularly encouraging to be able to help Micky learn how to help the men to learn truths from God's word without having to preach to them.
The E3 group had a 'pass the baton' philosophy for the week; start the week off walking with the Karamojong church in your village and gradually pass the baton off running besides them until they take the baton to finish the race. The long term missionaries and local pastors will keep visiting the village churches to encourage and for accountability.
We both loved the entire week, it was an exercise in faith to leave the men and women at the end in the arms of God and trust the Holy Spirit to complete the work in the hearts of the people. It is God who teaches us and changes us, so prayer is so important for these new friends and brothers and sisters in Christ we have come to love over this last week.

"So what is Apollos? And what is Paul? They are servants through whom you believed, and each has the role the Lord has given. I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth." 1 Corinthians 3:5-7
Points for Prayer:

Ø That the people in the villages we ministered to over this week would remain faithful to God.

Ø That they would be using the tools and resources that E3 provided them with to learn more about the awesome God who created them, loves them and seeks a relationship with them.

Ø For the long term missionaries serving these villages; that God would hold them in His hands and give them the strength needed to keep carrying out His mission and desire for all peoples to know Him.

Ø Praise God for such an amazing opportunity to be able to serve with the team from E3 and to be able to serve the Karamojong people.

Ø Praise God for all the members of the teams who went out to the villages and through the sharing of the gospel over 100 people were saved; including a Commander of the warriors in a village who had killed 25 people. He is a changed man and is actively sharing the gospel with those he meets! What a great victory for the gospel!

Ø Safety as the E3 team returns to America and that this time in Karamoja will stay with them and give them courage to share their faith and the good news of Jesus there as well.

Update Melissa

Lake Mburo National Park!

Thursday Jan 16th 2014 - Saturday 18th Jan: Day 2 - 4 in Uganda
Mel:
Waking up to the African sunrise, the Ankole cattle and chirping Ugandan birds has got to be one of the best ways to awaken. It is so similar to back home with all the sounds of nature surrounding you as you lie in bed, yet as you listen you slowly realise that this is a different place and the sounds all around you are that little bit different. The birds singing aren't the magpies, kookaburras, rainbow lorikeets or cockatoos you grew up hearing. The frogs sound so foreign, almost like the shattering of glass. The insects you can hear buzzing and calling out are still grasshoppers but have that slightly different pitch. Yet the familiar steadfast call of the cicadas (pronouned: cic-ar-das or circ-a-das) knits all these new sounds together and serves as an auditory interface between home and here. I walked out onto the balcony to watch the sunrise and saw a big grey monkey in the tree closest just chilling having breakfast (not mine thankfully).

Brenton:
Upon awakening and visiting my bathroom, which has large windows of flyscreen so you can look out, I was quite suprised to look up and see an Impala standing on top of a rock right outside the window staring me down! Goodmorning Africa! Today we did a lot of relaxing, went for a few walks to see some wildlife, swam in the pool that overlooks the animal's water hole and did a night game drive.

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At this park around Lake Mburo in the west of Uganda we saw a lot of beautiful, graceful zebra, adorable warthog, flighty impala, fast topi, hippo near the water that have come out for the night, shy eland, the bush buck, water buck, buffalo (buffalo baby calves are THE cutest!), predator genet cat and the little mongoose! Sadly the lion, hyena and leopards didn't come out to pose but we heard the hyenas when we went for a walk in the early morning of day 3 (Friday). It was so amazing to just walk out and see so many animals that usually you only see on National Geographic or in books!!
I (Mel - although I am sure Brenton is too) am constantly amazed at the creative genius of God to have made so many animals (including us) so very different and in such a clever ways. The Topi for example has longer front legs than hind legs so that they can run very fast. The warthog's tail stands completely upright when it runs so that its offspring can follow it when it runs. The eland is a very shy animal that have fat humps on its back like camels and zebu cattle so it can go for a long time without water. The waterbuck however gets its name because it is always found near water and are quite good swimmers. The hippo have very small ears in proportion to its head but they still have a good sense of smell. They are in water all the day to keep them cool as they have no sweat glands. All the animals are also very instinctive in searching out rock near the water hole that is salty so they can replace their electrolytes as they drink.

It was really cool to see the animals at night, I (Mel) loved seeing the buffalo and watching their body language. They would put their noses high in the air smelling us and some would come forward and then drop back as if deciding amongst themselves who will attack first and keeping the youngster calves in the centre of the mob away from us. The most adorable thing was a month old buffalo calf clinging to the side of its mother. It was so small and round!
What a blessing to experience such a place and how awesome to get to know the people who live and work here and hear stories of the animlals they love from their perspective too. Our ranger guide, Azaria, said his favourite animal is the zebra. Although many like the lion, he said, he thought them to be wasteful killers that will take a zebra for dinner and not finish the meal. It is not good, he said, if you are going to kill your zebra, you eat your zebra!

It has been so amazing to be here and begin our trip here in such a way. On day 3 (Friday) we went on an early morning walk while the grass was still wet and the hyena were still gathering themselves to find a den to sleep the day away. This was a highlight for me (Mel) to see the animals in the early hours. At 11am we left the lodge and did a boat trip around Lake Mburo. We saw a lot of really cool birds; Pide Kingfisher, Fish eagle, Water Thickenee, Golias Heron, African Finfoot, etc. I (Brenton) loved to see the amazing capabilities of the fish eagle as it dived out of sky like a jet with wings folded and snatched what would have been a rather surprised fish out of the water! It's awesome to think of Job 38:39-39:30 where we see how God cares and provides for his creation! It's also amazing to think that this is happening everywhere in creation; whether we see it or not God is providing for His amazing creation and the abilities of His creation are amazing!
We saw a lot of hippos that just poked their heads above the water to see who was coming. Did you know they can hold their breath under water for 6 minutes? We also (much to Brenton's delight) saw one big crocodile and three baby ones! Although the Nile crocodiles aren't nearly as pretty (Brenton's words) as our salties back home! We then drove the 5 hours back to Kampala (capital city of Uganda) and are here now (day 4 - Saturday) til we meet up with Summer my old teammate from Karamoja around lunchtime. Our driver for the past few days was a guy called Nasser, he was really nice and did a great job. One of the great things about Africa is everyone's openness to speak about God. He is a Muslim and when we told him we were Christians we had a great chat about that and what it means to be Christian and the importance of the Bible in our faith, how we can talk to God anytime, not just in church and that with the Bible we know God's exact words to us! Pretty cool.

Also it is so cool how a lot of the cars and trucks along the way have signs on them saying things such as "God is Good" "God is there" "Jesus is Lord" "God bless u" "Jesus is the way to heaven" spirituality is such an integral part of life as a Ugandan, very different to back home.
We'd love you to pray for us over the next few days, here are some points:
 - Pray that God would give us the words to speak into the hearts of the people we meet here. That we would make the most of every opportunity to share our faith.
 - Praise to Him for those we met in Lake Mburo, particularly Azaria, Nasser and the Lodge manager Clemmi and prayer that God would be revealing himself to them.
 - Praise to Him for those we've met in Kampala, particularly Rainer who is staying at the Guest house we are at in Kampala and has been involved in mission in Uganda for some time.
 - Praise and gratitude for keeping us safe so far in our travels and expeditions and for safety as we continue to travel over the next few days.
 - For nerves here that God would give us peace and know His absolute control over all things in all places.
 - For good fellowship as we re-unite with old friends (for me) and new friends (for Brenton).
*From here we drive north to Soroti and Karamoja with Summer, meeting up with friends on the way which will be really fun but also as we enter Karamoja the internet connection is definately less reliable so although we'll try to post something new for you to read, don't worry if you haven't heard anything for a few days.
God bless, Mel & Brenton.

Update Melissa

Arriving in Uganda

Wednesday 15th Jan 2014 - Day 1 in Uganda
Mel:
Having travelled 11,000ish km over 36 hours and getting little sleep during that time, there was more than one reason it felt good to finally walk on Ugandan soil when we arrived at 12:40pm Wed 15th Jan. All of our flights and airport adventures went smoothly, getting to each gate on time while still having being able to to explore the different wonders of Singapore and Dubai airports. We are so grateful for safe travels, everything is in God's hands and wherever we are, he is keeping us. We had the blessing to meet up with Sonja Graml in Singapore, a friend from Australia who is doing ministry work in Singapore for the church and AFES uni student group there. She is so encouraging, it was awesome to hear of her work for God and to get excited together for what we will be doing in Uganda for God as well.
As I walked out of the airport in Entebbe, Uganda and began remembering this place from 2 years ago when I first came, it felt amazing to be back. We were picked up by a friendly Ugandan man named Nasser and we drove straight to Lake Mburo National Park, stopping only twice, once for petrol and twice to get photos crossing over the equator :) It took 5 hours to drive, Brenton got to see a lot of Uganda for the first time. I tried to see too but I confess I was so tired I slept a bit! When we got to the park however everyone was wide awake as we drove through herds of beautiful Impala, water buck, warthogs, zebra and Ugandan cattle (Ankole - see photos) with their amazingly massive horns!
When we got to our Lodge we were shown around by the host and taken to our rooms which are spectacular. Both our rooms are made out of the original rock and have views of the entire park from the balconies. We were warned a few times and very emphatically to lock our doors as the monkeys are "very cute but very naughty" and will come in search of food and find it wherever it is! No food in the rooms then!
After a delicious dinner we both went to our rooms and crashed.
Looking forward to the next few days, greetings from here, Mel.

Update Melissa

Returning to Karamoja 2014 

Hey everyone, it's been a year since I have used this blog but I am pleased to write that in just over 3 days I'll be beginning a new journey to Karamoja! I'll be returning to Uganda for four weeks with Brenton Kilby (see photo below) to visit KACHEP, CLIDE, old friends, meeting new friends and laying some ground work for potential future ministry parterships.
Watch this spot for updates on what we are getting up to, what we are learning (which will be LOTS) and what you can be praying for as we strive to glorify God and worship him, as we seek to encourage and support those serving God in Uganda and helping people to understand the gospel & the good news that is!
Love, Melissa & Brenton.

 

 

A Face that we know

Submitted by admin on Fri, 01/06/2012 - 00:00

We are proud to support charities locally and international. Recently, we were able to provide a helping hand to the veterinary team KACHEP (Karamoja Christian Ethnoveterinary Project) in Uganda. Here is a touching letter sent in by one of the volunteers.

"Hi, my name is Melissa Graham and I have just finished the first three years of my Veterinary Science degree at Charles Sturt University in Wagga Wagga, NSW. This year I have taken a year off studies to live in the Karamoja region of Northeast Uganda to work with a Veterinary mission team called KACHEP (Karamoja Christian Ethnoveterinary Project). KACHEP is a non-governmental, non-profit charitable organisation with headquarters located in the Moroto District and field offices in Nabilatuk and Iriiri Bokora in the Karamoja region. It was started in 1998 under the auspices of the worldwide organisation, Christian Veterinary Mission.
The project focuses on livestock development with the goal of promoting the use of native medicinal plants as livestock medicine, because most of the people can't afford modern medicines. The aim is to improve thelivelihoods of the Karamojong people through re-establishment of a sustainable agro-pastoral society.
I arrived at the end of March and after a long and hot bus ride on very rough tracks, finally reached my home for the next 9 months. The Karamojong people are devoted to their animals and just after I arrived was the monthly gathering when KACHEP spray the local cows, sheep or goats for free, against ticks, and the dogs and cats get vaccinated against rabies. The sheep are nothing like the sheep I have ever seen before! The only way I can tell the difference between a sheep and a goat here is that the sheep have a down-turned tail and the goat's tail points up. The cows are gorgeous and tiny! Typically an adult weighs only 200kg and is so calm and docile (again nothing like most cattle I've been around) and they look completely different to what I know. Like a small Brahman (actually the breed is called Zulu) with the hump like a camel on their backs.

As well as this we treated any sick animals for a low cost (just to cover the medicine). Karina (a vet from Germany) and myself received sick cows into our “office” (under a shady tree) and we'd gather a history (name, signalment, symptoms, any treatment yet, etc) then do a physical exam from head to toe (TPR, check nose, mouth, ears (very important for ticks) check skin, feet- foot rot, around the udder/pisel, etc.) Almost every case was tick related which was cool because I have never had much to do with these little ectoparasites before and so learnt a lot! The most difficult case that day was a young steer which had been attacked by a hyena!
Last week we gave out female goats to vulnerable women, mostly widows and young unmarried mothers who have no one to support them. In this project each woman receives a 12 month old goat which is ear tagged. The first female kid the goat has she gives back to the project to be raised for another woman. Any male kids and subsequent females she can keep and sell or raise a small flock. It was very exciting to be part of giving them a helping hand.
I’d like to pass on the very grateful thanks to your practice for the equipment you donated including stethoscopes, surgical instruments, blades and even a portable operating table! (My checked in luggage limit was challenging!)
Uganda is on the equator and a cool thing that comes with that is that the sunsets and sunrises are quick and spectacular. Also, because we are on the equator we can see both the northern and southern hemisphere star constellations! So I can see the big dipper on one side of the sky (to the right of the moon) and then turn and see the Southern Cross on the other side!"

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!

Thanksgiving Celebration in Karamoja

24^th November 2012

As an Australian, I didn't grow up celebrating Thanksgiving as a holiday. After experiencing it with 27 American friends, here in Karamoja though, I am a fan of it! Historically, I am told, the day came about when the Pilgrims (those who fled England because they were being persecuted for their faith) came to America for the first time (If you want to know the year, google it). Many of them did not survive their first year, but the Indians/Native Americans taught them how to cultivate the land for corn, pumpkin and other crops. Those who survived, celebrated by having a meal together with the Native Americans. Thanksgiving was born as they shared all the things they were thankful to God for.

Today, of course ,the old tradition means different things to different people but I love the idea of a day dedicated to praising God for all He does. Plus there is great food involved!

Summer and I had bought a pig for the festivities which was quite an ordeal. We put him (Boris) in the back of our 4wd and travelled the 45 minutes home. When we got back we were preparing his 'sleeping quarters' and he jumped out the window of the truck, and galloped through the thorn fence to our neighbours. As he was escaping one of our cats Mojo, who may have been feeling a bit threatened by this new member, leapt on his back screeching with her claws dug into him. He was squealing, she was growling, needless to say it was truly horrid. We ran over to our neighbours, caught Borisand brought him back, realising that out here, something that we'd tried to keep a bit on the “down-low” (that we had a pig) could never have been kept a secret. Small towns hey...

So we had spent all week debating how to 'do away with him' for the party. We finally decided to fob the responsibility off in the name of animal rights and opted for a bullet in the head. Quick, easy and finished, we thought. Well, all we had to do then, was find a gun.
Early Saturday morning Summer and I walked over to the army barracks to sweet talk our way into getting someone to help us. What we got in reply to "We were wondering if you could please come and shoot our pig for us?" was laughter and a "No". There was a 'but' however, which was that they sent with us 3 men who, we were assured, were "expert pig killers", don't ask me how someone gets that title, but there you go.

Jennifer and me preparing Boris

So, in the end we had a whole pigs worth of meat and I got a good revision session in on my swine anatomy too! There were also other strange and wonderful foods brought by our American guests; sweet potatoes with melted marshmallows on top, green beans smothered in creamy sweetcorn soup, pumpkin pie, deep fried onion rings, and more.



I am thankful for the year I have had here in Karamoja, for the friends I've made and the lessons God has taught me. How great is it that God can bring people from all corners of the world together for his work, redeeming the world back to Himself. I am thankful, so thankful, for John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life."



I am thankful that God looked at the world, his creation that rejected him, and was not content to leave us dead in our sins, estranged from him. I am thankful for the gift of life through the death and resurrection of His son, Jesus Christ.A holiday of being grateful :)

"Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength." Nehemiah 8:10

Some of our visitors for Thanksgiving

Update Melissa

John Chapter 3

Tuesday 20th November 

Today we had our last village bible studies with 2 villages they call Okutoot and Napana. Okutoot have had a relationship with KACHEP for about 2 years now but with Napana we have only just started visiting and getting to know them since the beginning of October this year. One of their biggest struggles is the distance they are from a church. They are about 20 km give or take from the closest two towns which is quite a long way to walk every Sunday! So one day when they saw us driving from Okutoot and asked us what we were doing, they asked us if we could come lead a Bible study in their village so they could have church every week too. At the beginning of our time with them, we found that there was only three strong Christians in Napana, but the majority of the people had no idea what Jesus was all about, especially the men. After the first couple of weeks as we told Bible stories, the men sadly stopped coming. A large group of women, teenagers and children kept coming however.

We took them through what is called chronological Bible storying, telling Bible stories from Creation and the Fall in Genesis, to the birth of Jesus and the gospel message of life through faith in Jesus' death and resurrection. This spans most of the Bible, leaving them with a good understanding of what Christians believe and the Good news that we are not, nor were we ever, alone here. 

So this week, our last week, I told the story of a man called Nicodemus and his interaction with Jesus, back around 30 AD, found in John Chapter 3. By God's grace, after the story and some discussion about the story and talking through what being a Christian means, 20 plus people gave their lives to Christ today. I was so grateful for Joshua, our translator and his heart for evangelism and wanting his people to understand the truth of Jesus. He translated, but interactively, making sure everyone understood what we were saying to them.

In this story it talks of 'the Kingdom of God' which is another way of saying Heaven, the place where we will be with God and where there is only his love. All sorrow and pain are wiped away. According to the Son of God, there is only one way to enter this kingdom, to be 'born again', through believing in Him and what He has done for the whole world on the cross. To Nicodemus, this was as confusing as it is to the next person when they hear such a concept for the first time. "How can we be born again? Can we jump back into our Mother's womb?" Nicodemus asks. Jesus means that to be his followers, there has to be a life change, we cannot keep living the way we are naturally inclined to and we cannot worship the things we did before. It has to be like we are literally starting over, hence the 'born again'. Anyone can say they will follow Jesus yet continue to live their life as if they don't. In 2 Corinthians 5:17 it says, "If anyone belongs to Christ, there is a new creation. The old things have gone; everything is made new." We are to turn our back on things like selfishness, greed & anger, and strive for those of love, kindness, generosity, etc. For the human race, you and I, this is easier said than done, and it takes a daily commitment and re-commitment as we live our lives, born again as new creations.

Mercy triumphs over judgement = "If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He (Jesus Christ) is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his Word is not in us. I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father - Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only ours but also for the sins of the whole world."         1 John 1:8-2:1-2

The people of Napana decided to make this informed choice today after meeting with them for 7 weeks now. They were told that it is a relationship, not an obligatory religion and something to fall out of because it is too hard. It is grace. We will do wrong things, Jesus knows that, that is why He, and not us,  had to pay the price for our sins, and he forgives us when we truly want to change.

Pray for them that they would continue on this narrow road of salvation, confessing where they stumble, rejoicing in the knowledge that they are forgiven, submitting their actions and decisions to Christ and trusting in him for everything.

Praise God for his awesomeness!!!!!!!

Melissa

More car trouble

Sunday, 11 November 2012

So the story of the last few days: Get invited to a village, they slaughter a goat for us, car breaks down in village, walk 10 km to nearest town to get help, friendly missionaries tow us back to their place to fix truck. Thursday we realise truck has serious issues. 

Friday we drive in convoy down to Mbale to get parts and fix engine. Get stuck in mud and rear axle falls off said vehicle. Front light gets smashed. Have to drive the rest of the 7 hrs in 2WD. Get properly bogged 10 more times. Get pulled out 10 more times by Jesse VanGorkom (so grateful). Arrive in Mbale. Just. Saturday 9am hitch a ride with rock n roll lovin, rodeo junky Texan missionaries back up to north Karamoja (Kaabong)... Awesome fun.

10 hrs later arrive in one of the most beautiful places, body is sore but God is gracious. Saturday arvo hear that Bob Wright and the OPC team have fixed our engine and are getting the axle fixed now now. Amazing how things work out right?

Team Update - car trouble

Team Update - car trouble

8^th November 2012

Hey everyone, I am just writing to give you a bit of an up date since the last post. This week we had a car problem! Unhelpfully, Summer and I know as much about cars as we do about astrophysics and when you are out in Karamoja, that is not always a good thing. Don't worry yet though, it has a happy-ish ending but I am considering trying to squeeze in a mechanics course to go with my vet degree!

So, on Tuesday this week we headed out to the village of Naboru's husband. Nabor is a KACHEP employee with the chicken project as well as a neighbour and friend.  Her husband, Akol Paul had invited us there to thank us for helping Nabor when she and her newborn baby were diagnosed with tuberculosis about a month ago. We helped with some medicines and food for her while she was sick.
 When we finally arrived at his village, through the torrential downpour of rain that was happening as we drove through the mud, he brought us a large and handsom he-goat and wanted our approval of it. He was going to give us one of the biggest of K'jong honours, to slaughter a goat for us! The men made a fire out of wet thorn bushes and roasted the goat on top, resulting in a delicious smokey flavour. So we had smoked goat, danced with the women and then had a Karamajong slumber party in a mud hut, sleeping on cow skins. Paul, not a Christian, has 5 wives all of whom have different huts but we slept in the 1st wife's hut.
 In the morning, we headed out to the vehicle as we were going back to Nabilatuk to plan for Thursday's program.
On Thursday we had planned a 'Keeping Healthy Animals' day at a village we hadn't had much contact with before. The theory behind the day was that the men of the village live too far from Nabilatuk township and so don't bring their sick animals to us, they just buy antibiotics from town and carry them back to their villages. The problem is though that the people here are mostly all illiterate and so unfortunately can't read the directions on the back of the medicines and don't really know how much meds to give. So very commonly they are under-dosing their animals, leading to bacterial resistance and they end up having to bring their cattle to see us anyway. Our aim was to spend the day teaching on the basics of doing a physical exam, estimating weight, common diseases and available treatments, just to give them a bit more of a knowledge base in their strive to keep healthy animals!
 As we all piled into the truck to go back to Nabilatuk, Summer tried to start the car and it gave a few pathetic whines but never sparked to life. She tried again, with the same results, so we popped the hood and saw that one of the wires coming from the battery was smoking. So, imagine if you will, us, two whites and four K'jong, in a broken down car, in Africa's version of whoop whoop. Thankfully we were able to contact OPC, our neighbourly mission friends who live an hour away. They drove to a semi-central point that we both knew, we walked 10 km to meet them and then directed them through the bush to the village and our car. Thank you God for mobile phones and friends. We were towed to their compound and made the executive decision to postpone our 'Keeping Healthy Animals' day for another day, hopefully in two weeks time.
Jesse, an engineer, and son of my mission leader from CVM, worked on our car for the rest of Wednesday and some of Thursday and worked out that it was a short in the positive circuit of the battery and when we turn the car off, the short drains the battery. So by disconnecting the battery every time we turn the car off and then reconnecting it again we can use the vehicle, but it's not great. We are driving down on Saturday to a mechanic to get it properly fixed (praying!).
 By around Thurs lunchtime when we had realised all of this we headed back to Nabilatuk to pack some more clothes because all we had with us were what we had from our village stay and we smelt. Badly.
When we arrived, it was to find that our neighbour had died and a funeral was going to take place that afternoon. We were worried that the afternoon rains would catch us on our drive back to OPC, but it was all fine in the end. We attended the burial, giving the family a sheet to wrap the old man's body in. It was so sad in particular because the daughter had drunk her sorrows away and was wailing at an excruciating volume. You know when you're in a situation where one person is doing something a bit out of the ordinary, and everyone knows it. I was a bit like that and it made me feel sick to see her sorrow so on display. Not that it was wrong for her to show her anguish, of course, just that I had never seen someone in so much obvious emotional pain, people usually do a good job of hiding their true feelings.
So although we are fine, it hasn't been the week we'd planned.
We know 100% that God is looking out for us and protecting us through these things but it is still a bit disappointing to be out of ministry action for a while, while the truck gets fixed.
We hope, however, that we can use the time to go up north to Kaabong and Lotim, where the team was originally meant to move to and still might. Summer has some business to sort out there before next year and I've never been and am a travel monkey so I'm along for the ride!
 - Pray for safe travels on the road on Friday and that the truck would get easily sorted out.

 - Praise that God had help and provision for us in our time of need and that we now know of this problem before we were really out of reach.

 - Pray for the villages we won't be able to get to for our Bible studies next week that they would continue on without us.

 - Pray for our trip up north, again for safety on these crazy crazy roads and for a good, efficient time of business and for a bit of fun as well.

 

"In their hearts humans plan their course, but the LORD establishes their steps."

Proverbs 16:9

Update Summer

I am in Kampala. Not an expected destination, but here I am. I have had many unexpected experiences this week: being soaked by the rain and then wrapped in a blanket in the middle of a village, eating goat intestine and drinking the local brew; having my camera drop into a cup of milk tea; smoke rising from my battery cables and my truck refusing to start; being towed to Naakale; attending our neighbor's funeral; realizing that the truck problem is greater than first expected, so we had to go to Mbale; on the way to Mbale, the axle on the truck comes off (not good!), we remove the axle and stuff it with a rag, good enough to limp down to Mbale; get stuck in the middle of the river and have to be pulled out (this is where my phone stopped working); leave the truck in Mbale, with Bob Wright (the incredible), and hitch a ride with friends up to Kaabong; have a meeting with the elders in Lotim to settle some land issues (hopefully I'll be there in January to participate in a training put on by the Baptists); then travel to Kotito to catch a flight to Kampala with MAF. So now, now I am in Kampala, waiting for parts for our truck. Please pray that we will be able to find them quickly. We are stuck until we get those parts.

Grubers in Germany, almost Karamoja



R-Tom, Jean, Joseph, Simon, Carina, Summer, Christina, Daniel -April 2012

 I've been in Germany this week with Simon & Carina Gruber, who will soon join Summer full-time in Karamoja. It was a delight to see them at their home base and answer as many questions and concerns for them - to pray together and feel our collective, strong passion for the work and needs in Karamoja.

This picture was taken at the Kaabong strip in a flux of transition; Summer's friend had just landed -a week later Grubers left following their 2mo survey visit. Summer had been back for around 6 weeks and Melissa had just arrived from Australia. When the picture was taken, Melissa was back with Miriam in Nabilatuk tending to an illness that attacked our chicken flock. Meanwhile, Tom and I were soon leaving to USA for medical & counseling - completely unaware that we would not be returning...

I've gone through many 'what ifs' since this day - one of the biggest ones -would I have ever left Uganda at April's end if I knew all of the changes in my life and work? would I have, once again, tried to 'tough it out' on my own and 'make it work'? I'm at peace, and increasingly so, that God has a plan - He just keeps making it more clear to me each step of the way. 

So, now another transition will take place this next two months - Melissa will depart and the Grubers will return. Give Summer wisdom and stability. Pray for this team to continue to listen and hear the Lord's still voice as He urges us when to turn left and when to go right.

A Day in Karamoja

Twenty minutes before the sun raises its tenacious head above the horizon a rooster warns the world of its coming. A new day is breaking forth, the rhythms of life set in motion once again. Each new day is slightly mysterious, yet cushioned by the daily tasks that must be accomplished, keeping a tedious balance between the mundane and chaotic. As the sun climbs slowly into the morning sky, the village wakes up around us. Women begin making fires for morning porridge, shepherd boys begin singing to their cows, waking them up and preparing them for the day’s journey to graze. Girls giggle as they get dressed, sweep the compounds and begin to walk to the nearest bore hole to gather water. Soon the air is filled with chatter and squeaking as women pump water from over-used bore holes. Andrea, the guard, slashes grass on the compound; his blade grazes the ground as he attempts to keep snakes and other pesky critters away. A multitude of birds sing through the air, happily chaotic in their celebration of the new day.

By the time the sun reaches through the window in my round rock house many of the villagers have been up for an hour or so before me. I have been listening to the slow awakening around me, but without electricity to brighten the house my motivation to wake up earlier is limited. I went to bed with the light of a flashlight, I would rather wake with the natural light of the sun.

I love the ease with which I can get ready for the day here- pull on a skirt, slather on some sunscreen, add some beads if I’m really feeling fancy and out the door I go. I haven’t looked at myself in a mirror for over a week- freedom. The opinions of others is already confused by the color of my skin, so what does it matter if I hold to the western standard of beauty?

The first order of the day is to make a charcoal fire. We splinter eucalyptus wood into small pieces and burry it in the middle of the sigari (charcoal burner). Once it flares to life, we build a charcoal wall around it heating as many pieces as possible. The smell of smoke is seared into my clothing and hair as I fan the fame to get it red-hot for cooking. If possible, I will keep the charcoal burning all morning. I will start by cooking porridge for breakfast, followed by boiling water for drinking, and then other baking projects (bread can take four hours on the coals). I enjoy experimenting with cooking projects and have found that you can cook a great deal with limited ingredients and no oven.

Personal devotions are enjoyed over a cup of morning coffee and porridge. This is one of the sweetest moments of the day, before the demands come, before language lessons start, before you have to do anything, you can just be. Be with the Lord. Rest in His life-giving words. Journaling prayers, intimate communication with the Savior of my soul. Dealing with heart issues, crying out to Him for direction, for wisdom, for grace. Precious moments with the Lord are never wasted.

I would love to linger there longer, but the day presses forward and so I must join it. Melissa and I pray together and go over the schedule for the day. The routines that give us daily structures are unique, unknown to the rest of the world, protected from the pushing and shoving of the western world, free from the clock that governs the schedules of others. We will clean the compound, do language lessons, help KACHEP with whatever they need (animal health, trainings, spraying events etc.), go out to the villages, share the Word of God through storying, cook food, and when the sun goes down we will entertain ourselves through book studies, conversations, worship, pod-casts or movies. It is simple. But it is consuming.

There are times when I wonder what I accomplished that day- I walked to the market. On the way I greeted the tailor, I spoke with Mama Sarah, stopped by the counselor’s house, shook hands with about fifty people, denied that same number of people the money that they begged from me, chatted with the store clerk, bought my kilo of sugar, my four tomatoes and five onions (all in different locations), amicably argued with the woman over charcoal prices, fought off two marriage proposals and came home. A trip to the market is not really about the kilo of sugar, the four tomatoes and the five onions. It is about community. It is about building relationships. It cannot be factored into a time-oriented society. It just is. And somehow, in the eternal perspective of the Lord, it has value.

If I get caught up in the events, the goals of life (i.e. the quantifiable accomplishments of organizations), I rush over the people, I miss the bigger scheme of community, of relationships, of participating in life with God’s beloved. I miss the joy that I see on their faces when I learn a new word and use it correctly, I miss knowing that the counselor is sick and needs prayer, I miss bringing a smile to the woman who sells tomatoes, I miss life in Karamoja. So I must change from being task-oriented to people-oriented. And in that change, I must remember that it is through these relationships that the kingdom of God can be known. It is through our love and the way that we live our lives that people first experience the presence of God. It is through these relationships that we have the platform to speak God’s truths. And we do need to speak them, because faith comes through hearing and hearing from the Word of God (Rom. 10). So in the schedule of the day, I must carve out time for people, for trips to the market that take an hour.

As evening gives way to night, I make another charcoal fire to cook dinner. The crickets and frogs join in the last chorus of the day and the sun rests once again beyond the horizon. Bright stars splash against the dark sky with awe-inspiring radiance. The village to the east starts a late celebration, dancing and singing with unity and power which echoes over the land. The village to the west sounds an alarm as raiders come in to steal their livestock. Gunshots can be heard as the army comes to intervene. Melissa and I hear these sounds from afar and pray for the villages. Pray that one day the sounds rising from the villages will be that of worship and praise, of celebration in the work that God will do in their lives.

Until that day comes we will continue to live here, faithfully asking God to fill our days with the works and the relationships that He wants us to have; submitting our schedules to God that He may be glorified in the smallest, most inconsequential act to the biggest, most exciting events. God is worthy of it all and He is always at work, even when we don’t see it.

Please pray that God will guide us with His love and wisdom, that we would have grace for each day that He gives us here. Pray that we would value each day and life it to the utmost for His glory and honor, and that each day we live in Karamoja the people would recognize the presence of God in our lives.

Much love,
Summer

Ride for Refuge

Dennis' Story

 "It was dark when they came in to my village and set it on fire. It was 1993, West Uganda and I don't remember much of that night, I don't remember how they killed my mum and my dad, only of hearing it afterward, I just remember being taken. Kony and his men kidnapped us small ones and made us walk for days and days with no food or water. We were all tied together as we marched along and beat us if we were slow. One boy tied with us died in those few days of marching, but they wouldn't untie him, they made us drag him along with us. We reached a river that was higher than we were tall. All I remember was fear as we crossed, still all tied together as a group.

Once I escaped from the LRA and I just ran. I had no plan, I just ran and ran until I could go no further. I thought I was free but they caught up with me and beat me as they brought me back to do their work of terrorising. That's all we seemed to ever do.

Quite a few years later the Ugandan police found us and arrested us. It was in prison that I found peace. A Christian group was advocating for the education of ex-child soldiers so that on release we could have some skills to get employment. I learnt how to lay cement & bricks, build structures like houses and walls and I learnt about Jesus. I could not forgive myself before this for all that I had done and I could not forgive those who had made me do it either. It was only through having Jesus in my life and knowing that he takes all that sin and pain away by his work on the cross that I could let it all go and be who I am today.

When I was released from prison I tried to return to my village. I am a Cholie by tribe and I went back to see if any of my people were there, but no one would accept me home. Too many of my tribe were fearful of what we had done in our past and wouldn't let us come home. That is why I came here to Soroti, but now I feel happy to be able to minister to boys who have been put through what I was put through. Together, with the help of our mighty God, we can strive to let go of the past and make decisions to change our future, knowing that God alone will come again to judge the living and the dead, to bring justice, and that I am covered and protected by the blood of Jesus Christ."  

This is the testimony of one of the members that I heard on Saturday's bike ride "Ride for refuge" to raise awareness for ex-child soldiers. We rode 25km to the Obalinga mass grave site, where 360 people are buried. They are all people who died in the LRA insurgence on the 16th June 2003. When we got there the site was all over grown with weeds and so we had to hoe and slash the whole area (hard work in the African sun!). We then had a memorial ceremony and cycled back to our base to have lunch together.

 Many of the men who cycled have similar stories as Dennis, but many have not been able to adjust to normal life again like he has. Many are in severe inner turmoil, suffering greatly over their sense of identity (as rejection from family members and tribe members is very common), over guilt and over anger. Many are angry with God, not believing that he was suffering along with them as he watched every evil and wicked deed they were a part of, not knowing that he is the opposite to all of that, he is love. Many don't know what to do with themselves and see Jesus as their only hope but don't know where to go from there.

So much prayer and wisdom is needed for them and for the patient souls who are working with them, walking with them each step of the way, hearing their stories, and letting God heal them and bring them back to Him, for His purposes.
here 

Small animal surgery at Dr Val's

  Surgeries!

Wednesday 26/9/12

 Today Dr Liz from Oregan in the US, and I did 8 surgeries (2 neuters and 6 spays) and yes, I got my birthday wish, I completed a whole spay and neuter, solo. Most of the others I did half of, and Liz did the other half, as I am not very efficient at it yet.

For the vets interested out there, here is some info on doing surgery on an office desk :) We did it all 'clean' as opposed to aseptic. It was 'field work' so we did the surgeries on the only space available, on someone's desk in the CLIDE* office! We gave the dogs Acepromazine first to chill them out a little, then a mix of ketamine and Valium (50% of each in the required dose, IV) and then gave half of that dose again once the dog was prepped for surgery and we were beginning and then as needed, we topped up with Propofol.

 

 On the field, as they say, you use whatever you have and these all worked really well! The animals went down and woke up really smoothly. Antibiotics were given afterwards because the surgery was 'clean' not aseptic and because they will most likely be rolling around in bacteria-ridden dirt before too long.

The cats were given what is called 'kitty magic' - I think the drug companies came up with that one- which is 0.1ml each of Torbugesic, Ketamine and Dexdomitor for every 5kg. Ooh and I learnt a new trick it's called the 'clove-hitch knot' and I've used it with tying up horses and boats before but never seen it in a surgery, so that was cool to learn. Hopefully we'll get to do some more next week as well and when we go to Karamoja on Wed next week, there as well :)

 *CLIDE stands for Community Livestock-Integrated Development (consultancy), it has four offices, two in Karamoja, one here in Soroti and one in Kampala. It is another Christian Veterinarian Mission outlet here in Uganda.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

More here

Extra Ordinary Women of Uganda

Friday, 28 September 2012

Extra Ordinary - Significant Women of Uganda.
"I love to catch the sunrise. I love the multifaceted aspect of being feminine. I love God. He inspires me to see the best in life, people, myself and my work." Jennifer Mypisi. Designer/Architect

"If I could speak to my younger self, I'd say; "Baby girl you can be all that and then some. Give life time. Give yourself time." Dr Paula Mundari. Physician.

"While in exile I had to carry my child on my back and walk to the market. I'd learnt that the high status I'd enjoyed before was - an addition to me and not who I truly am." Florence Nakyoni. Human Rights Activist.

"My day of courage dawned when I met President Amin. I didn't know whether I would come back alive or dead. I know who I am because of the commitments I have made in my life." Juliana Bezuidenhout. Girl Guide/Presidential Advisor.

"Every day is unique and when it is gone, it is gone forever." Maria Kiwanuka. Entrepreneur.

"I come from a strong line of women. I look at my grandmother, my aunts and my mum, and I know that I too can make it. I am emotional and intuitive." Gloria Wavumono. Fashion Designer.

"God comes first. Fear Him and have integrity." Leticia Kikonyogo. Deputy Chief Justice.

from here

Veterinary Symposium in Kampala

17-23rd September Oliotya!

 Heya, from Kampala, Uganda at Mackerere University, where I have spent this last week, listening to lectures, meeting other veterinary students and doing surgery practicals in the afternoons. The program has been run by the Ugandan Christian Veterinary Mission and has been fantastic fun; learning, laughing and loving each other (as my new US friends say). Five Americans flew over for the time (some are staying a bit longer as well) on a mission trip, they're mostly small animal veterinary surgeons who have been doing the lectures & surgeries (they brought all the vet materials we're using over with them!).

The week has also been a great opportunity to hear of the faith of the students and to fellowship with them. The lectures have been on many different topics, ranging from 'client communication' to complex surgeries to common skin diseases. In most of the lectures we've looked at the theoretical side of certain surgeries; cystotomy, gastrotomy, enterotomy, intestinal anastamoses, speys, neuters, opthamological surgeries, even fluid therapy for post operation, etc.

The students seemed really excited that I was a student too (as all the other mzungus we're real docs haha) and very interested to hear what vet work in Karamoja is like! Many of the students still hold to their culture of segregation of the Karamajong even subconsciously looking down on them as lesser than they are, which comes out when I speak to them about my work. Back home we have such a culture of being politically correct and even if you secretly think badly of someone you would never show it or say it. Of course, ignorance in what the K'jong are really like (these students and most of the Ugandans living outside of Karamoja have never been or met a traditional K'jong, they just know what they've been told of them) will always breed distance and even disdain or fear. That seems to be a fact of culture clashes throughout history and throughout the world today, even a funny example of this is the way the Karamajong harshly judge a woman for wearing pants. To the women down here at the bottom of Uganda in Kampala, wearing pants is a sign of an educated woman. To the Karamajong, wearing pants is saying that you are basically a prostitute (no joke, from their mouths not mine), showing the shape of your legs is very provocative. A simple thing like that means two very different things to two different people of the same country.

read more here

Happy Birthday Melissa Graham

from here

Karamoja Wedding

from 12. Sept on Melissa Graham Blog



Back in August Summer and I went to an interesting cultural experience, a Catholic Karamajong wedding. The women in the animal skins are relatives of the bride's mother, who danced for most of the ceremony in the traditional Karamojong way, moving their whole bodies from side to side swinging the skins too. The place was packed, the whole town wanting to be part of the celebration. including us! A very fun day.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

more here