It has been several days since I have posted last, and I apologize for the delay. The sporadic electricity and water combine for many challenging experiences, and delays. The time here has been spent well, but we have been very busy. Let me catch you up on the happenings of the past few days.

5/20/02
Today was the first day of class, and already I am thinking with an Ugandan accent. Before long i will be speaking just as they do, and when I get home I will be speaking in short sentences and emphasizing certain sounds and dropping my ‘r’s. :) The men learn eagerly, but much of the work is challenging. Their grade levels are about 4th or 5th, and they have a hard time with abstract ideas. It is challenging to express the ideas in more concrete examples. It is gratifying as a teacher, and they give me much respect. It is humbling to me, because many of the men are older.

I preached my first short sermon for pastor during the main group session today as well. God was merciful, and I felt that the message was received.

5/21/02
Tonight I took Dr. Guimons advice and tried a small amount of Valium to help me sleep. I am approaching a level of fatigue that is bringing me close to crankiness. For those who know me, this very rarely happens. As a result of my fatigue, I have been more contemplative and quiet than usual, and the many different experiences combine with some of my emotions to make more a little unstable. <grin> God is faithful though, I have never know Him to allow me to lose myself. With a little sleep I shall be fine.

5/22/02
Today is the third day of class, and the men are doing very well. Please pray for them, the work they are asked to do is very hard and requires a lot of time and effort to grasp. It happens to me every time I begin a project that I have never tried before. I begin with a lot of enthusiasm, and as things progress I get to a point where I begin to doubt if I am able to fulfill my responsibilities. These are times when I have to trust God to be faithful and provide me with the grace I need to accomplish His will. Part of the pressure of this task specifically is that more than my success depends on my ability. These men are depending on me to help them, and the stakes for them are high. Africa is in great need of men from their own countries who can preach and teach their own people. This class is the beginning of the training of those men who will be able to make a difference in Uganda. Please pray.

5/23/02
Today we are past the most difficult part of the course, and although many of the men struggled very much with the work, they are beginning to understand how it works. It was encouraging to see some of them begging to grasp the concepts and apply them correctly. In church tonight I was impressed by the enthusiasm of the Christians here is their worship of God. Pastor Stensas told me about a young lady, who is 14 year old, and never misses a service. She has been faithful since they first began their work in Soroti. It is people like her, her name is Gladys, who will be at the front of the change in Uganda for the people of God.

Again I ask for you all to pray for the men and those of us who are teaching the class here. There is much left to be done and we need your help. Side note: I have been sleeping better. I discovered that the problem is noise, there is very little here in Uganda. I am so used to sleeping not far from a highway, and the ambient noise is a part of my sleeping cycle. Here, when the power goes out, the fan does not run and I wake up at night. <grin> This is all a part of being a servant of God. Valium helps things like that, so I am applying that medicine.

Time to go, love you all at home, especially mom.

In Uganda,