WEEK TWO FINAL DAY OF TRAINING

Friday was our final day of training with the CLIDE staff and 24 representatives of various tribes and regions in northern Uganda.  The CLIDE staff did an excellent job of organizing this two week long training conference.  Putting a meeting on like this in the U.S. is a big job, doing it in Uganda is 10 times as difficult.

After a time of worship Waffle shared devotion on the story of Mary and Martha.  Then Mike shared how the Pharisee Saul was transformed by an encounter with Christ into the Apostle Paul.  An encounter with Christ can do that!  Mike also shared how Paul had come to love the people of Ephesus and on his final missionary journey he called them to meet him in Miletus to say goodbye.  He had come to love them very much.  Mike shared how he had come to love the CLIDE staff and so many others here in Uganda.

For the morning session CLIDE staff member Stephen told story number 7, Abraham Tested By God.  In the afternoon staff member Judith told story number 8, the final one we would be training on.  As on the other days the story was told first in the large group.  It was shared in 3 different languages first.  Then several volunteers came up and tried to tell the story from memory, and finally they broke into their small groups and continued to practice telling the story.

At the end of the day attendees shared what they had learned and how they were going to share it in their villages.  Weekly ongoing training will occur so they stay fresh in these eight stories and learn the other 34 on the story cloth.

These two weeks went by really fast and we are very encouraged by the passion of those we trained.  Mike shared a quote about a missionary that went to the field:  “When he landed in 1848, there were no Christians.  When he left in 1872, there were no heathen”. We prayed that this would be fulfilled in Karamoja as well.

On Saturday Mike will participate in 3 or 4 hours of leadership training at Rockview Baptist Church where CLIDE staff member Orono is the pastor, and Dr. Moses is the lead Deacon.  Other team members will go to town to shop for gifts.

Week Two, Day Three Of Training

Our Thursday training time in Soroti, Uganda began with lively worship and a devotion led by CLIDE staff member Judith.  One of the trainees was rushed to the hospital during our worship time.  She is very pregnant, but it turned out to be false labor.  She is due in two weeks.  She was back with us by lunch time.

CLIDE staff member John Paul (left above)
told the first story of the day during the morning session.  It was the story of  Noah And The Flood.  He told the story first in English and then in Karamojong.  It was also translated into Teso.  He did an outstanding job.  Then several volunteers practiced telling the story in the native language.  They are really catching on.  After taking morning tea they broke into small groups for futher practice.

Following lunch they tackled story number 6 in the afternoon.  This is the story of God’s Covenant With Abraham.

While they worked on learning that story, the Sunset team headed out for it final round of goat distributions.   As always we were warmly greeted upon our arrival at the village. Today we distributed 75 goats.  In this group about two thirds of the recipients were orphans.

It was another great day in Uganda.

Week Two Day Two

Our Tuesday night in Soroti was very interesting. Tuesday was the Uganda national primary elections.  The office of elections is right across the street from our guest house.  Starting at about 6 PM they began broadcasting over a loud speaker the election results.  The street was full of people.  This went on all night.  It was so loud we got little sleep.  It was still going on when we left for our training venue at 8 AM.

Week two day two of training (Wednesday) started off with a time of worship and prayer.  The worship time here is exhilarating.  The rich blend of voices, the rhythms, and blend of languages is amazing. Each day they have a different CLIDE staff person coordinate the day’s activities and another one to lead devotions.  Once the singing starts the vocal leadership shifts from person to person throughout the room.

CLIDE staff member Judith was the coordinator, Dinah was led the devotion and Martin taught the first story of the day on Adam and Eve. 

The story time for the day began with 7 volunteers doing a mime of the 7days of creation. They are so creative and not afraid to try new things. The trainees had a lot of fun with the story of Adam and Eve.  Some of them had the group in stitches with their gestures and different voices.

After lunch the Sunset team along with Dr. Moses, Dr. Val and Orono headed to a village about 30 minutes out of town for our first of two goat distributions. The funds to purchase the 155 goats was raised by Sunset's summer Kids Camp. These events are always a lot of fun for us and a huge celebration for the village.  As we drove up they are all outside singing, dancing, and clapping.  Once we were out of the van we got handshakes, hugs, and some dancing.  Next came a ceremony inside the church (grass and mud building).  We were welcomed by the pastor, village leaders, and local government officials. Each of our team members shared a brief greeting. After the ceremony the rodeo began as we rounded up 80 goats that were tied up in the field.  Each goat had a number on its ear that corresponded to a number randomly drawn by the recipient. 

When the distribution was complete we shared a meal in the church with the village leaders.  It was a great day.  We will do another distribution on Thursday afternoon.

Week Two Day One of Oral Storytelling

Day one of our second week of oral storytelling training was a great success. This week the CLIDE staff that we trained last week has taken over the training this week.  The Sunset Team is in the role of coach and encourager.

20 people from around the Teso and Karamjong region came for the 2nd week of training.  These are the people who will be going into the villages and doing the hands on discipleship ministry of new believers (about 1000) and those asking about the Creator God.

Clide staff member Matthew shared the first story in the morning about God's creation of the heavenly beings.  How Lucifer wanted to be like God and was banned from heaven along with a group that followed him.

In the afternoon, Clide staff member Orono shared the creation story.  This story was a challenge for the learners as it is long and detailed with certain things created on certain days. After the large group session, they continued to work on the story in small groups.  By the end of that time they had it down pat.

Throughout the day there was lots of very energetic singing.

More information and pictures from our time in the Peace Village and church service over the weekend. Our team got to meet one of the warriors who was shot in the chest during a raid a few years ago. Dr. Val and her team was instrumental in getting him to the hospital. As a result of the care he received from Christ followers, he has become a committed Christian.

During the church service on Sunday, Mike and Gail were asked to dedicate several babies.  A first for them!



After the service Dorothy had a chance to meet and pray with one of the mothers.

On Wednesday morning the Sunset team will be helping with more of the oral storytelling training and in the afternoon we will participate in the first of the goat distributions.

Peace Village

After completing on Friday week one of the oral story telling training with the CLIDE staff (Community Livestock Integrated Development Consultancy) Saturday morning we headed north by van for a 3 hour drive to the Nakayot Peace Village.  Upon arriving we were greeted by some of the village leaders and their one elected Local Community leader.  This is a government position.  They showed us the school that has been destroyed by a storm and termites.  There are a couple of rooms that they can sometimes use, but for the most part the children of the different elementary levels meet under nearby trees.

Week one complete!

The first week of training is now "in the books".  It has been an inspiring week and great bonds have developed between our Sunset Team and the CLIDE staff. We successfully trained the CLIDE staff in the oral telling of the first eight stories on the story cloth. The staff has really stepped up to the challenge to learn the eight stories so they can doing the training next week.

 On Friday morning Paul shared the story of God's test of Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son Isaac.  On Friday afternoon Mike shared the last of the eight stories on Jacob taking Esau's blessing.  All eight of the stories produced lots of discussion throughout the week.

We ended the day by celebrating Julie's, Dorothy's and Dr. Moses birthdays.




 The Sunset team is doing very well.  Everyone is feeling well and has a great spirit.  Saturday morning we will head north by van to visit one of the Peace Villages and will spend the night in Kongolie.  Sunday we will worship at St. Marks Church and head back to Soroti in the afternoon.  Monday will be a day of preparation for the next four days of training that will begin on Tuesday.

We definitely sense your prayers and they are working.  Please keep it up.

Three down and one to go

Today we completed day three of our four days of training.  Tomorrow (Friday) we will wrap up our first week of training.  Today Dorothy shared a story about Noah and the Ark.  Paul shared about the call of Abraham to be the father of all the nations.  The discussion was very lively. Waffle Lomilo shared with the group about the plans to take the story telling disciple making process to the villages.