Uganda
by Miss Val Burton
Uganda - the pearl of Africa, verdant and rich in natural resources. Yes, it's definitely that plus a richness in the ordinary people that calls out for us to be involved in their struggles against not just the actuality of poverty, but also the attitude or mentality of poverty.
20th March saw me and seven others from the UK taking part in the graduation of Bible School students, the official opening of the new Bible School building and the 10th Anniversary of All Nations Christian Care. A great day filled with speeches (lots of them!), food (lots of it!) and singing (not to mention all the dancing.
ANCC are involved in helping the poor of Uganda and occasionally Southern Sudan with small micro-projects to help people help themselves, well-digging for good water supplies, and bible training to teach the gospel. A large conference centre, together with restaurant and guest house helps some finance to be produced locally to aid the work of ANCC. Run entirely by Ugandans, with some help and advice from outside, ANCC have established themselves in the northern town of Lira and are well respected by the government.
Our first few days were spent meeting, talking with and praying for the graduates and the new students for the bible school. There were some prophetic words and pictures for some of the students and all received prayer and encouragement. After the graduation day we were split into different groups. I went to a smaller church on the outskirts of town with two others where I was asked to preach for an hour ! God was very good and not only did I manage that but many responded to the message and came forward for prayer afterwards followed by those who wanted healing. It was quite an experience.
A group went to visit the orphans at Abako and had a great time teaching them new songs and playing with balloons whilst our group were taken to Apach where we were the main speakers for a church conference. The Holy Spirit really moved there and there was tremendous blessing. I returned to Apach a week later to head up a women's conference - but the whole church showed up and Holy Spirit continued from where we left off the previous week!
Two of us went with the Ugandans to Kotido in the Karamojo area in the very north of Uganda. We went to see how the mission to the unreached Karamajong was progressing. After what was a very long, very dusty, very hard and uncomfortable drive through some very beautiful mountainous areas the landscape changed as the trees became thinner and then non-existent - replaced by stunted bushes and thorn trees. Vegetation was sparse and the landscape became more desert-like as we approached Kotido town. The area is often the target of armed raiders and unstable, making it a place people don't really like going to. The town itself is a 'one-horse town', very spread out and sparse of buildings and people.
The Karamajong are a nomadic people, cattle herders who walk around naked (except for a blanket) and carrying their rifle. They are said to be aggressive, hard to get to know, mistrusting of others, they will not readily give friendship or trust. However once you have won their trust they are honest, faithful and people of their word. They are highly intelligent and not easily swayed.
Such has been Ben and John's influence in Kotido since they went there as missionaries to the Karamajong that we were able to meet with the District Commissioner and the Chief of Security and received official backing and assistance throughout our two days there. The DC is a Karamajong and was keen that we should visit a real Karamajong home - called a Manyata.
We were met by a local Karamajong chief who had a meal with us at Ben's house and then we all piled into the 4 wheel drive to go to his Manyata - a real privilege. There is no discernible road - or even track - from town to the Manyata and a vehicle with 4 wheels was not really appropriate as we swayed from side to side trying to keep all 4 wheels on the ground - often travelling at a very precarious angle! However, we made it, but nothing could prepare us for the sight.
The Manyata is completely sealed in and the only entrance is through a very low gateway - you either crouch very low or go on all fours to get in. Crawling through those first few feet you then come into the maze which makes up the compound. The chief has 5 wives (the only one allowed to) and something like 47 children, all resident in this one Manyata but each wife having a separate home for her and the children. The chief has his section laid out in a very specific manner and also containing some corralled cattle (for safety). His armoury looks like an ordinary mud house with grass roof - but has no windows and the top of the door entrance is only about 3ft off the ground (not easy to get into).The chief told us that he believed in God because he had never had a days sickness in his life and still had all his teeth! Leaving Kotido after so short a visit leaves you with more questions than answers but it was a very great experience and the Karamajong deserve to hear the gospel - so let's do what we can.
The rest of my stay (after the rest of the team left) was spent travelling to various villages and preaching to women's groups or the churches of the graduating students. Some very difficult travelling made more difficult by the coming of the rainy season which makes mud tracks almost impossible and roads like skating rinks, but the Lord protected us the whole way and we had no accidents.
The Lord marvellously helped me with all the preaching I had to do and in one church everyone came forward for prayer after the message to either receive Christ or re-dedicate their lives. Helen, who did most of my interpreting gave a lovely testimony of how, as she interpreted the message, the Lord challenged her and she went home to pray and seek Him afresh. He then used her to pray for a sick child who fully recovered after prayer! That was a great encouragement to me as I continued with the message He had given me to share.
My final days saw me sick with a temperature weakness and very sore throat - which God then used for His glory and to further challenge those who travelled with me as He gave me all the strength needed to preach the message, pray for the sick and complete the work He gave me to do, whilst my companions had expected me to only say a few words whilst seated !
Val Burton
Val returned safe and well from her month in Uganda and brought four opportunities home to work through as the result of her visit.
1. Her own future, and whether or not she returns for a two year term to help raise and release selected Ugandan believers to a place of responsibility, initiative and creative thinking. This would mean people in the West taking responsibility for her and for the provision of funds and resources to work with.
2. How to best help one particular leader's excellent all-round vision for new evangelism, training, care for the poor with local economic development to fund the gospel work. A Communications Centre and a Pharmacy are 'fund-producing' gaps waiting to be filled in town as well and their is exisiting farming of turkeys, pigs, pineapples and fish. Each 'High Street' shop would need about £4,500 or donated equipment or stocks to get it going.
3. How to best develop the Lira Bible School which is now officialy open and has its own substantial property, degree level curriculum and potential in a society that is hungry for education. The School lacks adequate creative administration, publicity, funds for teaching staff and students who can pay even nominal fees.
4. How to best help the two Ugandan missionaries, Ben and John, who live amongst the remote, unreached, nomadic Karamajong. They are now well established in Kotido and respected even by the local Chief. They need clear goals for the next steps, a moped or two at £1,300 each to get them out into the bush, and a means of producing funds on-site for daily living and travel.
All advice, prayer and support for Val and her work is more than welcome as we work thropugh these possibilities together.
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