The other morning I had an accident on my bike. While I was riding down to the lake early Sunday morning I had a collision with a little flying insect. We were both traveling at speed towards each other when the bug went crashing straight into my left eyeball. Instantly I was blinded, as I hit the brakes and almost crashed, and I could not open my eye as the pain was pretty intense.
Luckily a woman was watching and came up to help me, she told me to pull my eyelid down and said she could see the insect, which was drowning in my eye juices. Using a blade of grass she gently removed the insect from my eye while a bunch of little African kids giggled and screamed merrily.
Even though there was a bit of relief after she removed the bug, my eye ended up hurting for at least another 5 hours because of the trauma of it all (physical trauma to the eye I mean .. I handled it pretty well emotional .. even continuing my ride down to the lake).
That night my friend Ivan told me of a local pastor here who had the same thing happen to him, although he was not so lucky, and ended up losing an eye.
After hearing that story I felt pretty good.
I have started a program with a group of boys here in Wairaka looking at social issues in the community, the boys will then come up with their own film and will host a little event at the end of it all. For the first session we looked at drug and alcohol abuse, mainly the abuse of the local spirit brew here called Wairagi. The boys were all pretty shocked when we watched a documentary that explored how in 2007 the world health organisation declared that Uganda was the number one nation in the world for alcohol consumption per capita. Alcohol has been a huge curse here in the communities, leading to violence (emotional, physical and sexual) neglect, broken families, propelling the cycle of poverty and more.
The boys were really interested in creating a film that looked at the two main drugs that they see as a problem here in their communities, being alcohol and kuber (a form of tobacco which is placed behind the lips or chewed on).
Running programs in the local high schools here has been good fun as well. We have been looking at drug and alcohol education, but also wise decisions when it comes to relationships, as well as some of the human rights issues around sex here in the community. It is interesting running the activities with mixed groups of girls and boys. When ever we play the agree or disagree game (where a statement is read out and everyone has to go to rather the disagree, or the agree side of the room, and then voice their opinions) the boys and girls can have very different opinions. For example when the statement is read "Women should be given more rights in the community", quite obviously the girls run to the agree side, but many boys run to the disagree side. Its great to get the girls to voice their opinions (and insist that the boys listen up hard to what they have to say) and I find it is the girls who are the most firey and opinionated, and who usually have the most questions to ask as well. Its interesting to see a shifting Uganda, where for a long time many women have been considered lower in society, and still are in many places, but also to see a Uganda where cultural views are now changing, and young girls in high schools are the ones speaking out the most.
I have to say it is pretty funny when I get introduced to the class and the headmaster is very serious and tells all the students they most be very quiet and give the utmost respect and sit still in their chairs or they will be disciplined. The funny part is once the headmaster leaves the room I get everyone to push the tables and chairs to the side and all come into a group in the middle to start playing games and activities and encourage them to have group discussions. Seeing all of their faces light up makes me feel a bit like Robin Williams character in "Dead Poets Society" ha ha.
I have also been running a cell group with a bunch of teenage boys every Friday night. The group is basically a forum and a platform to discuss issues and thoughts on life from a Christian perspective. Many of these young guys are hungry for discussions and questions, I don't think they get a platform in many cases in the church to express their opinions and ask tough questions. I mean many of these guys are wrestling with deep theological and philosophical questions that have never really been addressed, or at least studied and looked at. It has been great to get together and discuss some of the weightier theological topics, and I am continuously surprised at how deep the guys here actually are, and how deep they want to go. Its not all questions on sex and girls, but these guys are curious to explore what makes grace unique, what is the evidence for a creator, nature of salvation and much more.
The sewing class is also almost on its way! Farook has been working hard to find young women to join the group, and we have spent a few days profiling and talking with the ones found (He is great at this as he is a well known and respected member of the community, and has many contacts). Many of these young women are so disempowered they have a really high risk of sexual abuse from a lot of men in the communities. They basically see themselves as not worth much, so any man with a bit of money basically has a say over them. It is heartbreaking to see the many cases of single young mums, but at the same time it is awesome to see their faces when they realise this is not a course that is asking for money from them, but we are pursuing them, to offer them help, to empower them, completely free. Farook going deep into slum villages to seek them out and offer them this opportunity has made me think of God's grace in a way. To think that in our spiritual poverty God came down to us and offered us grace and love, completely free .. he seeked us out, and just like these young women, it is up to us whether we chose to accept that gift of grace.
It has also been awesome to hear that my church (One hope) has had a number of people willing to help in sponsoring these girls through the course. Again this makes me see that this is not my own work, none of this is possible without a community of people getting involved, and ultimately God pulling the strings.
Farook about to go search for some young women who need help (while wearing my bushman hat)
So its all very exciting! I have recently put up a facebook page which will have all of Youth Support Uganda's updates on it.
You can check out the page here https://www.facebook.com/YouthSupportUganda
Thanks again to everyone who has been praying for me and supporting me, your love is most appreciated, and I really do feel the support of everyone, even all the way over here.
God bless
Thanks for the update Luke.
ReplyDeleteIts great to hear about the work that God is doing though you.
Its great to see Farook with his huge smile.
Keep up the great work.