How would your behavior change if your insurance policies, savings accounts and retirement funds were entirely dependent on the people you knew, favors you could call and strangers you could cajole? I’d like to think it would make me a nicer, more sacrificial and persuasive
Let’s have a quick survey: Raise your hand if you sung about prostitution and/or murder in your church service yesterday? I’m guessing, if you did raise your hand, that you are probably a missionary serving with OPUM and that I probably sang alongside you yesterday.
A few weeks ago, I had the honor of accompanying some of our health teachers while they taught in Nakaale village. One of our missionary associates, Leah Hopp, is presently on furlough in Canada, but during her absence she has hired and trained local women
One of the questions we are most often asked is how far are we from Mbale. The standard answer that I give is two to six hours, depending on the condition of the road. Saturday, we set a new personal record. We left Mbale around
As often as I’ve attended funerals in Karamoja, last week was my first time to witness the process in its entirety. I’m sure variations exist, but I am told that most of what happened on Monday is typical of the Karamojong funeral practice. When a
Pastor Dave had the singularly uncomfortable job of preaching from James 5:1-6 on Sunday. It’s a good text to preach when one is on furlough raising support, but it just doesn’t come as easily when on the mission field, especially in rural East Africa. The
After two rough weeks at the Bible study at Nariko, we finally had the sort of study this week that is missionary-newsletter-worthy. I rode out with our teacher, Emmy, not sure what to expect. Sunday night, we had almost 4cm of rain, but Monday’s sun
One of the questions I frequently get asked by strangers that pass me on the path, is whether I’m breastfeeding. At first I thought this slightly strange. I’ve sat through multiple lessons from our community health teacher when I accompanied her to the village or
When I began thinking about buying a bicycle, I asked our local bike expert how much a new ride would cost. UGX 130000 was the answer (about $50 US). I then asked what about a used bicycle, and was told UGX 120000. I couldn’t believe
Here’s one way to open a Bible study: What is more important—fighting baboons or listening to the Word of God? Such are the incongruities of which our lives are made in Karamoja. Incongruous in the developed world, perhaps, but not at all out of place