On Thursday we finished up our first marriage conference in Nebbi and then drove over to Pakwach for 2 days of rest and preparation before a full day of ministry on Sunday.  Our second marriage conference kicks off on Monday. Pakwach is a little town that sits on the Nile River at the entrance to Murchison Falls National Park, which is the largest, most visited animal preserve in all of Uganda.  So, in the course of a one hour drive we shifted from “missionary” to “tourist.” That was a weird transition.  But first let me tell you a bit more about the conferences we’ve participating in….The “full-gospel” denomination of Uganda has established 120 evangelical churches in northeastern Uganda and the churches are divided into 9 regions.  Two pastors and their wives from each region were invited to this conference.  The conference is structured like a marriage retreat with all expenses paid, including food and lodging.  Each couple receives a notebook of the complete training course so when they return home, they can use the teaching in their church and help other nearby pastors.  But another huge blessing is that these couples get a few days away from the grind of life to stay in a guest house in which there’s electricity and indoor plumbing, eat catered meals that they don’t have to cook and spend time with others in a relaxed, no pressure environment.

By western standards, the accommodations are ridiculously simple…. The guest rooms are very small with bare stucco walls, a bed, chair, and single LED light bulb hanging from the ceiling.  And there’s no private bathrooms. But most of these pastors serve in villages that are completely off the grid, so, having a few days with indoor plumbing, (but no hot water), spotty electricity (but no internet) and not having to cook over a wood or coal fire was a welcome pleasure.  Ironic, isn’t it, that what feels like hardship for me is a luxury for them. And we aren’t even staying at the same hotel.

The conference ended strong with worship songs, a meal, group pictures and with Pam and I distributing the last few gifts for their gift bag- a little note pad for the women and flashlight for the men. It’s amazing what close bonds you can develop over 4 days even with limited language. Through the shared meals, sessions, teatime, Q & A, and casual interaction, we were given a precious and privileged glimpse into the lives of these dear saints.

Then, all too quickly, it was time to leave for Pakwach. As we loaded our remaining supplies, said our final greetings, and climbed into our trusty van, one of the pastors gave me a small piece of paper.  “Read this later.” He spoke. I put it in my pocket and only rediscovered it hours later at the new hotel.  In the note, he introduced himself as Pastor Richard Orombi and thanked Wendell, Pam, and I for our teaching.  He explained that they had just started a new church that met for the first time on December 28, 2022. And they were going to name the church “Bethany Full Gospel Church” of Pambitu Central after our church in Pennsylvania and asked that we remember them in prayer.  I’m sure he’s looking for a financial partnership but even so, I was blessed.

In Pakwach we checked into our new hotel.  They had two rooms with a mini-split air conditioner that they reserve for westerners.  Yay! Wendell, Pam and I had in incomparable delight of stepping out of the 97-degree heat into heavenly coolness for the first time in 7 days. Of course, there’s a three-hour rolling blackout that hits every evening around midnight, and frequent power outages during the day, but we’ve found that the residual coolness carries us through these times. This new hotel also has very responsive Wi-Fi, which stopped working within an hour of us getting there.  The manager sheepishly explained that they only had a certain number of gigabits each month.  Apparently when we hooked up all our devices, they began automatically uploading our pictures and video to the cloud and downloading spooled up emails, attachments, and updates, and we blew out their monthly allotment in a couple of hours. Pastor George acquired supplemental hotspots so we can function independent of the hotel’s WIFI to email, text, and call home.

Friday was a down day and we entered Murchison Falls National Park again and took a 2 hour boat safari up the Nile to Murchison Falls.  This is the most powerful waterfall in the world, where the entire east branch of the Nile River is forced through a tiny canyon 33 feet wide and then plunges 141 feet down to the river surface below.  It was spectacular!  And all along the way Pam and I saw up close all the animals that we saw last Sunday when we drove on the highway from Entebbe to Nebbi. We even saw a 15-foot crocodile from about 10 feet away.  Ok, that was a little too close!

The entire day was a stunning display of God’s creative genius and unlimited power. Who in a million years would ever think up a hippopotamus? Or giraffe?  Or the trunk of an elephant?  Or the iridescent rainbow plumage of the African Bee Eater?  Even after all the ways sin and humanity has marred God’s creation, “the heavens [still] declare the glory of God” (Psalm 19:1) and through the creation “his eternal power and divine nature are clearly seen (Romans 1:20).”  I have dear friends who believe that the complexity and diversity of our world came about by undirected random chance. But I gotta be honest; I just can’t see it. Later that evening we sat at the “best restaurant in town” on a tourist resort owned by the brother of the president of Uganda in an exotic location on the banks of the Nile River.  The most expensive entrée was only $12.  But it was delicious and how many people can say they’ve enjoyed a leisurely meal while watching the sun set over the Nile?  Again, we are blessed beyond measure.

And herein lies the paradox and cultural whiplash.  Twenty-four hours ago, I was teaching in 97-degree heat under a tin roof, using a translator.  Today I’m sitting in air conditioning and swimming in a pool.  Yesterday, I saw up close the struggle of existence that comes from poverty.  Today, I took a boat trip and safari that rivaled any nature documentary I’ve ever seen. Yesterday, I ate lunch with people whose privileged “retreat” would have been a vacation-from-hell if it happened to you or me.  Do you see the paradox?  Can you feel the tension?  Some might dismiss it all and say, “Welcome to Uganda.”  But as a Christ-follower, I don’t feel I have that luxury.  What does it all mean?  How should we respond?  I don’t have the answer to this. But I’m grateful to at least recognize and ask the question. …And to know that in the coming kingdom of God, all injustices will be righted, and my Ugandan brothers and sisters will be at the front of the line, receive extravagant rewards and hear, “‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’” Matthew 25:31. I’ll be standing somewhere way behind these heroes, but I hope I’m in earshot to celebrate with them.

Learning and serving,

Steve & Pam