Return from Burundi and Rwanda

David Lewis teaching at Gahanga, RW Graduates of Bible School at Muyinga, BU refugee camp

Alan McClue and colleague at Ntarama genocide site

Jonathan at Nyamata genocide site

Here is the rest of the story from Burundi and Rwanda. The trip itself went well (thank you for your prayers!), although for much of it I was quite tired (perhaps because Nancy and I had driven about 22 hours from Orlando to Appleton the day before I left).

Following the conference in Muyinga, BU (which I mentioned in my report from the field) Theophile and I travelled to Rwanda, where we held three conferences, all of 1 Timothy: one in Gahanga (not far from the capital of Kigali), one in Kigali, and one in Ruhengeri to the north (the area of volcanoes, where the gorillas live).

My friend, David Lewis, joined us for the Gahanga and Kigali conferences, and taught at each one. David had previously been to southern Africa many years ago, but had never been to Rwanda. As is true for virtually everyone who comes there, he was very impressed with the country and its people. We made sure to visit two genocide sites, and had the good fortune to meet W. Alan McClue, a forensic pathologist from the UK who was there for a conference. That gentleman had been part of the investigation into the shooting down of President Habyarimana's airplane (now proven beyond a doubt to have been done by Hutu-power extremists within his own government as a pretext to begin the genocide). He also had been to the Ntarama genocide site (where we talked) about 8 years after the genocide when the bodies of many of the 5,000 victims at that site were still lying there. In one room (where victims were burned to death) you still walk over bits of bone and teeth.

This trip was very important in that I met men who expressed the desire (and appear to have the ability) to translate our materials into Kirundi (the dialect of Burundi) and into French (spoken throughout Rwanda, Burundi, and Congo). I also talked at length with Theophile about plans for the future. He is a good, well-trained, competent, and committed man. He has planted 41 churches, founded more than one Bible school (including one in a refugee camp, where I was honored to attend the graduation ceremony for the first graduating class), and has many good contacts through out the region. I see the hand of God putting us together for the important work of equipping the pastors and church leaders of the East African churches.

The translation of our notes is vital. I believe that, as we get our materials translated into the important languages of East Africa and into the hands of the East African church leaders, the effects over time can be profound. Some indication of the impact may be gauged by these comments from the man who is translating our materials into Luganda (a major language in Uganda): "Brother Jonathan, thank you for writing this book [Expository Preaching]. It is a book every faithful preacher and shepherd of God's flock should study and study and internalize. During the time of its translation, it has added very much to what I already know as a pastor and preacher of God's Word. And it will be a great joy for me to teach it to brothers in Christ wherever the Lord will have sent us to minister to them. It is the material we really need." And "I have just finished translating page 27 of Biblical Stewardship. But wow, I am learning great things. Thank you for writing these books."

It will cost between about $250-$500 to translate one of our sets of notes into one African language (depending on length and other factors). I currently have notes for 8 courses, and there are about 8 languages into which I would like the notes to be translated. As you can see, the total project (and I will be developing more courses) will end up costing several thousand dollars. Your tax-deductible donations to EPI will pay huge dividends for a very long time. Currently, very little good theological material is available for the East African churches in languages other than English (and some in French). Please think and pray about this. You can give online through or website (http://www.equippingpastors.com/) or can send a check, payable to EPI, to me at 714 S. Summit St., Appleton, WI 54914.

My next trip will last a month, from the end of March to the end of April, and will be spent in Kenya. I will update you further at that time.

Report from Burundi and Rwanda

One form of "public transportation" in Burundi
Burundian cultural drummers

Teaching at conference in Bujumbura, BU

Less than a week ago I returned from Burundi and Rwanda. This was the report I emailed to friends and supporters while I was still there. If you are not on my email list, but would like to be, please email me, and I will add you to the list so that you can get reports from the field when I am overseas.

Burundi is warm--in the 80s--and beautiful. Theophile Rugubira, EPI's Rwanda-Burundi coordinator, and I have done 2 conferences in the capital of Bujumbura. One was on Biblical Stewardship and the second on 1 Timothy. The people have been very receptive. The second group were people with whom we have not interacted before. Most of the pastors have NO training at all. It makes me very sad. However, they appear committed to do what they can with the new knowledge they have. Please pray for the churches in East Africa. They face huge problems, and have little training or resources. It is an honor to work with them.

I preached in the church of pastor Francois on Sunday. Afterwards he took me to Lake Tanganyika--one of Africa's "great lakes" and the deepest. A hippo was not far off shore. Not like back in Wisconsin at this time of the year!

I am now in the eastern city of Muyinga, not far from the Tanzania border. We are in the middle of a conference on Biblical Stewardship. I have been informed that this is the only internet cafe in the entire city. The connection comes from Nairobi, Kenya, and is incredibly slow. Additionally, the keyboard is not configured as are our keyboards back home. Oh well.

The people here likewise have had NO prior training. I have heard many times that even such basic (to us) information such as "our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit, and we therefore should take care of them and bathe," and "your spouse should have precedence over your job," is "new," and "we have never heard this before." On the other hand, during small group discussions, all of the groups seemed enthusiastic about beginning the process of teaching their people how to do basic budgeting, and beginning to budget and keep records in their churches, as well as apply some of the other things we have been teaching. I was very distressed, however, to see that most of the pastors here are in the thrall of heretical "prosperity" teachers. I sensed great resistance as I was talking about that. Theophile pointed out, though, that they had never heard the orthodox Christian position on that issue. Naturally, they would be resistant. However, we have supplied them with an excellent written critique of the "prosperity gospel" in their own language. Theophile will be returning here in 3 months to follow-up with the participants. God-willing, by then they will have read, checked out what we have said with the Scriptures, and may have changed their views to a more biblical one.

Please pray for these dear pastors and church leaders. Their needs--spiritual and otherwise--are so great, and their resources are so few. Thank you for your prayers and financial support of this ministry.

2009 Year-End Report

George Kariuki (Kenya coordinator) and his wife Lucy

Justus Wafula and Wilbert Seme (Tanzania coordinator)

Theophile Rugubira (Rwanda/Burundi coordinator) and his wife Miriam

2009 has been my most productive year so far. Here are some of the highlights:
· In January EPI was in BURUNDI for the first time. We did two 1 Timothy conferences with a total of 99 pastors/church leaders.
· We did our first-ever conference (1 Timothy) in DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO (DRC). This was significant in that some Congolese pastors had come to our conference in Gisenyi, Rwanda and had requested that EPI come to DRC. Although I personally was unable to go, we recognized the need. Therefore, Martin Odi (EPI-Uganda) and Theophile Rugubira (EPI-Rwanda/Burundi) headed the team who went to DRC in July. This was also EPI’s first all-African (African led/African participants) conference. To me, that epitomizes what EPI is all about, and what I want to do: equip the nationals so that they can carry on sound Bible teaching indigenously.
· I personally was involved in 24 conferences, in each of the five countries of the East Africa Community, as follows:
BURUNDI—2 conferences (both 1 Timothy)—99 total participants.
RWANDA—2 conferences (1 Timothy and Marriage)—89 total participants.
KENYA—6 conferences (1 1 Timothy and 5 Stewardship)—599 total participants.
TANZANIA—5 conferences (1 1 Timothy and 4 Stewardship)—393 total participants.
UGANDA—9 conferences (3 1 Timothy, 1 Marriage, and 5 Stewardship)—656 total participants.
TOTAL—8 1 Timothy; 2 Marriage; 14 Stewardship conferences—1836 total participants.
· In addition to the conferences, I was personally involved in 6 TOTs (“Training of Trainers”). Each of the TOT sessions lasted 3½ days, and all were on 1 Timothy. TOT involves intensive training, lots of discussion, Q&A, and the participants all make 2 oral teaching presentations, which the entire group then critiques (we first “affirm” what the presenter did well, and then go to “the other side of the coin”—how the presenter could improve; some of the participants seem to love doing “the other side of the coin!”). A total of 84 participants were involved in my 6 TOT sessions.
· EPI also held its first all-African TOT, in Arusha, Tanzania, for participants who were not fluent in English. At our conferences, we typically present in English, and have translators translate into the local languages. Because TOT is a more intimate setting, involving usually 12-16 participants, I require that participants at my TOTs be fluent in English. However, since fairly large numbers of pastors, especially from Tanzania, Rwanda, and Burundi, do not speak English, we commissioned 2 African pastors to lead EPI’s first all-African TOT (conducted in Kiswahili), in Arusha, Tanzania. Again, this is what EPI and I personally stand for: equipping the nationals so that they can train their own in depth. At Arusha, 14 participants were involved.

On a more “institutional,” but just as important, level—2009 saw the following:

· My “5 Point Plan” for East Africa is now beginning to be implemented. That plan is:
1—Mandatory, African-initiated follow-up for all of our pastors conferences. Follow-up helps spur actual implementation of what we teach.
2—In-depth training of a few. Seminary-level teaching and TOT equips pastors to teach others and carry on EPI’s work indigenously.
3—Discipleship. Most churches are evangelistic, but almost none of them have any formal discipleship courses for new believers. Most cannot afford the cost of published discipleship courses. I want to develop a discipleship course which EPI can distribute to the churches.
4—Notes available in translation. We need to reach those who are not fluent in English with good written materials. Only a few of our materials have been translated so far. I have identified 8 languages that will cover all of East Africa. The legacy of those written materials will be long-lasting and very profound.
5—Bringing pastors of different denominations together. As EPI's conferences bring leaders of different denominations together, they forge relationships and find that far more unites than divides them. In this way the entire church is strengthened and the unity of Christ is shown.

We are not there yet, but all of our national coordinators are “on board,” and we have begun the process:
· We are now requiring follow-up at all of our conferences. Essentially, “no follow-up; no conference.” I need this to gauge our results and to spur application. I am beginning to get results, although compliance is not yet 100% (this is Africa).
· More and more I and the other African leaders see the importance of TOT, over and above our regular conferences. More will be accomplished, both in the short term, and certainly in the long term, by smaller numbers of intensively-trained and committed pastors, than by larger numbers of less intensively-trained pastors. Hence, in 2008, when we began the TOT process, we did 2 TOTs. In 2009 we did 7 TOTs, one of which was all-African.
· I got connected with contacts in several organizations who have good discipleship programs. Life Ministry (the African name of Campus Crusade for Christ) has a very basic, but very affordable discipleship course, in various African languages. I have informed my email list of African pastors of this. An American residing in Uganda has developed a good discipleship program, available at low cost. Through Martin Odi that is now being made available to several Ugandan pastors. I got connected with Pastor Russ Walker of Crosspointe Community Church, Whitewater, WI, who has developed an excellent, in-depth discipleship program. Martin Odi and others have made suggestions about how to “Africanize” it. It is my hope that Pastor Walker and others from Crosspointe will be able to travel to Uganda in 2010 to teach it to selected African pastors.
· We are now planning on printing and binding, instead of photocopying and stapling, our teaching notes. Printing and binding is more “professional,” as well as long-lasting, than photocopied notes. We did an initial print run of 1000 of our Stewardship notes in Uganda in August. The result was very favorable. Also, we learned some things for the future. I believe that getting these notes translated and into the African pastors’ hands will make a big difference. To that end, I have revised (or will do so) virtually all of our notes. I am now in contact with a good translator in Tanzania, who is translating our notes into Kiswahili. Theophile Rugubira is in charge of translating the notes into Kinyarwanda and French. I am in contact with an African who will translate, or oversee translation, into the Ugandan languages of Luganda, Luo, and Runyankore and Runyoro-Rutoro. Martin Odi is overseeing translation into Ateso. The Stewardship notes are even in the process of being translated into Arabic! This is going to make a large impact over the long run, since most Africans have very few good theological materials in their native languages.

One way in which you can make a big difference is to make a special donation for the purpose of translation and printing. It costs approximately $250 to translate each set of notes into one African language. It further costs approximate $1.25-$1.75 to print and bind one copy of the translated notes (assuming a print run of 500-1000). Thus, for approximately $1000-$1200 you can fund the translation, printing, and binding of 500 copies of a set of notes into one African language. The vast, vast majority of all good theological works available to Africans are in English. A few are available in French. Almost none are available in native African languages. My notes will now be available in the African languages. A resource like this has never been available before. It is going to have an impact on the churches long after we are gone.
· All of my African coordinators want to see EPI be a forum in which pastors of different denominations come together. That is happening now—not as much as I would like to see, but it is happening. At the TOT session in Western Kenya in November my friend Bishop Justus Wafula said that, before we got connected, he only associated with people of his own denomination. Now, he has become a facilitator for people of different denominations to come together in the common cause of advancing Christ’s kingdom. In fact, under his instigation, the “Western Kenya EPI-Network” has been formed, “to create a Christ-like inter-denominational body that glorifies God through faithful obedience to Christ.” Their vision is “to create good relationship among church leaders of different denominations of different background and cultures based on the goal of the command of Love which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith (1 Tim 1:5).” That, perhaps more than anything, shows me that we are on the right path.
· In addition to Martin Odi, who has been with EPI from its beginning 12 years ago, and who coordinates our work in Uganda, Western Kenya, and Sothern Sudan, we now have new, excellent, national coordinators in Kenya (George Kariuki), Tanzania (Wilbert Seme), and Rwanda/Burundi (Theophile Rugubira).

Let me close by saying that I could not do any of this if it were not for you. All Christians are in mission, either as “senders” or as “goers.” Being a sender includes your PRAYERS (which I very much need—having escaped or survived in 2009: almost dying in a “near-miss” car crash in Kenya; almost being robbed in Tanzania; almost being caught in a grenade attack in Burundi and riots in Uganda; and having had a partially collapsed lung and dysentery). Being a sender also includes your FINANCIAL SUPPORT which is TAX DEDUCTIBLE. I make 5 trips to East Africa per year. Air fare for each trip costs approximately $2000. I have to pay for the cost of translating and binding the teaching notes. I also have to pay for the cost of the conferences, each of which totals around $2500-$3000, and the TOTs, each of which totals around $1200-$1500. In addition, I need to make a significant funding contribution toward the all-African conferences and TOTs, which take place under my auspices. As you can see, it costs some money—but I can’t think of any ministry where you get such an incredible return on your investment as EPI. We are doing what few are doing, and are empowering the Africans (instead of creating a “culture of dependency”). I thank everyone who supports me. Please either give online (see our website: www.equippingpastors.com, and click on my name), or make your check payable to: Equipping Pastors International (or, “EPI”), c/o Jonathan Menn, 714 S. Summit St., Appleton, WI 54914.

Have a wonderful Christmas, and may the Lord Jesus bless your New Year.

TOT in Rwanda, Uganda, and Kenya

Tororo, UG--TOT class

Cutting cake presented to us at Webuye, KE TOT

Martin Odi teaching at Mbale, UG TOT

Kigali, RW TOT class

On Nov. 9 I returned from 3 weeks in East Africa, where we completed 4 TOT ("training of trainers") sessions in Rwanda, Uganda, and Kenya. This included our first-ever TOT in Rwanda. Fourteen pastors (including 3 from Burundi) got together for 4 days of intensive study, discussion, and Q&A concerning the book of 1 Timothy. Theophile Rugubira, a good man with much experience and many contacts in Rwanda, Burundi, and Congo, coordinated the TOT. Theophile is taking over as our new coordinator for Rwanda and Burundi.) Each of the participants made 2 oral teaching presentations (one toward the beginning of the course, and one at the end), and was then critiqued by the other participants. That was a valuable learning experience! (especially since most African pastors never have their sermons critiqued and evaluated--our critiques were both directed to style as well as substance).

Theophile had told me that, when he was inviting the pastors, one had said something like, "You mean we are going to spend 4 days on the book of 1 Timothy? What can we talk about for all that time?" They found out! Toward the end of the TOT one of the pastors said that, although he had been to Bible School, and had studied 1 Timothy at Bible school, he had never gone as deeply into the book, or seen such riches as it possesses, before. At the end when I asked for any final questions, a pastor said that he couldn't ask any more questions, because he was almost in tears at how significant this had been.

I was particularly pleased that, in making his concluding remarks, another pastor said that this TOT experience was particular helpful for him in that 14 pastors of different denominations and traditions had been able to get together. He said that he now had a number of new friends whom he could call, and was happy to welcome any of them, even those from denominations different from his own, to preach at his church.

The participants have now been commissioned to go and teach 1 Timothy on their own. They will be evaluated when they do so and, assuming they do a good job, will receive their certificates and be qualified to evaluate others. They will also be able to lead pastors conferences, just as Martin Odi and Theophile did in Congo earlier this year. May God be praised for the dedication and enthusiasm of these good African pastors. As time goes on, I anticipate that they will have a real impact in their churches, communities, and nations.

Similar results were seen in Uganda (TOTs in Mbale and Tororo), and Western Kenya (TOT in Webuye). At the conclusion of the Mbale TOT, one pastor commented: "Thank you very much for TOT. It has made a U-turn in my life. I had lost my commitment to ministry. Now I have regained it and my enthusiasm." In Webuye, the pastors have drawn up an agrement to form the "Western Kenya Equipping Pastors International Network." They will carry on EPI's work indigenously, and draw upon each other for support and fellowship. One church leader said that before he began working with EPI, the only people he associated with were those of his own denomination. Now he acts as a facilitator to bring people of different churches and denominations together.

Both EPI's Uganda national director, Martin Odi, and I see TOT as vitally important. In-depth training of smaller numbers of committed, capable pastors will pay greater dividends over the short and long term than simply focusing on larger pastors conferences. Thus, this year we have completed 7 TOTs, including our first all-African (i.e., facilitators as well as participants were all African) TOT. Over 100 pastors from all 5 countries of the East African Community have been trained. Your support makes this all possible. Thank you for your commitment to EPI and the churches of East Africa!

Report from Uganda--Part 2

Martin Odi teaching at Kamuli

Elephants near the road on the way back from Nebbi

Bishop and Mrs. Matovu and JMM at Kasaka

In my recently-completed trip to Uganda, Martin Odi, Moses Isabirye, and I completed 6 pastors conferences (we would have done 7, but one had to be cancelled at the last minute). Five of the conferences were with pastors of the Church of Uganda (COU).

Following the 3 conferences which were mentioned in Part 1 of my "Report from Uganda," we did 3 Biblical Stewardship conferences, at the Busoga, Nebbi, and Central Buganda dioceses. The Busoga diocese is the largest Anglican diocese in Africa (it includes about 2 million members). These conferences proved to be ground-breaking in that we did not simply make photocopies of our notes, as we had done in the past. Instead, we had 1000 copies of our Stewardship materials printed and bound into paperback book form (and size). The cost was about $1.10 per copy, and it appears to have been well worth it. The impression on the participants was very good. It is more professional-looking and will last much longer. This is important, since for most of the pastors, our materials probably will be the only written materials on these subjects that they will ever own.

Printing, of course, increases the cost of our mission. Your tax-deductible financial support is thus most appreciated. If you go to our website (http://www.equippingpastors.com/) there are ways you can give online, or checks may be made payable to EPI, and sent to me at 714 S. Summit St., Appleton, WI 54914. At the Central Buganda diocese we decided to charge the participants a nominal fee (1000 Uganda shillings [about 50 cents]) per copy to recover some of the printing cost and to give the participants an "investment" in the book (and, hence, more of an incentive to read it). We explained those dual purposes to the participants, and they both understood and eagerly paid for the books (some participants bought more than one). After looking through the book, one of the pastors said, "There's enough for a sermon on each of the topics for years to come." That sentiment was echoed by the Bishop in his closing remarks to the conference.

Unlike many places we go, the bishops of both the Nebbi and Central Buganda dioceses were personally present throughout much of the conferences. At Nebbi, the bishop said that he had begun reading through the stewardship book, and was so excited by the content that he could hardly go to sleep. He added that he sees "a miracle in the offing" as a result of the conference. In Central Buganda, the Bishop said that he had been in ordained ministry for 30 years and, because of this conference, for the first time he understood the meaning of Jesus' parable of the unrighteous steward (Luke 16:1-9), which he had always wondered about.

This round of conferences has helped to crystalize our follow-up plans. I have recognized the importance formally following-up with conference participants. I am happy to report that Martin and Moses are completely on-board with that, and will be persoanlly leading follow-up at the different venues in approximately three months. That will help us guage the effectiveness of the conferences. Further, the participants are more likely to apply what they have learned when they know that they will be follow-ed up. Thus, the plan we have been formulating to effectively reach the churches of East Africa, so as to actually lead to transformation of lives, is on track.

Finally, although I think I know what I am doing in teaching this important biblical material to the leaders of the East African churches, I have often told the participants that, "you can be better teachers of this than I can--because you know the people, the language, and the culture, and know the examples that can relate these things in ways that your people can relate to" (whereas there will always be a language and cultural divide when I teach). That was confirmed at the end of the Nebbi conference. The woman who was giving a concluding address thanking us said that she "particularly thanked our speaker from Teso-land [i.e., Martin Odi]" because "your stories were down-to-earth, and true, and really spoke to our hearts." That warmed my heart, and demonstrated the great value of having good African teachers (like Martin and Moses). Your support this ministry makes this all possible.

I will be home for a little over a month. Then I am planning on leaving on October 17 for four TOT sessions in Rwanda, Uganda, and western Kenya. I will keep you advised, and hope to see some of you while I am at home.

Report from Uganda--Part 1

Lwakhakha, UG

Participants at Tororo conference

Jonathan teaching at N. Mbale

I have just returned from 3 1/2 weeks in Uganda. The following is from an email sent to friends and supporters while I was there. (If you would like to be on my email list, please email me at jonathanmenn@yahoo.com, and I will include you):

The rainy season has begun here in Uganda. Our first conference, on Stewardship, was held in North Mbale, for the North Mbale Diocese of the Church of Uganda (COU). I had been there for the first time 2 years ago. It is a beautiful and mountainous part of the country. The pastors were amazed at the information we presented. We gave one a ride back after the conference ended, and I heard him saying to Martin Odi in the back seat that he had never heard about stewardship of the environment from a Christian perspective before, and all the possibilities for the church's making a difference in that area.

One of the things I stress is bringing leaders of different denominations together. I emphasized that in my last session of the conference. The bishop is a good, born again believer and also favors this. Coincidentally enough, he brought in two others (a Ugandan and a Briton now living in Mbale) who are working to facilitate inter-church cooperation. I am hoping that next year our work in North Mbale will be to an interdenominational group of church leaders.

I have found that the men and women of Uganda are very dear and very polite. That--and the peace that only Jesus Christ can supernaturally bring in very hard circumstances to those who are very close to him--was epitomised in an extraordinary way on the second day of our conference. As we were arriving at the venue, we saw one of the pastors walking the other way. He said that he had "a little problem at home," and so had to leave. When asked what it was he said, "I just lost my son." We prayed with and for him and his family. I am happy to say that he returned later that afternoon. He said that his 18 year old son had been badly beaten and was in the hospital. The boy had not died, and the doctors believed he would pull through. We thank God for that.

We then had a conference on 1 Timothy at the Bukedi Diocese of the COU in Tororo, UG. This conference seemed to work powerfully in the over 100 priests who attended. Moses Isabirye of the Archbishop's office, who had arranged and taught at the conference, was visibly moved, with tears in his eyes. He said, "I do not take this for granted." He was referring to the fact that, although this is an influential diocese, he had heard that it was a very hard and somewhat spiritually dry place. No other "outside" organization like EPI had previously been allowed into the diocese to conduct a seminar. Nevertheless, the bishop had agreed to allow us, although the conference almost was cancelled at the last minute for financial reasons. Fortuantely, the conference went ahead, and all of the diocese's archdeacons, the diocesan secretary, the bishop's chaplain, as well as almost all of the diocese's priests, attended. At the conclusion of the conference, the diocesan secretary acknowledged on behalf of all the participants that something great had occurred. They all heartily requested that we return next year. By God's grace, we will.

Martin Odi and I are now in Jinja. Tomorrow we begin our 4th conference, in Kamuli (which is rather "deep in the bush"). We have just returned from a 1 Timothy conference in Lwakhakha--which is in the Mount Elgon region of eastern Uganda, right on the border with Kenya. It is a small village with no electricity. The number of participants grew over the course of the conference (we ended up with 77). Only one of them had ever studied an entire book of the Bible before. I always stress reading the passages in context, looking for the logical flow of the author's thought and his main point, and thinking "paragraphs," not "verses." That seemed to have a particular impact on the participants, as did my emphasizing that the churches have to start working more closely together, and demonstrating greater unity and cooperation. I think that message got through. In fact, one pastor told me that, on the second day, he had had a funeral he was supposed to have attended, but he had to come to the conference instead, because the teaching was so significant. Needless to say, comments like that are very humbling to me.

My wife, Nancy, also was in Africa for the first time. I didn't see her after the first day, however. She is a specialist concerning dyslexia, and spent a week in Kampala working with Rev. Paul Njuki and Deborah Mutumba who have started the Uganda Dyslexia Association. From the text messages she sent me, it sounds like she had a very worthwhile trip, intoducing many Ugandan teachers to dyslexia, and teaching certain dyslexia reading therapies (that may not be the correct term) which the Ugandans had not previously been trained in. It never ceases to amaze me that God has called both Nancy and me to these important ministries after we both had spent our entire professional lives doing other things. We are both eternally grateful. For more information about dyslexia, go to Nancy's website:

http://www.dyslexiareadingconnection.com/.

Leaving for Uganda

For the past 5+ weeks since I returned from Tanzania and Kenya, I have been spending most of my time working on a new EPI course on Biblical Theology (i.e., the basic "storyline" of the Bible; how Christ and the church fulfill the Old Testament; the major biblical themes, etc.). This should take me until the end of the year to complete, and I think will prove to be a very good, necessary, and important additon to EPI's "core curricula."

Now I will be leaving for Uganda on Saturday, and am scheduled to return to the States on Sept. 10. This trip is special in that my wife, Nancy, will be accompanying me. This will be Nancy's first trip to Africa. However, other than the first night in Kampala, we will not be together. Nancy is a specialist in testing for dyslexia and tutoring people who have dyslexia (a condition that affects about 20% of all people to one degree or another, and makes it difficult for them to learn to read). Through her training, she has gotten in touch with a pastor in Kamapala and a woman who works with him who have formed the Uganda Dyslexia Asociation. She will be working with them for a week, and then returning home. To find out more about dyslexia, and what help she can provide, please go to her website: http://www.dyslexiareadingconnection.com/.

I myself will be having 7 conferences in various parts of the country, as follows:

North Mbale, Aug. 17-19--Stewardship or Mariage
Bukedi, Aug. 19-22--1 Timothy
Lwakhaha, Aug. 23-26--1 Timothy
Busoga, Aug. 26-29--Marriage
Nebbi, Aug. 31-Sept. 3--Stewardship
Arua, Sept. 3-5--Stewardship
Central Buganda, Sept. 6-9--1 Timothy

Please pray for this work. Also, if you would be so kind, please pray for one medical condition of mine: I just had an eye appointment because I have been having some floaters and light flashes on the right side. The doctor said that the vitreous is pulling away from the retina, which is an age-related thing, and in itself is not worrisome. However, there is a (low) possibility that the pulling could be hard enough to cause a tear in the retina. Because this phenomenon just began a couple of weeks ago, I need to monitor my vision while I am in Africa. If a tear occurred, I would have to get to a retinal specialist right away. I would, of course, prefer that such a complication not occur at all, and especially while I am in parts of Africa where retinal specialists are few and far between.