A few posts back, on June 18th, I described the BUILD programme in the Church of Uganda - Biblical Understanding for In-Service Leadership Develeopment. Since returning to the UK I have discovered that this is supported not only by CMS but also by Crosslinks, which has committed funding for the next three years - on a tapering basis, to encourage BUILD to become self-sustaining. (Jem Hovil, who is an adviser to the BUILD programme, is a Crosslinks Associate). The Crosslinks website has more details: www.crosslinks.org/team/projects/projects2007_build.htm
Followers of the Anglican Communion's troubles might also be interested in the Archbishop of Uganda's recent article on Anglicanism in Uganda, and the Church of Uganda's approach to the crisis in which the Anglican world is currently engulfed: www.firstthings.com/article.php3?id_article=6002
Here's an extract:
'In the Church of Uganda, Anglicanism has been built on three pillars: martyrs, revival, and the historic episcopate. Yet each of these refers back to the Word of God, the ground on which all is built: The faith of the martyrs was maintained by the Word of God, the East African revival brought to the people the Word of God, and the historic ordering of ministry was designed to advance the Word of God.
So let us think about how the Word of God works in the worldwide Anglican Communion. We in the Church of Uganda are convinced that Scripture must be reasserted as the central authority in our communion. The basis of our commitment to Anglicanism is that it provides a wider forum for holding each other accountable to Scripture, which is the seed of faith and the foundation of the Church in Uganda.
The Bible cannot appear to us a cadaver, merely to be dissected, analyzed, and critiqued, as has been the practice of much modern higher biblical criticism. Certainly we engage in biblical scholarship and criticism, but what is important to us is the power of the Word of God precisely as the Word of God—written to bring transformation in our lives, our families, our communities, and our culture. For us, the Bible is “living and active, sharper than a double-edged sword, it penetrates to dividing soul and spirits, joints and marrow, it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart” (Heb. 4:12). The transforming effect of the Bible on Ugandans has generated so much conviction and confidence that believers were martyred in the defense of the message of salvation through Jesus Christ that it brought.'
Saturday 21 July 2007
Friday 20 July 2007
Safari 4: JoJo's Story
‘Be a Blessing’. A company name designed to inspire confidence which it achieve and failed to achieve in equal measure. This was our transport and comfort blanket for our weeklong adventure exploring the SW of Uganda and visiting Kiziizi hospital isolated in the hills. As ever these long journeys, which would be desperate in the UK, somehow are manageable out here not least because of the adrenalin released throughout the body by simply being in a car on Ugandan roads.
Our first leg was in search of zebras on the road running towards the borders with Tanzania and Rwanda. Staying in ‘luxury tents’ was a new experience – a bit like having a tent in a large shed but in this case in the middle of a game park. Luxury it certainly was not and although the only restaurant couldn’t get beyond goat stew for a huge price it was perched, wall-less on edge of Lake M’buro and on our buzz around the park we did see those wonderful monochrome beasts in all their glory dazzling us with their psychedelic stripes as they peacefully grazed.
Next on the list was Lake Bunyonyi set in the midst of misty peaks at about 2000 meters. The journey to it was like travelling through Switzerland but with no snow. Amazing valleys and mountains soaring to about 2500m often terraced to produce as much food for the community as possible. Needless to say it was on one of these high passed that our car tyre exploded, taken in his stride by our highly experienced driver, Cosmas. The boys were very excited by the sight of the jack lifting the car with little effort.
At Lake Bunyonyi we were faced with a free boat trip or having to pay. The choice seemed straightforward: what could be more romantic than a ride in a long dugout canoe? Two canoes, aching arms and 50 minutes later we realized our error – too late! Our oarsmen had made it clear that we were most welcome to help paddle, girls v boys, which we did past various small islands until we found our own beyond most others. Lucy developed the great ability to appear to paddle without really helping in any real sense.
Life on our island was rather idyllic if you don’t mind eco-loos and solar-showers (bags of water heated by the sun which you release over you). Our canteen was high up and open sided as ever, with a panoramic view of the other tiny islands shrouded in a romantic haze most of the time. The lake itself is home to wonderful birds but no hippos, crocs or bilharzia so diving off the pontoon was a favourite occupation for Lucy and Alastair whilst the rest of us read and spotted birds. Meals were a little erratic arriving up to an hour and a half after the promise time but what a glorious place to be waiting→
Off to Kiziizi via Kabale and the most difficult driving yet with narrow and gravelly mountain roads winding in and out, up and down through some breath-taking scenery. Our goal was to deliver some school fees to a boarding school near Kiziizi and visit the hospital that our church has supported. Driving through Kiziizi itself was quite a challenge for our driver as part of the main thoroughfare is a stream bed running downhill steeply with deep channels and ruts with chickens, goats and people thrown in for good measure. The school located in a wilderness, was bare and strangely quiet. The new head teacher, 30, greeted us warmly and informed us that the fees for our friends sponsored child had increased overnight by 2/3rds and were hugely overdue. The child in question was very quiet and though 13 was in the equivalent of year 6 and the same height as Alastair.
We were allowed to see his dorm, a windowless barn with accompanying smell crammed with 3-tier bunks only 1-2 ft apart. Clothes hung like wild raggety bunting from the rafters. A child lay on one bed in the gloom not moving. Quite a Dickensian scene, confirmed by the visit to a bleak classroom of 4-5 year olds sitting in rows on wooden benches one already sound asleep but as yet unbeaten...
The hospital site is a collection of higglety-pigglety buildings with clumps of people sitting around on the grass or walls waiting to be seen or go home or to feed a relative inside. Washing is hung on any bush or fence as relatives do their best. Some stay in hostels; the poor are provided with large rooms where they can put their mats and have shelter for free. The backdrop to this excellent hospital in deep rural Uganda is the unlikely sight of Friesian cows in green pasture and behind them in a semi-obscurred nook, a dramatic waterfall. You could easily be in mid-Wales save the sight of men tugging and pushing from the ground and from a platform, a giant w-man saw about 6ft long making planks. It was lovely to meet some of the staff and particularly Esther the matron who knew Diana Reakes-Williams/Juckes well and had even travelled to the UK for her wedding.
From here we headed through the hills and many remote settlements to Ishasha in search of Tree-climbing lions. Each place passed through the excited shouts of “m’zungu!” echoed in our wake. The last stretch was the main road to the Congo and probably the worst road seen in our 3 months here. The ruts were so deep that at times they loomed as wide craters, deep and filled with mud. Huge lorries pass this way, particularly petrol tankers and often they can be found helpless and still blocking the highway for hours at a time if the road has banks and not flat verges. We were lucky. The gates to the Ishasha bit of Q E national park soon came into sight and we arrived to find a couple of neat round brick thatched bandas made ready for us. The usual loo there too but swept out and clean and a ‘shower block’ that had 2 empty cubicles where one took a bowl/can of water and jug and showered the old fashioned way. Somehow this basic campsite and Ugandan style canteen with paraffin lamps, seemed completely fine and we spent a rather magical time around the camp fire especially lit for us, hearing a story from Peter’s book and hearing the Hippos bellowing furiously nearby. This was a game-park and during the night there were plenty of gamey noises just to remind you of the fact: hippos again, hyenas and the clip-clop of water buck around our bandas. It almost seemed as if someone had put on a recording to create the right atmosphere. Thankfully the children took it in their stride confident that the embers of the bonfire and the little paraffin lamp outside their door would keep the beasties at bay.
Our early game drive gave us the usual view of elephant, antelope and warthog. We got to see 4 tree-climbing lions very close but not in a tree. Unfortunately it was at this point that both Tom and Alastair realised too late that they had chronic diarrhoea. Off we set regardless, with strict instructions to ‘take no chances” etc. As I was musing on the ease with which we move from delight to discontentment with the failure to sight the lions in their rare habitat, we came to halt beneath a large tree in which lay 3 lions, shortly joined by a 4th who lazily strolled in front of our vehicle to reach his brothers. How staggering to watch him climb up to the others, find no room and move higher to his own spot, legs and arms dangling like a care-free prep school boy either side of the fat branch. More staggering still that this should be the moment that Tom obediently informed us of his urgent need. Imagine allowing a 7yr old boy out of a vehicle that is at the foot of a tree containing 4 lions....This was not the last emergency exit on our journey but certainly the most dramatic. Alastair tried a similar stunt in the main part of QE park where we later were to invariably find elephants each time we passed.
Our stay at Mweya was to be our longest – 3 nights without moving on. The hostel was a tantalizing distance from the luxury Mweya Lodge – far beyond the price range of tourists like us though little more that the cost of a middle of the road hotel in the UK. Our place was an ex-research station and we had been given an odd but strangely comforting suite of rooms: 2 bedrooms, a scullery and a bathroom. All very bare and concrete but with sockets and lights and even electric wall mounted fans! No beasties unless you count the ghecko that decided to share the bath with Peter, blissfully oblivious until he was drying himself and the creature decided to exit too. Of course, the outside was a different kettle of fish. Before many minutes had passed, a particularly large and ugly warthog stood outside our door to see if we were up to scratch and a tribe of mongooses were regularly too-ing and fro-ing past our rooms with a wary water buck looking on.
Thursday 12 July 2007
End-Sabbatical Pastoral Letter
This is the text of a letter Peter wrote for the congregation at St Mary’s towards the end of his sabbatical leave.
Pastoral letter to the congregation of God’s people at St Mary’s Wootton
Dear friends
Very warm greetings in our Lord Jesus Christ from Mukono.
As we pack our bags, the words of an old song could be the voice of Uganda: ‘We don’t want to lose you, but we think you ought to go’! We have been so warmly welcomed here, but home is with you in Wootton and it is time to return. It has all passed so quickly – we can barely believe that we’ll be back in St Mary’s on Sunday 15th July. We are so looking forward to seeing you all again.
For me, this sabbatical has been a wonderful chance to see the gospel about Jesus bearing fruit in a different place, to flex some neglected spiritual muscles, and to read and reflect at greater length than normal. I am so grateful to God for all who have taken on additional responsibilities at St Mary’s to enable me to have the break, and also to the many people who in different ways have helped and encouraged us as a family to come here. For us, it has been very precious to be in Uganda together.
We can scarcely wait to share our pictures and stories, as well as to hear how God has been at work in Wootton since Easter. Weblogs and e-mails mean we have been in regular touch, but it is not the same as being face-to-face.
My main commitment at Uganda Christian University has been to teach the gospels to first-year students. The teacher always learns the most: I have been gripped as I’ve seen afresh how, in their own way, each gospel writer tells the good news about God’s love in Jesus. Secondly, I’ve been trying to understand better what it means for us as Christians to be ‘in Christ’, united to him especially in his death and resurrection. (We had a short sermon series on this at St Mary’s last year). I’ve learnt a lot – and there’s more to do.
Third, I have spent some time reading and thinking about parish ministry. Not because we’ve a curate arriving in September and your vicar needs to be on his toes (though I do)! Rather, because I find I so easily lose sight of the pastoral wood for the trees. UCU has been a good place to regain some perspective. For example, among the watering-holes where I’ve found refreshment have been some searching expositions of 1 Timothy about Christian leadership for ordinands every Wednesday morning.
Reading a wise pastor’s thoughts on ministry a few weeks ago, my eye was caught by his intriguing catch-phrase: ‘I am busy because I am lazy’. It rang a bell, because I know I have a reputation for being busy – and it haunts me. Parish ministry is being with people, with the gospel. If you think I am busy - too busy to be with you, with the gospel - there is something wrong. So what is the answer?
As I have thought about this, the threadbare slogan ‘back to basics’ seems to sum it up. When I was ordained – as when Ted Fell is ordained in the autumn – it was to the ministry of the word, and prayer. First, to be sharing the gospel of the love of God in Jesus (and all it means for the whole of life) among you and in our community as we gather together, on Sundays and in other groups. Second, to share the comfort, encouragement and correction of God’s love in Jesus with individuals and families as widely as possible, especially in situations of need and decision and at the turning points of life. And third, to pray – for you and our community. It’s simple, really! This is what the Church of England called me to be and do, and what I committed myself afresh to be and do when I came to Wootton. Disciple-making: the heart of ministry.
And I now realise that I am busy because the heart easily gets edged out to the margins. There is so much else to do at St Mary’s! Meetings, phone-calls, ‘running the church’, and so on, too easily dictate the shape of the week. So preparation to teach and preach - especially the hard task of working out for you week by week ‘what specific difference should this aspect of the gospel of God’s love in Jesus make to our life now? - can get short shrift. Unhurried time to spend with people becomes hard to find. And prayer too often becomes an afterthought instead of the first priority.
So I return to Wootton with a renewed determination to keep the ‘main thing’ as the ‘main thing’. To be among you in church as the one whose main responsibility is prayerfully to teach and apply the gospel, and to be among you as individuals and families prayerfully as the servant of the gospel. There are many other tasks which need to be done. But if I do not maintain the heart of ministry as the priority, and organise life so that it gets the best of my energy and time, I will fail you as the people of God. And betray the gospel of God’s love in Jesus. Next week, when we are back in Bedfordshire, I’ll be spending some ‘quiet days’ praying this through as my sabbatical leave comes to an end.
I love the T-shirt motto, ‘Please be patient, God’s not finished with me yet!’. The greatest gift a congregation can give to its team of leaders is its prayers. I want to thank you for your prayers and encouragement over the last five years. We are returning reinvigorated by our wonderful time in Africa and very much looking forward to discovering what God has in store for us all in the years ahead.
With love in Jesus,
Peter Ackroyd
4th July 2007
Pastoral letter to the congregation of God’s people at St Mary’s Wootton
Dear friends
Very warm greetings in our Lord Jesus Christ from Mukono.
As we pack our bags, the words of an old song could be the voice of Uganda: ‘We don’t want to lose you, but we think you ought to go’! We have been so warmly welcomed here, but home is with you in Wootton and it is time to return. It has all passed so quickly – we can barely believe that we’ll be back in St Mary’s on Sunday 15th July. We are so looking forward to seeing you all again.
For me, this sabbatical has been a wonderful chance to see the gospel about Jesus bearing fruit in a different place, to flex some neglected spiritual muscles, and to read and reflect at greater length than normal. I am so grateful to God for all who have taken on additional responsibilities at St Mary’s to enable me to have the break, and also to the many people who in different ways have helped and encouraged us as a family to come here. For us, it has been very precious to be in Uganda together.
We can scarcely wait to share our pictures and stories, as well as to hear how God has been at work in Wootton since Easter. Weblogs and e-mails mean we have been in regular touch, but it is not the same as being face-to-face.
My main commitment at Uganda Christian University has been to teach the gospels to first-year students. The teacher always learns the most: I have been gripped as I’ve seen afresh how, in their own way, each gospel writer tells the good news about God’s love in Jesus. Secondly, I’ve been trying to understand better what it means for us as Christians to be ‘in Christ’, united to him especially in his death and resurrection. (We had a short sermon series on this at St Mary’s last year). I’ve learnt a lot – and there’s more to do.
Third, I have spent some time reading and thinking about parish ministry. Not because we’ve a curate arriving in September and your vicar needs to be on his toes (though I do)! Rather, because I find I so easily lose sight of the pastoral wood for the trees. UCU has been a good place to regain some perspective. For example, among the watering-holes where I’ve found refreshment have been some searching expositions of 1 Timothy about Christian leadership for ordinands every Wednesday morning.
Reading a wise pastor’s thoughts on ministry a few weeks ago, my eye was caught by his intriguing catch-phrase: ‘I am busy because I am lazy’. It rang a bell, because I know I have a reputation for being busy – and it haunts me. Parish ministry is being with people, with the gospel. If you think I am busy - too busy to be with you, with the gospel - there is something wrong. So what is the answer?
As I have thought about this, the threadbare slogan ‘back to basics’ seems to sum it up. When I was ordained – as when Ted Fell is ordained in the autumn – it was to the ministry of the word, and prayer. First, to be sharing the gospel of the love of God in Jesus (and all it means for the whole of life) among you and in our community as we gather together, on Sundays and in other groups. Second, to share the comfort, encouragement and correction of God’s love in Jesus with individuals and families as widely as possible, especially in situations of need and decision and at the turning points of life. And third, to pray – for you and our community. It’s simple, really! This is what the Church of England called me to be and do, and what I committed myself afresh to be and do when I came to Wootton. Disciple-making: the heart of ministry.
And I now realise that I am busy because the heart easily gets edged out to the margins. There is so much else to do at St Mary’s! Meetings, phone-calls, ‘running the church’, and so on, too easily dictate the shape of the week. So preparation to teach and preach - especially the hard task of working out for you week by week ‘what specific difference should this aspect of the gospel of God’s love in Jesus make to our life now? - can get short shrift. Unhurried time to spend with people becomes hard to find. And prayer too often becomes an afterthought instead of the first priority.
So I return to Wootton with a renewed determination to keep the ‘main thing’ as the ‘main thing’. To be among you in church as the one whose main responsibility is prayerfully to teach and apply the gospel, and to be among you as individuals and families prayerfully as the servant of the gospel. There are many other tasks which need to be done. But if I do not maintain the heart of ministry as the priority, and organise life so that it gets the best of my energy and time, I will fail you as the people of God. And betray the gospel of God’s love in Jesus. Next week, when we are back in Bedfordshire, I’ll be spending some ‘quiet days’ praying this through as my sabbatical leave comes to an end.
I love the T-shirt motto, ‘Please be patient, God’s not finished with me yet!’. The greatest gift a congregation can give to its team of leaders is its prayers. I want to thank you for your prayers and encouragement over the last five years. We are returning reinvigorated by our wonderful time in Africa and very much looking forward to discovering what God has in store for us all in the years ahead.
With love in Jesus,
Peter Ackroyd
4th July 2007
Of the reading of many books
One or two of you (OK, just one) have asked what I have been reading while on sabbatical. So, for those of you, like the elephant's child, with 'satiable curtiosity (mindful of his fate at the hands of his relations), here's the list:
A Theology/Pastoral
Ademeyo, Tukonboh (ed): African Bible Commentary
Barth, Karl : The Epistle to the Romans (ET) – Prefaces to 1st & 2nd edns
Bartholomew CG & Goheen MW: The Drama of Scripture (part)
Brain, Peter: Going the Distance
Bray, Gerald: ‘Scripture and Confession: Doctrine as Hermeneutic’ in Satterthwaite and Wright (eds), A Pathway into Holy Scripture, 221-35
Calvin, Jean: Institutes of the Christian Religion, tr Battles (Library of Christian Classics, XX), Book III, ss1-17
Church, Joe E : Quest for the Highest
Denney, James: The Christian Doctrine of Reconciliation (part)
Dunn, James DG: The Theology of Paul the Apostle (part)
Ferguson, Sinclair B: The Christian Life: A Doctrinal Introduction (part)
Gaffin, Richard B Jr: ‘Union with Christ: Some biblical and theological reflections’, in McGowan ed, Always Reforming, Leicester: Apollos, 271-288
Goldsworthy, Graeme: Prayer and the Knowledge of God
Gregory the Great: Liber Regulae Pastoralis, NPNF 2nd Series, XII
Hovil, R Jeremy G: ‘Transforming Theological Education in the Church of the Province of Uganda (Anglican)’, unpublished DTh thesis, Stellenbosch, 2005
Kopolyo, Joseph M: The Human Condition: Christian Perspectives through African Eyes
Letham, Robert: The Work of Christ (part)
MacCulloch, Diarmaid: The Reformation (part)
Ovey, Jeffrey, Sacks: Pierced for our Transgressions, Leicester: Apollos, 2007 (part)
Patterson, Ben: He has Made me Glad: Enjoying God’s Goodness with Reckless Abandon
Peterson, Eugene H: The Contemplative Pastor
Peterson, Eugene H: Under the Unpredictable Plant
Purves, Andrew: Pastoral Theology in the Classical Tradition (part)
Smedes, Lewis B: Union with Christ: A Biblical View of the New Life in Jesus Christ
Stewart, James S: A Man in Christ
Wright, N Thomas: The Climax of the Covenant, Edinburgh: T&T Clark, 1991 (part)
B Africa, travel
Beacon, Tim: The Gap Year Handbook
Briggs, Philip: Uganda (Bradt Travel Guide)
Godwin, Peter: Mukiwa
Godwin, Peter: When a Crocodile eats the Sun
Kapuscinski, Ryszard: The Shadow of the Sun
Moorehead, Alan: The White Nile
Noll, Peggy: With the Eyes of the Heart: One Missionary’s Perspectives from Uganda Christian University, Mukono
Stevenson, Terry, & Friend, John: Field Guide to the Birds of East Africa
C Literature
Heaney, Seamus: District and Circle
McCall Smith, Alexander: Blue Shoes and Happiness
Tolstoy, N: War and Peace (ongoing!)
A Theology/Pastoral
Ademeyo, Tukonboh (ed): African Bible Commentary
Barth, Karl : The Epistle to the Romans (ET) – Prefaces to 1st & 2nd edns
Bartholomew CG & Goheen MW: The Drama of Scripture (part)
Brain, Peter: Going the Distance
Bray, Gerald: ‘Scripture and Confession: Doctrine as Hermeneutic’ in Satterthwaite and Wright (eds), A Pathway into Holy Scripture, 221-35
Calvin, Jean: Institutes of the Christian Religion, tr Battles (Library of Christian Classics, XX), Book III, ss1-17
Church, Joe E : Quest for the Highest
Denney, James: The Christian Doctrine of Reconciliation (part)
Dunn, James DG: The Theology of Paul the Apostle (part)
Ferguson, Sinclair B: The Christian Life: A Doctrinal Introduction (part)
Gaffin, Richard B Jr: ‘Union with Christ: Some biblical and theological reflections’, in McGowan ed, Always Reforming, Leicester: Apollos, 271-288
Goldsworthy, Graeme: Prayer and the Knowledge of God
Gregory the Great: Liber Regulae Pastoralis, NPNF 2nd Series, XII
Hovil, R Jeremy G: ‘Transforming Theological Education in the Church of the Province of Uganda (Anglican)’, unpublished DTh thesis, Stellenbosch, 2005
Kopolyo, Joseph M: The Human Condition: Christian Perspectives through African Eyes
Letham, Robert: The Work of Christ (part)
MacCulloch, Diarmaid: The Reformation (part)
Ovey, Jeffrey, Sacks: Pierced for our Transgressions, Leicester: Apollos, 2007 (part)
Patterson, Ben: He has Made me Glad: Enjoying God’s Goodness with Reckless Abandon
Peterson, Eugene H: The Contemplative Pastor
Peterson, Eugene H: Under the Unpredictable Plant
Purves, Andrew: Pastoral Theology in the Classical Tradition (part)
Smedes, Lewis B: Union with Christ: A Biblical View of the New Life in Jesus Christ
Stewart, James S: A Man in Christ
Wright, N Thomas: The Climax of the Covenant, Edinburgh: T&T Clark, 1991 (part)
B Africa, travel
Beacon, Tim: The Gap Year Handbook
Briggs, Philip: Uganda (Bradt Travel Guide)
Godwin, Peter: Mukiwa
Godwin, Peter: When a Crocodile eats the Sun
Kapuscinski, Ryszard: The Shadow of the Sun
Moorehead, Alan: The White Nile
Noll, Peggy: With the Eyes of the Heart: One Missionary’s Perspectives from Uganda Christian University, Mukono
Stevenson, Terry, & Friend, John: Field Guide to the Birds of East Africa
C Literature
Heaney, Seamus: District and Circle
McCall Smith, Alexander: Blue Shoes and Happiness
Tolstoy, N: War and Peace (ongoing!)
From Kyambura to Wootton & Odell
Less than a fortnight ago, we walked through head-high elephant grass, over the rim of a crater lake and down towards the large, tranquil, salt-water lake in its base. Our mission? To find flamingoes, confidently asserted to be almost always present in great numbers. Despite powerful binoculars (the perceptive gift of St Mary’s before we left) there was ominously no sign of the birds from the rim - where we had left the 4WD after a rough drive down a little-used dirt track through the Kyambura Wildiife Reserve (a remote corner of Queen Elizabeth National Park bordering the mountainous district of Bushenyi). So, 80% sure that the absence of buck meant a similar safety from their predators, we trekked for half an hour closer to the lake –to be frustrated first by the path’s errant direction and second by the increasing evidence that the flamigoes had flown – long ago. Only the incessant buzz of African insects and the sight of abundant birds of prey and turacos redeemed the morning!
This afternoon I walked through waist high meadow grass, spying the occasional pheasant and rabbit, into the tranquil but almost sepulchral calm of Odell Great Wood, north Beds. The sabbatical is coming to an end, family re-unions have been celebrated, Lucy Alastair and Tom have happily resumed their UK schools for the last few days of the summer term, and we have all settled quickly back in the vicarage in Wootton (where the garden, house and car have all been magnificently prepared by an anonymous and generous team of volunteers). Oh, and we have been re-united with the barking (both senses) family dog, Toffee.
I am spending a final couple of days in quiet prayer and reflection at a converted barn in Odell, away from the phone and post and internet, summing up for myself some of the pastoral conclusions drawn from reading and observation over the ‘rest’ of the last three months. Then tomorrow it’s back to preparation for Sunday and the weeks ahead. Posted later will be my sabbatical reading list, and also a copy of the pastoral letter I composed for the congregation to receive before my return..
Tuesday 10 July 2007
Farewell to Uganda
So here we are in the last few hours in Uganda - 5.45pm in the afternoon last Friday, just arrived at the Royal Victoria Lake Hotel in Entebbe.
We'd left Mukono earlier in the day, lunched with the Hovils in Makindye, Kampala, and then borrowed their Land Rover and gardener/driver, Levi, for the 35km journey to Entebbe. Four of our five suitcases lashed to the roof-rack.
Lucy Alastair and Peter braved the swimming pool and then we all shared a great farewell barbecue supper by the poolside, before picking up a taxi for the ten minute hop to the airport.
Flights all on time. Though not much sleep was enjoyed we arrived in Gatwick via Brussels at 7am UK time Saturday morning, just caught the 8.05 train to Guildford, and were in the tranquil calm of JoJo's mother's garden enjoying the English summer sun shortly after 9 o'clock.
So, journey's end - and also, for all of us, a new beginning. Thanks to all who have been following these blogs. This one is open for comments! Hoping to post some follow-up blogs for hardened readers in the next few weeks.
We'd left Mukono earlier in the day, lunched with the Hovils in Makindye, Kampala, and then borrowed their Land Rover and gardener/driver, Levi, for the 35km journey to Entebbe. Four of our five suitcases lashed to the roof-rack.
Lucy Alastair and Peter braved the swimming pool and then we all shared a great farewell barbecue supper by the poolside, before picking up a taxi for the ten minute hop to the airport.
Flights all on time. Though not much sleep was enjoyed we arrived in Gatwick via Brussels at 7am UK time Saturday morning, just caught the 8.05 train to Guildford, and were in the tranquil calm of JoJo's mother's garden enjoying the English summer sun shortly after 9 o'clock.
So, journey's end - and also, for all of us, a new beginning. Thanks to all who have been following these blogs. This one is open for comments! Hoping to post some follow-up blogs for hardened readers in the next few weeks.
Monday 2 July 2007
Safari 3: Leaping over Mountains to Tree-climbing Lions
From Kisiizi we travelled across what felt like the roof of Africa to the savannah plains of Ishasha, in the far south of Queen Elizabeth National Park.
We were very glad of our experienced driver Cosmas and the 4WD Toyota Hi-Ace as we bumped along on the three-hour trek over murram (stony dirt) roads in mountainous country. It was really like traversing high passes in the Alps. Except that despite being 2000-2500m above sea level the air was warm and full of dust and every scrap of hillside up to almost the summit of hills is cultivated – matooke (plantain) plots, ‘Irish’ potatoes in the dark earth of valley floors, small stands of timber, tobacco fields, maize and much more. Tin-roofed houses dotting the vertiginous hillsides, occasional small villages (each with its mobile phone air-time stalls) and often on the top of lesser summits a church building, many of which in a fertile and heavily-populated area, lovingly evangelised by the Church of Uganda, are being extended.
And schools too – this was the afternoon, when children often learn crafts like basket-weaving, farming and brick-making, and then towards the end of the long school day (typically 8am-5pm) play football and other games, so the surprising sight in a remote area of a muzungu family passing by caused great wonderment! Many schools are church schools – ‘Rugyeyo Primary School, Church of Uganda’ proclaimed one smartly-painted noticeboard, adding in brackets (for the avoidance of doubt?) ‘Anglican’.
The contrast in the last half-hour was dramatic. We descended gradually from the populous green hills to the empty wide brown savannah plains which I suppose is most westerners’ image of rural Africa. Ishasha area takes its name from the Ishasha River, which here is the border between Uganda and ‘the DRC’. It’s a remote corner of the Queen Elizabeth National Park (named in the Queen’s honour before independence – we saw a plaque in the north of the park commemorating her visit here with the DofE in 1954). Wide and empty plains punctuated by tall acacia trees and sustaining no human habitation but an abundant animal life – antelope of various types in abundance, their predators, elephants, and an abundance of birds. Here we stayed in two ‘bandas’ a stone’s throw from the river and were surrounded during the night by the grunts of grazing hippos.
Ishasha is one of only two places in Africa which is home to prides of lions with a unique habit: they climb trees for rest and shade. We spent a long drive the next morning fruitlessly looking! (There were many other creatures to observe – including lions on the ground). But imagine our excitement when on the road to the gate leaving the park at the end of the morning we found ourselves observed from a wide acacia by four lions! There was further excitement when Tom chose that moment to have a diarrhoea attack and needed to leave the vehicle with his nervous parents . . . but that’s another story. (All is well!)
We were very glad of our experienced driver Cosmas and the 4WD Toyota Hi-Ace as we bumped along on the three-hour trek over murram (stony dirt) roads in mountainous country. It was really like traversing high passes in the Alps. Except that despite being 2000-2500m above sea level the air was warm and full of dust and every scrap of hillside up to almost the summit of hills is cultivated – matooke (plantain) plots, ‘Irish’ potatoes in the dark earth of valley floors, small stands of timber, tobacco fields, maize and much more. Tin-roofed houses dotting the vertiginous hillsides, occasional small villages (each with its mobile phone air-time stalls) and often on the top of lesser summits a church building, many of which in a fertile and heavily-populated area, lovingly evangelised by the Church of Uganda, are being extended.
And schools too – this was the afternoon, when children often learn crafts like basket-weaving, farming and brick-making, and then towards the end of the long school day (typically 8am-5pm) play football and other games, so the surprising sight in a remote area of a muzungu family passing by caused great wonderment! Many schools are church schools – ‘Rugyeyo Primary School, Church of Uganda’ proclaimed one smartly-painted noticeboard, adding in brackets (for the avoidance of doubt?) ‘Anglican’.
The contrast in the last half-hour was dramatic. We descended gradually from the populous green hills to the empty wide brown savannah plains which I suppose is most westerners’ image of rural Africa. Ishasha area takes its name from the Ishasha River, which here is the border between Uganda and ‘the DRC’. It’s a remote corner of the Queen Elizabeth National Park (named in the Queen’s honour before independence – we saw a plaque in the north of the park commemorating her visit here with the DofE in 1954). Wide and empty plains punctuated by tall acacia trees and sustaining no human habitation but an abundant animal life – antelope of various types in abundance, their predators, elephants, and an abundance of birds. Here we stayed in two ‘bandas’ a stone’s throw from the river and were surrounded during the night by the grunts of grazing hippos.
Ishasha is one of only two places in Africa which is home to prides of lions with a unique habit: they climb trees for rest and shade. We spent a long drive the next morning fruitlessly looking! (There were many other creatures to observe – including lions on the ground). But imagine our excitement when on the road to the gate leaving the park at the end of the morning we found ourselves observed from a wide acacia by four lions! There was further excitement when Tom chose that moment to have a diarrhoea attack and needed to leave the vehicle with his nervous parents . . . but that’s another story. (All is well!)
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