Church of Uganda

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.'

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.

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

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!)

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..

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.

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!)

Safari 2: Kisiizi Hospital

Finally made it to Kisiizi (locally pronounced ‘Chisiizi’) last Tuesday lunchtime.

We knew Adrian Shutt, the chief surgeon with whom Tim Beacon from St Mary’s has forged such a good partnership, would not be there – on leave in the UK with his wife Jane. So Tim had relieved us of the responsibility of extracting medical kit from Uganda Customs in Entebbe and delivering it to him. But it was very good to be able to walk the site and meet a few people.



Despite its remote location in a small trading station two hours over tough roads from Kabale, as a Church of Uganda hospital with longstanding links with the UK through CMS and other bodies, many at Kisiizi have a familiarity with the UK. So we were warmly welcomed by the hospital administrator Moses, his assistant Tony and the chief nursing officer Esther. Turned out that Esther had also been a guest at the first wedding JoJo and I were invited to together (1990 or 1991!) – Jonathan Juckes and Diana Reakes-Williams, who had been a midwife in Kisiizi in the ‘80s.

After a cheap nourishing (but somewhat chewy) goat stew and rice in the canteen, we were given a tour of the hospital by the head electrician, Gideon. Turns out that the hydro-electic turbine wheel which Tim had shipped out here last year was now ready, after some re-tooling, to be fitted this week. Electricity generation capacity will increase from a max of 60kw to 130-300kw (depending on water volume). Gideon not only showed us round the hospital (active chapel symbolically at the centre of the main block) but also gave us a grandstand view of the magnificent 70m drop of Kisiizi Falls.

Safari 1: ‘Tukutendereza Yesu’

Back safely Saturday night from our week’s tour of the SW and W of Uganda. It had its moments – not least both highs and lows of travelling with a ‘Be a Blessing Co’ car and driver/s! Planning to post a series of short blogs as we can – this week is our last week and lots of goodbyes to say and loose ends to tie up.



Picture is of Bwama Island on Lake Bunyoni (‘lake of birds’) in the Alpine-like scenery but un-Alpine-like weather of Kigezi – the south-westerly part of Uganda bordering Rwanda and the ‘DRC’ (Demoncratic Republic of Congo). Tranquil Bunyoni is only a few miles from the Rwandan border and the principal town of the region – Kabale – lies across a steep pass to its north.

We spent a couple of nights at a newish backpackers’ resort on Itambira island, paddling out in a dugout, and then spending the time swimming in the bilharzia- and crocodile-free waters, writing journals, and reading. It was especially moving for me to be in the midst of a classic memoir of the East African Revival, 'Quest for the Highest' by Dr Joe Church.

Kabale was as far as I understand the centre for CMS’s Ruanda Mission - in the late 1920s and 1930s establishing mission stations (comprising hospitals and churches) in what was then very remote country with almost no roads and ‘big game’ not restricted by development to reserves as it is today. They carried rifles alongside their Bibles and medicine chests! (Bwama Island was for forty years a leprosarium run by the mission.)

And then in the thirties and forties Christians in Ruanda and SW Uganda saw the outbreak of dramatic revival, an outburst of spiritual energy bringing many to living faith and reviving churches eventually across the whole East African region and beyond. So it was humbling and moving to read last week near its epicentre, from the pen of one of its great leaders, a Cambridge/CICCU doctor, of the revival’s emphases and energy: its stress on the Cross and the Bible, on ‘broken-ness’, public repentance and mutual forgiveness among Christians as the foundation for fellowship and mission, of lives deeply surrendered to Jesus, of the ways in which some in the churches found it too spontaneous, ‘excessive’ and threatening, but also of the spiritual unity between African and European Christians which it generated and which was such a testimony to the world in the middle of the last century.

The revival has left a noticeable lasting legacy for good in the Church of Uganda, not least in a tradition of encouraging naturally and without any embarrassment deep personal commitment to the person of Jesus. One of the songs still regularly sung here is ‘Tukutendereza Yesu’ (‘We Praise You Jesus’) – originally derived from the hymnbook of the Keswick Convention, one of the spiritual ‘headwaters’ for the Revival:

We praise you Jesus,
Jesus lamb of God,
Your blood cleanses me,
I praise you, Saviour.

Tukutendereza Yesu
Yesu Omwana gw’endiga
Omusaigwo gunaziza
Nkwebaza, Omulokozi

BUILD . . . & shake

Most Church of Uganda churches are rural and share their ordained minister with up to 24 other churches. Often he or she has no transport beyond a bicycle. So active lay leadership is a necessity: lay readers and other leaders lead most services and pastoral work. Though they normally have the advantage of being local people, many have not proceeded beyond primary education and few beyond secondary; not many have had the time or opportunity for thorough preparation for ministry.

So it’s not surprising that the Church of Uganda has had to address the issue of training. Last Friday I spent the morning hearing from some leaders of a pioneering new approach to this challenge: BUILD – Biblical Understanding for In-Service Leadership Development.
Here’s a picture of three of them outside the church’s guest-house at Namirembe, overlooking central Kampala: from left to right, Job Wakiwayi (Archdeacon in Mbale diocese and eastern region BUILD representative), Stephen Kewaza (Provincial BUILD Officer) and Henry Majwala (central region representative, part-time tutor at Namagongo Martyrs Seminary, and assistant vicar at Mukono cathedral).


BUILD has evolved out of Jem Hovil’s work here over the last seven years – he is now consultant to the programme and helps developing materials and training the trainers (picture of Jem taken at the Hairy Lemon).
The programme aims to gather trainees – mostly lay leaders including readers – in local centres for short spells of training. BUILD aims to have ten modules, each taking 30 hours to complete over a manageable timespan. It focuses on bible study (exegesis) and teaching skills, with an emphasis on practical application and ministry skills that are relevant and necessary for the Ugandan church and social context.

BUILD’s overall aim is to serve the Church of Uganda so that both church and nation are transformed by relevant, faithful understanding of Christian truth. Jem’s research and contribution to the thinking behind this model of training and its applicability in Uganda is documented in his inter-disciplinary 2005 Stellenbosch DTh thesis – ‘Transforming Theological Education in the Church of the Province of Uganda (Anglican)’ – which it has been fascinating for me to read.

Henry Majwala told me that the standards of preaching, discipleship and church attendance has dramatically improved in many places where leaders have been through the BUILD programme. Already, there are BUILD co-ordinators in 22 of the province’s 32 dioceses. Partnerships are being sought to resource BUILD programmes from both within and without Uganda – there’s been a real recognition that locally delivered, affordable training is the only way to improve and maintain ministry standards here, but getting the programme launched and keeping it accessible requires partnership.

The Church of Uganda has a long association with CMS – it was CMS missionaries who pioneered the evangelisation of Uganda in the late nineteenth century, and then supported the rapid indigenisation of mission and ministry here. There’s a recent description of BUILD on the CMS website, at: http://webarchive.cms-uk.org/news/2007/building-the-church-of-uganda-25052007.htm

Friday night brought another ‘first’ for the Ackroyd’s in Uganda. At around 8.45pm in the evening, as JoJo and I were engrossed in watching an episode of ‘24’ on DVD during a violent thunderstorm, we felt a noticeable earth tremor. Not very common in Uganda – though the west and east arms of the Rift Valley flank the nation. Epicentre of this one was just over the border in the DRCongo, to the west of Lake Albert. No damage or alarm in Mukono, or even moving furniture, but quite a surprise! More details: http://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqcenter/recenteqsww/Quakes/us2007dqbc.php

Boy meets Girl - Ugandan style

A quick post to show something of yesterday's trip to Tororo - near the Kenyan border - for the formal 'Introduction' (sort of engagement ceremony) of Beatrice Langariti's sister Rose to her fiancé Thomas at her father's home. The roads were poor so it was a long journey there and back - broken by an early breakfast and late supper in Jinja. We travelled most of the way in convoy with Vincent and Beatrice Langariti, and changed into our wedding clothes (JoJo in a borrowed sari-type garment, Peter in a cotton Ugandan 'kanzu') in the backroom of a restaurant in Tororo.

The 'Introduction' was over two hours late starting and is a lengthy ceremony full of ironic humour, involving the pretence that the groom's family has come in search of the girl who has stolen their heart. People dress formally and (in the case of the women) very colourfully. The bride-to-be spends most of the ceremony (4 hours long) out of sight, emerging first (after a long 'search' through her relatives young and old) to be identified, later to walk through a ceremonial arch with her intended, and then to exchange rings and receive gifts. (Pic is of Rose on the right with Beatrice in the family home).



We were the only 'mzungus' (white people) present and were given seats of honour among the bride's family, next to her proud father.

More details later - it was quite a day - not least as we were presented by Rose's father with an unexpected and generous gift - seen in the picture with Vincent!

Having survived the bumpy journey back to Mukono, our gift has found a home behind our house in a makeshift pen constructed from two soccer goals . . . temporarily!

Wootton Lower & Holywell Middle Schools feed hundreds

This is Lucy Alastair and Tom handing over to the manager of the Mulago Child Project a donation of $350 from money collected by their fellow pupils at Wootton Lower School and Holywell (CofE) Middle School.

The project supports over one hundred 5-18 year olds from homes in a slum area of Kampala, Uganda's capital. It is run by FOCUS Uganda, the umbrella organisation for university Christian Unions here, which St Mary's Wootton helps to support. (Beatrice Langariti, the wife of FOCUS's general secretary Vincent, lived and worked in Wootton as parish assistant at St Mary's around seven years ago; and Vincent spoke at a Wootton Lower assembly when he was in the UK last year).

There are two main elements of the project's work with Mulago's needy children. First, it contributes to the cost of school fees (state schooling is not free in Uganda) for families which would otherwise be unable to send or keep children in primary and secondary education. Second, it gathers these children every Saturday for a programme of teaching and games, in which they are taught life skills, English, health care (personal hygiene, healthy living, basic medical expertise, diet, etc), vocational skills which can help them to earn a living, and biblical studies. They also eat: a nourishing mug of sweet maize-meal ('posho') porridge half-way through the morning, and a substantial lunch - for many of the children, probably the best meal of the week. (Most families of children on the project would be able to afford only one meal a day, eaten in the evening - ie the children go to school hungry every morning).

In addition to the full-time manager, Audrey, and her assistant, Nelson (pictured with a couple of the children), the project is staffed mainly by Christian student volunteers drawn from Kampala's universities.


Last Saturday, we spent the day at the project, visiting the classes, drinking the porridge (popular with Peter and Tom, mainly!), and meeting the children. It was especially interesting to meet five 'graduates' from the project, 18-21 years of age, who are now in higher education but still living in Mulago. They told us that without the project's help they could not have continued at school, their lives would have been completely different, and their futures bleak.

The project receives no public funds and is supported by churches and some foreign donors, including sponsors of individual children (it costs £150 to sponsor a child for a year, enabling him/her to stay at school and attend the project). The gift which Lucy Alastair and Tom handed over will go towards the weekly Saturday lunch - in fact it will feed the whole project (over 100 children plus their helpers) every Saturday for nearly nine months!





Thank you Wootton Lower and Holywell Schools!

The Hairy Lemon

What a great name for a place ‘The Hairy Lemon’. This was our half-term destination last Thursday organised by our friends the Hovils: Alastair’s delight only narrowly outweighing his fury at such a short break - TWO DAYS!!!

This was the stuff of children’s fiction, a tiny island in the middle of the Nile, accessible only by native canoe. On arrival, the 4x4s were parked by a thatched gazebo, aka the canoe terminus, and a metal wheel rim hanging there was struck to summons the ferry. Sure enough as if by magic a slim yellow long canoe slithered into sight through the tall reeds and accommodated 10, plus luggage and pilot. Despite a brief grounding we arrived dry at the tiny beach to be greeted by the Hairy Lemon Aussie staff. The smallest children, of whom Charlie H aged 2 was the youngest, had been given adult life jackets as a vague token to H & S; needless to say these did not reappear on the return journey - inevitably rather a rocky one.

What is on offer at such a place you may ask? Swimming pool, games room, sauna, white-water rafting (this stretch of river boasts some of the best in the world), boat hire? None of the above. It is simply an island with ‘bandas’, pitches for tents, basic facilities and full board in terms of food etc. We spent our 2 night trip doing absolutely nothing...if you discount the hours of swimming in the fast flowing channel amidst the many fish and lilac or crimson dragon flies. From one little beach the sandy river bed with a combination of fast flowing water leading to shallows created endless fun, jumping into the surge and being carried willy nilly until unceremoniously grounded on the sandy shallow stretch. Delightfully safe for all and for the athletic workout types like Jem, a perfect water version of a treadmill in the gym. He could be seen first thing in the morning doing front crawl doggedly with no visible progress but much exercise – and all provided by mother nature herself. The other activities included hours of damming form the other small beach with its rocky shallows, playing volleyball over the net in the sandy shallows and sand castle building. Jem, an enthusiastic fly fisherman, persuaded the staff to lend him a rod and showed Alastair the delights of catching tilapia and yellow fish – a mutually satisfactory arrangement as both feel keenly the lack of interest in their own families whether children or in Alastair’s case father. As ever we were amazed at our children’s ability to blend in with other families and occupy themselves with very little.




Our first night went very well. The no mosquito net policy slightly alarming, we followed instructions to spray the bandas and light coils in the early evening and awoke to no bites. One of the few insects to intrude was a large hairy tarantula type spider that was lurking around our suitcase. The children were electrified and caught the poor beast with a view to making it their pet along with a large millipede that had the misfortune to be spotted. Sadly I managed to spill the contents of the small bucket so that our friends scuttled off into the undergrowth – all legs in tact. We have photos.

Being a tiny island the staff live off site and are ferried across each day complete with life jackets as none can swim. The food involves no choice as with activities. How wonderful to just eat what is laid out for you – and all locally grown or reared. The owners have gone to great lengths to train staff to cook appropriate simple and delicious food. The bread was always chapattis but made along Indian lines, ie, thin and not greasy. They had even managed to provide a pretty good imitation of baked beans. Tom boasted 5 helpings of beans on chapattis not that you would know it from his scrawny frame. Being a Waldron the discovery of quantities of mussel type molluscs was both delightful and depressing as no one seemed to have any knowledge of their potential for the pot...moule mariniere a la Hairy Lemon was not to be.

All in all, Arthur Ramsome would be proud. On leaving HL, we headed for Jinja and the compulsory white-water rafting. The shorter family trip suited our purse though the lack of higher grade rapids did cause some dilemma. In an inflatable on the Nile propelled by experienced Ugandan muscle power, we navigated grade 1 and 2 rapids interspersed with the children diving off the boat for a swim. In the end the initially cloudy day became rather hot and the parents threw caution to the wind and dived in fully clothed unscathed but for the loss of an earring (JoJo’s . . . ). Sensing the enthusiasm of the Ackroyds our guide very kindly took us down a grade 3, ignoring Tom’s fake hysteria, which rather completed the day. Or nearly, as the perfect ending was Tilapia and chips with the inevitable top-up sauce (luminous red) at the source of the Nile in Jinja. We overlooked the fact that this supposedly charming interesting restaurant was like something out of a deserted western set, made of wood and not a soul in sight – customer or staff. I can’t imagine it will survive much longer. The guide book had recommended ‘interesting food’, not born out by the menu which boiled down to goat with chips or coleslaw; chicken or tilapia likewise. Gordan Ramsay eat your heart out.

Diary of a Day

Coping with equanimity with what the day brings is, I am learning, key to staying sane and (reasonably) focussed. Today was not untypical.

6.30am Wake; make breakfast while JoJo gets the boys up; eat breakfast and assmeble school bags.
7.20am (Peter and Tom) 7.25am (Alastair) walk up the hill and down, past the red-tailed monkeys, to the Button's house for school run. It's our turn to drive (in the Button's Land Cruiser).
7.55am At left turn to avoid worst of traffic and circuit round SW Kampala, feel the power steering give way; driving - including avoiding pot-holes, boda-boda motorcycle taxis, etc - v heavy work for the rest of the day
8.25am Arrive at Ambrosoli School ten minutes late on account of appallingly heavy traffic. Consequential exhaust fume overload leaves both boys feeling sick (though Tom blames it on the shorts he has decided are too tight for him . . . ); I leave them with bottles of water, soothing words and understanding teachers - and am relieved to receive no calls on the mobile thereafter.
8.50am Arrive at Lugogo Mall shopping centre and collapse into upmarket coffee shop for Eggs Benedict and a mocha. Stay there holed up in a corner with my laptop, NIV and Greek NT working through the letter to the Romans, noting the Apostle's usage of 'in Christ' language and parallels. Write an entry for my INSEAD class 20th anniversary yearbook.
11am Espresso; then walk to the South African chainstore GAME to purchase huge canisters of bottled water for our dispenser, and lightbulbs; then to supermarket Shoprite for bread (none except sweet bread available here), bin bags and other essentials we have yet to track down for home.
11.30am Commence horrendous two mile journey to a Forex office in the centre of Kampala to change Travellers Cheques. Main artery through the city closed creating gridlock in the heat of the day. Finally park at 12.10pm, bathed in perspiration, purchase strip of parking tickets (1000 Uganda Shillings - c 33p - for five), and change money. Walk back to car and handover two tickets to roadside parking attendant in orange tabard.
12.30pm Uganda Wildlife Authority office on north of city, between Br High Commission and National Museum, to pay for a night of tented accommodation at Lake Mburo on out trip to the SW at the end of June. Short wait and hand-written receipt - everything is receipted here, normally by hand and in triplicate - USh 80000 for two tents - c£23.
12.50pm Find supermarket which has suitable bread!
1pm Drive to FOCUS Uganda site in Mulago - surprise visit to Beatrice and Vincent Langariti. Great time with them both discussing our forthcoming trip to Tororo (E Uganda) for Beatrice's sister's 'Introduction' (formal engagement), future visits from Wootton to FOCUS, possible links Beds schools - Mulago Child Project, etc etc. Time flies and after a delicious sweet bread and egg sandwich (!) I say good bye at 2.30pm. They are coming to see us in Mukono on Friday.
3pm Pick up Alastair and Tom, & Abigail and Alex Button from Ambrosoli, ply them with biscuits (successfully) and water (less successfully) and drive back to Mukono.
3.40pm Arrive back. Phew! Report steering problems to Rosie Button! Local mechanic quickly confirms a belt has parted - fortunately no further damage. Phew!
4pm Locate flash drive and walk down to General Studies office - crowded with students - to print off tomorrow morning's lecture (Matthew - prepared last night) on the sole printer there.
4.30pm Tea at home with JoJo, Lucy (who really has been poorly, with a sickness bug and fever all day - our maid Alice told JoJo it was bound to be malaria . . . Lucy seems better now and was well enough to eat supper. . . a maid at the Guest House told me a cold sore on my lip - now vanished - was certainly malaria . . . ), and the boys; then (checking e-mails and the test score on BBC Sport website - 7 Windies 2nd inningds wickets down) in the study preparing a powerpoint for the lecture.
6.30pm Supper - wonderful Indian meal prepared by JoJo (Alice has been ironing all day)
7.30pm Read one of 'Nelson Mandela's Favourite African Folktales' to the children at bedtime. Check test score - we won by an innings and 283 runs!
8pm Collapsed on the sofa with coffee and (for Peter) Ouma's Buttermilk Rusks to watch the gripping last three episodes of BBC's Bleak House - borrowed DVD and borrowed laptop. There is little good TV here so people tend to have good DVD and video collections!
10am Tea and bed after one of those days where fitting in what brought us here - spiritual and ministerial reflection, a spot of research, aspiration to find unhurried time for Bible study and prayer, has all taken second place to other issues! I am on site tomorrow (Tues) and after the morning lecture hope to find a bit of space . . .

Save the Mothers House

Here's a picture of the house which is home for the next six weeks.

It takes it name from the new Masters programme which Jean Chamberlain/Froese (currently back in Canada), has pioneered here at UCU, in partnership with Interserve. The multi-disciplinary degree is part-time and modular, in Public Health, with the specific aim of improving maternal health across the developing world - where thousands of women every week die from preventable complications of pregnancy and childbirth. The qualification is designed for lawyers, government officials, health care workers, educators, and other interested parties with the ability to influence policy and practice. www.savethemothers.org and www.ucu.ac.ug for more information.

The house stands high above and to one side of the UCU campus, with a breathtaking view over Mukono to the green hills and tea-estates to the north-east. Proximity to Mukono town, on the other hand, means we are prone to all the sounds of the town - including late night parties on Saturday and the daily morning (5am) call to prayer from the mosque. On the other hand, we are close to the surrounding woodland and so have blue and red-tailed monkeys crossing the lawn morning and evening to leap around the trees!

Have suitcase, will travel . . .

Slow internet access and a series of house moves has delayed this post – so this is an omnibus, assembled over several days.

The last fortnight has certainly seen quite a range of new experiences. Lucy tasted the better side of ex-pat life when she sampled an art class in a beautiful house and garden overlooking Lake Victoria. A fabulous exotic lily was plucked from the border and positioned for a group of them to paint. Amidst interesting chatter about books, life in Uganda and previous lives led on tea, coffee and rubber plantations. Alastair, on the other hand sampled sleepover Ugandan style: BBQ, tents, wild games in the huge tropical garden and running around at 3am in torrential rain accompanied by the family Great Dane.

Saturday 12th for most of us was moving day and as it turned out for Peter, decorating day! We moved c into 3 buildings: boys in the Buttons house where Peter & I have our 1st breakfast of the day. Lucy sleeps top-to-toe with the eldest Adams daughter, Jane, next door to this. Peter & I are sleeping in the newly painted and ceilinged garden/school room at the top of the garden with our own African privy and outside basin. The call of nature never normally heard is always heard here by JoJo who on her first night had to wait for the rainstorm to stop, only to find a large wild dog hovering outside the door. We have had other late night visitors including a mini swarm of Safari ants (the ones that can eat a cow in 3 hours...). These people are incredibly kind to have their already stressful lives overtaken by the Ackroyd hoards, for 7 nights!

Living higher up the hillside now we got to see red-tail monkeys stealing fruit from the garden here and frolicking with black monkeys only a few meters away. Mongooses busied themselves in the evenings foraging for snakes eggs and other delights. The noise is extraordinary from about 4 or 5am onwards: Muslim call to prayer, cockerels, and raucous squawking Hadada Ibises, Plantain Eaters are the worst. During the day only the Adams children can dare to compete. Each of these children represent a well known stereotype in terms of speech. A daffy duck, John Wayne, Larry-boy from Vege-tales etc. They are all completely unselfconscious, articulate and relaxed in a range of company. They are very pumped up at the moment with the discovery that the gardener can make proper catapults with sticks and an inner tube that could kill things. Our boys are safely at school and have not cottoned on yet...

We moved on Sunday 20th to our final resting place where only this week large paw prints belonging to some kind of biggish cat (maybe a leopard or serval which is a little smaller) were found by the screen door which had also been damaged by it. Life is never dull! The family (Tom and Jean Froese, Elizabeth and Jonathan) who normally live here have returned to Canada for four months, leaving us not only the house but a pregnant cat, their charming maid Alice, and a catalogue of security arrangements to make the White House blush. We are gradually settling in and very relieved to be altogether under one roof and facing no more moves.

P’s lecturing career got off to an inauspicious start last week with a double-booked lecture hall (wall-less) and the absence of workbooks. I’m sure the 2 hours pass in moments for those hapless students. Beware St Mary’s, he could get used to this teaching approach. He is now on the second lecture (Mark’s gospel) and beginning to get into his stride. He is also looking after a weekly discipleship group of ordinands.

JoJo spent her week at the Adams trying to find a routine for her and Lucy but failing. The call of nothing is a powerful one and dipping in and out of domestic chores. The milkman come (bicycle and giant aluminium urm perch precariously on the back) and so it is time for Mrs Adams to bring out the large saucepan into which he scoops the daily amount which is taken to the stove and boiled gently. Later the thick semicongealed mass on top is carefully scraped off – the precious cream for a quiche or perhaps to accompany an apple or pineapple crumble. Generally the milk is sieved again once a day, to remove the unsightly blobs. Together with concrete work surfaces, it can feel like ones hit a WWII timewarp.

Since moving into the ‘Save the Mothers’ House (so named after the programme which Jean Froese runs at UCU), we are all getting used to yet another routine. Hopefully this will be the last!

Alastair and Tom are on a two-day half term this Thursday and Friday. We are taking two day trip to a tented island camp on the Nile, 50km north of Lake Victoria - the 'Hairy Lemon' - with our friends Jem and Lucy Hovill and their children. They have been in Uganda as Crosslinks associates - supported by (among other churches) Emmanuel Dundonald in Wimbledon for the last seven years. Jem works mainly with the Church of Uganda as a trainer - and Peter has been reading his doctoral thesis on theological education in church here, which is a fascinating insight into the stirring history and current challenge of Christian mission here.

Into the bush and back

So, here we are last week at Sambiya River Lodge in the Murchison Falls National Park, around five hours north–west of Kampala. We travelled up here last Monday and back on Thursday, which gave us two days exploring with the help of a friendly tour operator.

The Lodge felt like a tropical paradise with forest around and most buildings having thatched roofs. The main building consists of a spacious reception area and then a long curved bar, lounge and dining area on 2 levels open to the elements save bamboo screens in a spiders web shape on top of a low wall spanning the considerable length. At one end one could see the pool and in front the large garden heaving with weaverbirds and nest chirping their hearts out, outdone only by the extraordinarily loud Cicadas. As ever the countryside was eager to shed its reputation for peace and quiet. Our Banda accommodation was basic but good: concrete structures with thatched roof and a gabled porch. Showers, basins and loos were communal like one might find on a campsite. Set a little apart from the main building it was strange to think that as we slept all manner of beasts might walk past, especially once the security lights went out. At supper (a delicious Thai chicken curry) the waiter spotted a hyena he claimed. Certainly lions, buffalo and even leopards have been found right up to and even in the Lodge. Warthogs are a common sight in the garden. Unfortunately the combination of rain and sunshine that day, or days, conspired to encourage what seemed like the annual initiation of the flying termites. Thousands of them gathered in clouds around the lights in the dining room. Their wings like petals of Michaelmas daisies shedding in a carpet over the floor below. Fascinating and foul simultaneously, but the geckos were thrilled and were out in droves too, not to be outdone by the resident colony of bats. Supper was certainly not dull.

The park itself extends to the north and south of the Victoria Nile as it makes the last stage of its journey from Lake Victoria to Lake Albert. In the centre of the park is the Murchison Falls – a spectacular cataract unknown to the outside world until discovered by Sir Samuel Baker (and his intrepid wife) on 3rd April 1864, promptly naming it after the then president of the Royal Geographical Society, his expedition’s sponsor. Here the mighty White Nile - hundreds of yards wide above and below the falls – thunders 45m down a cleft no more than 8m wide.

As well as walking to the top of the falls and the next day up to their foot, we spent two long mornings on game drives north of the Nile and in the direction of the Nile as it flows out of Lake Albert and towards the Sudan. Lucy Alastair and Tom are keen to post a report of these drives – suffice it to say at this point that we felt very fortunate indeed to see all the ‘big game’ which the park has to offer, including distant sightings of a leopard in the fork of a tree and the ‘shoebill’ – a rare stork-like bird.


On the return journey to Kampala, close to a small town called Masindi (Wootton readers might be interested to know that Masindi is where John Kirkby spent a month last year), we paused for a rare treat and ‘first’. Around three km out of town, we were met by a young government vet, Tonny Kidega, who had persuaded the local village that instead of razing one of the last remnants of forest in their area, they should preserve it as a Community Forest, generating income and employment for the local economy from tourists. We learnt that there were five species of primate still living in the forest, including two families of chimpanzees. So, for an absorbing hour or so, we were conducted round the (fairly small) forest by Tonny and his team, spotting abandoned chimpanzee nests, observing colobus and red-tailed monkeys, being observed closely by a troop of baboons from the trees (part of the fascination was that the nosey baboons had never set eyes on mzungu – white – children!), and eventually but sadly at a greater distance than Tonny had hoped, spotting four chimps, anxiously watching us from the trees.

We returned to Mukono (accompanied as far as Kampala by Tonny – who turned out to be a shining Christian and ex-Prayer Secretary of Makerere University CU) with eyes opened wider at the wonder of the natural world, the poverty of many rural areas here, and the dedication and love of many Ugandans for their country and its heritage.

Back to School

Yesterday Alastair and Tom at last started school (five weeks after the end of their Winter terms at Holywell and Wootton Lower. Leaving Lucy 'home alone' in the care of the university guest house, JoJo and Peter travelled in with Rosie Button and her two children, Abigail and Alex, to Ambrosoli International School and saw them safely into their (small) classes. We then spent the rest of the day doing errands in Kampala (eg exchanging sufficient travellers' cheques - a lengthy process, in a suitably downtown location - to pay the school fees) before picking them all up at the end of the day for the run (45 mins - more of a crawl actually) back to the peace of Mukono. Peter fancying himself at the wheel of the 4x4 Land Cruiser.

We are sharing transport and trips with the Buttons - the fewer drives per week into Kampala, the better one's sanity!

Peter now getting into the library every morning and making some progress with 'Union with Christ' - currently reading Lewis Smedes and looking forward to getting into James Stewart's classic, 'Man in Christ'. He begins lecturing an introduction to two NT classes next week. JoJo meanwhile home-schooling the very self-motivated Lucy and enjoying the chance to spend 'quality' time reading in the mornings.

FOCUS & Friends

Today – Sunday 29th – we spent the afternoon at the FOCUS Uganda site in Old Mulago, on the occasion of their AGM.

Over 150 associates and supporters had travelled from all over Uganda to meet the staff and council members at this annual celebration of FOCUS’s ministry in over 82 Christian Unions in Uganda’s universities and colleges. We had a enormous lunch of rice, matoki (savoury banana – now a firm Ackroyd favourite), potato, millet (not an Ackroyd favourite at all!), chicken, sauce, aubergine, etc, etc. Peter had been invited to lead devotions at the beginning of the meeting, and spoke on the importance for Christian ministry of maintaining the Messiah’s perspective, confidence and ‘foolishness’ (cf 1 Cor 1) from the story of David and Goliath (1 Sam 17). The Chairman, David Ssebbuunyi, then chaired the meeting at which Vincent Langariti as General Secretary gave a comprehensive review of the year. Needless to say, there is more work than workers and finances are always under pressure, but we had an impression of a team in good heart and encouraged by the growth of the staff team and support offered to CUs on campuses all over the nation.



Although travel in and out of Kampala is draining - owing to the traffic, fumes, and the erratic driving habits of most road users - it was well worth it to get the big picture of FOCUS’s ministry, and meet more of the staff and a good number of supporters.




This morning we attended the university church here which was well attended even though term does not begin for another ten days. Fewer excitements than last week’s service at the cathedral – and a Sunday School for Lucy Alastair and Tom. The church meets in the Nkoyoyo Hall – a multi-purpose hall with a splendid roof but no walls! Such does the weather here allow!

LAT have continued to make friends among staff families here on campus, while yesterday we spent a very relaxing day initially at the American Recreation Association in Kampala, meeting up there with Stephen Waldron (JoJo’s brother). We then had lunch with a couple we knew at Dundonald Church in Wimbledon – Steve and Gwyn Smith – recently moved with their baby son Joshua to help train children’s workers (50% of Uganda’s population is under 16) and to teach at Kampala Evangelical School of Theology. They were on great form and living in a great house with views over the city suburbs. Finally, on to tea with Jem and Lucy Hovill, just a few minutes walk away: we knew Jem when he was training with Peter at Wycliffe Hall. He’s now working in a training role with the Church of Uganda and a charity called Trust in Christ. So, a day full of catching up with old friends – with a bit of swimming thrown in!

Tomorrow we are off for three nights to the Murchison Falls National Park for a safari before school and university commitments begin. Next post therefore not likely till the end of the week – we hope there’ll be some good pictures to show you.

Ambrosoli School and FOCUS Uganda, Kampala

On Tuesday, we all hitched a ride to Ambrosoli School on the south-western side of Kampala. Ambrosoli
is an international kindergarten & primary school of around 200 children. We were shown round by the friendly Australian head teacher, and arranged for Alastair and Tom to join years 2 and 5 in a couple of weeks’ time. They’ll travel in with some university staff children and join classes which have a lovely mix of Ugandan and international children, all following a modified UK curriculum.

After an hour at the school, we travelled across Kampala to the FOCUS Uganda compound in Mulago. Surrounded by a very poor area, with a significant Muslim population, the site accommodates the offices of FOCUS - the umbrella body for the Christian Unions of Uganda’s burgeoning tertiary education sector - and also three staff houses.

One of these is the home of our good friends and St Mary’s mission partners, Vincent and Beatrice Langariti, and their young children Stephen and Zoe. They gave us a wonderfully warm Ugandan welcome - complete with a song, Vincent on the guitar – and a delicious lunch. None of us could quite believe that it was all really happening! It was just wonderful to be with them: to hear and see the details of FOCUS’s ministry both with students and with the severely disadvantaged children of Mulago (more of that in a later blog); to meet many of the impressive if small staff team which Vincent leads as General Secretary; to hear of their life as a family and all the adjustments to life back in Uganda after three years training in the USA; and to deliver the gifts which so many in Wootton had kindly contributed towards and which were received with great delight and surprise!

Over the next couple of months we will see more of Beatrice and Vincent – starting on Sunday 29th April when FOCUS has its annual meeting for supporters in Mulago: Peter has been invited to lead the opening devotions.

We really are here!

Monday morning and here we are on a guided tour of the Uganda Christian University site with Dan Button. The elegant building glimpsed behind is the original (1922) Bishop Tucker Theological College building – complete with a chapel which feels like it was modelled on Wycliffe Hall’s, complete with gallery and tutors’s stalls at the rear. All around and new university buildings, like this new teaching block. The university website is: www.ucu

First days in Mukono

Still having problems uploading photos so apologies that you can’t yet see much evidence of our travels.

Today is Monday, two days after we transferred to the Uganda Christian University site at Mukono, around 15 miles east of Kampala on the Jinja road. We were very warmly welcomed by Dan Button, who is on the teaching staff here (and whose wife Rosie was a student in Cambridge when JoJo was a parish assistant at the Round Church there). We also immediately ran into another old acquaintance from London, Angus Crichton, who is on the staff of Kampala Evangelical School of Theology. It’s very reassuring to see some familiar faces – but the Ugandan people themselves are very welcoming and friendly so we are quickly feeling at home here.

The university is a young one, but its site and history go back over a hundred years, since it has its origins in the very longstanding and respected Bishop Tucker Theological College. Ordinands are still trained here for the Church of Uganda, but now there are around 5000 students in a range of disciplines – law, social science, business studies, to name a few. The university is private, owned by the Church of Uganda whose archbishop, Henry Orombi, is Chancellor. It has mushroomed in recent years owing to the expansion of education and the economy in Uganda, and its own high standards of teaching and care.

We are living in the university guest house. It’s a great place to be - we have enjoyed meeting a number of other guests from Australia and the USA and are also discovering Ugandan cooking, which is delicious. Savoury banana – ‘matoki’ I think – is one of my favourites, enjoyed with delicious peanut sauce. Uganda is a fertile land and the fruit especially is mouth-watering!

In a couple of weeks we’ll begin house-sitting a home for a staff family on leave, but in the meantime we are getting to know a number of families around the campus – Lucy Alastair and Tom have already made some good friends. It’s a beautiful site on a hill above Mukono town with lovely views over the countryside beyond.

Yesterday we attended the English language cathedral service in Mukono at 8.30am. Services here are long – 10.30 finish! Warm-hearted singing, a full congregation all bringing and opening their Bibles, lots of familiar elements and some fairly unfamiliar, including a dramatic episode of deliverance ministry towards the end – though we were told this is fairly unusual! The preacher was a visiting American, David Bast, who has been here for some weeks assisting Mukono diocese establish a radio ministry. After a very clear and moving exposition of Romans 5.8 he made an ‘altar call’ which the canon leading the service then took up and a number of men and women came forward professing faith for the first time. Not what we are used to in English cathedrals – alas!

Today Peter joined the university staff – security guards to professors – for staff prayers and a short address by the Vice-Chancellor, Stephen Noll, and spent some time with Dan Button, who runs the General Studies programme where he hopes to assist when term begins in a fortnight’s time.

Tomorrow we are looking forward to travelling to Kampala to see Vincent and Beatrice Langariti and their children Stephen and Beatrice.

Monkeys, taxis and Cherish Uganda

Not sure how well this will work as the internet connection here is slowish and electricity supply variable!

We touched down at Entebbe Airport around 10.10pm local time (8.10pm BST) last Wednesday evening after a long but easy flight via Brussels and Nairobi. The plane was three-quarters empty so there was lots of space and a very attentive cabin crew!

We were met after a swift passage through immigration by Stephen and Sandy Waldron (JoJo's brother and his wife) who are part of a small team based here establishing an orphanage for AIDS-infected children on a beautiful peninsula between Entebbe and Kampala, a stone's throw from the shore of Lake Victoria. A short drive brought us and our 150kilos of luggage to their rented house a few miles south of Kampala, where we had a very warm torchblit welcome and managed to get to bed safely.

Yesterday - Thursday - having met the rest of the Cherish Uganda team, we had a tour of the site of the orphanage with Stephen and Sandy and their site team - Paul and Mark (see pictures). Then off to Entebbe for tilapia and chips by the lake and a tour of the peaceful and magnificent botanical gardens, including first sighting of vervet monkeys and some wonderful birdlife. We also stopped off at a fishing village - where the poverty was shattering. Fishermen are relatively wealthy but waste it - we were told - on alcohol, gambling and prostitutes.

Today we ventured into the teeming, chaotic and polluted heart of Kampala, picking up a few essentials, discovering some Ugandan crafts, and travelling back to Kiganzi in a taxi-bus! Highlight - apart from the overwhelming smells, noise, dust and pressure of population - was the discovery of 'jackfruit' (largest fruit in the world), consumed initially cautiously and then voraciously - it was delicious.

Tomorrow we move to Uganda Christian University at Mukono.

Just failed tom upload images - so keep checking!

Ready for the off?

Well here we are Sunday 14th April, 9.15am, the last time we are all together in Wootton. Lucy on her way to the Royal Albert Hall as a member of the 4th County Youth Orchestra at Bedfordshire Music's 40th Anniversary Celebration. We're joining her later in the day while Tom and Alastair travel to their grandmother's in Guildford to await our arrival and the baggage train tomorrow, Monday.