Debbie Goes To Uganda

Photos from a land far away

Debbie Piper — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 21:32:35 +0000

What a sight!

A tree silhouetted against the evening sky at Ndere Cultural Center

Images of Uganda are imprinted on my memory, like images flashing across a movie screen. Sights, dances, musical instruments, friends, church buildings, mosques, hotel lobbies, buffets.

People, lots of people. People in Western attire and traditional African clothing, young and old, urban and rural, business professionals and students, smartly dressed women and mothers carrying children on their backs.

Uganda has changed me. I don’t yet know how to express it well. Perhaps it is that my horizons are wider. But perhaps it has to do more with my heart.

As I researched Uganda before my trip, I wondered if I would find Hawaii in the midst of Africa. At fourteen, my family moved to Honolulu, where I learned amazing lessons as I was exposed to new cultures and ethnic groups. It was a formative experience for me.

Native dancer performing at Ndere Cultural Center

As I enjoyed the Ugandan music and dancing, I thought several times that one of God’s purposes in taking me to Hawaii as a young girl was to prepare me for Uganda. The music, the dancing, the mix of cultures felt familiar, like a taste of home, which is what Hawaii has been for me ever since I moved there. As a result, I found myself easily moving into the flow of life, especially rural life, in Uganda.

But it is more than just exotic backgrounds.

I was captivated by the people. People who were warm and welcoming. While a few (not those who attended our seminars) reacted with open hostility to our presence, for the most part we were greeted with open arms and open hearts.

Different colors of hair and skin melted into the background as we shared our common heart for Jesus and our common experiences as men and women who are raising our families, wanting more for our communities, and desiring to make a difference through our lives. We share a mutual need for reconciliation with friends and families, and with God, a belief that God is fully present today and a hope that He is reaching out to draw us into the future He has planned.

Some of our teenagers who led us in worship and attended our Lead Like Jesus workshop in Iganga

God has redrawn the landscape of the planet for me, and He has redrawn the landscape of my heart. When I hear Jesus’ commission to be His witness throughout the earth (Acts 1:8), I realize that He really means what He says. If my life is being transformed by Him, then He can use me wherever He wants to take me. People everywhere can be transformed by the message of forgiveness, spiritual transformation, and servant leadership.

Prossy, one of our translators in Iganga

Each day takes me further from my time in Uganda. Yet the lessons remain, and many of the insights are just now finding their way to the surface of my heart and mind. I wonder how Veronica and the other girls are doing. I think of Prossy, Miriam, and Prossy, our translators in Iganga. I think of Agnes and Angela, sisters in Christ and sisters of my heart. I lift them up to the Lord as they live as servant leaders as daughters, wives, mothers, church leaders and members of their community. I think of the many pastors we met and interacted with, and I pray for them as they re-learn what it means to be a Christ-like leader.

Most of all, I see their faces, I hear their words, I feel their hands grasping mine. I hear their clapping, singing and chanting in worship. I see them kneeling to serve one another. I pray for Tabitha and Stone and Magala as they continue to spread the Lead Like Jesus message in Uganda. I pray for the team that is preparing to go to Kenya, carrying the message to yet another country in Africa. I am so glad that we were intent on equipping them to carry the message to others, and that the message found a place in their hearts and lives.

Termite mound

Stalks of green bananas for sale at a roadside market

Termite mounds taller than I am were new sights for me, as were markets bustling with people and gigantic stalks and mounds of green bananas, ready to be made into matooke.

Days 10-12: Iganga and back again

Debbie Piper — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 18:51:17 +0000

Our trip to Iganga took us across the Nile, which Stone later told us means that we will come back to Africa. After the warm greeting at Tabitha’s father’s home, we made our way in the pouring rain to our hotel. My room was outfitted with a mosquito net, an aerosol can of mosquito repellant, and one-size-fits-all rubber bathroom slippers. The latter were especially useful the next morning when I used the wall-mounted hand shower sprayer while standing on the slick bathroom floor tiles. Unlike others, I didn’t have a long-handled squeegee to clean the floor after my shower, but the housekeeping staff handled that for me later.

I was up early the next morning, which allowed me time to take photos of the hotel grounds. Days are long here near the equator, so 6 AM provided plenty of light for exploring and photography. The grounds included statues of a giraffe and an elephant, and multiple outdoor seating areas, which our attendees put to good use later in the day.

The first night, we had set up our room and counted around 90 chairs for the women’s encounter. The next morning, as boda bodas and buses brimming with people began arriving, we added 45 more chairs. The men’s encounter eventually became co-ed because we simply had no more room for women. They, too, were praying for God to multiply chairs and apace as people poured into their room in a nearby building.

This was our first experience speaking to a primarily non-English speaking audience, which stretched us in new ways. I loved the sense of partnership with our translators, who did an outstanding job. Mary and I found ourselves needing to teach the various concepts instead of using the English language videos, crafting the messages to better suit the culture and life experiences of our audience. I don’t think I will ever forget the young women leading us in worship that first day, nor the women who led worship the next day.

Many people stayed in tents overnight so that they could be with us for day two. About 50 women were waiting for us as we arrived the next morning. The lack of electrical power to all the wall outlets made set-up very quick, and so we started worship early and began teaching 10 minutes early. Later in the morning, it was heartwarming to see women serving one another as we commissioned them to lead like Jesus. Later, we discovered that God used our time in Iganga to bring reconciliation in families.

After lunch, we joined participants from both encounters for a joyous celebration under tents erected in the parking lot. Coming around the corner of the hotel, the scene reminded me of a luau. Dancing, laughing, clapping men and women greeted us and escorted us to places of honor. Speeches were made and choirs sang. What a time!

Our friends had planned a footwashing ceremony as part of the celebration. Each of us had our feet washed in turn as the newly-commissioned servant leaders reassures us in song that when we returned, we would find them “somewhere working for my Lord.”

One of the last comments made to me in Iganga echoed comments in Kampala: “Thank you for loving Uganda, and loving us enough to come.”

The next morning, Karen, Rich and I trained 50 men and women as facilitators before joining the rest of the team for our drive back to Kampala. We stopped by the residence of the bishop of Jinja en route, and then crossed the Nile as we returned to our hotel in Kampala for our last night in Uganda.

Quick Update: Iganga

Debbie Piper — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 16:06:43 +0000

I haven’t had an opportunity to write about our time in Iganga. There is so much to tell. We led 585 people through encounters in that rural area, and then trained 56 facilitators. Their response was overwhelming as God brought reconciliation and commitment to move forward serving one another in families, churches, communities and neighboring countries.

We are exhausted for all the right reasons. More to come…

Day 9: What a difference a day makes

Debbie Piper — Sat, 22 Oct 2011 20:58:54 +0000

Here we are, back at the Imperial Royale in Kampala after three days in Iganga in Eastern Uganda. A woman at one of our encounters in Kampala last week said to me, “Don’t forget our villages,” and now we know why.

Kampala is the easy place to visit in Uganda. Come to one of Uganda’s cities, and the British and European influence can be easily felt. Travel even half-a-day into the countryside, and you are in a different world.

Our first stop was Jinja at the source of the Nile River as it begins its 4000 mile northbound journey from Lake Victoria to the Mediterranean Sea. Cameras were pointing out every window as the Nile came into site. Two bridges span the river as it flows beneath the Kampala-Jinja Road. Our driver turned off the highway and drove us through roads lined with colonial British homes and alongside the Jinja Golf Club on our way to the Source of the Nile park. Once there, we made our way down uneven stone steps that wound through vendors selling African crafts and clothing, to the bank of the river. A guide directed us to the large sign that provided some history and information about the river, before making a short presentation.

Several of us took advantage of his offer of a boat ride that took us toward Lake Victoria. We disembarked to have photos taken at a small island in the middle of the river, before heading back. Along the way, we oohed and aahed over cormorants, kingfishers, ibis, and large lizards, whose skin, we were told, is used for the tall African drums. At one point, our guides seemed taken aback by the size of one of the lizards (about 4-5 ft. long), which was somewhat disquieting, but the moment passed quickly. A photo taken of me shows me grinning ear-to-ear! It never occurred to me that one day I would ride on the Nile. What a thrill!

About an hour later, we arrived in Iganga, Tabitha’s home village. Tabitha’s father and family (including her brother David, who organized the LLJ meetings in Iganga, and her sister Agnes), along with religious and civic leaders, and family friends, were waiting to greet us. Cries of “You are welcome,” and warm handshakes took place all around us as we made our way into the yard, where we found two white tents. One tent held all of the family and community guests, while the second, on the other side of the yard, held a wooden table and about 20 empty chairs. Once we were settled in our seats, a welcoming ceremony of greetings and introductions ensued, with prayers and speeches by various people. Tabitha’s father declared that he had not been so happy since his wedding day, and was obviously proud of his daughter’s desire to help Uganda by bringing Lead Like Jesus to the people.

Lunch was a buffet of Ugandan fare, from rice to matooke (banana) with ground nut gravy (think peanut butter sauce minus the salt), Irish potatoes, rice, coleslaw, beef short ribs, chicken, fish, and more. The community guests were served small bowls of fresh pineapple to nibble on while we were served and tables were set up where our chairs had been. Then they, too, went through the buffet line and we began to eat, mostly still in our separate tents. As the meal began drawing to a close, Tabitha and her father got out their family photo album and began passing the photos around to show us. Tabitha’s father and mother as young adults, at their wedding, and with their young children; Tabitha and Stone at their wedding; Tabitha’s grandparents. It was a wonderful time.

Rain began to fall as we were eating, which Tabitha’s father explained meant that God has approved of our visit. When it became apparent that it would not stop any time soon, the Igangans came up with a clever idea to help us get better acquainted. They simply carefully moved their tent, hosting it above their heads, and walking it over to adjoin our tent! Once we were all settled again, they led us in a heartwarming time of singing praises and hymns. There was a sense of unity and connection through Christ that transcended cultural and ethnic differences. Again, speeches were made, including one by Tabitha’s grandfather, who declared that Tabitha was carrying on the legacy of her great-grandmother Tabitha. Tabitha’s brother David served as interpreter throughout the speeches.

A couple of additional memorable moments during the day included one of the young children who was obviously mystified with our white skin. He eventually warmed up to Karen. Oh, and while we were singing together, a chicken came wandering through the yard, just casually sauntering. I guess he knew he was safe since we had so much food on the buffet tables. It was a wonderful time of feeling accepted into a local family and experiencing the hospitality of the Tabitha’s family and the whole village.

As the rain continued to pour, we made our way back to the bus and headed to Mum Resort Hotel, where we checked into our dormitory-like rooms for the three days of work ahead of us in Iganga. As we were to discover, the internet connection was practically non-existent, so that I am writing this on Saturday evening, as we have returned to Kampala. I hope to write again soon, and hopefully post on Monday with details of our time in Iganga.

A quick word just to say that we had an overwhelming turn-out of people, 200 over what we were expecting, and every time we thought we couldn’t hold any more people, another bus would arrive. When all was said and done, we had 585 plus participants. People rarely come to the villages to train and encourage Christians, preferring the comforts of Kampala and Entebbe, which we can appreciate. But the people in Iganga were incredibly warm and hungry for what we were teaching them. The sacrifice of moving out of our comfort zone was definitely worth it, and we have the stories to tell. But that will have to wait for another day.

We left part of our hearts in Iganga, and while we are glad to be back in Kampala, it was a somewhat harrowing journey back, and we are definitely longing to return to our homes and families. Our flight leaves at 11:30 PM Sunday October 23, (4:30 PM Eastern).

Days 7 and 8: Flexibility, focus and fun

Debbie Piper — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 19:47:37 +0000

Monday brought new lessons in flexibility and focus from Jesus, along with unexpected fun.

Our first group left early to facilitate an encounter for young adults, while the rest of us gathered at 10 AM to leave for our assignments. We were preparing to lead two encounters, one focused on women and one for both men and women.

As we gathered in the lobby, we discovered that Tabitha wanted us to wait a bit before leaving due to some unrest in the city. We decided to go to the pool area, where we prayed for Kampala and for God’s hand to guide all who were involved in the situation. Then we began sharing stories from our lives with one another. Soon, we found ourselves laughing and enjoying this unexpected time of conversation and connection.

At one point, Fred mentioned that he had lived in Logan, West Virginia, and then he mentioned that his mother-in-law lived in Logan, Ohio.

Discovering childhood connections

A few moments later, I leaned over and said, “Have you ever heard of Logan, Ohio?”

“Logan? You’re kidding me! I lived in Logan. My father planted the Church of Christ in Logan.”

“No! I was born in Logan. I attended that church as a teenager!”

“No!” At this point, the people around us began laughing. “When did you live in Logan? Where did you live? What school did you go to?” The questions came fast and furious.

When all was said and done, Fred and I discovered that we had lived in Logan at the same time and attended first grade together at East Elementary School in 1961, during which time my grandmother was the school cook. We couldn’t stop laughing, thinking how much fun we were having realizing that God brought two classmates from Logan together 50 years later in Uganda! (Tonight at dinner, he was heard to say, “We held a 50th first grade reunion, and only two people could be bothered to come to Uganda!”)

A few moments later, Magala came to us and said that we were ready to leave, and just like that, we were on our way to the encounter, still laughing.

As we arrived at the location, we realized that it would be best to combine our encounters, so the four facilitators put our heads together and decided how we would co-facilitate the day’s presentation. Technology set-up is becoming second nature to us all, and soon we were off to a good start. We are learning to work with translators, who are stationed at each table. The low murmur underneath our presentation helps us to gauge how quickly or slowly we needed to pace ourselves.

Our end-of-day dinner was filled with more laughter as friendships continued to deepen. Erin is learning how to speak with a Southern drawl, with Mary serving as her tutor. Fred chimes in on a regular basis with his Kentucky drawl, and soon we are laughing uncontrollably. Rich has given up trying to keep us in line, and Karen has taken over. She isn’t faring any better than Rich, although we do catch ourselves, remembering where we are and who we are representing.

On a joyous note, 3-4 others trusted Christ at the Anglican youth encounter. Today, we had a team working with Anglican priests, over 200 of whom crowded into the room, packing it to the limit. Our team finally had to tell them there was no more room, and turned people away. They had power problems all day, first power, then no power, generator, no generator, and they also had communication challenges with a variety of languages being spoken, with ensuing translation issues.

The rest of us were back at the Hotel Africana finishing up the last day of our encounter. Again we had over 100 people: at least one pastor brought her team with her, many young women attended, along with young children who ranged in age from a few months to a few years old, and again a handful of men. Given the audience, we focused much of our work on the family and discipleship.

I spent the last half hour or more of today’s encounter holding a young African girl, who was listless and coughing, so that her mom could focus on the remaining moments of the encounter. This has been one of the joys for Cherry and Betty, who love to hold and care for the women’s children.

A memorable moment occurred during the closing exercise, which Fred introduced by asking people to use the cloths on their tables to clean the shoes of one another, as a reenactment of Jesus’ washing the disciples’ feet. I was struck by him encouraging them to clean the shoes of someone who did not have anything to give them in return, a phrase I don’t remember using before. As people were moving across the room, several people came up to me and took off this little girl’s shoes, wiping the white patent leather and then cleaning her feet with great tenderness, before placing her shoes back on her feet. While she will not remember this, it left a vivid impression on me.

We continue to find great openness to the message of Christ-like servant leadership, and we anticipate it will be the same as we travel tomorrow to Iganga. We leave at 9:00 AM after an 8:30 AM group photo in the lobby. It was touching to have the chef at the restaurant and the head bellman tell us that they will miss us, and how they have enjoyed having us at this hotel. It has been a haven for us in the midst of all of our work.

Tomorrow night we will meet Tabitha’s father, who has invited us to dinner at his home. She is eager for us to see the humble beginnings of her life, and we are eager, too. On Thursday, our last encounters begin in Eastern Uganda. We have been told that there will be even more surprises for us, along the lines of the literacy, language, and power challenges of the last two days.

After this time in Entebbe and Kampala, we are more flexible and hopefully more prepared to simply move in dependence on Jesus as we travel away from the city. I will blog again once we find internet connections. Until then, good night, and God bless!

Day 7: Discovering God in Uganda

Debbie Piper — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 09:12:16 +0000

It comes as no surprise that we are finding God powerfully at work here in Uganda. God is the one who called us to come and join Him in what He is already doing here. Uganda has a long Christian heritage, and we at Lead Like Jesus are joining hundreds of others whom God has called to minister in this land. Our piece of the work is to lift up Jesus as the greatest leadership model of all time.

God has gone before us, stirring this message in the hearts of many. As Karen and I went to worship on Sunday, we found the pastor preaching on turning away from a prideful spirit and embracing servant leadership! For those of you who know the Lead Like Jesus message, these are familiar words.

“Changing Uganda,” he taught, “begins with each person turning from pride to humility and brokenness.”

Karen turned to me, asking, “Did he read the [Lead Like Jesus] book?” We smiled and marveled at God’s invitation to be here at this time when He is stirring the message of servant leadership in His people in Uganda. Talking with him and his wife afterward, he was surprised and pleased to hear how his message aligned with the message we were bringing.

Our team members worshiped at three different locations: a Catholic cathedral, an Anglican church, and a Pentecostal church. Karen and I spent two hours together with our Ugandan brothers and sisters, worshiping God, hearing His Word and message proclaimed, praying together for students sitting for national exams today, and baptizing new believers with great joy.

As honored guests, we were invited to take front row seats, and both of us were asked to come and speak a word of greeting to the church. A Lugandan-language Bible study was going on as we arrived, but the worship service was in English and we found ourselves singing familiar worship songs and praise choruses. The church that we attended runs a school, ministering to orphans and the surrounding community, Christian and non-Christian alike.

Last night, Tabitha’s husband Stone took all of us to Ndere Cultural Center (www.ndere.com), where we enjoyed dances and food from many of the regions of Uganda. What a refreshing break and fun end to our day!

Days 5 and 6: The road to Entebbe

Debbie Piper — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 00:19:21 +0000

The road to Entebbe is lined with an eclectic mix of stalls, nightclubs and crowded, open air markets. Verdant green hillsides with red roofs peeking through the trees alternate with poverty-stricken areas. Crowds of people wander the unpaved red clay earth at the side of the road. Massive bunches of green bananas bring color to the markets. It was pouring rain Friday morning, which added to the challenge of driving, but our driver safely delivered us to Laico Lake Victoria Hotel, a lovely establishment in Entebbe. The heavy rain impacted people’s ability to travel, so we prepared for a late start to the afternoon.

Upon arriving, we discovered that an opening ceremony had been planned with His Worship the Mayor of Entebbe as the honored guest. Each person who gave a speech introduced himself by family and faith affiliation, and spoke of the importance of our work for the town of Entebbe and the country of Uganda. I found myself sitting up very straight, hands in my lap, glued to every word, as Fred and I were honored by the commitment to servant leadership reflected in each of the speeches. Once all the speeches were done, we took a deep breath and jumped in with both feet. We finished only the material introducing servant leadership that afternoon, instead of the two sections we had planned!

Driving back to Kampala during rush hour traffic was absolutely harrowing. The limos are mini-vans that include four plush, comfortable seats facing one another, so that two people sit facing backward. Fortunately, I had one of those seats on the return drive, but I still have images imprinted on my brain of Fred and Cherry starting up from the seats, looks of sheer panic on their faces, as pedestrians darted directly in front of us or a bus would make a turn across our “lane” of traffic. Karen would say, “Look at me and just talk to me,” when I would start to panic. Once in Kampala, there are at least a few traffic lights, but a whole lot more cars, not to mention fearless motor scooter drivers and pedestrians. I would never drive here. I understand that the traffic here is nothing compared to India, but it makes New York City seem like child’s play. We have been known to fondly refer to the traffic as “bumper cars on steroids.”

We gathered in Betty’s room (the Governor’s Suite) for our team meeting, where we shared stories from the three encounters that day and prayed together. Owen and Betty had had a visit from the archbishop during their leadership encounter with Catholic priests. He made an impassioned speech strongly supporting the Lead Like Jesus concepts, saying that only by returning to these biblical concepts of leadership would they be able to reverse the slide in the church’s impact; the priests were very attentive and engaged, and eager to find out more about using this material with the youth of Uganda.

The Kampala encounter at the Hotel Africana concluded well, with people hungry for more, wanting to come back the next day. It was filled with young people, the future leadership of Uganda. One young man apologetically arrived an hour late, explaining that he had to travel 3.5 hours to be at the encounter. Seven hours of travel each day to learn to lead like Jesus! We are overwhelmed with the hunger and commitment of the people here, so unlike those who have so many opportunities for training in the United States.

For the Entebbe team, Saturday morning started at “0h-dark-thirty,” otherwise known as 5:45 AM. We climbed into the mini-van at 6:30 and headed to Entebbe. Fred and Cherry took the forward-facing seats, while I decided I was happier facing backwards. Fortunately, it was a beautiful morning instead of the torrential rains of the day before. The sky was blue and while the traffic was heavy, at least it was daylight.

We made fairly good time to Entebbe, then noticed a crowd on the side of the road as we neared the town. Slowing to a crawl (from our 35-40 mph), we passed a mini-van and saw people looking into a ditch. Cherry glanced and saw a man’s body with a cloth over his face. She was overcome with emotion, as were we all. We drove on in a very somber mood.

Once the encounter began, we hardly had time to think. There was a lot of ground to cover without making the participants feel rushed. We marveled at God’s planning as Fred and I shared from our unique perspectives, Fred as a retired military officer, professor in leadership development, and church layman, and me as a leadership coach and ministry professional. Both of us spoke of how these concepts worked in families as well as in professional and ministry settings. Little had we known when we were assigned that we would have government officials in the audience as well as young professionals and ministry leaders.

One man questioned the wisdom of some of the principles regarding vision and implementation, referencing the recent events in Libya as an example of people without strong leadership. It gave us a good opportunity to talk through the importance of not abandoning people to do whatever they want, but to infuse values along with vision, and create commitment and ownership of the leadership vision. At our next break, I asked Fred when the last time was that a global situation like Libya had been referenced in one of his class discussions! We are very aware that we are not in the United States anymore!

We had special moments during the encounter as we watched the older men and women in the room praying blessings over the young men and women. What a sight, as these young men and women wept, hearing words of affirmation and love. So many in Uganda have grown up without parents, a whole generation is missing due to war and disease. Yet those who remain are eager to build into the new generation, the future of their country.

Our encounter began shortly after 9 and finished at about 5:15 … or so we thought. There followed a 90 minute closing ceremony with more speeches, an outpouring of gratitude from organizers and participants, a blessing being prayed over Fred, Cherry and me, and certificate presentations. The pile of certificates seemed to keep growing, as each person came and shook hands with each of us and then received their certificate!

One final story from the day reminded us that God is often at work in ways we cannot see. A young woman came to Cherry afterward to make sure we knew that she was interested in finding out more about Jesus. Cherry had the wonderful privilege to pray with her, and sometime later our new sister in Christ walked out of the room, saying, “I feel such joy!” Cherry is looking forward to keeping in touch with her, and she has put her in touch with local believers.

By the time we climbed back into the mini-van it was 7:00; it took us 90 minutes to get back to Kampala. We were emotionally and physically exhausted, but buoyed up by the outpouring of gratitude from the people and God’s saving work in the life of this young woman, which in and of itself made the exhaustion worth it. We sat dazedly in the hotel restaurant, sharing our stories, finally getting up to grab a few bites to eat from the buffet, and then heading off to bed.

While more could be said, and I haven’t even touched Sunday, it will need to wait until tomorrow night. In the morning, we start three more encounters here in Kampala. Please pray for us as we lead men and women to the leadership example of Jesus Christ. We are excited to see what these new encounters hold!

Day 5: Sheer exhilaration and sheer exhaustion

Debbie Piper — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 19:47:08 +0000

What a day, filled with the exhilaration of simultaneously facilitating three encounters in three different locations. Our team went the furthest today, all the way to Entebbe, where we hosted government officials, business leaders and church leaders for the first of two days. Owen’s team began the first of the Catholic encounters, while Erin and Randy completed the Kampala encounter.

As the fatigue sets in, the exhilaration continues to sustain us. We are truly living out our team motto of “One hundred percent prepared, 100 percent flexible.” There are some great stories that go along with that last sentence, but they will have to wait for Sunday. I am practically falling asleep with my fingers on the keyboard, and tomorrow starts in less than seven hours.

Blessings from Uganda, where we can testify that God is at work in the lives of His people.

A few photos from Kampala

Debbie Piper — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 22:32:44 +0000

View of Kampala from Imperial Royale Hotel

Room at the Imperial Royale Kampala

View of Kampala

Christian journalists interviewing team leaders as team member Cherry D. observes

Day 4: Joy and gratitude

Debbie Piper — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 21:26:15 +0000

But be sure to fear the Lord and serve Him faithfully with all your heart; consider what great things He has done for you.–1 Samuel 12:24

These words were our team’s focus today, along with prayer for joy in serving the Lord. Oh, how God answered our prayers!

Today was the first of our leadership encounters in Kampala at the Hotel Africana, attended by 139 people. To our amazement, people began arriving almost two hours before the event, and by 10 minutes before 1:00 PM, we had over 100 men and women, young and old, in the meeting room. One man traveled 350 miles to be with us, while a woman traveled 500 miles from Nigeria to experience the Lead Like Jesus leadership encounter.

Our entire team was present for the kick-off, supporting, trouble-shooting, problem-solving, each of us bringing our gifts and experiences to bear to serve those who came. Erin Menke and Randy Strode were the facilitators for Day One of this two-day encounter. Erin’s inviting smile and calm teaching presence combined with Randy’s teaching gift and pastor’s heart to introduce the concept of servant leadership through video, group interaction and Scripture study. Especially impactful for the Ugandan leaders was the Bill Hybels’ video chronicling Bill’s discovery of Jesus as the greatest leadership role model of all time.

Participants had deep insights about the importance of maintaining their hearts in the second half of the afternoon. They explored the causes, behaviors and consequences related to Edging God Out as the One whom they worship through Phil Hodges’ video teaching segment. Afternoon tea was served at 3:30, a meal especially appreciated, we are sure, by those who had arrived so very early.

The contrast between Edging God Out and Exalting God Only came into sharp view as participants examined the internal and external motivations of both Pilate and Jesus. But the teaching truly found its place in people’s hearts as they participated in a small group exercise that called them to examine how pride and fear negatively impact their personal leadership. Phil’s final teaching on Exalting God Only brought the day to a close, and prepared hearts for tomorrow’s focus on the head, hands and habits of leadership.

We were humbled as participants said good bye for the day. Many sought us out to thank us for bringing the Lead Like Jesus concepts to them:

“Thank you for loving us enough to come,” one young man said, grasping Debbie’s hand.

“How can I put these things into practice in my life?” Kevin was asked.

“I know what I can do,” another man shared, “I can find a verse that speaks to this heart issue and put it in my room to read every day and night.”

“God bless you, God bless you, God bless your family, God bless you,” exclaimed yet another man to Tabitha.

“I have a passion to coach leaders in Eastern Africa. How can I get training to do this?” asked another young man.

“Now you are part of our family,” an elder man said.

Our hearts are full even as our bodies are weary.

Some of our team began preparing for tomorrow even while today’s session was underway. Tomorrow morning, we will head out in three different directions to simultaneously conclude the Kampala encounter and begin two encounters in Entebbe.

In truth, today we experienced the love of God that overcomes all cultural and ethnic barriers to draw brothers and sisters in Christ together in unity. We experienced joy in serving and the synergy of teamwork. We had our hearts overwhelmed anew with the needs of Uganda and love for her people. God gave us our hearts’ desire today. These few words barely begin to describe all that we experienced. We can hardly wait to see what He will do tomorrow!