Why so serious?

Stoic, serious expressions are often on the faces of Ugandan pastors and leaders as they carefully and intently listen to our teaching. From our American cultural perspective, this can be unsettling, causing us to wonder if our message is getting through to our audience.

As we talk with individuals, however, we discover that they are grasping and understanding Jesus’ message of servant leadership, for which we are grateful to God. He gives us the words we need, aids our translators, and the Holy Spirit works in the hearts of minds of both teacher and student to communicate the truths that need to be grasped.

In spending time with people before, during and after sessions, we discover that they are very engaged with the call to turn from leadership based on pride and fear to Jesus’ servant leadership based on humility and confidence.

They hear God’s word to them as they participate in the various activities that allow them to realize that they are not alone in their struggle with pride and fear, that help them determine the top values that will guide their leadership and how to lead people at various stages of development, as well as developing habits to sustain servant leadership as a lifelong journey.

Our time in the home of a Ugandan pastor, sharing a homemade lunch was the epitome of Ugandan hospitality: washing our hands before the meal, welcoming us, providing a bountiful selection of delicious freshly-prepared foods, and comfortable conversation. It was a wonderful gift after so many restaurant meals and snack meals on the bus.

Vicent just left the hotel for his “refreshment,” lunch and break, before returning to serve us in the evening. He is a gracious young man, one of many of our friends in Iganga who serve us faithfully and with grace here at Mum’s Resort Hotel. This is our second year here, and we have been welcomed as returning family.

James, our bus driver, serves us with great care, not only driving, but making sure we have water to drink, communicating with local officials on our behalf, patiently waiting for us as we teach, and inquiring after our well-being.

What I have come to realize, upon reflection, is that the stoic expressions and seriousness with which the Ugandan people receive our teaching is a sign of respect and an indication of their desire to learn all that we have to teach them.

American audiences and students have so many options that we tend to undervalue what we are being given. Not so here in Africa. Each opportunity to learn is seen as a gift from God, not to be squandered, but to be received with great seriousness and responsibility to learn and to put what is being learned into practice.

We trust that the Lord will be true to His word, and that not one word of His truth will fail to accomplish the purposes for which He has sent it out. Our prayer is that He will use the message of Jesus to transform lives here in Uganda, first those whom we are teaching, and then those whom they begin to influence through the power of Jesus expressed in Christ-like servant leadership.

 

Day 7: Discovering God in Uganda

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!