Saturday, June 27, 2009 Day 11
This morning, Daniel picked us up and took us into the communities which his church, Jesus Commissioned Ministries, serves. In Kampala, the richer people live in better homes up the hill. Therefore, as you go down any of the 21 hills of Kampala, the people become poorer and poorer and the houses become more and more shabby. Today, we were in the valley. We were in a slum where most of the homes were one or two rooms, both the size of average closets in the US. In these two rooms, the people fit all of their belongings and all of their families, with the number of children in a family ranging from two to twelve. However, a lot of the children are orphans, and so their aunts or uncles are housing them along with their own children.
As we walked through the community, children would run at us, screaming “Muzungu!” or “White people!” They found a lot of amusement in rubbing our arms, hair, and faces, mostly because we are white which is very different. They also proceeded to use us as human jungle gyms, climbing up and down us, and wanting us to pick them up and swing them. We handed out crackers to the children, and told them that they could see us again if they came to church tomorrow morning!
We also saw a lot of children who had been in our classes the previous two days. Some of the children even remembered my name, saying, “Hello, Teacher DJ!” Seeing where these children live made their situations very real to us. Also, it made us realize why their parents have so much difficulty paying school fees. Finally, we were able to appreciate their enthusiasm in the classroom even more.
This afternoon, Daniel arranged a meeting with the parents of the children in the school. Because most of these children come from such extreme poverty, it is very hard for the parents to pay school fees. Also, because they believe that white people like us who know Daniel are paying all of the fees. There was even a group of white people who came to Kampala last year, visited the school, and took all of the children out to lunch, which does not help the parents mindsets that Muzungu should pay the fees. However, because of the economic decline, these people were not able to help the school financially this year. Moreover, because the church operates in this poor community, it cannot bear the burden of all of the school fees either. So the school is in a precarious situation, where there are not enough funds to even pay for the teachers.
Andy talked to the parents about changing the way the school works. For one child to go to school, it only costs 140,000 /= (about $70) per year. (At each school, there have to be school fees because there aren’t free, government-run schools in the area.) Andy told the parents that each parent has to contribute some money to the cause of their children’s education, because that will make it important in their minds. Then, a scholarship fund will be created so that kids who cannot pay the full price will be able to go to school. The school will become a school of excellence, where the best children will be accepted, as many as the scholarship fund allows. This school already tests as high, if not higher, than the other schools in the area, so the school needs to stay in operation. These changes should be able to keep the school in business.
After the meeting with the parents, we met with the leaders in the church and the school about the proposed changes. We also discussed some ways to help the community and the church. Then the three of us went back to the hotel, to prepare what we will say in church tomorrow.
On a side note, we were held up after our journey through the community because of an interesting Ugandan ritual. As we walked back to the car, we saw many men in white robes and western suit jackets, and women in bright, colorful dresses and sashes. As we got closer, we saw dozens of adorned baskets filled with rice, sugar, matoke, and live chickens. Then Daniel told us that this was the groom-to-be preparing to go to the parents of whom he hoped to be his bride. He was giving a speech to his posse about how to behave at the feast. Daniel told us that the parents can either deny or accept the man’s request and if they accept, then the baskets would be the dowry. However, then the groom would also have to pay for a wedding.
Thank you for all of your prayers! God truly listens to and answers them! Today, Andy’s leg was infinitely better than it has been the rest of the trip. Also, we prayed to find Pastor Daniel’s ATM card which he left at the bank the other day, and we went back and they had the card. Then we went to lunch and they didn’t have any chocolate ice cream, but I prayed, telling Jesus that I really wanted some, and 10 minutes later, the ice cream re-stocking truck rolled up with more chocolate ice cream! Finally, we just feel like your prayers have truly kept us safe, when there were so many things which could have gone wrong over the course of this trip.
Please pray that God will speak to us about what we should say at church tomorrow. Please pray that he will give us the words which will most impact and help the community.
Sp3nt
Saturday, June 27, 2009
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The Genesis of the 5810 Project
Vision
When Jesus was asked what was the most important command he answered: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your heart and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments”
As a follower of Jesus, it is challenging to obey these commands, particularly with regard to my neighbors.
How can I love my neighbors? How can I love my neighbors in a global context? How can I love my neighbors who are struggling to thrive in developing countries?
The classic response of western Christians has been to “send”. Whether we send those that have been called to vocational ministry, or send money and resources to “give to the poor”, or occasionally send ourselves on short-term missions trips. Each of these has value, but is this enough? Is it effective? Is it all that God calls us to?
The questions become more complex when you consider that no matter how much money we have spent on the “war on poverty” over decades, the problem remains as acute as ever. We are not winning the war, even here in the US. Are there other approaches?
As I struggled with these ideas, I was led to consider Isaiah Chapter 58. Here God tells us what true fasting is – to loose the chains of injustice; to set the oppressed free; to share food with the hungry; and to provide the poor with shelter. Then verse 10 says “…if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed then your light will rise in the darkness and your night will become like the noonday.”
“If you spend yourselves in behalf of others …….”
While we should send, we need to spend too.
What does it look like to spend ourselves?
For me I have been led to spend myself as follows:
• To go to a developing country, and to go repeatedly.
• To develop personal relationships with innovative leaders
• To use my own specific gifting and experience in business
• To find ways to move people out of the poverty cycle on a sustainable basis
• To invest money in parallel with my activities
• To share the love of Christ with my neighbor and to spend myself on their behalf.
5810 Project
The 5810 Project is predicated on the belief that while “teaching a man to fish” will provide him with a fish diet for a lifetime, it will not lead him out of poverty. To escape poverty people need to develop sustainable business activities. The 5810 Project’s vision is to provide an opportunity for business people from developed countries to share the love of Christ with their neighbor by “spending” themselves on behalf of others who are trying to build businesses and break the poverty cycle.
The 5810 Project is currently focused on two principal activities in Uganda.
Arua
Arua is a significant market town in the NW of Uganda, with Sudan to the north and Congo to the West. It is an agricultural market town that has grown because of government and NGO activity primarily in S. Sudan, but now increasingly in E. Congo. While the town has prospered and grown, the native Aruans have not enjoyed this economic boon.
Our efforts in Arua are centered on helping the church and Christian business people develop sustainable businesses.
We work with businesspeople to analyze the market situation in Arua, to offer training sessions, to encourage and mentor entrpreneurs and to invest in their businesses.
Kampala
Jesus Commissioned Ministries (“JCM”) is a church founded in 2000 serving three poor communities on the outskirts of Kampala. The leadership of JCM has a heart to reach the many underprivileged children in the communities it serves. Without education, there is little hope for these children to thrive. While education is available, the costs are prohibitive for most families. JCM has established Mercy Junior School (elementary) for these children. In addition to education, the children receive uniforms, food and school materials. The school currently has over 50 pupils in two Pre-K classes and Primary 1 (P1)and Primary 2 (p2) and is building classrooms for P3,4 & 5 for completion in the spring of 2011.
The 5810 Project has helped Mercy Junior School develop its rudimentary facilities and to buy a neighboring plot of land for expansion. We also advise the administrators of the school on business and education practices and have steered them through a process of becoming a fee-baseda significant drive to parent involvement and elevated educational standards and outcomes.
Opportunity
We believe that the 5810 Project offers a significant opportunity for the body of Christ:
• Grass roots opportunity to create sustainable businesses and deliver families and communities out of the oppression of poverty.
• Many business opportunities are apparent with relatively small investment levels necessary.
• Opportunities for talented business people to connect personally with emerging entrepreneurs and spend themselves on them.
• Opportunity for the body of Christ in the developed world to share the love of Christ with our neighbors in developing countries.
• Transformational impact on the “spender” and recipient alike!
If you would like to discuss this further, please contact me Andy Mills at amills@tkc.edu
When Jesus was asked what was the most important command he answered: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your heart and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments”
As a follower of Jesus, it is challenging to obey these commands, particularly with regard to my neighbors.
How can I love my neighbors? How can I love my neighbors in a global context? How can I love my neighbors who are struggling to thrive in developing countries?
The classic response of western Christians has been to “send”. Whether we send those that have been called to vocational ministry, or send money and resources to “give to the poor”, or occasionally send ourselves on short-term missions trips. Each of these has value, but is this enough? Is it effective? Is it all that God calls us to?
The questions become more complex when you consider that no matter how much money we have spent on the “war on poverty” over decades, the problem remains as acute as ever. We are not winning the war, even here in the US. Are there other approaches?
As I struggled with these ideas, I was led to consider Isaiah Chapter 58. Here God tells us what true fasting is – to loose the chains of injustice; to set the oppressed free; to share food with the hungry; and to provide the poor with shelter. Then verse 10 says “…if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed then your light will rise in the darkness and your night will become like the noonday.”
“If you spend yourselves in behalf of others …….”
While we should send, we need to spend too.
What does it look like to spend ourselves?
For me I have been led to spend myself as follows:
• To go to a developing country, and to go repeatedly.
• To develop personal relationships with innovative leaders
• To use my own specific gifting and experience in business
• To find ways to move people out of the poverty cycle on a sustainable basis
• To invest money in parallel with my activities
• To share the love of Christ with my neighbor and to spend myself on their behalf.
5810 Project
The 5810 Project is predicated on the belief that while “teaching a man to fish” will provide him with a fish diet for a lifetime, it will not lead him out of poverty. To escape poverty people need to develop sustainable business activities. The 5810 Project’s vision is to provide an opportunity for business people from developed countries to share the love of Christ with their neighbor by “spending” themselves on behalf of others who are trying to build businesses and break the poverty cycle.
The 5810 Project is currently focused on two principal activities in Uganda.
Arua
Arua is a significant market town in the NW of Uganda, with Sudan to the north and Congo to the West. It is an agricultural market town that has grown because of government and NGO activity primarily in S. Sudan, but now increasingly in E. Congo. While the town has prospered and grown, the native Aruans have not enjoyed this economic boon.
Our efforts in Arua are centered on helping the church and Christian business people develop sustainable businesses.
We work with businesspeople to analyze the market situation in Arua, to offer training sessions, to encourage and mentor entrpreneurs and to invest in their businesses.
Kampala
Jesus Commissioned Ministries (“JCM”) is a church founded in 2000 serving three poor communities on the outskirts of Kampala. The leadership of JCM has a heart to reach the many underprivileged children in the communities it serves. Without education, there is little hope for these children to thrive. While education is available, the costs are prohibitive for most families. JCM has established Mercy Junior School (elementary) for these children. In addition to education, the children receive uniforms, food and school materials. The school currently has over 50 pupils in two Pre-K classes and Primary 1 (P1)and Primary 2 (p2) and is building classrooms for P3,4 & 5 for completion in the spring of 2011.
The 5810 Project has helped Mercy Junior School develop its rudimentary facilities and to buy a neighboring plot of land for expansion. We also advise the administrators of the school on business and education practices and have steered them through a process of becoming a fee-baseda significant drive to parent involvement and elevated educational standards and outcomes.
Opportunity
We believe that the 5810 Project offers a significant opportunity for the body of Christ:
• Grass roots opportunity to create sustainable businesses and deliver families and communities out of the oppression of poverty.
• Many business opportunities are apparent with relatively small investment levels necessary.
• Opportunities for talented business people to connect personally with emerging entrepreneurs and spend themselves on them.
• Opportunity for the body of Christ in the developed world to share the love of Christ with our neighbors in developing countries.
• Transformational impact on the “spender” and recipient alike!
If you would like to discuss this further, please contact me Andy Mills at amills@tkc.edu
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