The work of FOCUS in Lira, Uganda

This is the FOCUS Uganda (InterVarsity Equivalent) in Lira, Uganda.  Michael Eluku (left) is the Training Secretary for the north.

The office is in an old metal container.

As I worked with Michael to plan the Bible & Life Level I conference on Nov 8 I learned some amazing stories about how the ministry of FOCUS is literally changing the country and the church in the area.

Almost every pastor in this city was a student at the University involved in FOCUS.  Focus trained them in Bible Study and leadership and they would not be pastors without the influence of the campus ministry.

In a place where seminary training is too expensive and time consuming, to be trained in there undergraduate work is crucial.

As we visited a campus (Uganda Technical) in town and met with the administration, FOCUS is clearly honored by all.  It also provides a critical place of unity training as students from radically different Christian backgrounds:  pentecostal and Anglican come together in worship and outreach on campus.

Brinks make the move to the north: GULU

This past Saturday was the GULU WALK, all over the western world people set up walks to awaken many to the issues in northern Uganda and the children who had to walk to town each night prior to the war cease fire for safety.

We arrived on Monday to Gulu and then on to Lukodi where we are staying with 30 child mothers, their 60 kids and various staff and american interns who run the center.

We live in a mud hut next to an IDP (internally displaced People Camp).

I was talking with a young boy yesterday who lived in Lukodi and went to school here and had to rush into Gulu right before the town was burnt down by the rebels and 60 people killed.  He now goes to school here once again.  His father is a teacher here.

We do get electricity via generator from 7-9pm

Nancy is caring for the Interns and helping them to do their jobs, like nutritian assessments, income generating activities and the clinic.

I go into town most days and work in the Child Voice office advising the Ugandan Director James.

Pray that we will have wisdom as each day there are significant issues that arise with the girls of the center.  ie. One child mother was expelled last week for biting another girl three times.  They have lived like animals in the bush and even to see how far they have come is truly due to God's grace.

The Source of the Nile: Jinja

On a fun note:  We finally put to rest the question of the source of the river Nile.

Nancy points to it as the river comes out of Lake Victoria in Jinja.

Love to all

tom

Brinks move on to Nansana with Come Lets Dance

After the Focus conference, last weekend we moved in the White House with Come Lets Dance (the young NGO we worked with in Kampala)

We were grateful to see the CLD regulars of Shane, Jeremy, Julie and Nicole, as well as our Ugandan friends.  They are dealing with the grief of loosing their dear Rachael, but God's hand is upon them.

Solomon is still faith at the sewing ministry.  James the Man helped me buy a bike for a leader in an IDP camp up north.

We also got to go to Katanga slum again and check on our charcoal business micro-finance loan the Internship invested in last summer.  We gave JAJA Anne (upper right) a loan of 85,000 schillings or $50 to buy a bag of charcoal, selling point and storage.

It took 4 months of hard work of working long hours, saving but she is making the last payment for the loan and now is on her own in the business.  Praise the Lord.  Now we are investing in another personal business with that money.  This was the first micro-finance CLD had done in the slum and now Jeremy is doing this with numerous people.

Uganda travels with Tom and Nancy

We had asked to see God at work each day and this first week in Uganda has been incredible in that aspect.

We arrived to attend a FOCUS Uganda conference for over 200 university Christian student leader from all over Uganda.  We were reunited with our Global Issues Internship partners:  Peter and Andrew, Vincent, Michael and Uncle Sam.

We have been traveling with Uncle Sam (FOCUS training secretary- second from left) visiting Kampala campuses to see what God is doing.  Did you know that on Ugandan campuses Christian Unions compose 10-30% of the student body?  One campus we visited on Thursday has a CU of 300 out of 800 students.

We got to spend an afternoon with Esther and Christian, who were Ugandan students on the Global Internship.  Because of the summer mission they are now both planning to serve with FOCUS next year in campus ministry as STEM (Short Term Experience in Ministry) for graduates.

We have seen Peter a few times and spoke with Saul and Rogis over the phone (other FOCUS student)  They are well.

At the FOCUS conference, we met a couple from south Boston who work with FOCUS Uganda in caring for staff, John and Cindy Norton.  They are part of a "finishers" program through CBA which places retired couples with missions opts.

Campus Integration

Marie from BU

Hmm, a few things I'm integrating in my life back here.....

The more I am taking time to step back and think, the more I am realizing my life has...dramatically changed.  Of course, there are the little things...like how I'm  still barely turning the knob on the faucet when I wash my hands so I can save water, only using a few sheets of toilet paper and how I've only been clothes shopping once since I returned.

But these little actions are just a trickling of what really changed - God grew my heart for people in poverty more than I could ever have hoped for.  I am beginning to understand what it means to have a heart for injustice.  I am looking onto my campus with a new pair of eyes - eyes that are popping out of my head when I see how people need God just as badly as people needed God in uganda.

Marie :)

Campus News

Before leaving for Uganda on Oct 9, I've had the privilege of at least visiting a few campuses and hearing what our dreams are for our campuses and our futures as a result of the Internship.

Here are some recent posts from your partners:

Teresa of UMaine

I'm hoping to set up a table to sell coffee at a few morning classes and taking the profit to buy a stethoscope(s) for the CVI clinic.  Hopefully the coffee will be fair trade and people will pay whatever they normally pay for their morning coffee!

Meredith at Brown University

Back at Brown..I have joined the Uganda Action Movement group on campus (as the 6th member( and am hoping to infuse some new life to it.  I'm planning to create a photo gallery that can be installed at Brown Hillel in November which has a space that rotates.  The president of the group works there and has some connections.  Along with the gallery, I might potentially sell some of the bead necklaces made by the women at Come Lets Dance.

I'm also looking into doing a shoe drive for black shoes that I can give to CLD when I study abroad in Uganda and Rwanda next semester (God willing- I haven't' been accepted yet).

I am also dreaming big and looking into the possibility of Betty Bigombe speaking and Brown.  But that's just a thought I had last week, so we'll see.

Ken at MIT

As far as bringing Uganda back to campus, the beer bottle collection didn't really pan out.  We tried it for a little bit but found that nobody was really motivated enough to make it sustainable.  I realized that I could do it, but that kinda defeats the point of trying to get others involved.  Instead, I think the biggest way I'm bringing it back is through my fellowship.  I'm on the exec team for it, and we've been focusing a lot on this idea of a bigger gospel - how Jesus calls us to actually go out and advance the kingdom, as opposed to a one time decision of accepting Christ.  We're still kinda in process of forming that foundation, but we hope to begin talking about broader applications, such as missions work, social justice, racial reconciliation, and the like.  Maybe the biggest change though has come through evangelism.  Continuing this idea of a bigger gospel, we've been trying to take more of an approach of "oh, you're really passionate about women's rights? (or whatever)  So is Jesus"  (that was a gross over-simplification, but the idea is everyone is doing something that advances the kingdom, we just need to show them that.)  It's sparked some very interesting conversations, and looks like it got a seeker committed to coming to a Bible Study and Large Groups.

Fall Campus integration of Global Issues Internship