Serving in Uganda

Updates and Thoughts

2009-11-17T07:22:00.003-05:00

Hey all, long time no post...

Things keep moving along here and time continues to fly by hence the length betweens posts. My excuse is that it really feels like I posted about 4 days ago... not two weeks.

Anyway, work picked up last week and I stayed busy on a number of projects including working on proposals for a 'people with disabilities program,' an extension of an 'HIV/AIDS program,' and a 'child protection program.' So I stayed busy last week, though things seemed to have settled down somewhat this week. I'm narrowing in on two weeks left here in Uganda.

One thing I have been staying busy with on a weekly basis is an ongoing bible study/lesson that I've been leading. Last month I led a study on 'worship,' this month I'm leading a study on the sermon on the mount. It's amazing what being in a new place, reading something for the hundredth time, how it can grab hold of you in a new way and reveal something new. But of course along with this revelation comes a thousand new questions... I like questions though so it's ok.

I was struck when reading through the beatitudes that if we really believe the gift of the beatitudes, the blessing for those who are imperfect, broken and suffering, then we are forced to look at the world in a new way. This may not seem like much of a revelation, but think about it. Christ comes proclaiming blessing on all who are imperfect, all who struggle, all who are 'the least' and accepts us as we are. When we accept this blessing, this statement, that 'God is on the side of everyone he should be on the side of (including us)' we change. When God meets us in our brokenness, in our lack, we no longer see others in the same way. We're not able to put people in boxes anymore, rather we see them as human (perhaps a small glimpse of how God sees us). Things aren't so easy anymore, things aren't so black and white, right or wrong, democrat or republican. We are forced to be in the midst of conflict in a new way, a way that reaches out to both sides, a way that offers a third option. In my opinion this is the essence of 'peacemaking...' seeing a third way.

Another thing that came up in discussions was a frustration that the message is so hopeful for a better future, yet on the surface seemingly accepting of the suffering, struggling, mourning and brokenness of humanity. The promise seems to be for 'that day,' in the future, when heaven and earth meet. But I think it's also a call for action. As I said, by accepting this blessing we are changed. In following Christ we too extend this blessing to others, to walk with them, to be on their side, to love them regarless of who they are or what they've done. It is not a coincidence that the passage ends with a blessing for the persecuted AND an immediate repetition of the inevitability of this persecution. If we were called simply to accept God's blessing and continue living our lives unchanged then there would be no reason to talk about persecution.

So anyway, those are my thoughts for now. I'll enjoy my remaining two weeks of nice, warm weather and prepare myself for the arctic chill that's going to hit me when I step out of the airport.

Peace,
Matt

Guesthouse

2009-11-04T05:49:00.004-05:00

A few pictures of the guesthouse...

The common area upstairs

My little room, the bed is off to the right

The front door of the guesthouse

The guesthouse from the outside... the office is off to the right out of the picture.

Trip to Kapchorwa

2009-10-30T03:35:00.004-04:00

Hey all,

My apologies for the huge gap between posts, I returned to Kampala late Wednesday night and took the day yesterday to rest and recover. My trip was relaxing and productive and I really enjoyed my time in the clean mountain air (See pictures below). I worked mostly on helping the staff to finish taking, naming and editing photos for those sponsored children who still needed it. In all we did this for roughly 370 kids, which was quite a successful week!

But it's very good to be "home" again in Kampala, joined this time by the study abroad students who have spent the last month in various places around the country. I am on a slight sensory overload with all the noise and commotion in the house but as I've said before it is good to be joined by some more company.

This morning I had the pleasure of once again leading the office in devotions. I had a chance to play guitar some more and talk a bit more about worship... this time worship as a sacrifice/offering. Though I've thought about this before, I found it interesting as I looked through the examples to see the transformation that occurs throughout the Bible concerning sacrifice. Worship as sacrifice is first seen in the story of Abraham (Genesis 22) where Abraham calls what he is about to do (sacrifice isaac) "worship." And throughout the old testament we see the links between sacrifice and worship in Old Testament law. Sacrifices were offerings of worship to God, meant to be perfect and without any flaw. Then Christ comes along and becomes a new kind of sacrifice, atoning the past, present and future sins of the world. The old way has passed and through his death a new way of sacrifice is established. This way, which Paul talks about extensively, requires not the sacrifice of animals or crops but rather the sacrifice of ourselves, to be "immitators of God," and "offer ourselves to him." We "offer our bodies as living sacrifices." So that was just something that struck me as I was preparing to lead.

Peace,

Matt

(View from the office and guesthouse)

(View from the other side, looking back on the office)

An FH Uganda Tour

2009-10-19T08:01:00.006-04:00

My apologies for not posting prior to my departure but I have been traveling around the country for the last week and just got back into town last night. I accompanied Kate, who leads the study-abroad group that is in Uganda right now, to 5 of the 6 FH Uganda field offices to visit the students on their "practicum assignments". We started in Kampala and drove to Mukono, Mbale, Piswa, Pader and Kitgum before returning to Kampala. It was a tiring week to say the least but it was great to see all the field offices. Seeing and understanding will certainly make the work I'm doing in Kampala more meaningful and will make me more effective.

In Kitgum the "New Life Center" is up and running and there are about 30 women and their children currently staying there. The idea of the center is to take young mothers who have either been formerly abducted by rebels or who are deemed otherwise extremely vulnerable. About half of the women currently staying there are formerly abducted. It's unbelievable to think about what some of these women have been through... I actually can't even imagine. Many were taken from their villages by rebels, forced to marry their captors and bear their children and live in remote areas of the Congo and Sudan for years. But watching these women laugh and dance and sing you probably wouldn't guess their history. Unfortunately all these women suffer from sever depression and suicidal thoughts and the goal of the New Life Center is to counsel them back to mental health and provide them with the education and skills needed to support themselves and their children. So it's a long process but one that will hopefully give new life to these women.

Another highlight of the trip was visiting the office in Piswa. It's an amazing location, situated among rolling green hills, mountains and waterfalls; maybe something you'd expect to see in Ireland or Scotland but certainly not Uganda. We spent two nights in Piswa and had a chance to do a little hiking and see a number of the communities that FH is currently working with there. It was a nice break from the pollution and from the heat. In fact I wore long sleeves, a jacket and socks most of the day, also not something you'd expect on the equator!

And the main reason I mention Piswa, apart from the beautiful scenery, is that I'll be getting to spend a lot more time there in the coming week. The Piswa office has recently experienced some issues that have left it understaffed and busy so I'll be leaving tomorrow morning actually to go and offer any assistance I can for the next 9 days. I don't really know what to expect but I imagine I'll stay busy for the next week which will be good. The office is without power or running water and it's an hour long ride by motorcycle to get to the nearest town so I'll have plenty of chances to think and read (when there's light). Pray that I can be useful there and that the week would go quickly and smoothly!

Peace,

Matt

Worship!

2009-10-02T03:17:00.005-04:00

There's not too much to update you on in terms of work. I've been staying half busy I guess, still trying to get into the swing of things and figure out my place here. But the week was exciting with visits from two different groups of Canadians, eh! And last night the study abroad students arrived back in Kampala but will only be staying until tomorrow morning.

But and interesting opportunity came up for me to lead a morning bible study on Fridays this month. Every morning our staff meets to sing a few songs and have devotions. And I am responsible for Fridays this month, the theme being "worship."

So I got here a little early to find the guitar that had been horribly out of tune the last few weeks back in top form. After messing around a little on the guitar, James, who usually leads worship, convinced me to play guitar and lead! Let me say it has been a long time since I played but it was great... I felt at home again.

What is worship?
You could say it's "Reverent love and devotion accorded God," or the "Ceremonies, prayers or other religious forms by which this love is expressed." And you'd be right in a way, but worship can't be confined in a dictionary definition, it's too big, it's too indescribable. The meaning of the word "worship" as seen in the Bible, is not easily contained in that word. The word used is in a way much simpler, yet more profound on so many levels. "Worship," as we use it, more accurately means to bow down, to fall face down and prostrate oneself. And I really like that image.

Worship should make us fall down because the one we worship is Awesome, His Majesty and Power and Beauty are unsurpassed. We can't help but praising simply because of who He is. I think praising Him for His glory and singing songs and dancing dances for Him is the first, and probably most visible way we worship. Song has an ability to get to places in our heart that spoken words cannot and something indescribable happens when we offer songs of worship.

The Psalms are full of this kind of worship.

Psalm 92:1-4
It is good to praise the Lord and make music to your name, O most High, to proclaim your love in the morning and your faithfulness at night, to the music of the ten-stringed lyre and the melody of the harp. For you make me glad by your deeds, O Lord; I sing for joy at the works of your hands.

And Psalm 8 is also pretty good.

In the year 2009, it seems on the surface there's not much to give thanks for, not much to sing songs about. Uganda is a country with an annual per-capita income of $420, The life expectancy is around 50 years, the HIV infection rate is around 7%, Millions live without access to clean water and hundreds of thousands are still displaced because of fighting.* And Uganda is by no means the most impoverished and broken of all the nations. Is there anything in this world that hasn't been blemished by sin, by corruption, greed, disease, death, hunger and thirst? Only one thing, and that's God Himself. He alone is Holy, He alone is unblemished and for that we worship Him.

Thanks for continuing to read. I think my next post will be on shoes... stay tuned!

Peace,
Matt

*As a footnote, good things are happening in this country. There is hope and there is promise and I assure I will make sure you hear those things too.

Work Updates

2009-09-25T07:19:00.002-04:00

Hello everyone!

I realize today as I'm sitting at my desk that I haven't updated you all in a while.

I'm starting to get into the swing of things work wise and have been given a number of different jobs so far working with the projects staff. Right now my main objective is to track proposals that we are working on to ensure that they line up with specific donor wishes and that they stay on schedule. Along with this I have begun to search online and elsewhere for new sources of funding for various projects we'd like to start. So it's good that I have something now to keep me busy and I am hoping to maybe even propose some project ideas of my own assuming sources of funding present themselves. I'm thinking one area I'd really like to look into more is the possibility of starting a project focusing on street populations (health, water, sanitation, etc) both here within Kampala and in other cities where FH is currently working. FH Uganda has placed emphasis on working mainly with rural populations (because that's where funding is) but I would really like to see them expand into the city.

So... if you know of anyone who is thinking about giving a couple hundred g's to an NGO :)

And I'm also looking into the possibility of getting my creative juices flowing and working on some publicity/human interest type stories. This is heavily dependent on how busy I am with other things and if I have the opportunity to visit the field often. But publicity is another area that FH could really use a boost.

Peace,
Matt

Picture of the North

2009-09-21T14:04:00.005-04:00

(Top) The vouchers for the system I mentioned
(Bottom) One of the vendors selling her seed

(Top) FH staff inspecting sacks of maize
(Bottom) A nice sampling of the different seeds and the vendors

(Top) The village-wide meeting to determine prices and explain how the process works
(Bottom) Sacks of seeds at one of the microfinance group's shop

(Top) A good bit of time was spent navigating through this kind of stuff... bush

(Bottom) Our mode of transport

Here are some of the pictures from our trip up north. They're not really in any order but this is better than no pictures I assume. Enjoy.

p.s. Feel free to request pictures of whatever it is you want to see. This is your gateway to an interactive viewing of Uganda... I'm like your personal webcam!

Back from the bush

2009-09-21T06:41:00.002-04:00

Hello all,

I'm back in Kampala again after a week in the northern part of Uganda. It certainly was a tiring week but one that allowed me to see firsthand many of Food for the Hungry's projects in action.

The city of Kitgum, where we were staying is a city that has felt firsthand the terrible effects of this country's long war against rebel forces. Driving outside of town one can still encounter thousands and thousands of people still living in internally displaced persons (IDP) camps with little access to quality land, water or schools despite the declared end to the war happening some 2 years ago. FH is one of many many international organizations working in Kitgum and in the north to try and bring life back to these communities that have experienced so much death. (And when I say many, I mean dozens and dozens in a city of only a few thousand. Every truck or SUV you pass on the road has some sticker on the side labeling it for a certain NGO. And here, one can rightly pose the question why so much international money and effort on the ground has made such a relatively small dent in the mass of problems facing this area... I feel this is a question that may be revisted over the next months).

The Monday after we arrived we spent the day in meetings concerning the reopening of FH's New Life Center in Kitgum. The NLC seeks to work with 1200 formerly abducted child mothers (FACMs) and other vulnerable child mothers (OVCMs) ranging in age from 15 to 24 years along with their 4800 children. The center's goal isbasically to transform the lives of these women in three ways. First, through spiritual and emotional healing and resilience building in those mothers suffering from depression (basically all of them to some degree). Second, to empower participants to learn, engage in and be successful in income generating activities (IGA) that provide stable income sources. And finally to improve literacy and numeracy levels in participants which will further contribute to their overall well being. So it is a tall order but one that the staff is passionate about and one that it has succeeded in before.

The rest of the week was spent "touring" the field and visiting different projects in the area. We visited multiple microfinance groups (beneficieries) in Padibe, Palabek Gem, Muchwini and Potika (Sudan border). And finally I spent all day Thursday attending a seed fair in Palabek Ogili which was very interesting to witness. The seed fair had targeted and area that has perenial problems with food production and had established this system by which to benefit farmers and seed sellers. FH helps to mediate a village-wide discussion between seed buyers and sellers to settle on a fair price for each type of seed. Once that is accomplished FH distributes vouchers (this time totaling 21,000 shillings or roughly $10) to the beneficieries who then purchase seed from sellers (which has been approved as good seed by FH) who then turn in the vouchers at a local bank to be paid. The whole idea being that this system is much more beneficial to a struggling community than simply shipping in seed for elsewhere and passing it out. This, in some small way, helps to benefit the whole community. And from there all farmers can do is pray for rain... which it did everyday we were there.

Today I'm once again in the field, this time visiting schools just outside of town that are part of the child development programs (CDP) run by FH.

My hope is that the internet will again be consistent now that I'm back in Kampala and I hope to post more often this week. Thanks for reading and as always thanks for the continued prayers.

Peace,
Matt

I'm traveling again...

2009-09-12T13:58:00.004-04:00

An exciting opportunity presented itself today. After trying to figure out how I was going to get to church in the morning and finally finding a ride I got a call from Dr. Wendy, one of the "projects directors" in Uganda. She told me that a seat was still available in their pickup truck to go up north and visit the office and projects in Kitgum. "Be ready by 9." So, assuming that trip is approved I'll be heading up to Kitgum in the morning, which as you can see from the map will be quite a drive over unpaved or underpaved roads from Kampala. It will be an exciting opportunity to start working and what a way to start.

Pray for safety as we travel. Once again I'll do my best to post but it will likely be very difficult to do.

Peace,
Matt

Arrival

2009-09-12T03:55:00.003-04:00

I just wanted to post quick and let everyone know that I have arrived safely in Kampala, Uganda after a couple of travel days. I have met most of the staff here in the Food for the Hungry office and will enjoy getting to know them better over the next few months. My room in the guesthouse is clean and comfortable and will do a fine job serving as my home while I'm here. However, I will be excited to welcome the study abroad students when they arrive in less than a month because currently I am the only person staying in the house and it's a little lonely.

For those of you who follow the news closely perhaps you have heard of the riots that have been happening over the last few days here in Kampala due to some political/cultural disagreements. As of right now, the violence seems to be somewhat contained and has not affected the district I'm staying in at all. I'll do my best to keep you posted of any further happenings but I hope that after today the tensions will have past.

My internet connection in the guesthouse has been out since I arrived here and I'm doing my best to figure out what the issue is but I may not have any email or blog contact over the weekend but I'll update as soon as possible.

Peace,

Matt

...And away we go!

2009-09-08T18:05:00.003-04:00

For those of you reading this post right now, I want to say thank you for supporting me as I depart tomorrow evening. All of you have supported me in some way, be it prayerfully, financially or otherwise. This trip simply would not have been possible without you. Thank you.

Over the next three months I invite you to journey with me as I serve with Food for the Hungry in Uganda. As all of you have been so instrumental in this opportunity I want you to be there as I experience God's wonder and mystery on the other side of the world. I'll be doing my best to update this blog regularly with stories... and hopefully pictures and video!

Unfortunately I cannot keep in touch with all of you individually but I want to respond to any questions or comments you may have over the next three months. In order to communicate better my email address is mprose2009@gmail.com and I have also set up a skype account with the screenname matt_rose17. Feel free to contact me whenever.

Peace,

Matt

2008-07-16T04:54:00.000-04:00

Six weeks have come to a close as I get on my first flight in roughly 7 hours now. It's been a hard six weeks for sure, but also a great learning experience. I've felt hapiness, sadness, despair, hope, frustration, confusion and really just about any other emotion possible. As I come away, it's hard to ignore the scale of the "issues" that are present in our world today be it in East Africa or at home in the US. It's overwhelming to think about working towards solutions to these "poblems" (if that is indeed what we're called to do). One person is so insignificant yet has the ability to shape a country and change the world as many people have done, making it up as they go. But we cannot be alone. One quote that has been playing over in my head recently is this quote that I leave you with...

"Nothing worth doing is completed in our lifetime; therefore, we must be saved by hope. Nothing true or beautiful or good makes complete sense in any immediate context of history; therefore, we must be saved by faith. Nothing we do, however virtuous, can be accomplished alone; therefore, we are saved by love."

-Reinhold Niebuhr

Peace,
Matt

Safari

2008-07-13T06:37:00.000-04:00

Got back from my little adventure in the bush not too long ago now. I along with 14 others drove (were driven actually) about 3 hours west of Arusha to Ngorogoro Crater and the game reserve located there. It was a good chance after the 5 or more weeks of intense study and thinking to get a chance to unwind and not think. To see a part of God's great earth that I haven't seen before. The safari ended up being about 6 hours long. At first, on the way into the park we were pretty worried because the clouds were so thick and the fog so heavy that you could hardly see 100 feet ahead of you, literally. Fortunately though once we decended from the rim down into the crater the skys cleared and it turned out to be a perfect cool and sunny day. The crater is huge, so the majority of the time was simply spent driving around finding different wildlife and other cool things to see. We ended up seeing Zeebras, Wildebeast, water buffalo, lions, hippos and an elephant off in the distance along with a number of giant birds. It turned out to be a great experience and I'm really glad I took the opportunity to do it.

Later this evening we leave for 2 nights about 45 minutes outside the city here at a conference center. We have our final presentations on the research we've been doing, as well as al the final wrap up discussions and a talk about re-entry into America. I'm quite curious to see how I'm going to react to American culture again. I think at least it will give me a new viewpoint and a way to look at some things a little differently.

I'll be leaving for home in roughly 3 days now. Pray for safe travel home and once again I'll say that I look forward to seeing all of you soon.

Peace,
Matt

Arusha cont.

2008-07-11T07:14:00.000-04:00

Winding down our time here in East Africa, I've had the opportunity to spend the last few days in Arusha, Tanzania at the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda. It's been extremely interesting to sit in on court cases of people accused of genocide and crimes against humanity as well as researching cases have been completed.

The mandate for this tribunal is set to expire at the endof this year, despite about a dozen cases still waiting to be started. I have a feeling that they'll be given more time, but so far the process of justice at the ICTR has been slow and it's very debatable as to whether or not the proceedings are helping reconciliation in Rwanda (my personal feeling is that they're not).

It's also interesting to be here right now and have a chance to see where some of yours and my money is going... that's right your money. The ICTR hee in Arusha has been running a budget of about $140 million every year. About a quarter of that bill is fronted by American tax dollars. Unfortunately, as much as I've enjoyed being here to see it all and have the experience of sitting in on the first criminal tribunal for genocide, I'm sad to say that I'm not sure your money is being used well. But, at least I'll have a few sories to tell when I get back, so hopefully that will make it all worth it!

Tomorrow and Sunday I will be traveling out into the bush to go on a safari in the Ngorogoro Crater. It's rumored to be the best place in the area for seeing wildlife, especially the "big 5" (lion, elephant, giraffe, etc.). My plan is to take lots of pictures and keep myself out of harms way, which I think I can do.

Just 6 short days from today and I'll be back in good old Holland, Michigan. I'm looking forward to it immensely. I will be posting again at some point in the upcoming days but for now that's all. Thank you all again for the continued support, prayers, emails, and everything. I'll see you all soon.

Peace,
Matt

Arsha, Tanzania

2008-07-09T07:11:00.000-04:00

I have arrived in Arusha, Tanzania, the final leg of the journey. We got here Monday afternoon and have mostly been focusing our attention on the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda which is located here. The part of the country I'm in right now is beautiful! Africa's 1st and 5th highest mountains are located very close to here (Kilimanjaro and Meru). The weather is surprisingly chilly, but it is nice to have a little break. Michigan is going to seem very hot after leaving here I'm sure.

I haven't had all that much access to internet thus far but I hope to post on some of my thoughts and experiences on this leg of the journey sometime tomorrow. Keep reading for a few more days then I'll be home.

Peace,
Matt

Final Stop Tanzania

2008-07-06T09:41:00.000-04:00

In about 15 hours I'll be on a plane leaving the country of Rwanda. As I reflect on my time here it brings mixed feelings, as with any other event on this trip so far. I have loved the city. It's developed, clean and relatively organized and has a surprisingly western feel. The financial sector in the city is booming and the economy in general is growing, new office buildings and hotels are going up all over the city and in the works is a plan to build East Africa's largest airport. Everything seems to be wonderful and perfect on the surface, but the country has a dark, often forgotten history. You would never know walking around that 1 million people were killed here just 14 years ago. But the people here seem are reserved and much quieter than in other East African countries. There seems to be deep underlying tension when you look past the high rise buildings and fancy western restaurants, but it's hard to get any answers here. That rumors that run wild of discrimination and division along ethnic lines cannot be confirmed. You can't find anyone who will openly criticize the government or debate the policies they've implemented. It feels like I'm in a movie where everyone is happy and is living the "ideal" life, but then you find out that there's more...

And so, I move on to the final leg of my journey! I will be in Tanzania for 10 days before returning home. I hope to find time to relax and see the sights. We're going to be in Arusha, in the northern part of the country and will be very close to Mount Kilimanjaro. I'll keep you posted of course and can't wait to see you all in 11 days!

Peace,
Matt

Two weeks left

2008-07-03T11:13:00.000-04:00

Not that I'm counting, but yes I only have two weeks left here in East Africa. We finish up here in Rwanda this weekend and head for Arusha, Tanzania early Monday morning.

It's strange to think that I've been away from home for more than a month now. I personally have never done anything like this before, but I'm very glad that I did. It's good to take the time away to think about the things that matter in this world and to study my own self. Being thousands of miles away from home in a foreign country and culture with no loved ones around has really exposed my passions and helped me to further think about the future.

At this point I have no new news to report. I have a free weekend the next three days and will try my best to keep myself busy. Tomorrow is Independence Day in the US obviously and it will be strange to be away on the 4th of July. Here the 4th of July is Liberation Day, the day that the RPF (rebel group led by the current Rwandan president) forced the genocidaire government out of Kigali, the capital and began to bring an end to the killings. It will be interesting to witness the celebrations here in town.

Thanks for the continued support as always. I will be home 2 weeks from today and look forward to seeing all of you again.

Peace,
Matt

p.s. for those of you that know Katharine, you should wish her a happy birthday if you didn't already. She turned 21 yesterday!

Genocide

2008-06-30T11:49:00.000-04:00

As I look back and reflect on my last post and try to think about everything, I wanted to pose a few questions and make a few points...

First, it is important to remember that genocide is a phenomenon not unique to Rwanda or Africa. Remember that similar genocides, often with more casualties, have occured on nearly every continent on earth. Genocide has occured in Germany/Poland, Armenia, the Americas, Russia, Cambodia, Yugoslavia, Namibia, and possibly Hiroshima/Nagasaki (not technically, but I think it could qualify). It's spread all over the world.

Genocide is not something that is spontaneous, not something that can occur without extensive planning and preparation, and it can generally not occur without a strong central government overseeing and perpetrating the killings. The case of Rwanda is not a "triabl" conflict as many suggest and would like to believe. To think of it as "tribal" is frankly ignorant and ignores the root causes of this particular genocide. The two groups in conflict in Rwanda were constructed by early Belgian colonialists to use for their colonial purposes. These are not thought two be historically two distinct groups of people that have long been embroiled in hate and war, they are the same people. It is also important to remember the role the west and western economics has played in this genocide. The coffee price collapse in 1986-87 and the subsequent collapse of the economy led to western structural adjustment programs which left the country impoverished.

I don't mean to lecture or bore but I think it's important to look at this particular genocide not as an African norm, rather as an exception. It's also very, very important to see the way that western countries helped, not necessarily intentionally but nevertheless, to bring about genocide.

Peace,
Matt

Site Visits

2008-06-28T08:21:00.000-04:00

First, a disclaimer...

Yesterday I visited 3 genocide memorials here around Kigali. They were unlike any memorials I have ever seen and I will try to describe them to you here. They were extremely shocking to see in person. For those of you who have good imaginations I'm going to try to recreate some of what I saw, felt and ever smelled...

Our first stop on the trip was at Gisozi genocide museum. It was an effective mixture of history, multimedia presentation and personal stories. The museum is rather blantantly the history from the victors point of view (In this case the Tutsi led RPF), but nevertheless it is effective. To read someone's final words and to see the clothes they were wearing when they died, and to see the machete that cut them down, it was very moving. However, being a museum, you were somewhat removed from some of the horror of it all. Also on the site is a mass grave holding thousands of murdered human beings.

The second stop was Ntarama, a little outside the city. The site we visited was a catholic church. This particular church (a sanctuary, kitchen and a Sunday school) was where nearly 5,000 men, women and children took refuge diring the 1994 genocide. All but 10 of those were killed. The sanctuary still holds the remains of many of the victims of this massacre; their skills and bones line a number of shelves spanning one whole wall of the church... from floor to ceiling. Hundreds upon hundreds of them. Those in the sanctuary primarily died from grenades and pangas (machetes). Those seeking refuge here spent their final days packed tight, struggling to survive in what would soon be their final resting place. As we walked into the sanctuary, a very distinct and new smell reached my nostrils. After fourteen years, the smell of dying and dead human flesh still plagues this place. A human slaughterhouse. Thousands of articles of clothing line the pews and the rafters of this small building. The kitchen and the Sunday school have also remained intact after all these years. Those who spent their final days here were burned to death.

At Nyamata, similar atrocities occured, only in this place twice as many, 10,000, were killed by panga or gun or worse. The lone coffin in the sanctuary is that of a young woman who was raped multiple times in the moments before death and was then killed with a long sharp stick that impaled her from her private area all the way out of her mouth. In this church, as in the last, thousands and thousands of skulls and bones were piled on shelves in a claustrophibic basement, packed as tight as they were in their final moments, robbed of their humanity. It was easy to see wheter someone was killed by panga, or their skull was smashed by a club. The lucky ones were those with the single hole in their skull... the ones who died without being tortured. It was also similar to Ntarama in the way that thousands upon thousands of bloodstained and tattered clothing lined the pews of the church. The room reaked of death and suffering. All in all, 41,000 people are buried on these grounds.

These visits were both very horrific, but I do believe they helped to put some of the big numbers in their place. 800,000 means nothing, the only number that matters is 1. These genocidaires didn't killed 800,000 men, women and children. They killed one, then killed another, then another, and another and another.These were humans, same as you an me. One thing that struck me was a tshirt of a victim that read "Cornell" in big red letters. It seems to be to be a strange irony to give someone a Cornell tshirt but then do nothing as this person is slaughtered. "We," the west, did very little in the face of such obvious eveidence. Crimes against humanity, what does that mean? What crimes? What is humanity? Is it you, is it me? What about 1 million Rwandans. The real crime against humanity is "our" inaction when people were being slaughtered.

But yet, we don't fail to show up to the memorials to the dead, do we. We sign the guest book along with hundreds of other westerners and write something like, "I'm sorry we didn't come to help," or, "never again." Why do we do this? What is the purpose? It is becuase we have some strange fascination with death and the "atrocity tourism" that comes from mass killing? Do we go to learn? Or to try and feel some emotion? Or to relieve some kind of guilt? Or to feel more human? What is it?

I hope this has been more than just shocking...

Where is the Peace,
Matt

Homestay

2008-06-27T11:18:00.000-04:00

So I moved into the homestay last night, it seems like it will be a good family. It's hard to say for sure yet, but it's a younger couple and their 3 kids, 11, 9 and 4. I haven't actually met the wife yet, think she'll be back tonight. His sister and her kid also live with them. It's a big house, it's own little "compound" and I have my own room and a nice big bed. No running water this time though. The dad actually took me to a friend's house last night for a little while, he wanted to see someone who just got back in town. So already I've gone out more than I did in the last homestay. I think it will be good, and we have more free time in this homestay so hopefully it is good. Like I said, I don't really know them well yet, but I'll write any more relevant details shortly.

Today we visited a number of genocide memorials here around Kigali. All I can say at this point is that it was a hard thing to do emotionally. My goal is to unpack some of the emotions a little more tonight and post about it in the next few days.

I'm on my way now to play with my little 4 year old homestay brother. I could use some attention and affection and I'm sure he could too.

Thanks for continuing to read, those of you who are. Thank you also for the continued prayers. I'm starting to turn the corner for the home stretch so I can see the end, but please keep praying for peace of mind and continued focus... and that time will fly!

Peace,
Matt

Kigali

2008-06-25T10:01:00.000-04:00

I've arrived safely in Kigali, Rwanda for those of you keeping track. The drive from southern Uganda over the border was unbelievable. It is certainly one of the most beautiful places on earth. No picture I've seen can do justice to the true beauty of the countryside we drove through. Breathtaking. The city itself is a much cleaner and more organized place than Kampala, Uganda. It's a welcome change for sure. I had spaghetti with meat sauce last night, slept in a big soft bed, walked down a clean (and well lit) street. You take these things for granted, but I've been depraved the last 3 weeks. It's nice to have the little comforts again even though the lack of these things is all part of the experience.

Most of the time has been spent simply orienting ourselves and trying to pick up on the language, Kinyarwanda. English is spoken very little, usually only by University students and in some restaurants. It will present an interesting challenge I'm sure. I move in with my second homestay tomorrow evening and will be spending the following 11 nights there. I don't know anything about the family yet but can't wait to see what it's like.

I'm also curious to dig deeper into some of the current issues within the country. From what I've seen, you would never guess a genocide happened just 14 years ago in this beautiful country so it will be interesting to uncover some of the divisions and problems that are still present. Thousands live abroad, still fearing return and the government claims that ethnicity no longer exists and it is safe to return. The disconnect between the two stories is just one of many interesting contradictions that I've heard. We shall see.

Peace,
Matt

Touchy Stuff

2008-06-23T10:21:00.000-04:00

We move onto Rwanda... Today was our final day hear in Uganda. Last night we arrived in the southern city of Mbarara and today spent the day meeting with Rwandan refugees living in camps outside the city. It was interesting to see a functioning refugee camp and to see the way things are run. However, meeting with the people was uncomfortable, at least at first.

So with any historical event the story is always retold from a certain perspective. It really is impossible to be entirely unbiased and objective. This applies especially to wars. Look in any history textbook in America and read about the wars that our country has fought in. I would imagine you'll find a fairly blatant bias. The story that is reproduced most often is that of the victor. In Rwanda, as many of you know, approximately 800,000 Rwandese were killed in three months from April 1994, to June of that same year. The story that is most often told in Rwanda and around the world is of a terrible genocide of the Tutsi population at the hands of the Hutus. This is true, Hutus killed Tutsis, and a lot of them. But at the same time massive amounts of Hutus were being killed by Tutsis. The Hutus have no memorials to them, they have no special treatment like Tutsis because they're not labeled "survivors of genocide." The reason I say all of this is background to the conversations we had today with the Rwandan refugee population, who happened to be Hutu. The pain in their stories as forgotten victims, seeing their scars, hearing the fear and anger that they carry because of events they've experienced. It was at times heartbreaking, at times enfuriating, but most often extremely enlightening to hear a side of the story that's never told.

I will be posting more about this in the days to come, but I wanted to post something today. It's a subject that has very little black and white in terms of victims and killers, good guys and bad guys. A sticky subject to say the least.

That's all I have time for now... stay tuned for more.

Peace,
Matt

Apologies

2008-06-20T10:23:00.000-04:00

I'm sorry that it has been so long since I had a chance to post. For those of you that aren't aware, the last few days of my trip have been spent in Northern Uganda, really doing some work on the ground and having a chance to meet the people directly affected by the ongoing war within the country. It's been truly a life changing experience to meet these people face to face;, to hear their stories and to see their scars. But more than that even, it has been amazing to hear them laugh and to see some flicker of hope in their eyes. It has brought me a deeper understanding of the humanness of all people. That "we" are in fact no different than "them."

I hope this rambling makes sense.

Now, unfortunately I don't have time for more rambling at this point but I hope to post a novel of my ramblings at some point. Just kidding, but seriously. My mind has been working overtime lately and it has been a frustrating, an encouraging and a humbling experience all at once.

My time here in Kampala is coming to a close. We have only one more day here in town before leaving Sunday morning for Rwanda. It's been fun to be in Uganda, but I'm actually very ready to leave. Get away from the polution and noise and craziness and trade it for Kigali, Rwanda, which by all accounts is much clearner and calmer. Oh, and cooler which is always nice.

Thank you all for the continued prayers and toughts and emails. I will try to post again soon, but as always I'm not sure exactly what the availability will be.

Peace,
Matt

River Nile

2008-06-16T11:06:00.000-04:00

I finally got a chance to get away from the city on Saturday. I headed east of the capitol to the town of Jinja, which happens to be where the source of the Nile is. It was fun to have a day away from the noise and pollution and see some greenery and breath some fresh air. So the town is a little strange. Because it's such a tourist town, there are a number of white people walking around, which is unusual for the capitol city. But at the same time, the town seems almost deserted and abandon. I found it ironic that the city where I've seen the most white people is also the city that seemed the most abandoned. Who knows. But it was worth it... now I can say I've been on the River Nile and felt the water. It was lovely.

Then yesterday was a travel day, heading to the north a little ways. Roads were bad and the taxis not the best quality so it took 7 or 8 hours to get here, but we're here now a little closer to where all the action has happened. Its an interesting time to be here, the latest peace talks are falling through and the paper today seemed to suggest that the government's troops were mobilizing to fight after discovering that the LRA rebels are on the move from the DR Congo, maybe looking to get back into Uganda. It's kind of a tense situation, neither side seems to want peace, the government even less than the rebels actually. So we'll see how that turns out. Hopefully those committed to peace can convince both sides that it is in their best interest to want peace. It's certainly what the people want.

And in other news... Uganda's football (soccer) team won their world cup qualifying game against Angola on Saturday. Not that anyone is following this, but I just thought I'd mention that it's very intriguing to be in the city where it happened. Driving by thew stadium when the game finished in fact. It's amazing, sports ability to bring a nation together.

Peace,
Matt

My daily schedule

2008-06-13T10:03:00.000-04:00

First of all, I apologize about the pictures, not sure what the problem is. I'll try to get some more up sometime but as of right now I have a surprisingly limited selection. I guess I don't really feel like your average tourist and therefore haven't taken a whole lot of pictures.

So there have been a number of questions as to what my day to day schedule looks like. And now that I think about it, I'm not sure if I ever really talked about that. So this is what my schedule looks like...

7:00 - wake up, throw the mosquito net aside and hop out of bed. I then proceed to take a very
cold and shocking shower (lucky I have a shower though). This is followed by breakfast,
usually consisting of 2 slices of bread (plain, sometimes honey), tea, and maybe some left-
over beef from dinner the night before.
8:00 - hop on a taxi towards the university (40-60 minute ride)
9:00 - 1:00 - class, lectures, discussion sessions, etc.
1:00 - lunch on campus
2:00 - 5:00 - varies from day to day but usually more class here. same stuff.
5:00 - head to the internet cafe and do email/blog/talk to Katharine on gmail chat :)
6:00 - head home for the evening via taxi/walking (about an hour all together)
7:00 - 9:00 - wind down, watch tv, read, etc. and eat a pre-dinner snack (more bread and tea)
10:00 prior to eating dinner, take another cold shower and then sit down for an unusually late
meal (rice, beef, beans, avacado, pinnaple, mango, and stuff)
11:30 - finally crawl into bed and tuck the mosquito net in.

So, there's my typical day. It's usually about mid-80's here with a powerful sun. It's nice we're out of the sun most of the day, but when we're not it's draining. Especially since i wear long pants and long sleeve button downs most everyday. So no tan if you were wondering, except for maybe my neck and face.

Well... time's up.

Peace,
Matt

Pics

2008-06-12T10:26:00.000-04:00

A couple of pics if it works...

First one is a common scene in the market the other is my homestay house.

"Surreality"

2008-06-12T09:58:00.000-04:00

Not sure if that's even a word, but the word surreal kind of came to me today when thinking about some of the unique and lifelong kinds of experiences I've already had on this trip. One particular event sparked this, but I'll give a little explanation first.

So, I guess I didn't realize the acessability of the government here in Uganda and the kinds of connections that the program I'm with has. But I've met a lot of very neat and influential people thus far. One of our lecturers on Tuesday was a man who worked in Parliament for a term, then in the President's cabinet, then forthe UN, then as the national director of external security (like the CIA), then was finally forced out of government when he voiced his opinions about the authoritarian nature of the president. Another of our lecturers who came yesterday, is the head of the opposition (FDC) party in parliament. He's been all over the news recently and seems to be a big deal. And today, I had the opportunity to visit the national World Vision offices where I and a few others met with the national peace-building coordinator in Uganda. Another very interesting and valuable experience, especially considering my ongoing interest in World Vision.

So that was that... then for the surreal part.

Today after our interview and some other stuff, one of the guys in the group and I decided to head down to the national parliament building and see what it was like. So we walked up to the gates and were stopped by security. At first I thought about just turning around... why would they let us in, but I ended up telling the guard that I was living with MP Angiro Gutumoi and that I wanted to see him. After looking us up and down he let us by. After passing through a metal detector and talking to the receptionist we were in... just like that. So wewent to see if he was in his office, unfortunately he wasn't so we decided to wander. Next thing I knew we were in the commons or whatever you call the place where all the action happens. Pretty surreal right? So we sat there a little while then kept going and walked up a few flights of stairs before finding a parliamentary restaurant. So we sat down and had a drink... at the top of the Ugandan parliament, without any security keeping an eye on us. Surreal. And I haven't even mentioned the extensive history behind the building. I won't bore you now, but you can imagine that a government that has had 9 presidents and not one has come through a peaceful (constitutional) transfer of power that there would be some history.

So yeah, pretty crazy stuff.

Peace,
Matt

Refocusing

2008-06-11T10:31:00.000-04:00

Some of you may know or may have heard that I have been a little homesick lately, adjusting to the culture and being so far away from home. I appreciate all the thoughts and prayers and I wanted all of you to know that I feel it.

So in class today I was able to find some kind of focus once again. I was able to get through some of the things I'm going through right now and focus. We watched the movie Uganda rising today. A horrific movie but a good reminder of what it is that I'm doing in this country. The ongoing civil war in the north of the country between the government and the LRA (rebels) that has had extremely adverse effects on the Acholi people. They were esentially forced into refugee camps by the government while also being targeted by the rebels. Until the recent lull in violence, 90% of the Acholi people lived in these camps due to the war that started way back in 1986. Thousands die in the camps everyday due to starvation and simple, treatale diseases. The government has really shown no mercy to these people and neither has the LRA, but the LRA presents it's own set of prolems. 80% of the rebel force is thought to be comprised of children that have been abducted and turned into ruthless child soldiers.

So in the area of peace and conflict resolution, Uganda does provide some very interesting and unique situations. Whose to blame for the violence, who should be brought to justice and what is justice? All good questions. How do you bring justice to a rebel army killing thousands, when 80% of this fighting force is, in reality, victims themselves. And how to you bring justice to a government that want yeild power and has actually killed more people through their ressetlement policies for the Acholi.

Anyway... all interesting stuff. I'm learning a lot which is good.

In case anyone was keeping track, I also finally met my homestay dad last night. He's a good guy it seems, I'll tell more about him hopefully tomorrow.

Peace,
Matt

Getting lost for the first time

2008-06-10T10:03:00.000-04:00

Yesterday I had posted that we were in class all day for the first day. Well I got on the taxi towards home and got off at the right stop and everything. Then my journey requires a little bit of a walk uphill towards home. Everything was going fine until I hit a T intersection in the road. Unfortunately I didn't recognize and and turned the wrong way. So it turns out I was real close to home but ended up about a mile away. Fortunately I found a calling stand by the side of the road and was able to get a hold of most host-brother. So we got home right around dark and it was good that he found me, because I was lost. It actually turned out to be a really freeing experience and an opportunity to just relax and let go a little. I would think the opposite would have happened but it was good.

Then, last night I experienced a soccer game like I never have before. It was myself and about 50 other Ugandan men crammed into a roomabout 22x25 feet watching the Euro soccer tournament. It was a good time. Hot, but good.

Ok, well, I'm off to the house again. Hopefully it will be slightly easier today.

Thank you again for all the prayers and well wishes.

Peace,
Matt

Change of pace

2008-06-09T09:50:00.000-04:00

Well I'm all moved into my homestay now. It's definitely different to be there alone instead of with the group in a hotel. It makes me much more homesick to be on my own, but I'm hoping I'll get used to it soon.

The neighorhood I'm in is much less "developed" than the city in terms of the roads and businesses, etc. It's fun to be out in the suburbs, to see a different side of things. The house I'm staying in is simple, but comfortable enough. They do have electricity, running water and a toilet, which not all of the kids in our group have. The mother works in another city and lives there so I'm not sure if I'll see her much and the day was away on usiness yesterday so I didn't see him either. I'm getting ready to head there now, so hopefully he'll be home tonight. I spent most of the day with Issac, who is 23 and the son of my homestay parents. He's a nice guy, similar age, goes to the university here and was helpful in making my way to class this morning.

We started our classes today which was good, I've been waiting for that. Today was mostly just asic background and history stuff but it was good to keep my mind busy and be together with the group again.

I don't have much more to write about at this time, but I'll be back again soon. Please continue to pray for safety for me and also that I could have some measure of peace, to keep my mind off my homesickness.

Thank you all,
Matt

A little bit of rain

2008-06-07T10:49:00.000-04:00

So today has been a more typical Uganda day weather wise according to the locals. It started off a little cool and cloudy, then began to rain late morning and was on and off downpour until recently (dinner time). Despite creating a small mess and making it extra difficult to maneuver it was a pleasant treat because it briefly cleared the air of all the smog and pollution.

It was the final day of our orientation so the introductions wrapped up today and I feel ready to dive into the actual hands on phase of the program. We have classes all next week and some reading assignments before heading off to the north to get a little field experience and visit an IDP (internally displaced persons) camp. I also learned more about my homestay family today. It turns out that they have 10 kids between the ages of 6 and 12! Which seems impossible, but they're all adopted. Their biological kids have moved out and now they house 10 kids. It will be interesting to hear the story behind that.

I feel like I'm jumping all over the place but I'm trying to be brief and give you a little taste of everything... and speaking of taste I had another interesting meal for lunch today. It was a matoke and offals dish served hot. What's that you may say? Well, it turns out matoke is cooked plantains and offals is cow intestine! It was a little chewy (the intestine), but it was actually pretty good. I'm still feeling good so I think my stomach is handling all this change ok.

Then finally we dropped by an old open air market just outside the University and walked around for a while. One of the areas that intrigued me most was a section with rows and rows of fresh fruits and vegetables. It was colorful and really beautiful. I eventually decided that I needed a picture so I bought some bananas and an avacado and asked the lady if I could take a picture of her stand. After insisting that I not take any picture of her she said it was ok. So as I snapped the picture the flash went off which turned out to be frowned upon as everyone whipped around and a man yelled something at me. After the woman explained what I was doing I asked why people don't like their pictures taken. She said something to the effect of, "because you take the picture and you take it home." Interesting. As I think more about the ethics of it she has a point. When we westerners (privilaged) take picture of others (often underprivilaged) what are we trying to accomplish. It is solely for me? Are those people benefitting from me taking that picture at all? Am I in any way exploiting or harming these people? How am I portraying them and their culture? Maybe not with this picture, but the classic photo of the child with bugs on his face and snot in his nose... what about that? Does it help more than it hurts? I don't know. Just something to think about I guess.

Peace,
Matt

2008-06-06T10:45:00.001-04:00

Ok... I'm back.

If you didn't get a chance to read the last post, that was just earlier today. I was a bit pressed for time so things weren't explained very well, but I thought I should expand on Acholi culture and people a little more. I mentioned we had an Acholi meal (I had goat in a "sim sim" (sesame) and peanut sauce with millet bread and sweet potato) but the Acholi people are actually the group of people we're doing our homestays with here in Uganda. They are generally from the northern part of the country and have been one of the groups most affected by the ongoing 22 year civil war in the north. They are largely a Christian group of people because as one woman put it, "it is the only hope they have." They are also largely a poor group of people due to war and the government's policies towards Acholiland (Museveni, Uganda's president is from the south).

On that topic, just yesterday in the local paper, they government reported that it wqould resume military operations in the north which had been suspended in hopes of reaching a peace deal. So a very interesting time to be here. On top of that the local media is not very regulated so much of what the government does is in fact questioned. Last night was Museveni's state of the nation address and in todays papers, some of the reviews were rather scathing. And on top of all that I found out today that my host father is actually a MP (member of parliament) from the opposition party (Freedom for Democratic Change). It will all be very interesting I hope.

To add to my explaination of boda boda's, all I have to say is they're dangerous. 60% of all casualties in local hospitals are from boda boda accidents. Just last night 5 people died in a boda boda accident in the city. Again, I promise not to ride them for all of you concerned.

Well... that's all for now. If anyone ever wants any more explaination of anything just write a comment and I'll be happy to answer questions.

Weraba (bye) for now

Peace,
Matt

Traffic and strange food

2008-06-06T05:33:00.000-04:00

An interestnig title I know, but so far those are the two things that have been most interesting. It has taken a while to navigate the way traffic works around here. Taxis and cars never yeild to anything, boda bodas only yeild to taxis and cars, People yeild to everything. And the traffic here is quite intense. It's a good wake up call to step off the street corner and have a little motorcycle whizz in front of you and honk and yell "mizungu, mizungu!" which means white man basically (not considered derogatory). So you may be wondering what a boda boda is? Well it's the little motorcycle I talked about, sometimes with 3 adult passengers AND the driver. I'll give the background on their name sometime.

So the food also has been new. Wednesday night I tried some crocidile, yesterday afternoon we ate at an authentic Acholi restaurant using only our hands, very messy then last night was ethiopian. It's been good though.

I'm a little pressed for time now, but I'll try to get back later and post more.

Peace,
Matt

First few days

2008-06-04T10:06:00.000-04:00

Well, I arrived safely here in Uganda after a 2 hour flight from Detroit to New York, 7 hours to London and 8.5 hours to Kampala (both overnight flights). So needless to say I'm a little tired, but overall doing really well.

Yesterday afternoon, I and some of my group (22 students from all over the US) spent a good part of our nearly 12 hour layover in downtown London. We took the metro (subway) into town and walked around. I'll try and figure out how to post some pictures sometime because if you haven't been to London you have to see it, it's beautiful. It's like taking a time machine back 300 years. We stopped by parliament, big ben, london bridge, buckingham palace, westminster abbey and westminster cathedral (which was my personal favorite, absolutely breathtaking). Then another overnight flight into Entebee airport here in Kampala, Uganda.

All the luggage got here on time and we stepped off the plane to a wonderful 70 degree breeze. The day has been spent mostly getting acquainted with the city and driving around a little, which has been nice. The country is wonderful thus far. Tomorrow is more orientation and getting acquainted before we move to our homestay on Sunday.

As many you are reading this, I'll be eating dinner and going to bed. Thanks for reading and feel free to post comments or questions if you like. I hope to update often.

Peace,
Matt