Dear supporters and churches, Resurrection Sunday 31st March 2024
It is now nearly five years since my first teaching trip to Rwanda, just over a year since my first visit to D.R. Congo, and two weeks since my safe return from my third teaching trip to Uganda. This is my report on my recent time in Uganda. I will not give a full account of all that I did. You have my programme and will have seen much of this from my pictures and videos. Here I wish simply to share with you selected highlights and challenges with associated reflections.
This last trip was my second return to Busia in six months, at the invitation of Pastor Wejuli Fred, Director of LEMA. I was there to teach for two weeks. The first week consisted of visiting five churches around Busia, where the leaders from each gathered for teaching. The second week was several days’ teaching in Busia, where nearly fifty leaders from eleven Upendo churches came together. Fred was keen to introduce me to these churches and leaders, with a view to me continuing regular teaching in the Old Testament two or three times each year.
Although we were able to consider an overview of the Old Testament, and commence an introduction to Genesis, the wishes of the leaders led us to focus on church history, Creation and the Flood, along with related prophecy and eschatology. This was partly down to the questions and curiosity of many of the leaders, but also stemmed from a collective sense of the zeitgeist in which we now live. The world is changing and the relationship between the West and Africa has reached unchartered waters. You may have picked this up from some of the class teaching that I shared on WhatsApp. My long-term plans to teach through the Old Testament have not changed. When I return we aim to come together as a larger group for two weeks to do a comprehensive study of Genesis and perhaps Exodus. It was agreed though that I should always be flexible and responsive to what Bible teaching is most demanded at any given time.
By a long way, the highlight for me was the opportunity to perform sixteen baptisms in Lake Victoria on my middle Saturday. Pastor Mangeni Sadiki, Discovery Restoration Church, had asked me the previous Sunday if I would assist him with these. This should have been my sabbath rest day, but I could hardly say no. I could not pass up the opportunity to take part in such a joyous event, for me and for so many others. Saturday was the best day for the most amount of people due to work commitments. There is around the same number of others who were not able to be baptised this time around, who may wait until my next visit so we can repeat the occasion. This busy morning prevented me from getting much needed rest, which at my age contributed to greater exhaustion at the end of my trip. However, I would not change this for anything. I will never forget the beauty of the sunlight, sky and still waters of Lake Victoria. As some boats fished on the lake we shared together the joy of baptism. This was our very own Galilee*. John 3:5-8, Romans 6:3-4, Hebrews 4:9-10
Sharing five of my favourite childhood songs with the children at Upendo Sunday School. I gave them a recording to learn for my return: This Is The Day, Deep and Wide, Running Over, There’s A Flag Flying High, The Gospel Express.
Food. Grilled tilapia: properly seasoned, cooked until the skin is crisp. It must be eaten with fingers. If you have not eaten tilapia you must do so before you die. If not, don’t worry. This is the fish we will all eat in heaven. Fried pork: in a pan with only salt and tomatoes added – made me even more glad I was neither Jewish not Muslim. Chicken: boiled (which falls off the bone) is always better than roasted (always overdone and tough to chew). Street food: goat kebabs and fried/pili pili chicken are superb and very cheap. All the above must be what the African angels are served in heaven.
My ‘certificate of appreciation’ from Egessa Andrew, Overseer of Upendo Churches. To receive this was unexpected and humbling. It meant much to them to give me it, but so much more to me to be given it. It now has pride of place on my study wall, next to my Glesga Roasters certificates.
Sitting on the Dom Royal porch, watching the swift Ugandan sunrise accompanied by the birds’ chorus and cockerels’ cacophony. I will miss the majestic, expanding kaleidoscope of blue, purple, pink, red, orange and yellow. I look forward to once again spending my quiet time with the Lord while hearing the sunrise sounds and basking in its warmth and vibrancy.
Being on a tight budget, it was difficult initially to maintain an open hand and preserve a generous heart. In comparison to other African countries, I have never experienced the same financial expectation from my Ugandan brothers and sisters, even though their poverty is just as great. But even as I was there, unexpected costs arose and urgent individual financial needs were made apparent to me. As you received my pictures and videos on WhatsApp, some of you provided financial support through Stewardship which covered all of this. To receive £420 from individuals and a timely pledge of £500 from a church moved me to tears and enabled me to meet every need. In this, Christ was honoured and given all the glory in an area where the devil always lurks. As you will see below, donations I received matched almost exactly the costs I incurred. Philippians 4:19, 1 Peter 8-9
Showing restraint in one of the larger churches, where I had some questions on the over-exuberant ‘deliverance’ ministry and associated money emphasis/transactions. I do not believe there is any bad motive here. Instead, I think this comes simply from a lack of biblical teaching on the subject, combined with learned behaviour from what is seen in other ‘successful’ churches. I have learned from experience that it is unwise to be too quick to criticise that which I observe but may not fully understand. I do believe that this is an area I must in future work with some leaders to ensure that they are acting biblically and with integrity. Whatever seemingly positive choices were made by individuals after a church service, the proper discipleship of these people is a huge challenge. To aid with this, I must carefully choose my timing and my method. It is very easy for good advice to be mis-perceived as judgement, thus leading individuals to feel threatened and become defensive. This is just what Satan would want. Please pray for me that where I can help leaders, I am able to offer this in the right way and it will be received as it should be.
There is a dearth of Bibles. Many, even leaders, do not even have a Bible – not even in Luganda or Samia, let alone English. All would love to own an English Bible. I have a stock of these, and I take out as many as I can in my luggage each time.
Health. My toes were cut by shoes which needed replaced, and I ate uncooked vegetables which could have floored me for a couple of days. Thankfully both came to nothing. Please pray that I will be extra vigilant in future of all the little things that could through me off track. Pray I foresee them before they can happen and take whatever measures necessary to prevent me from unwittingly leaving myself open to such pitfalls. Such things may seem infinitesimal, but they have the potential to ruin an entire trip.
Systemic corruption in local and national government, which causes abject poverty downstream in society. My brother Wangira Stephen analogised that the Dead Sea is dead because everything flows into it and nothing flows out. And when a fish dies, it dies from the head down through the rest of the body. We take for granted that which would help lift Uganda out of poverty: utilities – water, electricity, gas. Next time you turn on a tap, switch on a light, turn on the hob to cook, put your dishes in the dishwasher or your clothes in the washing machine, say a prayer for all our brothers and sisters in Busia district who do not have these luxuries. The time saved and the liberation for women could not be measured by us, nor even imagined by those who cannot perceive to dream of such riches.
This third trip in my ‘solo’ ministry cemented what was already a good relationship with Fred and my other brothers and sisters in Busia. I lost count of the amount of times Fred effused how much of a ‘Ugandan’, a ‘brother’ and ‘member of their family’ I was. This is not hyperbole. I truly am. Many said so me, ‘your skin is white but your blood is African’. This expresses their love for me and my commitment to them. Fred wishes me to return in August for 2-3 weeks, which would include going to Kalaki for the middle week, hosted by Pastor Enyomu Eughene. I met Eughene in October and he came again to Busia to confirm such plans. Please pray this can be arranged in between two weeks in Busia.
From the equator to the eclipse! I now head for Texas to see the total solar eclipse on Monday 8 April. I will be visiting my host family and a brother and friend from when I did a gap year in Fort Worth 1994-95. I will be speaking at two churches, two schools and a podcast. I will send you a short programme for this before I leave this Friday and will again have a WhatsApp group with some picture and videos (feel free to opt out of this if you wish). I have no idea what yet, but I am sure my trip to America will have some significance for my ministry in Africa. Everything I do for Christ in Africa is made possible by your support for me. I hope that this report does justice to all that you have helped me do in His name.
In Christ
Happy Resurrection Day. He is risen!
Matthew 28:6-7,19-20
Peter McLean
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